Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Mirage-2000: Zelensky Meets Macron; Triggers Buzz Of France Sending Dassault Combat Jets To Ukraine

09/06/2023

After Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced he had struck a significant agreement with French President Emmanuel Macron on training Ukrainian pilots in France, speculation is rife that Paris could eventually announce the transfer of its Mirage 2000 fighter jets to the Ukrainian Air Force.

Russia's Increasingly Desperate Drone Defenses: Truck Tires and Jacked-Up Missiles

09/06/2023

Embarrassed by Ukrainian drones penetrating Russia’s most sacrosanct air space apparently at will, Kremlin air defense planners are trying several creative countermeasures: parking expensive anti-aircraft missile systems on towers, piling used truck tires on the wings of strategic bombers, and putting up smoke screens.

The Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine with a Mi-8 helicopter said he flew 32 feet above the ground to avoid being seen and turned off his transponder, per the WSJ

09/06/2023

The pilot who pulled off a first-of-its-kind defection from Russia to Ukraine flew 32 feet above the ground with his transponder off to avoid being spotted, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. The defection was first made public in late August, but additional details about the Russian pilot who flew a Mi-8 helicopter to Ukraine were released by Ukraine's Defense Intelligence in a video posted on Sunday.

Map shows China stepped up circling Taiwan's ADIZ in August

09/05/2023

Intrusions by Chinese military aircraft into Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) in August dropped slightly by 20% from July, but there were more flights that circled Taiwan. In August, 130 Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) military planes breached Taiwan's ADIZ, a 20.2% decrease from the 163 reported by the Ministry of National Defense (MND) in July.

Lockheed Martin to Establish European F-16 Training Center in Romania

09/05/2023

Lockheed Martin is partnering with the governments of Romania and the Netherlands to establish a European F-16 training center in Bucharest. The facility would help ensure the safety and effectiveness of Romanian military personnel flying and operating the multi-role fighter aircraft. It could also expand to training aviators from other European nations, including Ukraine.

Israel requests U.S. approval to purchase more F-35 aircraft

09/05/2023

Israel has submitted an official request to the United States to purchase a third squadron of F-35 stealth combat aircraft, the Israeli Defense Ministry said on Sunday. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant submitted a Letter of Request to the U.S. Department of Defense in order to sign the deal "in the next few months," according to a statement released by the Israeli Defense Ministry.

Russian Su-34 Fighter Can Now Fire Hypersonic Missiles; The 1st Crew That Made It Possible To Be Awarded

09/05/2023

An informed defense official told Russian state news agency TASS, “The Su-34 fighter jet used the Kinzhal hypersonic missile in the special military operation. The first crew who accomplished such a task will receive state awards.” The official did not, however, disclose the time and location of the attack.

RAF conducts first F-35B forward refuelling trial

09/03/2023

The capability trial is central to the Royal Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment (ACE) strategy. According to the press release, ACE focuses on the “ability to refuel and re-arm aircraft at austere locations.” Based at RAF Wittering, 1 ELS ensures that the Royal Air Force is adequately equipped and fueled during deployed air operations.

Like India’s Astra BVRAAM, Japan Is Also Developing A New Air-To-Air Missile For Its Sixth-Gen Fighter

09/03/2023

This achievement catapults India into an exclusive league of nations with the capability to develop and launch their indigenous air-to-air missile from fighter aircraft developed on home turf. Following a similar trajectory, Japan appears to be planning to design a new air-to-air missile intended for the next-generation fighter aircraft being co-developed with Britain and Italy.

Iran Reportedly Receives Russian Jets, But They Aren’t The Long-Sought-After Su-35 Flanker

09/03/2023

Jets Iran ordered from Russia have begun arriving in the country, according to Iranian media reports. However, these aircraft are not the Su-35 Flanker fighter jets Tehran had hoped to begin receiving this year. On Saturday, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported the country received subsonic Yak-130 trainer jets, citing undated imagery and video purportedly showing the new aircraft bearing IRIAF (Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force) markings.

Is the West’s influence waning in South America?

09/02/2023

Against a long-standing absence of interstate conflicts, South American armed forces largely focus on domestic operations, including fighting organized crime. However, the region’s defense and security capabilities are undermined by aging equipment amid reduced fiscal space.

Australian and Thai fighters in joint combat air exercise

09/02/2023

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) returned from combat air training with personnel and aircraft of the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) under Exercise Thai Boomerang 23, the first such iteration of the biennial event since the Covid-19 outbreak in 2019. The exercise involved F/A-18F Super Hornets from 1 Squadron RAAF working alongside RTAF F-16 Fighting Falcon and JAS-39 Gripen fighters.

ANALYSIS: Why Training Ukrainian Pilots on Swedish Gripen Fighters is Important

09/02/2023

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, after a meeting with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, announced at a recent press conference that Ukrainian pilots are already flying Swedish aircraft and that “we are getting closer to having the Gripen in our skies.” Designed to combat a possible invasion of Sweden by Russia in a northern climate, it could be a solution to Ukraine’s air superiority woes. But the question of the supply of these aircraft to Ukraine remains open.

