Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

USAF awards Boeing $2.6bn contract for 15 KC-46A tankers

10/01/2019

The US Air Force (USAF) awarded Boeing a $2.63 billion contract for 15 KC-46A Pegasus aerial refuelling tankers. The lot 5 production contract includes funds for KC-46A aircraft, as well as related product data, two spare engines, five wing refueling pod kits, initial spares, support equipment, “subscriptions and licenses,” the USAF says in a notice posted 27 September. The aircraft are expected to be finished by March 2023.

PICTURES: Viper, Venom star for USMC in Okinawa

10/01/2019

Some names stick. Bell designates the latest incarnation of the venerable AH-1 attack helicopter as the AH-1Z Viper – sometimes referred to as the ‘Zulu’ in casual conversation. The most recent version of the UH-1, meanwhile, is the UH-1Y Venom.

UAE, Turkish drones battle it out in Libya skies

09/30/2019

Tripoli: In Libya, where rival forces are deadlocked south of Tripoli, a months-long battle for the skies between Turkish and UAE drones has failed to break the stalemate, analysts say. Since April 4, when eastern strongman Khalifa Haftar launched an offensive to capture Tripoli - the capital and seat of the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA)- frontlines have moved little.

Here are some of the new weapons China will unveil at Tuesday’s military parade

09/30/2019

The Chinese Communist Party plans Tuesday to put on the largest military parade in the history of the People’s Republic of China, wheeling out new hardware designed to show the country’s advances under the leadership of Xi Jinping. The party is marking the 70th anniversary of its establishment of the state, an important milestone because the PRC has outlasted the Soviet Union, which endured for 69 years.

Stealthy no more? A German radar vendor says it tracked the F-35 jet in 2018 — from a pony farm

09/30/2019

In the illustrious history of the F-35 fighter jet, add a pony farm outside Berlin as the place where one company claims the plane’s stealth cover was blown. The story that follows is a snapshot in the cat-and-mouse game between combat aircraft — designed to be undetectable by radar — and sensor makers seeking to undo that advantage. In the case of the F-35, the promise of invisibility to radar is so pronounced that it has colored much of the jet's employment doctrine.

Russia, Turkey in 'progressive' talks on Su-35 fighter jets: Russian official

09/28/2019

Moscow and Ankara are having "progressive interaction" on fighter jets deliveries, the head of Federal Service of Military-Technical Cooperation Dmitry Shugaev said Friday. The service organized a special presentation for the Turkish Air Forces in Istanbul "in dynamic and in static," Shugaev said in an interview with the state-run RIA news agency.

Germany Needs a New Fighter Plane: What About a Stealth F-35 or New F-15EX?

09/28/2019

The German air force will select a new fighter aircraft in early 2020, German minister of defense Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer announced in late September 2019. The plane will replace the Luftwaffe’s fleet of 93 Panavia Tornado fighter-bombers and complement the service’s roughly 140 Eurofighter Typhoons. For the longer term, Germany is working with France to develop a next-generation warplane under the Future Combat Air System program.

USAF aims to double long-term JASSM production up to 10,000 units

09/28/2019

The US Department of Defense (DoD) is increasing potential long-term production quantities of Lockheed Martin Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM) from a possible maximum of 4,900 to a possible maximum of 10,000.

Russia is About to Get A Close Look at the F-35 Stealth Fighter

09/27/2019

Italy has become the first country to deploy F-35 stealth fighters for NATO’s air-policing missions. Italian F-35As belonging to the Italian air force’s 13° Gruppo, 32° Stormo are on track to take over the air-policing mission in Iceland, David Cenciotti reported at The Aviationist on Sept. 25, 2019.

Croatia Gets 5 Unofficial Offers for New Fighter Jets and 8 for Used Ones

09/27/2019

In early August, the interdepartmental commission, set up by the government on 4 July, sent requests to 26 potential bidders concerning the procurement of multi-purpose combat aircraft, the government's press office recalls. Since then the commission has considered the proposals made by those bidders who expressed interest in this project.

Death Match: America's F-16s vs. China and Russia's Best Planes (Who Wins?)

09/26/2019

The F-16 fighter was originally conceived as a lightweight fighter for the United States and her NATO allies. In the U.S. Air Force, the “Fighting Falcon” would comprise the low end of a “high-low” mix of super-capable F-15s and cheaper, less capable F-16s. Among NATO allies, it would be a frontline fighter to replace aging planes like the F-104 and F-15.

F-35 Rules: Pilots Tell Us Why U.S. Stealth Fighters Are Nearly Unstoppable

09/26/2019

An F-35 Joint Strike Fighter would be able to use its sensors, weapons and computer technology to destroy Russian and Chinese 5th-Generation Stealth fighters in a high-end combat fight, service officials said. “There is nothing that I have seen from maneuvering an F-35 in a tactical environment that leads me to assume that there is any other airplane I would rather be in.

