Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Up Close And Personal With The Mi-24D “Hind” Gunship Helicopter Used As Threat Simulation Aircraft For U.S. Forces

01/04/2021

The Mi-24D is a variant of the Mi-24 “Hind”, a pretty famous attack helicopter that gained notoriety during the Soviet-era war with Afghanistan. During that conflict, the threat posed by the durable and heavily-armed Soviet gunships was recognized by U.S. intelligence agencies which supported Taliban guerillas with Man-Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS) such as the FIM-92 Stinger missiles provided through several cover organizations to the insurgents in November 1987 through January 1988.

Japan's military unit to make pilot-less fighter planes to counter China

01/03/2021

With eye on China and visualising the future of warfare, Japan has begun to develop a remote-controlled fighter aircraft which will be ready for deployment in 2035. Nikkei Asia is reporting that the 15-year project has acquired urgency to counter China's cascading advancement of hi-tech weaponry.

J-20 fighter jet: game changer to control sky

01/03/2021

The debate over inducting latest fighter jets to control skies intensified in Pakistan and India right after the latter received Rafale fighter jets from France. However, the vigorous debate has now shifted to the Chinese-made J-20 stealth fighter jet because defence analysts say that it will be the real game changer in the region.

4 French air force jets to come for wargames with IAF’s Rafale jets from 19 Jan

01/02/2021

Four Rafale fighters of the French Air Force will land in India this month to participate in joint exercises with the Indian Air Force’s Golden Arrows Squadron that was resurrected in September last with the induction of the Rafale fighter jets. The exercises have been scheduled between 19 and 25 January in the skies over the deserts of Rajasthan, people familiar with the matter said.

Chinese warplane intrudes into Taiwan’s ADIZ on first day of 2021

01/02/2021

China showed no sign of ending its campaign to send warplanes into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), despite a conciliatory New Year’s address by President Tsai Ing-wen Friday (Jan. 1). For several months, aircraft and ships from China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have been approaching Taiwan in what has generally been considered a campaign of intimidation against the island’s independence-minded government.

Moon inspects combat readiness on Peace Eye aircraft

01/02/2021

President Moon Jae-in flew on a Peace Eye military aircraft early Friday and inspected South Korea's combat readiness in a show of commitment to national defense on New Year's Day, the presidential office said. It is the first time that a South Korean president has flown on the airborne early warning and control aircraft regarded as a core part of the South Korean Air Force, according to Cheong Wa Dae.

Pentagon Keeps $398 Billion F-35’s Full-Rate Production on Hold

01/01/2021

The Pentagon has put a decision on approving full-rate production of Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35 on indefinite hold, as officials remain unable to say when the fighter jet will be ready for combat testing that’s been delayed repeatedly since 2017.

Russia delivers Su-30 fighters with French-made advanced avionics to Belarus

01/01/2021

Multiple news outlets reported that Belarus has received new Su-30SM twin-seat fighter aircraft equipped with an advanced Man-Machine-Interface system developed by the Thales. The fighter jets were designed by Sukhoi Design Bureau on order from the Ministry of the Republic of Belarus based on the upgraded export version of the Su-30. A contract for delivery was signed in 2017.

Pentagon Sends More B-52s to Middle East to Deter Iranian Attacks on U.S. Troops

12/31/2020

Two American B-52 bombers flew another show-of-force mission in the Persian Gulf on Wednesday, a week after President Trump warned Iran that he would hold it accountable “if one American is killed” in rocket attacks in Iraq that the administration and military officials blamed on Tehran.

Swiss Air Force finally on call around the clock

12/31/2020

The Swiss Air Force will be on standby 24/7 from Thursday, when two F/A-18 fighter jets will be ready to take off, fully armed, within 15 minutes. The pilots spent nearly a month practising night-time aerial manoeuvres in Britain.

First Serial Production Su-57 Felon Delivered To The Russian Aerospace Forces

12/31/2020

The Russian Aerospace Forces received on Dec. 25, 2020, their first serially built Su-57 “Felon” 5th generation fighter aircraft. According to a source in the military-industrial complex quoted by the TASS Russian News Agency, the aircraft entered service with one of the aviation regiments of the Southern Military District and four more Su-57s will be delivered in 2021.

Indian armed forces displayed firm resolve in blunting Chinese aggression in 2020

12/31/2020

In many ways, 2020 was a watershed year for Indian armed forces as they displayed boldness in standing up to unprovoked Chinese military aggressions in eastern Ladakh and remodelled the national security doctrine in view of China intensifying the geo-political rivalry with India with an apparent goal to effect a radical realignment of balance of power in South Asia.

China May Have Deployed 100 Aircraft In Ladakh, But India Can Deploy Three Times More Due To Its Advantage — IAF Veteran

12/31/2020

The Chinese PLA Air Force may have deployed 100 combat aircraft in Ladakh but India has the capability of fielding as many as 250 aircraft in the area, asserts India’s top defense expert, Air Marshal Anil Chopra (retired).

