Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Shocker For China – One Of The Deadliest Fighter Jets That PLAAF Also Operates Gets Shot-Down In Ukraine

04/10/2022

A few days ago, a video surfaced that purports to show the moment the Su-35 jet plummeted from the skies in flames before crashing into the ground. Later, photos of the charred Flanker surfaced on social media. The Su-35 was blown out of the sky near Kharkiv by Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile forces, causing “$50 million in damage” to the Russians, according to Ukrainian deputy interior minister Anton Gerashchenko.

Are U.S. Reaper Drones Going to Ukraine?

04/10/2022

Two retired U.S. Air Force generals who were deeply involved in the early development of the U.S. drone war program have suggested introducing the notorious MQ-9 Reaper, the most powerful U.S. killer drone, into the skies over Ukraine. Such a move would open a new, even more dangerous phase in Ukraine’s war in which Reapers, and MQ-1 Gray Eagle drones, both widely used in Afghanistan, might be put at the service of the Ukrainian military to attack Russian forces in Ukraine.

What weapons to send to Ukraine? How debate shifted from helmets to tanks.

04/10/2022

Ukrainian officials are clear on what they want from the United States and Europe: weapons. Big, heavy weapons. Not helmets. Tanks.They say they need these weapons now, not later. And a lot of them. The message has been broadly the same from the start of Russia’s invasion, when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reportedly said “I need ammunition, not a ride,” to this past week, when Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told NATO leaders in Brussels that he had a threefold agenda: “weapons, wea

Ukraine’s unanswered plea for MiG29s: consequence of NATO’s fear of Article 5

04/10/2022

Aircraft are desperately needed. Our park is out of date, with planes that are 30 years old or older. We have good enterprises where we have been able to repair and modernize most aircraft in 8 years [since 2014]. But still, these are aircraft of the previous generation. There are opinions that unmanned aerial vehicles [such as Bayraktars] will play an increasing role, but we see that in real combat, manned aircraft remain extremely powerful.

US approves air-defense upgrade for Taiwan as COVID-19 nixes reported visit by Pelosi

04/09/2022

The United States has approved a $95 million military sale to boost Taiwan’s air defenses, as China sends increasing numbers of warplanes near the island democracy. Details of a contract to support “training, planning, fielding, deployment, operation, maintenance, and sustainment of the Patriot Air Defense System” on Taiwan were released by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency on Tuesday.

Air Force Ramps Up Spending on Next-Generation Stealth Bomber

04/09/2022

The Air Force awarded a $108 million deal Wednesday to a defense contractor to start acquiring parts for the B-21 Raider program -- the upcoming fleet of long-range strike bombers that will soon consume a major portion of the service's budget. The B-21 Raider project is projected to cost the Air Force $5 billion next year, including $3.25 billion for research and development.

Is China’s navy as dangerous as so many fear?

04/09/2022

While most of the world is watching the struggle between Ukraine and Russia, the eyes of U.S. Navy leaders remain fixed on China, which already has the largest navy in the world, and one that could dwarf the American fleet by the end of the decade.

Ukraine Situation Report: Slovakia's Donated S-300 Surface-To-Air Missile System Is On Its Way

04/09/2022

The Prime Minister of Slovakia, Eduard Heger, has confirmed that his country has transferred its only Soviet-era S-300PMU long-range surface-to-air missile system to the Ukrainian military. This deal has been in the works for weeks now, and was made possible in large part by NATO allies, including the United States, agreeing to deploy Patriot surface-to-air missile systems to Slovakia to make up for the resulting air and missile defense gap in the country.

NATO Fighter ‘Tracked Serbian Plane in Russian Airspace’, Vucic Claims

04/09/2022

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Thursday night said Russian air traffic control had told him that a NATO fighter jet tracked an Air Serbia passenger plane within Russian airspace on Wednesday near the Latvian border. Making it clear he accepted the Russian claim, Vucic said Serbia would seek additional information from Russia and from NATO.

Ukraine asks for more lethal military aid ahead of Russian Donbas push

04/08/2022

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has pleaded with the international community to provide more military supplies and to impose tighter sanctions on Russia as his foreign minister said he had one demand of Nato: “Weapons, weapons and weapons.”

PAF, US Navy aircraft to hold ‘simulated kill’ combat tactics

04/08/2022

PHILIPPINE AIR FORCE (PAF) FA-50PH jet fighters will conduct “dissimilar air combat tactics” (DACT) with Hawker Hunter aircraft of the US Navy on Friday, the last day of the two-week “Balikatan” exercises. “The last flight of the FA-50s of the 5th Fighter Wing with the Hawker Hunters of the US Navy will be on April 8, they will do DACT,” said PAF spokesperson, Col. Maynard Mariano, in a message to the Philippine News Agency Thursday.

Poland considering Italian, Korean alternatives to backfill MiG-29s

04/08/2022

When the saga of Ukraine and the MiG-29 played out last month, the plan seemed fairly simple: Poland would ship its Russian made jets to Ukraine and the US would provide older-configuration Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters to Poland as a replacement.

