2020 Military Aviation News
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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12/27/2020
India has signed a secretive $200 million deal for assorted Israeli materiel, similar to innumerable defence-related procurements it has previously sourced from Tel Aviv following the establishment of formal bilateral diplomatic relations between the two countries in early 1992.
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12/26/2020
Maj. Naiem Asadi, an Afghan pilot trained by the U.S. military, became known for his bravery during six years of fighting in the country’s war, from battling Taliban and Islamic State fighters to helping rescue a crashed American pilot. Today, facing death threats from the Taliban, he is in hiding with his wife and 4-year-old daughter, after the U.S. reversed its decision to help him leave Afghanistan and live in America.
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12/25/2020
Preliminary inquiry documents in the Leonardo hack suggest hackers were targeting nEUROn drone, C-27J and ATR-72 documents. For almost two years, between May 2015 and January 2017, the IT infrastructure of Leonardo, the Italian multinational aerospace and defense company, and the 8th largest defence contractor in the world, was targeted by a persistent cyber attack (known as Advanced Persistent Threat or APT), carried out with installation in systems, networks and in the target machines
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12/25/2020
BAE Systems in Brough has built aircraft since 1916 but after the final delivery of Hawk jets to Qatar, it will focus on engineering. Almost 400 manufacturing job losses were announced at the site in October 2017. Despite the ending of more than a century of history, BAE Systems said the factory had a "bright future". The site confirmed 238 staff were taking voluntary redundancy, with 135 manufacturing workers moving into other areas of the business.
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12/25/2020
The Chief of Air Staff Air, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar, says the Nigeria Air Force will receive a new A-29 Super Tucano fighter aircraft in 2021 to strengthen defence. Abubakar said this during the inauguration of officers accommodation and a 1.3-kilometre road at NAF Base Kainji, Niger.
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12/25/2020
US$12 billion (A$15 billion) is not a lot of money for developing a fighter jet. But it turns out to be a steep bill if you build only 90 units. Yet Japan has decided it has little choice but to spend that money to create a combat aircraft for the 2030s. The government is going ahead with its F-X program, though work has not passed what is usually regarded as the critical point of commitment, the launch of full-scale development. It is close, however.
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12/24/2020
Last Saturday’s transit of the Taiwan Strait by the U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer USS Mustin was followed 24 hours later by passage of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy aircraft carrier Shandong through the same waters, signaling a heightened level of symbolic navigation of the contentious sea-way. In both cases, fighter aircraft from China and Taiwan monitored the transits.
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12/24/2020
Two Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone on Tuesday (Dec. 22), marking the 14th such intrusion this month. A People’s Liberation Army Air Force Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane and a Shaanxi Y-8 electronic warfare aircraft flew into the southwest corner of the AZID, according to the Ministry of National Defense. In response, Taiwan scrambled fighter jets, broadcast radio warnings, and deployed air defense missile systems to track the two plane.
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12/24/2020
The Belgian Air Force has received the first Airbus A400M, a military transport aircraft designed to carry loads to tactical locations. Airbus is set to deliver six additional units to the Belgian Air Force. The customer received the first aircraft at the A400M Final Assembly Line in Seville (Spain). Subsequently, it performed a ferry flight to its base at Melsbroek in Belgium to join the 15th Wing Air Transport.
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12/24/2020
Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan, after flying a hi-tech Chinese aircraft on Monday, said that Military Aviation Technology of the friendly country was at par with contemporary requirements and having full capacity to meet the challenges of modern warfare.
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12/24/2020
The 43rd Fighter Squadron tested its combat capabilities this week during a live-fire exercise where five F-22 Raptor aircraft launched five AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles out of Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, December 15, 2020. Team Tyndall worked from beginning to end to ensure the successful flight of the 43rd FS instructor pilots who flew the aircraft and fired the missiles.
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12/24/2020
U.S. allies in Europe want to show the incoming Biden administration that they have the means and the guts for serious military action. The latest example: French President Emmanuel Macron’s unveiling of plans for a new nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
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12/24/2020
A year and a half after Russia and China's first joint aerial patrol over the Sea of Japan and East China Sea, Russian and Chinese bombers carried out another joint patrol in the area. South Korea said Tuesday that it had scrambled fighter jets in response to an intrusion by 19 Russian and Chinese military aircraft.
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12/22/2020
China's homegrown aircraft carrier Shandong has passed through the Taiwan Strait to conduct training in the South China Sea, the People's Liberation Army Navy said Monday. The Sunday transit came the day after the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin made a similar passage and reflects the American and Chinese navies' resolve to demonstrate their presence in the body of water running between the mainland's Fujian Province and the island of Taiwan.
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12/22/2020
Tyndall will be undergoing more realistic air-to-air combat for the next year or two with the arrival of the F-1 Mirage aircraft unit. The F-1 made its arrival on Dec. 14 and now Tyndall will house the unit of six aircraft, five pilots and 30 maintenance personnel. Tyndall has partnered with Airborne Tactical Advantage Company (ATAC) to bring in the F-1's to replace the T-38 Talons.
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12/22/2020
Boeing’s Australia division, based in Brisbane, has announced on Mandy that pre-production unmanned teaming aircraft, called the Loyal Wingman, completed the first high-speed taxi test in preparation for first flight.
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12/21/2020
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said process was on to purchase ultra-modern and high-performance fighter planes for Bangladesh Air Force as part of the government's move to implement the "Forces Goal-2030".
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12/21/2020
KBR has won a US$49 million recompete to provide system acquisition support and reliability improvements on the CH-47 Chinook Helicopter and other select aircraft for the Cargo Helicopter Project Management Office within the US Army’s Program Executive Office (PEO) Aviation.
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12/21/2020
Taiwan’s navy and air force were deployed on Sunday as a Chinese aircraft carrier group led by the country’s newest carrier, the Shandong, sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait, the day after a U.S. warship transited the same waterway.
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12/21/2020
Citing the fast-growing Russian and Chinese threat, the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard document outlines could clearly be referred to as a “war attack” plan. Volleys of networked munitions, drone attacks, undersea maneuvers, long-range missile fires, hypersonic weapons and 5th-Generation fighter aircraft, supported by aircraft carrier strike groups will bring new dimensions to offensive maritime warfare, according to a recently released tri-service sea combat strategy.
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12/20/2020
The USS Mustin, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, sailed through the Taiwan Strait yesterday, the 12th time this year that a US warship transited the waterway. The US 7th Fleet said in a statement that the Mustin conducted a routine transit in accordance with international law. “The ship’s transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the US commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.
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12/20/2020
Although Tom Cruise pilots multiple aircraft in Top Gun: Maverick, the US Navy forbade him from piloting the F-18 Super Hornet. Set for release in July 2021, Joseph Kosinski's sequel to Tony Scott's 1986 hit Top Gun promises unmatched and unforgettable aerial combat scenes that emphasize practical effects over CGI. Although Cruise is known for performing the vast majority of his own cinematic stunts, some of his proposed tricks for Top Gun: Maverick proved overly ambitious even by his standards.
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12/20/2020
Sweden's Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist told the newspaper Dagens Nyheter that Sweden could not dismiss potential military threats to the country’s territory. He said: “We are acting based on the presumption that the state of affairs in terms of security policies continues to worsen.”
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12/19/2020
News reports have emerged that Myanmar’s air force is buying two Airbus CASA C295 aircraft worth US$38.6 million (52.29 billion kyats) from the Royal Jordanian Air Force. While Airbus, based in the EU, would be prevented from entering such a deal directly by the bloc’s arms embargo against Myanmar, the Middle Eastern kingdom has no such sanctions preventing the sale.
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12/18/2020
Tyndall AFB made history December 14 as a unit of F-1 Mirage aircraft arrived at the base in support of an Air Combat Command mass training effort in partnership with the Airborne Tactical Advantage Company. For the next year or two, Tyndall AFB will house and support the contracted unit of about six aircraft, five pilots and 30 maintenance personnel.
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12/18/2020
Russia’s new sixth-generation stealth interceptor, the Mikoyan MiG-41 or PAK DP, will take to the skies by 2025, according to reports. The Moscow-headquartered aerospace giant, Mikoyan (MiG), has been working on the design of the new stealth aircraft since 2013. Some reports claim the PAK DP will possess the ability to reach earth-shattering speeds of Mach 4.
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12/18/2020
Fighter jet F-22 Raptor leaves nothing to be desired. This fourth generation stealth fighter jet is built to dominate the skies. And it does. So what makes the F-22 the best and baddest out there? Well, for starters it has sensor fusion and super manueverability. That means that it’s easy to control and easy to operate.
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12/18/2020
EPAWSS also will be part of the avionics suite of the next-generation F-15EX, which is based on the F-15 Advanced Eagle that Boeing is building for the air forces of Qatar and Saudi Arabia, which has a fly-by-wire flight control system, digital electronic warfare (EW) suite, an infrared search and track (IRST) system, and the Raytheon APG-63(v)3 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar.
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12/17/2020
The fact that the United Arab Emirates looks likely to receive F-35 fighter jets does not mean its Arab allies will be able to share the advanced data the fifth generation fighter can gather. For example, It would take Bahrain up to 10 years before it can integrate its fourth generation aircraft with the F-35 fleet, Brig. Gen. Munther Majed Nasser Al-Khalifa, acting fighter wing Commander of the Royal Bahrain Air Force said.
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12/17/2020
The U.S. State Department recently gave the green light to Finland and Switzerland to purchase the F-35 aircraft. It’s not a fait accompli — the F-35 still needs to win each country’s competitions — but it’s telling that two friendly, but non-NATO, European countries are seriously considering the adoption of America’s fifth-generation, front-line fighter as their own.
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12/17/2020
According to a picture published to the Livefist Twitter account on December 16, 2020, ski jump trial tests were conducted on August 2020 with U.S. Navy F/A-18, to prove the capability of the naval fighter aircraft to be used onboard INS Vikramaditya and new local-made IAC-1 Vikrant Indian Navy aircraft carrier.
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12/17/2020
After the dispute between Turkey and the United States about the procurement of the Russian S-400 missile system, Ankara’s participation in the F-35 program was canceled on July 18, 2019. But faced with the determination of its NATO ally to acquire the Russian weapon, Washington did not stop there.
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12/17/2020
Artificial intelligence helped co-pilot a U-2 "Dragon Lady" spy plane during a test flight Tuesday, the first time artificial intelligence has been used in such a way aboard a US military aircraft. Mastering artificial intelligence or "AI" is increasingly seen as critical to the future of warfare and Air Force officials said Tuesday's training flight represented a major milestone.
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12/17/2020
Japan’s forthcoming next-generation ‘F-X’ fighter jet which is being built along with US aerospace giants Lockheed Martin will feature advanced technology like microwave weapons. The Maryland-based Lockheed Martin, which currently stands as the leading fighter jet maker in the world, having produced the stealthy duo of F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters and F-22 Raptors, will aid the country in producing the newest fighters.
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12/16/2020
Saab will build its Gripen E in Canada if the aircraft is selected as the Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF’s) next-generation fighter jet. The Gripen E is one of three options currently being considered by the Canadian government to replace the RCAF’s fleet of legacy CF-188 Hornets. Saab, supported by the Swedish government, submitted its offer of 88 aircraft, sustainment and training services in late July.
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12/16/2020
The Spanish industry has signed the initial framework contract for the Future Combat Air System’s (FCAS) Phase 1A Technology Demonstrators activities, completing the onboarding process, started in February, as an equal nation in the originally Franco-German programme. Airbus announced during its annual Trade Media Briefing that they will have the lead in the Spanish industrial effort for the New Generation Fighter (NGF) demonstrator.
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12/16/2020
Last week, Japan’s Nikkei newspaper revealed new details of Tokyo’s ambitious plans to domestically develop a sixth-generation F-X stealth fighter that can keep China’s increasingly capable air force at bay—at an estimated program cost of over 5 trillion yen ($48 billion).
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12/15/2020
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics has won a $900m contract to provide depot sustainment support for the US Air Force (USAF) F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft. The F-16 Continental United States (CONUS) Depot contract was awarded by USAF’s F-16 System Program Office within the Fighters and Advanced Aircraft Directorate.
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12/15/2020
Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works advanced projects division recently demonstrated the ability of a U-2S Dragon Lady spy plane to remotely use computers on the ground to help process data from onboard sensors and other systems in flight. The U-2S did this by leveraging a system that Skunk Works and the U.S. Air Force recently used to show how these aircraft, as well as others, will be able to receive updates for their mission computers.
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12/14/2020
The V.P. Chkalov State Flight Test Center in Akhtubinsk (Russia), the largest test center of the Russian Aerospace Force, celebrated in October its 100th anniversary. For the occasion, the Russian TV Channel One was allowed to visit the airport and showcase its activities. Towards the end of the video, the focus moved to the new Sukhoi Su-57 “Felon”, showing some details of the fifth-generation fighter aircraft’s air intake.
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12/13/2020
It has now been just over five years since the introduction of the F-35 Lightning II. Despite its rocky start, Lockheed Martin’s fifth-generation stealth fighter jet has weathered no shortage of setbacks and pointed criticisms to carve out a niche for itself in the U.S. military.
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12/12/2020
The final F-15SA advanced fighter aircraft were delivered Dec. 10 to the Royal Saudi Air Force – a key milestone supporting the National Defense Strategy imperative to strengthen alliances and attract new partners.
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12/12/2020
After Germany and France, Spain has signed an initial framework contract with European aerospace giant Airbus for the development of a new generation fighter (NGF) under the sixth-generation Future Combat Air System (FCAS) jet program.
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12/12/2020
The Japanese government has outlined the country's next-generation fighter jet project, selecting Mitsubishi Heavy Industries as the main contractor to lead Japanese and U.S. companies, with American defense contractor Lockheed Martin providing technological support, Nikkei has learned.
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12/12/2020
In a first for Air Education and Training Command and the 56th Air Refueling Squadron, two KC-46 Pegasus aircraft from the 97th Air Mobility Wing at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, along with 10 F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 49th Wing at Holloman AFB, New Mexico, teamed up in the skies over New Mexico to train and practice air refueling operations.
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12/12/2020
Russia is working on the development of a new light-to-medium-weight fighter jet, reports suggest. In a significant change from recent-generation fighters from that country, the new design is apparently a single-engine configuration, rather than a twin-engine one. However, the Russians have explored a number of somewhat similar concepts in the past that did not ultimately enter large-scale production and it's not clear how many prospective customers there might be for such a jet now.
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12/11/2020
Satellites – and drones – were intended to replace it. But the 65-year-old Lockheed U-2 is still at the top of its game, flying missions in an environment no other aircraft can operate in. Nearly twice as wide as it is long, the Lockheed U-2 spy plane is one of the most distinctive aircraft in the United States Air Force – and the hardest aircraft to fly, earning itself the nickname “The Dragon Lady”.
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12/11/2020
The Royal Australian Air Force has grounded its whole F/A-18 Super Hornet and Growler fleet after the accident at Amberley airbase, as an act of precaution while the investigations are underway to find the cause.
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12/11/2020
Air Marshal Richard Knighton, the deputy chief of the defense staff for capability, told the parliamentary defense committee that the number and profile of future order will in part be decided by the outcome of assessment work the British are doing on their future combat air strategy.
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12/10/2020
The Senate on Wednesday defeated a pair of Democrat-led measures to block the Trump administration’s proposed sale of advanced military weapons to the United Arab Emirates, a crucial victory for President Donald Trump as he seeks to solidify his foreign policy legacy.
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12/10/2020
British Ministry of Defence officials have confirmed the military will buy more than the 48 F-35B combat jets already on order, but they were reluctant to be drawn on exactly when and how many aircraft may eventually be involved when they gave evidence to the parliamentary Defence committee Dec 8.
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12/10/2020
The search for the pilot of a downed F-16 Fighting Falcon continues this morning, according to the 115th Fighter Wing’s Facebook page. The plane, assigned to the Wisconsin Air National Guard’s 115th Fighter Wing at Truax Field Air National Guard Base in Madison, Wisconsin, crashed in Delta County at about 8 p.m. Tuesday.
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12/10/2020
Twenty Soviet-made MiG-21 Fishbed jet fighters are being advertised for sale online. The jets, which apparently comprise the Nigerian Air Force’s entire remaining Fishbed fleet, are described as being in a “used” condition and are offered together with 15 “new” engines, as well as spares.
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12/10/2020
The German parliament, known as the Bundestag awarded a whopping contract worth 5.4 billion euros to European aviation juggernauts Airbus, to deliver thirty-eight additional Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft to the Luftwaffe (German Air Force). The latest contract cements Germany’s position as the largest ordering nation in Europe for the biggest defense program in the continent, with the deal expected to secure more than 100,000 jobs.
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12/10/2020
The Air Force may be desperate to retire a significant chunk of its A-10 Thunderbolt II fleet, but lawmakers have other ideas. The service sought to retire 44 A-10 “Warthogs,” or three squadrons worth, of the service’s total fleet of 281 ground attack aircraft as part of its fiscal year 2021 budget request.
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12/10/2020
In a first major weapons sales pitch by India, a fighter jet trainer has been offered to the United States. The US Navy has launched a global search for Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS). In response, India has offered Lead in Fighter Trainer (LIFT) version of the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), reported The Economic Times.
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12/09/2020
A F-16 jet out of the Wisconsin Air National Guard’s 115th Fighter Wing at Truax Field in Madison crashed Tuesday night in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs reported. When the crash happened about 8 p.m., the jet was on a routine training mission with one pilot on board, the department said in a statement.
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12/09/2020
French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Dec. 8 that his country’s next aircraft-carrier will be nuclear-powered and should be operational by 2038 in time to replace the Charles de Gaulle, which entered active service in 2001.
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12/08/2020
US test pilot Chuck Yeager, the first person to break the sound barrier, has died aged 97, his wife says. In a tweet, Victoria Yeager wrote: "It is w/ profound sorrow, I must tell you that my life love General Chuck Yeager passed just before 9pm ET." Yeager went into the history books after his flight in the Bell X-1 experimental rocket plane in 1947.
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12/08/2020
China and the US have continually tussled over the waters, with Beijing stepping up its military presence in the South China Sea. Both sides have directed threats at each other, with accusations of conflict warned as the tussle for supremacy over the seas has simmered for years. But Wang Wenbin, China's foreign military spokesman, accused US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Washington of purposefully building up its armies across the South China Sea, a claim that has also been directed at Beij
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12/08/2020
Russia has managed to lower the radar signature of its first stealth jet, the Su-57, by adding a new grille to the air intakes. Photographs of the modified jet with coaxial radial grating were shared by the Russian media today. The grating is made of radar absorbing material and is placed in the air intakes of the Su-57. In comparison, Lockheed Martin has used an S-channel design for the intakes of the F-22 aircraft to reduce the direct frontal transmission of radar by the engine compressor blad
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12/08/2020
Czech manufacturer Aero Vodochody is helping the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) return a number of L-39ZA jets to service, with two refurbished aircraft handed over on 4 November, while three L-39ZAs undergo maintenance in the Czech Republic. Local refurbishment work began on three L-39ZAs on 6 November and on 27 November the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, paid a visit to 403 Flying Training School (403 FTS) at Nigerian Air Force Base Kano to assess progress.
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12/08/2020
Airmen from the 6th Air Refueling Wing conducted an off-site integrated training with the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina Nov. 29 to Dec. 5, 2020. Over the course of five days, Aircrews with the 91st Air Refueling Squadron, maintainers with the 6th Maintenance Group and Airmen with the 6th Operations Support Squadron teamed with Airmen assigned to Shaw AFB in order to bolster each unit’s full-spectrum readiness capabilities.
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12/07/2020
China has hit out at Australia's plans to develop advanced hypersonic missiles with the US - labelling the strategy a 'potential threat' to the Asian superpower. The Morrison government announced on Tuesday plans to build and test the high-tech cruise missiles that can travel at five times the speed of sound and sink aircraft carriers.
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12/07/2020
Scholars at the University of Economics of Azerbaijan have recently calculated the cost of Armenia's military material loss in the wake of the latest war in Azerbaijan's internationally recognized Karabakh region. The total cost of the Armenian army's military equipment destroyed and captured by the Azerbaijani forces during the war is estimated to be $4.008 billion, according to data compiled by the researchers at the Economic Research Institute of the university.
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12/07/2020
In an interview with Pucará Defense, the Chief of the General Staff of the Argentine Air Force, Brigadier Xavier Isaac, revealed that the country will reconsider the JF-17 Thunder.[1] The disclosure follows Buenos Aires’ inability to secure the F/A-50 from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). The F/A-50 uses six key British components which required the United Kingdom’s approval for third-party transfers. KAI could not get those approvals for Argentina due to the country’s marred relationship with
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12/07/2020
Boeing’s F-15EX has been offered to India that will be based on the most advanced variant of the F-15 Eagle — the F-15QA — featuring an advanced cockpit and other new improvements for the first time.
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12/06/2020
The British navy will dispatch an aircraft carrier strike group to waters near Japan as soon as early next year, Japanese government sources said Saturday, in a rare development that comes amid the growing maritime assertiveness of China in the region.
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12/06/2020
In October last year, Turkey took sides in the conflict in Syria, backing Islamist jihad forces against the Kurdish minority. Flemish minister-president Jan Jambon reacted by freezing all Flemish government licences for export of military equipment to Turkey. At the time, that concerned four shipments of dual-use equipment – products which normally have civil applications, but which can be used for military ends.
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12/06/2020
With this, Indonesia’s hunt for a new fighter aircraft, for which its Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto has been traveling around the world, would come to an end. Among the various options, Indonesia has explored so far are Austria’s retiring Eurofighter Typhoons, the American F-16 Vipers, and Russian Su-35s. These jets are intended to be a replacement for the retiring F-5 Tigers of the Indonesian Air Force.
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12/05/2020
General Atomics has revealed that it conducted a semi-autonomous flight test in October involving one of its stealthy Avenger drones equipped with an "autonomy engine" originally developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and now managed by the U.S. Navy. The unmanned aircraft worked together with five other simulated Avengers to conduct a mock search for aerial threats in a designated area.
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12/05/2020
Congress is seeking to block the Air Force from retiring any of its A-10 Warthog attack planes, KC-135 refueling tankers and RQ-4 Global Hawk surveillance drones this fiscal year. On Dec. 3, the House and Senate Armed Services committees put forward the conference report of the fiscal 2021 National Defense Authorization Act — a final version of the defense bill that includes input from both chambers.
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12/05/2020
Indonesia’s protracted search for a new fighter aircraft has taken another, surprising, twist, with confirmation that the Southeast Asian country is in negotiations with France to purchase Dassault Rafale multirole jets. The latest development comes after Indonesia showed interest in Austria’s Eurofighter Typhoon fleet, and with plans to acquire Russian-made Sukhoi Su-35 Flankers apparently still stalled.
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12/04/2020
India is reportedly planning to develop an air-launched swarm drone system to overwhelm Chinese air defenses, giving their fighter jets an edge in any potential conflict. Indian defense planners reportedly feel the necessity for such a system as thousands of Indian soldiers are currently locked in a border standoff with China in the northern Ladakh region of the Himalayas.
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12/04/2020
Eighteen 16A/B jet fighters belonging to Taiwan's Air Force had been upgraded in the first 11 months of the year, under a joint Taiwan-United States program to help Taiwan boost its air defense capabilities and meet the needs of advanced warfare, the military said on Thursday.
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12/04/2020
In 2017, several media outlets published reports saying one of the Israeli Air Force’s F-35s was hit by the Soviet-made S-200 missile in Syria. On the contrary, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that an anti-aircraft missile was launched from Syria towards its aircraft but no hit was confirmed. It didn’t mention which aircraft was used for “routine flight” in Lebanon.
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12/04/2020
A Chinese military aircraft intruded into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Wednesday morning (Dec. 2), according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND). A single People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft entered the southwest corner of the ADIZ. In response, Taiwan dispatched fighter jets, broadcast radio warnings, and deployed air defense missile systems to track the Chinese plane.
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12/04/2020
Military pilots and troops who maintain aircraft are overworked and undertrained, contributing to more than 6,000 aviation accidents since 2013 that have killed 224 service members, according to a new congressionally mandated report.
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12/03/2020
The Sukhoi Company (part of the United Aircraft Corporation, UAC) has manufactured the last batch of Su-34 fighter-bombers under a long-term contract with Russia’s Defense Ministry, the UAC press office announced on Wednesday.
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12/03/2020
The Marine Corps’ first carrier-capable squadron of F-35C Lightning II jets reached initial operational capability on Tuesday, a key certification ahead of its first deployment on an aircraft carrier, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing officials announced.
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12/03/2020
In what seems to be a rare admission, Chinese experts have said that the French-built Rafale fighter jets, procured by India, are far superior to Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) frontline fighters, the JF-17 Thunder.
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12/02/2020
Boeing Co. has begun production on simulators that will help train the U.S. Air Force's next generation of pilots. In a step forward for the Air Force's transition to the T-7A Red Hawk advanced jet trainer, the aerospace company announced Dec. 1 it had begun assembling the first two weapons systems trainers and an operational flight trainer at its St. Louis, Missouri facility.
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12/02/2020
The British Army received its first two Boeing Apache AH-64E helicopters from the U.S. government on Nov. 26. The delivery is the result of a $2.3 billion deal that was first announced by the United Kingdom’s (UK) Ministry of Defense in July 2016, and includes a total of 50 Apache attack helicopters which will be replacing their Apache AH Mark 1 fleet retiring in 2024.
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12/02/2020
A Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Tuesday morning (Dec. 1), according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND). A People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine aircraft intruded into the southwest corner of the ADIZ. In response, Taiwan scrambled fighter jets, broadcast radio warnings, and deployed air defense missile systems to track the Chinese plane.
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12/02/2020
The SMART MRTT programme is developing, certifying and implementing Automatic Air-to-Air refuelling (A3R) capability as well as enhanced maintenance solutions for the A330 MRTT. The A3R system requires no additional equipment on the receiver and is intended to reduce air refuelling operator (ARO) workload, improve safety and optimise the rate of air-to-air refuelling (AAR) transfer in operational conditions to maximise aerial superiority.
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12/02/2020
The Trump administration has formally notified Congress that it plans to move forward with the sale of up to 50 F-35A Joint Strike fighters to the United Arab Emirates. The sale is significant both in terms of its size and its potential implications for U.S. national security interests in the Middle East. Including related sales of armed Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and munitions, the sale could be worth up to about $23 billion — by contrast, the U.S. notified a total of $19 billion in sales
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12/01/2020
Algeria has signed a contract to purchase 14 Su-57 next-generation heavyweight fighters from Russia? for about $2 billion?, according to various media reports. This will make Algeria the first foreign customer of the high-end Russian fighter ?jet ?after it entered mass production in July 2019.
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12/01/2020
The AT-6 Wolverine aircraft is developed by Beechcraft, a Textron Aviation brand. It is tailored to meet the light attack requirements of the armed forces worldwide. With its flexible weapons and external fuel tank configurations, the AT-6 Wolverine light attack/armed reconnaissance aircraft offers warfighters an ideal solution to engage targets in low-intensity combat missions.
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12/01/2020
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has denied media reports saying the contractual agreement for the supply of 12 A-29 Super Tucano aircraft by the U.S., for which payment had been made, was in jeopardy due to bad runway at the 407 Air Combat Training Group (407 ACTG), Kainji, Niger. The Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF headquarters, Ibikunle Daramola, made the denial in a statement on Monday in Abuja
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11/30/2020
The Air Force will move training for one of its gunships from Hurlburt Field Special Operations Base east of Pensacola to a base in New Mexico. Officials say Kirtland Air Force Base is their preferred site for the relocation of the Ghostrider Formal Training Unit, flying AC-130J aircraft, because of factors including the increasingly crowded airspace around Hurlburt.
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11/30/2020
“A Su-27 fighter jet of the Southern Military District’s air defense units on duty was scrambled to identify the air target and to prevent it from violating the state border of the Russian Federation,” the statement says. “The Russian fighter jet crew identified the air target as an RC-135 strategic reconnaissance aircraft of the US Air Force and escorted it over the Black Sea.”
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11/30/2020
The U.S. Army has announced that its researchers in cooperation with Uber research lab are working on silent and efficient VTOL, or vertical takeoff and landing operation, for the next generation fleet of Army air vehicles.
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11/30/2020
Thursday’s crash of the Indian Navy’s MiG-29K trainer aircraft in the Arabian Sea has once again revived the debate whether the country should replace the Russian-made jets with a new carrier-based fighter like the Rafale or the F/A-18 Super Hornet.
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11/30/2020
The B-1B Lancer’s expanded carriage capabilities comes one step closer to fruition following an external captive carry flight over the skies of Edwards Air Force Base, California, Nov. 20.
The flight featured a B -1B Lancer assigned to the 412th Test Wing’s 419th Flight Test Squadron, Global Power Combined Test Force, and carried an inert Joint Air-to-Surface. Standoff Missile under an external pylon for the first time.
This demonstration may pave the way possibly for the B-1B to carry hyper
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11/30/2020
The Israeli Defense Ministry is in negotiations to sell 29 retired F-16 fighter jets to a Canadian company, Calcalist has learned. The deal is valued at $100 million, and is set to be the largest of its kind ever. The planes are F-16 Hawks of the A/B variety, and had been in the Israeli Air Force’s possession since the 1980s, the last of which was retired from service in 2016.
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11/29/2020
The Typhoons were launched from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland after two Russian Tu-142 Bear F planes were detected near UK airspace on Saturday morning. The RAF said the Russian aircraft are used for anti-submarine warfare and maritime patrol - and it is "essential" their movements are "carefully monitored" when operating so close to the UK.
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11/29/2020
The 101,600 ton warship arrives in a region on the brink of a new crisis as Tehran accused Israel of assassinating Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. US Navy officials have however insisted the deployment is not related to any "specific threats" in the region. It was also claimed the carrier's arrival is to cover for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.
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11/29/2020
US manufacturer Boeing is likely to export a considerable number of F-15 EX heavyweight fighter jets to countries such as Israel, India, and Qatar. The company had in July entered into a deal with the US Air Force, as part of which Boeing could build as many as more than 200 Boeing F-15 EX aircraft worth approximately $23 billion.
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11/28/2020
In a release Friday, Air Officer Commanding No 1 Group, Royal Air Force, Allan Marshall said the new stealth fighter jets to increases the British fleet to 21 F-35s. “Looking forward to their arrival in the UK over the coming days,” the message added. According to Britain’s Royal Air Force website, the F-35B Lightning combat aircraft currently operates alongside the Typhoon.
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11/28/2020
The BrahMos-NG is intended to be a mini-version of the existing BrahMos, being lighter and shorter while still having a range of about 300 km. It would be India’s premier air-to-surface missile and would arm most of its fighter fleet which includes the Su-30MKI, LCA Tejas, MiG-29UPG, MiG-29K, and even the Dassault Rafale.
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11/28/2020
The US Department of Defense has awarded a KRW290bn ($261.9m) contract to Korean Air for service life extension and depot level maintenance of F-16 fighter jets. Work will be performed on jets that are deployed to the US Forces in Korea and Japan for a ten-year period commencing this month. The programme will involve the highest level of aircraft maintenance, which includes reliability verification of the main parts of the fuselage and wings of the F-16 fighter jets.
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11/28/2020
The Indian military has launched a huge search for a young pilot who went missing after an air navy plane crashed into the sea. The MiG-29K trainer aircrraft went down while flying over the Arabian Sea at 5pm local time (11.30am GMT) on Thursday. One pilot was rescued but the other remains missing, the navy said on Friday. “One pilot ejected safely. Search by air and surface units is in progress for the second pilot. An inquiry has been ordered to investigate the incident,” added the Indian ar
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11/27/2020
China’s transport planes will augment their capacity by 20 percent soon with the indigenously-developed WS-20 engine. Military sources have told South China Morning Post that China is testing “domestically designed engines for its military transport planes”.
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11/27/2020
The Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force) has just released two shots showing an F-35A and an F-35B, both assigned to the 32° Stormo (Wing) and operated by the 13° Gruppo (Squadron), the first Italian unit to fly the F-35 since December 2016, flying a training mission in “Beast Mode”, with internal and external weapons for the very first time.
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11/27/2020
Luke Airmen working with an Arizona State University student have developed a 3D augmented reality system that will revolutionize the way pilots conduct mission debriefs and will represent the Air Education and Training Command at Spark Tank 2021.
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11/26/2020
When our aging C-2 Greyhound aircraft took off from the USS Gerald R. Ford the experience was clearly different. Propelled by the electro-magnetic system that has replaced steam catapults it was much smoother and much quicker. The new launch and landing systems provide key tools for a significant reshaping of the operational tempo for the large deck carrier.
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11/25/2020
The US government has offered Switzerland the option to locally assemble four Lockheed Martin F-35As as part of a potentially 40-aircraft acquisition by the Alpine nation. Switzerland’s Armasuisse procurement agency on 18 November received responses to its second Air2030 request for proposals on behalf of four bidders for its new fighter aircraft requirement.
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11/24/2020
A Chinese military plane intruded on Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Sunday (Nov. 22), marking the 16th such intrusion in November. One People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine aircraft entered the southwest corner of the ADIZ, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND). Taiwan in response scrambled fighter jets, broadcast radio warnings, and deployed air defense missile systems to track the Chinese plane.
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11/24/2020
Air Defence Exercise "ADEX 2020-3" of Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) was held in Dhaka, Chittagong, Jessore, Cox’s Bazar, Tangail and Barisal on Monday. The aim of this exercise is to assess and evaluate the efficiency and capability of BAF Air Defence and identify the weaknesses and draw lessons for further improvement in the air defence system.
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11/24/2020
India is set to begin flight trials of its Astra beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) on fighter aircraft Tejas. A source was cited by The Times of India as saying that Astra missile on Tejas has virtually completed ‘initial ground trials’. The source was quoted as saying: “The flight trials of the indigenous missile on the indigenous fighter will begin within the next few months.”
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11/23/2020
China's Y-20 strategic transport aircraft is finally getting its long-awaited domestically developed engines, which recently made their first public appearance, multiple media reports speculated recently. The new engines are expected to boost the Y-20's key performances including range and cargo capacity, in addition to reducing reliance on imported engines, experts said on Sunday.
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11/23/2020
There is an old joke, about the F-4 Phantom fighter jet — an aircraft that was prominent during the Vietnam war. So the story goes, they asked a fighter pilot, what it was like to fly an F-4. He began by saying, “Well, with enough thrust, anything can fly …” The Phantom has been called “double ugly,” “rhino,” “old smokey,” and monikers even less flattering, according to Air & Space.
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11/23/2020
Up in the island superstructure of USS Gerald R. Ford, the Navy’s newest carrier, work at sea feels much the same as ever for Petty Office 1st Class Scott Torres, an air traffic controller, and Lt. Cmdr. Tyler Dunn, an officer of the deck when he is standing watch on the bridge.
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11/22/2020
U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers from Minot Air Force Base have conducted a surprise, round-trip to the Persian Gulf area “to deter aggression and reassure U.S. partners and allies”.
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11/22/2020
Iraqi Air Force (IQAF) pilots have claimed that their country’s whopping $4.3 billion F-16 fighter jet deal signed with United States aerospace juggernaut Lockheed Martin has been falling apart almost a decade after completion.
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11/21/2020
ran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said it launched a heavy warship Thursday capable of carrying helicopters, drones and missile launchers amid ongoing tensions with the U.S. Photographs of the ship, named after slain Guard naval commander Abdollah Roudaki, showed it carrying truck-launched surface-to-surface missiles and anti-aircraft missiles. It also carried four small fast boats, the kind the Guard routinely uses in the Persian Gulf. Sailors manned deck-mounted machine guns.
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11/21/2020
The Malabar War exercises between India, America, Japan and Australia in the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean have increased China’s tension. In videos surfaced on Friday, the Indian Navy’s MiG-29 and the American Navy’s F-18 gunfire are seen maneuvering on the ground. Fighter aircraft can be seen flying and landing from the Indian aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.
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11/21/2020
This marks the successful completion of the MiG project, and the last airframe numbered CU-2780 was received by Air Marshal Vibhas Pande, Air Officer-in-Charge, Maintenance of the IAF.
The last delivery marks an important milestone for India’s MiG-21 replacement efforts. MiG-21 is expected to serve till late 2021 or early 2022 and further in reserve units. The aircraft is expected to be replaced by India’s own Light Combat Aircraft ‘Tejas’, which is still only in limited series production.
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11/21/2020
The US has reportedly proposed to provide its F/A-18 fighter jets to the Indian Navy to address the service’s requirement for combat jets. Earlier this week, defence ministers from India and the US signed a?Basic Exchange and Agreement (BECA) for geo-spatial cooperation. The agreement was signed during the US-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue held in New Delhi, India to discuss bilateral defence issues.
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11/20/2020
The Federal Republic of Germany and Airbus have officially proposed the sale of Eurofighter aircraft to the Swiss Federal Office of Armaments armasuisse. The offer was submitted in partnership with other Eurofighter nations and industry partners, Leonardo and BAE Systems. It is said to meet the needs of Switzerland new combat aircraft Neues Kampfflugzeug (NKF) procurement process, which is intended to replace the existing F-5 and F/A-18 fleet.
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11/20/2020
International Test Pilots School (ITPS) Canada has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) to acquire a fleet of FA-50 light combat aircraft.
The London, Ont.-based company earlier this year launched the International Tactical Training Centre (ITTC) to provide advanced fighter pilot training with a first cohort of students from the Royal Malaysian Air Force for fighter lead-in training (FLIT).
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11/20/2020
These already-potent F/A-18 Super Hornets, returning to Naval Air Station Lemoore after a 2019 training mission, are about to get an upgrade. A new radar, new fuel tanks, and a new computer will give the Hornets more ability to sting.
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11/19/2020
Israel's military says it launched air strikes against Iranian and Syrian military targets in Syria overnight, after explosive devices were found in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The Syrian state news agency said the country's air defences had "confronted an Israeli aerial aggression" and downed a number of missiles. It reported that three Syrian soldiers were killed and another was injured. But a monitoring group reported that 10 people died, including five Iranians.
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11/19/2020
The new warplane is hoped to replace Japan’s fleet of F-2s when they retire from service in 2035. It is hoped a prototype of the new aircraft will be manufactured by 2024. In May China announced it would be increasing its defence expenditure by another 6.6 percent in 2020. Last month Beijing said its second aircraft carrier, the 50,000-tonne Shandong, is now combat ready.
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11/19/2020
French aerospace giant Dassault Aviation SA is giving stiff competition to the United States Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program by developing a state-of-the-art fighter, better known as Future Combat Air System (FCAS), which could very well replace the Rafales in the near future.
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11/19/2020
The U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS John Finn (DDG-113) became the first ship to successfully shoot down an incoming ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) on Tuesday, November 17, 2020. The demonstration of this new capability could provide a new level of missile defense for the United States from incoming attack by ICBMs.
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11/19/2020
Taiwan's air force has grounded its F-16 fleet after losing a plane on a training mission, President Tsai Ing-wen said on Wednesday, the second loss of a fighter jet in less than a month at a time of increased missions to intercept Chinese aircraft.
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11/19/2020
According to Russian aviation website AviaPro, “Despite the statements of the Armenian defense department about the use of Su-30SM fighters to perform various kinds of combat missions in the airspace of Armenia and NKR, in fact, these fighters never even took off because of the fear of Armenia lose them in a battle against Turkish F-16s or when attacking Azerbaijani air defense systems.”
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11/18/2020
US Air Force (USAF) has deployed the F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 480th Fighter Squadron, 52nd Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany to the Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE. The aircraft arrived at the Al Dhafra Air Base on 12 November.
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11/18/2020
Taiwan’s Air Force has confirmed it lost contact with one of its F-16 fighter jets, which disappeared from radar screens Tuesday night (Nov. 17) during a training session, according to a UDN report. The Ministry of National Defense (MND) reported that an F-16 fighter jet took off from Hualien at 6:05 p.m. for night training, but it disappeared from the radar screen at 6:07 p.m. The aircraft disappeared 8 nautical miles (15 kilometers) northeast of Hualien Airport while training with two other co
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11/18/2020
Athens made a request to the U.S. to buy two dozen F-35 fighter jets through a letter it sent on Nov. 6, Greek media has reported. The letter was written by Theodoros Lagios, the director-general of Armaments and Investments, reported the journal Greek Reporter on Nov. 16.
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11/17/2020
With frequent upgrades, jet trainers can help fighter pilots hone their craft and equip them with the necessary skills to handle modern warplanes. China’s Hongdu L-15 is one such aircraft, which trains pilots of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and Navy (PLAN) to fly advanced fighter jets such as the J-10, J-11, J-15, J-16, and J-20.
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11/17/2020
The fighters assigned to the 1st Fighter Wing and associated personnel of 94th Fighter Squadron Airmen deployed to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, to conduct missions in the Western Pacific with allies and joint partners.
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11/17/2020
DARPA has recently awarded contracts to five companies to develop algorithms enabling mixed teams of manned and unmanned combat aircraft to conduct aerial dogfighting autonomously.
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11/16/2020
A Chinese Y-8 anti-submarine military aircraft and another Y-8 surveillance plane flew into Taiwan's southwestern air defense identification zone (ADIZ) Sunday, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND). In response to the incident, which has become an almost daily occurrence in recent months amid escalating cross-Taiwan strait tensions, Taiwan's Air Force scrambled jets to chase off the Chinese aircraft, issued radio warnings and mobilized air defense systems to monitor their movement
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11/16/2020
According to reports in Chinese state media the Global Times (GT), military experts in the world’s second-biggest economy are becoming increasingly convinced about the competence of Su-57 warplanes but also remain skeptical if the Russian jets can integrate into the Chinese system since China has developed its own stealth jets – the J-20s.
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11/15/2020
Beijing-backed think-tank the South China Sea Probing Initiative (SSCBI) said three planes had been used to conduct secret surveillance flights over the disputed waters. A report from the group said the aircraft had taken off from bases in Okinawa in Japan and Manila in the Philippines and had carried 150 patrols in the East China, Yellow and South China seas since March.
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11/14/2020
Capt. Brett DeVries, a 107th Fighter Squadron A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot assigned to Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich., poses beside the aircraft he safely landed after a malfunction forced him to make an emergency landing July 20, 2017, at the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center. For his efforts, DeVries was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross Nov. 6, 2020.
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11/14/2020
A ‘Request For Information’ by the US has been issued to identify potential companies that can come up with a solution to supply a new generation Man-Portable Air Defense System (MANPADS). The FIM-92 Stinger MANPADS were inducted into the service in 1981, and are nearing their retirement after four decades- many of which are being used under a service life extension to fulfill the needs.
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11/14/2020
While all eyes were glued on to the potential mega-deal involving the sale of the 50 advanced US F-35 stealth jets to the UAE in a whopping $23 billion deal, European aerospace giant Airbus is aggressively pitching its Eurofighters Typhoons across Europe.
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11/13/2020
Kazakhstan received last week the next batch of Su-30SM multirole fighter — an aircraft manufactured by IRKUT which is a subsidiary of Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), the country’s defense ministry said on Friday. Military officials in Kazakhstan are convinced that the Russia-made fighters will significantly bolster country’s military fleet.
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11/13/2020
Airbus is trying to make hay out of its $6.5 billion sale of 38 Eurofighter aircraft to Germany for other procurement competitions in Switzerland and Finland. The European defense giant inked a deal with the German air force this week after the country’s parliament, the Bundestag, approved the budget earlier this month. The Luftwaffe stands to get 30 single-seater and 8 twin-seater planes, Airbus said in a statement.
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11/12/2020
On November 10 the U.S. State Department approved three possible Foreign Military Sales to the United Arab Emirates. The three packages, potentially worth in excess of $23 billion, cover the sale of Lockheed Martin F-35s, which the UAE has sought for some time, and the acquisition of the General Atomics MQ-9B SkyGuardians. The third approval is for a huge package of fighter weapons.
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11/12/2020
Airbus has signed a contract to deliver 38 new Eurofighter aircraft to the German Air Force. This makes Germany the largest ordering nation in Europe's biggest defence programme. The order, also known by its project name Quadriga, covers the delivery of 30 single-seater and 8 twin-seater Eurofighters. Three of the aircraft will be equipped with additional test installations as Instrumented Test Aircraft for the further development of the Eurofighter programme.
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11/12/2020
Under development for the Royal Air Force (RAF), the Tempest will be one of the first sixth-generation jet fighter aircraft. It's designed to complement current combat craft like the F-35 Lightning II and the Typhoon fighters starting in the mid-2030s until the older warplanes are retired in the 2040s. The stealth fighter will be able to carry hypersonic missiles and control drone swarms, and produce large amounts of electricity so it can power laser weapons.
