Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Defense forces disagree with claims Russia is suspending military exercises

03/29/2020

Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said Russia has halted military exercises in the vicinity of its western borders, and its military aircraft are flying in the Baltic airspace with their onboard transponders switched on. But the Estonian defense forces do not agree with this assessment.

First Marine F-35C squadron received Safe-For-Flight Operations Certification

03/28/2020

The first F-35C squadron of the United States Marine Corps, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 314, received on March 20, 2020 its Safe-For-Flight Operations Certification (SFFOC) at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar. VMFA-314 reached this milestone after working with the U.S. Navy’s F-35C Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS), Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 125, which helped the Marines with the transition from the F/A-18A++ Hornet to the new F-35C Lightning II.

USAF Rebuilds Precision Munition Stockpiles

03/28/2020

After an intense period of restocking, Air Force precision weapon inventories are almost back to acceptable levels, Air Force leaders say. Now they are throttling back planned purchases for fiscal 2021.

Nukes, Trump, Russian Missiles: The Weird Reasons Germany May Buy Three Jet Fighter Types from Eurofighter and Boeing

03/28/2020

Germany’s Defense Ministry is likely to replace its Tornado jets by 2025 with three different types of jets—two of them built in the United States, German business paper Handelsblatt reported Thursday. For years, Germany’s Air Force, the Luftwaffe, has been bedeviled by atrociously low readiness levels in its fleet of combat aircraft. Currently, the service operates 141 modern Eurofighter Typhoon jets optimized for air-to-air combat, and 93 Panavia Tornados.

US Air Force wants to use private in-flight refuelling tankers in two years

03/28/2020

The US Air Force (USAF) aims to start using private in-flight refuelling tankers in two years. The service wants to contract 5,000 flight hours to support around 1,100 sorties annually, it says in an industry day brief that was released 3 March. The brief was a summary of an industry day held in December 2019.

Saab commences production of first Brazilian Gripen F

03/28/2020

Saab has cut metal on the first two-seat Gripen F for the Brazilian air force. The first part cut for the aircraft will form part of the jet’s air duct section, just behind the fighter’s cockpit, says Saab. “This milestone is important for the Gripen project because it demonstrates that the development phase is proceeding properly,” says Colonel Renato Leite, head of the Monitoring and Control Group (GAC-Saab) at the Brazilian Air Force.

ACC to Award ‘Red Air’ Contracts for Six Bases

03/26/2020

Air Combat Command plans to award multiple contracts for adversary air support at six bases as early as April. But the scope of the project, once anticipated to be worth up to $6 billion, will be much smaller than hoped.

US Army selects Bell and Sikorsky to build FARA prototypes

03/26/2020

The US Army has selected Bell and Sikorsky to design and test Future Attack and Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) Competitive Prototypes. The two companies advanced to phase two where each is to complete a detailed design, build and test helicopters. The winner of the FARA contest will be selected in a fly-off competition no later than the fall of 2023.

Taiwan holds joint air drill featuring simulated air scramble

03/25/2020

Taiwan's Armed Forces held large-scale military exercises throughout the country on Tuesday, with eight F-16 fighter jets from Hualien Air Base conducting simulated long-range intercept missions above Taiwan. The drill was primarily held to test the military's combat readiness against an all-out Chinese aerial invasion, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said.

Naval Air: Italian Trainers Over The South China Sea

03/25/2020

In early 2020 the Philippines Air Force again assigned Italian made S211 jet trainers to maritime patrol duty. Only three of these elderly aircraft are still flyable and they will remain assigned to maritime patrol until they are no longer able to fly at all. This is not the first time these S211s were assigned to maritime patrol.

Why the US Marine Corps plans big downsizing, including some F-35s, MV-22s and all tanks

03/25/2020

The US Marine Corps (USMC) believes it needs to be leaner and meaner to defeat China in a hypothetical war in the Pacific Ocean. Over the next 10 years, the service plans to drastically downsize its force, cutting 12,000 personnel and reducing its number of aircraft, including a significant number of its bespoke Lockheed Martin F-35B stealth fighters, Bell Boeing MV-22 tiltrotors and Sikorsky CH-53 heavy lift helicopters.

First Marine F-35C Squadron Certified Safe for Flight

03/24/2020

The first Marine Corps F-35C carrier-variant Joint Strike Fighter squadron reached an important milestone, receiving a “safe for flight” operations certification that will allow them to train and operate independently of the Navy’s fleet replacement squadron. Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 314 was certified on March 20, after working with Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 125 over the last five months to train the squadron’s pilots and maintainers to work with the new aircraft.

Why the Navy's F/A-18 Super Hornet Is Still One Dangerous Fighter

03/24/2020

In February, the USN announced that it would cut production of the legacy F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, to instead accelerate the development of the next-generation carrier-based fighter program. According to the service's newly revealed Fiscal Year 2021 budget request, next year's order of two dozen of the tactical aircraft would be the last in the program. This comes after Super Hornet maker Boeing won a $4-billion multi-year contract to build 78 of the strike attack aircraft through FY 2021.

