Military Aviation News Archive

Mind Blowing Combo: F-35 Fighters and B-2 Bombers Are Training Together

12/19/2023

Together, the F-35 and B-2 would be a nearly unstoppable force – one that could penetrate an enemy's air defenses, hit targets, and make a return home practically before anyone was the wiser.

China curtails ‘dangerous’ fighter jet manoeuvres after Xi-Biden summit

12/19/2023

China has cut back on “dangerous” fighter jet intercepts against US aircraft since last month’s summit meeting between presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping, according to the top US military commander in the Indo-Pacific region.

US To ‘Re-Deploy’ F-15EX Heavy Fighters In Japan After Replacing Them With F-22 Raptors – Reports

12/19/2023

The United States is reportedly contemplating the resumption of the permanent deployment of fighter jets at an American base in Okinawa, a year after announcing the commencement of the phased withdrawal of aging F-15 fighter jets from Japan.

Russia Loses Two Fighter Jets in Single Day: Reports

12/19/2023

Russia has lost two jets in under 24 hours, according to new reports, in the latest show of damage to Moscow's air force sustained in the nearly two years of war in Ukraine. Russia lost an Su-34 fighter-bomber aircraft after Ukraine attacked a Russian air base on Saturday night into Sunday morning, Ukrainian media reported. Separately, Ukraine's air force said Moscow had shot down one of its own Su-25 tactical bomber jets on Sunday.

Türkiye urges US, Germany to act swiftly on F-16, Eurofighter deals

12/18/2023

Türkiye on Saturday said it expects prompt and tangible steps from the United States on the F-16 fighter jet deal while also urging Germany to show a stance aligning with the NATO spirit regarding its request to buy Eurofighter Typhoon warplanes. Ankara has been frustrated by the prolonged process of its request to acquire F-16 jets from the U.S. it seeks to refresh its air force. This prompted it to begin discussing buying Eurofighters, produced by a consortium involving Germany, Spain, Italy a

U.S. weighs returning smaller permanent fighter force to Okinawa

12/18/2023

The U.S. military plans to resume the permanent deployment of fighter jets at an American base in Okinawa but with fewer planes than before, Nikkei Asia has learned, drawing mixed reactions from lawmakers and experts as the threat posed by China grows.

Su-22 fighter jet crashes in Iran

12/17/2023

The incident unfolded with the aircraft plummeting near Lake Persian in the Kazerun district, as disclosed by Iranian state television. The pilot managed a safe ejection from the Su-22 military aircraft, deploying the ejection seat system and escaping unscathed. No casualties were reported.

China's risky maneuvers around the US military are part of a long-running plan to use 'the enemy to train the troops'

12/16/2023

US officials are sounding the alarm about close calls with Chinese jets and warships, which they say are crowding and harassing US forces in the Western Pacific. The US says those encounters are meant to force it and its allies to operate farther from China. For the Chinese pilots carrying them out, they are also part of a years-long effort to increase the complexity and value of their training through real-world interactions with a more experienced rival.

Navy asks Lockheed Martin to build electro-optical helmet-mounted displays for F-35 combat jet air crew

12/16/2023

U.S. Navy avionics experts will acquire one production lot of the third-generation helmet-mounted displays for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter under terms of a $174.6 million order announced on Tuesday. Officials of the Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md., are asking the Lockheed Martin Corp. Aeronautics segment in Fort Worth, Texas, for production lot 17 of the F-35's third-generation helmet-mounted displays for the U.S. military service

Japan, Britain, and Italy Join Forces to Develop Next-Generation Fighter Aircraft

12/16/2023

In a historic move, Japan, Britain, and Italy have agreed to merge their individual plans to produce a new combat aircraft for deployment in 2035. This joint trilateral initiative, known as the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), aims to develop a high-performance fighter aircraft to strengthen air superiority and enable effective deterrence. The project involves the formation of a joint body called the GCAP International Government Organization, which will manage a private sector joint venture.

U.S. and Japan defense chiefs call Osprey safety 'top priority'

12/14/2023

The Japanese and U.S. defense chiefs have said that ensuring the safety of the Osprey V-22 military aircraft is a “top priority" for the allies, following the first fatal crash of the aircraft in Japan late last month in waters off Kagoshima Prefecture. Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said late Tuesday that he had asked U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during talks over the telephone — their first since the crash — that the U.S. military not resume Osprey flights until the aircraft's safety co

Taiwan tracks 9 Chinese military aircraft, 9 naval ships around nation

12/14/2023

The Ministry of National Defense tracked nine Chinese military aircraft and nine naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Wednesday (Dec. 13) and 6 a.m. on Thursday (Dec. 14). Of the nine People’s Liberation Army aircraft, one Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane, one Shaanxi Y-8 reconnaissance plane, and one Xian H-6 bomber entered the southwest corner of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, according to the MND. No PLA aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line during that ti

Commercial tanker refuels airborne Air Force fighter jets for first time

12/14/2023

The Air Force has refueled airborne fighters from a commercial tanker for the first time, proving another means of extending its combat airpower, the service said in a recent news release. Omega Aerial Refueling Services gassed up F-15C Eagles, F-16 Fighting Falcons and F-22 Raptors from a KDC-10 tanker during last month’s Commando Sling exercise in Singapore.

