Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Russian MOD Video Shows RAF Typhoons And RNoAF F-16s, F-35s From Inside Russian Navy Tu-142 During Intercept

03/09/2020

The Russian MoD has just released an interesting video that provides additional details about the long-range mission flown in international airspace by a Tu-142MK ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) and maritime patrol aircraft and a Tu-142MR Bear-J VLF band radio communications relay platform escorted by at least one MiG-31 Foxhound (armed with R-33 missiles) that caused the Royal Norwegian Air Force and the RAF to scramble their interceptors on Mar. 7, 2020.

U.S. private contractor buys 46 Australian retired F/A-18 Hornet fighters

03/08/2020

Australian Government Department of Defense has reported that U.S. private contractor Air USA is buying up to 46 F/A-18 Hornet fighter aircraft. “Workers at RAAF Base Williamtown will service and prepare up to 46 retired F/A-18 Classic Hornet aircraft that will be sold to air combat training company Air USA,” said in the release.

How Israel's Derby missile can change the game for India's fighter Tejas

03/08/2020

The reason why India's defense establishment is tilting towards the Derby missile is because it can be integrated into different types of fighter aircraft and can also be used as a surface-to-air missile for the Spyder air defense system.

Russia's Bombers Have Been Doing Serious Damage All Over Syria

03/08/2020

As the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) already had several dozen tactical bombers and fighters based in western Syria, it was widely assumed that deploying big bombers on long-distance raids was purely for symbolic and combat testing purposes. But in fact, VKS tactical aviation elements in Syria could not quite surge the desired level of firepower for the retaliation strike, particularly against targets in eastern Syria.

All the Reasons Why the Air Force's F-16 Is Still a Deadly Plane

03/07/2020

The F-16 Fighting Falcon bears an unusual distinctions: it is one of the only top jet fighters in the world to also be cost efficient. Fast and extremely agile, the light fighter does have some shortcomings in range and payload compared to larger twin-engine fighters like the F-15 Eagle, but that was easy to forgive due to costing less than half as much—around $18 million in 1999 ($27 million in 2017 dollars).

Despite Bloody Week In Afghanistan, U.S. Pushes Taliban Peace Talks Forward

03/07/2020

With less than four days to go before peace talks are to begin in Afghanistan between that nation's authorities and the Taliban insurgency, things are not looking promising. Taliban fighters are stepping up attacks on Afghan security forces. American warplanes are counterattacking. And a prisoner exchange that was to take place before those intra-Afghan talks start is being rejected by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

Helicopter-launched MBDA Sea Venom anti-ship missile hits target during test

03/07/2020

MBDA has successfully hit a target vessel with its Sea Venom anti-ship missile fired from a helicopter in a test. The first qualification firing trial of the medium-range weapon was done at DGA Essais de test site at Ile Du Levant in the Bay of Biscay, France on 20 February 2020, MBDA says on 6 March. The dummy target was a shipping container stacked on a large vessel at sea.

Northrop turns to Canberra to shore up Triton production

03/07/2020

Northrop Grumman says Australia should consider advancing its acquisition of the US Navy’s MQ-4C Triton UAV following the Trump administration’s proposal to pause production for the programme in FY2021 and FY2022. While pausing production, the administration wants instead to focus on the MQ-4C’s improved multi-intelligence configuration, designated IFC-4. The budget is subject to congressional approval.

Morocco Buys Israeli

03/06/2020

France finally delivered its three Harfang (Eagle) UAVs to Morocco in a $48 million sale that included ground support and maintenance equipment as well as extended tech support. Completing this sale took six years because Moroccan Islamic conservatives condemned the proposed deal because the Harfangs were actually an Israeli design renamed and modified somewhat for French service.

Is China About to Give Its Best Fighters Powerful New Jet Engines?

03/06/2020

Like its American counterpart the F-16 jet, the J-10—dubbed the Vigorous Dragon, or the Firebird by NATO—is a quite agile fourth-generation jet with an aerodynamically unstable airframe that has to be regulated by its flight control computer. But such maneuvers would have been impossible for a regular plane relying entirely upon conventional flight controls.

Not Again: China Is Building Another, Better Stealth Fighter

03/06/2020

China reportedly is developing a new stealth fighter. The new warplane, under development by the Shenyang Aircraft Design and Research Institute, could be a clean-sheet design. Or it might be a development of the company’s older FC-31, an export-optimized stealth fighter that has yet to secure a single order.

Weapon wing integration keeps Wildcat on target for carrier protection role

03/06/2020

The UK Royal Navy’s (RN’s) Wildcat HMA2 rotorcraft will be ready to defend the service’s largest-ever warships from next year, with the integration of key new armaments proceeding on schedule, Leonardo Helicopters says.

