Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

South Korea to upgrade its F-15 fighter jets

12/08/2023

According to Dong-A Ilbo, this transformation involves outfitting the cockpit, radar, and other components with state-of-the-art equipment to introduce an advanced variant. Boeing representatives disclosed ongoing discussions between the U.S. and South Korea during a meeting held on October 29th at the Boeing Mesa facility in Arizona. They highlighted the imminent shift towards a new model by integrating cutting-edge technology into the entire front section of the aircraft.

Defense bill would let Air Force retire A-10s, F-15s — but not F-22s

12/08/2023

A compromise defense policy bill released Wednesday night would grant the Air Force’s request to retire older F-15 Eagle fighters, A-10 Warthogs, and other aircraft, but again block its attempt to mothball 32 older F-22A Raptors. And lawmakers want to see more of the Air Force’s plans for folding drone wingmen known as collaborative combat aircraft into its fleet at an affordable rate, and how it plans to create the Next Generation Air Dominance future fighter platform.

Taiwan tracks 10 Chinese military aircraft, 6 naval ships around nation

12/07/2023

The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 10 Chinese military aircraft and six naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Wednesday (Dec. 6) and 6 a.m. on Thursday (Dec. 7) Of the 10 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, one BZK-005 reconnaissance drone crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the southwest sector of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND. Meanwhile, one Shenyang J-11 fighter jet entered the southwest corner of the ADIZ.

US military grounds entire fleet of Osprey aircraft in wake of deadly crash in Japan

12/07/2023

The military announced late Wednesday it was grounding all of its Osprey V-22 helicopters, one week after eight Air Force Special Operations Command service members died in a crash off the coast of Japan. The Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps took the extraordinary step of grounding hundreds of aircraft after a preliminary investigation of last week's crash indicated that a materiel failure — that something went wrong with the aircraft — and not a mistake by the crew led to the deaths.

Netherlands human rights groups challenge F-35 fighter jet parts export to Israel

12/07/2023

Human rights groups Oxfam Novib, PAX, and The Rights Forum are seeking to halt the Dutch government‘s export of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel in a hearing that began Monday. During summary proceedings in front of the Hague District Court , they argued that such exports make the Netherlands complicit in potential war crimes, pointing to Israel‘s alleged use of these planes in attacks on Gaza. The Israel-Hamas war has resulted in more than 15,000 civilian casualties.

China Reveals ‘World’s Longest Air-To-Air Missile’; PL-17 Missile Spotted On PLAAF’s J-16 Fighter Jet

12/05/2023

China has reportedly revealed its longest-range air-to-air missile (AAM), the PL-17, on a J-16 fighter, putting to rest speculations about what the missile looks like after its existence began to be noted a few years ago.

The U.S. Air Force Is in Serious Decline

12/05/2023

In September, the United States Air Force celebrated another birthday. At age 76, it is in bad shape. Despite lowering qualification standards, it cannot attract enough recruits to fill its ranks. The size and serviceability of its combat aircraft are at all-time lows. And truncated training has weakened pilot readiness.

Navy ‘safely’ recovers military spy plane stuck in Kaneohe Bay for almost 2 weeks

12/04/2023

The Navy announced they ‘safely’ recovered the Military plane that overshot the runway and has been stuck in Kaneohe Bay for almost two weeks. Navy officials say it took meticulous planning and assembling specialized equipment from off island, a multidisciplinary team of military and civilian experts to carefully raise the P-8A Poseidon from the bay.

China Freaked: USAF Launched Together 24 F-22 Stealth Fighters in Massive 'Elephant Walk'

12/03/2023

In March 2019, the United States Air Force didn't just conduct just another "elephant walk" – the term for taxiing a large number of aircraft before takeoff. Instead, the close formation and minimum interval takeoff of fifth-generation Lockheed Martin F-22 air superiority fighters could have rightfully been described as a march of the Raptors. Maybe we should call this a Raptor walk.

NGAD: The Air Force's New $300 Million Fighter Could Be a Game Changer

12/03/2023

Will NGAD Be Worth It? While few nations even can develop and field a fifth-generation fighter, the United States is already working on a sixth-generation fighter. Known as the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, the sixth-generation fighter is expected to be technologically advanced – and fiscally prohibitive, leading some to question whether the advanced airframe is worth the sticker price.

6th-Gen Fighter Program: UK Employs Artificial Intelligence To Support Development Of Tempest

12/03/2023

The UK is reportedly utilizing state-of-the-art technology, including Artificial Intelligence, to bolster the advancement of its next-generation fighter aircraft, Tempest. Slated to be a vital component of the UK’s future combat air system, FCAS is envisioned as a supersonic stealth fighter incorporating state-of-the-art technologies, including advanced integrated sensing and protection capabilities.

CCA loyal wingman could lose ‘a year’ of progress due to Congressional budget logjam: Kendall

12/03/2023

The Pentagon’s high-tech unmanned wingman project could face a serious delay of up to a year if Congress does not pass a full budget soon, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall warned today.

