Military Aviation News Archive

South Korean Military Says Pyongyang on Verge of Sixth Nuclear Test

03/30/2017

On Wednesday, South Korean news outlets reported that a sixth nuclear test by North Korea is imminent, and could take place as early as next week. An unnamed source within the South Korean military told Korea Joongang Daily, "We have intelligence that North Korea may conduct its sixth nuclear test in the first week of April and are in the process of confirming this…We have determined that North Korea is expected to finish all preparations for a nuclear test by March 31."

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Norway Inks Deal to Buy P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Planes From US

03/30/2017

Norway struck a deal with the United States on Wednesday to buy five Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, the Nordic nation’s Defense Ministry announced.

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Finnish Air Force Unveils US-Themed Special Unit

03/30/2017

The Finnish Air Force has without unnecessary publicity formed a new US-style special unit called Raven. The newly-formed unit will, in line with their US prototype, handle the protection of aircraft and VIP passengers in hazardous locations.

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With 500 bombs a week, Mosul airstrikes mark 'the most kinetic' phase of ISIS air war so far

03/29/2017

The last three weeks of airstrikes in Mosul have been “the most kinetic three weeks in the campaign in Iraq” against the Islamic State, the top Air Force general in Iraq said Thursday. Brig. Gen. Matthew Isler, deputy commanding general for Air, Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command, said in an interview that coalition aircraft above Mosul have dropped more than 500 precision-guided munitions a week so far in March even hitting as high as 605 weapons in one week.

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Trump’s Favorite Fighter Jet Keeps Starving Pilots of Oxygen

03/29/2017

As President Donald Trump pushes for the Pentagon to buy more of Boeing Co.’s F-18 aircraft, the U.S. Navy is grappling with an escalating problem: Pilots suffering potentially dangerous oxygen deprivation or a loss of cabin pressure in the fighter jets.

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Will The Air Force B-21 Bring New, Next-Generation Stealth Technology?

03/29/2017

The Air Force’s stealthy long-range bomber will have the endurance and next-generation stealth capability to elude the most advanced existing air defenses and attack anywhere in the world, if needed, senior service officials said. When the Air Force revealed its first artist rendering of what its new Long Range Strike – Bomber looks like, former Air Force Secretary Deborah James made reference to plans to engineer a bomber able elude detection from even the best, most cutting-edge air defenses.

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South China Sea: Aircraft hangars, radar installed on artificial islands

03/29/2017

Dozens of aircraft hangars and high-end radar capabilities on China's man-made islands in the South China Sea are almost operational, according to new satellite imagery released by a US-based think tank. The new facilities will further establish China's military dominance over the highly contested region, experts told CNN, and could help China establish a controversial Air Defense Identification Zone in the area.

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Lebanese pilot trainee flies A-29 Super Tucano light-attack aircraft for first time

03/29/2017

A Lebanese pilot trainee has flown an A-29 Super Tucano light-attack aircraft for the first time, as part of a training programme conducted by the US Air Force (USAF). The first ‘in seat’ training sortie was conducted at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, on 22 March this year. The training programme is being conducted to ensure that the Lebanese Air Force receives the support and training needed to safely and effectively employ the A-29 aircraft, the USAF stated.

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USAF Aggressor F-16 Freshly Painted In "Shark" Scheme To Mimic Latest Russian Jets

03/29/2017

The 64th Aggressor Squadron, based out of Nellis Air Force Base, is one of only two USAF units that provide dedicated adversary support. The 64th aims to take the whole threat presentation mission to an extreme level. This doesn't just include emulating potential adversaries' tactics and procedures, as well as their weapons and aircraft capabilities, but also presenting front-line pilots with some of the same camouflage paint jobs they could see on enemy planes in battle.

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US Navy on track for high-altitude P-8A weapon

03/29/2017

A new torpedo upgrade that will fundamentally change the way US Navy airmen hunt submarines is on track to seek approval to begin low-rate initial production later this year, Boeing and Navy officials say on 28 March.

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US Air Force F-22 Jets Now Armed With New Sidewinder Missiles

03/29/2017

The US Air Force’s arming of the fifth-generation F-22 stealth fighter jet with new Air Intercept Missile-9X sidewinder missiles is causing excitement among the war plane’s pilots. Last year the weapon was integrated into the Raptor fleet, but it has been featured on the F-15, F-16, F/A-18 and other aircraft since the early 2000s.

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Israel Taking Part in Int'l Air Force Drills in Greece Alongside Pilots From UAE

03/29/2017

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) has joined the Iniohos 2017 multinational air drills hosted by Greece and involving pilots from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), local media reported Tuesday.