The Shocking Resurrection of the F-15

03/24/2020

The Boeing F-15EX will be the latest and most capable variant of an airplane that has been in uninterrupted production since its first flight in 1972. It began life as an air-superiority fighter known as the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle and later morphed into a two-seat, multi-role ground pounder dubbed the F-15E Strike Eagle. Long after the Air Force took delivery of its final F-15E in 2004, the St. Louis plant continued to build F-15s for sales to allies ranging from Israel to South Korea.

Strategic policy expert calls for expanded air defence interceptor capability

03/23/2020

Dr Malcolm Davis of ASPI has called for greater Australian and allied consideration for the development of a highly capable air defence interceptor to counter the increasingly capable air combat, stand-off and long-range strike capability of the Chinese air force.

Russian Military Launches Humanitarian Air Bridge Sending Il-76 Airlifters To Help Italy Fight COVID-19

03/23/2020

Russian Aerospace Forces Il-76 transports loaded with medical supplies and medical specialists are flying to Pratica di Mare Airbase, near Rome, Italy, in the ongoing COVID-19 relief effort. Photos of the aircraft were published today on Russian media outlets, but have not yet been widely reported in western media.

China's Air Force Is Growing Fast, But It's Mostly Fly Old Planes

03/23/2020

The People’s Liberation Army Air Force of China and its sister branch, the PLA Naval Air Force, operate a huge fleet of around 1,700 combat aircraft—defined here as fighters, bombers and attack planes. This force is exceeded only by the 3,400 active combat aircraft of the U.S. military. Moreover, China operates a lot of different aircraft types that are not well known in the West.

U.S. Navy hoisted up the real aircraft for jammer pod developmental tests

03/22/2020

Enginers of the U.S. Navy Naval Air Systems Command hoisted up the real EA-18G Growler carrier-based electronic warfare aircraft undergo testing of Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band (NGJ-MB) pod in the Air Combat Environmental Test and Evaluation Facility anechoic chamber at Naval Air Station Patuxent River.

USAF Research Laboratory tests Gray Wolf low-cost turbojet for swarming cruise missiles

03/21/2020

The US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has tested its Grey Wolf low-cost turbojet engine. The TDI-J85 engine, and related low-cost cruise missile, were designed and built in partnership with Northrop Grumman and Technical Directions, says AFRL. The initial TDI-J85 test campaign involved multiple inflight engine starts and operation at high altitude.

Latest modernised Tu-22 strategic bomber takes flight

03/21/2020

Russia will shortly launch test flights with a second modernised Tupolev Tu-22M3M long-range strategic bomber, following the aircraft’s maiden sortie on 20 March. Performed from the Kazan Aviation Plant around 430 miles (700km) to the east of Moscow, the flight included evaluations of the jet’s take-off and landing characteristics, as well other system checks, says Rostec, which owns Tupolev and its United Aircraft parent.

China targeting U.S. Navy warships with electromagnetic weapons

03/20/2020

China has called for using electromagnetic attacks on U.S. warships transiting the South China Sea, according to a state-run Chinese outlet. The Communist Party-affiliated organ Global Times, quoting a military expert, said the use of nonlethal electromagnetic and laser weapons should be used by the People’s Liberation Army to expel American warships from the disputed sea.

The return of the interceptor

03/20/2020

Every year, the International Institute for Strategic Studies publishes a thorough assessment of the capabilities and defence economics of militaries around the globe. The 2020 edition of The military balance covers 171 countries and provides a disconcerting deep dive into Chinese military technology.

IAF to buy aerial fuses and twin-dome simulators for Hawk Mk32

03/20/2020

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has given approval to procure equipment for the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Hawk Mk32 jet trainer aircraft. The locally made defence equipment will cost Rs13bn ($174.5m) and includes aerial fuses and twin-dome simulators for the aircraft.

US Air Force looks to rent T-X contest losers to prepare for Boeing T-7A

03/20/2020

The US Air Force is looking to rent four to eight jet trainers to perfect its training regime and further refine capabilities needed on the winner of the T-X trainer contest, the Boeing T-7A Red Hawk. The service’s Air Combat Command (ACC) plans to contract Hillwood Aviation to provide the Korea Aerospace Industries/Lockheed Martin T-50A trainer, according to a sole-source notice posted online in January.

The F-35 Isn't Perfect, But It Has Successfully Taken The Aviation World By Storm

03/19/2020

The F-35 Lightning II is now the world’s most dominant multi-role fighter. Its detection range, geolocation, threat identification, and system response capabilities allow the jet to precisely fix and destroy the most advanced threats in the world including every layer of Russia’s latest SA-20 surface-to-air missile (SAM) system.