Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Russia’s Mi-28NM “Breakthrough” Gunship Can Launch Drones

05/19/2021

Russia’s Mil Mi-28NM attack helicopter armed with next-generation missiles and rockets is capable launching UAVs including Kamikaze drones. “The latest Mi-28NM attack helicopter is capable of interacting with kamikaze drones. The inclusion of kamikaze drones in the gunship’s airborne armament is one of the areas of interaction between Mi-28NMs and UAVs,” Vitaly Shcherbina, Chief Designer of the Combat Helicopters Program at the Mil and Kamov National Helicopter Center.

US to Turn Romanian Airbase into NATO Black Sea Hub

05/19/2021

The US Air Force will this month start awarding contracts for construction work to upgrade the Campia Turzii base, enabling it to support heavy cargo aircraft and host fighter jets, boosting NATO’s capacities in the Black Sea area.

RAAF's new F-35 fighter soars over Top End

05/19/2021

The Australian Defence Force's new Joint Strike Fighter has taken to the skies above the Northern Territory for the first large-scale air combat training exercise since the COVID pandemic hit. About a dozen Royal Australian Air Force F-35A Lightning II fighters made the trek to the Top End, along with 40 other aircraft and over 500 Defence personnel, for the month-long exercise.

China Makes Tenth Incursion Into Taiwan ADIZ in May

05/19/2021

A People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) aircraft entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Monday morning, China’s tenth incursion this month. According to a Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense post on Twitter, a Chinese Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine aircraft was spotted entering the southwest corner of Taiwan’s ADIZ. This marks the tenth time a Chinese military aircraft has entered Taiwan’s ADIZ in May.

SOCOM is looking at these 5 aircraft to keep an eye on its special operators

05/19/2021

US Special Operations Command, or SOCOM, announced Friday it has awarded contracts totaling $19.2 million to five companies to produce prototype aircraft for its Armed Overwatch program. In a notice published on the US federal contracting website, SOCOM said that the awards will go to Leidos Inc. of Reston, Virginia; MAG Aerospace of Fairfax, Virginia; Textron Aviation Defense of Wichita, Kansas; L-3 Communications Integrated Systems of Waco, Texas; and Sierra Nevada Corp. of Sparks, Nevada.

Russia's MiG-35 fighter jet is almost ready for battle

05/19/2021

Just as the United States is moving forward with its Boeing F-15EX to complement the F-35, Russia is taking a similar course with its Mikoyan MiG-35 (NATO reporting name Fulcrum-F), an all-weather combat attack aircraft that was developed to be capable of destroying enemy targets day or night, including moving and stationary ground and surface targets.

Two Navy T-45 Trainer Aircraft Collide in Texas; One Pilot Treated for Minor Injuries

05/18/2021

A pilot sustained minor injuries after two U.S. Navy T-45 Goshawk training aircraft from Training Squadron 22 at Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas, collided in mid-flight Monday morning, The incident happened in Ricardo, about eight miles from the base, at approximately 11 a.m. local time, the Naval Air Training Command announced on its official Facebook page.

Two RAF Typhoons bomb ISIS jihadis in Iraq: MoD confirms fighter jets used precision missiles to take-out heavily-armed militants dug-in near Mosul

05/18/2021

Two RAF Typhoons have successfully bombed a group of Islamic State jihadis in Iraq, according to UK militarily chiefs. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the fighter jets used precision-guided bombs to take-out heavily armed IS militants who were dug-in at a site near to the city of Mosul. The Typhoons were called in to support an Iraqi security force after it came under heavy small arms fire from the terrorists on May 11.

Su-57 = Next-gen Eurofighter

05/18/2021

As I have demonstrated on other occasions, the “best” US combat aircraft for export, the F-35, is basically worthless. The decades old F-16 and F-18 in updated configurations are better. F-22 is truly remarkable but is in limited numbers, will not be built anymore (tools destroyed), and is not for export. The EU Eurofighter is behind in the generation race for modern combat aircraft. The French too. The West is losing out.

Turkey to Go Ahead with Russian Weapons Purchases Despite US Objections

05/18/2021

Turkey is threatening to go ahead with Russian military purchases despite warnings from Washington. The threat comes as the impasse between the NATO members deepens over Ankara's purchase of a Russian missile system. With Washington stepping up its pressure on Ankara to reverse its purchase of the Russian S 400 missile defense systems, Turkish defense minister Hulusi Akar this month defended its intentions, dismissing American concerns.

France, Germany and Spain strike deal over joint combat jet

05/18/2021

France, Germany and Spain said on Monday they had reached a deal over the next steps of the development of a new fighter jet, Europe's largest defence project at an estimated cost of more than 100 billion euros ($121.4 billion). France in particular has billed the combat jet project -- which includes a next-generation manned and unmanned aircraft -- as crucial for Europe to strengthen its defence autonomy and face competition from China, Russia and the United States.

AFIMSC Det. 4, AFCEC upgrade infrastructure at Air Base Campia Turzii, Romania

05/17/2021

The Air Force Civil Engineer Center and the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center's Detachment 4 are leading $152 million construction projects to upgrade infrastructure at Air Base Campia Turzii, Romania, in support of NATO operations.

S-400 or Rafale Jets: Which Military Equipment Will Be A Game-Changer For India In A Potential Clash With China, Pakistan?

