Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Belgian fighter jet crashes in France, one stuck on high-tension wire

09/20/2019

A Belgian Air Force combat jet crashed into a field in France on Thursday, with one of the plane’s occupants reportedly stuck on a high-tension wire. The F-16 was carrying out a military exercise when it crashed into a field in Pluvigner, near the Morbihan gulf in northwestern France, according to the Belga news agency.

Rajnath Singh to receive first Rafale combat aircraft on October 8 in France

09/20/2019

Defence minister Rajnath Singh will travel to France on October 8 to receive the first Rafale combat aircraft manufactured by French firm Dassault Aviation. The fleet of aircraft will come to India next year. "October 8 is auspicious for two reasons. It is both Dussehra and Air Force Day," government sources told ANI.

First National Guard Unit Gets F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

09/20/2019

The Vermont Air National Guard is due to take delivery of the first two of what will become 20 F-35 fighter aircraft, the first Guard unit to receive the next-generation fighter. The aircraft will be based at Burlington International Airport and are being flown to Vermont on Thursday from the factory in Fort Worth, Texas.

Why would Iran raise the stakes by attacking Saudi Arabia?

09/20/2019

Saudi Arabia says it has evidence showing Iran sponsored Saturday's drone and missile attacks on two of its oil facilities, and called on the international community to take action. The question is whether there could be a war. The scale of the attacks means that Saudi Arabia cannot overlook what happened, and its decision to identify Iran as the culprit compels the kingdom to respond.

USAF: Our New Tanker Should Be Ready for War in 3 or 4 Years

09/19/2019

Problems with the new plane’s refueling system could prompt the Air Force to put off retiring 1960s-era KC-135 tankers that are supporting the U.S. military’s operations around the world. The KC-46 was supposed to be battle-ready in 2017, but numerous design and development problems have led to repeated delays and cost the plane’s maker Boeing more than $3 billion.

Belgian Air Force intercepts Russian aircraft flying in NATO airspace

09/19/2019

Two Belgian fighter jets intercepted four Russian military aircraft reportedly flying over the Baltic Sea, in NATO airspace, unauthorised, the Belgian Air Force announced. The Air Force announced that the Russian aircraft were two Russian Blackjack bomber planes and two Flanker fighters, sharing images of the combat jets on Twitter.

USAF to order 10 Sikorsky Combat Rescue Helicopters

09/19/2019

Sikorsky expects the US Air Force (USAF) to make a Milestone C decision for its Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH) on 24 September, paving the way for a low rate initial production contract worth more than $500 million for 10 aircraft to be signed shortly thereafter. The first production helicopter is scheduled for delivery in April 2021, says Sikorsky.

Boeing's KC-46A boom camera fixes progressing too slowly: USAF

09/19/2019

Boeing has made insufficient progress fixing issues with the KC-46A aerial refuelling tanker’s remote vision system (RVS) – the camera-based technology that helps crew guide a refuelling boom to receiving aircraft, according to the US Air Force.

Raytheon shows off expeditionary JPALS system

09/19/2019

Raytheon has demonstrated the rapid setup of its Joint Precision Approach and Landing System (JPALS), which can help aircraft land at austere, hastily-established airfields. The work took place at US Navy (USN) Air Station Patuxent River, with a Raytheon team getting the system operational in 70 minutes on the first day, and 50 on the second.

Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider first flight route announced

09/17/2019

The Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider stealth bomber’s first flight will be a short hop, about 22mi (35km) north across the Mojave Desert, from Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California where it is being built to its testing site at Edwards Air Force Base.

Raytheon unveils Peregrine: new medium-range, air-to-air missile

09/17/2019

Raytheon has unveiled a new medium-range, air-to-air missile called Peregrine. The in-development Peregrine offers the range of the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), with the manoeuvrability of the AIM-9X Sidewinder, says Mark Noyes, Raytheon’s business development executive for air warfare systems.

VIDEO: USAF christens new trainer as T-7A Red Hawk

09/17/2019

The US Air Force has designated the Boeing T-X jet trainer the T-7A Red Hawk, in tribute to the US Army Air Corps’ Tuskegee Airmen and their World War II-era P-40 Warhawks. The naming was announced by acting secretary of the air force Matthew Donovan at the 2019 Air Force Association’s Air, Space and Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland on 16 September. The trainer will sport red livery on its tail as the aircraft of the Tuskegee Airman’s 99th Pursuit Squadron did during World War II.

Oil prices soar after attacks on Saudi facilities

09/16/2019

The drone attacks on plants in the heartland of Saudi Arabia's oil industry included hitting the world's biggest petroleum-processing facility. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tehran was behind the attacks. Iran accused the US of "deceit." Later Mr Trump said in a tweet the US knew who the culprit was and was "locked and loaded" but waiting to hear from the Saudis about how they wanted to proceed.

