Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Four Rockets Target Iraq’s Balad Airbase

03/18/2022

The Iraqi Security Media Cell said on Thursday that four rockets fell in open areas in Balad Airbase, leaving no damage or casualties. The media cell stated that the authorities will hunt down the perpetrators of this “cowardly terrorist act”, reassuring Iraqi citizens that “the acts of criminal terrorist gangs will not pass unless the perpetrators are put behind bars and under the judgment of the law.” Balad Airbase houses Iraqi F-16, L-159, and T-6 fighter jets.

Boeing to enhance EW for Japan Super Interceptor program

03/18/2022

Jet fighter designers at the Boeing Co. are enhancing electronic warfare (EW) capability to a major upgrade of Japan's F-15 combat aircraft under terms of a $24.6 million order announced Wednesday. Officials of the U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, are asking the Boeing Defense, Space & Security segment in St. Louis to add EW capability to upgrades involved in the Japan Super Interceptor (JSI) program.

Ukrainian president tells Bundestag 'help came too late'

03/18/2022

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the Bundestag in a video call for the first time on Thursday morning before the German parliament opened. The Ukrainian president told German parliamentarians that "help came too late to stop war" with Russia, which invaded the country on February 24.

Taiwan Grounds Its Mirage 2000-5 Fleet After Jet Crash

03/18/2022

The Taiwanese Air Force announced that it would ground its fleet of Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets on March 14. The announcement came after a unit of the said aircraft crashed off the southeastern coast of the island during a routine training session. This is the second time a combat aircraft was lost in a span of three months, showing its accident-prone fleet. Though fortunately, the pilot operating the aircraft was rescued this time around.

Why the skies over Ukraine have proven so deadly for Russian pilots

03/18/2022

As the Ukraine-Russia war drags on, military aviation experts are noticing that anti-aircraft missiles like the Stinger and Igla are not the only threats Russian pilots face in the skies over Ukraine. In fact, a dangerous combination of doctrine, training and equipment is partly to blame for the heavy losses the VKS, the acronym for Russia’s air force, have sustained in the three-week-old war.

As diplomats hint of progress in talks, Ukraine accuses Russia of bombing Mariupol theater

03/17/2022

Ukrainian officials accused Russia on Wednesday of bombing a theater where hundreds of displaced families have sought refuge in the besieged port city of Mariupol, part of a string of intense attacks that continued even as diplomats said they were making progress in peace talks.

We can’t let Putin’s threats deter us from supplying Ukrainians with fighter planes

03/17/2022

Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has plunged the world into its worst military crisis since the end of the Cold War. From the U.S. standpoint, the war carries two opposing dangers: We could underreact, and thus let Russia get away with unprovoked aggression that will destroy the world order. Or we can overreact, allowing the conflict to spiral out of control. Put another way: We can’t afford to start a larger war, but we also can’t afford to let Russia win.

Russian Pilots Have No Choice But To Fly Straight Through Ukraine’s Man-Portable Missiles

03/17/2022

It’s not hard to explain the startling losses of aircraft and pilots the Russian air force has suffered as the Ukraine war enters its third week. Russian air-warfare doctrine, plus a shortage of precision-guided munitions, all but forces its fighter and attack pilots to fly low and slow underneath cloud cover within just a few miles of Ukrainian troops.

F-35: Why Germany is opting for the US-made stealth fighter jet

03/17/2022

The F-35 is a state-of-the-art stealth bomber, which Germany's air force has long coveted The F-35 Lightning II is considered the most modern fighter jet in the world. The jet, made by US manufacturer Lockheed Martin, is considered more than just a fighter aircraft. It is essentially an armed computer with a jet engine that can network with other aircraft in the air as well as ground forces, processing thousands of pieces of information every second.

Washington to Provide Egypt With F-15 Jets, U.S. General Says

03/16/2022

The top U.S. general for forces in the Middle East said on Tuesday that he believed the United States would provide Egypt with F-15 aircraft. "I think we have good news in that we're going to provide them with F-15s, which was a long, hard slog," General Frank McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, said during a congressional hearing.

US holds military exercises in Yellow Sea amid signs N. Korea is prepping missile test

03/16/2022

The U.S. military conducted an aircraft carrier-led exercise in the Yellow Sea and intensified air defense artillery drills at a base in South Korea in response to increased missile tests from North Korea, U.S. forces said Tuesday.

US Air Force’s view of ‘near-peer’ Russia unchanged by war in Ukraine

03/16/2022

For nearly three weeks, top U.S. Air Force officials have closely watched Russian troops advance — and stall — in Moscow’s attempt to reclaim Ukraine. In recent public appearances, service leaders said their real-time look at Russian capabilities hasn’t given them a reason to rethink existing strategy or spending.

Fourth Joint Scramble In Less Than 2 Weeks For The Italian And German Eurofighters In Romania

03/16/2022

From mid-February, eight Eurofighter Typhoons of the Aeronautica Militare and six Eurofighters of the German Air Force’s Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 74, jointly operate from Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, Romania, supporting NATO’s eAPA-S (enhanced Air Policing Area-South) mission, to protect the allied airspace in the Black Sea region, where tensions with Russia are at their highest since the Cold War years following the invasion and the war underway in Ukraine.

