Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Russian Navy arms its MiG-31 fighters with Kh-47M hypersonic missiles

01/11/2021

According to the report, the 98th mixed regiment as part of the Northern Fleet on the Kola Peninsula and the 317th Pacific Regiment in Kamchatkawil, receive the new version of Long-range MiG-31 fighters with K index that will be armed with Kinzhal hypersonic missile. The Kinzhal is the latest Russian air-launched system that consists of a MiG-31K combat aircraft as a delivery vehicle and a Kh-47M hypersonic missile.

China wants to modify the engines on its J-20 stealth fighter to match the US's F-22

01/11/2021

China will cease using the Russian engine currently fitted on China's new generation J-20 stealth fighter jet, replacing it with an upgraded home-grown engine. A military insider told the South China Morning Post Chinese aircraft engineers found their domestically built WS-10C, the modified version of the WS-10 engine, to be as good as the Russian AL-31F engines.

U.S. Army discloses ways to protect Army aircraft from missiles

01/10/2021

On 7 January, the Picatinny Arsenal press release said that the U.S. Army strives to increase aircraft survivability through the design, development and production support of countermeasures such as decoys, chaff, and flares that divert enemy missiles.

The United Kingdom’s F-35 Jets are About to Become Even More Deadly

01/10/2021

The United Kingdom’s F-35s will be equipped with a small but powerful new surface-to-ground missile in the near future: the Spear 3 missile, manufactured by MBDA, a European arms manufacturer, stands for Selective Precision Effects At Range and hints at the missile’s unique capabilities.

China To Power Its J-20 Stealth Fighter Jets With Home-Grown Tech; Dumps Russian AL-31F Engines

01/10/2021

According to a military insider, Chinese aircraft engineers found the indigenously built WS-10C engines to be as capable as the Russian-made AL-31F ones. The Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter is a single-seat, twinjet, all-weather multirole fighter, which currently stands as the most advanced indigenously built aircraft in the ranks of the Chinese military.

First Upgraded Mirage 2000D Fighter Delivered

01/10/2021

Dassault Aviation, in conjunction with the Clermont-Ferrand facility of l’Atelier Industriel de l’Aéronautique (AIA, the French air force’s maintenance organization), this week delivered the first Mirage 2000D to undergo a major mid-life update (MLU) program to the Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace (AAE, France’s air and space force). The fighter was ferried to AAE's Base Aérienne (BA, air base) 118 at Mont-de-Marsan on January 7.

Pentagon’s Counter Small Drone Strategy

01/09/2021

The exponential growth of small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) creates new risks for the Department of Defense (DoD). Technology trends are dramatically transforming legitimate applications of sUAS while simultaneously making them increasingly capable weapons in the hands of state actors, non-state actors, and criminals. Small UAS may also pose hazards to DoD operations in the air, land, and maritime domains when controlled by negligent or reckless operators.

NATO scrambled around 350 times for Russian jets in 2020

01/09/2021

NATO says that Russian military activity near the alliance's airspace increased slightly this year as its jets across Europe scrambled more than 400 times to escort or shadow unknown aircraft. In a statement released Monday, NATO said almost 90%, or about 350 of these missions, were connected to flights by Russian military aircraft.

British F-35 fighters to get miniature cruise missiles

01/09/2021

Missile specialist MBDA has received a contract valued at $746 million for the production of the SPEAR missile system from the Royal Air Force. SPEAR (known in UK service as SPEAR3) is a 1.8 meters long, cruise missile system that has a range of more than 140-kilometres.

Egypt fighter deal still ruffling American feathers

01/09/2021

The first Sukhoi Su-35SKs were delivered to Egypt on August 5, after the signing a $2 billion contract for 24 of the Russian-made fighters in March 2019. The Su-35SKs followed a similar number of Dassault Rafales and 46 MiG-29M/M2 fighters. The deal attracted the ire of the US, with threats of sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) regulation.

General Atomics’ Avenger to be used as Skyborg testbed

01/08/2021

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems received a contract from the US Air Force (USAF) to modify two of its company-owned Avenger unmanned air vehicles (UAV) with Skyborg autonomy technology. The modifications will include upgraded datalinks, the core Skyborg system design agent software, and other undisclosed payloads, says General Atomics on 6 January.

Several AF fighter jets, combat helicopters to be overhauled to boost air power

01/08/2021

The Sri Lanka Air Force is to increase its air capability including combat aircraft within the year and it has already sent a number of aircraft including fighter jets Kfir and MI-17 for overhaul purposes overseas, Air Force Commander Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana said yesterday.

China’s next-gen J-20 stealth fighter jettisons Russian engine in favour of home-grown technology

01/08/2021

China will cease using the Russian engine currently fitted on China’s new generation J-20 stealth fighter jet, replacing it with an upgraded home-grown engine. A military insider told the South China Morning Post Chinese aircraft engineers found their domestically built WS-10C, the modified version of the WS-10 engine, to be as good as the Russian AL-31F engines.