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11/11/2020
Six Super Tucano aircraft will soon be delivered to Nigeria from the United States, the Chief of Air Staff, Sadique Abubakar, has said. The aircraft are part of the 12 fighter jets sold to Nigeria by the U.S. to aid combat actions and air assaults. He said this on Monday after defending the 2021 budget estimates of the Nigerian Air Force before the Senate Committee on Air force.
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11/11/2020
A fearsome-looking array of weapons artfully arranged in front of the aircraft expected to carry them is a familiar trope of military aviation and has frequently been used for both military “shows of strength” and marketing purposes. Until now, however, there have been precious few opportunities to see Russia’s strategic bombers displayed alongside their potential payloads.
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11/11/2020
Boeing has won three foreign military sales contracts from the US Air Force for training services, aircraft support and spare parts for F-15QA fighter aircraft ordered by the Qatari air force. Qatar signed a $12 billion deal for 36 examples of combat aircraft in 2017. Boeing plans to deliver the first F-15QA fighters to Qatar starting in 2021.
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11/10/2020
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) continues to carry out life extension and periodic depot maintenance on its aircraft fleet as it improves serviceability across the board. Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, during a visit to Kainji Air Base on 3 November, “applauded the appreciable level of work on the in-country Periodic Depot Maintenance (PDM) on two Alpha Jet aircraft, NAF 465 and NAF 471.
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11/10/2020
The French Air and Space Force announced the initial operational capability (IOC) of the Talios laser designation pod on the Dassault Rafale F3-R multi-role fighter. The first flight of the F3R standard jet, which took place in September, saw an Indian air force (IAF) pilot operating from the rear-seat of the twin-seater jet.
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11/10/2020
Airborne Tactical Advantage Co. (ATAC), part of the Textron Systems segment of Textron Inc., has been selected to continue to provide the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps with fleet fighter jet training support services under the Fighter Jet Services (FJS) program, the company said in a Nov. 9 release.
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11/09/2020
The 23d Wing and 347th Rescue Group leadership received the Air Force’s newest Combat Rescue aircraft on 5 November. The delivery of the new model is significant to the personnel recovery mission as it begins the transition from the predecessor, the HH-60G Pave Hawk, which has been flown for more than 26 years.
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11/09/2020
According to information published by the Global Time website on November 6, 2020, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy aircraft carrier Liaoning or Type 001 has been at sea over the past week, making history by qualifying the first batch of new J-15 fighter jet pilots who were directly recruited from high school and trained specifically to fly carrier-based aircraft.
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11/08/2020
The ever-changing landscape of the Americas, in which the United States stands as the supreme leader in defensive capabilities owing to their possession of the most advanced fighter jets, warships, and other weapons, other nations especially in the South American belt have felt the need to bolster their own strength.
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11/08/2020
The contract has been awarded to Airbus for the purchase of 38 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets, with the cost estimates indicating a figure of 5.4 billion euros. The variants ordered are the Tranche-3, which would replace the in-service Tranche-1 variant of the Typhoons.
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11/08/2020
American F-18 Super Hornets will be pitted against Russian-origin MiG-29K fighter jets of the Indian Navy at the Malabar Naval Drill which will include the US, Australia, Japan, and India. The war drills, termed by Beijing as an anti-China grouping will be held from November 17 to 20.
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11/07/2020
“Something I’d like to see in the future is an article talking about the performance of the Hornet versus the Super Hornet. I often times see people comment that the legacy Hornet is more maneuverable than the Super, but I’d like to see an article by someone who has stick time in both who knows what they are talking about. Perhaps G.M. would be interested in this topic since he has flown both?”
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11/07/2020
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy aircraft carrier Liaoning has been at sea over the past week, making history by qualifying the first batch of new fighter jet pilots who were directly recruited from high school and trained specifically to fly carrier-based aircraft.
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11/07/2020
The German parliament approved the acquisition of 38 new Eurofighter on Nov. 5, 2020. The new jets will replace the 38 older Eurofighters of Tranche 1, the first delivered to the Luftwaffe, as part of Project Quadriga. The contract signature with Airbus is expected this month, with deliveries starting in 2025.
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11/07/2020
ITPS Canada Ltd, a commercial provider of tactical aviation training services, is poised to add the two-seat Korea Aerospace Industries FA-50 Fighting Eagle light combat aircraft to its roster, with a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Canadian firm and the jet’s manufacturer. The relationship, which ITPS officially announced yesterday, is described as serving to “promote the FA-50 for tactical and adversary training.”
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11/06/2020
The U.S.-led multinational coalition launched almost 35,000 strikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria over the past six years, officials told Military Times Wednesday. From August 2014 to September 2020, aircraft of the Combined Joint Task Force conducted 34,917 strikes in the region.
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11/06/2020
One of the high priority areas that need urgent addressing by the Suga-led Japanese government is the development of a next-generation fighter jet which could replace the country’s long-serving F-2 fighters while also supplementing the US F-35s in bolstering the military capabilities.
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11/05/2020
For many, becoming a pilot in the United States Air Force is a dream that can be achieved through the traditional means of commissioning, but every so often a unique story is brought to life in this process. One such story is of 2nd Lt. Clifford Mua, 41st Flying Training Squadron student pilot, currently undergoing Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi.
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11/05/2020
After a long wait, Russia’s Su-57 fifth-generation fighter aircraft may finally be available for the country’s air force, if the government sources quoted by TASS are to be believed. According to the report, the first serial-produced Su-57 fighter will be delivered to the Defense Ministry in December this year.
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11/05/2020
Two months after disclosing the existence of a next-generation fighter jet demonstrator, the U.S. Air Force is staying mum on which company may have built it. But one thing is for sure: Classified aviation programs are on the rise, and opportunities abound for the three major American defense aerospace primes — Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Boeing.
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11/04/2020
U.S. Airmen and aircraft from two bases in England recently deployed to Aalborg, Denmark for a two-week, multilateral agile combat employment (ACE) exercise hosted by the Combined Special Operations Air Task Group.
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11/04/2020
The US Air Force Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation (SDPE) Office awarded Lockheed Martin a $25 million contract to support the next phase of the service’s Palletized Munitions Experimentation Campaign for airlifter platforms like the C-17 Globemaster and C-130J Super Hercules.
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11/03/2020
The second serially produced Su-57 fighter of Russia marked its first flight on Saturday in Khabarovsk territory marking the start of serial production of the stealth jet. The first serially-produced Su-57 aircraft had crashed in December 2019, causing a huge setback to Russia's attempt to produce the stealth Jets for the Russian Air Force. Flight tests were suspended for over ten months.
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11/03/2020
Since the 2016 coup attempt against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish Air Force has been severely crippled. The main perpetrators are believed to have been from the Turkish Air Force after they unsuccessfully tried to launch a coup. Nearly 300 Turkish pilots were purged among the thousands of senior armed forces personnel, with some forced to retire, some imprisoned, and others forced to seek asylum in other countries.
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11/03/2020
The RAAF’s E-7A Wedgetail aircraft has returned home following a full-year deployment in the Middle East with Australia’s Air Task Group 630. The aircraft performed airborne command and control as part of Operation Okra, the Australian Defence Force’s contribution to the US-led Coalition to combat the Daesh terrorist threat in Iraq.
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11/03/2020
The 2018 U.S. National Defense Strategy identifies “strengthening alliances as we attract new partners” as a crucial line of effort. The United States commonly expresses its defense cooperation arrangements through treaties granting the U.S. the right to station forces abroad, such as in South Korea; the right to transit foreign national airspace, such as in Uzbekistan; and the right to pre-position materiel, such as in Poland.
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11/03/2020
Experts have raised questions on China’s air pilots capabilities who are beckoning the world’s best fighter jet pilots for combat. During the 2015 wargames between the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the Thai air forces at the Exercise Falcon Strike 2015, held at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, exposed the inability of Chinese air pilots to tactically dogfight, despite flying the J-11 advanced fighters.
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11/02/2020
It was not until November last year that it became clear the United States was not going ahead with the potential sale of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 joint strike fighter when the Pentagon’s head of acquisition confirmed it to the media. The new geopolitical developments have led the White House to now agree to the sale of the top-of-the-line F-35 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates after its recognition of Israel. The deal is potentially going to shift the regional power balance, according to
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11/02/2020
The FA-50 is produced by South Korean company KAI (Korea Aerospace Industries) in conjunction with Lockheed Martin. Argentina was actively looking for its procurement when a letter dated 28th October surfaced on the internet, showing the South Korean manufacturer informing Buenos Aires that it is unable to supply the light fighter and strike jet since it has British-made parts.
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11/01/2020
Japan is taking new steps to engineer an advanced, next-generation fighter jet to emerge in the 2030s, raising some interesting questions about the kinds of technologies it is likely to incorporate. A report from the Associated Press states that Japan has picked Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to develop a next-generation stealth fighter, an initiative likely to improve Japan’s strategic position in the region and add new tactical possibilities to the Japanese Air Self Defense Force.
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11/01/2020
It’s no secret that America flew an assortment of captured and acquired Russian fighter jets under extreme secrecy as part of a program dubbed Constant Peg in the late 1970s and 1980s. The 4477th Test and Evaluation Squadron "Red Eagles" that conducted these highly classified missions, operated from the secluded Tonopah Test Range (TTR) airfield in a corner of the Nevada Test and Training Range in order to provide exposure to frontline U.S. fighter pilots of these valuable “assets.”
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10/31/2020
Three Chinese military aircraft entered the southwestern part of Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Friday, the 29th such maneuver since mid-September, according to Taiwan's defense ministry. Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) said the three Chinese planes were models from the Shaanxi Y-8 family -- an electronic signals intelligence variant, an electronic warfare variant and an electronic reconnaissance variant.
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10/31/2020
An official announcement on the French Navy's new generation aircraft carrier (PANG) program is expected to be made "soon" by French President Emmanuel Macron, probably by year-end. During Euronaval 2020, French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly confirmed that the PANG (Porte Avion Nouvelle Generation or new generation aircraft carrier) program will be launched in order to deliver a successor to the existing Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier in 2038.
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10/31/2020
Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd.(KAI) announced that final assembly of KF-X prototype is now launched from 1st September. Final assembly means to put forward/middle/rear fuselage and main wing/empennage together into one whole final aircraft. The KF-X program worth 8.8 trillion won (US 7.3 billion dollars).
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10/31/2020
Beijing remains a bit of an enigma when it comes to military hardware. On the one hand, China has worked hard to keep many of its platforms under wraps, but at the same time, it also can't help showing off some of its latest and greatest hardware advances in the state media. The Chengdu J-20 – also known as the Mighty Dragon – is such an example. While all of the aircraft's capabilities are still unknown, a pair of J-20s was seen flying high in combat training exercises on state television chann
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10/30/2020
The U.S. State Department has told Congress it approves of the potential sale of 50 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II 5th generation aircraft to the United Arab Emirates. The potential value of the contract is reported as $10.4 billion USD.
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10/30/2020
Azerbaijan shot down two Armenian warplanes on Thursday, the country’s Defense Ministry said. A statement said the Armenian combat aircraft were flying over Azerbaijani positions in the Gubadli direction of the front. The ministry added that the Su-25 fighter jets were shot down on Thursday afternoon.
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10/30/2020
The Mikoyan MiG-29 Fulcrum was developed during the late Cold War and entered service with the Soviet Union’s Air Force in July 1982, and despite the age the aircraft has remained in service throughout the world. It has been reported to be the fifth most common combat aircraft in the world. Continually updated, the MiG-29 will likely remain in service for at decades to come.
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10/29/2020
A Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Tuesday (Oct. 27) in the 25th such incident since Sept. 16. A single People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Shaanxi Y-8 electronic warfare plane intruded into the southwest section of the ADIZ, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND). Taiwan dispatched fighters, broadcast radio warnings, and deployed air defense missiles to track the Y-8.
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10/29/2020
The US Marine Corps has formally re-designated Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 242 to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 242 as part of the Marine Corps’ ongoing transition process from legacy F/A-18 Hornet aircraft to the newer fifth generation F-35B Lightning II.
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10/29/2020
Egypt’s fleet of military aircraft are able to share data and coordinate activity despite their mixed origins, thanks to a locally made command center, according to an Egyptian armed forces expert. It’s rare to witness an air force flying fighter jets and helicopters of different origins, but Egypt operates aircraft from Russia, China, the United States and European nations.
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10/29/2020
Seeking to develop further closer ties with India, the United States of America (USA) has offered its F-18 naval fighter jets for the Indian Navy's requirements of combat jets for its aircraft carriers. The Indian Navy had a few years ago expressed interest in the acquisition of 57 naval fighter aircraft for operations from its aircraft carriers including the present INS Vikramaditya and the under-construction Indigenous Aircraft Carrier.
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10/28/2020
Making sure Brazil does not lag behind in the race, Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro gave a timely go-ahead for their procurement of Swedish aerospace giant Saab’s Gripen E fighter jets over Boeing’s F-18 Super Hornets and Dassault Rafales.
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10/28/2020
Approximately 200 Airmen and four B-1B Lancer aircraft with the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, arrived at Andersen AFB, to conduct Bomber Task Force missions in support of Pacific Air Forces’ training efforts with allies, partners and joint forces Oct. 20.
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10/28/2020
China’s first domestically-built aircraft carrier Shandong has completed regular testing and training missions at sea and is expected to be combat-ready by this year-end, state-run media here reported on Tuesday. Chinese aircraft carriers Liaoning and Shandong have recently completed routine training and sea trials, the Chinese military said last month. Liaoning, a refit of the Soviet-era ship, was commissioned in 2012, while Shandong was commissioned into the PLA Navy in December last year.
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10/27/2020
For the past week, China has been commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Korean War, which is being touted on China’s state-run media as a great victory over the United States. In Chinese, the conflagration is known as “the war to resist America and support North Korea,” and the emphasis this time around has been on resisting America.
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10/27/2020
In response to recent reports that U.S. Air Force (USAF) spy planes have been flying directly over Taiwan, China is threatening to send its own warplanes to "defend sovereignty."
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10/27/2020
Following earlier Israeli objections to the sale of Lockheed LMT -1.5% F-35 Lightning II stealth jets to the United Arab Emirates, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz reportedly relented and accepted the sale following a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary last Friday. According to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, senior Israeli defense officials subsequently sought compensation: “removing obstacles” to purchasing older F-22 Raptor stealth fighters designed for greater air-to-air combat capability th
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10/26/2020
The new humanitarian truce follows four weeks of conflict over the disputed region. Two previous Russia-brokered agreements have broken down, with both Armenia and Azerbaijan blaming the other for a return to violence.
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10/25/2020
Earlier this week, there were allegations that the United States flew an RC-135W reconnaissance aircraft over the Island of Taiwan, which the US Air Force first confirmed and then denied the claims in a highly unusual manner. On Oct. 23, 2020, Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Tony Wickman, the Director of Public Affairs for Pacific Air Forces, reached out to The War Zone to say that the original confirmation of the RC-135W flying over Northern Taiwan had been in error.
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10/25/2020
On October 24, in the afternoon, the Azerbaijan Air Defense Units shot down a combat aircraft of the Armenian air force in the Gubadli direction of the front, according to a press release issued Saturday by the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The statement did not provide information on the type of aircraft, but some sources claim that was Su-25 close-support aircraft.
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10/25/2020
The video shows practical bombing and firing from aerial cannons at ground targets carried out by the IL-76 crews in the Tver region of Russia as part of a control check. The flight altitude varied from 300 to 1000 meters, and the speed exceeded 500 km / h, the defence ministry said.
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10/24/2020
Photos have emerged showing that the retired F-117 Nighthawk is still active 12 years after it was officially retired, with experts speculating that the Air Force may use the stealth fighters as mock enemy combatants in pilot training.
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10/24/2020
In the last article on the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), I looked at one key building block which enhances both the ops tempo of the strike package on the USS Gerald R. Ford as well the flexibility of the weapons packages which can be moved to the flight deck and loaded on the strike aircraft.
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10/24/2020
The Chinese navy's Shenyang J-15 fighters do not stand much of a chance against the US Navy's F/A-18s today, but that may not always be the case, especially as China builds a better aircraft carrier, experts told Insider. China has the world's largest navy, according to the Pentagon's latest assessment, and it continues to grow. In recent years, the country has managed to field two aircraft carriers, the Liaoning and the Shandong, both of which carry complements of Shenyang J-15 fighter jets.
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10/23/2020
Just a few weeks before the U.S. presidential election, the Trump administration has cleared yet another billion-plus-dollar Foreign Military Sales package for Taiwan. The latest FMS package involves three sales proposals covering High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), MS-110 Recce pods and AGM-84H Standoff Land Attack Missile – Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) missiles. Altogether, the three sales proposals total an estimated $1.811 billion.
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10/23/2020
With the billion-dollar deal to acquire potential new fighters under IAF’s Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) contract looming in the air, there was no shortage of bidders with the US F-16s along with Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornets, Eurofighter Typhoons, Russia’s MiG-35 and Sweden’s Saab Gripens jets looking to clinch the lucrative deal.
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10/23/2020
The unmanned multi-role aircraft being developed with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) recently moved under its own power for the first time, a key milestone for the aircraft that’s expected to make its first flight this year, according to a company news release.
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10/22/2020
A Sukhoi Su-34 twin-seat, all-weather supersonic medium-range fighter-bomber/strike aircraft crashed during a routine training sortie on October 21, the press office said. “The pilots ejected. There is no threat to their health. The crew members have now been evacuated to their home airfield,” the press office specified.
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10/22/2020
Under Project Halcón or Project Hawk, the manufacturer is in the process of negotiations with the Spanish government “to mature the proposal,” reported The Drive. Spanish Air Force’s oldest fleet of 20 EF-18 Hornets, although the fleet was modernised to the F/A-18A+ standard, is used to defend Canary Island, a Spanish archipelago off the coast of northwestern Africa.
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10/22/2020
On October 9, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency authorized Finland to purchase dozens of Boeing FA-18E/F Super Hornet or Lockheed F-35A Lightning II multi-role jet fighters. Both documents also authorized sale of hundreds of munitions, including 200 AGM-158B JASSM-ER stealth cruise missiles that could reach Moscow when launched from Finnish airspace, as well as JDAM, JSOW and GBU-39 precision guided air-to-ground munitions and AIM-9X short-range air-to-air missiles.
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10/21/2020
A U.S. Navy F/A-18E has crashed near Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California, on Oct. 20, 2020. The pilot is reported to have successfully ejected from the single-seat Super Hornet and is currently in stable condition at a local medical facility. The aircraft, departed from NAS Lemoore, California, was on a training mission over the Superior Valley, when it crashed at around 10.20LT, near a rock formation on the west side of Highway 14, in Kern County.
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10/21/2020
Spain is the latest European country to move to buy more Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter jets to bolster its air force. The manufacturer announced today that it is now in negotiations with the Spanish government for the replacement of 20 Spanish Air Force EF-18 Hornets under what is called Project Halcón, or Project Hawk. The company says it has submitted its offer to the Spanish government and is now in talks “to mature the proposal.” It expects to sign a contract for the 20 new Typhoons
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10/21/2020
It's just a bunch of coral. But Pratas atoll between Taiwan and China has been declared a "danger zone" as combat aircraft ply the skies overhead. Beijing is showing increasing interest in the isolated Pratas (also known as Tungsha or Dongsha) atoll – one of Taiwan's few South China Sea outposts.
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10/20/2020
While Royal Australian Air Force pilots and maintenance trainers based at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona wrapped up much of the training presence in 2019, the joint capability developed by the US Air Force and RAAF has meant Australia’s F-35 capability is now fully operational.
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10/20/2020
BAE Systems and Team Tempest industry partners Leonardo, MBDA and Rolls-Royce, in collaboration with the Royal Air Force, have revealed some of the latest concepts under development for the Tempest, Britain’s next-generation combat air system.
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10/20/2020
The Marine Corps is saying goodbye to one of its historic AV-8B Harrier squadrons as it transitions to fly the F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter. The service last week held a "sunset ceremony" for Marine Attack Squadron 311 at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, according to a news release.
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10/20/2020
Airbus is pitching a new jet trainer package for the Spanish air force that industry executives hope could one day help school pilots across Europe on next-generation aircraft. The Airbus Future Jet Trainer, or AFJT, would replace Spain’s fleets of Northrop F-5M and CASA C-101 Aviojet aircraft around 2027 or 2028, Airbus officials told Defense News. While the concept has been in the works for several years, the company first revealed the official specifications late last week to Spanish media o
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10/19/2020
According to the U.S. Department of Defense the 5th generation aerial target drone is to make its maiden flight later this month. The first flight is scheduled to take place at the Dugway Proving Ground in Utah. Although the test program suffered from delays due to COVID-19, the ground tests were successfully completed at the Michael Army Airfield on Sep. 18, 2020.
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10/19/2020
The U.S. Air Force said in a statement that a contingent of F-16C Fighting Falcons and support personnel from the 77th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron arrived at Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. According to a statement, the squadron, known by the nickname “Gamblers,” will play a key role in supporting the 378th Air Expeditionary Wing’s mission of sustaining and defending joint and partner forces by projecting combat airpower in support of theater plans and operations.
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10/19/2020
If you live in the U.K. it’s obvious that a defence review is about to occur, even in a news cycle seemingly consumed by a global pandemic and an imminent U.S. presidential election. This time partially hidden as part of a broader study entitled “The Integrated Security, Defence and Foreign Policy Review,” a defence review acts as a warning siren for current senior officers and a call-to-arms to both the defence industry and retired very senior officers in their capacity as, often ennobled or pr
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10/18/2020
The IAF and the US Air Force held their latest joint exercise involving F-35 fighters, Enduring Lightning 3, this week to practice dealing with various strategic aerial and ground threats in the Middle East. Like the first two Enduring Lightning exercises, the training on October 12 was held in the skies over southern Israel with all briefing and debriefing conducted via secure network connections, with no face-to face meetings between the participating forces due to COVID-19 restrictions.
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10/18/2020
On Friday, the Spanish division of Airbus has released its proposal for a new advanced trainer, the AFJT (Airbus Future Jet Trainer). The presentation was given by Fernando Peces, head of the Eurofighter program in Spain, Military Aircraft part of Airbus Defense & Space and Javier Escribano, head of Future Combat Programs.
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10/17/2020
As the Chinese military’s first fifth-generation stealth fighter, the J-20 has attracted substantial enthusiast and media interest. One of the suggestions to make its way into online publication over the last year is the prospect of a twin-seat variant of the J-20 emerging at some stage soon.
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10/17/2020
The Swedish defense ministry published a 181-page document on October 14 that outlines a defense bill to be put before the Riksdag (parliament). Having gained cross-party support, the bill is scheduled to become law on Feb. 1, 2021. Known as Totalförsvaret (total defence) 2021-25, the bill covers the largest increase in defense spending in Sweden for many decades. Funding levels are to increase by SEK27.5 billion ($3.1 billion) compared with 2020.
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10/16/2020
While the U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School, better known as Topgun, is world-famous for its work in teaching high-end air-to-air combat skills, its fellow Airborne Electronic Attack Weapons School, known as Havoc, tends to sit in the shadows. This elite school prepares EA-18G Growler aircrews for the rigors of modern-day air combat, following much the same mantra as Topgun.
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10/16/2020
Just two months after India received its first batch of the highly-potent Rafale fighter jets from France, the Indian Air Force is set to receive its second tranche of the combat aircraft in November, reports have claimed. The IAF is preparing to welcome the second lot of the combat aircraft manufactured by the French company Dassault Aviation by November.
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10/15/2020
Leonardo S.p.A., an Italian company specialising in aerospace, defence and security, is planning to deliver M-346FA (Fighter Attack) jets to an international customer, most probably to Azerbaijan. During a visit to Italy in February, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and company representatives signed a deal on the acquisition of M-346 combat jet trainer aircraft.
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10/15/2020
The Air Force’s vision for a sixth-generation stealth fighter include, incredible speeds, improved stealth and the use of artificial intelligence (AI). In fact, already a prototype of the secret plane has already taken to the sky, yet virtually all details regarding the stealth fighter are naturally kept unavailable for security reasons. As a result, speculation of about the new fighter jet continues to run rampant.
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10/15/2020
The Spanish air force has taken delivery of the first NH90 helicopter meant to upgrade its aging combat search-and-rescue fleet. NHIndustries — a joint venture between Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo, and Fokker Technologies — has delivered the first of 12 NH90 tactical transport helicopters that will eventually replace Spain’s fleet of AS332 Super Pumas. These new aircraft will be based in Cuatro Vientos, according to an Oct. 14 statement by Airbus.
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10/14/2020
A preliminary design review (PDR) of a Full Motion Video Data Link (FMVDL) for Lockheed Martin's F-35 is planned before the end of the year, according to the company. “Overall FMVDL development, including aircraft installation, is progressing per plan to field in 2024,” per Lockheed Martin.
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10/14/2020
The U.S. Air Force has approved Raytheon's GBU-53/B StormBreaker glide bomb, also known as the Small Diameter Bomber II (SDB II), for use on its F-15E Strike Eagles. This means that the service will now be able to send these impressive weapons downrange for use by F-15E squadrons, which are among some the most in-demand American combat aviation units. The type's predecessor, the GBU-39/B SDB I, which is only capable of hitting fixed targets.
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10/13/2020
AVIC builds more than war machines. It runs a civilian business that makes airliners, private jets and parts — some in tandem with American companies.
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10/13/2020
Taiwan has long looked to the United States for protection from the massive forces of the Chinese mainland 100 miles to the west. Now Taipei is calling for robust defense ties with Washington amid growing concerns of potential conflict as Beijing's warplanes conduct regular fly-by's, threatening reunification by force.
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10/12/2020
After flying for more than a day miles above Earth, a large military drone charts and executes its own landing on a remote island in the Pacific. From takeoff to return, it has completed its entire mission without an active input or command from a human operator on station back in the states. But even this future scenario, featuring an unmanned system with advanced autonomy, is not entirely without human interaction.
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10/12/2020
A Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Sunday, marking the 17th such incursion by the Chinese military into the nation's ADIZ in less than a month. According to the Ministry of National Defense (MND), a Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine aircraft entered the the nation's southwest ADIZ earlier in the day.
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10/12/2020
Mats Palmberg, Head of the Gripen India campaign, said “Our focus is on providing indigenous content and capabilities to be able to achieve self-reliance (for India) for needs of tomorrow,” reported The Tribune. Saab faced rejection during the first Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft Competition (MMRCA) when Dassault Rafale won the contract.
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10/11/2020
A Chinese military anti-submarine (ASW) aircraft entered Taiwan's southwest air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Saturday, while the country was celebrating its National Day, also known as Double Ten Day. According to the Ministry of National Defense (MND), the Shaanxi Y-8 ASW entered the airspace between southwest Taiwan and the Taiwan-controlled Dongsha Islands, also known as the Pratas Islands, in the South China Sea.
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10/11/2020
It may be an undeclared war of attrition designed to run Taiwan's troops and equipment into the ground. Taiwan says it has spent $1.3 billion scrambling its fighters against the most intense Chinese aggression in 30 years. Every day for more than two weeks, China's combat aircraft have breached Taiwan's air defence identification zone. Many have crossed the sensitive median line separating the mainland from the democratic island.
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10/11/2020
Boeing is aggressively pitching key allies Israel and India and even the United States the most advanced variants of F-15s. Prat Kumar, Boeing’s Vice President had recently stated that the company was in the process of responding to a request for information from Israel for up to 25 new Advanced F-15s, plus upgrades for 25 existing F-15I aircraft.
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10/10/2020
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is now in pole position on a $40 billion contract for that program after developing the X-2 prototype in 2016. Northrup Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and BAE systems had all floated offers but, so far, Japan has decided to go it alone on its new fighter that will complement its inventory of F-35s. Since the end of the Second World War, Japan has only developed two combat aircraft, the F1 (developed in 1975) and the F-2 (derived from the F-16 which entered service in 2006)
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10/09/2020
The French government is to order by year-end another 12 Rafale fighter aircraft for its Air and Space Force to replace the 12 in its current inventory of 102 that are being sold to Greece.
“We have the intention, between now and the end of the year, to place an order, in parallel with the orders for Greece, of 12 aircraft for the Air & Space Force," Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly told parliamentarians at the National Assembly’s Defence Commission during a hearing on the defense budget.
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10/09/2020
Taipei, Oct. 8 (CNA) A U.S. MC-130J military aircraft flew along the median line of the Taiwan Strait that separates China and Taiwan Thursday, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) confirmed that same day. MND spokesman Shih Shun-wen said Taiwan's military has been closely monitoring all kinds of military movement around the country, adding that nothing was out of the ordinary as a result of the plane's passage.
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10/09/2020
Luxembourg has taken the delivery of its Airbus A400M, becoming the seventh operator of this military transport aircraft. The Luxembourg Armed Forces accepted the delivery at the A400M Final Assembly Line in Seville, Spain. The aircraft will be operated by a binational unit of Luxembourg Armed Forces and Belgium. Belgium is also procuring seven A400M aircraft, the first of which is slated to be delivered in the coming weeks.
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10/08/2020
Open mission systems (OMS) is a subset of the open systems architecture approach specifically designed for the military aviation environment. Adopted after two years of collaboration between the DOD and the industry, OMS seeks to leverage competition by requiring prime contractors to use DOD-owned and controlled open standards for their avionics suite.
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10/07/2020
Defense contractor Boeing has announced its interest in supplying the F/A-18 Block III Super Hornet fighter jet to the Indian Navy. The jet has earned a reputation of being among the most lethal, advanced, combat-proven, multi-role frontline fighters in service today. The Block III variant can perform in virtually every mission in the tactical spectrum including air superiority, day/night strike with precision guided-weapons, fighter escort, close air support, suppression of enemy air defense.
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10/07/2020
The R-77 medium-range air-to-air missile is the Russian equivalent of the radar-guided U.S. AIM-120 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile). The R-77 was first introduced in 1991 but it had a severely protracted development. The improved R-77-1 entered service with the Russian Air Force in 2015, and it has been employed on Su-35S fighters in Syria and used during combat air patrols.
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10/07/2020
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to place an order with Russia for 21 twin-engine MiG-29 jets by December, ThePrint has learnt. Of the 1980s vintage, the jets are no longer in production but 21 airframes built then remain in Russia. Top sources in the security and defence establishment said the jets purchased by India will be upgraded to the latest version before they arrive here.
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10/07/2020
A distracted pilot and a technical issue with the aircraft contributed to the May crash of an F-35 Lightning II fighter jet at Eglin Air Force Base, according to an Air Force Accident Investigation Board (AIB) report on the incident. The pilot of the aircraft, from the 58th Fighter Squadron of the 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin AFB, safely ejected from the jet as it landed on Runway 30 at the base, but did not sustain life-threatening injuries.
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10/06/2020
Excessive landing speed primarily caused the May 19 crash of an F-35A at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., though faulty flight control logic, issues with helmet-mounted display, the jet’s oxygen system, and ineffective simulator training and were all contributing factors, according to an Air Force investigation.
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10/06/2020
Recent videos from Russia indicate that the country may be on the verge of introducing significant new air-to-air missile capabilities to its most advanced combat jets. One clip shows a Su-57 Felon advanced combat jet carrying one, or perhaps two, new variants of the R-77 medium-range air-to-air missile family, while another shows a Su-35S fighter jet, the latest variant of the Flanker series, test-firing a very-long-range R-37M long-range air-to-air missile.
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10/05/2020
Defence Minister Mario Banozic said on Sunday that all four offers of fighter jets were equal for now, and that a lot of technical issues needed to be addressed before the financial aspect.
Groups of experts are studying the details of the offers which include not just multi-purpose fighter aircraft but also weapons systems, flight simulators and further training of pilots and technical personnel.
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10/05/2020
As we reported in the past, the U.S. Air Force is contracting the adversary training under the Combat Air Forces (CAF) Contracted Air Support (CAS) program to improve the training of the Formal Training Units (FTU) and increase the number of new pilots trained. On September 29, ATAC (Airborne Tactical Advantage Company) announced that it has been awarded a contract for the last location that was still pending, Eglin Air Force Base.
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10/04/2020
In an exclusive interaction with The Sunday Guardian, the top leadership of Lockheed Martin made a powerful pitch for the F-21 aircraft, by stating that its offer of not selling the aircraft to any other country if Indian Air Force (IAF) gave it the contract for 100-plus aircraft, was still on the table.
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10/04/2020
Six new turboprop warplanes adorned with vintage World War II-era snarling shark face nose artwork will soon be providing close air support for the military’s counterinsurgency missions.
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10/04/2020
However, it’s not just the state-of-the-art features of stealth fighters like the F-35s and F-22s along with other advanced weapons systems that make the Pentagon stand tall amidst other nations, but their longevity to sustain through decades of technological advancements — An example led by none other than American’s 65-year-old veteran bomber aircraft, the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress.
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10/03/2020
After an eight-year process, the Air Force's effort to transfer its F-22 program to Hill Air Force Base is now complete. Earlier this week, two F-22 program management positions were transferred to Hill from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, wrapping up a process that began clear back in 2012 with a call by Congress to shift the program to a location best suited to handle work on the fifth-generation fighter jet. In May 2013 the Air Force began consolidating depot maintenance of the F-22
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10/03/2020
One People’s Liberation Army Y-8 Anti-Submarine Warfare aircraft entered Taiwan’s southwest air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Oct. 1, it says on its Twitter. “Republic of China Air Force fighters scrambled and deployed air defense missile system to monitor the activity. No matter what happened, we will Keep protect our country firmly,” the news release says. Taiwan’s military scrambled fighter aircraft to intercept a Chinese spy aircraft, it said on Tuesday.
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10/03/2020
According to the Economic Times, the primary manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is working out the exact costs and structure involved regarding the joint venture and could require approximately INR 2,500 crore investments from the selected company. Earlier, India had collaborated with Russia on joint development of a Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA). However, this plan was abandoned as India was also not happy with the progress of FGFA.
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10/03/2020
U.S. Army aviation experts are ordering MQ-1C Gray Eagle unmanned combat aircraft for reconnaissance and attack, as well as satellite communications air data terminals, maintenance, repair, and support services under terms of a $131.6 million order announced Wednesday.
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10/02/2020
As India test-fired a new version of the surface-to-surface supersonic cruise missile BrahMos having a range of around 400 km from an integrated test range at Balasore in Odisha on Wednesday, a veiled message was sent to the country’s adversaries.
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10/01/2020
Japan's military has asked Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's new government for its ninth straight annual budget increase, including funds to begin development of an advanced stealth fighter to counter new aircraft being deployed by China.
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10/01/2020
U.S. contractorized air training services provider Draken International has purchased the Cobham Groups’ Aviation Services UK division. The deal was concluded on September 25 and encompasses several entities, including the former FR Aviation target facilities fleet, and some helicopter training and services activities.
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10/01/2020
A startup led by retired fighter pilot Dan Robinson is developing augmented reality technology to revolutionize the way U.S. Air Force pilots train for combat. Traditional U.S. military flight training is risky, and expensive; it costs about $40,000 per hour to keep an F-22 Raptor jet in the air. From 2013 to 2017, more than 130 service members died in aviation accidents, including collisions with other aircraft.
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10/01/2020
The pilot of a fuel tanker showed impressive skills when he touched down safely in a remote area of California and prevented injuries among the seven other crew members after a mid-air collision with a fighter jet, a Marine Corps official and safety aviation expert said Wednesday.
It was unclear what happened to cause the F-35B to collide with the KC-130J tanker in the late afternoon Tuesday, said 1st Lt. Brett Vannier, a spokesman at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma.
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10/01/2020
While both the F-35s and F-16s remain top-notch light combat aircraft which are unquestionably rapid in the air with an array of advanced weapons to shoot down targets, Israel possesses an even bigger predator in its ranks, an American fighter which already has a century of kills without conceding, the F-15 Eagle.
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09/30/2020
The pilot of a military stealth fighter jet has parachuted to safety after colliding with an air tanker during a mid-air refueling operation near Imperial County, southern California. A F-35B combat jet crashed near the Salton Sea on Tuesday afternoon after hitting a KC-130J tanker, forcing the aircraft to make an emergency landing.
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09/30/2020
On Sept. 18 and 19, People’s Liberation Army combat aircraft on 40 occasions intentionally crossed the median line in the Taiwan Strait that separates mainland China from the island of Taiwan. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen immediately condemned the provocation as a “threat of force.”
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09/30/2020
Turkey and Azerbaijan have categorically rejected a claim from the Armenian Ministry of Defense that a Turkish F-16 Viper fighter jet shot down an Armenian Su-25 Frogfoot ground attack aircraft over Armenia proper. Armenia and Azerbaijan have been engaged in a major armed conflict since Sunday over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
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09/29/2020
An F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter for the Kuwait Air Force is now flying from Boeing’s St. Louis, Missouri, facility wearing its frontline paint scheme. That service is in the midst of a major modernization drive, which includes the acquisition of Eurofighter Typhoons, as well as Super Hornets.
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09/29/2020
Textron Aviation Defense has secured a $162 million deal for 12 Beechcraft T-6C Texan IIs from the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF), as had been earlier suggested in a Thai presentation. The Integrated Training System will also cover ground-based training systems for pilots and maintenance professionals, a mission planning and debrief system, spare parts, and ground support equipment.
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09/28/2020
Air Defence Exercise titled 'ADEX-2020-2’ of Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) was held in Dhaka, Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Moulvibazar, Tangail and Bogura districts on Sunday. The aim of this exercise is to assess and evaluate the efficiency and capability of BAF Air Defence and identify the weaknesses and draw lessons for further improvement in air defence system.
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09/28/2020
France has handed over the next batch of Rafale fighter jets to India. All the five aircraft included in this batch are presently on French soil. It is believed that these Rafale aircraft will reach India in October. The aircraft will be deployed at the Kalikunda Air Force Station in West Bengal. Who will guard the eastern border with China. Five aircraft in the first batch of Rafale were inducted into the Indian Air Force during a formal program on 10 September.
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09/28/2020
The landmark peace deal between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain is great news in terms of constructing a regional coalition against Iran. It may also help convince the Palestinians that they are no longer at the center of Arab politics, and bring them to the negotiating table. It perhaps gives the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump a minor talking point that won’t really matter to most Americans.
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09/28/2020
With a really thin margin of just 9,000 votes, Swiss citizens have approved the multi-billion procurement of new fighter jets to replace both the F-5 and F/A-18 jets in service today. The majority (50.2%) of Swiss voters gave the go ahead to the purchase of new combat aircraft on Sept. 27, 2020. The referendum called the citizens to say yes or no to a government-backed plan 6.49B USD funding packet to find a replacement for the F-5 Tiger and F/A-18C/D Hornet jets currently in service.
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09/28/2020
The U.S. Air Force has secretly designed, built and flown at least one prototype of its enigmatic next-generation fighter jet, the service’s top acquisition official confirmed to Defense News on Sept. 14. The development is certain to shock the defense community, which last saw the first flight of an experimental fighter during the battle for the Joint Strike Fighter contract 20 years ago.
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09/27/2020
Searchers combing the area where a Ukrainian military aircraft crashed found two more bodies Saturday, bringing the death toll to 26. One person survived. The plane, a twin-turboprop Antonov-26 belonging to the Ukrainian air force, was carrying a crew of seven and 20 cadets of a military aviation school when it crashed and burst into flames Friday night while coming in for landing at the airport in Chuhuiv, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of the capital Kyiv.
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09/27/2020
It's the 24th time since 1977 that a ballot on national security has come up in neutral Switzerland, and the second time in six years voters will decide on new jets. What's at stake is a CHF6 billion ($6.49 billion) envelope, proposed by the government, to buy a fleet that would come into service by 2030. The current F-5 Tigers and F/A-18 jets, which the army says are getting too old for the job, will be phased out.
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09/27/2020
Soaring tensions between India and China in Ladakh has seen both the sides deploying thousands of troops, heavy artillery and air force along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) standing prepared, if a war breaks out.
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09/27/2020
Hunter-killer drones that have been a go-to weapon for troops battling insurgents in Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa are being repurposed for maritime operations, according to U.S. military officials. Three MQ-9 Reaper drones are supporting the Navy and Marine Corps during Agile Reaper, an exercise off the California coast that began Sept. 3 and wraps up Tuesday, said Lt. Col. Brian Davis, commander of the 29th Attack Squadron at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M.
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09/27/2020
However, while the status of the F-35 stealth aircraft remains unmatched and are being aggressively pitched for export to allies, there is a sense of wonder why the United States never let another nation get a mere whiff of the paint on its another stealth aircraft – the F-22 Raptors? Considered to be one of the finest fighter aircraft in the world, the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is a single-seat, single-engine, all-weather, fifth-generation, stealth, multi-role fighter.
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09/26/2020
Some analysts expect a slowdown in sales of new equipment as a result of stagnation in the oil market, while others think countries like Saudi Arabia will continue their procurement plans at any cost, determined to ensure their security and to maintain influence.
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09/26/2020
On Sept. 24, the first Brazilian Gripen E, designated by Brazilian Air Force (FAB) as F-39 Gripen, concluded its first flight in Brazil. The aircraft flew from the airport in Navegantes to Embraer’s facility in Gaviao Peixoto. The official presentation of the aircraft is scheduled to take place during the Aviator’s Day and the Brazilian Air Force Day ceremony in Brasilia, to be celebrated on Oct. 23.
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09/26/2020
Greece will purchase 18 Rafale F3R fighter jets and other necessary equipment for a total of €2 billion, according to French media. €1.7 billion will be spent for 18 combat aircraft and €300 million for the armament provided by the European missile company MBDA (Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo, La Tribune reported.
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09/26/2020
None of the most sophisticated fifth-generation fighter aircrafts have two-seat variants – and that may not be entirely a good thing.
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09/25/2020
If F-22 and F-35 fighter jets were both operating in full-stealth attack mode behind enemy lines, striking air defenses, searching for targets and preparing the airspace for a less-stealthy air campaign, then how do the undetectable fifth-generation fighter jets communicate with each other without generating a potentially detectable electrical signal, giving away their position?
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09/25/2020
As reported last year, India had been invited by the United Kingdom to jointly develop the next-gen fighter under the Tempest Future Fighter Aircraft project. Officials of the British Ministry of Defense (MoD) along with executives from BAE Systems were expected to brief Indian Defence Ministry and Indian Air Force (IAF) officials regarding the project. Nik Khanna, head of BAE Systems India, while speaking to the Business Standard back then, had said.
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09/24/2020
According to several reports making rounds on the internet, the Royal Air Force (RAF) along with the Royal Navy (RN) have increased patrolling along the borders of Russia in what it is “an unprecedented operation to transfer (place) the Russian military to a defensive position.” According to a Russian military website, TopWar, the British Armed Forces have sent around 28 aircraft operating in the Arctic zone near the Kola Peninsula and over the Black Sea, where the S-400s and the S-300s are curr
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09/24/2020
A Russian Aerospace Forces Su-35S Flanker fighter jet reportedly gunned down a Su-30 Flanker during a recent close-air-combat training mishap. The loss of the Russian Aerospace Forces Su-30 was reported by Interfax, on September 22, 2020, the agency saying that the information had been confirmed by the Russian Armed Forces’ Western Military District.
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09/24/2020
The landmark peace deal between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain is great news in terms of constructing a regional coalition against Iran. It may also help convince the Palestinians that they are no longer at the center of Arab politics, and bring them to the negotiating table. It perhaps gives the administration of President Donald Trump a minor talking point that won’t really matter to most Americans.
(Read More...)
09/23/2020
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen praised on Tuesday the “heroic performance” of air force pilots who have been intercepting Chinese jets that have approached the island, as its armed forces held drills to simulate repulsing an attack.
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09/23/2020
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has taken delivery of the 30th F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter aircraft. Prior to formal acceptance of the jet, the aircraft was put through pre-acceptance testing. This included performing checks on the production line at contractor Lockheed Martin’s Texas facility along with flight tests to make sure the aircraft meets the RAAF’s requirements.
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09/23/2020
U.S. Navy air combat experts are asking electro-optics engineers at Lockheed Martin Corp. to build five infrared receivers and four control processors for the infrared search and track (IRST) system aboard F/A-18E/F Super Hornet jet fighter-bomber.
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09/22/2020
BAE Systems and Leonardo have been awarded a $420.6M contract to develop the Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA), the European Common Radar System Mark 2 (ECRS Mk2) radar for the Royal Air Force's (RAF) Eurofighter Typhoons, BAE said Thursday.
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09/22/2020
As the Indian Air Force (IAF) looks to further bolster its aerial fleet after the successful acquisition of French Dassault Rafales, its proposed Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) 2.0 contract for the procurement of 114 additional fighters will look for suitors from the best fighters on the face of the planet.