US pilot safely ejects in F-16 crash off South Korea

12/12/2023

A U.S. Air Force pilot safely ejected on Monday before his F-16 fighter jet crashed into the sea off South Korea’s southwestern coast, U.S. and South Korean military officials said. The unidentified pilot was recovered by South Korean maritime forces and was “awake and in stable condition,” the U.S. Air Force’s 8th Fighter Wing said in a statement. It said the pilot was being returned to Kunsan Air Base near the southwestern port city of Gunsan, where he would be evaluated further.

F-15SA: Saudi Arabia Has a Very Special and Expensive F-15 Fighter

12/12/2023

The F-15SA is the most advanced version of the upgraded two-seat F-15S Strike Eagle, and is currently operated by the Royal Saudi Air Force's No. 3 Wing at King Abdulaziz Air Base, No. 92 Squadron RSAF; and No. 5 Wing at King Khalid Air Base, No. 6 Squadron RASF and No. 55 Squadron RSAF.

Congress Restores $1 Billion For US Navy’s F/A-XX

12/12/2023

The recent version of the compromise Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), restored to almost full funding, what is believed to be a special access program (SAP) that includes the US Navy’s F/A-XX fighter.

Air Force: F-16 to become Ukraine’s main combat aircraft, Gripen may become additional option

12/11/2023

Ukraine and its partners are considering the possibility of providing Swedish Gripen fighter jets in addition to the F-16. Yuriy Ihnat, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, said it during the national telethon, according to RBC Ukraine.

Lockheed Martin rolls out first of F-35 fighter jets ordered by NATO member Belgium

12/11/2023

The Belgian military got its first look at the F-35A Lightning II combat jets it ordered from Lockheed Martin on Sunday at the company’s facility in Fort Worth. Belgium, a member of NATO and the European Union, ordered 34 of the fifth-generation fighter aircraft it says will enable it to fulfill its military obligations.

U.S. F-16 fighter jet crashes in Yellow Sea: sources

12/11/2023

A U.S. F-16 fighter jet crashed in the Yellow Sea on Monday and the pilot made an emergency escape, sources said. The jet crashed into the waters after taking off from an air base in Gunsan, 178 kilometers south of Seoul, according to the sources. They did not elaborate on whether the pilot has been rescued.

Belgian F-16s intercept Russian Sukhoi-30s over the Baltic Sea

12/10/2023

NATO radars spotted unknown planes that had taken off from Kaliningrad. Two Belgian Air Force F-16s took off from Šiauliai in Lithuania to investigate and found that they were two Russian Su-30 combat aircraft which were not in contact with civil air traffic control.

Russia's MiG-35 Is No 5th Generation Fighter Like the F-35 or F-22

12/09/2023

Russia remains the sole operator of the MiG-35, and even though production has been slow, a variant has been considered for export. The MiG-35 is Not a Fifth Generation Fighter - In January 2017, President of Russia's Aircraft-Building Corporation Yuri Slyusar touted the capabilities of the Mikoyan MiG-35 (NATO reporting name "Fulcrum-F"), and suggested it would be armed with a "promising" number of armaments.

Ukrainian sting thwarts sale of stolen fighter jet parts to Russia

12/09/2023

The stolen parts, including starter generators and aircraft pumps for MiG-29 multi-purpose fighters, were valued at over Hrv10m ($268,000). The SSU’s efforts led to the prevention of a potentially damaging transaction involving stolen military equipment. The investigation revealed that a criminal from Dnipro, who pilfered the components from a manufacturer’s warehouse in 2019, played a key role in attempting to sell these items.

Here Is How Congress Plans to Keep Tight Oversight of New Fighters and CCAs

12/09/2023

House and Senate lawmakers, in their recently unveiled compromise 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, are seeking tight oversight of both the Air Force and the Navy on their respective versions of the new and highly secret Next Generation Air Dominance fighter and the Collaborative Combat Aircraft programs Specifically, lawmakers are demanding briefs every six months on virtually all metrics of the projects.

141 F-16 Vipers Geared-Up To Thwart Potential Chinese Invasion As Taiwan Completes Final Flight Testing

12/08/2023

As China aggressively pushes boundaries in the Indo-Pacific, there is a proliferation of advanced Western-origin fighters like F-16s, Rafales, and F-35s underway in the region. In a significant development that took place recently, the last F-16 fighter, upgraded to the F-16V standard as part of the Feng Zhan or Phoenix Rising program, completed flight testing in Taiwan, paving the way for the induction of these jets in the Taiwanese Air Force.

Ukraine Destroyed a Russian Su-24M Strike Aircraft over the Black Sea

12/08/2023

Ukrainian anti-aircraft gunners successfully downed a Russian Su-24M (NATO reporting name "Fencer-D") over the Black Sea on Tuesday. The Soviet-era supersonic, all-weather tactical bomber was reported to be near Snake Island (also known as Zmiinyi Island), which is about 30 miles from the Ukrainian coastline and near Romania.