NATO Scrambled Around 350 Times for Russian Jets in 2020

12/30/2020

NATO says that Russian military activity in 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.

Chinese Navy Expanding Bases Near South China Sea

12/30/2020

The Chinese Navy, formally known as the PLAN (People’s Liberation Army Navy), conducted a live-fire exercise several days ago over the South China Sea utilizing a newly expanded naval base. Harbin Z-9 helicopters took off from a base at Sanya on the southern tip of Hainan and fired anti-ship missiles at simulated targets. The Z-9, a license-built variant of the Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin, is a standard shipboard helicopter the PLAN flies.

From virtual to reality: F-35A, B-2 conduct joint training mission

12/30/2020

Ten F-35A Lightning II fighter jets from the 63rd Fighter Squadron “Panthers” participated in a joint capstone training mission with two B-2 Spirit stealth bombers assigned to the 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, Nov. 18, 2020. The Panther Capstone, an offensive counter air attack mission, enabled F-35 and B-2 pilots to operate their aircraft in a joint combat environment against multiple advanced adversary air and surface-to-air missile threats.

Lockheed Martin delivers its 123rd F-35 Lightning II aircraft to Italian Air Force

12/30/2020

Lockheed Martin has recently delivered its 123rd F-35 Lightning II combat aircraft of this year to the Italian Air Force, despite Covid-19 challenges. The Italian Air Force received the F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) or F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft. The single-seat, single-engine fifth-generation F-35A was manufactured at Lockheed Martin’s Final Assembly and Checkout (FACO) facility in Cameri, Italy.

Chinese military plane enters Taiwan’s ADIZ

12/29/2020

A Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Monday afternoon (Dec. 28), marking the 18th such intrusion this month. A single People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Shaanxi Y-8 reconnaissance aircraft was tracked flying into the southwest corner of the ADIZ, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND). In response, Taiwan scrambled fighter jets, issued radio warnings, and deployed air defense missile systems to monitor the plane.

Fighters Launched from Carrier Give Cover to US Troops Withdrawing from Somalia

12/29/2020

Fighter aircraft from the carrier Nimitz have been providing "operational and close air support" as U.S. troops withdraw from Somalia under threat of possible attack from al-Shabaab insurgents. Support from F/A-18 Super Hornets of Carrier Air Wing 17 aboard the Nimitz "allows us to maintain pressure against regional threats" while carrying out Operation Octave Quartz to relocate troops in Somalia to neighboring countries, Air Force Maj. Gen. Dagvin Anderson said in a statement Monday.

China’s enigmatic J-20 powers up for its second decade

12/29/2020

Ten years after its maiden flight, the Chengdu J-20 remains the world’s most enigmatic fighter. On 11 January 2011, then-US defence secretary Robert Gates sat down with former Chinese premier Hu Jintao in Beijing to discuss ways to improve defence ties. Just hours before, images of the maiden flight of the J-20 had flooded China’s internet.

The Indian Navy’s Carrier MiG-29s Keep Crashing. Will New Delhi Seek A Replacement Fighter?

12/29/2020

Between November 2019 and November 2020 inclusive, the Indian Navy lost three of its MiG-29K fighter jets to accidents. Might these chronic accidents compel New Delhi to seek a new fighter for its aircraft carriers in the foreseeable future?

Can North Korean ‘Blazingly Fast’ MiG-23 Outgun F-16 Fighter Jet Of South Korea In An Aerial Battle?

12/29/2020

North and South Korea had signed the Pyongyang Joint Declaration more than two years ago in order to defuse military tensions, but the diplomatic deadlock is far from over. While Seoul continues to enhance its military with modern fighters like the US-made Lockheed F-35, Pyongyang has focussed on the modernization of its older combat aircraft.

Grey-zone warfare: What can Taiwan do?

12/28/2020

Months after a crushing challenge to its rule in Hong Kong, China’s “Wolf Warriors” are turning to an even higher-stakes target: the democratic, self-governing island of Taiwan. The island has been bracing for conflict with China for decades, and in some respects, that battle has now begun, The National Post reported.

UK’s Royal Air Force releases video of C-17 landing on dirt runway

12/28/2020

British long-range, heavy-lift strategic transport aircraft performed take-off and landing testing on the semi-prepared runway as part of a test to expand the C-17 capabilities to land on dry and wet-dirt runways. “Even on Semi-Prepared Runway Operations (SPRO), the C-17 can land and take off at 220 tonnes! That’s the equivalent of 37,000 medium turkeys or 9,700 6ft Christmas trees, to be precise!,” the 99 Squadron said in a Twitter post Saturday.

Aust F-35A aircraft cleared for deployment

12/28/2020

Australia's new squadron of F-35A stealth fighters is ready for deployment on operations after two years of testing. The US-built Lockheed Martin Lightning II fleet was officially cleared on Monday, according to Defence Minister Linda Reynolds. "For the last two years, Defence has rigorously tested the F-35A fleet to assess aircraft and system performance, and declare this important milestone," she said.