F/A-18 and EA-18 reach 80% mission capability as F-35 struggles

09/26/2019

The US Navy’s (USN) Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler have surpassed an 80% mission capability rate, complying with a directive set by former defense secretary Jim Mattis last year. But the USN’s premier fighter aircraft, the Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II carrier variant, will not reach the US Department of Defense’s (DoD) 80% goal, the USN announced on 24 September.

US government clears AH-6I for possible Thailand deal

09/26/2019

The US Department of Defense has approved the possible sale of eight Boeing AH-6I attack helicopters to Thailand as the Southeast Asian nation contemplates its attack helicopter requirements. The $400 million deal, to be conducted through the US government’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process, includes a range of weapons, sensors, training, and other support, according to a Defense Security Cooperation Agency statement.

?PICTURE: Taiwan unveils “Brave Eagle” AJT

09/26/2019

Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen has unveiled the prototype of a new indigenous Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) at the Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) facility in Taichung, christening it the "Yung Yin” or Brave Eagle. Designated “A1”, the prototype is one of four that will be produced for ground and flight tests.

Singapore, US renew air and naval defence pacts

09/25/2019

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and US President Donald Trump renewed a key defence pact which allows American forces to use Singapore’s air and naval bases, extending it by another 15 years to 2035.

33rd Fighter Wing fires live AIM-9X missiles for first time

09/25/2019

For the first time, Airmen from the 33rd Fighter Wing fired AIM-9X missiles from F-35A Lightning II Sept. 17-19 at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, during exercise Combat Archer. “The 33rd Fighter Wing is crossing another important milestone this week as we take on a short notice Weapons Standardization and Evaluation Program tasking to load, carry and fire seven AIM-9X missiles in support of Combat Archer,” said Chief Master Sgt. John Lang, 33rd FW weapons manager.

The sharp sword: China and the drone threat to Australia

09/25/2019

In Saudi Arabia, a combined drone and cruise missile attack conducted by still-unknown forces (either Iran, Iraqi proxy groups, Yemeni militia forces, or a combination of all three) caused significant damage to the Kingdom’s most important oil facility. Defence writer Tyler Rogoway is alarmed about the implications.

PICTURES: A400M clears latest tanker trial with H225M

09/25/2019

Airbus Defence & Space says its A400M tactical transport has cleared a key test point on its way to securing approval to refuel military helicopters in flight. During four test flights, the company’s hose and drogue refuelling pod-equipped “Grizzly 4” airframe made 51 so-called dry contacts with an Airbus Helicopters H225M, without transferring fuel. The activity was conducted at altitudes of 1,000-10,000ft, and speeds as low as 105kt (195km/h).

Pentagon to investigate Air Force over KC-46A refueling arm

09/24/2019

The Pentagon will investigate the Air Force's handling of the development of a remotely operated boom on its newest refueling tanker, which has been plagued by a host of problems. The Defense Department’s Inspector General is expected to begin evaluating “whether the Air Force adhered to DOD and Air Force systems engineering processes” during the design and development of the refueling boom on the new Boeing KC-46A Pegasus, the IG’s office said in a statement last week.

Here's Who Has Been Flying The F-117 Stealth Jets And Why According To The Air Force

09/24/2019

After months of effort, The War Zone has been making steady headway in obtaining new details about the status of the U.S. Air Force's remaining F-117 Nighthawk stealth combat jets and their future fates, including that one is headed for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. Still, it has long proven difficult to get any details about who is still flying at least some of these jets and why, which has long been one of the hottest topics of interest regarding these aircraft.

Combat Aircraft from the German, Italian and Israeli Air Force Joined RAF and USAF Assets For Ex. Cobra Warrior 2019

09/24/2019

Between Sept. 1 and Sept. 20 the large international exercise Cobra Warrior 2019 took place in UK airspace. Exercise Cobra Warrior is an annual exercise and is the RAFs premier tactical training event, designed to conclude the training of the Qualified Weapons Instructor, Qualified Multi-engine Tactics Instructor, QWI Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance and Qualified Space Instructor Course students.

PICTURES: France receives its first KC-130Js tanker

09/24/2019

The French air force received its first of two Lockheed Martin KC-130J Super Hercules aerial refuelling tankers at Orléans – Bricy air base on 19 September. A second KC-130J is planned for delivery in 2020, says Lockheed Martin.

Report: Unidentified Aircraft Strikes Base of Iran-backed Militia in Iraq

09/23/2019

An unidentified aircraft struck on Sunday a military base near an airfield west of Iraq's Anbar province, Lebanese television network Al-Mayadeen quoted Iraqi sources as saying. The sources added that the military base serves an Iranian-backed militia. No casualties were reported in the alleged strike. Hours later, a second attack on a base in the Fallujah area, used by Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Forces fighters, was reported by Al Hadath, citing Iraqi security sources.

U.S. Marines conduct trans-Pacific flight in MV-22 tilt-rotor aircraft

09/23/2019

U.S. Marines with Marine Rotational Force – Darwin completed a trans-Pacific flight in MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft for the fourth time, transiting from Darwin, Australia to their home station on Marine Corps Base Hawaii on September 19, according to a recent service news release.