Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Kongsberg continues F-35 production participation and prepares surplus F-16s for sale

03/27/2021

Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace on 25 March announced a NOK1.7 billion ($200 million) deal with Lockheed Martin for involvement in Lot 15 to Lot 17 production of the F-35 Lightning II multirole combat aircraft. The deal covers delivery of rudders, vertical leading edges and main landing gear closeout panels for more than 500 aircraft.

Taiwan reports largest incursion yet by Chinese military aircraft

03/27/2021

Twenty Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan’s air defence identification zone on Friday in the largest incursion yet reported by the island’s defence ministry, marking a dramatic escalation in tensions across the Taiwan Strait. The ministry said the air force deployed missiles to “monitor” the incursion into the south-western part of its air defence identification zone. It also said its planes warned the Chinese aircraft, including by radio.

Editorial: The Best Fighter in the World

03/27/2021

Pollen—and politics—is in the air. In the Battle of the Budget, the Air Force and its premier acquisition program, the F-35 fighter, is under attack. House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Smith launched his opening salvo, calling the F-35 “a rathole” and saying he wants to “figure out how we can get a mix of fighter attack aircraft that’s the most cost-effective.”

Indian Air Force Gets Another ‘Rafale’ Boost As Three More Dassault Jets Set To Arrive — Reports

03/26/2021

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to receive three more French-made Dassault Rafale fighters next week and another nine by mid-April, according to reports. The combat aircraft will land at the Ambala airbase in the northern state of Punjab.

Chinese Flying Instructor Explains Why J-16 Fighters Are ‘Far Superior’ To Sukhoi SU-30 Jets

03/26/2021

Wang Songxi is a flying instructor with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Northern Theatre Command Air Force. He claims to have flown many Chinese fighter jets as well as the Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30 during his career. Designed and developed by Sukhoi Aviation Corporation during the Soviet-era, the Sukhoi Su-30 is a twin-engine, two-seat supermaneuverable fighter jet.

Armenian PM Denies Contradictions In Comments About Fighter Jets Purchased From Russia

03/26/2021

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has come under criticism for what the opposition says are lies and contradictory statements about why the Armenian military did not deploy fighter jets purchased from Russia during last year’s war with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.

What Makes the New F-15EX Fighter Truly Special

03/26/2021

The first of the United States Air Force's Boeing F-15EX fighters arrived at Eglin Air Force Base (AFB), Florida earlier this month. Touted by the defense contractor to be a cost-effective aircraft for the service, the F-15EX is set to undergo combined developmental and operational tests.

Why Do We Need the F-35? Study the Story of the F-22 Stealth Fighter.

03/25/2021

When the F-22 burst onto the scene in the early 2000s, it was heralded as a new generation of air-dominance, speed, thrust, maneuverability, and stealth. It was widely reported to be the most capable air-to-air platform ever to exist and is actually still regarded as such by many. The original plan was for the Air Force and the Pentagon to acquire as many as 750 F-22s, but there are now 186 operational F-22s.

Marine F-35B Damaged When Ammunition Round Exploded As It Left The GAU-22 Gun Pod Under The Fuselage

03/25/2021

An F-35B with VMX-1, the U.S. Marine Corps’ test and evaluation squadron based at MCAS (Marine Corps Air Station) Yuma, Arizona, was damaged during a night CAS (Close Air Support) mission on Mar. 12, 2021. According to Military.com’s Oriana Pawlyk, who was the first to report about the mishap, the F-35B was operating over the Yuma Range Complex, when a PGU-32/U Semi-Armor Piercing High Explosive Incendiary-Tracer (SAPHEI-T) 25mm round exploded after leaving the fighter’s GAU-22 gun pod.

Why China’s New Stealth Fighter Could Evenly Match US’ F-35 Jet & Overwhelm The Indian Rafales?

03/25/2021

The fighter jet, currently under development, exploits the cutting-edge advances in artificial intelligence (AI) by the Chinese and is expected to roll out by 2035. Experts agree that the superiority of the next-generation fighter jets will be determined by the application of AI in data processing and decision making. The AI is expected to usher in radical changes when it comes to computing, sensing, targeting, maneuvering, and various kinds of attack tactics in combat aircraft.

Russian fighter aircraft ‘may drive a new wedge’ between Turkey, US

03/25/2021

Russia’s announcement that it is ready to hold negotiations with Ankara on the delivery of Su-35 and Su-57 fighter aircraft if requested may cause further tensions between the US and Turkey, experts say.

Now The UK Wants To Add Combat Drones To Its Aircraft Carriers, But Is It Really Feasible?

03/25/2021

A naval combat drone could be headed to the decks of the U.K.’s two aircraft carriers in the future. Under the recently revealed Project Vixen, the U.K. Royal Navy is studying the potential for adding a large unmanned aerial vehicle that could undertake missions including aerial refueling — like the U.S. Navy’s MQ-25 Stingray — as well as strike, potentially in loyal wingman-type role, networked together with its F-35B Lightning stealth fighters.

