Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Swiss fighter buy to hinge on 2020 referendum

03/24/2018

Fighter manufacturers are eyeing an opportunity to replace the Swiss air force's entire fighter fleet, although the requirement will be the subject of a public vote planned for early 2020. Four years ago, Switzerland's planned acquisition of 22 Saab Gripen Es was scrapped after a public referendum narrowly rejected the allocation of funds required to purchase the Swedish-built type. The deal had been intended to replace the Swiss air force's aged Northrop F-5 interceptors.

Suicide bomber detonates car bomb at California Air Force Base

03/24/2018

A US Air Force Base in California was rocked by an explosion on Wednesday after a car breached the main gate of the base and detonated. Travis AFB officials report that a vehicle gained “unauthorized access” to the facility Wednesday evening, exploding and killing the driver. Explosive Ordnance Disposal crews and emergency units rushed to the scene after the explosion, discovering that the driver had perished in the blast.

Bulgaria signs 81M leva deal with Russian aircraft corporation for logistics support for MiG-29s

03/23/2018

Bulgaria’s Defence Ministry has said that it has signed a framework agreement worth 81 million leva (about 41.4 million euro) with Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG (RSK MiG) for the supply of spare parts and services for the Bulgarian Air Force’s MiG-29 fighter jets. The installation of the spare parts will be carried out by Bulgarian engineers at the Graf Ignatievo Bulgarian Air Force base.

F-35B Block 4 software upgrades will cost Britain £345m

03/23/2018

Britain will spend £345m ($486m) upgrading its F-35B fighter jets to the most recent, combat-ready, version of the aircraft’s operating system. The figure was indirectly revealed by defence procurement minister Guto Bebb, in response to a Parliamentary question. “The UK’s contribution will be around 4.5 per cent of F-35 Program common upgrade costs, from which the UK gains 100 per cent of the benefit,” said Bebb in his answer to Plaid Cymru MP Jonathan Edwards.

Russian combat aviation approaches Ukraine's borders

03/23/2018

Russian bombers and fighters took off from airfields in Crimea and flew close to Ukrainian state border; Ukraine's Air Force is on combat alert. The HQ of Ukraine's Air Force reported another provocative act by the Russian combat aviation - the second time this month. Fighters and bombers were spotted to the east and south of Ukraine's state border, namely near the occupied Crimea.

China’s J-20 stealth fighter designer promises his aircraft will be a battlefield ‘Trump card’

03/23/2018

SMARTER. Better informed. Highly automated. China is striving to prepare for combat. And its new stealth fighters are on the front line. This will allow it to “seize air superiority” in the Asia-Pacific, state media claims. And it’s thinking further ahead.

Swiss fighter buy to hinge on 2020 referendum

03/23/2018

Fighter manufacturers are eyeing an opportunity to replace the Swiss air force's entire fighter fleet, although the requirement will be the subject of a public vote planned for early 2020. Four years ago, Switzerland's planned acquisition of 22 Saab Gripen Es was scrapped after a public referendum narrowly rejected the allocation of funds required to purchase the Swedish-built type. The deal had been intended to replace the Swiss air force's aged Northrop F-5 interceptors.

Israeli military confirms it hit Syrian nuclear site in 2007

03/22/2018

The Israeli military confirmed Wednesday it carried out the 2007 airstrike in Syria that destroyed what was believed to be a nuclear reactor, lifting the veil of secrecy over one of its most daring and mysterious operations in recent memory. Although Israel was widely believed to have been behind the Sept. 6, 2007, airstrike, it has never before commented publicly on it.

Taiwan Military Tails Chinese Aircraft Carrier

03/22/2018

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said it sent ships and planes to monitor a Chinese aircraft carrier that entered the Taiwan Strait this week. The rise in cross-strait tensions followed the U.S. passing a law greenlighting visits of senior officials between Washington and Taipei. The law’s passage drew protests in Beijing, which sees Taiwan as a renegade province.

Germany studies market for Sea Lynx replacement

03/22/2018

Germany is proceeding with a project to replace its navy's fleet of 22 Westland Sea Lynx anti-submarine warfare helicopters, but does not yet have a date for launching the procurement. The fleet is set to retire in 2025, and in December last year the "functional requirements" for a replacement were approved by the German chief of defence, says the Bundeswehr.

Winglet-equipped C-27J to arrive in 2019

03/22/2018

Leonardo will from 2019 deliver its C-27J Spartan battlefield airlifter in a new baseline configuration featuring updated avionics and winglets as standard. Flight tests of the modernised variant are due to begin later this year, with the modifications in 2017 having passed the critical design review milestone. Although the Italian airframer began flight trials of the winglets in 2015, it has only just revealed its progress on the project.

Japan Seeks to Answer China With an Aircraft Carrier

03/21/2018

Japan’s ruling party called for the nation to develop its own aircraft carrier and buy American F-35B fighter jets in response to what it described as aggressive Chinese actions. Tuesday’s proposal from the Liberal Democratic Party’s defense panel, if adopted, would be the latest step by the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to beef up defense of outlying islands, including those also claimed by Beijing.

