Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

The Army’s New Piloted Scout Helicopter is Critical for Tomorrow’s Missions

10/10/2023

Nearly a decade ago, the U.S. Army retired its last helicopter designed specifically for the attack reconnaissance mission – the OH-58 Kiowa Warrior. Since then, a combination of AH-64 Apache helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have filled in, performing the attack reconnaissance mission the best they could.

LCA Tejas: Despite ‘Intense Lobbying’, Battle-Proven F-16 Inches Closer To Clinch Argentine Fighter Jet Deal

10/09/2023

It has become clear that despite “intense lobbying” from India, Argentina has opted to purchase American F-16 fighter jets. Just one step short of announcing the finalization of F-16 as the top contender for its air force, Argentina has signed a Transfer to Third Parties (TPT) document with the US to authorize the transfer of 38 second-hand F-16s from Denmark.

Pakistan’s JF-17 ‘Shoots Down’ Six Rafale Fighters During Turkish Wargame? IAF Pilot Decodes Report

10/08/2023

The ‘grounded’ fleet of JF-17 in the Myanmar Air Force may be a sore point for Pakistan & China, but a report on how JF-17 pummelled Rafale fighter jets belonging to Qatar Air Force during a wargame in Turkey might have raised Islamabad’s morale.

Ukraine to strip old Russian MiGs to repair own jets

10/08/2023

The Ukrainian government will soon confiscate over 800 units of property belonging to the aggressor state Russia and its residents, among which are seven non-operational Russian MiG-25 jets, reports the Ministry of Economy press service.

An Evolving Air Force Role in the Middle East

10/06/2023

The U.S. Air Force Central Command (AFCENT) operating in the Middle East in the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility, needs to evolve to meet modern-day near-peer adversarial threats, such as from China, while at the same time keeping at bay risks from Iran and ISIS-related terrorist organizations.

DOD Remains Focused on Deterring Conflict in Indo-Pacific

10/06/2023

The U.S. remains fully committed to its strategy of integrated deterrence in the Indo-Pacific while keeping a close eye on China's provocations in the region, a senior Pentagon official said today. Ely S. Ratner, assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, said conflict with China is not inevitable despite indications that Beijing is increasingly leveraging its military to spread its malign influence abroad.

China sends 1 military aircraft, 3 ships around Taiwan despite typhoon

10/06/2023

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked one Chinese military aircraft and three naval vessels around the country between 6 a.m. Wednesday (Oct. 4) and 6 a.m. Thursday (Oct. 5) as Typhoon Koinu's storm circle enveloped much of the country.

XQ-58 Valkyrie Is Now Flying With The Marine Corps

10/06/2023

The U.S. Marine Corps has begun flying its stealthy Kratos' XQ-58A Valkyrie drones, making it the second known operator of the type beyond the U.S. Air Force. The Marines now plan to evaluate the drones as highly autonomous surveillance and reconnaissance assets, electronic warfare platforms, and wingmen for crewed fighters, including in kinetic roles.

A US F-16 fighter jet shot down a Turkish drone, taking out another NATO ally's aircraft over Syria

10/06/2023

A US military F-16 fighter jet downed a Turkish drone operating above Syria on Thursday, marking a rare clash between Washington and a NATO ally. The American aircraft shot down the drone because it was considered to be a threat to US troops in the northeastern part of the country, The Wall Street Journal first reported, citing a person familiar with the incident. An American official told the outlet that US knew the drone — which was armed with air-to-ground munitions — belonged to Turkey befor

Deep Inside Taiwan’s ADIZ, China’s Chengdu GJ-2 UAV Conducts First-Ever Recorded Flight Activity

10/05/2023

The drone’s presence was detected on October 4 by the Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense (MND), which included this development in its daily update. According to the Ministry, as of 6 a.m. (UTC+8), 29 PLA aircraft and five PLAN vessels were identified near Taiwan.

Northrop Grumman modernises E-2D Advanced Hawkeye ISR aircraft

10/05/2023

The US Navy (USN) has contracted the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft, Northrop Grumman (NG), to evolve the platform’s cockpit and digital architecture. Operating from an altitude more than 25,000ft, the Hawkeye alerts the naval task force to approaching air threats, while also providing threat identification and positional data to fighter aircraft.

Turkey Takes to the Skies with the Groundbreaking KAAN Fighter Jet

10/05/2023

In a determined bid to modernize its Air Force and achieve self-sufficiency in military capabilities, Turkey has embarked on a groundbreaking journey with the development of the Turkish Fighter jet. This fifth-generation marvel represents a significant milestone in Turkey’s aerospace industry. Not only does it signify the nation’s technological prowess but also its resolve to carve its own path in the elite club of fifth-generation fighter aircraft developers.

New Acquisition Report: F-15EX Unit Cost Will Be $94 Million

10/05/2023

The F-15EX Eagle II unit cost will be $93.95 million per plane in then-year dollars, assuming the Air Force sticks with its plan to buy 104 of the fighters and Congress concurs, the service said in its most recent annual Selected Acquisition Report.

