Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Korea’s biggest domestic weapons project takes off

10/02/2019

The biggest homegrown weapons development project in Korean history is about to take off as Seoul begins production for its new cutting-edge, multi-role fighter jets known as the KFX. The design for the KFX, which stands for Korean Fighter Experimental, is the result of almost two decades of planning that cost the government approximately 8.6 trillion won ($7 billion).

US Navy plans cargo UAV fly-off competition in January 2020

10/02/2019

The US Navy (USN) plans to host a fly-off competition in Yuma, Arizona in January 2020 to find a tactical cargo resupply unmanned air vehicle (UAV) for the US Marine Corps (USMC). The competition is called the small Unmanned Logistics Support – Air (ULS-A) effort, says the USN in a media release on 30 September.

China shows off H-6N, hypersonics, and gyrocopters

10/02/2019

Beijing used the 70th birthday party of communist rule in China to display an impressive array of firepower. Involving a total of 15,000 personnel, hundreds of vehicles, as well as over 100 aircraft and helicopters, the parade was conducted under extremely tight security in Beijing.

Don’t Just Call Them ‘Drones’: A Guide To Military Unmanned Systems On Air, Land And Sea

10/01/2019

Unmanned systems are rapidly transforming the ways wars are fought across the globe—whether high-tech stealth drones operated by the U.S. military or cheap commercial quadcopter modified by rebels in Syria to carry improvised bombs. Drone warfare reached a new milestone in the fall of 2019 when Turkish- and Chinese-built drones operated by both factions in Libya’s civil war largely replaced manned aircraft in combat roles, and were used to attack each other’s bases.

Rafale to give India edge over China, Pakistan: IAF Chief Bhadauria

10/01/2019

Rafale jets will greatly enhance the capabilities of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and will give the IAF an edge over Pakistan and China, new IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria said on Monday. "Rafale is a very capable aircraft, once we induct it, it will be a gamechanger in terms of our operational capability and when we use it in combination with SU-30 and other fleets which we have, we would have a serious jump in our capability. It will give us an edge over Pakistan and China," Bhadauria

SAAB wants to offer Gripen at half of Rafale cost, with full tech transfer, local production

10/01/2019

As India looks to acquire 114 new medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) to shore up its depleting strength, Swedish defence major SAAB has pitched for a complete Transfer of Technology (TOT) and local production of its Gripen fighter jet at “half” the cost of French alternative Rafale.

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).