7/3/2020

Russia Feels Threatened by Bigger US Presence in Poland

Russia and the United States, since the end of the Cold War, have had confrontations on many issues, and it is highly unlikely if both will ever find something in common. There have been differences on regional issues from the Middle East and North Africa through Asia to Europe. Now the latest, that has drawn both global leaders into sharp antagonism is the proposed [re]deployment of US military forces from Germany to Poland.

7/2/2020

Su-30SM fighter jets put on combat duty at Baranovichi airbase

A ceremony to put Su-30SM fighter jets on standby posture to protect Belarus' borders took place at the 61st fighter airbase on 1 July, BelTA has learned. Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin noted: “Today is a remarkable day for the personnel of the 61st airbase: the latest aircraft – Su-30SM – are put on standby posture to defend the skies. It is symbolical that the event took place on the eve of Independence Day and in the year of the 75th anniversary of the Victory.

7/2/2020

Australia is getting the long-range missiles needed for a contested Indo-Pacific

For the first time since the retirement of the F-111C bomber in 2010, the government looks set to restore a long-range deterrence and strike capability to the Australian Defence Force. This is a very sensible move.

7/2/2020

Congress Questions Need for New Armed Overwatch Planes for SOCOM

Congress wants to pump the brakes on U.S. Special Operations Command’s effort to buy a new plane for armed overwatch in remote areas, after many lawmakers recently supported a similar Air Force program. SOCOM wants a relatively uncomplicated, affordable aircraft that can offer airstrike backup as well as keep an eye on the battleground below to coordinate combat action and watch adversary movements.

7/2/2020

F-35 simulators can now team up with other fighter sims for virtual combat

U.S. Air Force F-35 pilots at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, will now be able to step into a simulator and train alongside virtual F-16s, F-15s and other aircraft, a Lockheed Martin executive said Wednesday. Air Combat Command formally accepted Lockheed’s Distributed Mission Training system on June 22 after a final test on June 18. During that test, four F-35 simulators at Nellis carried out a virtual mission with pilots in F-22, F-16 and E-3 AWACs simulators at other bases.

7/2/2020

Lockheed Martin to build four new F-35C carrier-based combat jets and avionics for U.S. Navy operations

The U.S. Navy is ordering four F-35C carrier-based fighter-bomber jet aircraft from Lockheed Martin Corp. under terms of a $360.8 million deal announced Monday. Officials of the Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md., are asking the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics segment in Fort Worth, Texas, to build four F-35C Carrier Variant Lot 14 aircraft. The F-35C, which has a tail hook, folding wings, and structural reinforcement, is designed to take off and land on aircraft car

7/1/2020

[Updated] USAF F-16CM from 20th Fighter Wing Crashes at Shaw AFB in South Carolina. Pilot Reported Dead.

Reports Suggest the Aircraft Could Not Lower Its Landing Gear, Crashed on Landing. A USAF F-16CM Fighting Falcon has crashed at Shaw AFB near Sumter, South Carolina in the southeastern United States at approximately 23:30 local time. Images and video from the crash scene posted on Facebook showed smoke and flames coming from the base after sundown.

7/1/2020

Pilot Killed in Fighter Jet Crash at Shaw Air Force Base, Officials Say

The pilot of a fighter jet was killed in a crash late Tuesday night, Air Force officials said. The F-16CM Fighting Falcon was on a routine training mission from Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter when it went down at about 11:30 p.m., officials said in a news release.

7/1/2020

India-China standoff: Why both sides cannot use military capability along LAC

The India-China 1996 agreement lays down that neither side shall open fire, conduct blast operations or hunt with guns or explosives within two kilometres from the LAC.

7/1/2020

Australia's defense spend to surge amid contest in Indo-Pacific

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will announce an overhaul of Australia's defense strategy and force structure as the U.S. ally looks to counter an increasingly assertive China in an Indo-Pacific region he calls "the focus of the dominant global contest of our age."