US approves smart bombs sale to Saudi Arabia

01/07/2021

Diameter Bomb I (SDB I) to Saudi Arabia, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced last week. The proposed sale comprises 3,000 air-launched SDB I munitions, as well as spares and support, for an estimated USD290 million.

Why Taiwan Will Be at the Center of the China-US Rivalry

01/07/2021

Geopolitics is the study of how a nation's geography and geology shape its domestic and international politics. Thus, the U.S., which is shielded by oceans on both its east and west coasts, evolved differently from, say, Germany, which was surrounded by potential enemies.

China Is Increasing Taiwan Airspace Incursions

01/07/2021

The number of Chinese incursions into Taiwan’s airspace last year was the highest since 1996, which experts say is worsening the risk for conflict without drawing international headlines. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) flew about 380 sorties into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) last year, a defense ministry statement said last week.

QinetiQ wins Typhoon combat aircraft contract

01/07/2021

QinetiQ has secured a new five-year contract from the UK MOD, through the Engineering Delivery Partner framework, to provide engineering services for the Typhoon combat aircraft. The new £127 million contract will see QinetiQ delivering a wide range of services in support of the multi-role fighter from planning and acceptance through to regulatory assurance and trials support, as well as initiatives to optimize the in-service capabilities of the aircraft.

Russia’s Modernized Air Force Is Smaller But More Capable—Here’s What It’s Procuring Next

01/07/2021

Twelve years after Moscow began a major modernization campaign for its armed forces, a new report published by the Center for Naval Analysis highlights the improved capability of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) and naval aviation. According to the report’s author, analyst Leonid Nersisyan, between 2009 and 2020 Russia’s armed forces received roughly 460 brand-new fixed-wing combat aircraft, 110 Yak-130 jet trainers and 360 attack helicopters.

Nimitz Carrier Strike Group concludes US military withdrawal from Somalia

01/06/2021

The United States’ Nimitz carrier strike group has left Somalia after assisting the US military withdrawal from the Horn of Africa nation. The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group arrived to support operations in Somalia on 21 December and provided operational and close air support to Joint Task Force – Quartz (JTF-Q) and Operation Octave Quartz (OOQ).

MiG 21 Bison crashes in Rajasthan's Suratgarh, pilot safe

01/06/2021

MiG 21 Bison aircraft has crashed in Rajasthan's Suratgarh. The MiG crashed while landing. As per initial reports, the pilot of the aircraft has survived the crash and there has been no damage to property. The MiG-21 Bison fighter plane crashed at Suratgarh airbase of Sri Ganganagar district of Rajasthan, where the pilot is safe and the administration has reached the spot. The fighter plane was on a regular practice flight. The villagers informed the administration after the blast.

Greece Joins Forces With Israel To Revamp Its Fighter Pilot Training Program

01/06/2021

Pilots of Greece’s Hellenic Air Force, who in the near future could be flying both F-35 and Rafale multirole fighters, are set to be trained at a new flight academy, equipped with a complement of 10 new M-346 advanced jet trainers, which Israeli company Elbit Systems has now been hired to establish and operate. Worth approximately $1.68 billion, this is the biggest defense deal between the two countries and also includes upgrades for Greece’s T-6 Texan II turboprop trainer aircraft.

Australia Set to Acquire Two More P-8A Aircraft to Boost Maritime Patrol Capability

01/05/2021

The Royal Australian Air Force’s maritime patrol capability will be boosted with Australia set to acquire two more P-8A Poseidon surveillance and response aircraft, bringing the total fleet size to 14, the Australian Department of Defence said in a Jan. 4 release. The government has also approved sustainment funding for the current approved fleet of three MQ-4C Triton aircraft.

In Reversal, Pentagon Announces Aircraft Carrier Nimitz Will Remain in Middle East

01/05/2021

The Pentagon said on Sunday that it had ordered the aircraft carrier Nimitz to remain in the Middle East because of Iranian threats against President Trump and other American officials, just three days after sending the warship home as a signal to de-escalate rising tensions with Tehran.

4 Chinese military planes intrude into Taiwan’s ADIZ

01/05/2021

Four Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Monday (Dec. 4), marking the third intrusion this month. One People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Y-8 electronic warfare plane, a Y-8 anti-submarine warfare aircraft, a Y-8 reconnaissance plane, and a Y-9 electronic warfare aircraft intruded into the ADIZ, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND).

Israel hoping for last-minute F-35s from Trump administration

01/05/2021

Israel’s Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Monday said his government hopes to purchase a third squadron of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft from the United States before President Donald Trump leaves office on Jan. 20. “Without a doubt, we need to expand the F-35 array,” Gantz told Israel’s YNet television. “Right now, we have two squadrons. I reckon we will expand that. That is what I requested of the Americans,” he said.