Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

US approves sale of eight F-16 combat aircraft to Bulgaria

04/05/2022

The US Defense Department approved Monday the sale of eight F-16 combat aircraft to Bulgaria for $1.67 billion, bolstering its air force as the regional threat has risen after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "The proposed sale will improve Bulgaria's capability to meet current and future threats by enabling the Bulgarian Air Force to deploy modern fighter aircraft routinely in the Black Sea region," the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said.

Ukraine has asked the US for Soviet-made Su-25 attack aircraft

04/04/2022

The Ukrainian leadership asked the United States to provide Kyiv with Su-25 attack aircraft as part of military assistance. This was reported on Wednesday [March 30] by the television company CNN, the Russian online portal Nezavisimaya Gazeta said.

Ukraine, U.S. and other countries condemn Russia for alleged civilian executions

04/04/2022

Ukrainian forces braced for an intensified Russian onslaught against the eastern Donbas region Sunday as officials from Ukraine, the U.S. and other countries condemned Moscow over allegations of civilian executions. A gruesome cleanup was underway in the northern suburbs of Kyiv, the capital, following the withdrawal of Russian troops. Ukrainian soldiers were removing bodies from streets, homes and other sites in the towns of Bucha and Irpin, which had been recently occupied by Russian forces.

MCAS Yuma transitions last of its 4 Marine Attack squadrons to the F-35B

04/04/2022

Marine Attack Squadron 214, also known as the Black Sheep, has become the last of the four squadrons assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Yuma to be converted from AV-8B Harriers to the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter II. Maj. Gen. Bradford J. Gering, the commanding general of 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, presided over the redesignation ceremony and said the switch to the F-35B represents a leap forward in the Marine Corps' air dominance.

Jubilant Ukrainians post pictures of burning state-of-the-art Russian fighter jet they say they shot down as war continues to go badly for Putin's forces

04/04/2022

Ukrainians have shared pictures of a burning Russian fighter jet they say was shot out of the sky in the Kharkiv region as Putin's forces continue to take heavy damages. Photos from the scene remains of Russian fighting aircraft Su-35 believed to have been hit by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

2 South Korean air force planes collide and crash, killing 4

04/03/2022

Two South Korean air force planes collided in mid-air during training and crashed near their base on Friday, killing all four people aboard the aircraft, officials said. Both planes were KT-1 trainer aircraft — South Korea's first indigenously developed planes — that took off from an air force base in the southeastern city of Sacheon one after another for flight training, the air force said in a statement.

US special ops command receives A-29C Super Tucano aircraft

04/03/2022

SNC says the aircraft, the most technologically enhanced and mission capable A-29 brought to market, are intended for AFSOC’s Combat Aviation Advisor (CAA) mission which is designed to build international partner capacity. The first two A-29Cs, delivered earlier this month, are already conducting training operations with AFSOC at Hurlburt Air Force Base.

Air Force proposes to cut military jobs, aircraft in 2023

04/03/2022

The Air Force plans to cut nearly 6,000 military billets in fiscal 2023 as it looks to retire more of its mainstay combat aircraft, according to the Biden administration’s new budget request released Monday. But it is unclear how many airmen could be out of a job as a result.

British supplied missile downs Russian helicopter in Ukraine

04/02/2022

A Ministry of Defence source told The Times a video (you can see it below) showed Starstreak being fired over Ukraine. The source added that the system had been used by Ukrainian forces for almost a week. The footage circulating online shows a high-velocity Starstreak projectile destroying an aircraft in the Luhansk region of Ukraine.

Italy signs acquisition contract with Leonardo for C-27J supply to Slovenia

04/02/2022

The Directorate for Air Armaments and Airworthiness of the Italian Secretariat General of Defence/National Armaments Directorate has signed an acquisition contract with Leonardo for the supply of one C-27J to the Slovenian Ministry of Defence. The contract also covers additional equipment for aero-medical operations, training services and integrated logistic support for two years.

What Could European Militaries Contribute to the Defense of Taiwan?

04/02/2022

The focus of European policymakers over the past several weeks has been on dealing with arguably the biggest military crisis on European soil since the end of World War II. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has triggered what the German government has called a Zeitenwende, a turning point in history, when it comes to Europe’s defense procurement and policies.

Video Emerges Of Russian Mi-28 Shot Down By MANPADS After Lobbing Rockets Over Eastern Ukraine

04/02/2022

Just yesterday, we commented a video posted by the Russian MOD that proved that the Ka-52 Alligator helicopters are still lobbing unguided rockets at targets in Ukraine in the very same way we had observed a couple of weeks earlier, when the first clips of Russian Aerospace Forces Ka-52 and Mi-28 Havoc helicopters had started circulating online.

Chinese PLA Fighters Led By J-11 Warplanes Hold ‘Marathon’ Drills; Expert Says Beijing’s ‘Asymmetrical Warfare’ Alarming

04/02/2022

The report claimed that the exercise encompassed a variety of terrains, including plateaus and the sea, and that it demonstrated not only the great capabilities of the pilots and aircraft but also the solid logistics support capabilities of various airbases. Warplanes such as the J-11B and J-11BS from a brigade linked with the PLA Air Force reportedly took off from a location in Central China and flew thousands of kilometers to an undisclosed location.