Wittman says patience wearing thin on F-35 sustainment plan

10/04/2023

A leading House lawmaker wants to see some hard details — and soon — from the F-35 Joint Program Office about how it plans to fix the jet fighter’s long-lagging availability rates. And Rep. Rob Wittman’s patience with the JPO on the fighter’s low readiness is starting to wear thin, he said in an interview.

Polish Armed Forces Adding Saab Surveillance Aircraft to Fleet

10/04/2023

Officials from Poland’s Armed Forces were presented with the first of two Saab 340 airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft in a ceremony in Linköping, Sweden, on Friday. The surveillance aircraft, which were unveiled two months after an order was placed, will provide Poland “a national asset to reinforce territorial integrity and national security,” the aircraft manufacturer said.

Italy's Leonardo wants stronger role in GCAP jet fighter project

10/04/2023

Italy's Leonardo group (LDOF.MI) wants a bigger role in a next-generation fighter jet program to put it on an equal footing with its British and Japanese partners, company CEO Roberto Cingolani said on Tuesday. The three nations agreed in December 2022 to collaborate to build an advanced front-line fighter to enter service around the middle of the next decade. The Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) has Britain's BAE Systems and Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries as its lead contractors.

Historic moment as Croatia receives its first Rafale fighter aircraft

10/04/2023

In a historic event at the Mont-de-Marsan Air Base, Croatia officially acquired its first Rafale multirole combat aircraft, marking a milestone in its capabilities. The acquisition of 12 Nato-compatible aircraft is expected to secure Croatia’s air combat requirement for the next three decades.

China's September incursions into Taiwan ADIZ up by 42% from August

10/03/2023

Intrusions by Chinese military aircraft into Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) in September spiked by 42% from August. In September, 225 Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) military planes breached Taiwan's ADIZ, a 42.2% increase from the 130 reported by the Ministry of National Defense (MND) in August. Overall, there were 565 Chinese military aircraft tracked around Taiwan in September, according to Damien Symon, an open-source intelligence researcher.

JSTARS Flies Its Last Operational Mission Ahead of November Retirement

10/03/2023

A crew of Airmen at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, flew the final operational sortie of the E-8C JSTARS aircraft on Sept. 21, paving the way for the last of the fleet to be retired early next month. Members of the Georgia Air National Guard’s 116th Air Control Wing flew the very last of more than 14,000 sorties for the JSTARS, which is used for targeting, battle management, and command and control.

Lockheed Martin flies first F-16 for Slovakia

10/03/2023

Lockheed Martin flew the first F-16C Block 70 Fighting Falcon multirole combat aircraft for Slovakia at its Greenville production facility in South Carolina on 29 September. The first of 12 single-seat F-16C and two twin-seat F-16D Block 70 aircraft for the Slovak Air Force made its maiden flight about three weeks after being officially presented to the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic on 6 September.

Croatia receives first Rafale fighter from France

10/03/2023

Croatia received the first of 12 Dassault Rafale combat aircraft from France on 2 October, the Croatian Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced. Aircraft tail number 170 was officially handed over to the Croatian MoD during a ceremony at the French Air and Space Force (Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace: AAE) base at Mont-de-Marsan.

China’s J-20 Stealth Fighter, Flying Under AWACS Cover, Very Dangerous; Best Avoided By India’s Rafale: OPED

10/03/2023

To use a cliche, comparing the J-20 and the Rafale is like comparing oranges and apples. The two fighters were conceived and developed for entirely different roles. However, the adversarial deployment of the two fighters in the context of the simmering India-China border dispute has fanned nationalist fervor and clamor for comparison to such an extent that comparing oranges and apples seems perfectly logical.

RAF Fighter jets deploy to Poland for joint exercises ahead of Warsaw Security Forum

10/02/2023

Four Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets have deployed to Poland to conduct joint training exercises alongside allied aircraft from Poland, Spain, and Italy. The deployment will provide an opportunity for RAF pilots to practice dogfighting against different types of aircraft, and develop tactics to exploit their weaknesses.

Royal Danish Air Force And Lockheed Martin Celebrate Arrival Of First Four Danish F-35 Aircraft

10/02/2023

The Kingdom of Denmark officially celebrated the in-country arrival of its first four permanently based F-35A Lightning II aircraft at Skrydstrup Air Base, Denmark. During the ceremony, Lockheed Martin officially handed over the certificate of ownership of Denmark's F-35s to the Danish Ministry of Defense Acquisition and Logistics Organization. More than 450 Danish and allied government, military and industry leaders gathered to commemorate the milestone, and over 10,000 local citizens participa

Last F-18 training squadron is decommissioned at Miramar marking the end of an era

10/01/2023

An air squadron that for 50 years has been training pilots to fly F/A-18 Hornets was decommissioned at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar during a “sundowner ceremony” on Friday, marking the end of an era for the Department of the Navy.