Taiwan ‘ready to move quickly’ to seal deal on F-16 fighter jets from US

09/15/2019

Taiwan has signalled to US officials that it will move swiftly to complete the purchase of 66 new F-16 fighters once congressional foreign relations committees complete their review this month, according to a US State Department official. The department formally notified Congress on August 20 that it approved the sale, which includes munitions, defensive electronics and a fire-control radar that would allow precision-guided missiles and bombs to be launched from greater distances.

Can't Get an F-35? Russia Wants to Sell Its Fifth-Generation Su-57 Stealth Fighter

09/15/2019

With the first serially produced Su-57 fifth-generation fighter set to enter service in the Russian Air Force later this year, the Russian defense industry is planning to unveil the export version of the Su-57 at the upcoming MAKS 2019 international air show.

Could the New B-21 Stealth Bomber Become a 'Battleplane'?

09/15/2019

Recent reports about the B-21 Raider suggest that the plane might have a mission that U.S. bombers have not had for a very long time: air-to-air combat. If the Air Force continues to pursue this line of thought, it will revive a concept that dominated airpower theory in the early age of aviation, but that fell by the wayside because of technological and operational concerns in the 1950s and 1960s.

Trump’s plan to pay for border wall with Air Force funds risks national security, report says

09/15/2019

President Donald Trump’s plan to pay for his proposed border wall by taking funds from more than four dozen Air Force military construction projects poses various national security risks for the U.S. armed forces, according to a report compiled by the U.S. Air Force.

First Rafale Handover To India On Oct 8, To Coincide With Air Force Day

09/14/2019

The Indian Air Force (IAF) will formally receive the first of its 36 ordered Rafale multi-role fighters in Paris on October 8, the foundation day of the IAF. Previously, the official handover was expected to happen on September 20. It will mark the first new fighter induction into the Air Force since the light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas was received in 2016. In September 2016, India signed a Euro 7.87 billion (INR 59,000 crore) deal with the French government for purchase of Rafale aircraft.

PICTURE: US Navy takes first E-2D with refueling probe

09/14/2019

The US Navy has received its first Northrop Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning & control (AEW&C) aircraft with an air-to-air refueling probe. The aircraft joined the navy’s VAW-120 “Greyhawks” fleet replacement squadron, according to the US navy.

China's J-10 'Vigorous Dragon': Did Israel 'Help' Build This Deadly Fighter?

09/13/2019

The J-10 “Vigorous Dragon” is a mainstay of China’s effort to modernize its large fleet of single-engine jet fighters, with 350 already in service. An agile tactical fighter similar to the ubiquitous F-16 Fighting Falcon, the Vigorous Dragon was the first domestic Chinese design roughly on par with Western and Russian fourth-generation fighters.

The Air Force's entire A-10 Warthog fleet is getting a raft of lethal new upgrades

09/13/2019

Fresh off a fraught decade-long rewinging effort, the Air Force's beloved A-10 Thunderbolt II fleet is poised to keep on BRRRTing in the free world for at least another decade — and the beloved attack aircraft will pick up some tasty new upgrades along the way.

USAF bans passengers, cargo from Boeing KC-46A

09/13/2019

The US Air Force (USAF) has banned the Boeing KC-46A Pegasus in-flight refueling tanker from carrying passengers and cargo after it discovered cargo floor restraint devices unlocking during a recent operational test and evaluation flight.

Self-protection deal safeguards RAF's Shadow fleet

09/13/2019

The Royal Air Force’s (RAF’s) Shadow R1 fleet of intelligence-gathering aircraft is to receive a major self-protection upgrade, intended to safeguard the Beechcraft King Air 350CER-based type against attack using infrared-guided missiles.

Australia, Japan to Hold First Joint Air Combat Exercise

09/12/2019

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) will be holding their first ever joint air combat exercise, codenamed Bushido Guardian 2019, in northern Japan, according to the Australian Department of Defense (DoD). According to the DoD, up to 150 RAAF personnel, seven F/A-18A/B Hornet fighters, a KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport aircraft, as well as C-17A Globemaster and C-130J Hercules transport aircraft will participate in the exercise.

UK's Tempest gains strength as Italy joins formation

09/12/2019

Less than 15 months after unveiling its long-term air combat strategy and next-generation Tempest concept, the UK has added a second international partner to the latter activity, with Italy signing a statement of intent to work on the project. The international armament directors of the UK and Italy signed an agreement at the DSEI exhibition in London on 10 September, followed by a similar pact the next day between their defence industries.