Russia accuses Ukraine of helicopter strikes on fuel depot in Russian territory

04/01/2022

A Russian official accused Ukraine of mounting a helicopter attack on a fuel depot inside Russian territory Friday, as footage surfaced of the facility engulfed in flames. The governor of Russia's Belgorod region claimed two Ukrainian military helicopters flew across the border at low altitude on Friday morning and struck the fuel storage facility, setting millions of gallons of fuel on fire.

Ukraine set to introduce cash payments of $1m for Russian pilots to give up their fighter jets

04/01/2022

The Ukrainian parliament have proposed cash payments to Russian military soldiers and pilots to sell their serviceable military equipment. Politicians have said that they could offer $1m for a Russian pilot to give up their fighter jet, to be transferred to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU).

Exclusive: Air Force Lt Gen David Septula on Establishing a No-Fly Zone Over Ukraine

04/01/2022

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, perhaps the most repeated request by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for assistance in the defense of his country against Russia’s invasion, is for the stand-up of a no-fly zone over Ukraine. Many people assume that somehow a no-fly zone is a relatively risk-free and simple means to disperse an enemy from conducting hostile operations over a particular area of interest—nothing could be further from reality.

Updated Pentagon maps reveal the Chinese military's growing reach

04/01/2022

The US Department of Defense's annual report on China's military was released in November, providing new information on the growing strength of the People's Liberation Army during 2020. Among the updates to last year's assessments, which covered developments in 2019, were an increase in the estimated size of China's ground forces, an even larger naval fleet, and the introduction of new weapons.

Russian aircraft that violated Swedish airspace reportedly carried nukes

04/01/2022

Swedish media report that two Russian aircraft that violated Sweden’s airspace in early March 2022 were carrying nuclear weapons. On March 2, 2022, four Russian combat aircraft, including two Su-27 Flanker fighters and two Su-24 Fencer tactical bombers briefly violated the airspace over the Swedish island of Gotland. The incident took place while the Finnish and Swedish forces were engaged in a joint exercise in the Baltic Sea. The Russian flight group took off from the nearby enclave of Kalin

Replacing The ‘Mighty’ F-22 Raptors, US Air Force Wants To Go Full-Throttle On Its Next-Gen Fighter Jet Development

04/01/2022

The service seeks to phase out a total of 33 of its oldest F-22s. These jets are apparently not combat-capable anymore and are used only for training purposes. The cost of getting these F-22s ready for combat, according to Maj. Gen. James Peccia, the Air Force’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for budget, will be $1.8 billion over eight years, which is astronomically high. Thus, the USAF decided to divert those funds for research on cutting-edge combat jet designs as part of the NGAD program. Further

Ukraine war: Putin’s advisers afraid to tell truth as Russian troops accidentally shoot down own aircraft, spy chief says

03/31/2022

Demoralised Russian soldiers in Ukraine have accidentally shot down their own aircraft, sabotaged their own kit, and refused to carry out orders, a British spy chief has revealed. Sir Jeremy Fleming, the head of GCHQ, said President Vladimir Putin's advisers are afraid to tell him the truth about how badly things are going. In a rare public speech on Thursday in Australia, the senior intelligence officer also said:

Air Force plans to cut its F-22 fleet, but that won’t derail move to Langley AFB

03/31/2022

The Air Force plans to cut its fleet of F-22s by 33 — mothballing planes used by the training unit that’s moving to Langley Air Force Base — but its plans to shift that unit and its hundreds of civilians and contractors to Hampton are still on course. “Although we plan to retire the F-22 Block 20 aircraft, we plan to redistribute the existing operational F-22 aircraft to support the training mission as well as the operational missions,” said Ann Stefanek, the Air Force’s chief media spokeswoman.

Switzerland Got A Taste Of The F-35 And Patriot During Armeebotschaft 2022

03/31/2022

Two F-35A Lightning II of the Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force), took part in “Armeebotschaft 2022” at Emmen Air Base, Switzerland last week. The presence of the two Italian aircraft was requested by the Swiss government to present the population and authorities the new fighter which was chosen to replace the current aircraft in the Swiss Air Force.

Top providers of air combat training complete merger

03/31/2022

Military aviation training companies Top Aces and Blue Air Training announced the completion of a merger on 30 March. Las Vegas-based Blue Air provides Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) training for the US Air Force (USAF) and foreign air forces. JTACs are ground-based USAF personnel who direct fire support from aerial platforms.

All You Need To Know About The Starstreak Missiles Now In The Hands Of Ukrainian Troops

03/31/2022

Ukraine is poised to introduce a new ground-based air defense system to its war against Russia’s invasion forces, with the announcement that the British-supplied Starstreak main-portable air defense system, or MANPADS, is “ready to be used imminently.” Once fielded in combat, the Starstreak will be the latest addition to a growing armory of similar systems used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which we examined in detail in this past feature.

How Germany, shaken by Ukraine, plans to rebuild its military

03/30/2022

Three days after the attack began, Chancellor Olaf Scholz in a landmark speech pledged a special budget of 100 billion euros for the military, as well as annual spending of more than two percent of output on defence. The armaments industry has since been buzzing about the looming spending spree.