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09/22/2020
There has been a ton of press about a Next Generation Air Dominance demonstrator of some type having already been designed and flown even as the program is still supposedly in its conceptual stages. While this sounds exciting, and it is, I think there may be a chasm between reality and what is being circulated even days after the news initially hit. Most importantly, it is very unlikely that this new 'demonstrator' is a 'fighter,' at least as we would traditionally define it.
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09/20/2020
A fleet of 19 Chinese military aircraft yesterday morning flew into Taiwan’s airspace in a pincer formation, marking the second consecutive day of such incursions, the Ministry of National Defense said. Taiwan’s military responded by scrambling jets, issuing radio warnings, and mobilizing surveillance and air defense systems, the ministry said.
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09/20/2020
China sent 18 fighter jets and bombers into the Taiwan Strait on Friday in a robust show of force that a military official in Beijing said was a warning to Taiwan and the United States about their increasing political and military cooperation. “Those who play with fire are bound to get burned,” Senior Col. Ren Guoqiang, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, said at a briefing in Beijing, warning the United States and Taiwan against what he called “collusion.”
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09/20/2020
The White House's recent decision to allow the sale of advanced weapons systems to the United Arab Emirates highlights the deliberate shift in US policy towards the UAE after it signed "normalisation" accords with Israel. Why would the UAE want American drones as it already has dozens of Chinese armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in its inventory? And why has the United States now agreed to these sales, overcoming its traditional reticence to sell sophisticated weapons to other countries?
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09/19/2020
U.S. jet fighters have scrambled at least a dozen times so far this year to intercept Russian military aircraft that fly into airspace off Alaska’s coasts. The North American Aerospace Defense Command says that’s the highest number of intercepts that NORAD has responded to in recent years. And Sen. Dan Sullivan says it’s part of Russia’s policy of expanding its influence and military presence in the Arctic.
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09/19/2020
Since their creation a century ago the goal of the aircraft carrier was to extend the range of naval forces beyond the horizon, and now U.S. Navy carriers could extend that range significantly further. Speaking at last Friday’s Virtual Hook convention webinar of the Tailhook Association, Rear Adm. Gregory Harris, director of Air Warfare in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, offer his thoughts on the future air wing that will launch from flight decks by the end of this decade.
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09/19/2020
Taiwan scrambled fighter jets on Friday as multiple Chinese aircraft buzzed the island, including crossing the sensitive mid-line of the Taiwan Strait, in an escalation of tensions the same day a senior U.S. official began meetings in Taipei. Earlier on Friday, China's Defence Ministry announced the start of combat drills near the Taiwan Strait, denouncing what it called collusion between the Chinese-claimed island and the United States.
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09/18/2020
A high-profile United States official is visiting Taiwan for the second time in two months, the latest sign of warming ties between Washington and Taipei, as Beijing escalates pressure on the self-governed island through a series of military drills and aircraft incursions. Keith Krach, the Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, arrived in Taiwan late Thursday local time, and will represent the US at the memorial service for former Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui
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09/18/2020
Selfridge wasn’t able to host an air show this summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it still could support military aircraft for a show in Canada. On Sept. 9, six F-16s, part of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, landed at the Air National Guard base in support of Airshow London in Ontario, Canada.
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09/18/2020
It marks the third time in six days the Typhoons have been scrambled in response to Russian planes. The planes were identified as two Russian Tu-142 Bear F anti-submarine warfare and maritime patrol aircraft. The Quick Reaction Alert Typhoons, flown by pilots from RAF Lossiemouth, in Moray, were launched from Leuchars Station in Fife where the pilots are temporarily based.
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09/18/2020
Fighter pilots who go through the US Navy's elite air combat training center commonly known as TOPGUN are among the best in the world, but that doesn't mean they don't experience fear. In the most terrifying of moments, it's their training and their instincts that keep them alive.
Retired Navy Cmdr. Guy Snodgrass, a former TOPGUN instructor and author of the new book "TOPGUN's TOP 10: Leadership Lessons from the Cockpit" shared with Insider one of the most terrifying moments of his career.
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09/18/2020
In an effort to field MQ-9 Reapers faster and meet an increasing operational demand for the aircraft, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s MQ-9 Program Office awarded a $7.4 billion ceiling Agile Reaper Enterprise Solution (ARES) contract to General Atomics Sept. 17. The MQ-9 is an unmanned aircraft with intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and strike capabilities, and is one of the most in demand weapons systems in the U.S. Air Force.
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09/17/2020
The commander of Air Force Special Operations Command said Tuesday that he's not interested in acquiring the prototype tiltrotor aircraft being evaluated in the Army's Future Vertical Lift effort as a potential replacement for the CV-22 Osprey.
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09/17/2020
The U.S. Marine Corps is moving towards a streamlined fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35B and C-model Lightning IIs for all of its tactical aircraft (TACAIR) needs post-2030. While USMC leadership juggles the exact planning over the number of the stealthy fighters it will need to meet future requirements, both the McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II and F/A-18A-D Hornet fleets will continue to provide Close Air Support (CAS) for Marines on the ground and air cover above the battlefield.
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09/17/2020
Fighter aircraft from the Royal Air Force, US Marines, US Air Force and the Royal Netherlands Air Force have joined forces to conduct large scale air combat exercises over the North Sea. Exercise Point Blank is a regular quarterly exercise based in the UK, conducted by the Royal Air Force and the US Air Force. For this exercise both RAF and US Marine Corps F-35B jets are taking part as the first step in their training, ready for deployment on HMS Queen Elizabeth.
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09/16/2020
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he personally would have “no problem” selling the advanced F-35 fighter jet to the United Arab Emirates, despite objections from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “I would have no problem in selling them the F-35, I would have absolutely no problem,” Trump told Fox News in an interview ahead of a signing ceremony at the White House for agreements normalizing relations between Israel, the UAE and Bahrain later on Tuesday.
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09/16/2020
BAE Systems has won a contract to provide additional electronic warfare (EW) systems for F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter aircraft. Awarded by Lockheed Martin, the contract covers EW systems for Lot 15, Lot 16 long lead, sustainment spares and retrofit kits for the aircraft. This is expected to provide higher situational awareness and threat response capabilities, which will aid critical missions in disputed airspace.
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09/16/2020
The U.S. Air Force has secretly designed, built and flown at least one prototype of its enigmatic next-generation fighter jet, the service’s top acquisition official confirmed to Defense News on Sept. 14.
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09/15/2020
A video that was widely shared on social media last week reportedly showed a Russian-speaking pilot being picked up by a Mi-24 Hind gunship helicopter in Libya. Numerous reports suggest the pilot was a private contractor and that his MiG-29 fighter aircraft was shot down. The short clip shows his white-and-orange parachute on the ground, along with other equipment, including a Soviet-era style flight helmet.
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09/15/2020
The Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced, during his annual speech on the state of the country’s economy on September 12, 2020, the acquisition of 18 Dassault Rafale fighter jets for the Hellenic Air Force (HAF). This news does not come as a surprise, as the Greek newspaper Parapolitika reported at the end of August that the Greek and French governments were in talks for the procurement of the Rafale.
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09/14/2020
China is preparing to launch its third forward aircraft carrier amid growing tension with India and the United States. This Class 002 aircraft carrier will be the third such warship in China. The construction of this aircraft carrier is almost complete. China’s official media outlet Global Times quoted defense magazine Ordnance Industry Science Technology as saying it could be launched in late 2020 or early 2021.
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09/14/2020
Developed by American aerospace juggernauts Boeing, the twin-seat fighter jet possesses a deep magazine that can carry an array of advanced weapons on board and overshadows its predecessor F-15s and even the mightily F-35s because of its Open Mission Systems (OMS) architecture.
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09/13/2020
RAF fighter jets have intercepted two Russian aircraft off the coast of Scotland. The Eurofighter Typhoons were scrambled into action after the Tupolev Tu-142 planes “entered the UK's controlled zone of international airspace”, the Ministry of Defence said. An MoD spokesman said that monitoring the zone ensures the safe passage for all other aircraft, including civilian transatlantic airliners that are under UK civilian air traffic control.
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09/13/2020
During a Sept. 3 field test of the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, CLWS successfully defended a force protection convoy against unmanned aerial systems while mounted on a small Utility Task Vehicle.
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09/13/2020
48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs has announced that more than 50 aircraft from the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Marine Corps, the Royal Air Force, and the Royal Netherlands Air Force participated in Exercise Point Blank 20-04 over the North Sea, Sep. 10, 2020. A high-end fight focused on fourth and fifth generation Defensive Counter Air integration, this iteration saw the return of USAF F-15s, RNLAF F-16s, RAF and RNLAF F-35s, RAF Typhoons, USAF KC-135s, and a RAF Voyager.
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09/12/2020
Russian fighter jets mercenaries are flying in Libya are engaging in ground strikes and combat activities, U.S. Africa Command says. According to Navy Rear Adm. Heidi Berg, AFRICOM’s director of intelligence, there are at least 14 Russian fighter aircraft that are based out of Al Jufra and Al Khadim airfields in Libya.
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09/10/2020
The Defence Ministry is receiving offers for multi-purpose fighter aircraft from 9 am to 11.30 am today, which will be followed by a three-month evaluation period before a final proposal is addressed to the government, Defence Minister Mario Banozic told the press outside the government offices on Wednesday.
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09/09/2020
The Chinese military completed their first heavy equipment airdrop from Y-20 heavy transport plane during a real combat training exercise in the plateau area, close to its border with India. During this live-fire training, the Y-20 aircraft, having maximum take-off weight of 200-tons, continuously airdropped multiple pieces of heavy equipment including 107mm multi-barrel rocket launchers (MBRLs), Type-03 crawler-type paratrooper vehicles and armored vehicles.
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09/09/2020
Russian fighter jet MiG-29 was scrambled due to a Royal Norwegian Air Force electronic reconnaissance and combat aircraft over the Barents Sea, the Russian Defense Ministry's National Defense Control Center (NDCC) said on Tuesday
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09/09/2020
Japan is to take delivery of the Joint Strike Missile (JSM) in March 2022, according to the defence ministry and national media. Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace signed a contract in March 2019 (plus a follow-on deal eight months later) to supply the missile for the Japanese fleet of F-35A combat aircraft.
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09/08/2020
This year, Islamabad celebrated the Air Force Day with a contingent of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) presented guard of honour at the tomb of Rashid Minhas – Pakistan’s only fighter pilot who was awarded the highest decoration of Nishan-e-Haider. Even after 73 years of independence from the British rule, the neighbours – India and Pakistan stand neck to neck and have been engaged in several clashes over the years.
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09/07/2020
According to information published by the Chinese MoD (Ministry of Defense), the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning Type 001 has conduct flight operations with its onboard J-15 fighter carrier strike group including live firing and refueling training exercises.
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09/06/2020
Four Marines were able to get out of a heavy lift helicopter safely after it made an emergency landing just miles from their air station. A CH-53E Super Stallion assigned to Marine Corps Air Station New River in North Carolina made an emergency landing on Thursday. The aircraft landed in Dixon, which is about 11 miles from New River.
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09/06/2020
A Russian military leader said Saturday that Russian fighter planes intercepted a Norwegian patrol aircraft over the Barents Sea for the third time in a row. The Russian state-run news agency TASS reported that on Saturday, Russian radars detected a target in international airspace headed toward Russian airspace and a fighter jet was scrambled to intercept it.
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09/06/2020
After lagging behind major drone powers such as the United States, Israel and China, Russia is attempting to challenge, if not forge ahead of some of its competitors. Russian companies displayed several drones - both for attack and reconnaissance / surveillance at the Army-2020 Forum in Moscow whose features match if not exceed that of competing drones from international manufacturers.
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09/06/2020
While there is a massive military buildup on the India-China de facto border, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has strengthened its western border and deployed its indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas jets. “The LCA Tejas was deployed by the Indian Air Force on the western front close to the Pakistan border to take care of any possible action by the adversary there,” said a government source and quoted by ANI.
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09/05/2020
One week after taking part in the one-day Allied Sky mission that saw 6 B-52s flying over the capitals of the 30 NATO countries, the BUFFs of the 5th Bomb Wing, from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, and deployed to RAF Fairford as part of BTF (Bomber Task Force) 20-4, have carried out another pretty interesting mission.
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09/05/2020
As China builds aircraft carriers, it was expected to develop a carrier-based airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) system — and that appears to be happening with the recent progress of the KJ-600. Unverified photos posted on social media show the fixed-wing aircraft recently made its first test flight, Ordnance Industry Science Technology, a Xi’an-based magazine on the national defense industry, reported.
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09/05/2020
AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft) is one of those projects of HAL which is developing at a very rapid pace, something which is unusual of the “government office” nature of HAL. Due credit goes to Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) & Aircraft Research and Design Centre (ARDC) who are developing the aircraft.
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09/05/2020
The US Air Force (USAF) and Lockheed Martin believe a commoditized version of the F-16 will accelerate Foreign Military Sales of the fighter. The jet is already the most popular combat aircraft in the world, with 2,280 examples in service at the end of 2019, according to FlightGlobal’s 2020 World Air Forces report. That is about 16% of the total world fleet, or more than double the second-most numerous competitor, the Russian-built Sukhoi Su-27/30.
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09/04/2020
Even as Russia continues to overcome production issues with its Su-57 stealth fighter, Moscow reportedly has its eyes set on a sixth-generation fighter jet, which could be developed under the MiG-Sukhoi joint brand. Such a fighter could build on the best features of the MiG-21, which has become the most-produced supersonic jet in aviation history; and the very capable MiG-35, as well as the Su-57.
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09/04/2020
Greece and Turkey have a long history of animosity despite both being NATO members. However, there’s a real concern that the current spike in tensions — mainly related to control of oil and gas reserves and maritime rights in the eastern Mediterranean — could escalate. If they do, the respective air arms of the two countries are likely to be heavily engaged, so it’s a good time to take a detailed look at their respective assets and how their capabilities compare.
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09/04/2020
BAE Systems and Leonardo have been awarded a $420.6M contract to develop the Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA), the European Common Radar System Mark 2 (ECRS Mk2) radar for the Royal Air Force's (RAF) Eurofighter Typhoons, BAE said Thursday.
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09/03/2020
Russia has stepped up its logistic support for private military contractor Wagner Group in Libya with some 338 military cargo flights from Syria in the nine months to July 31 to aid Wagner fighters backing eastern-based Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar, according to a U.N. report seen by Reuters on Wednesday.
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09/03/2020
Progress Arsenyev Aviation Company (a Russian Helicopters subsidiary) conducted the maiden flight of the latest Ka-52M attack helicopter prototype last month, according to the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade. The helicopter is an upgraded variant of the Ka-52 Alligator (pictured), which has been mass-produced since 2007.
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09/03/2020
Germany took over the role from the French Air Force Mirage 2000-5 detachment on 31 August. The Baltic Air Policing mission was established in 2004, to assist Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania who have no airborne air defence capability of their own and was extended indefinitely in February 2012. The aim of the mission is to prevent unauthorised incursion into the airspace of the Baltic states and its most frequent duty is intercepting Russian aircraft and escorting them from the area.
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09/03/2020
China is set to greatly increase its military presence in the South China Sea, according to a new U.S. Department of Defense report. China’s neighbors can expect to see its newest aircraft carrier, ship-killer missiles and Marine Corps wade into disputed waters more boldly as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) focuses on an “expeditionary” capability, facilitated by the increasing militarization of its outposts in the Paracel and Spratly Islands.
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09/03/2020
South Korea began assembling a prototype of what would be the country's first indigenously developed fighter jet Thursday in a landmark step that means the ambitious project is materializing, the arms procurement agency said. Under the KF-X project worth 8.8 trillion won (US$7.3 billion), South Korea has been working since late 2015 to develop a home-grown cutting-edge fighter aircraft to replace the Air Force's aging fleet of F-4 and F-5 jets.
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09/02/2020
Last week, a Russian armored personnel carrier rammed a U.S. Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle in Syria. China test-fired "carrier killer" missiles into the South China Sea. A massive Russian nuclear submarine surfaced off Alaska, and Russia fighters hit the afterburners to come within 100 feet of a B-52 Stratofortress bomber.
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09/02/2020
The Australian arm of Collins Aerospace has reached the milestone of delivering its 1,000th, 360-degree situational awareness system for the US F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program. The Electro-Optical Distributed Aperture System (EODAS) optical assembly is the eyes of the aircraft, providing the pilot with a 360-degree spherical view of their surroundings, the delivery of which marks a major milestone for the program.
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09/02/2020
To prepare the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II for austere air-basing conditions of its new combat strategy, the US Air Force (USAF) is looking to maintenance partnerships with foreign militaries, logistics support from the US Navy and US Marine Corps, as well as a programme to increase maintainers’ skills.
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09/02/2020
The U.S. Air Force has been using a first-of-its-kind mobile operations center as part of the deployment of three B-2 Spirits to the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia. The service says that this readily deployable command post is an essential component of new expeditionary concepts of operations for these stealth bombers.
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09/02/2020
China’s top aircraft designer has a vision of what the next Chinese jet fighter should look like.
It sounds like a super F-35. “A revolutionary, cognition-subverting next generation fighter jet, characterized by long-range, high capabilities in penetration, awareness, firepower and fast decision-making, is about to come into being amid great power competition,” according to China’s state-controlled Global Times.
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09/01/2020
Armenian Air Force currently operates four Su-30SM jets, which entered service in 2019. Tonoyan informed the Radio Free Liberty’s Armenian service about the procurement updates, in an interview on August 30. He also said that Russia does not transport military supplies to Armenia- commenting on the statements of Azerbaijani authorities. “The transfer was carried out within the framework of the 102nd Russian military base. Russia does not transport military cargo for Armenia now.
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09/01/2020
NATO says that a Russian Su-27 Flanker fighter jet committed a "significant violation" of Danish airspace while intercepting a U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress in the Baltic Sea region last week. The incident occurred as six of these heavy bombers, including four from a detachment presently forward-deployed in the United Kingdom, were conducting overflights of all 30 members of the Alliance, including the United States and Canada.
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09/01/2020
U.S. Air Force and Koku-Jieitai personnel use an aerial bulk fuel delivery system during Aviation Training Relocation at Chitose Air Base, Japan Aug. 25, 2020. Partnering with Koku-Jieitai, the training took place with Airmen and aircraft across Japan from the 18th Wing, 374th Airlift Wing and 35th Fighter Wing, involving an estimated total of both six F-15 Eagles and six F-16 Fighting Falcons and approximately 200 personnel.
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08/31/2020
Turkey denied airspace to German military plane flying to Armenia in late July, Spiegel reports.
The plane was on its route to Armenia to pick up Armenian peacekeepers serving under the German command in Afghanistan. They were to be trained by the German Defense Forces.
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08/31/2020
The military must adjust its strategies as the methods of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force undergo a qualitative shift, retired Republic of China Air Force deputy commander Chang Yen-ting said on Saturday. Over the past few months, there have been frequent sightings of Chinese military aircraft near Taiwan and Ministry of National Defense data shows that an incursion on Aug. 10 was the third time since March last year that PLA aircraft had crossed the median line of the Taiwan Str
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08/30/2020
The Russian navy conducted massive manoeuvres near Alaska involving dozens of warships and combat aircraft, the Kremlin revealed. Friday's show of strength came just two days after the US military launched a probe when a Russian nuclear sub surfaced off the Alaskan coast.
The naval drills are the biggest in the ice cold region since Soviet times and the dark days of the Cold War.
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08/30/2020
In celebration of the series' 25th anniversary, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is getting new DLC that includes over 30 cosmetics and brings back three fan-favorite planes: the ASF-X, CFA-44, and XFA-27. Each plane will also be getting seven of its own skins, including the popular "Cipher" skin. There will be an additional 10 skins from Ace Combat Zero and 20 different types of emblems included in the DLC as well.
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08/30/2020
A Ukrainian Air Force Sukhoi Su-27 combat aircraft narrowly avoided a more serious accident when it landed short and collided with a traffic sign during an expedient tactical airstrip training exercise on Thursday, August 27, 2020, in Ukraine.
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08/30/2020
A maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) center for Taiwan’s fleet of F-16 fighter jets has officially opened on the island amid growing tensions between Taiwan and China. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen?on Friday inaugurated the facility, which is the first of its kind in the Indo-Pacific region. It is part of a strategic alliance between Taiwan aircraft manufacturer Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation, AIDC, and U.S. defense contractor Lockheed Martin.
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08/29/2020
Amidst all the diplomatic back-slapping, the Israel-UAE accord faces its first hiccup: the possible sale of American F-35s to Abu Dhabi that could challenge the Israeli technological edge in the Middle East. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed "our wonderful friend (US Secretary of State) Mike" Pompeo to his Jerusalem office on Monday at the start of a regional tour inspired by the American-backed August 13 accord.
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08/29/2020
It has been a week of significant international flight activities in the Barents Sea, north of Russia’s Kola Peninsula. On August 26th, American spy plane RC-135 Combat Sent circled repeatedly over the waters from Russia’s maritime border to Norway in the west to outside the closed-down naval base Gremikha in the east.
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08/29/2020
Russia is planning to deploy its MiG-35, a 4++ generation fighter jet, at its Syrian military base at Khmeimim. According to media reports, the delivery is part of a marketing campaign to sell the aircraft to foreign states, such as Peru, Malaysia, Syria and even India which have expressed interest in procuring the new fighter jets.
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08/29/2020
Russia is considering giving the stealthy Okhotnik (Hunter) combat drone an air-to-air combat mission as a long-range interceptor, Russian state media reported this week. The Russian defense ministry has proposed a concept of operations that would see the drone deployed forward with long-range weaponry to "attack air targets before they approach the air defense zone," an aircraft industry source told the TASS news agency.
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08/28/2020
The possibility that the United States could sell F-35 Joint Strike Fighters to the United Arab Emirates following its normalization of relations with Israel has been met with fierce opposition from Israeli officials and politicians. As such, it has already led to a political spat between the two now openly friendly Middle Eastern nations.
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08/28/2020
Taken off from RAF Mildenhall, UK, the aircraft conducted an intelligence gathering mission off Murmansk, over the waters known to be exercise areas for the Russian Northern Fleet.
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08/28/2020
Recent reports that the Trump administration is planning to sell advanced combat aircraft and armed drones to the United Arab Emirates should prompt a clear-eyed assessment of the security relationship between our two nations. Quite simply, this is no time to be selling weapons to the UAE. Advocates of the sale have cited the UAE’s recent recognition of Israel and its role as a potential ally against Iran to justify the deals. Neither of these rationales hold up to scrutiny.
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08/27/2020
The UK could reportedly purchase only half of the 138 F-35B Lightning II fighter jets that the country has planned to buy over the course of the programme, according to The Times. Sources close to the UK Government’s defence review were quoted by the publication as saying that the plans are “unlikely to be fulfilled”. The F-35 short take-off and vertical landing variant is being purchased for the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Royal Navy.
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08/27/2020
On Aug. 15, Lockheed Martin Corp in the US signed contracts to sell 90 F-16 warplanes, of which Taiwan is buying 66 for a total US$8 billion, while Morocco is buying the other 24. Washington’s approval of the F-16V deal with Taiwan reveals four things. First, the US believes that Taiwan needs to acquire new types of fighters for its air defense to be powerful enough to play its part in its multidomain deterrence strategy.
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08/27/2020
This week it was reported that the Russian Aerospace Forces (RuAF) will be purchasing another batch of the Su-35 fighter jets in a contract worth seventy billion rubles or roughly $927 million. Designated the “Flanker-E” by NATO, the Su-35 is a “4++ generation” fighter that has proven itself to be a very capable foe to current U.S. aircraft, including the F-15 Eagle, the F-18, and even the F-35 Lightning II.
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08/26/2020
Heron Systems, the winner of a two-year Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) competition, yesterday fielded an artificial intelligence system that managed to not only outgun a top current U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and weapons school graduate but to score a flawless victory against its human opponent, winning all five dogfighting engagements.
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08/26/2020
The concepts demonstrate how leading engineers are embracing one of Britain’s biggest engineering challenges for the next decade faster than ever before using a digital approach. Using the latest digital twin technologies, conceptual shapes for the aircraft have been virtually designed and tested, with high-performance computers able to calculate the aerodynamic performance of different aircraft features and test pilots taking Tempest to the skies from a ground-based simulator.
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08/25/2020
Nine months after acquiring sophisticated fighter jets from Russia, the Armenian military has contracted a Russian defense company to modernize its older combat aircraft. Armenia’s Defense Ministry signed on Monday a relevant agreement with Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) at a ceremony in Moscow attended by Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan.
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08/24/2020
United Aircraft Corporation has just released the first-ever footage of the maiden flight of a heavily upgraded Tupolev Tu-95MSM (NATO reporting name “Bear”). The first flight took place on Aug. 22, 2020, at the Taganrog Aviation Plant, in Taganrog. The video shows the iconic Russian bomber (with its peculiar coaxial contra-rotating propellers) taxiing, taking off, performing a fly by and landing, reportedly after 2.5 hours of test flight.
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08/24/2020
The Air Force hopes to make up lost ground in battling its chronic pilot shortage with Undergraduate Pilot Training 2.5, which takes advantage of newer technology such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence, as well as increased simulator time, to allow students to progress at their own pace.
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08/24/2020
Israeli electronics company Orbit Communications Systems Ltd. (TASE:ORBI) has announced that US aircraft manufacturer Lockheed Martin has chosen the company's Orion Combat system as the next generation of the communication and audio management system for F-16s. The agreement is worth an estimated $46 million.
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08/24/2020
Amid a protracted stand-off along the LAC, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has accomplished a secret mission by testing several rounds of air-to-air missiles that have recently been acquired from France and Russia from a frontline fighter aircraft off Odisha coast.
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08/23/2020
As India is in the process of overhauling its airforce with the latest Rafale jets and additional MiG-29 and SU-30 MKIs, an RTI (Request To Information) filed by India Today reveals that in that last 10 years, 798 Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots have resigned and 289 of these pilots were given No-objection Certificates (NOC) to fly private airlines.
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08/23/2020
The GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb is a remarkable weapon. It has greatly extended the magazine depth of fighter aircraft, while also providing them with a voluminous standoff 'fire and forget' precision attack capability. The $39,000 glide bombs can reach as far as 60 miles to their targets, depending on their launch height and speed.
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08/22/2020
The massive American warship, the USS Hershel Woody Williams, has arrived at the Greek island of Crete as tensions escalate between NATO allies Greece and Turkey over energy rights in the eastern Mediterranean. The ship’s presence comes days after a Turkish frigate, protecting an exploration ship that Ankara sent to the region to hunt for undersea oil and gas, collided with a Greek battleship on August 12, raising the stakes of the brewing maritime crisis.
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08/22/2020
One of the most recent and fast-moving credible rumors to come from the online communities watching the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is a new landing helicopter dock (LHD) type vessel dubbed the 076. This 076 class LHD was first brought to the attention of the community in mid-2020, and in a rather unprecedented fashion a number of official request for proposal documents were found, and some credible insiders with established track records began to speak about the details of 076.
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08/22/2020
Rolls-Royce has formed a strategic partnership with British hypersonic-power experts Reaction Engines and is backing that up with a new investment in the company. The new partnership is aimed at developing high-speed propulsion systems for defense and civil applications as well as exploring Reaction Engines' key thermal management technology as part of Rolls-Royce's own gas turbine engines and hybrid-electric systems.
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08/22/2020
The Indian Air Force’s (IAF) acquisition of five new Rafale fighter aircraft from France attracted media attention like never before in the backdrop of the border clashes with China. Earlier fighter aircraft inductions into the IAF, like that of the Russian Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft in the late 1990s, the British Jaguar and the Soviet-era MiG-29 fighters in the early 1980s, never made newspaper headlines.
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08/22/2020
Recent satellite imagery that The War Zone has obtained shows that the Russian military is significantly lengthening the runway at Nagurskoye Air Base, its remote northernmost military outpost, situated in the increasingly strategic Arctic region. The facility, which the Kremlin announced is now operating year-round in April, looks to soon be more than capable of supporting regular deployments of heavy airpower assets and even forward-basing contingents of tactical combat aircraft.
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08/21/2020
The Defense Department may not have finished working out all the kinks in the ultra-expensive and perpetually buggy F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, but the Navy is moving forward with a multi-billion-dollar effort to develop the U.S. military's first new fighter jet in nearly two decades.
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08/21/2020
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has reportedly carried out successful testing of Beyond Visual Range (BVR) anti-air multi-target MICA missile, which will be integrated with the recently acquired Rafale fighter jets. According to a New Indian Express report, the Indian Air Force conducted the tests, using the Sukhoi Su-30 MKI fighter jets off Odisha coast.
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08/21/2020
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, despite its teething problems, is earmarked as one of the most transformational air combat capabilities in human history and will deliver revolutionary capability to the Royal Australian Air Force and allied air forces the world over, and keeping it at the forefront of capability is a constant job.
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08/21/2020
In the battle of artificial intelligence versus a human fighter pilot, it wasn’t even close. The artificial intelligence algorithm, developed by Heron Systems, swept a human F-16 pilot in a simulated dogfight 5-0 in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s AlphaDogfight Trials on Aug. 20.
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08/20/2020
Boeing has been flying an F/A-18E/F Super Hornet off a ground-based ski jump at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland. This is part of a demonstration effort for the Indian Navy to show that the aircraft can operate from short take-off but arrested recovery configured (STOBAR) aircraft carriers, such as the INS Vikramaditya and the future INS Vikrant.
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08/20/2020
The deployment of China’s most advanced J-20 stealth fighter near the border with India should not be over-interpreted in context of the Sino-India border friction as the tension is de-escalating, Chinese state media has said. The long-range jets’ deployment, which is yet to be confirmed by the People’s Liberation Army Airforce (PLAAF), could be for the aircraft’s long-distance flight practice and part of the warplane’s protocols to adapt to different environment.
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08/19/2020
The Finnish government’s budget proposal for 2021 has allayed concerns of delays or reduced funding for the Armed Forces’ (FAF) HX Fighter Program. The plan will effectively increase the military’s budgetary framework in 2021 by $2 billion to $5.8 billion to meet phase one of the project’s procurement costs.
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08/19/2020
The agreement to formalize relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates did not include allowing the latter to purchase F-35 fighter jets, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Tuesday, following reports to the contrary. Furthermore, the agreement did not include any arms deals between the US and the UAE.
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08/19/2020
According to a spokesman for Russia’s National Defense Management Center, a Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker on QRA (Quick Reaction Alert) was scrambled to identify and escort an Italian Atlantic that was approaching Russia’s state border on Aug. 14, 2020. “A Su-27 fighter plane from the Southern Military District’s air defense quick reaction alert forces was scrambled to identify the target. The Russian fighter’s crew consistently approached the aerial object at a safe distance and identified it as an Ital
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08/19/2020
The direct impact of the latest Rafale fighter jet from France to India is now clearly visible on the China border. Fearful of Rafale, China has deployed its most modern Chengdu J-20 fighter fighter jet at its Hotan airbase, 200 miles from Ladakh. Pictures from the satellite have seen the deployment of a 2J-20 fighter jet at Hotan Airbase Base in China. Earlier these fighter jets were not seen earlier on this airbase. Pictures of the J-20 jet are viral in Chinese media.
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08/18/2020
One aircraft is now equipped with a Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures, or LAIRCM, defensive system to protect the tanker from surface-launched Infrared (IR) guided missiles.
The LAIRCM is a directional, active IR jammer that is designed to defeat a wide range of ground-fired IR (heat-seeking) missiles. The system jams the infrared missile seekers through the sensor aperture, causing the missile to miss the intended target.
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08/18/2020
Kaliningrad is a tiny Russian enclave sitting between Poland and Lithuania, a Russia’s strategic outpost on NATO’s doorstep. Missile formations of Russia’s Baltic Fleet have held drills in the Kaliningrad Region for eliminating a notional enemy’s subversive groups and stealthily deploying Iskander tactical missile systems, the Fleet’s press office reported on Monday.
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08/18/2020
Taiwan will receive 66 new American-made F-16 fighter jets in the biggest arms sale to the self-governing island in years. The deal finalized on Friday comes as China has been increasing pressure on the island, which Beijing considers to be an inseparable part of its territory.
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08/18/2020
On Aug. 17, 2020, six Israeli Air Force F-16C/Ds “Barak”, belonging to the 101 and 105 Sqn from Hatzor Air Base arrived at Nörvenich Air Base, in western Germany, where they will remain for two weeks to take part in exercise Blue Wings 2020. The jets, using radio callsign “ATOMI 1-6” were supported by three B707 tankers (using the radio callsign “GIANT1-2-3”); a G550 CAEW (Conformal Airborne Early Warning) “Nachshon Aitam” (radio callsign “GLORY 1”) and a C-130 (radio callsign “IAF133”).
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08/17/2020
During the 1982 Falklands War between Argentina and Britain, Vulcan bomber 607, which would take seventeen separate in-flight refuellings in radio silence to get it to its target and back, dropped its “iron bombs” in a daring raid on Port Stanley airfield, rendering the runways unusable.
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08/17/2020
Russia is planning to modify its Su-30SM fighter jet to carry the Kh-32 air-to-surface missile. The Kh-32 will have a range of up to 1000km and would be able to strike targets without getting in range of defending jets.
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08/17/2020
On August 11th identified tracks revealed a number of flights from Crimea in the western part of the Black Sea heading towards NATO territory. In response the Combined Air Operations Centre at Torrejón Spain has alerted and launched Allied fighter aircraft from Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria to respond to the tracks which were identified as a Russian military aircraft.
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08/17/2020
India’s move to ban the import of some weapon systems and military hardware to boost local manufacturing is being hindered by its push to procure as much as $2 billion in equipment to increase its defense preparedness as it faces a border stand-off with China and volatile relations with Pakistan.
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08/17/2020
In his written statement, Ismail Demir, President of the Presidency Defense Industry, stated that the defense industry sector continues its MMU development efforts in the process of combating the new type of coronavirus (Kovid-19). Demir stated that within the scope of MMU development studies, TUSAS and HAVELSAN have signed a cooperation.
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08/16/2020
China is developing a new generation two-seater stealth warplane, based on its most advanced fighter the J-20, intended as an early-warning aircraft that will serve as a command centre for other weapons such as fighter jets and rocket launchers.
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08/16/2020
According to the statement, Japan scrambled fighter jets on Friday to warn Russian IL-20M (RF-75936) warplane it said had entered its air space identification zone over the neutral waters of the Sea of Japan. The Ilyushin Il-20M is an upgraded electronic signals intelligence aircraft based on a 1950s-era turboprop-powered plane. Spy plane carries a wide array of antennas, optical and infrared sensors, and side-looking radar, as well as satellite communication equipment.
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08/16/2020
“The system has been developed using the communications platform created for the Su-57 fifth-generation fighter. As its main advantages, it is characterized by high reliability, speedy information transmission, a small weight and energy efficiency. The technical solutions laid out in creating the system help promptly build up its technical functionality by upgrading the software,” the press office of Ruselectronics Group (part of the state hi-tech corporation Rostec) told TASS.
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08/16/2020
The F-117 Nighthawk's story just gets richer with age. Over the last half-decade, we have seen a consistent expansion of flying operations by the supposedly retired stealth attack jets. Although I have long posited that the F-117s that are still flying would be involved in aggressor operations, the Air Force's demand for low-observable adversary capabilities has since become clear.
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08/15/2020
Beijing has stepped up the pace of its war games in recent weeks after the US sent two aircraft carrier strike groups into the South China Sea. Now it's threatening to "play" next door to a significant US Pacific base.
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08/15/2020
“China’s J-20 was inspired by the F-22’s deployment. The Chinese aircraft designers used the Raptor as a rival and the F-35 [stealth multi-role fighter] as a tactical opponent to help them to come up with a more practical and capable fighter jet,” Chinese defense expert Song Zhongping told the South China Morning Post, according to an article in Forbes.
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08/15/2020
After friendship between Us and Taiwan, China is now preparing to seize the neighboring island by force. According to information received, Chinese fighter jets were reported to have crossed the mid-line of the Taiwan Strait. There have been reports that more than 20 combat aircraft were flown by Taiwanese F-16s.
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08/15/2020
India's Defence Ministry has announced that it will cease imports of over 100 items for the Indian armed forces worth $47 billion. The move will affect purchases from major arms suppliers such as the U.S., Russia and Israel worth billions of dollars in the coming years, if the country achieves targeted domestic production.
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08/15/2020
Germany is facing a number of such platform choices, and in this second article in the series, I will address the face-off between the CH-53K and the Chinook and what this choice means for the evolution of the German armed forces.
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08/15/2020
Air Combat Command is preparing to consolidate its fighter, rescue, and command-and-control enterprises under a new numbered air force that will help military leaders wield those forces more effectively. The Air Force will bring its Ninth and 12th Air Forces under one roof as the 15th Air Force the week of Aug. 17, ACC Commander Gen. James M. “Mike” Holmes said during an Aug. 14 Air Force Association event.
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08/14/2020
The U.S. Air Force is deeply engaged in advanced testing that will help it to exploit the full capabilities of the F-16’s new Northrop Grumman AN/APG-83 Active Electronically Scanned Array, or AESA, radar. It’s part of uncovering the full potential of the radar, and the F-16 for that matter, as it joins more squadrons, firstly in the Air National Guard, followed by active-duty units.
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08/14/2020
The Air Force will pit an experienced F-16 fighter pilot in a toe-to-toe virtual reality dogfight for the first time against artificial intelligence as part of a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency event on Thursday. The AlphaDogFight Trials consists of three days of cyberspace competition, during which eight AI teams will determine which of their programs will face the human pilot, a DARPA statement said. The event will be livestreamed, with commentary from agency officials.
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08/14/2020
America’s vaunted F-22 Raptor stealth fighter has a major weakness, according to China’s top aircraft designer: It was designed to fight Russia in Europe, not China in the Pacific. In fact, Yang Wei, chief designer of the J-20 Mighty Dragon – China’s first stealth fighter – says that if the F-22 were to fly against China, it would suffer the same problems that the F-4 Phantom suffered when flying over North Vietnam during the Vietnam War a half-century ago.
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08/13/2020
Chinese forces have conducted anti-aircraft drills in the country's southeast overlooking Taiwan as a U.S. aircraft carrier sails nearby the self-ruling island that is increasingly becoming central to the feud between Washington and Beijing.
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08/13/2020
The tensions between India and China continue from April to May. Despite constant military and diplomatic level negotiations, the conflict has not ended. India has also made adequate arrangements by sensing the intentions of the way China has mobilized its army and ammunition.
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08/13/2020
The Russian Ministry of Defense has released images of the second series-production Su-57 Felon advanced combat jet, which is now under construction. The first production example crashed during a flight test last year. You can see that aircraft while under construction here. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu had led a delegation to Sukhoi’s Komsomolsk-on-Amur (KnAAZ) aviation plant to inspect the aircraft on Aug. 12, 2020, as part of the commemoration of Russia's Air Force Day.
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08/12/2020
Russian pilots reportedly logged quite a few hours already this month to intercept and track U.S. aircraft near Russian airspace. Last week three Su-35S fighters were scrambled to shadow a U.S. B-1B Lancer bomber over the Sea of Okhotsk west of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula in the far western Pacific Ocean.
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08/12/2020
The US Air Force (USAF) has awarded a contract to Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and Sabreliner Aviation to continue structural analysis and maintenance work of the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II military aircraft fleet. According to the $1m contract, SwRI’s structural engineers will perform damage tolerance analysis for military and commercial aircraft. In addition, the team will provide the information required for safe and effective structural management of the fleets.
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08/11/2020
Chinese air force jets briefly crossed the mid-line of the Taiwan Strait on Monday and were tracked by Taiwanese missiles, Taiwan’s government said, as U.S. health chief Alex Azar visited the island to offer President Donald Trump’s support.
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08/11/2020
Approximately 3,000 feet above Eglin Air Force Base, the HH-60W Jolly Green II connected with a HC-130J tanker for the inaugural aerial refueling by the Air Force’s newest combat search and rescue helicopter, Aug. 5. The connection marked the start of two weeks of developmental testing of the aircraft’s aerial refueling abilities by 413th Flight Test Squadron testers and their mission partners.
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08/11/2020
Israel has declared its second squadron of F-35I “Adir” Joint Strike Fighters combat-ready. The 116 Squadron, the "Lions of the South," has become fully operational after a six-month period of intensive workups. It clears the way for the unit to join frontline operations alongside sister unit, 140 Squadron, or the "Golden Eagle Squadron," at Nevatim Air Base.
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08/11/2020
The first five of India’s new Rafale fighter aircraft touched down in country on July 29. According to the terms of a 2016 contract with the French manufacturer Dassault, 31 more will follow. They will go some way toward filling India’s larger requirement of 126 such jets. The Indian Air Force has long needed refurbishing, but it has been perennially delayed both by New Delhi’s infamous bureaucratic red tape and by budgetary issues.
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08/09/2020
Continuing the effort to disengage peacefully at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), India and China on Saturday (August 8, 2020) held a Major General-level talk at Daulat Beg Oldi area over the withdrawal of Chinese troops from the Depsang plains in the Ladakh region.
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08/09/2020
As tensions between Taiwan and China continue to escalate, satellite images reportedly show amphibious armoured vehicles and mobile missile launchers massing at military bases near the island nation. Though Taiwan, a country of 25 million people, is happy as an independent democracy, Beijing insists it is a "breakaway province" and "inviolate" Chinese territory, repeatedly stating it will use force to bring the island back under China's control.
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08/08/2020
The Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center will host about 50 aircraft and nearly 1,000 service members during the annual Northern Lightning Counterland training exercise Aug. 10-21. Units from as close as the backyard in Wisconsin and neighboring Minnesota, as well as far-flung states such as California, Idaho, New York, Vermont and Virginia, will participate. Military branches to be represented include the National Guard, Air Force, Army and Navy.
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08/08/2020
The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group is conducting drills off the coast of Northern Japan with land-based Navy and Air Force units this week. The CSG is operating with the Navy’s Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 131, which flies the EA-18G Growler electronic attack jet, and the Air Force 35th Fighter Wing that flies F-16 fighters. The joint integrated training operations began Aug. 1 and include air-to-air operations, combat search and rescue drills, and air defense exercises.
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08/08/2020
The U.S. Air Force has concluded a two-day, $1.4 million exercise that evaluated the F-35 fighter jet’s ability to provide its electronic warfare capabilities to other stealthy reconnaissance and bombing platforms. The event, which took place Aug. 4-6 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, tested the ability for the F-35 to provide Suppression of Enemy Air Defense, or SEAD, support for other stealthy platforms such as the B-2 and the RQ-170 reconnaissance drone.
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08/08/2020
Two Taiwanese F-16A Vipers have flown air patrol missions armed with live AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles. Taiwan’s Liberty Times said the missions were launched amid fears of imminent Chinese military exercises that are expected to be designed to simulate capture of the Taiwan-administered Dongsha Islands, in the northern area of the South China Sea.
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08/07/2020
A Russian company announced on Wednesday that a new engine for fighter aircraft that it had developed has been shipped for conducting thermal pressure chamber tests. The state-owned United Engine Corporation controls development and manufacturing of all engines for military, civilian and space use in Russia and for Russian exports. The UEC's Klimov plant in St Petersburg had been developing the RD-93MA engine, which is a modification of the RD-93 engine, used on the JF-17 fighter.
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08/07/2020
Boeing is showing growing interest in selling its F-15EX twin-engine multi-role fighters to the Indian Air Force. Back in February, Boeing Vice President Pratyush Kumar stated the company was seeking a license to export the F-15EX to India—a request which may soon be granted according to Indian defense journalist Shiv Aroor.
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08/06/2020
It’s official. The Japanese air force plans to add an anti-ship capability to its fleet of F-15Js as part of a comprehensive upgrade to the three-decade-old fighters. It’s no secret why. As the Chinese navy adds powerful new ships, the Japanese air force adds powerful new ship-sinking weapons. But pity the poor F-15J pilots, who are already some of the busiest combat aviators in the world—and now must add anti-ship training to their schedule.
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08/06/2020
The Commonwealth’s Request For Information (RFI) for its proposed Lead In Fighter Trainer (LIFT) program to be delivered under Air 6002 Phase 1 closed on Friday, eliciting responses from at least three companies. Air 6002 Phase 1 is a $4 to $5 billion program between 2022 and 2033 to replace the current LIFT capability, which is a system of simulators and training devices, based on the BAE Systems Hawk Mk.127 platform.
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08/06/2020
Chinese and Indian fighters are engaging in vicious dogfights. Not in the air, but over the airwaves, where both nations are claiming that their newest jets are superior to those of their rival. Last week, former Indian Air Force chief B.S. Dhanoa claimed that China’s new J-20 stealth fighter “doesn’t come close” to India’s new French-made Rafale fighters.