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Tech News: Germany Gears Up; Sixth Generation Stealth Jet Fighter Underway

03/28/2017

Germany has advanced the program to build its own sixth generation stealth jet fighter from its concept to the initial working stage. A sixth-generation jet fighter is a conceptualized class of fighter aircraft design more advanced than the fifth-generation jet fighters that are currently in service in the United States and in development in other countries.

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China Base Sparks ‘Very Significant Security Concerns’

03/28/2017

For the first time, an important United States military base, one where a great deal of highly classified communications, intelligence and operations occur, sits within a few miles of a military competitor. Where? Djibouti, the tiny African state that sits on the Horn of Africa across from Yemen and sits astride the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. It is one of the world’s most strategic locations.

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Beijing set to deploy fighter aircraft on South China Sea islands

03/28/2017

China appears to have largely completed major construction of military infrastructure on artificial islands it has built in the South China Sea and can now deploy combat planes and other military hardware there at any time, a US think tank said on Monday.

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Japan partners with UK to study future fighter

03/28/2017

Japan and the UK have agreed to explore options for co-developing a future fighter aircraft, but Tokyo will also continue discussions on developing a next-generation combat jet with other countries, the Japanese Ministry of Defense says.

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Jakarta receives more former USAF F-16 Block 25 fighters

03/28/2017

Indonesia has received 18 of 24 Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 25 fighters that have been refurbished after USAF use. The aircraft were delivered from the USAF’s Ogden Air Logistics Complex, says a statement from the USAF. The four most recent aircraft include three single seat ‘C’ jets and one tandem seat ‘D’ aircraft.

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Did the Air Force Dash Hopes for Building More F-22s?

03/27/2017

When the F-22 Raptor production line ceased in 2011, Air Force Lt. Col. Daniel thought the Pentagon had made a huge mistake. He was driving in his car in 2009 when he found out "the Raptor fleet is done at 187, and I remember thinking, 'This is not great.' I thought it was an error."

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Selfridge Military Museum, Air Park to open for season

03/27/2017

With the return of spring weather, the Selfridge Military Museum and Air Park will soon once again be open to the general public. The museum and air park will be open from noon to 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays from April 1 to Oct. 29. It will also be open on Independence Day and Memorial Day. Visitors to the museum and air park will see more than $7 million worth of displays. The site features more than 30 military aircraft, all with a Michigan connection, and thousands of artifacts.

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Rafale, Eurofighter Not Shortlisted In Malaysian MRCA Jet Competition: Defence Minister

03/27/2017

Malaysia’s defence minister Hishamuddin Hussain has squashed reports that the Dassault Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon had been shortlisted for the Malaysian air force’s multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA) requirement. Asked if the ministry would settle for Eurofighter Typhoon by BAE Systems or the Rafale by Dassault Aviation, he said the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and the Saab Gripen “are still in the running”.

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Sudan and Saudi military to hold joint air force drills

03/27/2017

Sudan said on Sunday that it will begin military air operations with Saudi Arabia this week, the first exercises of its kind since the breakdown in 2015 of the links between Khartoum and Tehran. The maneuvers will take place from 29 March to 12 April in Meroe, north of Khartoum, and will involve hundreds of air force personnel from both countries.

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North Korea Warns of Attack ‘Without Warning’ as Western War Games Continue

03/27/2017

In the midst of ongoing joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has stated that it may attack without warning against what it claims are preparations for an enemy invasion by the West.

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Full Coverage: Russia Upgrades Its Air Defense Shield to Strikingly New Level

03/27/2017

In his program Vesti Nedeli (News of the Week), broadcast by Russia's Rossiya 1 news network, TV host Dmitry Kiselev specifically focused on Russia's air and missile defense systems, which he said have been bolstered considerably over the past several years. Kiselev recalled that "in the early 2000s, Russia's air defenses were locally installed, with only major economic and military facilities being protected by these systems at the time."

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What Makes US Aircraft Carriers Dominant?

03/26/2017

Down the road, the Navy’s pursuit of a sixth-generation fighter will hopefully keep the carrier air wing vital and effective, even against strongly defended targets.

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‘We back indigenisation, but Tejas didn’t fit the bill’

03/26/2017

The Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba , in a wide-ranging interview with The Hindu , clarifies that the Navy has only taken a purely technical decision in turning down the naval version of the light combat aircraft developed by the DRDO despite its strong commitment to indigenisation. He highlights the need to step up training facilities to meet personnel shortage and the Navy’s strong ‘Act East’ focus.

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