In a First, a Finnish Fighter Pilot Lands on a U.S. Aircraft Carrier

03/21/2018

On March 17, 2017 in the Atlantic, a fighter jet landed onto the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. The only difference this time was that the pilot was Finnish, not American. Capt. Juha “Stallion” Jarvinen’s landing was the first landing on an aircraft carrier by a Finnish air force pilot in history, according to the U.S. Navy.

Here’s South Korea’s First F-35A Lightning II Stealth Aircraft During Its Maiden Flight

03/21/2018

On Mar. 19, 2018, the first F-35A destined to the ROKAF performed its maiden flight at Lockheed Martin Ft. Worth facility, Texas. Piloted by LM F-35 Chief Test Pilot and Test Flight Director Alan Norman, the aircraft flew as “Lightning 41”, taking off at 14.48LT and landing at 16.40LT. The photo in this post was taken by Highbrass Photography’s Clinton White during South Korea’s F-35’s first sortie (designated C01).

USAF criticises Boeing on new KC-46 delay concerns

03/21/2018

Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson heavily criticised Boeing for what she believes will be further delivery delays of KC-46A Pegasus aerial refueling tankers during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on 20 March.

RAAF P-8As achieve IOC five months ahead of schedule

03/21/2018

The Royal Australian Air Force's Boeing P-8A Poseidon fleet has achieved Initial Operational Capability (IOC). The IOC for the 737-based maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare aircraft came five months ahead of schedule, says defence minister Marise Payne. The RAAF has taken delivery of six P-8As from an overall order book of 12. The type is operated by the No. 11 sqn. from RAAF Edinburgh.

We Now Know When Navy Aircraft Carriers Will be Armed with F-35s

03/20/2018

US Navy leaders have announced that the first-of-its kind carrier-launched F-35C stealth fighter will deploy for its first operational deployment on the USS Carl Vinson - in 2021. The anticipated historical deployment could be accelerated by the 2019 budget proposal which supports a transition of the F-35C program from a developmental phase to more formal test and evaluation before being declared operational later this year.

Lockheed Martin: Long Range Anti-Ship Missile completes successful test

03/20/2018

Lockheed Martin announced on 19 March that a production-version of its Long Range Anti-Ship Missile, or LRASM, had another successful test firing after it hit a stack of shipping containers aboard a boat on the Pacific Ocean.

OPINION: It may be ageing, but U-2S could be more relevant than ever

03/20/2018

On its first overflight mission of the Soviet Union 62 years ago, the Lockheed U-2 was tracked for the entire mission. It would take the Soviets another four years to acquire the technology to shoot down the U-2, as Central Intelligence Agency pilot Francis Gary Powers learned to his cost over Sverdlovsk on May Day.

India Weighs Expanding Scope of Fighter Aircraft Order

03/19/2018

India is planning to revise the specifications for one of the world’s biggest fighter jet orders, people familiar with the matter said, a move that would allow manufacturers such as Boeing Co. and United Aircraft Corp. to pitch their twin-engine combat aircraft.

UAE's military aircraft violate Qatari airspace: Qatar inform UN

03/18/2018

Qatar informed the UN Security Council and the UN Secretary-General of a violation of Qatari sovereignty on the part of UAE. Permanent Representative of Qatar to the United Nations Sheikha Alia Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani said in a message to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and to President of the UN Security Council for this month Ambassador Karel van Oosterom that a military transport aircraft CN-35 that belongs to the UAE violated the airspace of Qatar on Sunday March 4.

Maiden solo sortie by IAF first woman combat pilot

03/18/2018

The country’s oldest airbase, Ambala, witnessed another landmark in the history of military aviation when the Air Force’s first woman combat pilot, Flying Officer Bhawana Kanth, flew her maiden solo sortie in a fighter aircraft from the base on Friday. Bhawana took off in a MiG-12 Bison belonging to the IAF’s No.3 Squadron, the Cobras, from Ambala, where she has been posted, at 2 pm and the sortie lasted about half an hour.

The Air Force's Light Attack Search Won't Yield a New A-10. Here's Why

03/17/2018

Lawmakers have been pressing the U.S. Air Force the last few weeks about its light attack program. The service says that light attack, dubbed OA-X, will be an example of how it intends to buy and field planes faster in the near future.

Israel keeps quiet over F-35I's combat debut

03/17/2018

Israel’s Lockheed Martin F-35I "Adir" is reported to have made its combat debut during strikes conducted against Syrian air defence systems last month. The action was mounted following a border clash that culminated in an Israeli air force Lockheed F-16 being shot down by a surface-to-air missile.

US military helicopter crashes in Iraq

03/16/2018

A US military HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter, a Black Hawk variant, has crashed in western Iraq near the border with Syria, according to multiple US defense officials. One US defense official said that there were "likely fatalities" involved and that rescue teams were on the scene in under an hour. The officials cautioned that these are early reports and that the Pave Hawk was carrying seven personnel, but was not on a combat mission.