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08/05/2020
A Russian MiG-31 fighter jet intercepted Norwegian Air Force Falcon 20 reconnaissance aircraft over the neutral waters of the Barents Sea, Russia’s National Defense Control Center said in a statement.
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08/05/2020
On 13 July, an F-16 Fighting Falcon piloted by Lt. Col. Jeremy “Clutch” Castor, from the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron, flew its first-ever operational flight carrying the Legion Pod that supports collaborative targeting operations in radar-denied environments.
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08/05/2020
The US Congress is moving against Egypt’s attempts to acquire Russian Sukhoi Su-35 aircraft, despite Washington’s silence for months regarding the significant developments in Cairo’s relations with Moscow. Reports suggest that Egypt is expecting delivery of the bombers soon.
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08/05/2020
Forward-thinking companies sometimes see emerging market opportunities before the end-user. One product that may have been developed ahead of its time is the Scorpion low-cost light attack/ISR aircraft, which is based on business jet technology. The production-standard Scorpion is being developed by a JV between Textron and AirLand Enterprises. It was unveiled at the Dubai Airshow in 2017 with potential Middle Eastern customers in mind.
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08/04/2020
Russian warplanes bombed Syrian rebel-held mountainous areas in the western coastal province of Latakia on Monday as Syrian government forces hit the area with artillery and rocket fire, an opposition group and a war monitor said. The Syrian army and allied forces also clashed with rebel fighters while trying to advance on a frontline town near the strategic Jabal al-Akrad mountain range, said Jaish al-Nasr and the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
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08/04/2020
The venerable U-2 took another step toward the Pentagon's vision of 21st-century warfare, thanks to a recent demonstration in which it relayed sensor data from F-35 aircraft through Lockheed Martin communications gear to an Army missile-command system, company officials said Monday.
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08/04/2020
India Today’s OSINT team analysed satellite images from Google Earth over the last eight months to study the changes at China’s Kashgar air base. Satellite images show construction of an underground vault months before the India-China standoff started in Ladakh .
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08/04/2020
The first five of the thirty-six Dassault Rafale fighters that India purchased from France reached Ambala airbase in the north Indian state of Haryana at the end of July. Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria, the chief of staff of the Indian Air Force, was on hand to greet the pilots who flew them from Merignac, France.
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08/04/2020
A combined developmental and operational test team successfully tested a new F-16 radar capability during a four-ship formation of F-16s here July 2. The mission was the first of its kind to test the APG-83 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar on four fighter aircraft at the same time. The Operational Flight Program Combined Test Force, 40th Flight Test Squadron and the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron were responsible for fielding the radar for the Air Force’s F-16 fleet.
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08/03/2020
At 2:22 pm on Saturday, China's Army Day, think tank South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative (SCSPI) released the latest movement of US warships on its Weibo account, including the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier and USS America amphibious assault ship in the East China Sea. From July 15 to 30, SCSPI's Weibo account has released a total of 24 updates on the activity tracks of US warships and warplanes in regions including South China Sea and East China Sea.
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08/03/2020
Japan is on edge after scrambling fighter jets 847 times to intercept intruding Chinese bombers as tensions over disputed zones soar. In the 365 days to March, Japanese Air Self Defence Force (JASDF) fighter jets had to respond 847 times. In the four months since, such interceptions have only accelerated.
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08/03/2020
The Chinese air force apparently has deployed bombers to an air base in the country’s far west, placing the warplanes within striking distance of Indian forces along the disputed Chinese-Indian border in the Himalayas. But conditions undoubtedly are difficult for the bombers and their crews.
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08/03/2020
In the wake of border clashes between India and China, the Indian Air Force has received powerful reinforcements. Five French-made Rafale fighters have arrived in India, the first of 36 jets that will boost Indian airpower should minor border clashes with China escalate into more serious hostilities.
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08/02/2020
The Indian Navy has rejected the contract for Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The Indian Navy believes that that Advanced Light Helicopters by HAL does not meet its requirement and that there is a dire need to establish alternative capability in the private sector to manufacture modern choppers.
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08/02/2020
Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets, from 6 Squadron, RAF Lossiemouth, intercepted Russian military aircraft while they were flying over the Baltic Sea. The Typhoons approached the Russian formation to identify its composition and established it was an IL-38 ‘MAY’ Maritime Patrol Aircraft, being escorted by two Su-27 Flanker B fighter jets.
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08/01/2020
Earlier, Russian Minister of Industry had confirmed on June 27 that a contract for the procurement of 76 Sukhoi Su-57 aircraft, Russia’s first indigenously designed and built fifth-generation stealth fighter jet, has been concluded between the Moscow and United Aircraft Corporation.
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08/01/2020
On July 30, the U.S government submitted the Request for Proposal (RFP) response for the Lockheed Martin built F-35 to Canada in support of their Future Fighter Capability Project. Canada has been a valued partner since the inception of the Joint Strike Fighter competition. Canadian industry plays an integral role in the global F-35 supply chain and has gained significant technical expertise over the past 15-plus year involvement in the F-35 production.
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08/01/2020
Japan's Defense Ministry confirmed Friday it will award a contract to a single Japanese company to oversee its next-generation fighter jet project, part of an effort to preserve a domestic defense industry that has atrophied amid decades of U.S.-led development.
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08/01/2020
It’s one thing to design a warplane. And other thing to build it. That’s a truism Russian fighter-maker Sukhoi is learning—or relearning—as it tries to fill the Kremlin’s order for 76 Su-57 stealth fighters. Sukhoi builds the twin-engine Su-57 at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur aircraft plant in the Russian Far East. The factory previously built the non-stealthy Su-35—and learned some hard lessons.
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08/01/2020
On Friday, the Ministry Of Defense Of Azerbaijan has reported that F-16 fighter aircraft of the Turkish Air Force arrived in Azerbaijan to participate in the “TurAz Qartali-2020” Joint Exercises.
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07/31/2020
A RUSSIAN fighter jet scrambled after two US "reconnaissance planes" approached the border on Thursday, the Russian defence ministry said. The Russian defence ministry claimed the two US planes approached the Russian border over the Black Sea. It said the Russian fighter approached the US strategic reconnaissance aircraft RC-135 and P-8A Poseidon patrolling plane.
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07/31/2020
The Air Force may replace its 218 F-15Es with F-15EXs, which could expand the new program to over 400 aircraft, according to service documents justifying the sole-source contract to Boeing. The Air Force also claims buying the F-15EX will save some $3 billion in military construction and support costs versus buying more advanced F-35s.
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07/31/2020
Boeing's T-7A Red Hawk jet trainer, which it developed together with Swedish aviation firm Saab for the U.S. Air Force, is already generating interest on the international market. The T-7A, which could also have a future as a light combat aircraft, is now officially in the running to replace the Royal Australian Air Force's BAE Hawk jet trainers and could be an option to supplant the Serbian Air Force's G-4 Super Galeb jet trainers and J-22 Orao ground attack planes.
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07/30/2020
Boeing has completed a Direct Commercial Sale (DCS) agreement with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) to implement upgrades to Japan’s F-15J Eagle fleet. The contract is part of the larger $4.5-billion modernization program that was announced by the U.S. Government in October 2019. Boeing says this DCS contract “lays the foundation” of the modernization program, although the Japanese government has not yet formalized the project.
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07/30/2020
The Indian Navy is seeking a third aircraft carrier and two new fighter squadrons to counter Chinese threat in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). In recent months, Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean Region has increased and the Indian Navy believes that a third aircraft carrier will help India contain China.
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07/30/2020
The first batch of five French-made Rafale fighter jets arrived at an Indian air force base on Wednesday, Indian officials said, as the country seeks to modernize its military amid security challenges with Pakistan and China. The planes landed at the airbase in Ambala in Haryana state amid tight security. Police and soldiers closed roads leading to the base, banned photography and enforced restrictions on gatherings of more than four people, police officer Abhishek Jorwal said.
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07/29/2020
The State Duma of the Russian Federation promised to respond to the flights of American military aircraft over the Black Sea, registered in the last five days. First Deputy Head of the State Duma Defense Committee, Hero of the Russian Federation Andrei Krasov stated this in a comment to Interfax agency on July 27.
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07/29/2020
Air Combat Command on July 21 awarded three companies contracts worth up to $433.6 million to provide 5,418 annual sorties of adversary air support at five bases over the next four and a half years, a command spokesperson told Air Force Magazine. The contracts with Airborne Tactical Advantage Company, Tactical Air Support, and Draken International are the first to be awarded under the larger Combat Air Force/Contracted Air Support indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract,
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07/29/2020
China has never been shy of flaunting its military prowess. Special military drills and airshows have been a regular feature for the PLA. China often showcases its flagship, all-weather, fifth-generation stealth aircraft; Chengdu J-20. Inducted in the PLA in March 2017, J-20 is the world’s third fifth-generation operational aircraft after F-22 and F-35.
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07/29/2020
The Royal Air Force faces a reckoning. In coming years, the service will have to decide what kind of air force it wants to be—and acquire the aircraft to match that purpose. The RAF must choose between optimizing itself for high-intensity warfare against a technological foe—in other words, Russia—or tailoring its forces for low-intensity operations.
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07/29/2020
Two Russian military aircraft are suspected of having violated Finland's airspace close to its capital city of Helsinki, Finland's defense ministry said Tuesday. The ministry said in a brief statement that two Russian Su-27 fighter jets allegedly violated Finland's airspace over the Gulf of Finland, near Helsinki, at around 2 p.m. local time (1100 GMT), Tuesday afternoon.
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07/28/2020
South Korea reportedly plans to order 20 F-35B stealth jump jets, a strong signal that the South Korean navy is moving forward with development of a light aircraft carrier. A carrier might seem like an odd, even unwise, investment for a country whose major threat—indeed, an existential threat—is a huge land army poised just 30 miles from its capital.
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07/28/2020
Air Combat Command has awarded contracts for the first five U.S. Air Force bases to receive contract aggressor support under its huge “red air” adversary support program. The Airborne Tactical Advantage Company, or ATAC, has announced that it has secured the support contracts for Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, and Luke Air Force Base in Arizona.
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07/28/2020
The first batch of Rafale fighter jets bought by India from France took to the skies for India. The multi-role fighter aircraft will arrive at Ambala air force station on Wednesday. It may be recalled that India signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to procure 36 Rafale jets for the Indian Air Force under a Rs 59,000-crore deal nearly four years ago. The fleet is expected to significantly boost the IAF's combat capabilities at a time when India is locked in a tense border row with C
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07/28/2020
In an announcement made by Russia's official news agency, TASS, the Russian defence ministry said a SU-27 fighter jet had made the interception. The defence ministry said a US surveillance plane was identified flying close to the Russian border. The ministry said the aircraft – identified as a P-8 Poseidon – then veered away from Russian airspace.
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07/27/2020
Russian fighter jets were recently deployed to Libya in order to support Russian state-sponsored private military contractors (PMCs) operating on the ground there. The Russian fighter aircraft arrived in Libya, from an airbase in Russia, after transiting Syria where it is assessed they were repainted to camouflage their Russian origin.
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07/27/2020
Summer in Northern Michigan means boating, fishing – and increasingly, premier Joint Fires readiness training. Since 2012, Northern Strike, the National Guard Bureau’s largest joint, multi-component exercise, has been held at the pristine training grounds of Camp Grayling Maneuver Training Center and Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center. This year, those facilities are being christened the National All-Domain Warfighting Center.
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07/27/2020
Amidst India and China military stand-off, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has carried out exercises at its forward airbase in Skardu near Ladakh in the occupied Gilgit-Baltistan region. Pakistan has deployed JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft at Skardu airbase which carried out these exercises.
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07/27/2020
At least five Rafale fighter aircraft will take off from Merignac in France Monday to arrive in India Wednesday and, if required, these aircraft can also be operationally deployed within a week amid the India-China standoff in Ladakh, ThePrint has learnt.
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07/26/2020
India is aggressively working on developing its 5th generation advanced multirole combat aircraft (AMCA). The primary aim is to develop the AMCA indigenously, reduce dependency on foreign players like Russia and France and at the same time support the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ mission.
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07/25/2020
Australia has joined forces with the U.S and Japan for a huge trilateral exercise that is being held in the Indo-Pacific region over the coming months. The collaboration brings together the Australian Defense Forces, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, which are engaged in the regional deployment.
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07/25/2020
A US aircraft flew too close to the Chinese coast on Thursday and was warned off by Chinese forces – something the US and its allies never hesitate to characterize as aggressive behavior when the aircraft are Chinese. It’s a change of cast from the typical news: a US aircraft strayed too close to Chinese airspace on Thursday and got a stern warning from Chinese forces to turn away.
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07/25/2020
U.S. Africa Command has mounting evidence that Russia, through the Wagner Group, continues to position military equipment in Libya capable of conducting kinetic operations there. Overhead imagery shows Wagner forces and equipment on the front lines of the Libyan conflict in Sirte. Wagner, also known as the Wagner Group, is a Russian private military company.
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07/24/2020
The arrival of the first pair of Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning IIs at Eielson Air Force Base on Apr. 21, 2020, was significant on many levels. This remote installation is located 26 miles southeast of Fairbanks in the interior of Alaska and about 110 miles south of the Arctic Circle. The installation has received huge funding over the past three years to create a massive secure enclave for its new stealthy inhabitants.
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07/24/2020
An American F-15 fighter jet came within 1,000 meters of an Iranian civilian airliner flying over southern Syria on Thursday, to carry out a visual identification of the aircraft, the U.S. military confirmed. The visual identification was completed safely, but not before the Mahan Air pilots carried out a rapid descent into Beirut that resulted in several passenger injuries.
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07/24/2020
With the Rafales arriving in the country in the middle of a dispute with China, the Indian Air Force is further boosting the capabilities of the combat aircraft by equipping it with the HAMMER missiles from France. The order for the HAMMER standoff missiles with the capability to take out any type of targets at the range of around 60-70 kms is being processed under the emergency powers for acquisition given to the armed forces by the Narendra Modi government.
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07/23/2020
Iran has expressed interested to acquire latest, state-of-art Russian weapons which could possibly include S-400 missile defence systems, SU-35 jets to enhance its defence capacities. This was confirmed by Iranian ambassador to Russia – Kazem Jalali in an interview with the Kommersant daily.
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07/23/2020
The first eight of a planned Air Force purchase of 76 F-15EX fighter jets will be coming to Eglin Air Force Base for testing, with the first two of those aircraft slated to arrive sometime early next year, according to an announcement from the office of the Secretary of the Air Force.
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07/23/2020
The British, Swedish and Italian defense industries are in discussion to collaborate on air combat capability, defense contractor BAE Systems said on Wednesday. The framework was promoted Wednesday as a means to employ tens of thousands of skilled workers in those countries' leading defense industry companies, a BAE statement said.
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07/22/2020
The US said that it is expelling Turkey from its F-35 fighter jets programme after Ankara received the first parts of a Russian air defence system. The US says the “F-35 cannot coexist with a Russian intelligence-collection platform that will be used to learn about its advanced capabilities”.
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07/22/2020
At a time when Indian Navy’s P-8I surveillance planes are carrying out frequent sweeps over the Eastern Ladakh sector, the Navy’s maritime fighter jets MiG-29K will be deployed in the Northern sector for operations. The deployment of the naval fighter aircraft at the Indian Air Force (IAF) bases is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s directives for enhancing jointness between the three services and Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat’s call for the possibility of deployment.
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07/21/2020
Airmen from the Republic of Singapore could one day train with American pilots in Arkansas' second-largest city, according to the office of U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton. Fort Smith Regional Airport has been selected as one of five possible sites to host both F-35 planes and Singapore's F-16 squadron, Cotton's office said. Cotton has advocated for Fort Smith to be included in this economic development and national security initiative for a long time.
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07/21/2020
The new prototype of the Leonardo M-346 Light Fighter Family of Aircraft (LFFA) performed its first flight on July 13, 2020, from Venegono airport, where the company’s final assembly lines are based. The aircraft, formerly known as M-346 Fighter Attack (FA), is the first prototype in complete configuration, featuring all the equipment that differentiates it from the standard M-346 Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT).
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07/21/2020
Naval drills led by the U.S. and Ukraine kicked off today in the Black Sea, while Russia called for a series of nearby snap naval drills. Sea Breeze, the bilateral U.S.-Ukraine maritime exercise, kicked off its 20th series on Monday. “It started in 1997, and for the Ukrainian side, this [was] the main tool for entering NATO,” Rear Adm. Oleksiy Neizhpapa, commander of the Ukrainian Navy, said via a translator in a Monday conference call with reporters.
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07/21/2020
On Wednesday, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform is slated to hold a hearing: “F-35 Joint Strike Fighter: Ensuring Safety and Accountability in the Government’s Trillion Dollar Investment.” The portentous nature of the title implies the question, what is going on with this program? Given the money, time, and effort invested in this aircraft and its associated systems, expectations are for real results, not negative headlines and flight line setbacks.
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07/20/2020
In the wake of the tragic Kiowa helicopter crash on Thursday (July 16), concerns have grown over Taiwan’s remaining fleet of the observation helicopters. According to the Army’s Aviation and Special Forces Command, the helicopter belonging to the 601st brigade was returning to Lung Tan from Hsinchu Air Force base after performing combat readiness operations when the rotor speed slowed, resulting in a hard landing at Hsinchu base.
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07/20/2020
Japan is now immediately scrambling fighter jets against all Chinese military aircraft taking off from an air base in Fujian Province, as tensions continue between the two countries over the Senkaku Islands, government sources said Saturday. Air Self-Defense Force planes have also been flying daily patrols over the East China Sea from sunrise to sunset to monitor Chinese military aircraft in the area, the sources said.
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07/20/2020
We don’t know where the U.S. Air Force plans to base its new F-15EX Eagle fighters. But we know where the flying branch should put at least some of the upgraded F-15s. Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa. Armed with the new AGM-183 hypersonic missile, the new F-15s could be the most powerful strike aircraft in the Asia-Pacific region—and a huge threat to any Chinese attempt to invade Taiwan.
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07/20/2020
The Air Force has deployed its entire fleet of modern fighters like Mirage 2000, Sukhoi-30, and the MiG-29 fighters all along with the advanced and forward bases from where they have been carrying out both day and night operations. The advanced Apache attack helicopter has also been deployed in forward bases along the China border.
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07/19/2020
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has increasingly sought to expand its influence in the Middle East. Experts write that the UAE has vested interests in the Middle East, North Africa and the Horn of Africa, and has not shied away from using mercenaries in its regional endeavours.
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07/19/2020
Turkey has guaranteed that the data of the Russian S-400 air defence system will not be compromised. The Turkish government has ensured Russia that all sensitive information regarding the S-400 missiles would be kept safe.
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07/18/2020
U.S. Air Force F-35s and F-22s are getting ready to attack enemy aircraft, dogfight, strike air defenses and conduct surveillance exercises in a massive annual service wargame called Red Flag. During the combat simulation, friendly “blue” will engage mock-enemy “red” teams in all-out combat, intended to closely replicate the kinds of serious advanced, high-tech threats the Air Force might face in a major power confrontation.
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07/18/2020
The surprise combat readiness check involves over 3,000 personnel and more than 300 items of military hardware, including warships and combat aircraft, and also the troops and equipment of the Black Sea Fleet’s army corps
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07/18/2020
The new concept of operations exploits the in-jet simulation capability of the new T-7 Red Hawk, paired with ground-based virtual reality and artificial intelligence (AI), to accelerate student progress.
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07/18/2020
For the first time, Royal Netherland Air Force F-16s and F-35As partnered with 4th and 5th generation aircraft from the Royal Air Force and F-15s from the 48th Fighter Wing during exercise Point Blank 20-3 July 16, 2020. More than 60 aircraft took off from home stations and met in the skies over the North Sea for a realistic, high-fidelity training environment that included KC-135 Stratotankers and a RC-135 Rivet Joint from RAF Mildenhall, along with NATO Airborne Warning and Control Systems.
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07/18/2020
As the USS Ronald Reagan carrier battle group sails into the South China Sea, evidence has emerged that China has deployed fighter jets to an airstrip on a disputed island there. Satellite imagery from July 15 shows at least four aircraft present. This move comes two days after U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo declared that “Beijing’s claims to offshore resources across most of the South China Sea are completely unlawful.”
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07/18/2020
BAE Systems, the defence company behind the British air force’s new fighter jet, has teased the prospect of electric-battery systems playing a substantial role in powering the RAF’s next-generation Tempest warplane, due to enter service in the 2030s.
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07/17/2020
Recent satellite images of Al Jufrah Air Base in central Libya shows two Su-24 Fencer combat jets parked outside hardened aircraft shelters at the southern end of the base. This indicates these jets are still operating out of the base nearly a month after U.S. Africa Command released imagery showing one of them actually in flight there.
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07/16/2020
Iran is once again showcasing its capability to manufacture fighter jets domestically. However, these jets are heavily based on vintage U.S. airframes, and the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) fleet still consists of mostly antiquated aircraft.
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07/16/2020
In its latest whitepaper, Japan has discussed its impending acquisition of F-35B fighter jets and highlighted efforts by regional militaries to expand their influence and activities despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
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07/16/2020
In-cockpit footage of actual air combat training always makes great viewing, however, a new video offers rare insight into Chinese fighter operations making it even more engaging. This intense clip posted online by China’s People’s Daily newspaper shows People’s Liberation Army Air Force pilots turning and burning in Chengdu J-10 multi-role fighters.
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07/16/2020
BAE Systems Plc, the developer of Britain’s next fighter jet, said it’s considering powering the planned warplane using alternative propulsion such as hybrid and fully electric systems.
BAE, which is working with engine-maker Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc and others, is “examining all options” to power the plane, manufacturing director Dave Holmes said on a webcast Wednesday. The Tempest is due to join the Royal Air Force fleet from 2035.
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07/15/2020
The military balance in the Taiwan Strait is tilting in China’s favor, and the gap is widening as the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) modernizes its arsenal, an annual defense white paper released by the Japanese Ministry of Defense yesterday said. Defense of Japan 2020 says that “the overall military balance between China and Taiwan is shifting in favor of China, and the gap appears to be growing year by year,” in its section on China’s relations with foreign countries and regions.
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07/15/2020
The Israeli Air Force is expected to have as many as twenty-seven F-35s by November of this year, bringing upgraded electronic warfare technology and new dimensions of aerial combat power to the Middle Eastern country facing threats from nearby hostile countries in the region, such as Iran.
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07/15/2020
Engaged in a boundary dispute with China in eastern Ladakh, India is planning to enhance its surveillance capabilities and firepower by placing orders for Heron surveillance drones and Spike anti-tank guided missiles from Israel under the emergency financial powers granted by the government.
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07/15/2020
The Russian Defense Ministry’s newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda reported that that as many thirty foreign aircraft had conducted spy missions near its border just within the past week. Eight times Russian fighter jets from the air defense were scrambled to intercept the foreign aircraft though no violations of the state border occurred.
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07/15/2020
Boeing believes a light attack variant of its T-7 jet trainer could replace the world’s aging fleets of Northrop F-5 and Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet combat aircraft. Boeing has long touted the “growth potential” of the T-7, noting that the jet trainer could be retrofitted with weapons, such as missiles or bombs, to serve as a light attack aircraft. The company has said that it believes there is a global market for 2,600 T-7s, as trainers, light-attack or aggressor aircraft.
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07/14/2020
An F-16C Viper from the 49th Wing at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico crashed while landing Monday evening, the base said in a release. The fighter jet’s pilot ejected successfully and is being treated for minor injuries, Holloman said. The crash occurred at about 6 p.m. local time. Holloman said emergency response teams were at the site of the crash.
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07/14/2020
HT quoting officials in New Delhi claims that the Indian army is set to procure 200 pieces of RQ-11 Raven UAV, which can help the Indian Army soldiers to conduct reconnaissance. After the Indian army acquired Spike Mark III ATGM (anti-tank guided missiles) from Israel as part of emergency procurements due to India-China border standoff, it now plans to acquire firefly munitions that can hit an enemy target with precision.
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07/14/2020
The Indian air force is in the process of a major overhaul. Recently, at the height of India-China border conflict, Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh flew to Russia and signed a $2.3 billion deal for Russian jets which included 21 MiG-29s and 12 Sukhoi Su-30MKIs.
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07/14/2020
The Navy is expected to start receiving new twin-engine aircraft carrier-based fighter aircraft being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) by 2032 and it will be a replacement for the Russian MiG-29K carrier jets in service, a defence source said.
“The Navy is expected to get the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL)-built twin-engine carrier aircraft by 2032. It will replace the MiG-29Ks in service which are scheduled to start going out by 2034,” the source said.
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07/14/2020
Combat Sentry, similar to the live-fire Combat Hammer and Combat Archer evaluations at Tyndall, puts two E-3 Sentry AWACS from the 963rd Airborne Air Control Squadron at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., to the test. For almost two weeks, the E-3s will fly in environments where optionally manned QF-16s, subscale BQM-167 drones, and E-9A monitoring aircraft will test the battle management and command and control capability with simulated cruise missiles, live fire operations, and maritime operations.
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07/14/2020
The Department of the Air Force has awarded a nearly $1.2 billion contract for its first lot of eight F-15EX fighter aircraft. The contract, awarded to Boeing, provides for the design, development, integration, manufacturing, test, verification, certification, delivery, sustainment and modification of F-15EX aircraft, including spares, support equipment, training materials, technical data and technical support.
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07/13/2020
A modified version of China’s first stealth fighter jet, the J-20, has formally entered mass production, with upgrades earning it a place as a fifth-generation fighter jet, according to a military source close to the project. The moment was marked at a ceremonial unveiling of the modified J-20B stealth fighter jet on Wednesday attended by many senior military leaders including Central Military Commission (CMC) vice-chairman General Zhang Youxia, the source said.
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07/13/2020
Beijing’s state-controlled Global Times news service declared: “Any US aircraft carrier movement in the region is at the pleasure of the PLA (People’s Liberation Army).” The US Navy’s chief of information retorted: “And yet, there they are. Two @USNavy aircraft carriers operating in the international waters of the South China Sea.”
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07/13/2020
The US recently approved the sale of F-35 joint strike fighters to Japan at a whopping cost of $23 billion. China, a traditional foe and close neighbour of Japan has expressed concern of having such advanced jets in the region which could be detrimental to the security of both China and Russia.
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07/13/2020
According to US experts – the F-21 merely resembles the old F-16 but rather is a new aircraft with new cockpit display, a larger airframe spine to accommodate additional electronics and a new infrared sensor and refuelling probe that is compatible with India’s Russian made aerial tankers.
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07/13/2020
Twenty-one people were injured after an explosion and fire on board a ship at the US Naval Base in San Diego, US Navy officials said. "Seventeen Sailors and four civilians are being treated for non-life threatening injuries at a local hospital," the US Navy said in a statement. The sailors on the USS Bonhomme Richard had "minor injuries" from the fire and were taken to a hospital, Lt. Cmdr. Patricia Kreuzberger told CNN earlier Sunday.
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07/12/2020
A V-22 Osprey aircraft bound for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) based at Camp Kisarazu departs Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni, Japan, July 10, 2020, to mark the official delivery of the first V-22 to the Japan Self Defense Force. Japan has purchased the American V-22 to improve its amphibious and naval warfare capabilities.
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07/12/2020
The Indian government plans to purchase from Russia of spare parts intended for military equipment. We are talking about submarines Kilo-class, su-30MKI and heavy tanks T-90. The Cabinet of India also expressed its intention to acquire missiles and ammunition for warships, submarines, tanks and fighter jets named. The representative of the Indian Ministry of defense told the media that the contract between Moscow and new Delhi provides a deal for $ 800 million.
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07/12/2020
Russian fighter jets of the Eastern Military District were scrambled to intercept a US reconnaissance aircraft over the Sea of Japan, the Russian Defense Ministry told reporters on Saturday. Russian radars detected the target in international airspace over the neutral waters of the Sea of Japan. The aircraft was heading towards the Russian sovereign airspace.
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07/12/2020
Recently declassified Defense Department documents show the Pentagon knew troops were exposed to multiple toxins and hazards that have led to hundreds of cancer cases and dozens of dead veterans after deploying to Uzbekistan in the early days of the War on Terror. The Department of Veterans Affairs is denying most of them care and disability.
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07/11/2020
With Turkey vowing to support more offensives by its ally in the Libyan civil war, Egypt might intervene militarily on the opposite side, potentially leading to a dangerous conflict between the Turkish and Egyptian militaries in that North African nation.
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07/11/2020
Japan has announced plans to build one of the world's most sophisticated stealth jet fighters, likely a twin-engine aircraft designed to take over the country's critical air defense role sometime in the next decade.
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07/11/2020
Online flight tracking software has shown a notable uptick in U.S. military aerial activity in the strategic Bashi Channel, which runs from the southern end of Taiwan to the northern tip of the island of Luzon in the Philippines, in recent weeks. A steady stream of U.S. Air Force KC-135 tankers has been seen flying in and out of this general area, which serves the main boundary between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea.
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07/11/2020
The report, released earlier this month, re-examined two separate accidents, in December 2018 and April 2016, over the Western Pacific both involving F/A-18 aircraft of Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 242, a tactical aircraft squadron, and KC-130 tankers, with the 2018 collision claiming six lives.
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07/11/2020
Gov. Steve Sisolak said he is backing Nevada's Democratic congressional delegation, which is opposing a military effort to widen the boundaries of a vast U.S. Air Force bombing range into a national wildlife refuge. Sisolak joined Reps. Dina Titus, Steven Horsford and Susie Lee on Thursday in opposing the plan. Other opponents include the Moapa Band of Paiutes and the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe.
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07/11/2020
A group of Russian technicians who are supporting the Indian navy in providing timely maintenance for the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya have not left the country. Despite the delays with the carrier’s acceptance for service, INS Vikramaditya offers ample opportunities for India’s Navy and allows New Delhi to keep its domination in the Indian Ocean, the news portal said in its article.
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07/11/2020
Korea Aerospace Industries, South Korean aerospace, and defense company started production of the front, the middle and rear hull of KF-X domestic fighter jet. It has published an image of a partially assembled fuselage of the KF-X fighter prototype, which was assembled at the KAI’s aircraft factory in Sacheon. The company plans to roll out the first prototype next April and commence test flights in 2022.
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07/11/2020
The U.S. Navy has its first Black female tactical jet pilot. Lt. j.g. Madeline Swegle recently completed the service's Tactical Air (Strike) training program in the T-45C Goshawk, the Navy announced Friday. The milestone makes Swegle, a Naval Academy graduate, the first known Black woman who has been certified for the TACAIR mission, and she could go on to fly fighters such as the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler or F-35C Joint Strike Fighter.
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07/10/2020
Faced with increasingly brazen Chinese efforts to exercise control over the entirety of the South China Sea, the U.S. military is using a series of big aircraft carrier operations to show allies that the United States isn’t about to turn its back on the hotly contested region.
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07/10/2020
Details remain limited, but an Afghan Air Force A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft crashed earlier today, reportedly with a U.S. pilot on board. Reports also say this individual was injured after ejecting, but they have already been rescued. Their exact affiliation, such as whether they are a member of the U.S. military or a private contractor, is unclear as is whether there was also a member of the Afghan Air Force in the aircraft at the time of the accident.
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07/09/2020
Following a period of high tensions with China and a brief clash with Chinese forces in mid-June, which resulted in over 150 Indian casualties, the Indian Air Force has begun to conduct night patrols using two of its most capable combat aircraft from forward basses near the Sino-Indian border. India notably has the advantage of considerably more airbases near the border region than China has, and currently relies on the MiG-29UPG medium fighter and the AH-64E Apache attack helicopter to patrol t
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07/09/2020
U.S. Navy aerial warfare experts are asking Raytheon Technologies Corp. to build 58 AIM-9X precision short-range infrared-guided air-to-air missiles for jet fighters and other combat aircraft under terms of a $34.7 million order announced Monday.
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07/09/2020
The Pentagon should not judge weapon systems on “overly simplistic metrics” but adopt a more holistic evaluation that weighs a weapon’s cost and capabilities against the total costs of achieving the mission, a new paper from the Mitchell Institute argues.
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07/08/2020
Is India really getting ready to buy the F-35? Indian media reported back in 2018 that the Indian Air Force has asked Lockheed Martin to brief it on the capabilities of the F-35. Yet it's not clear if this is true, or even whether an F-35 is on the horizon.
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07/08/2020
As tensions between the United States and Russia have intensified, both nations have engaged in airborne “show of force” operations intended to demonstrate their intent to resist intimidation and defend their territories. Such operations can prove hazardous when the aircraft of one antagonist come perilously close to those of another, a phenomenon that has occurred on numerous occasions over the past few years.
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07/08/2020
Saab has started production of a Gripen E fighter at its facility in São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil. The aerostructures plant, called Saab Aeronáutica Montagens, is the first outside Sweden to produce large components of the combat aircraft, the company says on 7 July.
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07/08/2020
In a boost to the armed forces, the Ministry of Defence Thursday cleared the purchase of 21 MiG-29 and 12 Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft, besides 248 indigenous long-range air to air missiles, Astra, among others. In total, the ministry cleared the purchase of platforms and equipment for the armed forces to the tune of Rs 38,900 crore. It has also approved the upgrade of the existing 59 MiG-29 aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF).
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07/07/2020
The Lebanese government plans to sell five outdated Air Force Hawker Hunter fighter jets and three Sikorsky S-61 helicopters in an attempt to reallocate the service’s resources, a government source has confirmed to Defense News.
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07/07/2020
The Japan Self-Defense Forces expressed its gratitude to Vietnam for helping service and refuel an anti-submarine patrol aircraft the past two months. In a Twitter video last week, the Japan Joint Staff (JJS) of the Japan Self-Defense Forces said on June 26, its P-3C anti-submarine patrol aircraft with 19 crew members had returned to Japan safely after almost two months at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City.
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07/07/2020
For the first time in six years, two US Navy aircraft carriers are in the South China Sea, the latest show of military might from Washington as it pushes back against China's sweeping claim to much of the contested region.
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07/07/2020
Informed sources told The Arab Weekly that the warplanes that targeted al-Watiya airbase in western Libya were Rafale jets, which limits the identity of the attacking power to France and Egypt, the two countries within the range of the base that possess this type of aircraft.
The sources considered the attack a quick response to Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar’s visit to Tripoli, which reflected the extent of Turkish persistence in western Libya.
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07/07/2020
Several NATO aircraft were scrambled to intercept or monitor the Russian Naval Aviation activity. Among them, the Italian Air Force F-35A jets currently deployed to Iceland, for Operation Northern Lighting II, their second tour of duty in support of NATO’s Icelandic Air Policing mission. According to NATO, the Italian 5th generation aircraft, belonging to th Task Group “Falco” of the Task Force Air 32nd Wing, in QRA (Quick Reaction Alert) at Keflavik, were scrambled to intercept the Russian airc
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07/06/2020
The island of Taiwan‘s defense authority said fighter jets of the Chinese People‘s Liberation Army (PLA) approached the island on Tuesday, the day a US military aircraft flew over the island that‘s bound to further raise cross-Straits tensions following a series of US arms sales to the island, and a US warship transit through the Taiwan Straits.
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07/06/2020
With China’s armed forces growing bigger and more sophisticated by the year, Western and allied militaries are scrambling to keep up. The Australian military, for one, has a plan for taking the fight to China. As part of a $400 billion defense-wide plan stretching out to 2030, the Royal Australian Air Force intends to arm its growing fleet of American-made fighters with long-range cruise missiles.
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07/06/2020
In opting to domestically produce a fighter that they could almost certainly import for less, South Korea’s defense industry anticipates that the KF-X program will mark the beginning of a profitable fighter business to propel them as a leading military hardware exporter in the Southeast Asia region.
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07/05/2020
The frontline fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force are flying consistently in and out of this airbase near the border with China, including the Russian-origin mighty Su-30MKIs and the MiG-29s. When the ANI team visited the forward airbase, it could see transport aircraft including the American C-17 and the C-130J along with their Russian counterparts Ilyushin-76 and the Antonov-32.
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07/04/2020
Congressman David Obey was worried that some of the sensitive and secretive technologies that went into developing the F-22 could be discovered and reverse-engineered by enemies of the United States if the U.S. were to export the airframe. In particular, the stealth characteristics unique to the plane.
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07/04/2020
The Voyager was rebranded with the Union flag to "better represent" the UK abroad at a cost of £900,000 last month, sparking a political row. The aircraft has a military role in refuelling jets while in the air. It was scrambled along with RAF Lossiemouth Typhoons to intercept Russian military aircraft.
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07/04/2020
The United States Air Force has posted a video about its Skyborg program. First revealed in March 2019, Skyborg was borne of an Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) notion that drones outfitted with artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities could give fighter pilots an advantage.
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07/03/2020
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.
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07/02/2020
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.
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07/02/2020
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.
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07/02/2020
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.
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07/02/2020
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.
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07/02/2020
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
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07/01/2020
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.
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07/01/2020
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.
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07/01/2020
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.
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07/01/2020
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."
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07/01/2020
Iran will significantly expand its military arsenal by buying high-grade weapons from both China and Russia once the arms embargo ends in October, leading defence analysts have said. The world’s most advanced air defence missiles – bar those from the United States – are likely to be snapped up by Tehran along with advanced jets and submarines if the United Nations ban is lifted.
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07/01/2020
The U.S. Air Force’s long-planned test of an airborne laser weapon aboard a fighter jet has been delayed until 2023 due to technical challenges and complications spurred by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, its program head said.
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06/30/2020
Even though the 14 MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter jets and Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer bombers delivered by Russia to Libya in May have not yet been used in combat in Libya’s civil war, the question of who exactly is piloting these warplanes has already come up. A definitive answer could well shed a lot of light on the nature and purpose of this deployment.
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06/30/2020
The deployment of Akash Air Defence System comes after China reportedly increased its fighter jets and helicopter activities along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), de facto border of India and China.
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06/30/2020
Korea Aerospace Industries Co. (KAI), South Korea's sole aircraft manufacturer, said Tuesday it has received a 688 billion-won ($575 million) order to supply trainer jets for South Korea's Air Force by 2024. KAI signed the deal with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration to manufacture a total of 20 TA-50 lead-in fighter aircraft for radar tactical and combat mission training, the company said in a statement.
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06/30/2020
"Iran has not earned the trust to have the embargo lifted... The last thing this region needs is more Iranian weapons," said Brian Hook, President Donald Trump's special representative on Iran during a joint press conference in Saudi Arabia. Mr Hook stood alongside Adel Jubeir, Saudi Arabia's minister of state for foreign affairs.
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06/30/2020
U.S. Air Forces in Europe will host its own Advanced Battle Management System experiment next spring. The exercise will bring in allies and take advantage of new Joint All-Domain Command and Control capabilities to speed up intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance targeting, USAFE boss Gen. Jeffrey L. Harrigian said.
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06/29/2020
The Nimitz and Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Groups are conducting dual carrier operations in the Philippine Sea. The ships and aircraft assigned to both strike groups began coordinated operations in international waters, June 28. While deployed, the carrier strike force is conducting integrated exercises and operations that maintain responsive, flexible, and enduring commitments to mutual defense agreements with allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific.
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06/29/2020
As Indian troops remain dug in at Ladakh in a prolonged standoff with China, allies are pitching in with commitments to deliver urgently needed weapons and ammunition for the armed forces. France has promised to deliver additional Rafale jets next month, an in-service Israeli air defence system is expected soon, precision artillery rounds will be sent by the US, and Russia will make early deliveries of ammunition and weapons worth $1 billion.
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06/29/2020
South Korea’s Defense Project Promotion Committee approved on 26 June plans to acquire more airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft from overseas as part of efforts to beef up its aerial surveillance capabilities, the arms procurement agency said.
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06/29/2020
The Russian Su-35 Flanker ‘4++ generation’ air superiority fighter has stood out among the seven contestants for the Indian Air Force’s Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) tender as the only heavyweight platform and the only one with an airframe specialised for air to air combat. Coming from a higher weight range the Su-35 can comfortably outperform all other contestants across the spectrum, with a heavier payload, longer range, higher altitude ceiling, heavier and more powerful sensors.
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06/29/2020
Investigations by Kuwait’s permanent parliamentary committee to try the ministers involved in the Eurofighter aircraft deal have reportedly found large-scale misappropriation of state funds in securing a deal for the fighter jets. The probe has currently run into a stalemate over movement restrictions and health protocols that have been imposed in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, but there are several questions and doubts that have already cropped up over the contentious defence agreement.
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06/28/2020
China’s fifth-generation Chengdu J-20, its most advanced fighter jet, has recently successfully completed its first maritime combat training. The latest Chinese jet has been in development since 2002 and entered into service in 2017. Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa said the Indian Air Force is capable enough to take on Chinese forces and is fully prepared to meet any challenges.
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06/28/2020
Chinese military aircraft have again entered Taiwan’s air space in an overt attempt to gather intelligence, conduct reconnaissance missions, and intercept U.S planes in the region.
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06/28/2020
US F-22 fighter jets intercepted four Russian Tu-142 reconnaissance aircraft Saturday entering the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), NORAD said in a statement. Saturday's intercept follows similar encounters earlier this month in which US F-22 jets intercepted Russian nuclear-capable bombers near Alaska on three separate occasions. The last previous one was Wednesday when US F-22 fighter jets intercepted two Russian IL-38 maritime patrol aircraft entering the Alaskan Zone late Wed
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06/28/2020
"As part of the ongoing build-up in the sector, the air defence systems of both Indian Army and the Indian Air Force have been deployed in the sector to prevent any misadventure by the Chinese Air Force fighter jets or the People's Liberation Army choppers there," government sources told ANI.
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06/27/2020
Cross party political talks in Sweden addressing future defence funding have collapsed, following disagreement over whether additional money should be approved. The Swedish government will not commit to any extra funding for the 2026-2030 period until the economic impact of COVID-19 can be better assessed, despite opposition parties pushing for up to SEK5 billion ($536 million) per year more.
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06/27/2020
In the same week that Chinese and Indian soldiers engaged in a deadly brawl, one of China’s submarines cruised through the waters near Japan, prompting a scramble of aircraft and ships to track its furtive movements. Chinese fighter jets and at least one bomber buzzed Taiwan’s territorial airspace almost daily.
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06/27/2020
A Russian fighter jet Sukhoi Su-30 of the Black Sea Fleet’s naval air force was scrambled to intercept US reconnaissance aircraft in international airspace over the Black Sea, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday.
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06/27/2020
The MiG-29 is one of the world’s most prolific fighter jets. It currently serves in both NATO and CIS air forces. It’s the fifth most common combat aircraft in the world, even the current president of Bulgarian used to fly them. Despite its popularity, the design has been considered to have some significant flaws and has seen a checkered combat record when it has gone up against Western designs.
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06/27/2020
The Government is considering the purchase of military jet aircraft that would have the capacity to intercept high-altitude planes and fully police Irish skies. A new five-year Defence Forces investment strategy document has said that “future projects at a preplanning stage” include the potential for “air combat interceptors”.
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06/27/2020
Earlier this week, Kazakhstan received the last batch of Mi-35M transport and combat helicopters — a rotorcraft manufactured by Rostvertol, a subsidiary of Russian Helicopters. ‘‘Four new multi-functional attack helicopters Mi-35M arrived at the air base of the Kazakhstan Air Defense Forces located in the west of the country, as part of the military rearmament program carried out in the Armed Forces,’’ reads a statement issued by Kazakhstan’s Defense Ministry on Tuesday.
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06/27/2020
European aerospace giant Airbus announced that German and Spanish Eurofighter fighter jet will be equipped with the world’s most capable fighter jet radar. The company’s news release said the Airbus has been awarded a contract for the development, supply and integration of 115 Eurofighter ESCAN Radars for the German and Spanish Eurofighter fleet.
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06/26/2020
The U.S. Air Force wants to lease advanced trainers as early as next summer while it waits for Boeing’s T-7 Red Hawk, creating an opportunity for the two training jets that lost out to the Red Hawk during the T-X competition. The Air Force intends to open a competition for trainer jets that would help it test out a new training concept called “Rebuilding the Forge,” or “Reforge,” said Air Combat Command head Gen. Mike Holmes on June 22.
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06/26/2020
Many military leaders can attest that the ability to conduct operations and win in modern warfare is rooted in a nation’s ability to work by, with, and through allies and partners. For the United States and U.S. Air Forces Central Command, the ability to conduct and deliver combat airpower alongside partner air forces has increased as its close partner, Qatar, has solidified details and logistics with U.S. government organizations and contractors to procure its own fleet of 48 F-15QA fighter jet
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06/25/2020
The SASC is demanding the Air Force “strive to” maintain 386 operational squadrons — a major increase of personnel and weapons and money — while limiting the service’s ability to retire aging aircraft, complicating the service’s modernization efforts.
