Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

F-22 Stealth Fighters Make History with Extreme Cold-Weather Remote Refueling

02/08/2020

Pilots typically never like to see an aircraft's fuel gauge tick down to almost empty -- especially if they are flying one of the most expensive fifth-generation stealth fighters in the world. Recently, F-22 Raptor pilots from the Pacific Air Forces' 3rd Wing simulated refueling in a remote location -- a necessary ability should they ever need to touch down and fill up before returning to battle. And special tactics airmen made it possible.

Russia says plane 'almost hit' by anti-aircraft fire in Syria

02/08/2020

According to a statement quoted by Russian media, the plane was about to land in Damascus when Syrian anti-aircraft fire responded to an alleged Israeli attack early on Thursday. The Airbus 320 then diverted to the Russian airbase of Hmeimim in north-western Syria, the ministry said. More than 172 people were on board.

Why fighter contenders must keep cool in Finnish HX battle

02/08/2020

Buying a new fleet of fighters is a huge decision for any nation: not only due to the high capital cost of making such an acquisition, but also because of the heavy responsibility of selecting the right type to defend its citizens for 30 years or more.

F-35 still worth the investment, Air Force Technology survey finds

02/07/2020

The poll comes as last week Poland signed a contract with Lockheed Martin worth $4.6bn to procure 32 F-35 combat aircraft in a move that will significantly upgrade its air power and marks the first Eastern European country to sign up to the programme.

India Prepares For New Fighter Tender

02/07/2020

While it is hard to believe, next year will mark almost 15 years since the Indian Air Force (IAF) embarked on a process to procure a new fighter. It will also be eight years since the force selected the Dassault Rafale for its Medium-Multirole Combat Aircraft (M-MRCA) program—a selection that was eventually not carried through to a license-production run as originally planned.

Boeing delivers first F/A-18E/F Super Hornet with 1,500h service life extension

02/07/2020

Boeing delivered the first F/A-18E/F Super Hornet with a 1,500h service-life extension to the US Navy (USN) on 21 January. The US manufacturer plans to deliver the second service-life-extended Super Hornet by the end of February, with a third to be handed to the service in April, it says on 6 February.

Kenya takes C-27J pair

02/07/2020

Kenya has received its first pair of Leonardo C-27J tactical transports from a KSh20 billion ($200 million) order for three examples for the country’s air force. Leonardo says that the two aircraft landed in the Kenyan capital Nairobi on 30 January. No details on the delivery timeline for the third aircraft were available, although Cirium fleets data lists it as the sole current order for the C-27J.

Singapore Airshow 2020: Viper and Gripen dogfight for Manila deal

02/06/2020

Philippine Secretary of National Defense Delfin Lorenzana confirmed in December 2019 that his country had downselected the Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 Viper and Saab JAS 39 GripenC/D as candidates for its Multi-Role Fighter (MRF) programme, setting the ball rolling for the final phase of evaluations.

Russia signs contracts for Tupolev future strategic bomber PAK-DA

02/06/2020

Three days after the United States Air Force shared new visuals of its upcoming B-21 Raider, the Russian Defense Ministry announced it signed the contracts regarding the production of its own future long-range strategic bomber, the PAK-DA.

Singapore Airshow 2020: Malaysian air force grapples with fighter shortages

02/06/2020

Gen Ackbal Samad assumed command of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) on 3 January, making him the fifth chief who will have to grapple with the much-delayed Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA).

BARP Offers Services for New and Older Russian Fighters

02/06/2020

One of the most well-known defense enterprises in the former Soviet Republic of Belarus is the Baranovichi Aircraft Repair Plant (BARP) No. 558. The facility specializes in upgrading front-line fighter aircraft originally developed in the former USSR, and it is moving into new markets for its own electronic warfare (EW) products.

US Special Operations plans to buy 75 light attack aircraft for Armed Overwatch

02/06/2020

The US Special Operations Command plans on buying 75 fixed-wing aircraft for its just-announced Armed Overwatch programme. The aircraft are intended for close air support of special operations troops, according to a notice announcing an upcoming industry day posted online 3 February.

Finland’s HX contest heats up, as evaluations advance

02/06/2020

Finland has reached the mid-way point in its HX Challenge process: an in-country evaluation of the five types on offer to meet its future fighter requirement. Candidate number three – Saab’s Gripen E – late last month arrived at the Finnish air force’s Pirkkala air base, before Helsinki received updated request for proposal responses from the Swedish firm and its rivals on 31 January. The deployment marked the first overseas commitment made using the new-generation model.