Taiwan Air Force grounds entire F-5E fleet following crash

03/24/2021

The Taiwanese Air Force has reportedly grounded its F-5E fighter jet fleet following a mid-air collision and crash of two aircraft. The accident has claimed the life of one pilot while the other pilot has gone missing, reported several media sources. According to the Ministry of National Defense (MND), four F-5E fighter jets took off on a training mission from Taitung’s Zhi-Hang Air Base.

Three Killed In “Abnormal” Ejection From Tu-22M3 Bomber At Russian Airbase

03/24/2021

Three crew have been killed in an accident today involving a Russian Aerospace Forces Tu-22M3 Backfire-C bomber at Shaykovka airbase in the Kaluga region, western Russia. The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed that the crew lost their lives due to an “abnormal operation” of the ejection seats.

UK Confirms Plans to Add F-35s, But Won’t Commit to Original Goal

03/24/2021

As the U.S. military reevaluates how many F-35 stealth fighters it needs in its future combat force, America's closest ally is following suit and won’t commit to buying the full number it originally planned. The Royal Air Force is also evaluating its combat warplane mix, a top U.K. defense official said Monday.

L3Harris to provide advanced electronic warfare system for F-16 fighter

03/24/2021

L3Harris Technologies has secured a contract from Lockheed Martin to develop a new advanced electronic warfare (EW) system for the F-16 fighter jet. L3Harris designed the new EW system, known as ‘Viper Shield’, to provide advanced countermeasures to US and global coalition partners. It protects F-16 aircraft from emerging radar and electronic threats with advanced digital technologies.

China’s SU-30MK2, J-10A Fighter Jets Conduct Tactical Combat Drills

03/23/2021

According to reports, tactical formations and maneuvers were practiced by the Eastern Theater Command, along with air-to-surface attacks, especially against sea targets. Images of the exercise published by a Chinese website navy.81.cn show several combat jets from the PLA’s fighter fleet from the Eastern Military District, including Flankers and indigenously designed J-10 Dragons, taking to the sky

UK All In On FCAS Fighter In New Defense Plan

03/23/2021

The UK’s new military modernization plan includes a proposed increase in the number of nuclear warheads, sets ambitious targets for new warships but is silent on the whether the country should buy more F-35s. “We’ve committed to 48; we’ll buy 48,” UK Minister for the Armed Forces, James Heappey, told reporters on a call this afternoon. The original plan was to buy 138 fifth-generation fighters, but British officials in recent months have declined to say if that is still the plan.

Taiwan to deploy upgraded F-16 jets, says air chief

03/23/2021

Taiwan is ready to deploy its upgraded Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter jets for operational missions, with the program to upgrade the entire fleet on track for completion by 2023, according to the Air Force chief of staff. Lt. Gen. Huang Chih-Wei was addressing lawmakers at Taiwan’s parliament, the Legislative Yuan, when he confirmed that 42 F-16s are upgraded to the F-16V standard. A formal handover ceremony is scheduled for later this month, with President Tsai Ing-wen in attendance.

Taiwan loses two fighter jets in apparent collision, third such crash in six months

03/22/2021

Two Taiwanese fighter jets crashed on Monday in the third such incident in the past half year, at a time when the Beijing-claimed island’s armed forced are under increasing pressure to intercept Chinese aircraft on an almost daily basis.

Preparing for War: Taiwan’s New Fighters Could Make Beijing Think Twice

03/22/2021

Although some American officials believe that the chances of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan are increasing, the small island nation wouldn’t go down without a fight. Taiwan’s newly upgraded F-16V fighter jets will soon be fit for duty, according to a recent Taiwanese report. The F-16V, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, is the most capable F-16 variant to date and features an advanced Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar for better all-weather target acquisition and situational awareness

New Pentagon chief in surprise Afghan visit weeks before US withdrawal

03/22/2021

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made an unannounced visit to Afghanistan Sunday just weeks before Washington is due to withdraw the last of its troops under a deal struck with the Taliban last year. New US President Joe Biden said last week the May 1 deadline agreed by predecessor Donald Trump would be "tough" to meet - prompting outrage from the insurgents, who warned that Washington would be "responsible for the consequences".

Latest Version Of Rafale Fighter Jets Receives ‘Final Operational Clearance’ By France

03/22/2021

The two services announced the FOC (full operational capability) of the aircraft on March 8. According to Janes, this announcement will allow the French forces deployed with the carrier Charles de Gaulle and in Jordan (as part of Op Chammal) to fly the latest variant of the Rafale fighter jet.

Saudi Military Chief of Staff Discusses Joint Work with Greek Counterpart

03/21/2021

Discussions during the meeting centered around defense, but also tackled issues of common interest. Al-Ruwaili attended a flight demonstration by combat aircraft taking part in the “Falcon Eye 1” exercises at the Souda Air Force Base in Greece and met with the participants.

Taiwan Gives ‘Combat Clearance’ To Latest F-16 Viper Jets That US Is Also ‘Pitching’ To India

03/21/2021

According to reports, Taiwan has successfully completed the upgrade of 42 of its 141 F-16A/B fighter jets to the F-16 V standard. Eventually, all the F-16s in its fleet would be upgraded by 2023, for which work is being carried out by the local company Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation with support from Lockheed Martin.