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06/25/2020
Elements of the US Air Force and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) have successfully completed a readiness exercise, designed to validate the wing’s ability to rapidly generate combat airpower with fourth and fifth-generation platforms, including the F-35.
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06/24/2020
Fighter aircraft have been stationed at advance air bases in Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana and Punjab. Days after India-China LAC clash that left 20 Indian soldiers dead, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has intensified its Combat Air Patrols (CAP) in Ladakh. According to an IE report, fighter aircraft have been stationed at advance air bases in Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana and Punjab. The CAPs ensure that a credible deterrence is maintained by the IAF in the skies.
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06/24/2020
Yemen's Houthi rebels say they have carried out their largest-ever military operation against neighbouring Saudi Arabia, targeting the defence ministry and a military base in the kingdom's capital, Riyadh. Their announcement on Tuesday came after a Saudi-led military coalition battling the rebels in Yemen said it had intercepted and destroyed missiles and drones fired from the Yemeni capital of Sanaa.
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06/23/2020
Two aircraft carriers sailed in unison Sunday in the Western Pacific to kick off combined flight operations this week. The USS Theodore Roosevelt and USS Nimitz teamed up for drills in the Philippine Sea to demonstrate “the United States’ unique capability to operate multiple carrier strike groups in close proximity,” according to a Navy statement issued over the weekend.
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06/23/2020
Last week, the U.S. Navy took delivery of the first two examples of the latest model of its F/A-18, the Block III Super Hornet. In service with the Navy and Marine Corps since 1983, the flexible design has gone through a Porsche 911-like evolution. Two type series of the original Hornet, the A/B and C/D preceded the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, a larger more capable version of the F/A-18 introduced in 1999.
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06/23/2020
ISIS is not defeated in Libya, and American security remains at risk. Libya is missing from the policy discussion even as the Trump administration reconsiders America’s strategy in multiple theaters. It became an invisible conflict again after the Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham (ISIS) lost control of its former stronghold, Sirte, in December 2016. U.S. airstrikes on ISIS training camps in January 2017 degraded the group, but should remind us that all is not well.
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06/23/2020
The Indian Air Force has intensified its Combat Air Patrols (CAP) in Ladakh in the last few days following the LAC faceoff with China that left 20 Indian soldiers dead. Residents of Leh say that these days they are waking up to the noise of IAF fighter jets flying overhead and increased sorties of transport aircraft and helicopters.
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06/23/2020
The Air Force is looking to bolster its fleet of F-22 Raptors by taking some aircraft from the service’s formal training unit and reconfiguring them for combat operations, the commander of Air Combat Command said June 22.
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06/23/2020
India is planning to purchase 33 fighter jets from Russia amid ongoing border tensions with China. Under the proposed government-to-government deal, Russia will supply 21 MiG 29 fighter jets and 12 Sukhoi Su-30 MKI aircraft to Indian Air Force (IAF). The deal is estimated to cost Rs60bn ($787.6m), reported ANI.
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06/22/2020
The tensions in the two countries have been at a peak since the clashes between Indian and Chinese forces on Monday in the Galvan Valley of Ladakh. While China has already mobilized its large arms and military squads near the border under the guise of maneuvers, the Indian Army has also made full preparations to retaliate.
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06/22/2020
Following multiple border clashes with Pakistan in 2019 and more recently with Chinese forces in Galwan Valley, a number of Indian officials and military analysts have referred to the French Rafale fighter as a guarantor of a favourable outcome in future conflicts. The Rafale is a ‘4+ generation’ French fighter which first flew in 1986, and the Indian Air Force plans to induct 36 of the aircraft into service by 2025. The fighter is particularly prized for its low operational cost and maintenance
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06/22/2020
Russia has denied US claims that it has new aircraft active in Libyan airspace. The denial came in the form of a short tweet by the Russian embassy in Greece last Thursday (18 June) quoting Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov. The tweet read: ‘‘Deliberate falsifications ‘ve been made regarding military equipment. Equipment delivered to Libya long ago is presented as recent Russian deliveries. Reports based on info from unreliable sources interested in supporting Hafter’s adversarie
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06/22/2020
China is set to release its 2020 research report on the US military presence in the Asia-Pacific region amid the US' recent increased military activities near China, including repeated trespassing into China's territorial waters in the South China Sea by warships this year. The possibility of a conflict could substantially increase, which must be managed and prevented, the report says.
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06/22/2020
A Chinese fighter jet briefly entered the nation’s airspace at about noon yesterday, the Republic of China (ROC) Air Force said in a news release. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force Chengdu J-10 fighter was detected near the southwestern region of Taiwan’s airspace, and was immediately intercepted and escorted away following radio warnings, it said.
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06/21/2020
Amid efforts to de-escalate tensions at the India-China border in Galwan Valley of Ladakh, the Indian Air Force has reportedly flown in combat air patrols after information of Chinese incursions at multiple sites, an NDTV report stated.
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06/20/2020
Russian aircraft delivered to Libya in late May are being actively flown in Libya. These Russian aircraft are being used to support private military companies (PMCs) sponsored by the Russian government. U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) has photographic evidence of a Russian aircraft taking off from al-Jufra, Libya. A MiG-29 was also photographed operating in the vicinity of the city of Sirte, Libya.
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06/20/2020
The face-off between India and China in Ladakh, which resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers, has put the spotlight on their war machines. On paper, China may look superior, but India has more experience in the high-terrain battlefield. Mint takes a deep dive.
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06/20/2020
Military chopper and fighter jet activity were seen in Leh region of Ladakh on Friday.
The activity assumes significance in view of the ongoing dispute with China and after the violent face-off with Chinese troops in Galwan valley in Ladakh. Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force has moved its critical frontline assets including the Sukhoi-30MKI, Mirage 2000 and Jaguar fighter aircraft fleet to advanced positions where they can fly in at a very short notice to carry out operations.
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06/20/2020
Two B-2 Spirit strategic stealth bombers were Thursday flying from an airbase in Missouri across the North Atlantic to the skies over the northernmost parts of the Norwegian Sea. The origin of the planes belonging to the 509th Bomb Wing and indications of the flight patterns were confirmed by the public affairs office of the United States European Command.
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06/20/2020
A second F-35 Lightning II fifth-generation stealth fighter jet squadron is expected to be stood up at Eglin Air Force Base next year, a move “which will effectively double our operation by 2022,” Col. Jon Wheeler, commander of the Eglin-based 33rd Fighter Wing, said this week. Wheeler spoke at an online defense issues forum convened Thursday via YouTube by U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz. He said the new squadron will bring an additional 24 aircraft and between 370 and 410 additional personnel to the base
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06/20/2020
U.S. Air Force aerial warfare experts will upgrade RF and microwave hardware and software on modern active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar for F-16 jet fighter aircraft. Officials of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, announced an $18.7 million order to last week to the Northrop Grumman Corp. Mission Systems segment in Linthicum Heights, Md.
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06/20/2020
The Russian military sent Su-30 Flanker and Su-35 Flanker-E fighter jets and MiG-31 Foxhound interceptors to monitor two U.S. Air Force B-52H bombers that flew over the Sea of Okhotsk yesterday. This the first time B-52Hs have flown into this body water, which is surrounded on three sides by Russian territory and where American combat aircraft typically have not ventured in the past, in recent memory.
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06/19/2020
The Air Force will test a new fighter pilot training plan designed to fix deficiencies and reduce the time needed to transform a raw student pilot into a fighter flight lead from 40 to as few as 22 months. The new concept of operations exploits the in-jet simulation capability of the new T-7 Red Hawk, paired with ground-based virtual reality and artificial intelligence to accelerate student progress.
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06/19/2020
Standoff weapons are just too expensive to be relied on exclusively for an ongoing air campaign against China or Russia, and the better investment is more bombers, according to the author of a new paper from the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.
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06/19/2020
A US Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet crashed into the sea Thursday, the US Navy's 7th Fleet said in a statement. The fighter jet, part of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt's air wing, crashed during routine pilot proficiency training. Both naval aviators were able to safely eject from the aircraft and were recovered by a helicopter crew from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 8. Both individuals are in good condition.
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06/19/2020
In a move likely to boost the strength of its fighter jet squadrons, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has proposed to acquire 33 new combat aircraft including 12 Sukhoi and 21 MiG-29s. A proposal for speedy acquisition of these combat fighter jets has already been initiated and sent to the central government for approval.
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06/18/2020
The tensions on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between Indian security forces and China’s PLA have renewed the question of how New Delhi should deal with a rising, assertive Beijing.
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06/18/2020
China has a group of honor guard members to Moscow as part of a deliberate show of support by attending Russia’s seventy-fifth World War II Soviet Victory Parade, a move signaling ongoing collaboration or even partnership between the two countries. At the same time, the Chinese move appears to be a clear effort to demonstrate the range and scope of its Y-20 cargo plane which, Chinese media reports, will soon be developed into a tanker refueling aircraft variant.
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06/17/2020
A Hawk aircraft of the Indonesian Air Force that crashed into a residential area in Riau Province on Monday had just completed a combat training mission in Siabu, said TNI AU Commander Marshal Fadjar Prasetyo. The Hawk 0209 TT fighter aircraft crashed in Siak Hulu Sub-district, Kampar District, Riau Province, after reportedly developing engine trouble.
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06/17/2020
Raytheon has confirmed the first successful guided release of a StormBreaker smart weapon from a US Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, ahead of the missile’s planned integration into the F-15E Eagle and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. No, it isn't the Marvel superhero's axe, forged in the heart of a dying star, it is however the latest generation of guided missile that will enhance the lethality of both the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and the fifth-generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
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06/17/2020
Amid the ongoing border standoff with China, the BrahMos air launched cruise missile has received clearance for combat use. The BrahMos armed SU-30 squadron was inaugurated earlier this year in January. "The fleet release clearance certification has paved the way for the pilots of the Indian Air Force (IAF) squadrons to use the missile during combat missions," BrahMos Corporation told India Today.
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06/17/2020
The received wisdom that “missiles and rockets don’t win wars,” always a dubious assertion, is now obsolete and demonstrably false. Modern precision-guided missiles have the same combat effectiveness as fighting aircraft yet are easier to operate and less vulnerable as they don’t rely on huge, immovable, target-rich air bases. Precision-guided missiles and rockets can paralyze the civilian and military infrastructures of entire countries, thus paving the way to their defeat in war.
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06/17/2020
The U.S. government has approved the potential sale of an extensive upgrade package, dubbed the Hornet Extension Program, for Canada's CF-18A/B+ Hornet fighter jets. The proposed deal most notably includes enough AN/APG-79(V)4 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars to equip two squadrons worth of jets, which would give those aircraft a desperately needed boost in their ability to detect, track, and engage threats at extended ranges.
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06/16/2020
NATO fighter jets stationed in the Baltic states as part of the NATO air policing mission were scrambled eight times last week to identify and escort military aircraft of the Russian Federation in the international airspace over the Baltic Sea, Lithuania's Ministry of Defense said on Monday.
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06/16/2020
A military aircraft ploughed into a residential area in the Kubang Jaya Village, Siak Hulu Sub-district, Kampar District, in Riau Province on Monday. "Yes, an aircraft crashed some 500 meters from my house. The incident occurred at around 8:30 a.m. local time," Wahyu, a local resident, stated. No further report was received of any casualty, and the Air Force personnel have sealed off the crash site.
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06/16/2020
The Israeli air force’s F-35 special test aircraft is set to arrive in Israel, suitably enough, on the Fourth of July, along with three more Joint Strike Fighters. The arrival will start a planned process of upgrading the IAF’s F-35 aimed at making them the main target supplier for the Israeli defense forces.
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06/16/2020
Legendary Bangladeshi-origin fighter pilot Saif-ul-Azam, who passed away Sunday morning, evokes memories of his courage, steadfastness, and bravery in the Middle East, far away from his home. He will go down in history, perhaps the only pilot who piloted fighter planes for four countries -Jordan, Iraq Pakistan, and Bangladesh. He also holds the unique record of destroying fighter planes of two different air forces -- India and Israel.
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06/16/2020
Now, the stealth fighter will have a safer and more direct way to transmit intelligence data, video-sharing, targeting information and other combat essential communication through Link 16 data exchange enabling non-radio or voice connectivity between aircraft in war.
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06/16/2020
The pilot of the US Air Force F-15C fighter jet that crashed off the north-east coast of England has been found dead, RAF Lakenheath have confirmed. This evening Col Will Marshall, comandander of the 48th fighter wing at Suffolk’s RAF Lakenheath where the aircraft was based, said the pilot of the downed F-15C Eagle had been “located and confirmed deceased”.
He added that the pilot’s name would not “be released until all next of kin notifications have been made”.
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06/15/2020
The pilot of an F-15C Eagle fighter jet that crashed into the sea east of the United Kingdom Monday morning has been found dead. The F-15, from the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom, crashed into the North Sea at about 9:40 a.m. local time Monday, the Air Force said. The wing said the aircraft was on a routine training mission with one pilot on board, but that the cause of the crash remained unknown.
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06/15/2020
The F-15C Eagle, from the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, crashed shortly after 09:40 BST while on a training mission. The cause of the crash is currently unknown but the US Air Force confirmed only one pilot was on board. Search and rescue teams are looking for the aircraft, which is believed to have crashed 74 nautical miles off the East Yorkshire coast.
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06/15/2020
The Egyptian Air Force intercepted two Russian military aircraft that were en route to Libya this past weekend, Avia.Pro reported on Sunday. “The Egyptian military for the second time in the last 48 hours intercepted a Russian military plane flying from the Khmeimim airbase to the Libyan national army airbase in Libya,” the publication said.
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06/15/2020
China has responded to an "unusual" flight by a US transport aircraft by sending its combat jets into Taiwan's airspace. Taiwan says it had to "forcibly" remove them. Communist China considers Taiwan its sovereign territory. Taiwan – never conquered during the 1949 Cultural Revolution – does not. Chairman-for-life Xi Jinping, however, has repeatedly asserted his intention to bring the island under Beijing's rule – by any means necessary.
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06/15/2020
According to information released by the U.S. Department of Defense on June 11, 2020, American Company Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a $368,194,942 not-to-exceed, undefinitized contract modification (P00036) to previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm-target, firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract N00019-17-C-0001. This modification provides for the procurement of five F-35A Lightning II lot 14 aircraft
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06/14/2020
China at the Line of Actual Control is not the only thing India needs to worry about. According to recent media reports, China is growing its military presence in the Indian Ocean too. Satellite pictures in May this year suggest China’s military base at Djibouti is being modernised. The facility, set up in 2017 as a logistics support unit, is being upgraded into a full-fledged naval base with a 1,120-feet pier that can berth Chinese warships, including the Liaoning aircraft carrier.
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06/14/2020
Ever since the outbreak of the coronavirus, China and the US have been at each other’s throats. While China has been taking advantage of the pandemic to forward its interests in the South China Sea, Hong Kong and India, the US has resorted to passing ant-China bills and pushed anti-China rhetoric globally.
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06/14/2020
The United States Air Force says that a woman has flown its new class of F-35A Lightning II fighter jets into combat for the first time ever. Captain Emily ‘Banzai’ Thompson piloted the stealth aircraft after deploying from the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, according to the military.
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06/13/2020
China is apparently operating some of its Y-8FQ ASW (Anti-submarine Warfare) aircraft from a 3,100 meter (10,000 foot) airstrip on the Fiery Cross (Yongshu) Reef airbase. This base was completed in 2016 by dredging up enough sand to create a 271 hectare (677 acre) artificial island. Before that there were two tiny “islands” that were rocky outcroppings only exposed at low tide.
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06/13/2020
The Pentagon has awarded Lockheed Martin a contract $368.2 million to produce five F-35A fighters and an F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) jet. “Lockheed Martin is awarded a $368.2 million contract modification. This modification provides for the procurement of five F-35A Lightning II lot 14 aircraft, one F-35B lot 14 combat aircrafts and associated red gear for the government of Italy. Work is expected to be complete by June 2023,” Pentagon said in a statement Thursday.
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06/13/2020
Bolshakov blames the situation on Russia’s weak finances. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia in the 1980s and 1990s focused on improving its fourth-generation Cold War aircraft instead of fifth-generation models like the Su-57. While several hundred advanced fighters were produced, many were exported to foreign customers for cash instead of the Russian air force.
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06/13/2020
The Senate Armed Services Committee isn't keen on the U.S. Air Force's plans to retire legacy aircraft in favor of new technology, putting a stop to some proposed aircraft retirements and delaying others. In the committee's version of the fiscal 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, lawmakers say that the service must operate a minimum number of aircraft for each major mission set.
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06/13/2020
Deliveries of a new precision-guided bomb under development by Raytheon for the F-35 and other fighter jets have been at a standstill for about a year as the company struggles to correct a technical problem involving a key component. A fix for the issue, which brought production of the Small Diameter Bomb II to a halt in July 2019, could be approved by the government as soon as July, said Air Force spokesman Capt. Jake Bailey in response to questions by Defense News.
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06/12/2020
Moscow has also repeatedly voiced concern over the deployment of NATO forces near Russian borders, describing it as a threat to its security. Russia and the alliance have also blamed each other for conducting destabilising military exercises near borders. The US and NATO allies have repeatedly said that Russian fighter jets have performed unsafe maneuvers while shadowing their planes - accusations that the Russian military has rejected.
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06/12/2020
The Navy confirms to WKRG News 5 that two people killed in a plane crash in Alabama were personnel assigned to NAS Pensacola. According the Selma Times the local district attorney has identified the victims as Joshua Fuller and Vincent Segars, two Navy pilots. The Navy has not officially confirmed that information. Captain Segars currently serves as the commanding officer, Naval Aviation Schools Command according to his Navy bio.
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06/12/2020
Meggitt has signed a $15 million contract with Chemring Australia Pty, for the continued supply of flare countermeasure assemblies on the F-35 fighter jet. The contract award strengthens the existing partnership between Chemring Australia and Meggitt on the multirole combat aircraft. Countermeasures are critical to pilot survival in a combat environment. They provide decoy heat signatures that attract enemy fire, enabling an aircraft to return to base safely.
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06/12/2020
A twitter user said – “I definitely saw jet planes, live near airport. Whats up,” said Laraib Mohib from Karachi. “There were a lot of fighter jets flying around in Karachi probably,” added Ayesha Zafar, also from Karachi. However, IAF sources have rejected any such activity by its fighter aircraft over Pakistan.
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06/12/2020
The Senate Armed Services Committee wants to give the Air Force more F-35 fighter jets and drones, but the panel’s version of the 2021 defense policy bill leaves many questions open about the future of the service’s legacy aircraft. In the Air Force’s fiscal 2021 budget request, the service proposed retiring a number of its B-1 bombers, A-10 Warthog attack planes, RQ-4 Global Hawk surveillance drones, KC-135 and KC-10 tankers, and C-130H planes.
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06/11/2020
The Russian military plane entered the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone and was intercepted by US combat aircraft, supported by US oil tankers, NORAD said in a statement. In the first encounter, NORAD said, two Russian bombers, two Russian fighter jets and a Russian control and early warning aircraft approached 20 nautical miles off the coast of Alaska. The second formation consisted of two bombers and an airborne early warning and control aircraft that reached 32 nautical miles.
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06/11/2020
The next generation of MiG-35 fighter jets used by the Russian military will use a voice assistant named Rita to help out in complex situations, according to a report from Russian news service Sputnik. The new features will expand Rita’s role to include providing suggestions when matters in the air become fraught, like a more high-stakes version of Alexa or Google Assistant.
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06/11/2020
There are as yet unconfirmed reports that at least one MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter from a tranche of jets that Russia sent to Libya to bolster forces aligned with strongman Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army last month has now flown a mission over the strategic coastal city of Sirte. This comes as the U.N.-recognized Government of National Accord is pushing to retake control of that area after weeks of substantial victories fueled by Turkish military assistance, especially deliveries of armed dron
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06/11/2020
The Republic of Georgia is ready to flip a switch, power up an old factory and churn out copies of the rugged old Su-25 Rook attack plane, the Soviet answer to America’s A-10 Warthog. But don’t hold your breath awaiting factory-fresh Rooks to flood the warplane market. The tiny Eastern European country, population 3.7 million, can’t afford to buy a bunch of Su-25s. And it’s not clear that the international market is clamoring for the plane, either.
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06/11/2020
Crew members of the Russian Aerospace Forces’ (VKS) Tu-160 supersonic strategic bomber and Il-78 long-range aircraft have conducted night refuelling in the air. The flight training was performed in the airspace over the Volga region in Russia. During the flights, crew personnel of VKS performed two night aircraft refuelling missions under harsh weather conditions with a strong crosswind. It saw the participation of more than five aircraft units.
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06/10/2020
A civilian aircraft collided with a sitting MV-22 Osprey last month in San Diego, resulting in millions' worth of damage to the tiltrotor aircraft. The Class A mishap, defined as one that involves fatalities, damage totaling $2 million or more, or a complete loss of the aircraft, happened May 30 at Brown Field, a Marine Corps official told Military.com. The incident was highlighted in a recently released Naval Safety Center accident report.
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06/10/2020
Taiwanese fighter jets reportedly "drove off" Chinese Su-30 Flankers after the latter briefly entered the island's air defense identification zone earlier today. That incident came after a U.S. Navy C-40A Clipper passenger transport aircraft flew an extremely unusual route over Taiwan's western coast, a flight that was almost sure to draw some form of rebuke from authorities in Beijing, who consider the island part the country's sovereign territory.
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06/09/2020
Four service members were injured Monday when a C-130H Hercules overran the runway while landing at Camp Taji, Iraq, and crashed into a wall, sparking a fire. The service members’ injuries were not life-threatening, and they are being treated at the base’s medical facility, according to a release by Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve.
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06/09/2020
Taiwan's Air Force is set to test the first locally developed advanced jet trainer (AJT) on June 22 at Taichung Air Base weather permitting, with President Tsai Ing-wen expected to attend, a military official told CNA on Monday. The test will be moved to a later date should the weather be bad, said the official who asked not to be named.
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06/09/2020
India is facing constant threat from its neighbors on both eastern and western front of the country’s border. India has fought 5 wars in the short span of time on both the fronts and already facing continuous insurgency and malpractices sponsored by the nations around its border.
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06/09/2020
“I am part of the air policing mission, which consists in scrambling fighter jets whenever a suspicious aircraft is spotted and visuals checks are required to assess the situation”, explains Quentin. His work also consists in regular air combat training to be able to quickly take action if required.
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06/09/2020
The Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) F-35A aircraft has completed 1,000 flying hours over the skies of Arizona, US. In 2014, the aircraft was manufactured by Lockheed Martin in Texas, US. Currently, the aircraft A35-001 is operated by the international Pilot Training Centre (PTC) at Luke Air Force Base (AFB) in the US.
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06/09/2020
The development of South Korea’s indigenous KF-X fighter jet has taken another step forward with GE Aviation delivering the first engine for program, although development partner Indonesia continues to rack up overdue payments for its share.
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06/08/2020
Scenarios involving China taking military action against Taiwan have been a hot topic for decades. The most dramatic one would be a full-blown invasion involving amphibious landings. Back in the 1990s it was derided as the ‘million man swim’ because it was not believed that China had the naval means to pull it off. Some may still make that joke, but it may no longer reflect reality.
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06/08/2020
Today we will try to bring you inside the mind of a fighter pilot engaging an adversary aircraft during a dogfight. And we will do that through a bit of the theory behind WVR aerial combat, explaining the so-called BFM (Basic Fighter Maneuvers), the tactical movements performed by a fighter during an aerial engagement to gain a positional advantage over the opponent. BFM are based on aerodynamic, physics, kinematics, energy and geometry concepts.
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06/07/2020
The Air Force plans to test an autonomous fighter drone controlled by artificial intelligence against a human pilot in war games, it has been revealed. Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan, head of the Pentagon's Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, said on Thursday that the Air Force Research Laboratory hope to conduct the test in July 2021.
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06/07/2020
The failure of illegitimate forces in Libya and Yemen cost its supporter UAE billions of dollars, which provided weapons, ammunition and mercenaries to the militias in the two countries. Supporting warlord Khalifa Haftar in Libya, the UAE clashed in Yemen even with the coalition it is part of and backs the separatist forces in the south.
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06/06/2020
New Zealand's military said Friday it will buy five Super Hercules transport planes from Lockheed Martin for $1 billion. The planes will replace the military's existing fleet of Hercules, all of which are more than 50 years old and have been involved in a series of embarrassing breakdowns over recent years.
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06/06/2020
Although the Communist nation is reportedly years away from controlling the highly disputed region, Taiwanese officials warned of the threat posed by the Chinese air defence identification zone (ADIZ). Beijing is working to establish a framework to assert control. Military news site US Navy Institute (USNI) reports China has hinted at an ADIZ over the South China Sea for years.
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06/06/2020
Russia is pursuing additional tests, demonstrations and “familiarization flights” of its emerging Okhotnik stealthy heavy attack drone. These tests are intended to bring surveillance technology and stealthy assault mission options to this 5th generation aircraft.
(Read More...)
06/06/2020
In light of the recent Russian move of sending advanced MiG-29 fighter and SU-34 ground attack jets to Libya, the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), is in talks with neighboring Tunisia to bolster ties between the two nations. U.S. Army General Stephen Townsend, the Commander of AFRICOM, spoke via phone with Imed Hazgui, Minister of Defense of the Republic of Tunisia.
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06/06/2020
So-called 'elephant walks,' air readiness exercises that involve large numbers of fixed and rotary-wing aircraft that are meant to demonstrate the ability to rapidly get significant numbers of planes and helicopters into the air during a major contingency, have become increasingly common within the U.S. military in recent years.
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06/05/2020
Syrian forces have started to carry out missions on the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 fighters which they received from Russia a few days ago. Confirming the delivery of the MiG-29s, the Russian Embassy in Syria on Wednesday (June 3, 2020) tweeted that the second batch of the combat aircraft had joined the Arab country's military.
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06/05/2020
Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS (Kongsberg) has signed a contract with Marvin Engineering to supply air-to-air pylons for the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter programme.
The $14.3m (Nkr136m) agreement covers production lot 14 for all types of the fighter jet.
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06/04/2020
The head of the Royal Navy, First Sea Lord Admiral Tony Radakin, has visited the Lightning Force for the first time since the appointment of a new “Senior Service” commanding officer to an F-35B squadron.
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06/04/2020
A former Stealth Jet pilot provided some details about a previously unknown role of the F-117 during a recent interview at the Fighter Pilot Podcast. And here are some comments.
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06/03/2020
This coming Friday, June 5, marks the anniversary of the day in 1946 when the Air Force announced that Boeing BA had won the competition to build the plane that would become the B-52 Stratofortress. That event unfolded so long ago that the Air Force was not yet an independent service, and the plane Boeing initially proposed was propeller-driven. It isn’t likely anybody at the time imagined the new bomber would become the most iconic military aircraft in history.
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06/03/2020
According to The South China Morning Post, which first reported on Shandong’s sea trials, at-sea training of Shandong‘s crew was disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, but the vessel is now carrying out its first exercises at sea since being commissioned with the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN or Chinese navy) last year.
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06/03/2020
Russia delivered a batch of Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 combat aircraft to Syria on May 30, 2020, to counter the threat posed by Israel's F-16 Fighting Falcons. The MiG-29 fighters, the most advanced versions of the legendary jets, were handed over to the Syrian Arab Air Force at the Hmeimim base in Lattakia.
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06/02/2020
Former acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly hadn’t been out of the job more than a month before the Navy canceled an ongoing study he’d launched into the future of aircraft carriers — a review he optimistically termed “Future Carrier 2030.”
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06/02/2020
India is keeping a close eye on Chinese jets after aircraft flew extremely close to the hostile border between the two nations. The Indian Air Force has been keeping strict aerial surveillance in the disputed region. Referring to the build-up of aircraft capability in the area, Defence Editor at The Economist, Shashank Joshi tweeted: "10 to 12 Chinese fighter aircraft have been stationed at the PLA Air Force bases in Hotan and Gargunsa.
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06/02/2020
Backed by military contractors, Russia deployed military fighter jets to Al Jufra Airfield in Libya, prompting the US Army to consider sending military training personnel to neighboring Tunisia.
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06/01/2020
Beijing has been making plans for an air defence identification zone (ADIZ) in the South China Sea since 2010, the same year it said it was considering the introduction of similar airspace controls over the East China Sea in a move that was widely criticised around the world, a military insider said.
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05/31/2020
U.S. Africa Command flatly rejected Russian claims that Moscow did not deploy fighter jets to Libya, saying Friday that the 14 aircraft flown in reflect Russia’s longer term goal to establish a foothold in the region that could threaten NATO allies.
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05/31/2020
Chief Executive of Lockheed Martin Aus and NZ Joe North says the Royal Australian Airforce's integration of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter combat planes will be "a game changer" and will provide a "transformational air fighting capability" to the nation. The ADF will integrate at least 72 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters by 2023 in what will be a big investment that will provide huge value to the nation's defence force and national security.
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05/31/2020
Russian fighter jets intercepted US Air Force B-1B strategic bombers over the neutral waters of the Black and Baltic Seas, the Defence Ministry here said in a statement Friday. "On May 29, the air defence duty forces of the Western and Southern military districts timely revealed the actions of the US Air Force B-1B strategic bombers over the neutral waters of the Black and Baltic Seas and scrambled Russian fighters to escort them," the Ministry said in a statement on Friday.
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05/30/2020
The Syrian Air Force suffered major losses between 2011 and 2015 as their aircraft and helicopters were unleashed on rebels and civilian supporters. The Syrian warplanes were in no shape for this much activity and took a beating. Of the 370 usable fixed wing war planes available in early 2011, after two years about half were out of action because of combat or wear and tear.
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05/30/2020
Two B-1B Lancers on May 29 flew another long-range bomber task force flight to Eastern Europe, integrating with Ukrainian fighter jets and Turkish KC-135s for the first time as well as multiple other allied nations. The flight of B-1s from the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., marked a rare trip into the Black Sea region where they met with Ukrainian Su-27s and MiG-29s.
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05/30/2020
It has been sixty years since the first prototype of the Northrop F-5 family of lightweight fighter-bombers took its first flight on July 30, 1959. The F-5 played an important but understated role in the Vietnam War and continues to fly today—albeit with updated equipment—with some air forces and private combat flight training contractors, proving its capability to compete with some of the latest technologically superior light fighters.
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05/30/2020
U.S. Africa Command observed movement of Russian combat aircraft at Khmeymim Air Base in Syria. Last week, the intelligence spotted there a batch of unmarked MiG-29 Fulcrums, the fourth-generation fighter jets. It appears that the planes landed there before departing to Libya, where they could "support forces aligned with rogue Libyan general Khalifa Haftar, who has been fighting for years against the country's U.N.-recognized government". Warzone.com reported that, citing the social media.
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05/29/2020
Often referred to as an “aerial quarterback,” the U.S. F-22 Raptor is designed as a “first look, first shot, first kill” kind of air dominance fighter intended to ensure air supremacy and, in many cases, establish a safer “air corridor” for less stealthy and maneuverable aircraft to attack.
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05/29/2020
Eurofighter Typhoon is the most advanced multi-role aircraft in the world and it's known for its flexibility and agility. The jet fighter provides air-to-surface and air-to-air capabilities. This is the only aircraft on the market with advanced weapon availability and sufficient processing power to support missile in-flight updates. Flexible and efficient, Eurofighter Typhoon can carry up to 6 bombs, a targeting pod, and a cannon. It has true swing-role capabilities.
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05/29/2020
The delivery of the first four Rafale fight aircrafts was supposed to have arrived by the end of May from France but due to the outbreak of the coronavirus it was postponed by two months. The aircrafts reportedly cannot be matched by India’s rivals China and Pakistan. Defence sources told Asia’s premiere news agency, ANI: “The first four aircrafts including three twin-seater trainer aircrafts and one single-seater fighter aircraft would start arriving by the end of July at the Ambala airbase.
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05/28/2020
China's two aircraft carriers will be deployed in August near Taiwanese waters for military exercises, according to reports. The aircraft carriers Liaoning and Shandong will be deployed together in the Yellow Sea's Bohai Bay for combat readiness drills which could include a simulation of a future assault on Taiwan's Dongsha, or Pratas, Islands, according to the Global Times, Taiwan News and reports from Australia.
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05/28/2020
The U.S. Navy has released a video and images showing two fully-armed Russian Su-35 Flanker-E fighter jets flying dangerously close to one of its P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol planes over international waters in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea today. The incident comes after U.S. Africa Command issued a press release, along with images, some of which a P-8A appeared to have captured, showing Russian combat jets making their way to Libya to reinforce mercenaries and other forces.
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05/28/2020
Powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A turboprop, 180 KT-1s are in service globally. The Republic of Korea Air Force operates 106 examples. Other users include Turkey (40), Peru (20), and Indonesia (14). Cirium fleets data shows that Senegal currently operates 25 aircraft - most of which are helicopter - with the training mission performed using six Daher TB 30s. In April 2018, Senegal became the first buyer of the new-generation Aero Vodochody L-39NG, with an order for four armed examples.
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05/26/2020
The United States will send 1,200 Marines to Australia in coming weeks amid increasing tensions between Western nations and China over COVID-19. The main force will begin arriving in Darwin in early June but an advance party of 54 Marines has been stationed in the Northern Territory for two months. The US and Australian governments postponed this year's deployment of Marine Rotational Force - Darwin in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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05/26/2020
Sukhoi Su-35, the 4++ Generation supersonic multirole Russian fighter will soon join the Egyptian Air Force. Russian news agency TASS quoted a military-diplomatic source as saying that the production of Sukhoi Su-35 jets for Egypt have started.
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05/26/2020
The Indian Air Force will operationalise a second squadron of the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft this week. IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria will operationalize the squadron at Sulur in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday. The IAF’s Number 18 Squadron, “Flying Bullets”, will be raised with Tejas aircraft in the Final Operational Configuration. “The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, will operationalise No. 18 Squadron ‘Flying Bullets’ of the Indian Air Force on May 27.
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05/25/2020
The Italian Navy has celebrated a major milestone in the life of its LHD/aircraft carrier hybrid, the Cavour, following a 16-month complex overhaul and modernisation that will allow the vessel to embark the fifth-generation F-35B, conduct complex combat operations, transport marines and conduct humanitarian support and assistance in a single platform package.
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05/24/2020
As a Soviet successor state, the small Central Asian Republic of Georgia inherited a number of advanced Soviet made weapons systems following the USSR's collapse which continue to form the bulk of the country's inventory until today. Unlike other larger successor states such as Ukraine and Kazakhstan, Georgia's armed forces received few aerial warfare systems, with the only significant acquisition being approximately twenty Su-25 attack jets.
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05/24/2020
Moscow’s efforts to develop, test and procure its new Su-57 fifth-generation stealth fighter have long stalled, with numerous setbacks and delays. While progress has been made, ongoing issues appear to beleaguer aspects of this complex development process, especially following the high-profile crash of an Su-57 prototype during a test flight on December 24, 2019, in Khabarovsk region, in Russia’s Far East.
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05/23/2020
The U.S. Navy is sending an increasingly obvious number of ships into a disputed Asian sea to prove that COVID-19 won’t stop it from resisting China’s maritime expansion, observers say.
U.S. Cold War foe China, which claims about 90 percent of the South China Sea, never halted military activities in the resource-rich tropical sea, despite the disease outbreak in its own country. Washington now wants its Asian allies – smaller countries fearful of China’s reach – to know they have not been forgo
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05/23/2020
A little over a year since Greenville’s Lockheed Martin Corp. facility welcomed its first production line, the aerospace manufacturer remains on track to introduce South Carolina’s first F-16 Fighting Falcon within two years — with some potential new customers in the works.
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05/23/2020
The F-35 pilot who flew the two infamous supersonic missions that inflicted damage to the jet’s stealth coating and tail wants to set the record straight. When pilots conduct supersonic intercepts or find themselves needing to race away from an enemy during combat, they will be able to take the F-35 to its furthest limits of speed and altitude — most likely without any permanent damage to the aircraft, he told Defense News in an exclusive interview.
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05/22/2020
Senior Russian military officials have announced that the emerging Su-57 5th-generation stealth fighter recently met nearly all of its specified performance requirements during state testing, raising questions as to the actual state of its operational sophistication.
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05/22/2020
U.S. B-1B Lancers trained with Swedish Gripen fighter jets over Sweden Tuesday, a first in the bomber’s 35-year history, the Air Force said. A pair of the bombers flew from Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., to integrate with the Swedish Armed Forces jets and conduct close-air support training with Swedish Joint Terminal Attack Controller ground teams at Vidsel Test Range, the Air Force said in a news release Thursday.
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05/22/2020
Satellite imagery has emerged showing at least one MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter jet at an air base in Libya under the control of forces aligned with rogue general Khalifa Haftar. This follows reports that six MiG-29s, as well as a pair of Su-24 Fencer combat jets, had recently arrived to join Haftar's Libyan National Army, or LNA.
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05/22/2020
Lockheed Martin won a contract to sell its Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP) and two other sensors to two dozen countries and US military services – a deal worth up to $485 million. The US Air Force (USAF) granted the company the indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract (IDIQ), which has a $485 million ceiling, via the Foreign Military Sales process.
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05/21/2020
The US Navy (USN) has started final tests of two systems competing to win the service’s Next Generation Jammer Low Band (NGL-LB) competition, which aims to develop a jammer for Boeing EA-18G Growlers. Tests of systems developed by L3Harris and Northrop Grumman are part of that programme’s Demonstration of Existing Technologies phase. They are planned to run through summer at NAS Patuxent River in Maryland, the US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) said on 18 May.
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05/21/2020
Boeing Defence UK has named STS Aviation Services as its conversion partner for the Royal Air Force’s (RAF’s) future fleet of five 737NG-based E-7A Wedgetail surveillance aircraft, after Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group withdrew from the project. Announcing the selection on 20 May, Boeing said the narrowbodies will be prepared for military service using a hangar at Birmingham airport which was previously occupied by Monarch Aircraft Engineering (MAEL).
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05/20/2020
For the second time in four days a fifth-generation fighter jet has crashed at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. An F-35A Lightning II assigned to the 58th Fighter Squadron crashed upon landing around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday at Eglin, according to a media release. The pilot successfully ejected and was transported to the 96th Medical Group Hospital at Eglin for evaluation and monitoring.
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05/20/2020
Operation Okra is the Australian Defence Force (ADF) contribution to the military intervention against the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) terrorist threat. As part of Joint Task Force 633 in the Middle East, the operation began in August 2014, and its initial stated aim was to combat ISIL threats in Iraq. Australia’s contribution is being closely coordinated with the Iraqi Government, Gulf nations and a broad coalition of international partners.
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05/20/2020
The Air Force’s fleet in fiscal 2019 maintained an overall mission capable rate of 70.27 percent, a slight increase from the previous year. Although some key combat aircraft, such as the fifth-generation F-22 Raptor, sustained low capability rates, service officials say the numbers don’t tell the whole story.
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05/20/2020
Lockheed Martin will likely miss its production target of 141 examples of the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter in 2020. The company’s suppliers are not able to deliver parts on time, a disruption caused by the coronavirus. As a result, the number of F-35s produced this year could fall by 18 to 24 units below the 141 aircraft goal, Lockheed Martin says on 19 May.
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05/20/2020
Germany has initiated an independent process to consider the ethical and legal implications of using autonomy and artificial intelligence (AI) as part of a multinational Future Combat Air System (FCAS), to enter use by around 2040.
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05/20/2020
For the last five years, Air Force Special Operations Command has been working toward incorporating a high-energy laser weapon on its newest AC-130J gunship. It now plans to test-fire a 60-kilowatt laser in 2022, according to a program officer affiliated with the program.
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05/19/2020
Information was leaked pertaining to the F-3 sixth-generation fighter jet. Japan is expected to start development of the F-3 in 2021. Currently, Japan needs to protect themselves from China. Japan always had tumultuous relations with China. Conflicts between Beijing and Tokyo go back centuries.
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05/19/2020
Saab announced on 18 May that it has received an order from an unnamed customer for its Saab 2000 Erieye AEW&C solution, under a SEK1.55 billion ($158.37 million) contract. An undisclosed number of aircraft will be delivered between 2020 and 2023. Saab will carry out the work in Sweden at sites in Arboga, Gothenburg, Järfälla, Linköping and Luleå.
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05/19/2020
Air Chief Marshal R.K.S. Bhadauria, the head of the Indian Air Force, on May 18 contradicted Rawat. Bhadauria clarified that the Indian Air Force wants both the 114 foreign planes and the additional LCAs.
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05/19/2020
In future, the Indian Air Force is planning to acquire 450 fighter aircraft for deployment on the northern and western frontiers of the country, Air Force Chief RKS Bhadauria said on Monday. The list of aircraft planned to be inducted by the Air Force include 36 Rafales, 114 Multirole Fighter Aircraft, 100 Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) and over 200 variants of the Light Combat Aircraft.
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05/19/2020
The US Navy (USN) has taken delivery of its 100th Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. The company notes that this is the 94th mission capable aircraft, with six jets earmarked as test examples.
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05/18/2020
It is with heavy hearts that we announce that one member of the CF Snowbirds team has died and one has sustained injuries. We can confirm that we have contacted all primary family members of those involved. More information will be communicated in the near future.
Update: Our previous statement indicated that the surviving member of the crash suffered serious injuries, we can confirm that their injuries are not considered life threatening.
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05/18/2020
File photo of a French fighter jet. The Government is looking at buying a military aircraft. reland is the only country within the European Union that does not own a military cargo plane and relies on deals with other countries when one is needed. It is reported it will cost in the region of €10m.
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05/18/2020
A remotely piloted camera drone took footage of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels aircraft, over the city of Detroit, during the Tuesday, May 12 “America Strong” flyover of the metro area. According to an article by Tom Demerly, for the TheAviationist.com, the drone came "dangerously close" to the Blue Angels' aircraft and was “within feet” of a formation at one point.
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05/18/2020
The rocket launched on Sunday from Cape Canaveral, a day after bad weather halted plans for a Saturday launch. The aircraft, also known as an Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV), will deploy a satellite into orbit and also test power-beaming technology. It is the plane's sixth mission in space.
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05/18/2020
Tension are deescalating in mid-May 2020 in the South China Sea with the withdraw of Chinese and Malaysian ships over a maritime dispute regarding oceanic mineral and oil reserves claimed by Malaysia, China, and Vietnam. The U.S. Navy responded by sending warships in late April: the USS America (LHA-6) and its escorts USS Bunker Hill (CG-52) and USS Barry (DDG-52).
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05/18/2020
It is not clear if anyone was hurt. At least one pilot was able to eject before the crash, video shows. The plane hit the front garden of a house, setting it on fire. The team had been on a cross-Canada tour "to salute Canadians doing their part to fight the spread of Covid-19," according to the Snowbirds website.
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05/17/2020
Our chances of getting a new kind of F-16 just dramatically shrank. The Indian air force recently signaled it would cancel a tender for foreign-made warplanes. It was that contest that motivated American plane-maker Lockheed Martin LMT to develop a unique, highly-advanced F-16 variant the company called the “F-21.”
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05/17/2020
The Russian Air Force has recently conducted testing of a new hypersonic aircraft missile for a modified version of the Tu-22M3M aircraft. According to Russian state media, the work on the new missile began several years ago and its testing was completed simultaneously with the work on the upgraded bomber.
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05/17/2020
Turkey’s new light aircraft carrier, TCG Anadolu, is set to become operational this year and will transform the country’s naval power, Forbes said. The carrier has a large helicopter landing deck and un-crewed combat air vehicle capacity, as well as amphibious capabilities, which will boost the ability of Turkey’s military to conduct overseas operations. Turkey is currently involved in military operations in Libya and Syria.
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05/16/2020
The US Navy (USN) has begun its search for a new jet trainer to replace its Boeing T-45 Goshawk fleet. As part of its new Undergraduate Jet Training System programme, the service wants a nondevelopmental, land-based jet trainer aircraft capable of field carrier landing practice and nuclear aircraft carrier touch-and-go landings by 2028 or sooner, according to a request for information posted online on 14 May.
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05/16/2020
Boeing received two contacts on May 13 covering two variants from the AGM-84 missile family. Combined with a related, previously announced order, the contracts have a combined value of $3.1 billion. Naval Air Systems Command is the contracting activity for the orders, which answer the requirements of a number of Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers.
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05/16/2020
CHINA has deployed an early warning aircraft and anti-submarine aircraft on the Yongshu Reef in the South China Sea following increased US military activities in the area. According to recent satellite imagery, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has deployed the two military warfare aircraft on a permanent based on the reef. Chinese experts claim the Communist state has the right to leave defensive weapons there.
