Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Tactical Texans fit Tunisia to a T

05/12/2020

The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) delivered the required certification notifying Congress of the possible sale on October 10 last year. It said that the proposed sale was intended to provide a replacement for “Tunisia’s aging trainer fleet” and explained that it would allow the country to continue to train pilots for counter-terrorism and border security missions.

DAAA certifies Leonardo’s M-345 trainer aircraft

05/12/2020

The Directorate for Air Armaments and Airworthiness (DAAA) has approved and certified the new M-345 trainer aircraft which has been designed and manufactured by Leonardo. Certification by the DAAA (an agency within the Italian MoD) is the result of more than 200 flights with in-flight and on-ground tests carried out in collaboration with the Italian Air Force.

Pakistan steps up fighter aircraft activity close to Indian territory

05/11/2020

Pakistani Air Force Aircraft have been flying patrols close to the Indian territory inside their space together with their F-16, JF-17 and Mirage III fighter planes. Indian airbases have been additionally on alert in view of the heightened actions of the Pakistan Air Force. A high authorities official revealed that Pakistan has heightened fighter aircraft activity after the killing of Indian Army Colonel Ashutosh Sharma in an encounter with Pakistani terrorists within the Handwara forests.

Russia’s mightiest military aircraft buzz over Moscow to mark 75th anniversary of Nazi defeat (PHOTO, VIDEO)

05/10/2020

Defying clouds in the sky and Covid-19 on the ground, Russia’s deadliest bombers, nimblest fighter jets and strongest transport aircraft flew over the capital in celebration of Soviet victory over Nazi Germany 75 years ago. V-Day is one of the most important national holidays in Russia, and this year was supposed to have seen massive celebrations throughout the country. But Covid-19 and its lockdowns threw a wrench into the plans, forcing the postponement of most festivities.

India will have the 3rd most Powerful Navy in the world by 2030

05/10/2020

The most powerful navies in 2030 will be a reflection of the broader state of the world. Some countries are invested in preserving the current international order, and see naval power as a means to maintain it. Other emerging countries are building navies commensurate with their newfound sense of status, often with an eye towards challenging that order.

Mosaic Warfare: Redefining future battlefield

05/10/2020

Elon Musk, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the SpaceX Corporation as well as Tesla Motors, proclaimed at the United States Air Force (USAF) Air Warfare Symposium in February 2020 that the days of the fighter aircraft are over. Unprecedented technological advances over the last half a decade or so portend an imminent transformation of warfighting. Many current warfare concepts are likely to become obsolete.

Chinese military transport plane enters Taiwanese airspace

05/09/2020

A Chinese Shaanxi Y-8 military transport plane entered Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) Friday (May 8), leading a jet from the island’s Air Force to broadcast a warning. According to the Ministry of National Defense, the Chinese military plane had been training off Taiwan’s southwest coast around noon before it briefly encroached on Taiwan’s ADIZ, CNA reported.

First V-22 Osprey aircraft arrives in Japan

05/09/2020

The first two V-22 Osprey aircraft bound for Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) units arrived in Japan at U.S. Marine Corps Air Station, Iwakuni, according to a recent Marine Corps news release. “The V-22 off-load marked the first time JGSDF V-22s arrived on Japanese soil,” said in a statement. Japan ordered the first five Ospreys aircraft for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force in July 2015 for $332 million.

Indian Air Force's MiG-29 fighter aircraft crashes in Punjab

05/09/2020

An Indian Air Force fighter aircraft has crashed in Punjab. "A MiG-29 fighter aircraft crashed today near Hoshiarpur district of Punjab. The pilot managed to eject safely," IAF officials said. The pilot was rescued by a helicopter.

The JH-XX Stealth Bomber Is China's Worst Kept Military Secret

05/08/2020

Why build one stealth bomber when two would be better? That is likely the thinking behind China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force’s current strategy. It has released a bit of information on its Xian H-20 stealth bomber, which seems to be similar to the U.S. Air Force’s B-2 Spirit in form and function—and resembles the iconic “flying wing” that one almost expects with stealth aircraft.

US pulls Patriot missiles, fighter aircraft from Saudi Arabia amid dispute

05/08/2020

The U.S. is pulling two Patriot missile batteries and some fighter aircraft out of Saudi Arabia, an American official said Thursday, amid tensions between the kingdom and the Trump administration over oil production. The official said the decision removes two batteries that were guarding oil facilities in Saudi Arabia but leaves two Patriot batteries at Prince Sultan Air Base in the Saudi desert, along with other air defense systems and jet fighters.

RAF Typhoons conduct more air strikes in Iraq

05/08/2020

A pair of RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft conducted air strikes against Daesh targets in north-east Iraq on the night of 28 April. The jets, operating out of RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus were also accompanied by a Voyager A330 MRTT aerial refuelling tanker and additional fighter aircraft involved with the multinational coalition against Daesh.

Federal government issues another extension for fighter replacement proposals

05/08/2020

The 30-day extension is a response to the coronavirus pandemic that has disrupted business operations globally, especially in the aerospace sector. “The COVID-19 pandemic is presenting numerous challenges for businesses and their workforce, including the eligible suppliers for the Future Fighter Capability Project,” said a spokesperson for the department in a statement on May 6.