Norway makes progress with NH90 ASW introduction

03/06/2020

Norway is making progress with the introduction of the NH Industries NH90 NFH maritime helicopter for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) missions, having taken delivery of the first aircraft in August last year. Although the Royal Norwegian Air Force previously operated the Westland Lynx from its navy’s frigate fleet, these were not deployed in an ASW capacity.

“Erdogan's army destroys Putin's high-tech weapons,” German daily Bild says

03/05/2020

A reporter from one of Germany’s highest-circulating dailies Bild, Julian Röpcke, has written an article on Turkey's drone capabilities. The piece, titled “Erdogan’s army destroys Putin’s high-tech weapons,” points to the success of the Bayraktar unmanned aerial vehicles in the battleground.

Australia To Sell Retired F/A-18 Hornet Fighters To Private Aggressor Firm Air USA

03/05/2020

Air USA, a private contractor that offers "red air" adversary support, is buying up to 46 soon-to-be-retired F/A-18A/B Hornets from the Royal Australian Air Force. Last year, the U.S. Air Force hired the company, along with six others, under a massive multi-billion dollar training support contract.

Goldfein Defends USAF Decision to Retire Legacy Aircraft

03/05/2020

Air Force leaders are urging members of Congress to participate in classified briefings in order to fully understand the thinking behind the service’s fiscal 2021 budget request, which once again attempts to retire a host of legacy platforms to free up funding for new technology.

Coronavirus fears to shut down Lockheed Martin F-35 production in Japan

03/05/2020

Lockheed Martin and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries plan to shut down production at the F-35’s Final Assembly and Check-Out (FACO) facility in Nagoya, Japan the week of 9-13 March due to fears of coronavirus contagion. The number of coronavirus cases in Japan climbed past 1,000 on 4 March, according to the World Health Organization and local media reports. The country has the fifth highest number of confirmed cases worldwide, behind China, South Korea, Italy and Iran.

Lockheed delivers 500th F-35

03/05/2020

Lockheed Martin has delivered the 500th F-35 fighter, with the fleet also surpassing the 250,000 flight hour mark. The 500th example delivered is an F-35A that will serve with the Vermont Air National Guard, says Lockheed. An image of the jet shows it bears the registration number AF5343.

Syrian L-39 Shot Down By Turkish Air Force F-16 Over Syria

03/04/2020

Both the Turkish Ministry of Defense and the Syrian News Agency SANA have confirmed that a Syrian L-39 Albatros was shot down in the Idlib region, around 12.03LT on Mar. 3, 2020. The downing of the advanced jet trainer (that the Syrian Arab Air Force has often been using in combat with an under fuselage gun pod and external stores since 2012, when the first images of SyAAF L-39s attacking rebel positions started appearing online).

Finns Analyzing Fighter Trials Data

03/04/2020

Finnish procurement officials say they expect all five contenders in the country’s HX Fighter competition to remain in the race until the end. The comments by the Finnish defense ministry’s head of strategic projects, Lauri Puranen, emerged following the conclusion of the HX Challenge. The challenge saw each of the aircraft types deployed to Finland in January and February for flight trials to confirm that the proposed aircraft have met the specifications promised by the manufacturers.

Saab partners with Canadian companies for fighter jet deal

03/04/2020

Saab has partnered with several Canadian aerospace companies for the Future Fighter Capability Project (FFCP) deal. Known as the ‘Gripen for Canada Team’, the companies include IMP Aerospace & Defence, CAE, Peraton Canada and GE Aviation. The Saab-led team has been formed to provide a genuine ‘Made in Canada’ solution for the fighter capability project and help comply with the terms set out in the Canadian request for proposal.

US State Department approves sale of 8 Boeing KC-46A tankers to Israel

03/04/2020

The US State Department has approved the sale of eight Boeing KC-46A Pegasus in-flight refuelling tankers to Israel for an estimated $2.4 billion. The US Congress has been notified of the possible sale, says the Defense Security Cooperation Agency on 3 March.

US Navy F-16A aggressor jets receive structural upgrade

03/04/2020

The US Navy has completed update work on 10 Lockheed Martin F-16A fighters that are used in the aggressor role. The work was undertaken by the Specialized and Proven Aircraft Program office, says the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR).

Saab bids for Canada’s Future Fighter Capability Project

03/03/2020

Saab is bidding for the Canadian Future Fighter Capability Project (FFCP) which will see the replacement of the RCAF’s existing CF-18 Hornet fighter fleet. If successful, the bid will see 88 of Saab’s Gripen E aircraft being delivered which offers full NATO interoperability.

Tunisian AT-6C aircraft purchase approved

03/03/2020

The United States has approved a possible military sale to Tunisia of four AT-6C Wolverine light attack aircraft worth an estimated $325 million including associated equipment. The US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress of the possible sale on 25 February after Tunisia requested four AT-6C aircraft.