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05/16/2020
CAPTAIN Klyde Ross Naidoo’s love for the sky began at the age of 2, when his parents hosted an aeroplane-themed birthday party for him. Twenty years later, in December 2014, his childhood dream came true when he graduated as a pilot in the SA Air Force (SAAF). And last Tuesday, he completed his first solo flight in a Gripen fighter aircraft, making him South Africa’s first fighter pilot of Indian origin.
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05/16/2020
Lt. Col. Jason Monaco soared six miles above lush wilderness, his fighter jet streaking across the icy blue sky. He banked his two-seat F-16D to the right, shooting around an eight-jet formation maneuvering against him and his fellow pilots. Gazing through a dark visor, he glimpsed his adversary's jet for the first time. Then, bad news. "Well," he said, "we just died."
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05/16/2020
Details are still limited, but an Air Force F-22 Raptor fighter jet has crashed at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida and the pilot is now at a local hospital in stable condition. The aircraft was flying a routine training sortie at the time and was not involved in a flyover earlier in the day that was part of a larger nation-wide salute healthcare workers and first responders on the frontlines of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic as some outlets initially reported.
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05/15/2020
Recent foreign satellite images suggest that China has deployed early warning aircraft and anti-submarine aircraft on the Yongshu Reef in the South China Sea amid increased US military activities in the region, as Chinese experts said on Thursday that China has the right to deploy defensive weapons there according to military threats China is facing.
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05/15/2020
CHINA'S military aircraft have been spotted landing on one of its manmade islands in the disputed South China Sea as tensions in the region continue to escalate. Satellite images show a PLANAF at the Fiery Cross Reef on the strategically located Islands situated north of the South China Sea. Jane's Information Group, a defence intelligence group, warned the sighting could be further signs the People’s Liberation Army Navy Air Force is starting to use it as a base of operations.
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05/15/2020
The largest procurement program in the Department of Defense (DOD), the F-35 Lightning II is a strike fighter aircraft being procured in different versions for the United States Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy. Current DOD plans call for acquiring a total of 2,456 F-35s. Allies are expected to purchase hundreds of additional F-35s, and eight nations are cost-sharing partners in the program with the United States.
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05/15/2020
The Air Force has ceased formation landings as part of its undergraduate pilot training after a November 2019 crash of two T-38C aircraft at Vance Air Force Base claimed two lives. The Air Force's Air Education and Training Command (AETC) confirmed the decision Wednesday morning.
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05/15/2020
India plans to switch to locally made fighter jets, two years after asking global companies to submit proposals to supply 114 combat aircraft in the world's biggest warplane contract. The country's air force is finalizing plans to induct indigenously made Light Combat Aircraft called Tejas to boost the capability of its aging combat aircraft fleet, Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat said in an interview in New Delhi. It will buy an additional 83 jets, apart from an earlier deal for 40 aircraft,
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05/14/2020
Multiple companies who faced off in the Air Force’s light attack experiment will again compete for a similar contract from U.S. Special Operations Command. Sierra Nevada Corp., Textron Aviation, Air Tractor, and Leidos are offering aircraft for a three-phase armed overwatch competition that ends with live-fly demonstrations in November. That demo follows the Air Force’s nearly three-year light attack effort that ultimately fell short of a full-fledged buy.
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05/12/2020
The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) delivered the required certification notifying Congress of the possible sale on October 10 last year. It said that the proposed sale was intended to provide a replacement for “Tunisia’s aging trainer fleet” and explained that it would allow the country to continue to train pilots for counter-terrorism and border security missions.
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05/12/2020
The Directorate for Air Armaments and Airworthiness (DAAA) has approved and certified the new M-345 trainer aircraft which has been designed and manufactured by Leonardo. Certification by the DAAA (an agency within the Italian MoD) is the result of more than 200 flights with in-flight and on-ground tests carried out in collaboration with the Italian Air Force.
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05/11/2020
Pakistani Air Force Aircraft have been flying patrols close to the Indian territory inside their space together with their F-16, JF-17 and Mirage III fighter planes. Indian airbases have been additionally on alert in view of the heightened actions of the Pakistan Air Force. A high authorities official revealed that Pakistan has heightened fighter aircraft activity after the killing of Indian Army Colonel Ashutosh Sharma in an encounter with Pakistani terrorists within the Handwara forests.
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05/10/2020
Defying clouds in the sky and Covid-19 on the ground, Russia’s deadliest bombers, nimblest fighter jets and strongest transport aircraft flew over the capital in celebration of Soviet victory over Nazi Germany 75 years ago. V-Day is one of the most important national holidays in Russia, and this year was supposed to have seen massive celebrations throughout the country. But Covid-19 and its lockdowns threw a wrench into the plans, forcing the postponement of most festivities.
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05/10/2020
The most powerful navies in 2030 will be a reflection of the broader state of the world. Some countries are invested in preserving the current international order, and see naval power as a means to maintain it. Other emerging countries are building navies commensurate with their newfound sense of status, often with an eye towards challenging that order.
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05/10/2020
Elon Musk, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the SpaceX Corporation as well as Tesla Motors, proclaimed at the United States Air Force (USAF) Air Warfare Symposium in February 2020 that the days of the fighter aircraft are over. Unprecedented technological advances over the last half a decade or so portend an imminent transformation of warfighting. Many current warfare concepts are likely to become obsolete.
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05/09/2020
A Chinese Shaanxi Y-8 military transport plane entered Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) Friday (May 8), leading a jet from the island’s Air Force to broadcast a warning.
According to the Ministry of National Defense, the Chinese military plane had been training off Taiwan’s southwest coast around noon before it briefly encroached on Taiwan’s ADIZ, CNA reported.
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05/09/2020
The first two V-22 Osprey aircraft bound for Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) units arrived in Japan at U.S. Marine Corps Air Station, Iwakuni, according to a recent Marine Corps news release. “The V-22 off-load marked the first time JGSDF V-22s arrived on Japanese soil,” said in a statement. Japan ordered the first five Ospreys aircraft for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force in July 2015 for $332 million.
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05/09/2020
An Indian Air Force fighter aircraft has crashed in Punjab. "A MiG-29 fighter aircraft crashed today near Hoshiarpur district of Punjab. The pilot managed to eject safely," IAF officials said. The pilot was rescued by a helicopter.
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05/08/2020
Why build one stealth bomber when two would be better? That is likely the thinking behind China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force’s current strategy. It has released a bit of information on its Xian H-20 stealth bomber, which seems to be similar to the U.S. Air Force’s B-2 Spirit in form and function—and resembles the iconic “flying wing” that one almost expects with stealth aircraft.
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05/08/2020
The U.S. is pulling two Patriot missile batteries and some fighter aircraft out of Saudi Arabia, an American official said Thursday, amid tensions between the kingdom and the Trump administration over oil production. The official said the decision removes two batteries that were guarding oil facilities in Saudi Arabia but leaves two Patriot batteries at Prince Sultan Air Base in the Saudi desert, along with other air defense systems and jet fighters.
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05/08/2020
A pair of RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft conducted air strikes against Daesh targets in north-east Iraq on the night of 28 April. The jets, operating out of RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus were also accompanied by a Voyager A330 MRTT aerial refuelling tanker and additional fighter aircraft involved with the multinational coalition against Daesh.
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05/08/2020
The 30-day extension is a response to the coronavirus pandemic that has disrupted business operations globally, especially in the aerospace sector. “The COVID-19 pandemic is presenting numerous challenges for businesses and their workforce, including the eligible suppliers for the Future Fighter Capability Project,” said a spokesperson for the department in a statement on May 6.
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05/08/2020
Leidos subsidiary Dynetics has won a $12.3m valued phase 1 of the Air Combat Evolution (ACE) programme, Technical Area 3 (TA3). The ACE TA3 (Alpha Mosaic) contract was awarded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Strategic Technology Office (STO). As an initial challenge scenario, the programme uses aerial dogfighting for implementing artificial intelligence (AI) into high-intensity air conflicts, which increases the soldier’s trust in combat autonomy.
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05/08/2020
Two U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer strategic bombers, after a transatlantic flight, conducted training bombing at the Tapa training ground in Estonia, the Pentagon said on Wednesday. According to a 28th Bomb Wing press release, the flight, which lasted more than 25 hours, included integration and interoperability training with Danish F-16s overflying Bornholm Island in the Baltic Sea. The B-1s also worked with Estonian Joint Terminal Air Controllers to provide training with inert devices at Tapa Ra
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05/07/2020
Israeli RAFAEL will supply Litening-5 and RecceLite systems to equip Leonardo's M-346FA light combat aircraft. This is the first integration of 5th generation EO pods to Leonardo's M-346FA platform. The M-346FA is the multi-role combat variant of the M-346 advanced jet trainer.
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05/06/2020
American defence and aviation giant Leidos announced on 4 May that the company has teamed up with Paramount Group US and Vertex Aerospace to deliver the Bronco II, a new purpose-built, multi-mission aircraft. The aircraft will provide support to the Armed Overwatch Prototype Program, run by US Special Operations Command (SOCOM).
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05/06/2020
The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit conducted Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) full mission profile rehearsals, aerial reconnaissance, and simulated close-air support (CAS) while maintaining a presence in the South China Sea aboard amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6), April 17-24, 2020.
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05/06/2020
B-1 Lancer strategic bombers of the United States on Tuesday rehearsed cooperation with forward observers of the Estonian defense forces and NATO allies at the Estonian defense forces' central training grounds as part of the Spring Storm (Kevadtorm) military exercise. "For NATO, and specifically for our region, training exercises of US strategic bombers in our airspace are an important sign of how serious the Americans are about their role in protecting the Baltic countries.
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05/06/2020
Bell Boeing received a $10.2 million contract modification Tuesday for repairs of the V-22 Osprey multirole combat aircraft for the Navy, the Pentagon announced. The deal modifies a previously awarded contract for production of V-22 aircraft to include additional repairs and non-recurring engineering for a drive tube engineering change proposal.
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05/06/2020
Boeing is set to roll out the first “Loyal Wingman” drone for the Royal Australian Air Force during a Tuesday morning ceremony, putting the RAAF high on the list of countries experimenting with autonomous aircraft. “This a truly historic moment for our country and for Australian defense innovation,” said Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. “The Loyal Wingman will be pivotal to exploring the critical capabilities our Air Force needs to protect our nation and its allies into the future.”
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05/05/2020
An armed F-15 fighter jet ran off the runway at Joint Base Andrews on Saturday, having diverted there after a sudden in-flight emergency while flying a mission to help protect President Donald Trump at Camp David, two US defense officials told CNN. The military did not specifically say what type of in-flight emergency forced the pilot to divert to Andrews, located in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC.
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05/04/2020
Through April and March 2020, the choice of who Japan would partner with for their “F-3” next generation fighter jet has been reported on constantly, with seemingly contradictory headlines on who the partner would be. This may give the impression that Japan is waffling on their choice of partners in the project. However a deeper reading of the articles shows that Japan’s policy has been rather consistent, and recent developments are a simple narrowing down of options.
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05/04/2020
Entering service in 2017 and 2018 respectively, the American F-16V and Chinese J-10C represent two of the most capable lightweight fighter jets in production today and considerable improvements over older baseline fourth generation designs. With each weighing approximately 13,000kg, deploying similarly sized radars, similar single engine configurations and similar weapons payloads, the aircraft are in many ways highly comparable.
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05/04/2020
New cooperation has been initiated for Turkey's TF-X National Combat Aircraft (MMU), a joint project of the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB), between the TAI and leading defense company HAVELSAN, SSB Chairman Ismail Demir said Saturday.
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05/03/2020
Spain, France and the United Kingdom will take up NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission starting in May, guarding the skies over the Baltic region for the next four months. The three NATO Allies are replacing air force detachments from Belgium and Poland which have protected the airspace of NATO’s three Baltic Allies Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania since January. The Spanish and British air force contingents will operate out of Siauliai airbase in Lithuania, while the French air force will fly from
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05/03/2020
Given Beijing’s pride in its growing military and economic strength, and its ability to develop advanced weapons such as stealth fighters, it seems surprising that China must import warplanes, jet engines, anti-aircraft missiles and other equipment. For now, it may indeed make sense for China to buy fighters from Russia: the two nations, which once fought a border war and vied for supremacy in the Communist bloc, now enjoy friendly – but wary – relations.
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05/03/2020
On Thursday an A400M military transport plane, carrying a donation of medical supplies arrived in Cape Town. A second arrived later that day while a third and fourth aircraft on Saturday. At least one more aircraft is expected in the next day or two to pick up what Turkish ambassador Elif Ülgen explained was “some kind of military ammunition” purchased from Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM). Only the first arrived with medical supplies on board.
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05/03/2020
Russia ranks second in the list of global arms exporters. Last year even a NATO member bought its most formidable weaponry. In early April, Russian President Vladimir Putin summed up the results of the country’s international sales of military hardware. As he reported, in 2019 Moscow supplied partners with arms and equipment to the tune of around $15 billion. As of April 2020, the total order portfolio stands at more than $55 billion, with approximately 100 partner countries.
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05/02/2020
So far this year, the AAF is flying 26 percent less than last year due to the reduction-in-violence period with the Taliban that led to a decrease in strike missions, along with winter weather impeding flight operations and restrictions related to the new coronavirus outbreak. To limit COVID-19 exposure, the AAF is only flying combat sorties, temporarily pausing training sorties, according to the report.
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05/02/2020
The US government has approved the sale of six Boeing AH-64E Apache and six Bell AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters to Manila. The sale package is not finalised, as it is subject to customer acceptance, says the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency on 30 April. The Philippines plans to choose one of the two types of attack helicopters.
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05/02/2020
After the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran had a brief opportunity to revamp its air force. Tehran briefly contemplated buying modern Mirage 2000 fighters from France but ultimately decided against it, logically concluding it was more familiar with American and Russian equipment.
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05/02/2020
The pandemic appears not to have had much impact on India-Russia relations. The relationship was showing signs of strain even before to the pandemic, mainly because both countries are drifting toward different sides in the emerging competition between the United States and China.
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05/02/2020
The Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker-E is the top Russian air-superiority fighter in service today, and represents the pinnacle of fourth-generation jet fighter design. It will remain so until Russia succeeds in bringing its fifth-generation PAK-FA stealth fighter into production.
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05/01/2020
The chief of Britain's air force has condemned its Russian counterpart after two of its maritime patrol bombers were intercepted north-east of Scotland. RAF Typhoon fighters were deployed from the Lossiemouth base in Moray as the Russian Tu-142 "Bear-F" aircraft approached on Wednesday. The Russian aircraft stayed in international airspace over the Norwegian Sea and the North Sea. However, the RAF said they were flying within the UK's "area of interest".
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05/01/2020
Tunisia is joining other Middle Eastern nations like Iraq, Israel and Morocco and buying the U.S. AT-6C "Texan II" trainer/attack/reconnaissance aircraft. Tunisia wants to buy twelve but budget problems means the initial purchase is only four. In addition a 512 bombs, all but 48 500 pounders 250 pounders (113 kg). These bombs are mostly being used with guidance kits that turn bombs into GPS guided bombs. There are also 3,290 70mm APKWS laser guided missiles.
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05/01/2020
A number of U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18C/D Hornet fighter jets forward-deployed to Japan recently conducted an exercise while carrying a pair of live AGM-84D Harpoon anti-ship missiles. The Corps says that the training event focused on its ability to contribute to sea control and area denial missions, capabilities the service wants to enhance and expand as part of a radical restructuring of its forces that it first publicly announced last month.
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04/30/2020
The Foreign Ministry of the Government of National Accord (GNA) has filed a complaint letter to France for the unpermitted presence of French military aircraft over Misrata, 200 km to the east of Tripoli. "We are dismayed by the presence of one French Rafale aircraft and a fuel aircraft over Misrata and Abu Grein without permission." The Foreign Ministry said in the complaint on Wednesday.
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04/30/2020
The F-16 Operational Flight Program M-series 7.2+ was released in April 2020 to more than 600 Block 40/42/50/52 F-16s delivering a wide range of new capabilities to the Fighting Falcon. The $455 million program fielded major capability upgrades such as the Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar (NORTHCOM’s number one priority Joint Urgent Operational Need).
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04/30/2020
The skies over the Beehive State will be abuzz with excitement as the U.S. military’s top fighter aircraft will blaze a path through Utah saluting front-line medical responders and residents fighting to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. Four members of Hill Air Force Base’s 388th Fighter Wing will fly in formation across the state beginning at 1 p.m. Thursday. The group will be led by the Air Force F-35A Lightning II demonstration team’s Capt. Kristin Wolfe.
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04/30/2020
Four times this year, North American Aerospace Defense Command has reported Russian aircraft flying into the Air Defense Identification Zone that extends about 200 miles from Alaska's coast. Three of those flights prompted NORAD to send aircraft out to keep an eye on them — including US Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth fighters from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson near Anchorage, where pilots were waiting.
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04/29/2020
On Tuesday, the Belgian Air Force has reported that its fighters jets intercepted Russian A-50 Mainstay airborne early warning and control aircraft (AEW&C) and AN-26 transport plane while they were flying off the Estonian coast. The interception of the A-50 Mainstay flying off the Estonian coast took place on Saturday the 25th and An-26 military transport aircraft on Tuesday 27th.
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04/29/2020
Chinese authorities said they sortied ships and aircraft to “track, monitor, verify, identify and expel” a U.S. warship from the Paracel Island chain in the South China Sea on Tuesday, People’s Liberation Army (PLA) officials said on Chinese social media. Navy officials confirmed to USNI News that guided-missile destroyer USS Barry (DDG-52) conducted a freedom of navigation operation in the vicinity of the island chain off Vietnam.
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04/29/2020
Australia has informed India that their premier multilateral air combat training exercise Pitch Black 2020 scheduled from July 27 to August 14 has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 situation, defence sources said. This was conveyed by Air Marshal Meg Hupfeld, Chief of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), in a letter to Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, in mid-April.
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04/29/2020
The US Navy has awarded Northrop Grumman a US$165 million ($256.2 million) contract for Lot 9 full-rate production (FRP) of the AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM) – assets will include all-up round missiles and captive air training missiles for the US Navy and foreign military sales.
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04/28/2020
Two RAF Typhoon fighter jets have carried out strikes against Daesh targets in Tuz Khurma, Iraq whilst performing a reconnaissance mission, the UK MoD reported on 25 April. The aircraft surveyed the area for non-combatants before engaging in their targets with precision-guided bombs that left the buildings destroyed.
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04/28/2020
The Air Force is extending its feasibility study into the use of privately owned aerial refueling tankers after an initial report determined further research is needed to understand legal and financial challenges. Last week, the Air Force delivered a Commercial Air Refueling Report to the House Armed Services Committee, which Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett reviewed and then asked for 60 more days to further study the issue, Air Mobility Command said in a statement.
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04/28/2020
After ending its 16-year permanent bomber presence in Guam, the U.S. Air Force this week flew a B-1B Lancer to the Pacific as part of its new unpredictable deployment experiment to test crews' agility when sending heavy aircraft forces around the world.
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04/27/2020
In a show of national solidarity, the Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, and the Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds, will conduct a series of multi-city flyovers over the next two weeks. America Strong is a collaborative salute from the Navy and Air Force to recognize healthcare workers, first responders, and other essential personnel while standing in solidarity with all Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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04/26/2020
A US Lockheed P-3C Orion reconnaissance aircraft yesterday flew over the Bashi Channel toward the South China Sea, marking the 12th time this month that a US military aircraft was spotted to the south of Taiwan’s airspace. The airplane’s presence was reported by military aviation monitoring Web site Aircraft Spots. The same aircraft on Saturday last week flew in a similar southwesterly direction over the channel, the Web site said.
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04/26/2020
The U.S. Navy last week watched a single-seat Russian Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker-E come within 25 feet of a P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft while at high speed and inverted, causing wake turbulence and putting the U.S. "pilots and crew at risk" over the Mediterranean Sea. Days later, another Flanker mimicked the move over the same waters, zooming in front of a P-8 and exposing the sub hunter aircraft to its jet exhaust.
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04/26/2020
The Indian Air Force needs a strategic bomber such as the Russian TU-160 to counter a growing fleet of Chinese bombers. The Russian supersonic bomber Tu-160, also known as the White Swan, is the most powerful and largest missile carrier in the world.
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04/26/2020
Russia’s official designation of the PAK-FA/T-50 jet as the Sukhoi Su-57 is just another reminder that the field of fifth generation fighters is about to get more crowded. The United States, China, Russia, Japan and Korea are all working on their own fifth generation designs, but so far only three planes, the F-22 Raptor, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and the Chinese J-20 are operational.
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04/26/2020
Collapse of a joint venture agreement between Boeing and Embraer to promote the Embraer C-390 Millennium will likely make it more difficult to sell the medium-lift transport outside of Brazil, seriously hurting the overall sales of the aircraft programme. The deal, in which Embraer would have owned a 51% stake and Boeing a 49% stake, was terminated after the two sides could not get past some final sticking points, said Boeing on 25 April.
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04/25/2020
A Russian-made Su-25, belonging to the Chadian Air Force accidentally fired a missile that veered into a senior Chadian commander’s home, killing five people including three children.
The video footage captures the firing of the missile at the Adji Kossei airbase as the aircraft was preparing to take off. The missile clips an empty fuel tanker, which made it veer just away from a parked French C-130 aircraft before disappearing from view. It then slammed into the home of General Mahamat Salah
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04/25/2020
The F-35 Joint Program Office has put in place stopgap fixes for five key technical flaws plaguing America’s top-end fighter jet, but the problems have not been completely eliminated.
Last June, Defense News reported exclusive details about 13 major technical issues, known as category 1 deficiencies, impacting the F-35. The JPO has since quietly downgraded five of those issues to the lesser category 2.
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04/25/2020
The Army has found a viable alternative to assist Fort Rucker in the training of D model Apache instructor pilots and maintenance test pilots. The last D model IP/MTP courses at Fort Rucker ended in early April, which meant D model IPs/MTPs would have to be taught another way. Among those that needed training were pilots from 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, a unit scheduled to deploy later this year.
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04/25/2020
An issue that risks damage to the F-35’s tail section if the aircraft needs to maintain supersonic speeds is not worth fixing and will instead be addressed by changing the operating parameters, the F-35 Joint Program Office told Defense News in a statement Friday.
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04/25/2020
Boeing has delivered the final Block II F/A-18E/F Super Hornet to the US Navy (USN), handing over the last aircraft on 17 April, says the service. “Aircraft E322 will leave Boeing’s production line and head straight to Strike Fighter Squadron 34 based in [Naval Air Station] Oceana,” says USN Commander Tyler Tennille, of the Defense Contract Management Agency, who supervises F/A-18 acceptance testing.
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04/24/2020
Beijing has escalated the number and intensity of military drills around Taiwan in recent weeks, making risky manoeuvres that appear set to test the political waters in Taipei and Washington while signalling the mainland’s continuing animosity towards Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen, who was re-elected in a landslide in January.
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04/24/2020
The nation faces a bomber crisis, and it is time to openly acknowledge the scale and scope of the problem. Tasked with deterrence and, if necessary, striking targets around the globe, Air Force crews operating these aircraft afford the nation’s security leaders unique options best embodied in the phrase: anytime, anyplace. Despite the criticality of this mission, the Air Force currently operates the smallest, oldest fleet of bombers since its 1947 founding.
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04/24/2020
In 2015, Rear Adm. Rich Brophy was a captain who had just taken command of Carrier Air Wing 9 and was trying to usher the unit through pre-deployment training, while sitting at the bottom of a bathtub in naval aviation readiness.
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04/24/2020
On April 20 and 21, air forces from four Allies and two Partners and a NATO E-3A AWACS plane conducted live-fly training flights in segregated training areas and international airspace over the Baltic Sea.
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04/24/2020
U.S. Navy aerial warfare experts are asking Raytheon Technologies Corp. to build several hundred AIM-9X precision short-range infrared-guided air-to-air missiles for jet fighters and other combat aircraft under terms of a $392.4 million order announced last month.
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04/23/2020
U.S. Air Force satellite navigation experts are moving to full-scale development of a system that blends the Global Position System (GPS) navigation and guidance system with inertial navigation system (INS) technology.
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04/23/2020
A Marine Corps crew was, for the first time, behind an MQ-9 Reaper drone flight in the Middle East as they supported personnel on the ground from another continent. Members of Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 1 carried out a Reaper flight in an undisclosed location late last month, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., which owns the aircraft, announced last week.
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04/23/2020
Germany’s Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer announced toPparliament on April 21 the decision to split the replacement program for the Panavia Tornado combat aircraft into two platforms. The long-rumored purchase plans call for the acquisition of 93 Eurofighter Typhoons and 30 Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, plus 15 Boeing EF-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft.
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04/23/2020
It was a historic day for Eielson Air Force Base as the installation received its first two F-35A Lightning II fighter aircraft April 21. With the arrival, Eielson AFB is now Pacific Air Forces’ first base to house the fifth-generation fighter aircraft. “This first aircraft is a milestone,” said Col. Benjamin Bishop, the 354th Fighter Wing commander. “Making the first aircraft arrival possible has been a long path, but it’s also just the first step in a journey that will continue at Eielson Air
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04/23/2020
The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 265 (Reinforced), including the F-35B Lightning II fighter aircraft detachment, began conducting flight operations in the South China Sea, April 16, aboard forward deployed amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6).
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04/22/2020
The US Air Force’s (USAF) ambitious battlefield network development effort, called the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS), lacks the organisational structure needed to be executed well. In particular, the service is moving forward with developing a key part of its future modernisation strategy without firm technical requirements, a plan, a cost estimate, authority clearly delegated to decision makers, or an analysis of affordability, says the Government Accountability Office.
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04/22/2020
Lockheed Martin is projecting fewer F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter deliveries in 2020 due to impacts on its global supply chain caused by disruptions related to the coronavirus pandemic.
The manufacturer is not yet sure exactly how much its deliveries will decrease, but is assessing likely outcomes, it says in an earnings call on 21 April.
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04/22/2020
Germany is to pursue a split order for the replacement of its Panavia Tornado combat aircraft, selecting both European and US models for the requirement. Defence minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has written to the German parliament informing them of the government’s intention, according to the DPA news agency.
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04/21/2020
The US Air Force (USAF) has ended its Long-Range Standoff Weapon (LRSO) development competition early, issuing a sole-source contract to Raytheon. Raytheon was competing with Lockheed Martin to design and build the service’s stealthy long-range, nuclear-weapon-tipped cruise missile as part of a Technology Maturation and Risk (TMRR) phase. Each company was awarded $900 million in 2017.
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04/21/2020
Certification testing of an automatic air-to-air refuelling boom technology for the A330 multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) is on track to commence next year, following a recent campaign conducted by Airbus Defence & Space. The European company built on earlier fight tests with the so-called A3R system by conducting sorties involving its A310 tanker testbed and a Portuguese air force Lockheed Martin F-16.
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04/20/2020
MH-60R ‘Romeo’ helicopter may not be a stealth platform, but it has become a globally used platform by the US Navy and U.S. allies and has done so in barely noticed fashion. Globally is a key aspect of a platform, even with different systems onboard common platforms, common logistics and platform support across the demanding maritime environment is a clear plus for the US Navy and the global partners with whom they work.
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04/20/2020
U.S. adversaries are probing America's defenses as the world is preoccupied with the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. In the past two weeks, Russia, China, Iran and North Korea have all moved to test Washington in the sea, in the air and on land as U.S. forces have become more restricted in movement amid concerns over the spread of COVID-19.
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04/20/2020
With its first export contract for delivery of the FTC-2000G multirole combat aircraft to an undisclosed Southeast Asian country, Guizhou Aviation Industry Corp can expect a surge in interested customers, aviation experts predicted on Sunday. Local media reports reposted Saturday to the WeChat account of the Guizhou Province-based developer affiliated to the state-owned Aviation Industry Corpof China (AVIC) said the deal was signed in late January.
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04/19/2020
The French navy is investigating how the coronavirus infected more than 1,000 sailors aboard the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, amid growing pressure on government leaders to explain how it could have happened. The ship, France's biggest carrier and the flagship of its navy, is undergoing a lengthy disinfection process since returning to its home base in Toulon five days ago.
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04/18/2020
Speaking on May 15, 2019, Putin said the Kremlin would buy scores of Su-57s over the next eight years. If Putin is serious and the Russian defense ministry follows through on the pledge, Russia soon could possess a meaningful number of stealth fighters. But there are good reasons to be skeptical. The Su-57 still isn’t a mature design. It lacks key combat systems. Sukhoi hasn’t set up a big, efficient production line for the type.
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04/18/2020
An Indian Air Force AH-64E Apache attack helicopter made an emergency landing in a farm field in the Punjab region in India on Friday after what reports say was a, “technical snag”. Indeed, a statement from the IAF said that the helicopter experienced a critical failure 1 hour into the flight that forced the aircrew to perform an emergency landing.
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04/18/2020
Embraer Defense & Security and Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) announced the first of 12 A-29 Super Tucano light attack, combat and reconnaissance aircraft for the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) successfully completed its inaugural flight at the production facility in Jacksonville, Florida.
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04/18/2020
The US Navy said on Wednesday that one of its aircraft was intercepted by a Russian jet while flying in international airspace over the Mediterranean Sea. The US Navy P-8A Poseidon, an anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare aircraft, was flying over the Mediterranean Sea when it was approached by a Russian Su-35 fighter jet, US Naval Forces Europe-Africa said.
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04/18/2020
Boeing is preparing to reopen its CH-47 Chinook production facility in Ridley Township, Pennsylvania on 20 April after shutting the site about two and a half weeks prior due to risks of coronavirus contagion. The facility will open with “enhanced safety measures”, says Boeing on 17 April. The campus was shut on 3 April amid a growing number of coronavirus cases in nearby Philadelphia.
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04/17/2020
Sweeping testing of the entire crew of the coronavirus-stricken U.S. aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt may have revealed a clue about the pandemic: The majority of the positive cases so far are among sailors who are asymptomatic, officials say.
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04/17/2020
MiG-31 interceptor aircraft of Kazakhstan’s air force crashed on Apr. 16, 2020 near country’s Karaganda city, Trend reports with reference to Kazakhstan’s Defense Ministry. The ministry said that the plane crashed during a scheduled training flight to prepare for combat duty.
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04/17/2020
Across the world, France's sole aircraft carrier, Charles de Gaulle, has also returned to port as 50 members of its 1,760 sailors have tested positive. According to a ministry statement, three sailors had already been evacuated by air to a military hospital in Toulon in southern France, the home port of the carrier, despite the fact that the aircraft carrier is equipped with its own intensive care facilities.
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04/17/2020
Over the last few months, defense and aviation media have reported on a lecture made by PLA Air Force (PLAAF) test pilot Li Zhonghua in December 2019 at the Northwestern Polytechnical University in Shaanxi. The lecture provided a rather detailed look at the PLAAF experience in the Falcon Strike 2015 exercise conducted in Thailand with the PLAAF’s Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) counterparts.
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04/17/2020
Pilatus has contracted Leonardo to supply its RT-700/A V/UHF airborne communications system and other equipment for installation on PC-21 trainers ordered for the Spanish air force.
Announcing the award earlier this month, Leonardo said its contract also includes the provision of cockpit control panels and associated electronics for the turboprop-powered type.
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04/16/2020
The Trump administration is deploying F-35 aircraft to Truax Field Air National Guard Base in Madison, Wisconsin, snubbing the Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township. Democrats and Republicans in Michigan's congressional delegation have been heavily lobbying for years to get the F-35 planes sited at Selfridge to replace the aging Warthogs at the base, but the Trump administration's decision to send the planes to Madison was announced Wednesday.
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04/16/2020
Russian and Iranian aircraft and boats came dangerously close to U.S. Navy crews in two separate incidents Wednesday. In both cases, no one was injured. In the first instance, 11 Iranian vessels conducted "dangerous and harassing" approaches of U.S. ships in the international waters of the northern Persian Gulf, coming as close as 10 yards to a Coast Guard cutter, the Navy said.
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04/16/2020
This week the United States Navy announced that the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (CSG) will remain at sea off the East Coast of the United States, despite the fact that it has completed its most recent deployment. This is part of an effort to keep the crew healthy from the COVID-19 pandemic and remain combat-ready to take on missions if needed.
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04/16/2020
The Libyan National Army (LNA) reportedly shot down a Mirage F1 fighter jet that was flying over their territory, the Russian publication Avia.Pro reported on Wednesday. According to the publication, the LNA’s air defenses, using their Russian-made Pantsir-S system, shot down the French-made Mirage F1 fighter jet that was being used by the Government of National According.
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04/15/2020
On Tuesday, a U.S. surveillance plane flew over South Korea, shortly after North Korea launched what appeared to be short-range cruise missiles on the east coast. A US Navy “EP-3E” plane was detected flying over South Korea at around 10:00 A.M. (Seoul time), according to the aircraft monitor Air Traffic. which was cited by South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency.
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04/15/2020
The delivery of the first batch of four Rafale multirole fighter aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF) is likely to be delayed by three months, according to local media reports. The delivery flight of the first Rafale fighters from France to India reportedly had to be postponed due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. Lockdown and social distancing measures imposed by the French authorities to contain the spread of the coronavirus have also negatively impacted the training schedule of Indian pilot
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04/15/2020
Luxembourg’s lone A400M tactical transport made a 5h flight debut from Airbus Defence & Space’s San Pablo final assembly site in Seville, Spain, on 13 April. The Europrop International TP400-D6-powered airlifter (MSN104/CT-01) is scheduled to be delivered before the end of the second quarter of this year, its manufacturer says.
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04/15/2020
The US State Department has approved the possible sale of 10 Boeing AGM-84L Harpoon Block II air-launched missiles for Morocco’s fleet of Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters. The sea-skimming missiles and related equipment are estimated to cost $62 million, according to a Defense Security Cooperation Agency notice posted on 14 April. Associated equipment includes containers, spares, and repair parts, support and test equipment, as well as publications and technical documentation.
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04/15/2020
Boeing has conducted a 90min first flight with Qatar’s lead F-15QA fighter, describing the model as “the most advanced version” of the twin-engined type ever manufactured. The Qatar Emiri Air Force will receive 36 F-15QAs from next year under a $6.2 billion contract awarded in 2017. Boeing also is to provide training for aircrew and maintenance personnel under a separate deal signed last year.
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04/15/2020
Lockheed Martin recently secured a $50 million US Air Force contract to update the venerable U-2 spy plane. The project involves three elements: a new avionics suite, a new mission computer, and modern cockpit displays, says Lockheed.
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04/15/2020
The US government has approved to separate deals to sell India anti-ship missiles and air-launched torpedoes for its fleet of Boeing P-8I Neptune maritime patrol aircraft. The first possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) covers 10 Boeing AGM-84L Harpoon Block II missiles and related services and equipment for around $92 million, according to a Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notice to Congress.
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04/14/2020
Japan and Taiwan kept watch on the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning and its strike group as they steamed through the Miyako Strait and past Taiwan over the weekend, according to the Japanese Ministry of Defense and published reports Monday. The Liaoning and five accompanying warships passed through the 155-mile-wide strait halfway between the Japanese islands of Okinawa and Miyako on Saturday, turned south and passed east of Taiwan on Sunday, according to reports.
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04/14/2020
The Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion has demonstrated its first air-to-air refuelling. The heavy lift helicopter, in development for the US Marine Corps (USMC), completed the 4.5h test over Chesapeake Bay with a Lockheed Martin KC-130J in-flight refuelling tanker on 6 April, says Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) on 9 April.
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04/14/2020
The US government has cleared a potential $675 million deal for the sustainment of South Korea’s fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35A fighters. The Foreign Military Sale package includes follow-on support for the aircraft, engines, weapons, spare parts, software, training, and other elements. It follows a request from the Seoul.
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04/13/2020
A United States military reconnaissance aircraft was reported flying near Taiwan's southern airspace Friday, the same day the Ministry of National Defense (MND) confirmed Chinese warplanes were monitored southwest of the country. A U.S. RC-135U Combat Sent was operating in the South China Sea, according to a flight chart posted on Twitter Friday morning by Aircraft Spots, a military air movement tracker.
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04/13/2020
Apart from the establishment of new units, he revealed that the NAF, in line with the federal government’s commitment to the security of the nation, has also acquired 22 brand new aircraft in the last four and half years with another 16 due for delivery soon. Said he: “The additional air assets include an Mi-17 helicopter, which is expected to arrive the country this month, as well as three JF-17 Thunder multi-role fighter aircraft and 12 Super Tucano attack aircraft.
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04/13/2020
The U.S. Air Force flight demonstration team, the Thunderbirds, performed an inspiring flyover of the greater Las Vegas area on Saturday, April 11, 2020 in honor of healthcare workers and first responders working during the international COVID-19 crisis.
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04/13/2020
Overall, the F-35A fighter is flying exceptionally well. The F-35 Lightning II is now the world’s most dominant multi-role fighter. Its detection range, geolocation, threat identification, and system response capabilities allow the jet to precisely fix and destroy the most advanced threats in the world including every layer of Russia’s latest SA-20 surface-to-air missile (SAM) system.
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04/12/2020
Azerbaijan’s Defence Ministry has revealed that pilots from the country’s Air Force have test flown MiG-35 ‘4++ generation’ fighter jets in Russia, with the announcement coming shortly after the country received permission to purchase new high end Russian fighter jets.
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04/12/2020
Over time, Israel will likely acquire additional F-35s, as it intends for the type to replace its fleet of over 320 F-16s. On May 22, Israeli Air Force commander Amikam Norkin announced that its F-35I stealth fighters had flown on two combat missions on “different fronts,” showing as proof a photograph of an F-35 overflying Beirut. While details on those missions have not been released—apparently, they were not deployed in a massive Israeli air attack on Iranian forces in Syria that took place
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04/12/2020
The tactical drill this week involved ten Su-24 bomber and five MiG-31 interceptor-fighters, the press service of Russia’s Northern Fleet in Severomorsk informs. “The crews of upgraded MiG-31 interceptor-fighters will practice assignments at a maximum altitude in the course of tactical flight drills that have stated in the Northern Fleet’s separate composite air regiment this week,” the note from the fleet reads.
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04/11/2020
Germany will replace most ageing Tornado fighter-bomber jets in its air force fleet with Eurofighter aircraft but buy a share of the replacements from US manufacturer Boeing, media reported Friday. From 2025, the Tornados will be replaced by up to 90 Eurofighters built by Airbus and 45 Boeing F-18s, according to news weekly Der Spiegel.
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04/11/2020
As reported in international media, U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors supported by KC-135 Stratotankers and E-3 AWACS aircraft responded to a pair of Russian military Ilyushin Il-38N ASW and Maritime Patrol Aircraft off the Alaskan coast in international airspace on Wednesday, April 8, 2020. But the differences in how the story is being reported around the world is an interesting study in how journalism may influence our interpretation of events depending on where we live.
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04/11/2020
Russian plane-maker Sukhoi finally is gearing up to begin delivering new Su-57 stealth fighters to the Russian air force. How many of the radar-evading planes the air arm acquires, and how quickly, are open questions. To say nothing of the type’s actual capabilities. In any event, deliveries are good news for the air force. The Su-57 first flew in 2010. Sukhoi hand-built ten prototypes.
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04/10/2020
New Delhi still likes Russian technology, but Washington is trying to make a sale and enhance American-Indian ties. If a deal happens, it will further remove India from Russia’s influence. When the Times of India revealed that the Indian air force was revising its single-engine fighter competition to encompass twin-engine jet designs, a collective groan likely rang from New Delhi to Washington—and even Stockholm.
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04/10/2020
Draken International has begun flying supersonic, radar equipped Mirage F1M fighters to support US Air Force (USAF) combat training at Nellis Air Force Base after the aircraft were returned to service by Paramount Aerospace Systems.
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04/09/2020
A U.S. Air Force A-10C Thunderbolt II, assigned to the 75th Fighter Squadron, performed a successful emergency gear-up landing at Moody AFB, Georgia, on Apr. 7, 2020. The pilot safely escaped the aircraft.
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04/09/2020
An F-16V or F-21 is a radically different warplane compared to the F-16A that first flew in 1978. Lockheed Martin is developing a new variant of its iconic F-16 single-engine fighter in order to compete in India’s 2019 tender for 110 new warplanes. But don’t count on the American firm’s “F-21” to win the contract. According to journalist Angad Singh, the likely winner is French company Dassault’s Rafale twin-engine fighter.
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04/09/2020
Four decades since its Islamic Revolution made it a pariah, Tehran has cobbled together one of the world’s most bizarre air forces—a combination of rebuilt U.S.-supplied planes dating from the 1970s plus homegrown designs of highly varying value and, most strangely of all, scores of aircraft essentially stolen from Iraq after they fled to Iran to escape American attack during the 1991 Gulf War.
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04/09/2020
An HH-60W Jolly Green II, the U.S. Air Force’s new combat search-and-rescue helicopter, has completed a month-long trial of extremes inside the McKinley Climatic Lab. The Sikorsky test aircraft endured real temperatures ranging from 120 F to -60 F as well as 45 mile-per-hour winds coupled with heavy rainfall. All of those scenarios were created within the lab’s 55,000-square-foot test chamber.
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04/09/2020
The Marine Corps wants to know whether the defense industry can transform its heavy weapons-mounted Joint Light Tactical Vehicles into mobile air defense systems for tracking and killing enemy drones, helicopters and fighters. Marine Corps Systems Command recently invited defense firms to submit ideas for creating the Direct Fire Defeat System being developed by Program Manager Ground Based Air Defense, according to a March 27 request for information.
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04/08/2020
In twelve years from now, a twin engine variant of India’s Tejas fighter could start replacing Russian built MiG-29K jets deployed on board the Indian Navy’s aircraft carriers INS Vikramaditya and Vikrant which is yet to be inducted.
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04/08/2020
Pacific Air Forces has been fine-tuning the Agile Combat Employment concept in training exercises for years, but the new coronavirus outbreak has required real-world execution. “When it comes down to the Pacific theater and the … challenges we face out here, COVID is merely just another challenge to the world order,” Maj. Gen. Scott Pleus, the command’s director of air and cyberspace operations, told Air Force Magazine.
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04/08/2020
Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) said on Monday that the agreement to sell 10 FA-50 light fighters to the Argentine Air Force was put on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic. “It must have been difficult for Argentina to spend its defense budget for fighter jets when it is experiencing difficulties due to the virus spread,” a KAI official said to a local newspaper in South Korea.
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04/08/2020
U.S. Navy carrier aviation experts are ordering three unmanned aerial tankers from the Boeing Co. in preparation for future larger orders and eventual carrier deployment of these unmanned tanker aircraft. Officials of the Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md., announced an $84.7 million order to the Boeing Co. Defense, Space & Security segment in St. Louis last week for three new MQ-25 unmanned tanker aircraft for system demonstration.
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04/08/2020
Russia is ready to supply combat aircraft to Azerbaijan, local media reported citing the Ministry of Defence of Azerbaijan on April 7. 'Within the framework of military-technical cooperation between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation, a delegation of specialists of the Azerbaijan Air Force visited the enterprises included in the Russian military-industrial complex.
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04/07/2020
On Monday, the U.S. State Department criticized China after reports emerged that a Vietnamese fishing vessel had been sunk near the disputed Paracel Islands. In a statement, Morgan Ortagus, the U.S. Department of State’s spokesperson, said that the United States was “seriously concerned by reports of the PRC’s sinking of a Vietnamese fishing vessel in the vicinity of the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea.”
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04/07/2020
Military avionics experts at the Boeing Co. will integrate the Advanced Display Core Processor (ADCP) II aboard versions of the U.S. Air Force F-15 combat jet under terms of a $8.2 million order announced last week. Officials of the Fighter/Bomber directorate of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, are asking the Boeing Defense, Space & Security segment in St. Louis to install and repair the environmental control system on the ADCP II boxes onto F
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04/07/2020
Renewed fighting in Libya, where both sides rely on drone support from foreign backers, has fueled a battle for air supremacy that augurs further escalation despite the coronavirus outbreak in the country. It also raises the prospect of Turkey sending more military aid to its allies.
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04/07/2020
Israel gets a large amount of defense aid from the United States in the form of both cash, weapons, and weapons platforms — but why doesn’t Israel have the F-22 stealth fighter? Perhaps the most prominent example of American-Israeli cooperation is the Israeli version of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, which Israel — and Israel alone — is allowed to modify to better fit Israeli requirements for the Middle East.
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04/06/2020
Chinese engineers have modified an old fighter jet to create a training aircraft for pilots who will serve on the country’s newest aircraft carrier – the Type 002 – which is currently in development, according to the plane’s manufacturer. The adapted JL-9 – also known as the FTC-2000 Mountain Eagle or “Shanying” – was produced by Guizhou Aircraft Industry Corporation (GAIC) specifically for use on the Type 002, which will have a catapult launch system, Beijing-based naval expert Li Jie said.