Eglin test fighters fly together for first, last time

03/16/2022

In the skies above Eglin and along the Emerald Coast, 40th Flight Test Squadron aircrew flew a five-ship formation Jan. 31. This formation wasn’t just any grouping of test aircraft, it represented for the first and last time, all five fighters in the 96th Test Wing inventory. Included were the F-15EX Eagle II, the F-15E Strike Eagle, the F-15C Eagle, the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the A-10 Thunderbolt II.

Why Ukraine needs greater military support from the West

03/16/2022

Almost three weeks into Russia’s large-scale armed aggression against Ukraine, Kyiv is increasingly calling on NATO to protect Ukrainian airspace. The alliance has repeatedly refused the request out of fear that this would mean engaging in a direct confrontation with Russia. Yet, with dozens of Ukrainians being killed by Russian aerial attacks each day, there are still many ways in which NATO can help Ukraine protect itself.

Bipartisan support for U.S. to give Ukraine planes and weapons grows

03/15/2022

A growing chorus of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are calling on the Biden administration to provide Ukraine with fighter jets and weapons to bolster its defense against Russia's continued attacks. The bipartisan, 58-member Problem Solvers Caucus on Sunday became the latest group of lawmakers to push for Ukraine to receive more military assistance from the U.S., including help securing Stinger missiles, air-defense systems and fighter jets.

Issue of aircraft for Ukraine remains urgent on agenda – FM

03/15/2022

The issue of providing aircraft to Ukraine remains extremely urgent on the agenda, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said. "Aircraft are needed. This issue remains extremely urgent on the agenda. There is a conversation between the military about which aircraft are needed, for what purposes, but any talk that Ukraine does not need aircraft does not correspond to reality," Kuleba said at the online briefing on Monday.

Taiwan air force loses another fighter

03/15/2022

A Taiwanese Mirage 2000 fighter jet has crashed into the sea off the island's southeast coast after mechanical issues but the pilot was rescued, the air force says, the second combat aircraft loss in the space of three months. The air force said the French-built aircraft took off just after 10am on Monday on a training mission from the Chihhang air base in Taitung and reported it had to return after a mechanical problem.

US, PH fighter jets to join air combat maneuver drills

03/15/2022

PHILIPPINE Air Force (PAF) FA-50PH jet fighter pilots will have the opportunity to practice “air combat maneuvering” (ACM) tactics with American F-16 fighter pilots during the “Bilateral Air Contingent Exchange (BACE)-Philippines which will be held March 14 to 25.

Russia released a video of a combat jet that was hit by a missile over Ukraine and made it back to base

03/15/2022

Footage released by the Russian MOD early on March 14, 2022, proves once again how sturdy the Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot can be. The clip shows the aircraft taxiing with significant damage reportedly caused by a MANPADS (Man Portable Air Defense System) that hit the jet on the rear right hand side of the fuselage.

Germany to buy dozens of US fighter jets in spending spree

03/15/2022

The F-35 jets made by Lockheed Martin would replace Germany's decades-old Tornado fleet, according to media reports confirmed by the source. Tornados are the only Luftwaffe planes capable of carrying US nuclear bombs stationed in Germany that are a key part of NATO deterrence.

Ukraine offers £767,000 reward for every defecting fighter pilot as Russian morale sinks

03/14/2022

UKRAINE has offered a million dollars (£767,000) to every Russian fighter pilot who defects from Vladimir Putin's forces and hands over their warplane. Ukraine has offered a million dollars to every Russian pilot who defects from the military and hands over their warplane in working condition. The offer appears to be an attempt to exploit the low morale reported among Russian troops as the war enters its third week. The reward was made by the Ukrainian state arms manufacturer Ukroboronprom.

Govt must tap enormous talent in small, medium industries: Tejas LCA chief designer

03/14/2022

Former programme director and chief designer of the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Dr Kota Harinarayana, said one of his biggest takeaways from the LCA project was that a huge amount of talent is available in small and medium industries and they need to be supported. He opined that if government agencies and big industries treat small-scale industries as partners, India will be at the forefront of innovation.

Analysis: 3 ways Russia has shown military incompetence

03/14/2022

Two weeks into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it has become apparent that Russia’s military is experiencing failures — both technical and strategic — that have surprised analysts who study one of the world’s largest military forces. There are multiple issues one could look at in relation to Russia’s poor military performance in Ukraine to date, such as being unable to effectively counter Ukrainian drones, or failing to deliver on the kind of cyberwarfare expected.

Report: Tactical Leadership Programme Flying Course 22-1

03/14/2022

TLP 22-1, the first of this year, took place at the Base Aérea de Los Llanos, home of the Ala 14 of the Spanish Air Force and the Tactical Leadership Programme (TLP) courses, in Albacete, between Feb. 14 and Mar. 4, 2022. The Flying Course saw the attendance of 560 participants, 37 of those were graduates including 30 pilots, 4 Intelligence Officers and 3 Controllers.