Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

10 Years with the F-15C Eagle

06/21/2023

The 144th Fighter Wing has been home to F-15C/D Eagles for the past ten years. This fourth-generation aircraft first flew in 1976 and was originally designed to permit the U.S. Air Force to gain and maintain air supremacy. By June 18, 2013, when the first Eagle arrived at the Fresno Air National Guard Base, it had already provided air superiority for nearly 40 years.

Ukraine says fighting ‘difficult’ in east as Russia massed large forces on that front

06/20/2023

Ukraine said on Monday that the battles on the eastern front were “difficult”, as Russia’s forces were massing large numbers of troops in that direction in an attempt to reclaim the initiative. Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Malyar said: “The situation in the east is difficult. The enemy has increased its forces and is conducting an active offensive in the Lyman and Kupiansk directions, trying to seize the initiative from us.”

Warthog In Warzone! US A-10 Thunderbolt Lands In Vietnam; Could ‘Tank Killer’ Attack Aircraft Go To Ukraine?

06/20/2023

In an unprecedented touchdown, Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II’ Warthog’ of the US Air Force landed in Vietnam. This is the first citing of the ‘tank killer’ and a Close Air Support (CAS) aircraft in Vietnam since the normalization of its ties with the US.

Sweden Preparing For Future Combat Aircraft Studies

06/20/2023

Sweden’s defense materiel agency FMV is awaiting political approval to begin studies into a new-generation combat aircraft beyond the new Saab Gripen E. The studies, to be carried out by the FMV, are due to get underway in the near future. They will primarily be a fact-finding effort and involve discussions with other air forces, an examination of other national programs and exploring the capabilities of national industry, Brigadier General Lars Helmrich.

Nigeria’s Arsenal: A Look at the Country’s Most Powerful Weapons

06/19/2023

These powerful weapons not only bolster Nigeria's ability to defend its sovereignty but also play a crucial role in combating insurgency, terrorism, and other security challenges. They provide Nigeria's armed forces with the necessary tools to protect its citizens and maintain stability within the region.

LESSONS FROM UKRAINE: SECURING THE MUNITIONS SUPPLY CHAIN

06/19/2023

Though Kyiv’s repeated requests for advanced weaponry – like new main battle tanks (MBT) or F-16 multi-role combat aircraft – populate news headlines, its call for ammunition is just as important, if not more so for the day-to-day maneuvers of its main operations, like the ongoing counter-offensive.

147th Attack Wing MQ-Reaper completes first ACE movement in Europe

06/18/2023

The Texas Military Department’s 147th Attack Wing demonstrated an MQ-9 Reaper agile combat employment (ACE) movement from Caslav air base to Ostrava airport during Exercise Air Defender June 13, 2023 in Caslav AB, Czech Republic. This ACE movement displayed the effectiveness of the MQ-9 Reaper in a remote location.

Denmark ready to transfer F-16 fighters to Ukraine - Defense Minister

06/18/2023

The Danish government is ready to transfer F-16 fighters to Ukraine, but only if the United States, which produces these aircraft, approves this step. That's according to Radio 4, Ukrinform reports. Today, acting Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said that Denmark would support the transfer of fighter jets to Ukraine. But this will only happen if the United States, which produces the F16, approves.

Revolutionizing Air Power: Agile Combat Employment, Multi-Capable Airmen enable swift adaptation in evolving mission requirements

06/17/2023

In an era of rapid global shifts and evolving near-peer adversaries, the United States Air Force has embraced an operational concept known as Agile Combat Employment (ACE). This innovative approach emphasizes flexibility, adaptability, and the effective utilization of Multi-Capable Airmen (MCA) to enhance air power.

Ukraine plans to train 'several dozen' combat pilots to fly F-16s

06/17/2023

Ukraine plans to send "several dozen" combat pilots for training to fly U.S.-manufactured F-16 fighter jets, Ukrainian air force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said on Friday, as western allies prepared the necessary training programmes. "Everything is being done to get it started as early as possible," Ihnat told Ukrainian national television, adding that the pilots picked for training would have combat experience.

Eurofighter Tranche 4 Offers New Tech and Retrofit Capabilities

06/17/2023

In an effort to maintain the Eurofighter’s relevance to the air combat environment until the German-French FCAS and the Italy-Japan-UK GCAP/Tempest enter production, program partners have kept busy upgrading onboard systems for retrofit. The upgrades, which will come as part of the configuration for new-build aircraft for Germany, will first appear on existing aircraft in the UK and among the other partners.

Stealth Fighters to Syria: Why America Is Sending in the F-22s

06/17/2023

On June 14, the U.S. Air Force deployed fifth-generation F-22 Raptors to Syria to deter what U.S. Central Command described as “increasingly unsafe and unprofessional behavior by Russian aircraft in the region.” The Raptor, an advanced air-superiority fighter that is renowned for its stealth capabilities, is intended to increase the U.S. military’s ability to defend the 900 U.S. servicemembers that remain deployed in the war-torn country.