Su-34: Russia Upgrades UMPC Software For Bomb Release; Trains Fullback Fighter Pilots For UMPC Ops

12/02/2023

Russian Telegram channel Fighterbomber, which reportedly has an affiliation with the Russian Air Force, recently stated that the software for managing the weapons system aboard the Su-34 is being updated to enable the release of UMPC bombs. With the upgrade, these smart bombs will reportedly become smarter.

Canada orders 14 Poseidon P-8A maritime patrol aircraft

12/02/2023

Canada has finalised a government-to-government agreement for 14 P-8A Poseidon multi-mission aircraft with an option for a further two aircraft after the county's government ruled out other options to fulfil maritime patrol and other roles.

PAF inducts JF-17 Block III aircraft

12/02/2023

The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has started to induct into service the latest version of the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC)/Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) JF-17 ‘Thunder' fighter aircraft. The PAF said in mid-November that the new Block III aircraft provides the PAF with several improved capabilities over the earlier Block II version. These include, it said, “superior manoeuvrability, extended range, and enhanced combat capabilities”.

Russian Su-30 ‘Downs’ French Rafale Fighters For Kazakhstan Deal; Top Official Denies Interest in ‘Costly’ Jets

12/01/2023

Media reports recently suggested that Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan might go for a Rafale acquisition following the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to the two nations earlier this month. While both countries are in the process of modernizing their militaries, reports now say they might find the “expensive” and “complex” plane beyond their financial means.

2024 World Air Forces directory: how major conflicts impacted global fleet

12/01/2023

Our annual World Air Forces directory – published in association with Embraer – details the military aircraft fleets of 161 nations, and analyses the main events of the last 12 months. To download the full report, which includes detailed fleet listings totalling more than 53,000 aircraft, scroll to the bottom of the page.

Getting Ready for the New Test Surge

12/01/2023

The first B-21 Raider took off at dawn from Palmdale, Calif., Nov. 10 on its premier flight, touching down at nearby Edwards Air Force base more than 90 minutes later, after using a circuitous route to check out basic handling qualities. Edwards will be the bomber’s home for the next several years, as pilots and engineers test and assess its performance.

Eurofighter Typhoon electronic combat aircraft set to replace German Tornadoes

12/01/2023

Germany is set to replace its Tornado electronic combat/reconnaissance (ECR) aircraft with Eurofighter Typhoon Elektronischer Kampf (EK) for the task of suppression of enemy air defence (SEAD) following parliamentary approval by the Budget Committee. The Typhoons will be fitted with Saab’s Arexis Electronic Warfare (EW) suite, a missionised pod, and the supersonic, medium-range, air-launched tactical missile Northrop Grumman/MBDA's AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile.

Boeing Wins $2.3B Contract to Build KC-46A Tanker Jet

11/30/2023

The Boeing Company’s Defense, Space & Security business segment recently secured a modification contract involving the KC-46A Tanker aircraft. The award has been offered by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH.

Why Iran Still Flies the Ancient F-4 Phantom Fighter (Made in USA)

11/30/2023

How Iran still flies the F-4 Phantom Since Hamas’ October 7 massacre in Israel, Iranian-backed militias across the Middle East have launched scores of attacks targeting the U.S. and its assets in the region. As America’s self-declared top adversary, the Islamic Republic of Iran poses perhaps the largest threat to U.S. national interests in the Near East.

Romania receives first F-16s from Norway

11/30/2023

Romania has received from Norway the first of 32 surplus Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon combat aircraft it contracted in November 2022. The Norwegian Armed Forces announced the transfer of the first three aircraft on 28 November, saying the jets were flown by Romanian Air Force pilots from Rygge Air Station to their future home operating station at the 86th Fetesti Air Base in eastern Romania.

US military aircraft with six aboard crashes off Japan island

11/29/2023

A US military aircraft with six people on board has crashed off Yakushima Island in south-western Japan. Japan's Coast Guard said one person had been found dead near the crash site. Japan's NHK broadcaster said the CV-22 Osprey hybrid plane had been trying to land at Yakushima Airport with one engine on fire. There is no US comment. Ospreys - which can function as a helicopter and a turboprop aircraft - have been involved in a string of fatal crashes over the years.

Russia's huge Air Force is still mostly intact, but it hasn't been building the jets it needs to win on the ground in Ukraine

11/29/2023

Despite its losses in the Ukraine, Russia's air force is still quite robust. It began the war with about 900 fighters and other combat aircraft and is estimated to have lost only about 90 jets between February 2022 and September. What Russia doesn't have is the support aircraft needed to find and attack enemies on the ground.

Iran Says ‘Deal Done’ To Acquire Russian Military Aircraft Inc Su-35 Fighters, Mi-28 Choppers

11/29/2023

Iran’s Deputy Defense Minister, Brigadier General Mahdi Farahi, announced that the arrangements to acquire a range of advanced Russian military aircraft, including Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets, Mil Mi-28 attack helicopters, and Yak-130 jet trainers, have been finalized, reported Tasnim News.