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04/06/2020
Russian forces in Crimea have carried out massive exercises simulating a full scale missile attack on facilities there. The drills were centred around S-400 battalions stationed in the newly claimed Russian territory - which is still hotly disputed by Ukraine and the Western Bloc and joined the Russian Federation in 2014. The peninsula is among the most heavily fortified of Russian territories, and is on the frontlines of a potential war with NATO or Ukraine.
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04/06/2020
Right now, Hill Air Force Base looks drastically different than it did just a few weeks ago. To help combat the spread of the novel coronavirus, base brass has restricted access to the commissary and restaurants, closed all morale, recreation and welfare centers, and ordered a large percentage of Hill's workforce move to "mission essential reporting" duty status. That status requires that all nonessential base workers stay off the installation unless they are granted permission from a supervisor
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04/05/2020
China is laser-focused on maritime primacy — quite literally. Beijing is leveraging lasers and other emerging technologies to expand and police its offshore sphere of influence and keep American and allied naval power at bay. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) finds it insufficient to fabricate law with expansive nine-dash line claims and coerce others the old-fashioned way via ramming and gunboat diplomacy.
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04/05/2020
“We’re honored to have the Navy’s confidence in our system design and performance that is evident from this additional order,” said Dave Bujold, Boeing’s MQ-25 program director. “This order establishes uninterrupted production of the first MQ-25 aircraft and lines up with the Navy’s MQ-25 test and training plans for fleet introduction. The MQ-25 program is vital in ensuring the Navy can deliver a critical unmanned aerial refueling capability to the carrier air wing.”
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04/04/2020
Boeing has suspended operations at its Ridley Township, Pennsylvania facilities due to the spread of coronavirus, the company said Thursday. The site includes manufacturing and production facilities for military rotorcraft such as the H-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopter, the MH-139A Grey Wolf multi-mission helicopter and the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft for defense customers, Boeing said.
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04/04/2020
The Chinese defense industrial base is infamous for its tendency to “borrow” from foreign designs, particularly in the aerospace industry. Almost the entirety of China’s modern fighter fleet have either borrowed liberally from or directly copied foreign models.
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04/04/2020
The US Air Force (USAF) Reserve has received its first Lockheed Martin HC-130J Combat King II. The turboprop transport is to be operated by the 39th Rescue Squadron, part of the 920th Rescue Wing, at Patrick Air Force Base in Florida, says Lockheed Martin on 2 April. The Reserve flies the older HC-130 P/N Combat King search-and-rescue transport. The USAF received its first HC-130J in 2011. The US Coast Guard also operates a fleet of HC-130Js for search and rescue.
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04/04/2020
The Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) has taken delivery of its first Boeing CH-47F Chinook produced in the manufacturer’s latest standard, with its Defence Helicopter Command to eventually operate 20 of the tandem-rotor transports. “The RNLAF made it clear to us that they need the advanced, proven capability of the CH-47F now,” says Andy Builta, the manufacturer’s CH-47 programme manager.
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04/04/2020
The US government has awarded Lockheed Martin $512 million to produce eight F-16 Block 70 fighters for Bulgaria. The project is expected to be completed by 31 January 2027, says the US Department of Defense in a contract announcement. The work will take place in Fort Worth, Texas and at Lockheed’s new F-16 line in Greenville, South Carolina.
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04/03/2020
The agreement puts an end to years of negotiations between the Air Force and aerospace giant over the nature and extent of redesign work needed to correct the Remote Vision System, the collection of cameras and sensors that provide boom operators the imagery needed to steer the boom into another aircraft and safely transfer fuel.
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04/03/2020
Israeli and American fighter pilots held a joint F-35 training drill over southern Israel in recent days, meeting only in the air due to the coronavirus pandemic. Face-to-face meetings for briefings and after-drill reviews were instead conducted over the phone and video conferences. The one-day exercise, held on March 29, and dubbed “Enduring Lightening,” saw fifth-generation jets fly in joint squadrons and tackle a range of mock threats in Israeli skies.
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04/03/2020
The Chinese military command responsible for patrols around Taiwan stepped up its drills by staging a long-endurance early-warning exercise in March, the official PLA Daily reported on Wednesday.
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04/03/2020
The United States Air Force is now considering private contractors to help refuel its bombers and fighters within the next two years as it faces a near-term shortage of refueler aircraft. This comes as the USAF's 2021 budget proposal calls for cutting sixteen active-duty KC-10s and thirteen KC-135s from the active and reserve fleets.
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04/03/2020
US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) plans to conduct a flight demonstration as part of its Armed Overwatch light-attack aircraft prototype project in November 2020. Should SOCOM decide to move forward with Overwatch after demonstrations, one company could be awarded a production contract for 75 aircraft to be delivered over a five- to seven-year period, the service says in a 2 April online notice.
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04/03/2020
The US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) is expediting the development of a system that improves low-speed performance of the Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter in poor visibility conditions. US Marine Corps (USMC) operations in the Middle East have showed that in “brownout” conditions caused by sand billowing up from landing zones, helicopters have a tendency to “drift” when attempting to land and take off, NAVAIR says.
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04/03/2020
The US military has conducted joint operations in the Arabian gulf to demonstrate army attack helicopters teaming with naval assets to engaged simulated surface targets. The work involved the army’s Boeing AH-64E attack helicopters operating from the USS Lewis B Puller, an Expeditionary Sea Base ship, says the US Naval Force Central Command.
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04/02/2020
A quarter-century after the last OV-10 Broncos left U.S. military service – not counting experiments and a brief field test in Iraq involving a pair of heavily modified OV-10G+ variants on loan from NASA – U.S. Air Force Forward Air Controllers, now dubbed Joint Terminal Air Controllers (JTACs), may find themselves working with these light attack planes again soon during training programs and exercises.
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04/02/2020
One of their lesser-known, and indeed less-capable airframes is a copy…of a copy. Meet the J/F-7. The F-7 (or sometimes called J-7, after it’s Chinese parent) is an odd duck. The F-7 is a copy of the J-7, which is a copy of the MiG-21. This video of Albanian F-7’s or J-7s shows the decidedly Soviet and antiquated nature of the airframes.
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04/02/2020
Japan has rejected proposals by foreign aircraft manufacturers, including Lockheed Martin, to develop a next-generation combat aircraft based on existing designs under the F-X future fighter program, according to a spokesperson of the Ministry of Defense’s (MoD’s) Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA).
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04/02/2020
The US Navy (USN) intends to award a sole source contract to Northrop Grumman to start production of the Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile – Extended Range (AARGM-ER). The quantity of the forthcoming order was not disclosed, but would be part of low rate initial production lot one, says the service in a notice posted online on 31 March.
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04/02/2020
Moored nose-to-tail in Portsmouth harbour for the first time earlier this year, the UK’s two largest ever warships made an imposing presence, despite the absence of the Lockheed Martin F-35Bs which will in time deliver the Royal Navy (RN) vessels’ firepower during operations around the globe.
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04/01/2020
The captain of an American aircraft carrier deployed to the Pacific Ocean has pleaded with the Pentagon for more help as a coronavirus outbreak aboard his ship continues to spread, officials said Tuesday. Military officials say dozens of sailors have been infected.
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04/01/2020
Lockheed Martin picked up three contracts totaling $4.9 billion for work on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft Tuesday, according to the Pentagon. The F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter -- a single-engine stealth multirole combat aircraft used by the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps - is considered the most advanced fighter aircraft in the sky.
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04/01/2020
The Swedish air force is poised to begin modernising its pilot training system, with the process from later this decade to involve the interim use of Saab Gripen C/Ds during advanced instruction phases. Stockholm has employed the Saab 105 (Sk 60) for both basic and advanced/tactical training since 1986, but Colonel Torgny Falthammar, Gripen programme head at the nation’s air staff organisation, says steps will be taken to replace the aged type.
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04/01/2020
The US government has cleared a potential sale of Mode 5 Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) and the Link 16 tactical datalink to South Korea for its Lockheed Martin F-16s. The deal is worth $194 million, and includes a range of services and equipment related to the acquisition, says the US State Department.
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04/01/2020
Dassault hopes to begin gradually recommencing production at its French facilities in the coming days following an agreement with workforce unions. Final assembly of Rafale combat aircraft and Falcon business jets has been suspended since 18 March, with parts manufacturing similarly halted four days later, in the light of the coronavirus pandemic.
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03/31/2020
Israel’s F-35 Adir fighters conducted a training exercise called 'Enduring Lightning' over southern Israel amid the global pandemic. They were joined by the U.S. Air Force American F-35s, pairing the two countries' fifth-generation fighter capabilities at a time of tension in the region
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03/31/2020
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 362, known as the “Ugly Angels,” were declared fully operational capable on Feb. 28, 2020, signifying that the Marine Corps’ newest MV-22B Osprey squadron is prepared to support the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. Following the certification, they continued to work together to accomplish additional training and readiness objectives while conducting precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
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03/31/2020
The US Navy (USN) has awarded Boeing a $1.5 billion contract for 18 P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. The deal is for six aircraft for the South Korean navy, four aircraft for the Royal New Zealand Air Force and eight aircraft for the USN, Boeing says on 30 March. New Zealand and South Korea are scheduled to received their first aircraft in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
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03/31/2020
The US Air Force (USAF) says fuel is leaking from its Boeing KC-46A Pegasus in-flight refuelling tanker. The problem, which was first discovered in July 2019, was recently upgraded to a category 1 deficiency, says the service on 30 March.
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03/31/2020
Airbus is suspending most of its production in Spain for more than a week, as it continues its efforts to address the coronavirus situation. Spain has been particularly hard-hit among European countries. Airbus says it is to suspend the “majority of production” until 9 April, in the aftermath of new measures imposed by the Spanish government from 30 March.
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03/30/2020
The day is coming when Offutt Air Force Base’s giant “Doomsday” planes will fly off into the sunset. The Air Force has started a program to replace the four E-4B Nightwatch jets — also known as the National Airborne Operations Center — within 10 years. The Doomsday moniker is because their primary mission is to take off and maintain control of nuclear weapons in the event of nuclear war. They also frequently are used as a transport plane for the secretary of defense.
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03/30/2020
The active duty 388th Fighter Wing and Reserve 419th Fighter Wing are continuing to train and fly the F-35A Lightning II at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, despite the current global Coronavirus outbreak. There has been one confirmed case on Hill AFB. As cases continue to spread in America and more and more local and national guidelines and restrictions are put in place to prevent the spread of the disease, the wings implemented their own measures two weeks ago. The largest was, “segmented” OPS.
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03/29/2020
The F-35 wins at long-range due to its stealth capabilities. But it is no dogfighter and if another plane got close enough, maybe the F-35 would lose.
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03/29/2020
Japan wants to develop a stealth fighter domestically, rejecting designs from Lockheed Martin Corp. and Boeing Co. in the United States and Britain’s BAE Systems PLC, three sources with knowledge of the program said.
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03/29/2020
Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said Russia has halted military exercises in the vicinity of its western borders, and its military aircraft are flying in the Baltic airspace with their onboard transponders switched on. But the Estonian defense forces do not agree with this assessment.
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03/28/2020
The first F-35C squadron of the United States Marine Corps, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 314, received on March 20, 2020 its Safe-For-Flight Operations Certification (SFFOC) at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar. VMFA-314 reached this milestone after working with the U.S. Navy’s F-35C Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS), Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 125, which helped the Marines with the transition from the F/A-18A++ Hornet to the new F-35C Lightning II.
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03/28/2020
After an intense period of restocking, Air Force precision weapon inventories are almost back to acceptable levels, Air Force leaders say. Now they are throttling back planned purchases for fiscal 2021.
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03/28/2020
Germany’s Defense Ministry is likely to replace its Tornado jets by 2025 with three different types of jets—two of them built in the United States, German business paper Handelsblatt reported Thursday. For years, Germany’s Air Force, the Luftwaffe, has been bedeviled by atrociously low readiness levels in its fleet of combat aircraft. Currently, the service operates 141 modern Eurofighter Typhoon jets optimized for air-to-air combat, and 93 Panavia Tornados.
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03/28/2020
The US Air Force (USAF) aims to start using private in-flight refuelling tankers in two years. The service wants to contract 5,000 flight hours to support around 1,100 sorties annually, it says in an industry day brief that was released 3 March. The brief was a summary of an industry day held in December 2019.
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03/28/2020
Saab has cut metal on the first two-seat Gripen F for the Brazilian air force. The first part cut for the aircraft will form part of the jet’s air duct section, just behind the fighter’s cockpit, says Saab. “This milestone is important for the Gripen project because it demonstrates that the development phase is proceeding properly,” says Colonel Renato Leite, head of the Monitoring and Control Group (GAC-Saab) at the Brazilian Air Force.
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03/26/2020
Air Combat Command plans to award multiple contracts for adversary air support at six bases as early as April. But the scope of the project, once anticipated to be worth up to $6 billion, will be much smaller than hoped.
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03/26/2020
The US Army has selected Bell and Sikorsky to design and test Future Attack and Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) Competitive Prototypes. The two companies advanced to phase two where each is to complete a detailed design, build and test helicopters. The winner of the FARA contest will be selected in a fly-off competition no later than the fall of 2023.
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03/25/2020
Taiwan's Armed Forces held large-scale military exercises throughout the country on Tuesday, with eight F-16 fighter jets from Hualien Air Base conducting simulated long-range intercept missions above Taiwan. The drill was primarily held to test the military's combat readiness against an all-out Chinese aerial invasion, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said.
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03/25/2020
In early 2020 the Philippines Air Force again assigned Italian made S211 jet trainers to maritime patrol duty. Only three of these elderly aircraft are still flyable and they will remain assigned to maritime patrol until they are no longer able to fly at all. This is not the first time these S211s were assigned to maritime patrol.
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03/25/2020
The US Marine Corps (USMC) believes it needs to be leaner and meaner to defeat China in a hypothetical war in the Pacific Ocean. Over the next 10 years, the service plans to drastically downsize its force, cutting 12,000 personnel and reducing its number of aircraft, including a significant number of its bespoke Lockheed Martin F-35B stealth fighters, Bell Boeing MV-22 tiltrotors and Sikorsky CH-53 heavy lift helicopters.
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03/24/2020
The first Marine Corps F-35C carrier-variant Joint Strike Fighter squadron reached an important milestone, receiving a “safe for flight” operations certification that will allow them to train and operate independently of the Navy’s fleet replacement squadron. Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 314 was certified on March 20, after working with Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 125 over the last five months to train the squadron’s pilots and maintainers to work with the new aircraft.
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03/24/2020
In February, the USN announced that it would cut production of the legacy F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, to instead accelerate the development of the next-generation carrier-based fighter program. According to the service's newly revealed Fiscal Year 2021 budget request, next year's order of two dozen of the tactical aircraft would be the last in the program. This comes after Super Hornet maker Boeing won a $4-billion multi-year contract to build 78 of the strike attack aircraft through FY 2021.
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03/24/2020
The Boeing F-15EX will be the latest and most capable variant of an airplane that has been in uninterrupted production since its first flight in 1972. It began life as an air-superiority fighter known as the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle and later morphed into a two-seat, multi-role ground pounder dubbed the F-15E Strike Eagle. Long after the Air Force took delivery of its final F-15E in 2004, the St. Louis plant continued to build F-15s for sales to allies ranging from Israel to South Korea.
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03/23/2020
Dr Malcolm Davis of ASPI has called for greater Australian and allied consideration for the development of a highly capable air defence interceptor to counter the increasingly capable air combat, stand-off and long-range strike capability of the Chinese air force.
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03/23/2020
Russian Aerospace Forces Il-76 transports loaded with medical supplies and medical specialists are flying to Pratica di Mare Airbase, near Rome, Italy, in the ongoing COVID-19 relief effort. Photos of the aircraft were published today on Russian media outlets, but have not yet been widely reported in western media.
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03/23/2020
The People’s Liberation Army Air Force of China and its sister branch, the PLA Naval Air Force, operate a huge fleet of around 1,700 combat aircraft—defined here as fighters, bombers and attack planes. This force is exceeded only by the 3,400 active combat aircraft of the U.S. military. Moreover, China operates a lot of different aircraft types that are not well known in the West.
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03/22/2020
Enginers of the U.S. Navy Naval Air Systems Command hoisted up the real EA-18G Growler carrier-based electronic warfare aircraft undergo testing of Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band (NGJ-MB) pod in the Air Combat Environmental Test and Evaluation Facility anechoic chamber at Naval Air Station Patuxent River.
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03/21/2020
The US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has tested its Grey Wolf low-cost turbojet engine. The TDI-J85 engine, and related low-cost cruise missile, were designed and built in partnership with Northrop Grumman and Technical Directions, says AFRL. The initial TDI-J85 test campaign involved multiple inflight engine starts and operation at high altitude.
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03/21/2020
Russia will shortly launch test flights with a second modernised Tupolev Tu-22M3M long-range strategic bomber, following the aircraft’s maiden sortie on 20 March. Performed from the Kazan Aviation Plant around 430 miles (700km) to the east of Moscow, the flight included evaluations of the jet’s take-off and landing characteristics, as well other system checks, says Rostec, which owns Tupolev and its United Aircraft parent.
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03/20/2020
China has called for using electromagnetic attacks on U.S. warships transiting the South China Sea, according to a state-run Chinese outlet. The Communist Party-affiliated organ Global Times, quoting a military expert, said the use of nonlethal electromagnetic and laser weapons should be used by the People’s Liberation Army to expel American warships from the disputed sea.
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03/20/2020
Every year, the International Institute for Strategic Studies publishes a thorough assessment of the capabilities and defence economics of militaries around the globe. The 2020 edition of The military balance covers 171 countries and provides a disconcerting deep dive into Chinese military technology.
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03/20/2020
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has given approval to procure equipment for the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Hawk Mk32 jet trainer aircraft. The locally made defence equipment will cost Rs13bn ($174.5m) and includes aerial fuses and twin-dome simulators for the aircraft.
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03/20/2020
The US Air Force is looking to rent four to eight jet trainers to perfect its training regime and further refine capabilities needed on the winner of the T-X trainer contest, the Boeing T-7A Red Hawk. The service’s Air Combat Command (ACC) plans to contract Hillwood Aviation to provide the Korea Aerospace Industries/Lockheed Martin T-50A trainer, according to a sole-source notice posted online in January.
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03/19/2020
The F-35 Lightning II is now the world’s most dominant multi-role fighter. Its detection range, geolocation, threat identification, and system response capabilities allow the jet to precisely fix and destroy the most advanced threats in the world including every layer of Russia’s latest SA-20 surface-to-air missile (SAM) system.
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03/19/2020
Airbus is offering Germany a version of the Typhoon multi-role fighter aircraft that can perform the suppression of enemy air-defenses, or SEAD, mission. The SEAD Typhoon would be a new variant of the twin-engine plane and would require extensive modification of the basic Typhoon design.
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03/19/2020
Since its revitalization as a host for U.S. forces in 2019, Prince Sultan Air Base has evolved to provide needed operational depth in the Middle East. Led by the 378th Air Expeditionary Wing, PSAB has transformed into a major hub of support for U.S. Central Command’s projection of decisive airpower and deterrence throughout the region. In doing so, PSAB has supported a variety of combat aircraft including the F-15E Strike Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-22 Raptor, and the F-35A Lightning II.
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03/19/2020
Consequent to the separation of duties between Department of Defence (DoD) and Department of Military Affairs (DMA), the first meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) under the chairmanship of defence minister Rajnath Singh was held with the acquisition wing being the Secretariat of the DAC.
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03/19/2020
One of Germany’s biggest aerospace employee unions has warned the country’s government that it risks jeopardising the entire European defence industry if it selects a US-built fighter to replace the Luftwaffe’s Panavia Tornado fleet. Berlin is currently weighing options for a successor aircraft, with a decision expected in early 2020; Boeing’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and the Eurofighter are both in contention.
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03/18/2020
Detailed by Spanish language publication defensa.com, the South American country’s shopping list includes additional Leonardo C-27J battlefield transports, heavy transport aircraft – including for in-flight refuelling – more Viking Aircraft DHC-6 Series 400 Twin Otters, plus a substantial number of Mil Mi-17 helicopters.
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03/18/2020
The UK Royal Air Force’s (RAF’s) second of an eventual nine Boeing P-8A Poseidon MRA1 maritime patrol aircraft arrived at Kinloss in Scotland on 13 March. Newly arrived ZP802 followed the service’s lead example of the 737NG-derived type, which has been in the UK since 4 February to support training activities. The pair will remain at Kinloss until the Poseidon force is relocated to its permanent home at nearby RAF Lossiemouth later this year, following the completion of infrastructure work at th
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03/18/2020
Aero Vodochody’s L-39NG has passed fuselage strength tests, as the company works towards certification of the advanced jet trainer. Using the fuselage of aircraft 7002, which is earmarked for static trials, the test saw the structure initially taken to the limit load, which corresponds to the maximum possible load during flight. Subsequently, this was increased to the ultimate load, or 150% of limit load. It was only at 110% of this higher level that a structural failure occurred.
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03/17/2020
TacAir, the Reno-based adversary support contractor that won a big Navy contract to augment training operations at nearby Naval Air Station Fallon, the home of Topgun, is now fulfilling that contract with its heavily enhanced F-5ATs. The aircraft are being overhauled from the ground-up for the adversary mission and morphing into the most advanced F-5s ever devised. The War Zone has learned that these enhancements now include the addition of a full-color helmet-mounted display.
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03/17/2020
The US Army has awarded Bell and a Sikorsky-Boeing team Competitive Demonstration and Risk Reduction contracts for the next stage of its Future Long Range Air Assault (FLRAA) programme. The service made the announcement on Twitter on 16 March and not disclose the value of the contracts.
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03/17/2020
The US military has demonstrated the use of a Lockheed Martin AC-130W Stinger II gunship in a new naval support role. The work took place from 8-9 March in the Arabian Gulf and involved AC-130Ws, a Boeing P-8A Poseidon, and a US Navy Cyclone class patrol vessel, says the US Navy. The P-8A and patrol vessel identified targets that simulated surface threats, which the AC-130Ws then engaged with live rounds.
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03/17/2020
The US Air Force (USAF) has purchased for $70.2 million two Textron Aviation Beechcraft AT-6 Wolverine aircraft for its continued light attack experiment. The turboprops were purchased using an “Other Transaction Authority” – a faster and less bureaucratic process than the conventional Pentagon acquisition procedure – and will come with pilot training, engineering services and up to four years of contractor support for maintenance and spares, says Textron on 16 March.
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03/16/2020
The JAS-39 Gripen is the Swedish defense industry’s largest export, financially. The Gripen has seen considerable success replacing aging fighters in former Warsaw Pact countries, and has also seen sales in Africa, the Americas and Asia. But why is the Gripen successful on the export market? How does it stack up against other NATO products and Soviet jets?
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03/16/2020
Japan’s 2019 Mid-Term Defense review quietly revealed that after years of hesitation, Tokyo has decided to press ahead with development of its own domestically designed sixth-generation Mitsubishi F-3 air-superiority stealth fighter, rather than purchasing an additional foreign stealth design to supplement its growing fleet of F-35s.
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03/16/2020
The Russian S-400 long-range surface-to-air missile system has generated much media interest since its deployment within Russian borders and abroad. It boasts of an impressive capability against a range of aerial targets including aircraft, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles and has generated controversial international sales. Reputation notwithstanding, the S-400 has not yet been tested in combat.
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03/15/2020
The Air Force is revving up electronic warfare upgrades for its F-15 fighter as a way to better protect against enemy fire and electronic attacks, service officials said. Boeing has secured a $478 million deal to continue work on a new technology called with a system called the Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System, or EPAWSS.
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03/14/2020
It comes in response to a court case brought by Amazon Web Services (AWS), claiming the decision was politically motivated. President Trump had previously expressed concern about Amazon's bid. In a court filing, the Pentagon said the U-turn was "in response to.... technical challenges presented by AWS".
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03/14/2020
The US Army believes a combination of domestic and foreign sales will give the Boeing CH-47 production line in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania the minimum demand needed to remain open until at least 2025. After speaking with Boeing, the service suspects the production line can be sustained at a rate of 18 helicopters annually, says Bruce Jette, assistant secretary of the US Army for acquisition.
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03/13/2020
The F-22 can see things that other planes cannot. This gives its pilots a distinct advantage.Thirteen years after entering service with the U.S. Air Force, the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor stealth fighter finally could gain the capability wordlessly to communicate with ships, ground forces and other planes.
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03/13/2020
The United States launched retaliatory strikes against five weapons storage facilities across Iraq belonging to the Iranian-backed group Kataib Hezbollah, following the March 11 attack on Camp Taji that killed two Americans and one soldier from the United Kingdom. The Defense Department will not name the two Americans, or what service they were associated with, until their next of kin are notified. Initial reports said at least a dozen others were wounded, but that number has since risen to 14
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03/13/2020
For the third time in a week, RAF Typhoons were scrambled to intercept Russian aircraft encroaching on UK airspace. Two jets were launched from RAF Lossiemouth just after 9am. The activity was first noted by Twitter account @MIL_Radar. A Voyager tanker plane was also launched from RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, in case the Typhoons needed to refuel.
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03/13/2020
Tokyo has yet to decide on its future international partner for the country’s ambitious FX Future Fighter programme to replace the Mitsubishi F-2. “The [Japanese Ministry of Defense] is in discussion with the U.S. and the UK from the viewpoint of ensuring interoperability, cost effectiveness and technical reliability,” says Japan’s Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA).
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03/12/2020
According to Narendra Modi, the country is setting high defence production goals. In a few decades, it plans to join the ranks of leading exporters of equipment. The latter will primarily be sold to African nations. The pace of economic development on the continent has attracted many companies to the region, including Alpari Forex Broker in South Africa.
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03/12/2020
A top U.S. Navy modernization official on Tuesday had to justify to lawmakers the service's decision to kill plans to build 36 new F/A-18 Super Hornets in the midst of a strike fighter shortage. Modernization officials from the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Army testified at a hearing Tuesday before the House Armed Services Committee's Tactical Air and Land Forces subcommittee on aircraft and helicopter programs in the proposed fiscal 2021 defense budget.
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03/12/2020
RAF jets were scrambled to intercept Russian bombers in airspace above the Shetland Islands this morning. The RAF confirmed British QRA Typhoons with Voyager support from Lossiemouth were deployed to shadow the aircraft.
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03/12/2020
Boeing has begun modifications to the first of two commercial 747-8 airliners which are to be turned into US Air Force (USAF) VC-25B aircraft. Known by its “Air Force One” call sign when the US president flies aboard, two VC-25B are to operate as the USA’s top executive transports for the next 30 years. Modifications are being done at Boeing’s San Antonio, Texas facility, says the USAF.
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03/11/2020
In a statement, the PAF said the aircraft was carrying out rehearsals for the country's national day parade to be held on 23 March. Police and security forces have now cordoned off the site in the Shakarparian area, near several museums, golf clubs and Jinnah Stadium. The PAF said the pilot Wing Commander Noman Akram died in the crash.
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03/11/2020
The Air Force is moving forward with assessments to determine where it can safely base its new B-21 Raider bomber. The service will soon start environmental impact studies to assess the effects of putting "Main Operating Base 1" for the new bomber at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota and at Dyess Air Force Base in Texas, according to a notice published in the US federal register on Friday.
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03/11/2020
Israeli defense firm Elbit said Monday that its US subsidiary, Elbit America, had won a US Air Force contract worth up to $471 million. The company will supply a missile warning system to F-16 fighter jets belonging to the US Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command.
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03/11/2020
Looks like Russian Naval Aviation is pretty active in these days with their Tu-142 maritime reconnaissance and ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) aircraft. As you will probably remember, on Mar. 7, 2020, two Tu-142s (a Tu-142MK ASW aircraft and a Tu-142MR VLF band comms relay aircraft) flew close to the NATO airspace in northern Europe and were intercepted by the RNoAF F-16s and F-35s (at their first intercept of Russian aircraft) and by the RAF Eurofighter Typhoons.
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03/11/2020
The Air Force’s plan to cut MQ-9 Reaper production and some air patrols in its fiscal 2021 budget request would negatively impact the ability to conduct operations and provide enough overwatch in hotspots in the Middle East and Africa, the top officials responsible for those regions said March 10.
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03/11/2020
Elbit Systems of America has won a $472 million fixed-price contract to provide pylon-based infrared missile warning systems for US Air National Guard and US Air Force Reserve Command F-16 fighters. The infrared missile warning systems are to be installed on an undisclosed number of Lockheed Martin F-16s over the course of 10 years, with work to be finished by February 2030, Elbit says on 9 March. Installations will occur in Fort Worth, Texas.
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03/10/2020
On Mar. 9, 2020, the Japan Air Self Defense Force retired its RF-4E/J reconnaissance aircraft at Hyakuri Air Base, in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. Assigned to the 501 Hikotai or Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, the “Photo Phantoms” made their last training sortie and all the unit’s Phantoms, with their peculiar sharkmouth, the unit’s woodpecker mark on the tail and the three camo schemes (European, Vietnam and Blue offshore camouflage) were eventually retired.
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03/10/2020
India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is planning to establish facilities in several Asian markets to boost its international profile. In comments reported by the Press Trust of India (PTI) on 8 March, R Madhavan, HAL's chairman and managing director, said the company is looking at setting up "logistical bases" in Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam.
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03/10/2020
The entry into Irish-controlled airspace by Russian air force Tupolev TU-95 “Bear” strategic bomber aircraft last week was unsurprising. We have been here many times before. In 2017 the Royal Air Force scrambled Typhoon combat aircraft from its Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) stations to respond to another sortie by Russian strategic bomber aircraft that skirted close to Irish sovereign airspace, which extends to 12 nautical miles off the Irish coast.
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03/10/2020
Deployed maintainers from all over the world flood the flight line turning wrenches to ensure their assigned aircraft are ready to take over the skies, this controlled chaos signifies Red Flag is back in session March 6-20, here. As one of the U.S. Air Force’s largest combat training exercises, this iteration includes participants from various services, including U.S. Navy and U.S. Marines as well as our allied forces from the Italian, German and Spanish air forces.
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03/10/2020
Sierra Nevada Corporation has won a $23.2 million contract to supply two Sierra Nevada/Embraer A-29 light attack aircraft to the US Air Force (USAF). The award includes ground support equipment, pilot training, logistic support, aircraft sparing and sustainment, says Sierra Nevada on 3 March.
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03/09/2020
Few aircraft have as die hard a following as the A-10 Thunderbolt II — from those serving overseas in combat zones, to military bases, and on numerousFacebook groups and “Save the A-10” pages. Its fans span the ranks from enlisted to officers, and across all fields. And of course, there are the pilots themselves, like Air Force Maj. Vince Sherer, who spent three combat tours flying Warthogs out of Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan.
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03/09/2020
France and Italy have expressed intent to export new generation combat aircraft to Bangladesh, according to diplomatic sources in Paris and Rome. French defence minister Florence Parly was scheduled to reach Dhaka early Monday on a short visit to seemingly move the proposal for selling Rafale, a twin-jet fighter aircraft, and unmanned combat air vehicle among other military hardware.
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03/09/2020
The Russian MoD has just released an interesting video that provides additional details about the long-range mission flown in international airspace by a Tu-142MK ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) and maritime patrol aircraft and a Tu-142MR Bear-J VLF band radio communications relay platform escorted by at least one MiG-31 Foxhound (armed with R-33 missiles) that caused the Royal Norwegian Air Force and the RAF to scramble their interceptors on Mar. 7, 2020.
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03/08/2020
Australian Government Department of Defense has reported that U.S. private contractor Air USA is buying up to 46 F/A-18 Hornet fighter aircraft. “Workers at RAAF Base Williamtown will service and prepare up to 46 retired F/A-18 Classic Hornet aircraft that will be sold to air combat training company Air USA,” said in the release.
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03/08/2020
The reason why India's defense establishment is tilting towards the Derby missile is because it can be integrated into different types of fighter aircraft and can also be used as a surface-to-air missile for the Spyder air defense system.
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03/08/2020
As the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) already had several dozen tactical bombers and fighters based in western Syria, it was widely assumed that deploying big bombers on long-distance raids was purely for symbolic and combat testing purposes. But in fact, VKS tactical aviation elements in Syria could not quite surge the desired level of firepower for the retaliation strike, particularly against targets in eastern Syria.
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03/07/2020
The F-16 Fighting Falcon bears an unusual distinctions: it is one of the only top jet fighters in the world to also be cost efficient. Fast and extremely agile, the light fighter does have some shortcomings in range and payload compared to larger twin-engine fighters like the F-15 Eagle, but that was easy to forgive due to costing less than half as much—around $18 million in 1999 ($27 million in 2017 dollars).
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03/07/2020
With less than four days to go before peace talks are to begin in Afghanistan between that nation's authorities and the Taliban insurgency, things are not looking promising. Taliban fighters are stepping up attacks on Afghan security forces. American warplanes are counterattacking. And a prisoner exchange that was to take place before those intra-Afghan talks start is being rejected by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
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03/07/2020
MBDA has successfully hit a target vessel with its Sea Venom anti-ship missile fired from a helicopter in a test. The first qualification firing trial of the medium-range weapon was done at DGA Essais de test site at Ile Du Levant in the Bay of Biscay, France on 20 February 2020, MBDA says on 6 March. The dummy target was a shipping container stacked on a large vessel at sea.
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03/07/2020
Northrop Grumman says Australia should consider advancing its acquisition of the US Navy’s MQ-4C Triton UAV following the Trump administration’s proposal to pause production for the programme in FY2021 and FY2022. While pausing production, the administration wants instead to focus on the MQ-4C’s improved multi-intelligence configuration, designated IFC-4. The budget is subject to congressional approval.
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03/06/2020
France finally delivered its three Harfang (Eagle) UAVs to Morocco in a $48 million sale that included ground support and maintenance equipment as well as extended tech support. Completing this sale took six years because Moroccan Islamic conservatives condemned the proposed deal because the Harfangs were actually an Israeli design renamed and modified somewhat for French service.
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03/06/2020
Like its American counterpart the F-16 jet, the J-10—dubbed the Vigorous Dragon, or the Firebird by NATO—is a quite agile fourth-generation jet with an aerodynamically unstable airframe that has to be regulated by its flight control computer. But such maneuvers would have been impossible for a regular plane relying entirely upon conventional flight controls.
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03/06/2020
China reportedly is developing a new stealth fighter. The new warplane, under development by the Shenyang Aircraft Design and Research Institute, could be a clean-sheet design. Or it might be a development of the company’s older FC-31, an export-optimized stealth fighter that has yet to secure a single order.
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03/06/2020
The UK Royal Navy’s (RN’s) Wildcat HMA2 rotorcraft will be ready to defend the service’s largest-ever warships from next year, with the integration of key new armaments proceeding on schedule, Leonardo Helicopters says.
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03/06/2020
Norway is making progress with the introduction of the NH Industries NH90 NFH maritime helicopter for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) missions, having taken delivery of the first aircraft in August last year. Although the Royal Norwegian Air Force previously operated the Westland Lynx from its navy’s frigate fleet, these were not deployed in an ASW capacity.
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03/05/2020
A reporter from one of Germany’s highest-circulating dailies Bild, Julian Röpcke, has written an article on Turkey's drone capabilities. The piece, titled “Erdogan’s army destroys Putin’s high-tech weapons,” points to the success of the Bayraktar unmanned aerial vehicles in the battleground.
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03/05/2020
Air USA, a private contractor that offers "red air" adversary support, is buying up to 46 soon-to-be-retired F/A-18A/B Hornets from the Royal Australian Air Force. Last year, the U.S. Air Force hired the company, along with six others, under a massive multi-billion dollar training support contract.
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03/05/2020
Air Force leaders are urging members of Congress to participate in classified briefings in order to fully understand the thinking behind the service’s fiscal 2021 budget request, which once again attempts to retire a host of legacy platforms to free up funding for new technology.
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03/05/2020
Lockheed Martin and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries plan to shut down production at the F-35’s Final Assembly and Check-Out (FACO) facility in Nagoya, Japan the week of 9-13 March due to fears of coronavirus contagion. The number of coronavirus cases in Japan climbed past 1,000 on 4 March, according to the World Health Organization and local media reports. The country has the fifth highest number of confirmed cases worldwide, behind China, South Korea, Italy and Iran.
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03/05/2020
Lockheed Martin has delivered the 500th F-35 fighter, with the fleet also surpassing the 250,000 flight hour mark. The 500th example delivered is an F-35A that will serve with the Vermont Air National Guard, says Lockheed. An image of the jet shows it bears the registration number AF5343.
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03/04/2020
Both the Turkish Ministry of Defense and the Syrian News Agency SANA have confirmed that a Syrian L-39 Albatros was shot down in the Idlib region, around 12.03LT on Mar. 3, 2020. The downing of the advanced jet trainer (that the Syrian Arab Air Force has often been using in combat with an under fuselage gun pod and external stores since 2012, when the first images of SyAAF L-39s attacking rebel positions started appearing online).
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03/04/2020
Finnish procurement officials say they expect all five contenders in the country’s HX Fighter competition to remain in the race until the end. The comments by the Finnish defense ministry’s head of strategic projects, Lauri Puranen, emerged following the conclusion of the HX Challenge. The challenge saw each of the aircraft types deployed to Finland in January and February for flight trials to confirm that the proposed aircraft have met the specifications promised by the manufacturers.
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03/04/2020
Saab has partnered with several Canadian aerospace companies for the Future Fighter Capability Project (FFCP) deal. Known as the ‘Gripen for Canada Team’, the companies include IMP Aerospace & Defence, CAE, Peraton Canada and GE Aviation. The Saab-led team has been formed to provide a genuine ‘Made in Canada’ solution for the fighter capability project and help comply with the terms set out in the Canadian request for proposal.
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03/04/2020
The US State Department has approved the sale of eight Boeing KC-46A Pegasus in-flight refuelling tankers to Israel for an estimated $2.4 billion. The US Congress has been notified of the possible sale, says the Defense Security Cooperation Agency on 3 March.
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03/04/2020
The US Navy has completed update work on 10 Lockheed Martin F-16A fighters that are used in the aggressor role. The work was undertaken by the Specialized and Proven Aircraft Program office, says the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR).
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03/03/2020
Saab is bidding for the Canadian Future Fighter Capability Project (FFCP) which will see the replacement of the RCAF’s existing CF-18 Hornet fighter fleet. If successful, the bid will see 88 of Saab’s Gripen E aircraft being delivered which offers full NATO interoperability.
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03/03/2020
The United States has approved a possible military sale to Tunisia of four AT-6C Wolverine light attack aircraft worth an estimated $325 million including associated equipment. The US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress of the possible sale on 25 February after Tunisia requested four AT-6C aircraft.
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03/03/2020
Ten Spanish Air Force EF2000 “Tifóns”, pooled from ALA11 and 14, split in two cells and supported by 2x RAF A330 Voyager tankers are currently on their way to Nellis AFB where they will take part in RF 20-2.
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03/03/2020
The Ministry of Defence (Mindef) is in the “final stages” of acquiring four F-35B Lighting II multi-role combat aircraft, with an option to buy eight more, after receiving approval from the US government and Congress. This was revealed by Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen in Parliament on Monday (2 March), during his ministry’s Committee of Supply (COS) debate.
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03/03/2020
In a room packed full of U.S. Air Force personnel this past week, SpaceX founder Elon Musk issued a bold pronouncement: “The fighter jet era has passed. ... Locally autonomous drone warfare is where it’s at, where the future will be.” The reaction in the room was immediate — a collective pause.
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03/03/2020
Boeing has resurrected and is showing off its Powered JDAM concept believing that the US Air Force (USAF) is keen to buy low-cost cruise missiles. The company has increased development work on the concept within the last 18 months, it says at the Air Force Association Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Florida on 28 February. The project was originally begun about eight years ago, but had been put on the back burner due to lukewarm interest from the service.
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03/02/2020
Turkey's military shot down two Syrian government fighter jets over northwest Idlib, hours after forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad brought down a Turkish drone over the region.
In a Twitter post on Sunday, Turkey's defence ministry said its forces struck two SU-24 aircraft in response to the downing of the drone.
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03/02/2020
General Atomics has revealed what appears to be a previously unknown unmanned aircraft concept, called Defender, that is capable of air-to-air combat and mid-air refueling. The company says that its primary mission would be to protect "high-value airborne assets," such as airborne early warning and control aircraft, standoff reconnaissance planes, and aerial refueling tankers.
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03/02/2020
In 2008, military observers within and outside of Russia noted the poor performance of the Russian Air Force (VVS) in the five-day Russo Georgian War. In the aftermath of the conflict, Moscow instituted a vigorous new round of military modernization and reforms. These reforms were put to the test when in September 2015 Putin committed the newly reorganized Aerospace Force (VKS) to its first expeditionary war, a bid to prop up the faltering regime of Bashar-al Assad in Syria.
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03/02/2020
Lockheed Martin is developing a new variant of its iconic F-16 single-engine fighter in order to compete in India’s 2019 tender for 110 new warplanes. But don’t count on the American firm’s “F-21” to win the contract. According to journalist Angad Singh, the likely winner is French company Dassault’s Rafale twin-engine fighter.
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03/02/2020
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II’s profitability could suffer due to the programme losing access to less expensive parts suppliers in Turkey. Ankara was booted from the Joint Strike Fighter programme in July 2019 after the country decided to buy the Russian-made Almaz-Antey S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile battery. That weapon system is advertised as being anti-stealth, a capability the US Department of Defense takes seriously and wants the F-35 to avoid.
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03/01/2020
More than 300 Airmen with the 555th Fighter Squadron, also known as the “world famous, highly-respected” Triple Nickel, completed the first leg of their deployment after departing Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar in late Feb. 2020. The Triple Nickel is an F-16 Fighting Falcon squadron that provides combat air power and performs air and space control and force application roles including air interdiction and close-air support in support of joint, NATO, and combined operations.
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03/01/2020
As Pakistan’s relationship has soured with the United States in the past two decades, Pakistan’s armed forces have largely looked towards Chinese suppliers for equipment. While China has long supplied Pakistan’s armed forces, the relationship has deepened in recent years, with Pakistan making major purchases of top-of-the-line Chinese export equipment.
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03/01/2020
The two Tu-142 planes came south outside Norwegian air space on February 26th and 27th. Major Brynjar Stordal, press spokesperson with the Norwegian Armed Forces, said to the Barents Observer that “these Russian aircraft operates relatively routinely over the seas north of Norway,” but, he added “it is not common that they fly as far south as they did this week.”
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03/01/2020
Five years of relentless bombardment tilted the course of the war in Assad’s favor—and continues to do so today as heavy bombing paves the way for Assad’s forces to crush the last major rebel stronghold in Idlib province—if it doesn’t trigger Turkish intervention first. However, the air campaign has cost the Russian military at least nineteen manned aircraft (eleven helicopters and eight airplanes) between 2015–2018, leading to the deaths of twenty-three crew and thirty-seven passengers.
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03/01/2020
The US Air Force’s (USAF) decision to cancel the Hypersonic Conventional Strike Weapon (HCSW) and proceed with Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) came down to size and shape of the missile, in addition to budgetary pressures and a desire to move toward production faster. The HCSW programme was cancelled several weeks ago. The ARRW programme passed its critical design review on 27 February.
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02/29/2020
The US and the Taliban have signed an "agreement for bringing peace" to Afghanistan after more than 18 years of conflict. The US and Nato allies have agreed to withdraw all troops within 14 months if the militants uphold the deal. President Trump said it had been a "long and hard journey" in Afghanistan. "It's time after all these years to bring our people back home," he said.
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02/29/2020
Belarusian Air Force pilots have made the first few flights in Su-30SM fighter jets. The pilots' experience had been limited to theoretical training before that, representatives of the Belarusian Defense Ministry told BelTA. Pilots of the Baranovichi airbase have experience of flying Su-27 aircraft, a predecessor of the Su-30 model. The two-seater Su-30SM can be used for combat missions and for training new pilots.
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02/29/2020
A former American special envoy to Syria has suggested that the U.S. should consider military intervention in the northwest of the country after 33 Turkish soldiers were killed in an airstrike there. The Turkish soldiers died Thursday when a Syrian airstrike hit a military base in the Behun area of Idlib province, where the Syrian regime—backed by its Russian and Iranian allies—is trying to crush the last significant area held by Turkish-backed rebels.
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02/29/2020
Following President Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Rome, Azerbaijan and Italy have reached a military agreement over Baku’s purchase of the 5th generation warplane Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master from Italy. A number of significant documents were also signed between countries during the visit that will strengthen the Azerbaijani Air Forces’ fleet.