Belgium flirts with joining FCAS fighter program

06/17/2023

The Belgian government has hinted it is open to joining a multinational European sixth-generation fighter program, despite its previous commitment to the U.S.-led F-35 program. Over the last few months, the Belgian defense industry has called for the government to decide which sixth-generation combat aircraft program it intends on joining and in what capacity.

Estonia holds combat aircraft exercise between two largest islands

06/16/2023

A combat aircraft accuracy exercise was organized between Estonia's two largest islands this week. The Estonian armed forces used U.S. Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft during them, ERR TV reported on Thursday.

Ukraine already using Polish and Slovakian MiG-29 fighters to protect Ukrainian skies

06/16/2023

“In June, MiG-29 fighters received as part of international technical assistance from Poland and Slovakia were added to the arsenal,” he noted. Hromov expressed gratitude to the partners for their support of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and expressed hope for the transfer of F-16 fighters.

Wittman proposes way to keep Next-Generation Air Dominance on track

06/16/2023

A measure in the House’s fiscal 2024 defense policy bill aims to keep various technologies related to the Next Generation Air Dominance program moving forward in sync, even as one lawmaker said the Navy has fallen behind its Air Force counterparts here.

Russian Aerospace Forces a Shadow of Former Self

06/15/2023

The performance of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) in the Ukraine war has proved to be the opposite of original expectations. The Russian force failed to disable Kyiv’s defenses in the first few weeks due to the Ukrainian air force and its air defense units' extensive preparations when the shooting began. Ukraine has prevailed since, however, thanks to U.S. and European-provided anti-aircraft weapons and technology.

Arctic Challenge 2023: Nordic defense requires the F-35’s advanced capabilities

06/15/2023

The U.S. Air Force’s 493rd Fighter Squadron from the United Kingdom’s RAF Lakenheath forward deployed to Norway’s Ørland Air Base to take part in Arctic Challenge Exercise 2023 alongside Norwegian, Dutch and Italian F-35A Lightning II advanced stealth fighters and other coalition aircraft supporting the two-week exercise occurring May 29 through June 9 across Scandinavia.

Global Combat Aircraft Program (GCAP)

06/15/2023

The Global Combat Aircraft Program is a multinational collaborative project aimed at producing a sixth-generation fighter aircraft by the United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan. GCAP is the merging result of the respective three nations to replace their previous generation fighters. BAE’s Team Tempest, the U.K.-led and Italian-supported program to replace the Eurofighter Typhoon, and Japan’s Mitsubishi F-X initiative to replace its Mitsubishi F-2 fighter officially consolidated under the GCAP umbrella

Air Force sends F-22s to Middle East to deter aggressive Russian pilots

06/15/2023

The Air Force has sent some of its most advanced air superiority fighter aircraft to the Middle East to make the Russians think twice about harassing U.S. forces in the air and on the ground, military officials announced on Wednesday. “U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors deployed to U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility as part of a multifaceted show of U.S. support and capability in the wake of increasingly unsafe and unprofessional behavior by Russian aircraft in the region,” a CENTCOM news re

Indonesia buys Qatari Mirage jets to plug fighter gap

06/15/2023

ndonesia has confirmed it signed a contract this year to buy Qatar’s fleet of French-built fighter jets in an effort to plug a long-standing air defense gap. The Indonesian Air Force said in a news release it had signed a $795.14 million contract in January to buy the Qatar Emiri Air Force’s fleet of 12 Dassault Mirage 2000 fighters. The Middle Eastern nation operates a fleet of nine, single-seat Mirage 2000-5EDA aircraft and three, twin-seat Mirage 2000-5DDA aircraft.

U.S., European Defense Suppliers Play Critical Role in Ukraine

06/14/2023

The ability of Ukraine’s armed forces to hold back the Russian invasion of February 2022 has provided a stunning show of bravery and determination on the part of Kyiv’s armed forces. Since the early days of the conflict, the outnumbered Ukrainian military has fought against Russian armed forces equipped with the most modern hardware that Moscow’s industry could turn out.

Wings Over Muskegon announces USAF Heritage Flight and MiG demonstration

06/14/2023

Wings Over Muskegon Air Show has been selected for a United States Air Force Heritage Flight July 8-9 at the Muskegon County Airport. Established in 2010, the Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation matches a modern fighter/attack aircraft, in this case the A-10C Thunderbolt II, with a historic fighter, which will be a World War II P51D Mustang.

KC-135s Pull Off ‘Monumental’ Air Bridge to Get Scores of Aircraft to Exercise in Europe

06/14/2023

Air Defender 23, the German-led air exercise that is the largest in NATO history, kicked off June 12 with roughly 100 of the 250 participating aircraft coming from Air National Guard units across the U.S.—and just getting all of those USAF planes across the Atlantic Ocean presented a unique challenge.

As it plans NGAD fighter, Pentagon must learn from past failures

06/14/2023

The U.S. Air Force has officially begun to accept proposals for the sixth-generation Next Generation Air Dominance fighter and plans to award the contract in 2024. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall ominously stated that the classified and secretive NGAD will cost “multiples” of the F-35, meaning each aircraft will cost hundreds of millions of dollars. While its fifth-generation fleet offers unsurpassed capability, it is vital that the Department of Defense correct the mistakes incurred in its de