Pentagon: Russian fighter jets approached US and Coalition aircraft over Syria 7 times in August – at times within 1,000 feet

09/02/2023

Russian fighter aircraft approached US F-35 fighter jets and other Coalition aircraft over Syria on seven occasions during the month of August and in several instances flew within 1,000 feet, the Pentagon said Friday.

Future fighter program poses key test for US Air Force’s design method

09/01/2023

The futuristic Next Generation Air Dominance fighter platform now in the works is likely to be one of the most complex, highest-stakes weapon acquisitions in the U.S. Air Force’s history. The sixth-generation fighter jet is expected to include new technologies ranging from cutting-edge adaptive engines to an autonomous drone flying alongside its wings. If NGAD works as the service hopes, it could prove critical in a potential war against China.

Ukraine launches ‘massive’ drone strikes on six regions of Russia – destroying war planes

09/01/2023

Ukrainian drones have hit at least six regions deep inside Russia in one of the largest such strikes since the start of Moscow’s invasion. Russian officials confirmed attacks on targets in the Pskov, Bryansk, Kaluga, Orlov, Ryazan and Moscow regions, with the assault on the military airfield in Pskov that damaged aircraft as the most significant. Situated more than 600km (400 miles) from Ukraine, it was where a number of elite paratroopers are stationed.

The China Threat

09/01/2023

When Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall said in 2021 that his top concerns were “China, China, and China,” it wasn’t exactly a surprise. Kendall came back into government specifically because of his growing concern over competition with China, which he saw in terms of the Cold War competition between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. The 2022 U.S. National Defense Strategy (NDS) pinpointed China as the nation’s pacing threat.

Turkey seeks partners for TF-X fighter program amid fiscal uncertainty

09/01/2023

The first aircraft of Turkey’s indigenous fighter program, the TF-X, sits in a hangar ahead of its maiden flight at the end of the year. But fiscal problems could stand in the way of its success, according to an analyst, even as the country’s president seeks partners for the program.

Next-Gen Fighter: Co-Developed With UK & Spain, Japan Intends To Export Its 6th-Gen Aircraft To Other Nations

08/30/2023

In a strategic maneuver geared toward facilitating the export of next-generation fighters to other countries, the Japanese government conveyed its intention to the ruling parties to expand the scope of permissible exports for jointly developed defense equipment, including lethal weapons.

Pakistan fails to find solution to Myanmar’s military junta JF-17 nightmare

08/30/2023

In what could be good news for the resistance movement and Myanmar’s National Unity Government (NUG), there appears to be shimmering tensions between Islamabad and Naypyitaw over the supply of a set of newly acquired JF-17s fighter planes.

Taiwan warns of surge in tensions as Chinese fighter jets cross median line

08/30/2023

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence has warned of a possible “sharp increase” in military tensions after reporting renewed Chinese military activity, including fighter jets crossing the sensitive median line of the Taiwan Strait. Democratically governed Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has complained for three years of increased military pressure from Beijing, mostly in the form of China’s air force flying near the island.

Japanese F-35 fighter jets visit Australia in 1st deployment abroad

08/29/2023

Two Japanese Air Self-Defense Force's F-35A fighter jets have arrived at a military base in Australia for training, marking the first time Japan deployed the aircraft overseas, the Australian Defense Department said Monday. The move comes as the two nations seek to boost security ties amid China's growing military assertiveness in the region and marks the first activity under a new agreement to facilitate reciprocal access and cooperation between their defense forces.

Saudi fighter plane crashes during training mission

08/29/2023

A fighter plane in Saudi Arabia has crashed during a training mission, according to the Ministry of Defense in the Kingdom. The crew aboard the Royal Saudi Air Force combat aircraft 'Tornado' fighter plane survived, the ministry said.

Pentagon Wants to Buy 1,000s of Small, Cheap, Autonomous Drones in Next Two Years

08/29/2023

The Pentagon is launching a new effort to build up mass with inexpensive autonomous systems, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks announced Aug. 28. And the department wants lots of those systems fast—within 18-24 months. The goal, Hicks said, is simple: “small, smart, cheap, and many.”

The US Air Force wants $5.8 billion to build 1,000 AI-driven unmanned combat aircraft, possibly more, as part of its next generation air dominance initiative

08/29/2023

The Air Force is seeking a multibillion-dollar budgetary allowance to research and build at least a thousand, but possibly more, unmanned aircraft driven by AI pilots, according to service plans. The XQ-58A Valkyrie aircraft, a potential contender for the Air Force's collaborative combat aircraft program, is meant to serve as a robotic wingman to human-piloted aircraft able to provide cover and maneuver around in scenarios where a flesh-and-blood pilot might struggle, The New York Times reported