Caught On Camera – Russian Su-34 Fighter Jet Shoots Massive Decoy Flares Over Donetsk To Evade Ukranian Missiles

04/08/2022

The Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber was recently caught on video firing a large number of heat traps over the Donetsk region in Eastern Ukraine where it has intensified its airstrikes, local media reported and share links on social media. According to the reports, a video of a Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber passing over the Donetsk region surfaced on the internet. However, not the appearance of the combat aircraft, but the enormous shooting of deceptive thermal targets by it has caught the attention

New Weapons From U.S. Could Rearm Ukraine’s Bayraktar Drones

04/07/2022

The top item in the Pentagon’s latest assistance package to Ukraine announced last week is “laser-guided rocket systems.” This might seem like a curious description, as by convention any rocket with guidance is called a missile. But in the U.S. military ‘guided rocket’ refers to a specific weapon — one that could equip Ukraine's fleet of Bayraktar TB2 drones, which may now be running short of missiles.

Marines Land 20 F-35Bs Lightning IIs On Amphibious Assault Ship

04/07/2022

Marine Corps pilots landed 20 F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters on the deck of the USS Tripoli (LHA-7) this week, marking the largest number of the jump jets loaded onto a U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship. The aircraft landings are part of an ongoing joint Navy and Marine Corps exercise underway in the Pacific demonstrating the lightning carrier concept that turns amphibious assault ships into light carriers.

Repositioning of Russian Forces in Ukraine Creates Nightmare Scenario for Romania

04/07/2022

Russia’s war repositioning to Ukraine’s south and east has heightened worries for NATO Black Sea ally Romania, which saw Russia close within 30 miles of its coastline when it captured Snake Island from Ukraine Feb. 24. American F-16s are currently conducting a NATO enhanced air policing mission in Romania, and in February the U.S. sent two F-35s to help deter Russia.

Serbia mulls purchase of 12 Rafale fighter jets from France - report

04/07/2022

Serbia is considering a purchase of 12 new Rafale multipurpose fighter jets developed by French manufacturer Dassault Aviation, French media reported. Initially, Serbia and Dassault Aviation discussed the purchase of six aircraft but subsequently the number was increased to 12, La Tribune weekly reported on Tuesday, quoting sources familiar with the matter. The reelection of Serbia's incumbent president Aleksandar Vucic last Sunday is likely to facilitate the process, La Tribune added.

Advanced Russian Su-35S Flanker-E fighter jet reportedly suffers first combat loss in Ukraine

04/06/2022

The 2022 war in Ukraine has demonstrated the vulnerability of advanced military aircraft to modern air defense systems on both sides. From Ukraine’s loss of the famed ‘Grey Wolf’ to Russia’s numerous losses of combat jets, vehicle-mounted and man-portable air defense systems are proving to be deadly to even advanced 4.5-generation fighters.

US Army shelves advanced CH-47F rotor blades due to issues in testing

04/06/2022

The U.S. Army has decided to shelve its Advanced Chinook Rotor Blades it was developing as part of the Boeing-manufactured CH-47F cargo helicopter’s latest upgrades due to issues that cropped up during testing, according to Brig. Gen. Robert Barrie, the program executive officer for Army aviation.

Marines Load Record 16 F-35Bs Aboard USS Tripoli Test of ‘Lightning Carrier’ Concept

04/06/2022

The Marines broke a record on Sunday when they loaded the most 16 F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters ever aboard a big-deck amphibious warship. Under cloudy skies on Sunday afternoon, deck sailors directed Marine pilots onto launching spots and maneuvered others into parking spots on the flight deck USS Tripoli (LHA-7), the Navy’s newest big deck amphibious warship, with more coming later this week.

BrahMos deal with Philippines will move ahead on bilateral basis: envoy

04/06/2022

While the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile is a joint development between India and Russia, the sale of the systems to Philippines is a transaction between the two countries and we will be able to move ahead on a “bilateral basis”, said Indian Ambassador in the Philippines Shambhu Kumaran, amid the global developments following the Russian war in Ukraine. Philippines was also given clarification on the accidental BrahMos missile launch recently.

The Air Force Plans To Test-Launch A Mysterious New Air-To-Air Missile

04/06/2022

A new program appears to have been added to the relative flurry of activity in the field of next-generation air-to-air missiles, or AAMs, for the U.S. military. While very little is known about the Modular Advanced Missile, reference to which first appeared in a recent Air Force budget document, we now know that the weapon is an AAM and that there are plans to test-fire it from a fighter jet.

Video shows Ukrainian troops shooting a Russian helicopter gunship down with an anti-tank missile

04/06/2022

Not only are Ukrainian MANPADS (Man Portable Air Defense Systems) a significant threat to the Russian Ka-52 and Mi-28 gunship helicopters operating over Ukraine but also ATGMs. The following clip has started to circulate online on social media on April 5, 2022, and shows a Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) Alligator gunship shot down by a Ukrainian Stugna-P ATGM.

Boeing to begin delivery of second batch of F-15QA jets to Qatar this year

04/05/2022

Boeing will begin the delivery of second batch of F-15QA combat aircraft to Qatar this year. “We plan to begin delivery of the F-15QA to the Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF) in 2022,” Kuljit Ghata-Aura, President of Boeing Middle East, Turkey & Africa, told The Peninsula in an exclusive interview.

Navy Expects to Begin MQ-25 Procurement in 2023

04/05/2022

The U.S. Navy is one step closer to fielding MQ-25 Stingray refueling drones aboard its aircraft carriers. The Navy’s 2023 budget request includes $16.8 billion to allow the MQ-25 to begin formal procurement next year. The Stingray is the first done of its type. It will be capable of refueling the Navy’s carrier air wing, including F-35Cs, F/A-18s, and other carrier aircraft. It is expected to double the combat radius for carrier-launched aircraft.