Dynetics secures DARPA Air Combat Evolution (ACE) phase 1 programme

05/08/2020

Leidos subsidiary Dynetics has won a $12.3m valued phase 1 of the Air Combat Evolution (ACE) programme, Technical Area 3 (TA3). The ACE TA3 (Alpha Mosaic) contract was awarded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Strategic Technology Office (STO). As an initial challenge scenario, the programme uses aerial dogfighting for implementing artificial intelligence (AI) into high-intensity air conflicts, which increases the soldier’s trust in combat autonomy.

U.S. Air Force conducts training bombing close to Russia’s western flank

05/08/2020

Two U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer strategic bombers, after a transatlantic flight, conducted training bombing at the Tapa training ground in Estonia, the Pentagon said on Wednesday. According to a 28th Bomb Wing press release, the flight, which lasted more than 25 hours, included integration and interoperability training with Danish F-16s overflying Bornholm Island in the Baltic Sea. The B-1s also worked with Estonian Joint Terminal Air Controllers to provide training with inert devices at Tapa Ra

Leonardo's M-346FA Combat Aircraft Selects RAFAEL Electro-Optical Pods

05/07/2020

Israeli RAFAEL will supply Litening-5 and RecceLite systems to equip Leonardo's M-346FA light combat aircraft. This is the first integration of 5th generation EO pods to Leonardo's M-346FA platform. The M-346FA is the multi-role combat variant of the M-346 advanced jet trainer.

Leidos-led team pitches Bronco II to SOCOM

05/06/2020

American defence and aviation giant Leidos announced on 4 May that the company has teamed up with Paramount Group US and Vertex Aerospace to deliver the Bronco II, a new purpose-built, multi-mission aircraft. The aircraft will provide support to the Armed Overwatch Prototype Program, run by US Special Operations Command (SOCOM).

31st MEU maintains presence in South China Sea

05/06/2020

The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit conducted Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) full mission profile rehearsals, aerial reconnaissance, and simulated close-air support (CAS) while maintaining a presence in the South China Sea aboard amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6), April 17-24, 2020.

US B-1 bombers rehearse cooperation with forward observers in Estonian airspace

05/06/2020

B-1 Lancer strategic bombers of the United States on Tuesday rehearsed cooperation with forward observers of the Estonian defense forces and NATO allies at the Estonian defense forces' central training grounds as part of the Spring Storm (Kevadtorm) military exercise. "For NATO, and specifically for our region, training exercises of US strategic bombers in our airspace are an important sign of how serious the Americans are about their role in protecting the Baltic countries.

Bell Boeing awarded $10.2M for V-22 Osprey repairs

05/06/2020

Bell Boeing received a $10.2 million contract modification Tuesday for repairs of the V-22 Osprey multirole combat aircraft for the Navy, the Pentagon announced. The deal modifies a previously awarded contract for production of V-22 aircraft to include additional repairs and non-recurring engineering for a drive tube engineering change proposal.

Boeing rolls out Australia’s first ‘Loyal Wingman’ combat drone

05/06/2020

Boeing is set to roll out the first “Loyal Wingman” drone for the Royal Australian Air Force during a Tuesday morning ceremony, putting the RAAF high on the list of countries experimenting with autonomous aircraft. “This a truly historic moment for our country and for Australian defense innovation,” said Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. “The Loyal Wingman will be pivotal to exploring the critical capabilities our Air Force needs to protect our nation and its allies into the future.”

Armed F-15 fighter jet diverted from Trump protection mission after in-flight emergency

05/05/2020

An armed F-15 fighter jet ran off the runway at Joint Base Andrews on Saturday, having diverted there after a sudden in-flight emergency while flying a mission to help protect President Donald Trump at Camp David, two US defense officials told CNN. The military did not specifically say what type of in-flight emergency forced the pilot to divert to Andrews, located in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC.

Beyond the F-22 or F-35: Meet Japan's F-3 6th Generation Stealth Fighter

05/04/2020

Through April and March 2020, the choice of who Japan would partner with for their “F-3” next generation fighter jet has been reported on constantly, with seemingly contradictory headlines on who the partner would be. This may give the impression that Japan is waffling on their choice of partners in the project. However a deeper reading of the articles shows that Japan’s policy has been rather consistent, and recent developments are a simple narrowing down of options.

America’s F-16V vs. China’s J-10C: Which Lightweight Single Engine Fighter Would Prevail in an Air War

05/04/2020

Entering service in 2017 and 2018 respectively, the American F-16V and Chinese J-10C represent two of the most capable lightweight fighter jets in production today and considerable improvements over older baseline fourth generation designs. With each weighing approximately 13,000kg, deploying similarly sized radars, similar single engine configurations and similar weapons payloads, the aircraft are in many ways highly comparable.

Turkish defense firm HAVELSAN to cooperate with TAI for homegrown fighter jet

05/04/2020

New cooperation has been initiated for Turkey's TF-X National Combat Aircraft (MMU), a joint project of the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB), between the TAI and leading defense company HAVELSAN, SSB Chairman Ismail Demir said Saturday.