Kuwait Prepares for Typhoon EIS in 2020

02/05/2020

Final assembly of the first batch of Eurofighter Typhoons for Kuwait was formally launched in a ceremony at Turin-Caselle on October 15. The Italian final assembly line was bedecked with Kuwaiti and Italian flags for the closed event, with a backdrop provided by the fuselage of the first Kuwaiti two-seater (KT001) in an assembly jig, waiting for its tailfin to be fitted.

US Navy plans to arm P-8A with cruise missiles, bombs, sea mines and decoys

02/05/2020

The US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) is soliciting potential contractors to integrate the Boeing P-8A Poseidon with Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles, as well as several other weapons. NAVAIR is also interested in outfitting the maritime patrol aircraft with 500lb to 2,000lb-class bombs fitted with Joint Direct Attack Munition guidance kits, Mk62/63/65 Quickstrike sea mines, Raytheon’s gliding Small Diameter Bomb, as well as Miniature Air Launched Decoys.

RAF welcomes first Poseidon to Kinloss base

02/05/2020

The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) has moved a step closer towards reinstating its lapsed dedicated maritime patrol aircraft capability, with a first Boeing P-8A Poseidon having touched down at its Kinloss base in Scotland on 4 February. The newly arrived aircraft, ZP801, had been supporting personnel training activities at the US Navy’s NAS Jacksonville site in Florida since last November, prior to making its first transatlantic crossing.

T-38 wing deal gives IAI fresh lift

02/05/2020

The US Air Force (USAF) has awarded Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) a potentially $240 million contract to produce further replacement wing sets for its Northrop T-38C jet trainer fleet. “Work will be performed in Lod, Israel, and is expected to be complete by January 2023,” the US Department of Defense says in a 30 January notification of the indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity deal. Approved funding in fiscal year 2020 values $34.4 million, it adds.

US Navy flies two EA-18G Growlers autonomously; third Growler used as controller

02/05/2020

The US Navy (USN) flew two Boeing EA-18G Growlers as autonomous unmanned air vehicles (UAVs), using a third Growler as a flight controller. In total, four flights were conducted at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, with tests starting in September 2019, says manufacturer Boeing on 4 February. The aircraft demonstrated 21 missions during flights that took place toward the end of 2019, says Boeing. The type of missions were not disclosed.

Eurofighter updates HX programme proposal

02/04/2020

Eurofighter has updated its proposal for Finland’s HX fighter acquisition programme, BAE Systems announced on 31 January. The proposal has been submitted by the UK government with the support of the governments of Germany, Italy and Spain - the nations which are currently represented in the Eurofighter industry consortium.

New B-21 image shows subtle changes from B-2A design

02/04/2020

A new rendering released by the US Air Force (USAF) of the top-secret Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider shows subtle differences compared to its stealth bomber predecessor, the Northrop Grumman B-2A Spirit. An artist rendering released by the service on 31 January depicts the bomber parked in hangars on several US air bases expected to host the flying wing aircraft in the future.

Additional military presence in Mideast delivers message of deterrence to Iran, says top US Central Command leader

02/03/2020

Nearly a month after Iran launched a rare direct military attack against United States forces in Iraq, an uneasy quiet has settled across the Mideast. Watching fighter jets roar off the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, the top U.S. commander for the region believes he is surrounded by one of the reasons that Iran has dialed back its combat stance, at least for now.

Japan’s next-gen fighter progress responds to China’s fifth-gen evolution

02/03/2020

It has been a long road. Japan’s Ministry of Defense has revealed that progress was gathering pace on the nation’s next-generation air dominance fighter program as Asia’s rising superpower, China, continues to enhance its own next-generation air dominance capabilities.

IAF needs 200 new fighters but Modi govt has cut funds in Budget 2020

02/02/2020

The Indian Air Force (IAF), which plans to acquire 200 fighter aircraft amid its depleting strength, saw a drop in capital funds allocation in Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Union Budget 2020-21 against revised estimates for the current fiscal. While Sitharaman had allocated Rs 39,302.64 crore for the IAF capital expenditure in her last budget in July 2019, it was increased to Rs 44,869.14 crore in the revised estimates for 2019-20.

Lockheed Martin F-35 has 873 deficiencies

02/02/2020

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II has 873 unresolved deficiencies and new problems are being discovered regularly, making reducing the number of issues with the aircraft difficult. That’s the conclusion of the latest scathing assessment of the stealth fighter from the Annual Report for the US Department of Defense’s (DoD) Office of the Director of Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E), released to the US Congress on 30 January.

Poland signs F-35 contract worth $4.6bn

02/02/2020

Poland has signed a $4.6 billion contract to purchase 32 Lockheed Martin F-35As, with deliveries to start in 2024. Signed on 31 January at the Polish air force academy in Deblin, the deal also includes a training package and logistics support services.