05/17/2021

India is also in the process of establishing two squadrons of French-made Rafale fighters, which are being inducted under a deal worth €7.8 billion with Dassault. The Rafale jets just like the S-400s are dubbed as a game-changer for India against its two key adversaries – China and Pakistan.

Who Will Win HX Fighter Jet Program As Dassault Rafale Competes With F-35, Gripen, Typhoon & Super Hornets?

05/17/2021

Finland has received final quotations from aerospace giants for its HX fighter competition where Dassault Rafale, Saab Gripen, Stealth F-35 Jets, F/18 Super Hornets aim to replace the country’s aging F-18C/D Hornets. Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Saab, Dassault and Eurofighter are all pitching their fighter jets, making it a truly western aircraft supremacy contest.

Russia Is Upgrading Its Supersonic Su-34 ‘Hellduck’ Bombers

05/16/2021

In May 2021 an article in Izvestia reported that the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Chelyabinsk had received the first delivery of a refitted model of its beefy Su-34 supersonic bombers, codenamed the Fullback by NATO and nicknamed the Platypus or ‘Hellduck” due to its distinctive broad, flattened nose.

General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle controlled via tablet on ground

05/15/2021

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems demonstrated a soldier on the ground using a tablet computer to control an MQ-1C Gray Eagle Extended Range unmanned air vehicle (UAV). The demonstration, which occurred on 23 April at Yuma Proving Grounds in Arizona, showed a Joint Terminal Attack Controller using a tablet to control the electro-optical/infrared camera on the aircraft, the company says on 13 May. Joint Terminal Attack Controllers are military service members trained to call in air strikes clo

MacDill AFB finalist for KC-46A tanker aircraft headquarters

05/15/2021

MacDiill Air Force Base could be home to a new tanker aircraft. The base was named one of two finalists under consideration for KC-46A jets, according to the Air Force Times. If selected, 24 of the new aircraft will replace KC-135 Stratotankers at the base now. The only other active duty base in competition for the jets is Fairfield Air Force Base in Spokane County, Washington. One of the two will house the KC-46 Main Operating Base.

Boeing T-7A Red Hawk Comes Together in Record Time as Next USAF Trainer

05/15/2021

Some of you may already be aware that Boeing is presently working on a trainer aircraft for the U.S. Air Force. It’s called T-7A Red Hawk, an evolution of the Boeing T-X concept developed by Boeing together with Swedish company Saab. And by developed, we don’t only mean designed. The aircraft, expected to enter service shortly, was not only penned by the two companies but it is also being put together in different parts of the world.

US Navy completes second live fire test of AIM-120D-3 missile from F/A-18F fighter

05/15/2021

The weapon safely launched from an F/A-18F Super Hornet and flew the expected flight path over the Point Mugu Sea Test Range in California. The preliminary analysis provided by the prime contractor, Raytheon Missiles & Defense, indicates all primary and secondary objectives of the shot were met.

The F-22 Raptor Could Truly Be Headed for Retirement. Here's Why.

05/15/2021

Is there something faster, stealthier, more maneuverable, and more lethal than the F-22? It seems that could be true. So little is known about the now airborne 6th-Gen stealth fighter aircraft, yet it is a potential breakthrough platform that is exploding onto the scene years ahead of what was previously anticipated.

Screaming Eagles take flight in cutting-edge Black Hawk simulator

05/15/2021

Fort Campbell, Kentucky, is entering the latest frontier of flight simulation technology with the Army-owned and operated Black Hawk Aircrew Trainer, or BAT, a highly immersive device that the installation began using May 3. Boasting a complete UH-60 cockpit, state-of-the-art visual systems and a dedicated operating station for instructors, the BAT allows pilots to build mission readiness while saving the Army both time and money.

Air Force Wants to Cut 421 Old Fighters, Buy 304 New Ones

05/15/2021

The Air Force will ask Congress to retire 421 legacy aircraft through 2026, replacing them with just 304 new fighters, according to fiscal 2022 budget talking points obtained by Air Force Magazine. The savings derived from operating a smaller fleet will be put toward acquiring new systems such as the Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter later this decade, and a new Multi-Role fighter, called MR-X, in the 2030s.

Navy orders six AN/APG-79(V)4 AESA airborne radar systems from Raytheon for Marine Corps combat aircraft

05/15/2021

Radar experts at Raytheon Technologies Corp. will provide the U.S. Marine Corps with six AN/APG-79(V)4 active electronically scanned array (AESA) airborne radar systems under terms of a $20 million order announced last week. Officials of the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md., are asking the Raytheon Intelligence & Space segment in El Segundo, Calif., for replacement AESA radar systems for the Marine Corps F/A-18C/D Hornet carrier-based jet fighter-bomber.

Pentagon to seek 85 F-35 jets in next year's budget request

05/14/2021

The Biden administration will seek $11 billion to buy 85 Lockheed Martin F-35 jets in the coming fiscal year, tracking a plan outlined last year by the Trump administration, according to a U.S. official. With a $715 billion budget request for fiscal year 2022, the Pentagon had considered increasing the quantity of next-generation fighters it planned to buy but decided to instead focus on using additional funding to upgrade the F-35 with new capabilities every six months, the official said.

China threatens to inflict 'economic carnage' on Australia for spending big on defence - and warns our gas exports could soon be banned

05/14/2021

China has threatened to bring 'economic carnage' upon Australia in response to big defence spending announced in Tuesday's federal budget. The government outlined a huge boost for the defence force, more funding for spies and help for exporters to find new markets in a massive push back against an increasingly assertive Beijing.