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02/29/2020
Speaking in front of a crowd of fighter pilots for the US Air Force (USAF), technology entrepreneur Elon Musk pronounced the end to the manned fighter jet era. “The fighter jet era has passed,” says the founder of rocket builder SpaceX and artificial intelligence company OpenAI at the Air Force Association Air Warfare conference in Orlando, Florida on 28 February.
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02/29/2020
Safran believes it now understands the reasons behind the crash of a Patroller unmanned air vehicle (UAV) last December – an incident that took place shortly before the initial example was due to be delivered to the French army. The aircraft was destroyed when it came down near the town of Saint-Mitre-Les-Remparts on 6 December during an “industrial reception flight” from Istres air base in the south of the country.
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02/28/2020
When the Times of India revealed that the Indian air force was revising its single-engine fighter competition to encompass twin-engine jet designs, a collective groan likely rang from New Delhi to Washington—and even Stockholm.
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02/28/2020
Dassault chief executive Eric Trappier regrets the breakdown of the UK-France defence partnership that would have seen his company team with BAE Systems on a next-generation fighter, saying a “political decision” was behind last year’s launch of the Franco-German Future Combat Air System initiative.
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02/28/2020
The US Government has cleared the sale of four Textron AT-6C Wolverine light attack aircraft to Tunisia in a deal worth $326 million. The approval of the potential Foreign Military Sale was announced in a Defense Security Cooperation Agency notification to Congress. In addition to the aircraft, the package will include a range of bombs, over 3,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System (APKWS) rockets, sensors, guns, training, technical support, and other products and services.
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02/28/2020
New variants of the Xian Y-20 strategic transport look set to make their public debut, as the four-engined type assists relief operations related to the Coronavirus outbreak in the city of Wuhan. In addition to the transport variant, a tanker variant and an airborne early warning (AEW) variant are planned, according to a Global Times report citing Teng Hui, who commands an air force aviation regiment and is a Y-20 pilot.
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02/28/2020
Lockheed Martin’s hypersonic Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) is wrapping its critical design review. ARRW wil officially pass the milestone on 27 February and the US Air Force (USAF) is pleased with the missile’s development progress, says John Varly, vice-president of hypersonics with Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. ARRW development is being led by Lockheed Martin Missile and Fire Control in Orlando, Florida.
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02/27/2020
The Royal Australian Air Force has deployed aircraft to take part in Exercise Cope North in Guam. Thirteen aircraft in total - 11 F/A-18A/B Classic Hornets, an E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft, and a KC-30A multirole tanker transport – are taking part in the exercise at Andersen Air Force Base.
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02/27/2020
Turkey’s recent ejection from the F-35 program has spawned a wave of speculation as to the fate of Ankara’s procurement plans. The Su-35, Eurofighter Typhoon, and Saab JAS 39 Gripen were advanced as prospective alternatives, with the former being seen as a particularly attractive option on the heels of the diplomatic goodwill generated by Turkey’s decision to import Russia’s S-400 system.
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02/27/2020
Pakistan looks set to turn to China for its attack helicopter replacement needs after US embargoes halted sales of rival Bell and Turkish Aerospace products. Islamabad had in 2015 ordered 12 Bell AH-1Zs under the USA’s Foreign Military Sales process and then followed that in 2018 with a deal for 30 Turkish Aerospace T129s worth $1.5 billion.
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02/27/2020
The French air force has finally confirmed a long-rumoured interest in acquiring Boeing CH-47F Chinooks for special forces missions and hopes to lease a pair of the tandem-rotor helicopters as a trial before making any purchase. In addition, the service hopes to shortly outline an upgrade package for its fleet of Airbus Helicopters H225M Caracals and is also working to define possible tri-service requirements for a next-generation rotorcraft post-2040.
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02/26/2020
New Delhi has concluded purchase agreements for 24 Sikorsky MH-60R helicopters for the navy and six Boeing AH-64E Apache helicopters for the army. The deals were announced during U.S. President Donald Trump’s first state visit to India. Sikorsky is expected to conclude deliveries of all 24 MH-60Rs by 2023. AH-64E deliveries begin in 2023.
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02/26/2020
Leonardo will in April begin a series of flight trials in the UK in which an unmanned air vehicle (UAV) will be controlled by the crew of Lynx Wildcat helicopter – so called Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T). To be carried out in conjunction with the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), the tests will build on simulator work last year which confirmed the feasibility of the effort.
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02/26/2020
Kuala Lumpur is getting close to issuing a request for proposals (RFP) for a new maritime patrol aircraft (MPA), with conversion work pending to convert a pair of CN235 tactical transports to perform maritime surveillance. The RFP shows an intention to revisit a previous MPA acquisition that was abruptly terminated by the Pakatan Harapan coalition that took power in 2018.
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02/25/2020
Spend a day flying with Capt. Mike Shufeldt, one of the Idaho National Guard’s A-10 Thunderbolt II pilots, and feel firsthand what it is like to be an A-10 fighter pilot.
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02/25/2020
Earlier, HAL had demanded a staggering Rs 56, 500 crore ($8.1 billion) as the overall cost for the same project. The defence ministry and IAF were initially taken aback at the “exorbitant price” being demanded by HAL to produce the 83 Tejas Mk-1A jets along with the maintenance and infrastructure package.
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02/25/2020
Gen. Mike Holmes, commander of Air Combat Command, and Lt. Gen. Richard Scobee, commander of Air Force Reserve Command and chief of the Air Force Reserve, paid a visit to the active-duty 388th Fighter Wing and reserve 419th Fighter Wing to help commemorate a key milestone in F-35A Lightning II operations. The Feb. 20 ceremony marked the 388th FW and 419th FW reaching “full warfighting capability,” which denotes success in three key areas: fully trained pilots and maintainers, a full complement
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02/25/2020
While the IAF is mulling purchases of additional advanced Western jet fighter like the Dassault Rafale, Saab JAS 39 Gripen, the Lockheed F-21 or Boeing Super Hornet, it’s meanwhile turning to its long-running relationship with Moscow to patch up the growing gap in its air defenses—even if that means it risks running afoul of U.S. CAATSA sanctions imposed on countries that import Russian weapons..
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02/25/2020
Russia has developed a hypersonic air-to-ground missile for its Sukhoi Su-57 fighter aircraft, the country’s first purported indigenously designed and built fifth-generation stealth fighter, according to Russian defense industry sources. The new weapon system can reportedly be fitted inside the Su-57s internal weapons bay.
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02/25/2020
An agreement to advance construction of a joint advanced combat aircraft program was ceremonially signed by French and German defense ministers. A contract for the first phase of the program to build the main aircraft of the Future Combat Air System was awarded last week. It covers the plane's propulsion system, data architecture and simulation environment, the German Defense Ministry said. Airbus, MTU, Safran and Dassault are the lead contractors.
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02/25/2020
The US Department of Defense (DoD) has outlined five principles to help keep artificial intelligence (AI) technology from running amok. The principals, which the DoD released on 25 February, provide an ethical framework intended to guide the US defence industry’s development of AI, and the US military’s use of such emerging technologies.
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02/24/2020
Unsuccessful negotiations between Russian and Turkish diplomats, and the UN Security Council have doused all hope of easing tensions in Idlib, Syria. In anticipation, Ankara has asked the United States to deploy Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems to the Turkey–Syrian border. The U.S. Embassy in Turkey has, however, declined to comment on the matter.
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02/24/2020
American sanctions may have done some harsh damage to Iran’s economy, but that has not stopped the Iranian air force from seeing through a deal to overhaul eight military aircraft manufactured by foreign countries.
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02/24/2020
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has made a prolific visit to Italy this week, reaching more than a dozen agreements, including in the defense sector. A contract with Italy’s airplane manufacturer and defense corporation Leonardo was just one of the 17 agreements signed by representatives from Baku and Rome. Under the deal, Leonardo’s M-346 cutting-edge trainer jets are being purchased by Azerbaijan’s defense ministry.
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02/23/2020
China claims to have developed a special radar that can detect stealth aircraft. In addition, it also functions as a fire control radar that can guide missiles toward stealthy jets like the F-35.
“Meter wave radar can be deployed on vehicles, on land and warships, creating a dense web that gives hostile stealth aircraft nowhere to hide,” said China’s Global Times.
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02/23/2020
The French Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) and Dassault Aviation have tested a nEURON demonstrator along with five Rafale fighter jets and an AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) aircraft, in multiple tactical configurations.
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02/23/2020
The Sukhoi Su-30 MKI may be the tip of the Indian military’s spear but with the aircraft’s systems rapidly showing their age, scientists and engineers are working on improvements. Among developments is a new Artificial Intelligence-infused cockpit being built by the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on its own initiative which can execute commands based on the spoken word.
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02/22/2020
On Feb. 19, 2020, four RoNAF F-35A aircraft arrived in Iceland, where they have deployed to support NATO’s Airborne Surveillance and Interception Capabilities to meet Iceland’s Peacetime Preparedness Needs (ASIC IPPN) mission. The purpose of the NATO mission, initiated in 2008, after the withdrawal of US forces from the island, is to provide air surveillance and interception coverage over Iceland, in order to maintain the integrity of the NATO airspace.
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02/22/2020
Japan is grappling with a serious military modernization challenge that has broad operational and strategic implications for the balance of power in the Asia-Pacific theater. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) must soon decide how to replace its aging F-2 multirole fighter aircraft and how much it’s willing to pay to develop a replacement.
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02/22/2020
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has announced that its F/A-18A/B Hornets will support two exercises. Around seven fighter jets from No 75 Squadron have already arrived at RAAF’s Base Pearce. Starting 23 February, the Hornets will fly for two weeks in support of exercises Phoenix Black and Nigrum Pugio.
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02/22/2020
Airbus Defence & Space (DS) has formally offered the Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft to the Colombian Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Colombiana: FAC) to replace its ageing fleet of Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI) Kfirs.
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02/22/2020
India’s Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has approved the purchase of 24 Sikorsky MH-60R helicopters for its navy at an estimated cost of US$2.6 Billion. A green light from the CCS is the final step before the inking of a formal contract under India’s procurement process.
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02/21/2020
Boeing Defence Australia (BDA) looks set to overhaul at least two, and as many as eight F/A-18D Hornets belonging to the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF). Speaking at the Singapore 2020 Airshow last week, an RMAF source indicated that two Hornets would arrive at Williamtown in mid-April. They will be supported on their journey by an Airbus A400M transport aircraft, which also has air to air refuelling (AAR) capabilities.
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02/21/2020
The Chinese air force is expanding its fleet of J-20 radar-evading stealth fighters while also preparing to field FC-31 stealth fighters and H-20 long-range stealth bombers, the U.S. Defense Department warned in the 2019 edition of its annual report on Chinese military developments.
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02/21/2020
Replacement for F-16 fighter jets, L-39s trainers; upgrade of Saab Early Warning System; purchase of transport, VIP, helicopters and unmanned aircraft besides spy satellites figure in the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) White Paper 2020 released today.
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02/21/2020
The jet (TS-1610) underwent Lockheed’s Falcon Star mid-life upgrade, which extends its service life to 8,000h, from 4,000h. The air force says the upgrade also updated its avionics and radar.
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02/20/2020
The US Air Force (USAF) fleet of Lockheed Martin U-2 Dragon Lady spyplanes recently have completed flight testing and installation of the Collins Aerospace Senior Year Electro-Optical Reconnaissance System (SYERS-2C).
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02/19/2020
French aircraft maker Dassault Aviation and state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) are reportedly in discussions for workshare on possible additional Rafale orders. Sources close to the matter have been quoted by The Economic Times as saying that ‘detailed discussions have taken place on how HAL facilities and expertise could be used for the next round of localisation when more jets are ordered’.
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02/19/2020
MBDA has performed a second test firing of its Marte ER anti-ship missile in support of the long-range weapon’s integration with the Eurofighter Typhoon. Conducted from a test range in Sardinia, the missile’s latest ground-launched firing “pushed its envelope to the limit”, MBDA says. “This firing confirmed the overall design and performance of the missile, marking a critical milestone in its development path,” the company adds.
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02/19/2020
While the total is unchanged from years prior, the service is asking to increase research and development in order to meet upcoming threats from China and Russia by 2030, it says on 10 February. For example, the USAF is pushing forward the development of its Advanced Battle Management System, a sort of internet-of-things network that is supposed to enable faster and closer collaboration between aircraft, satellites, tanks and ships of the USAF, US Army and US Navy.
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02/18/2020
The Syrian capital of Damascus was rocked by airstrikes near the international airport, on early Friday morning, as Iranian-led proxy militias were hit by airstrikes. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that seven members of the militia were killed. On the Jordanian, Al-Hadath news, the attack was reported as having originated from the Golan Heights. The Israeli air force was identified as the attacker.
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02/18/2020
The United States and China are escalating their military duel near Taiwan by flying strategic bombers near the island state in recent days. The People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) sent several H-6 bombers near Taiwan on Feb. 10, including one that provocatively crossed the middle dividing line between the mainland and Taiwan, prompting Taipei’s military to scramble F-16 jets to intercept and shadow the bomber. A day later, the U.S. Pacific Air Force flew two B-52 nuclear-capable bombers
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02/18/2020
While Australia’s Tiger Armed Reconnaissance helicopters have been deployed overseas just twice in their 15-year operational history, their French Army equivalents have been continually deployed on combat operations for more than 10 years now.
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02/18/2020
India and the US have deepened their defence ties, especially since the time Donald Trump has assumed office. India was awarded the "Major Defence Partner" tag in 2016 which showed the rise of India’s stature as a strategic ally of the United States.
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02/17/2020
Americans with fear watching as the new Chinese strike fighter J-16 in large numbers go on combat aircraft of China. Plus, these machines have significant potential for further improvement. Moreover, technological developments of the J-16 has helped Shenyang aircraft Corporation to create the fifth generation fighter Chengdu J-20 “Black eagle”. Meanwhile, J-16 is a modification – even revolutionary – a Russian su-27, and a contract for its sale is not allowed any changes.
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02/17/2020
On August 8, Chinese media reported that the People’s Liberation Army Air Force had unveiled a new variant of its JH-7A maritime strike jet at the Russian Aviadarts aviation competition. The new model, called the JH-7AII, was not visibly different from the base model, but is believed to possess improved radar and cockpit avionics.
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02/16/2020
After nearly five hours of flying above Afghanistan, the call finally came. “Alright guys, the first receivers are about 10 mikes out. Let’s get ready to do this,” announced the KC-135 Stratotanker pilot to his team. As aircraft quickly approach, the 28th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron KC-135 Stratotanker’s aircrew carefully complete the necessary checklists to ensure they can accomplish their mission of delivering fuel to U.S. and coalition forces and, in turn, enabling war-winning airpo
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02/16/2020
The manufacturing of the country’s first indigenous aircraft carrier Vikrant is currently under phase three which involves setting to work of machinery and other equipment and it is likely to be commissioned by early 2022. The delivery deadline has been extended due to issues with the delivery of aviation equipment from Russia.
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02/16/2020
Even though its recent domestic issues with the 737 Max program have cast a shadow, U.S. Aerospace giant Boeing has continued to do well with its military programs particularly outside of the United States. There are a couple of substantial military contracts up for grabs in India, and Boeing stands poised to make a run for both of them. India is heavily considering two aircraft, the F/A-18 Hornet and F-15 EX.
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02/15/2020
A coalition spokesman confirmed that a Saudi Tornado fighter jet had "fallen" while carrying out a support mission near Yemeni army units, according to Saudi Arabia's state news agency SPA. Yemen's Houthi rebels said they shot down the plane. The Saudi-led coalition has been battling the rebel Houthi movement since 2015.
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02/15/2020
One of the F/A-18 Super Hornets Used in “Top Gun: Maverick” Just Flew to Jacksonville, Florida for Repainting in Blue Angels Livery for 2021. Photos and video of the Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet, no. 165667, flying out of Naval Air Station North Island on Coronado Island, California off San Diego that was used in the filming of the upcoming “Top Gun: Maverick” have surfaced on social media.
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02/15/2020
Singapore’s Air Force chief has given his vote of confidence in the Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jet amid the country’s efforts to buy new fifth-generation aircraft. However, he acknowledged that challenges still remain in the acquisition process, particularly in regard to logistics.
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02/15/2020
Combat aircraft of U.S. Air Force visited an outpost of the Norwegian military in the Arctic. A wing of fighters came to an airbase located on Jan Mayen island. The U.S. delegation came there to test the runway for the purpose of landing of C-130J Super Hercules transport planes, Reuters reported.
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02/15/2020
The US Navy’s (USN) newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, has been cleared as operationally safe for launching and recovering all naval aircraft types using its Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG).
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02/14/2020
Boeing has announced plans to test its F/A-18 Super Hornet jet on a carrier ski-jump to make a pitch for India’s carrier-based aircraft procurement program even as Russia’s MiG is expecting an order to supply the MiG-29K jets for the same.
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02/14/2020
When the U.S. Air Force awarded Boeing the contract for its next-generation training system in 2018, many observers were amazed at the low price. The service had estimated that it would cost nearly $20 billion to develop and produce 351 aircraft plus simulators and ground training aids, but Boeing agreed to do it for less than half that amount.
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02/14/2020
U.S. aerospace giant Lockheed Martin has offered to help India in its multi-billion-dollar programme to develop a next-generation advanced multi-role combat aircraft and boost capability of the Tejas fighter jet. The offer by the U.S. aerospace firm comes ahead of President Donald Trump's maiden visit to India on Feb. 24-25 during which both strategic partners are expected to further expand defence and military cooperation.
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02/14/2020
Boeing believes possible upgrades to its P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, including the integration of new anti-ship cruise missiles, bombs, sea mines and decoys, among other payloads, could help it increase international sales potential. The US Naval Air Systems Command solicited potential contractors on 28 January to integrate a variety of weapons on the aircraft via a request for information notice posted online.
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02/14/2020
A Franco-German future combat air system (FCAS) initiative formally launched at last year’s Paris air show has secured approval to move into its demonstrator phase. Finalised by Paris and Berlin on 12 February, the initial framework contract “covers a first period of 18 months and initiates work on developing the demonstrators and maturing cutting-edge technologies,” its industry partners say. The intention is for flight tests to begin “as soon as 2026”, they add.
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02/14/2020
Detailing the development in a full-year results announcement on 13 February, Airbus says: “While the rebaselining of the A400M programme was completed and significant progress has been made on technical capabilities, the outlook is increasingly challenging on exports during the launch contract phase, also in light of the repeatedly extended German export ban to Saudi Arabia.”
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02/13/2020
German lawmakers on Wednesday, February 12 signed off on the first funds for a multi-nation project to develop a new fighter jet and reinvigorate an ambitious programme aimed at bringing together Europe’s disparate military forces. The stealthy Next-Generation Fighter jet is a crucial part of the Future Combat Air System, which will also include drones, missiles and so-called “remote carriers” that can be used to deliver munitions, attack communication networks or divert the attention of enemy
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02/13/2020
The latest F-35A equipped squadron of the US Air Force, the 421st Fighter Squadron, is bringing the fifth-generation fighter to its first Red Flag exercise, revealing the seamless operation of pilot and machine. The exercise, which takes place from 27 January to 15 February, is meant to give at least 10 combat-representative sorties to younger pilots to better prepare them for real combat against very capable adversaries.
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02/13/2020
Boeing is contemplating pitching the F-15EX to New Delhi for one of the country’s long-running fighter procurements - a contest in which its F/A-18E/F is already competing. The airframer confirms that it has requested US government clearance to offer the twin-engined type for an Indian air force requirement for 110 fighters.
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02/13/2020
Boeing is pitching its T-7A Red Hawk to Asian militaries for the first time at the Singapore air show, as it seeks a first export deal for the advanced jet trainer. The airframer is on contract to build as many as 351 examples for the US Air Force (USAF), with the first aircraft scheduled for delivery in in 2023.
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02/13/2020
The US Air Force wants to develop a commoditised Lockheed Martin F-16 to make it easier for US allies and foreign partners to buy the combat aircraft. The service is eyeing a fighter as its next project after creating a commoditised MQ-9 Reaper unmanned air vehicle (UAV) in coordination with manufacturer General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, says Kelli Seybolt, deputy under secretary of the US Air Force (USAF) for international affairs, at the Singapore air show.
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02/12/2020
When most U.S. Air Force fighter and bomber aircraft need to strike a target, they rely on the Sniper Pod, which provides long-range detection/identification of targets, as well as surveillance for all missions, including close air support of ground troops. The Precision Attack Sniper Integrated Product Team, part of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Agile Combat Support Directorate, ensures the Sniper Pod operates as designed.
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02/12/2020
As exhibitors prepare for the opening day of the Singapore Airshow, many will be eyeing opportunities in the Asia-Pacific fixed-wing aircraft market that is forecast to total $150 billion over the coming decade. Analysis from Defence Insight has found that much of the military aircraft spending across the region is being fuelled by an ever-more assertive China, which is investing heavily in advanced manned fighter aircraft.
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02/12/2020
A second day of drills by China's military close to Taiwan were aimed at improving combat capabilities, the People's Liberation Army said after Taiwan's air force scrambled to intercept Chinese jets that briefly crossed into its airspace. Tensions have spiked between China and the self-ruled island since Sunday when Taiwan F-16s shadowed Chinese fighters and bombers which flew around the island. Beijing claims Taiwan as its territory.
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02/12/2020
Caught between a growing US government fiscal deficit and a growing military threat from China, the US Pacific Air Forces command is looking for inexpensive ways to pre-position war materiel on islands across the Pacific Ocean.
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02/11/2020
Despite multiple efforts to push the iconic A-10 Warthog's retirement date further into the future, the U.S. Air Force is now slated to shelve dozens of the Cold War-era ground-attack planes in the upcoming fiscal year, according to the service's budget request.
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02/11/2020
The B-1 remains a combat-proven airframe capable of meeting today's combatant commanders' needs, and it will be a necessity as the Air Force modernizes its entire bomber force, including the B-21 Raider.
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02/11/2020
Airmen from the 388th Fighter Wing, alongside reservists from the 419th Fighter Wing, are currently deployed for combat training with the F-35A Lightning II during exercise Red Flag 20-1. They are also performing the “core wing” function at what is known as the Air Force’s premier large force exercise.
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02/11/2020
The US Air Force is placing a high priority on developing partnerships with regional air forces in the areas of procurement, training, and support. Kelli Seybolt, deputy under secretary of the Air Force for international affairs, plays a prominent role in working with the USA’s international partners.
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02/11/2020
Australia’s prospective purchase of 200 Lockheed Martin Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LSRAMs) to equip its fleet of Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets has been cleared by the USA. Approved by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency on 7 February, the deal, under the Foreign Military Sales process, is worth $900 million.
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02/10/2020
In December, when Boeing's board of directors fired CEO Dennis Muilenburg, some corporate governance experts and investment analysts wondered what took so long. By then, the aerospace company's latest iteration of its best-selling airplane, the 737 MAX, had been grounded worldwide for more than nine months following two crashes that killed 346 people.
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02/10/2020
Taiwan's air force scrambled on Sunday (Feb 9) to intercept Chinese jets that flew around the island claimed by Beijing as its own, in a move denounced by Taiwan's Defence Ministry as a threat to regional peace and stability. China has been flying what it calls "island encirclement" drills on-off since 2016 when Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen first took office.
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02/09/2020
Exercise Lightning Fury training over the North Sea is aimed at ensuring 207 Squadron achieves essential carrier flying and Landing Signals Officer (LSO) supervisory qualifications. The exercise builds on successful trials completed on last year’s ‘WESTLANT 19’ Carrier Strike Group deployment off the East Coast of the USA.
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02/09/2020
An early December 2019 report from inside of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) reveals previously unreleased technical details of People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Russian-built Su-27s losing a majority of engagements in a November 2015 joint exercise with the 701 Fighter Squadron of the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF). This Thai unit operates eight Saab JAS-39C and four JAS-39D Gripens.
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02/09/2020
Saab has completed its participation with Gripen E and GlobalEye AEW&C in the Finnish HX Challenge, the Finnish Air Force testing and evaluation event at Pirkkala Air Base in Finland.
The flight evaluation is part of the capability assessment in the on-going HX programme, the procurement of new fighter aircraft to equip the Finnish Air Force. The HX Challenge was carried out in Finland with tests performed under Finnish winter conditions, with the purpose to verify the data previously reported
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02/09/2020
More than 600 U.S. Air Force guardsmen, reservists and active duty Airmen completed a new fighter exercise Feb. 7, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, featuring the integration of the world’s most advanced, fifth-generation airframes. This first iteration of Pacific Raptor began on Jan. 23, and entailed twice-daily takeoffs of F-22 Raptors and F-35A Lightening IIs, followed by F-16 Fighting Falcons, which took on the notional role as adversaries during each training mission.
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02/09/2020
The Pentagon’s top weapons buyer and several aerospace corporations have pulled out of the Singapore Air Show as concerns about the new coronavirus spread, though U.S. Air Force demonstration teams, Airmen, and other aircraft will still attend.
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02/08/2020
An accident with a Mirage combat jet has taken place during a training flight near Shorkot city, Punjab province, according to Pakistan news website Arynews. A Pakistan Air Force Mirage aircraft has crashed near Shorkot during a routine training mission, local media reported. The Air Headquarters has formed a committee to investigate the causes behind the crash, Pakistan news website Arynews reports.
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02/08/2020
Pilots typically never like to see an aircraft's fuel gauge tick down to almost empty -- especially if they are flying one of the most expensive fifth-generation stealth fighters in the world. Recently, F-22 Raptor pilots from the Pacific Air Forces' 3rd Wing simulated refueling in a remote location -- a necessary ability should they ever need to touch down and fill up before returning to battle. And special tactics airmen made it possible.
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02/08/2020
According to a statement quoted by Russian media, the plane was about to land in Damascus when Syrian anti-aircraft fire responded to an alleged Israeli attack early on Thursday. The Airbus 320 then diverted to the Russian airbase of Hmeimim in north-western Syria, the ministry said. More than 172 people were on board.
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02/08/2020
Buying a new fleet of fighters is a huge decision for any nation: not only due to the high capital cost of making such an acquisition, but also because of the heavy responsibility of selecting the right type to defend its citizens for 30 years or more.
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02/07/2020
The poll comes as last week Poland signed a contract with Lockheed Martin worth $4.6bn to procure 32 F-35 combat aircraft in a move that will significantly upgrade its air power and marks the first Eastern European country to sign up to the programme.
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02/07/2020
While it is hard to believe, next year will mark almost 15 years since the Indian Air Force (IAF) embarked on a process to procure a new fighter. It will also be eight years since the force selected the Dassault Rafale for its Medium-Multirole Combat Aircraft (M-MRCA) program—a selection that was eventually not carried through to a license-production run as originally planned.
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02/07/2020
Boeing delivered the first F/A-18E/F Super Hornet with a 1,500h service-life extension to the US Navy (USN) on 21 January. The US manufacturer plans to deliver the second service-life-extended Super Hornet by the end of February, with a third to be handed to the service in April, it says on 6 February.
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02/07/2020
Kenya has received its first pair of Leonardo C-27J tactical transports from a KSh20 billion ($200 million) order for three examples for the country’s air force. Leonardo says that the two aircraft landed in the Kenyan capital Nairobi on 30 January. No details on the delivery timeline for the third aircraft were available, although Cirium fleets data lists it as the sole current order for the C-27J.
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02/06/2020
Philippine Secretary of National Defense Delfin Lorenzana confirmed in December 2019 that his country had downselected the Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 Viper and Saab JAS 39 GripenC/D as candidates for its Multi-Role Fighter (MRF) programme, setting the ball rolling for the final phase of evaluations.
(Read More...)
02/06/2020
Three days after the United States Air Force shared new visuals of its upcoming B-21 Raider, the Russian Defense Ministry announced it signed the contracts regarding the production of its own future long-range strategic bomber, the PAK-DA.
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02/06/2020
Gen Ackbal Samad assumed command of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) on 3 January, making him the fifth chief who will have to grapple with the much-delayed Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA).
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02/06/2020
One of the most well-known defense enterprises in the former Soviet Republic of Belarus is the Baranovichi Aircraft Repair Plant (BARP) No. 558. The facility specializes in upgrading front-line fighter aircraft originally developed in the former USSR, and it is moving into new markets for its own electronic warfare (EW) products.
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02/06/2020
The US Special Operations Command plans on buying 75 fixed-wing aircraft for its just-announced Armed Overwatch programme. The aircraft are intended for close air support of special operations troops, according to a notice announcing an upcoming industry day posted online 3 February.
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02/06/2020
Finland has reached the mid-way point in its HX Challenge process: an in-country evaluation of the five types on offer to meet its future fighter requirement. Candidate number three – Saab’s Gripen E – late last month arrived at the Finnish air force’s Pirkkala air base, before Helsinki received updated request for proposal responses from the Swedish firm and its rivals on 31 January. The deployment marked the first overseas commitment made using the new-generation model.
(Read More...)
02/05/2020
Final assembly of the first batch of Eurofighter Typhoons for Kuwait was formally launched in a ceremony at Turin-Caselle on October 15. The Italian final assembly line was bedecked with Kuwaiti and Italian flags for the closed event, with a backdrop provided by the fuselage of the first Kuwaiti two-seater (KT001) in an assembly jig, waiting for its tailfin to be fitted.
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02/05/2020
The US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) is soliciting potential contractors to integrate the Boeing P-8A Poseidon with Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles, as well as several other weapons. NAVAIR is also interested in outfitting the maritime patrol aircraft with 500lb to 2,000lb-class bombs fitted with Joint Direct Attack Munition guidance kits, Mk62/63/65 Quickstrike sea mines, Raytheon’s gliding Small Diameter Bomb, as well as Miniature Air Launched Decoys.
(Read More...)
02/05/2020
The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) has moved a step closer towards reinstating its lapsed dedicated maritime patrol aircraft capability, with a first Boeing P-8A Poseidon having touched down at its Kinloss base in Scotland on 4 February. The newly arrived aircraft, ZP801, had been supporting personnel training activities at the US Navy’s NAS Jacksonville site in Florida since last November, prior to making its first transatlantic crossing.
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02/05/2020
The US Air Force (USAF) has awarded Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) a potentially $240 million contract to produce further replacement wing sets for its Northrop T-38C jet trainer fleet. “Work will be performed in Lod, Israel, and is expected to be complete by January 2023,” the US Department of Defense says in a 30 January notification of the indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity deal. Approved funding in fiscal year 2020 values $34.4 million, it adds.
(Read More...)
02/05/2020
The US Navy (USN) flew two Boeing EA-18G Growlers as autonomous unmanned air vehicles (UAVs), using a third Growler as a flight controller. In total, four flights were conducted at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, with tests starting in September 2019, says manufacturer Boeing on 4 February. The aircraft demonstrated 21 missions during flights that took place toward the end of 2019, says Boeing. The type of missions were not disclosed.
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02/04/2020
Eurofighter has updated its proposal for Finland’s HX fighter acquisition programme, BAE Systems announced on 31 January. The proposal has been submitted by the UK government with the support of the governments of Germany, Italy and Spain - the nations which are currently represented in the Eurofighter industry consortium.
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02/04/2020
A new rendering released by the US Air Force (USAF) of the top-secret Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider shows subtle differences compared to its stealth bomber predecessor, the Northrop Grumman B-2A Spirit. An artist rendering released by the service on 31 January depicts the bomber parked in hangars on several US air bases expected to host the flying wing aircraft in the future.
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02/03/2020
Nearly a month after Iran launched a rare direct military attack against United States forces in Iraq, an uneasy quiet has settled across the Mideast. Watching fighter jets roar off the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, the top U.S. commander for the region believes he is surrounded by one of the reasons that Iran has dialed back its combat stance, at least for now.
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02/03/2020
It has been a long road. Japan’s Ministry of Defense has revealed that progress was gathering pace on the nation’s next-generation air dominance fighter program as Asia’s rising superpower, China, continues to enhance its own next-generation air dominance capabilities.
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02/02/2020
The Indian Air Force (IAF), which plans to acquire 200 fighter aircraft amid its depleting strength, saw a drop in capital funds allocation in Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Union Budget 2020-21 against revised estimates for the current fiscal. While Sitharaman had allocated Rs 39,302.64 crore for the IAF capital expenditure in her last budget in July 2019, it was increased to Rs 44,869.14 crore in the revised estimates for 2019-20.
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02/02/2020
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II has 873 unresolved deficiencies and new problems are being discovered regularly, making reducing the number of issues with the aircraft difficult.
That’s the conclusion of the latest scathing assessment of the stealth fighter from the Annual Report for the US Department of Defense’s (DoD) Office of the Director of Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E), released to the US Congress on 30 January.
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02/02/2020
Poland has signed a $4.6 billion contract to purchase 32 Lockheed Martin F-35As, with deliveries to start in 2024. Signed on 31 January at the Polish air force academy in Deblin, the deal also includes a training package and logistics support services.
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02/02/2020
Spain has officially signed for the acquisition of 24 Pilatus PC-21 trainers, confirming its pre-Christmas selection of the Swiss-built turboprops. Madrid will use the new aircraft to replace its fleet of elderly CASA C-101 jet trainers, which have been in service since 1980.
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01/31/2020
After a failed push to get F-35 planes at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County, they could be headed there. While speaking at Dana Incorporated in Warren on Thursday, President Donald Trump said his administration is strongly considering putting the planes at the Michigan National Guard base.
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01/31/2020
Lockheed Martin is projecting annual production of the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter could rise to as high as 180 examples by 2024.mmThe company sees continued sales to US military services as well as potential wins in international fighter procurement competitions, such as in Finland, Switzerland and Canada, steadily boosting production of the combat aircraft.
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01/30/2020
Defence has acknowledged that a logistics system in the 72 Joint Strike Fighters being purchased by Australia for $17bn could create a “risk of cyber intrusion and data loss”. In answers to questions from Labor senator Kimberley Kitching, the department said the Autonomic Logistics Information Systems had “several developmental challenges” but the cyber risks were being managed.
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01/30/2020
Two Gripen-E fighter jets built by Swedish manufacturer Saab have arrived at Pirkkala Air Force Base to start two weeks of intensive testing and evaluation. They’re the third of five aircraft types coming to Finland through the end of February, as the Air Force weighs up the pros and cons of each in the process to determine which company will win the €10 billion contract to replace the country’s ageing fleet of Hornet jets.
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01/30/2020
Keeping our country safe is something Americans expect from their government. When it can serve that purpose in a cost-conscious way, all the better. That’s why upgrading our fighter fleet to the modernized and cost-effective F-15EX is a no-brainer.
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01/30/2020
Vietnam has signed a $350 million deal last year to buy a dozen combat training aircraft from Russia, the Vedomosti business daily reported Wednesday. Russia is the biggest arms supplier to Vietnam and Southeast Asia. Vietnam’s fleet deploys Russian-made fighters jets, surface ships and submarines, according to the state-run TASS news agency.
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01/29/2020
Taking training to new heights, Air Force Number 4 Squadron based at RAAF Base Williamtown has welcomed its first three Pilatus PC-21 aircraft to their new home. Regarded as “the world’s most advanced pilot training aircraft”, the PC-21’s arrival on Friday, 24 January, at 4SQN demonstrated the platform’s training versatility – with the aircraft being engaged and immersed in a different but still highly significant training role.
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01/29/2020
When an MQ-1 Predator fired an AGM-114 Hellfire missile in the opening stage of Operation Enduring Freedom over Afghanistan, the world discovered a new form of power projection: kinetic force delivered from unmanned, remotely piloted aircraft (RPA). That proof of concept drove exponential growth in RPA usage, with combat air patrols (CAPs) swelling from just four in 2004 to 65 simultaneous, worldwide CAPs every day in 2014.
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01/29/2020
The US Air Force confirmed on Monday that one of its aircraft had crashed in Afghanistan, killing all on board. The aircraft was a Bombardier E-11A, the military version of the popular Bombardier Global Express aircraft family used by the world's elite for long-range travel. Though the Taliban has taken credit, Air Force officials have denied that it was shot down.
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01/29/2020
“Star Trek” would be a lot less interesting if we found out the Enterprise didn't run on an advanced isolinear computing system but instead ran on something like MS-DOS. We might laugh at how incredulous that work of science fiction would be. But in today's U.S. Air Force, the F-22 – one of the most advanced fighters ever made – runs on a similar disparity.
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01/29/2020
The Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton UAS has started its first deployment, joining a US Navy (USN) squadron at Andersen AFB in Guam. A pair of MQ-4Cs reached Guam on 26 January, and will be operated as part of an early operational capability (EOC), says the USN. The EOC will inform a concept of operations for the type.
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01/28/2020
Poland will sign on Friday a contract with Lockheed Martin worth USD 4.6 bln for the purchase of F-35 combat aircraft, Minister of Defence Mariusz Blaszczak tweeted on Monday. Blaszczak wrote that he would sign the deal to buy 32 state-of-the-art fifth generation Lockheed Martin F-35 fighters in Deblin, eastern Poland, on Friday afternoon.
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01/28/2020
Poland will sign on Friday a contract with Lockheed Martin worth USD 4.6 bln for the purchase of F-35 combat aircraft, Minister of Defence Mariusz Blaszczak tweeted on Monday. Blaszczak wrote that he would sign the deal to buy 32 state-of-the-art fifth generation Lockheed Martin F-35 fighters in Deblin, eastern Poland, on Friday afternoon.
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01/28/2020
More than 1,000 personnel from the U.S. Air Force’s active, national guard and reserve components participated in the decade’s first Sentry Aloha exercise Jan. 8-22, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. The air-to-air combat exercise, designated as Sentry Aloha 20-1, is hosted by the Hawaii Air National Guard and designed to train Airmen from around the country in a joint and interoperable venue on a large scale.
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01/27/2020
Officials told the media there were no indications it had been brought down by enemy activity.
The aircraft crashed in Deh Yak district, Ghazni province, an area with a strong Taliban presence. Afghan authorities initially said it belonged to state-owned airline Ariana, but the company issued a denial, saying all its planes were accounted for. The Pentagon has not released further details and it is unclear how many people were on board.
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01/27/2020
The warming ties between Iran and Turkey add another factor to the new direction Turkey has taken in its defense policy. In recent months, Turkey has taken a few steps that made the question of whether it can still be a member of NATO a very acute one. The surprising fact is that the organization has not reacted and has not taken any action to try and stop the process. That further puts a question mark on its real value as an organization that may be called for combined military operations.
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01/27/2020
A vital military range is at risk from Big Oil – and the clock is ticking. The eastern Gulf of Mexico is a military range essential to our military’s success and critical to delivering the required combat capabilities to our men and women deployed overseas – and the oil industry wants to drill for oil there.
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01/27/2020
India is celebrating its 71st Republic Day and like every year, IAF is hosting a a spectacular air display at the Republic Day Parade that includes attack and transport aircrafts of the IAF. Here’s a list of all the active fighter jets also called the multi-role fighters and strike aircraft owned by the Indian Air Force, from Sukhoi Su30MKI to the Tejas LCA.
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01/26/2020
Five sailors are in stable condition following the crash of their MH-60S helicopter in the Philippine Sea, U.S. 7th Fleet said on Saturday. The MH-60S was operating from 7th Fleet command ship USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) when it went down about 5:15 p.m. local time, read a statement from the Navy. “Three aircrew were recovered by a Japan Air Self-Defense Force UH-60 search and rescue helicopter, and the other two were recovered by a USS Blue Ridge MH-60S helicopter,” read the statement.
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01/26/2020
The spectre of China is looming ever larger over Asia. Now international relations experts are sounding alarms at the risks of an armed clash. There are always tensions between states, says the ANU's Professor John Blaxland, "but there is a gnawing sense that this decade may see us get closer to the brink than in generations".
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01/26/2020
The United States has approved a plan to provide Ch-47 Chinook helicopters to the Special Mission Wing of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces. The Department of Defense informed regarding the planned delivery of the helicopters in its semiannual report which it recently provided to the U.S. Congress, covering events during the period of June 1 to November 30, 2019.
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01/25/2020
Russian-built Mi-24 ‘Hind’ attack helicopters are no strangers to U.S. airshow venues like Nellis AFB for previous editions of Aviation Nation, but official mention of the aircraft being used in active training with the USAF is much less common. Last week, the Air Force’s 355th Wing Public Affairs unit officially released a story about the USAF 55th Rescue Squadron of the Air Combat Command training with two Russian Mi-24 attack helicopters at Davis-Monthan AFB outside Tucson, Arizona.
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01/25/2020
JF-17 Thunder Block-III 4+ Generation made its maiden flight back in December 2019 and Pak-China jointly built fighter jet proved its might and air superiority all over again. At Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group’s (CAIG) facilities, the first ever powered up prototype was flown in a test flight hailing some major upgrades and technologies from China’s top of the line J-20 fighter jet.
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01/25/2020
In its pursuit to sell F-21 multi-role fighter jets to Indian Air Force, US aerospace giant Lockheed Martin will exhibit its cutting-edge technology including aircraft platforms, precision weapons and missile systems at the Defence Expo-2020 (DefExpo), scheduled to be held in Lucknow from 5 to 8 February.
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01/25/2020
Poland’s defense minister Mariusz Blaszczak announced that Warsaw’s deal to buy dozens of fifth-generation F-35 stealth aircrafts from the US will be signed next week. “We’ve basically finalized the negotiations, with only minor procedural issues still pending. I’m convinced that in January we will sign an agreement with the United States for the purchase of 32 F-35 planes, the most modern aircraft in the world,” Blaszczak said in an interview.
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01/25/2020
The US Coast Guard’s MH-65D Dolphin helicopter upgrade programme began full-rate production on 21 November. Full-rate production means the US Coast Guard plans to convert 22 examples of the Eurocopter MH-65D per year into the “E” configuration, says the service on 16 January.
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01/25/2020
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems started a series of internally funded demonstration flights on 19 November 2019 with the MQ-1C Gray Eagle Extended Range unmanned air vehicle (UAV) serving as a tactical ballistic missile spotter.
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01/24/2020
Boeing confirmed to reports that its AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopter was “down-selected” for a potential acquisition program with the Bangladeshi armed forces. Terry Jamison, the director of international vertical lift sales at Boeing, stated that Bangladesh is actively considering the Apache on both cost and capability grounds.
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01/24/2020
First F-35 fighter aircraft that Poland is planning to order would be “ready in 2024”, Head of the Polish Ministry of Defence, Mariusz Blaszczak said. He also confirmed the fact that conclusion of a relevant agreement on that matter (actual delivery of the aircraft) is planned to happen next week.
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01/24/2020
The Lockheed Martin F-35 has demonstrated has demonstrated a capability to downlink targeting data about multiple “air-breathing threats” to ground forces. The work took place at White Sands Missile Range in December 2019, according to Lockheed Martin.
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01/24/2020
Saab has commenced assembly production for the Boeing T-7A Red Hawk advanced jet trainer.
The Swedish company says it is producing seven aft fuselage sections in Linköping, Sweden which will then undergo final assembly at Boeing’s factory in St. Louis, Missouri.
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01/23/2020
The U.S Air Force on Jan. 21 conducted a massive elephant walk at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, launching ten A-10 Thunderbolt II, or the more affectionate A-10 Warthogs, in a row. “A-10 Thunderbolt II fighter aircraft flown here by pilots of the 107th Fighter Squadron, perform an, “Elephant Walk,” on the runway as they deploy for Snowbird January 21, 2020,” according to a news release issued by the 127th Wing Public Affairs.
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01/22/2020
China will need to speed up the production of its most advanced Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter jets, with the supply of the "Powerful Dragons" well behind demand, military analysts said.
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01/22/2020
Turkish Aerospace Industries revealed a mockup of a new stealth fighter at the Paris Air Show on June 17, 2019. Don’t get excited. The mockup of the TF-X fighter bears a resemblance to the U.S. Air Force’s own F-22. But whereas the F-22 is a real, front-line warplane with an actual combat record, the TF-X is unlikely to even get built.
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01/22/2020
The US Navy CMV-22B Osprey made its initial flight at Bell’s Amarillo Assembly Center in Texas. The Bell Boeing CMV-22’s first flight comes ahead of its manufacturers’ plan to deliver the tiltrotor to the Naval Air Systems Command’s Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 21 in early 2020 for developmental testing, Bell and Boeing say on 21 January.
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01/21/2020
The significant change in USMC aviation since the introduction of the Osprey has set in motion fundamental changes overall in USMC capabilities and concepts of operations. In the past decade, the Osprey has matured as a combat platform and fostered significant change in concepts of operations. No less than the virtual end of the ARG-MEU and the shaping of a new approach to amphibious warfare and shaping new concepts of operations for dealing with peer competitors is underway.
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01/21/2020
Sukhoi-30MKI fighter aircraft, equipped with ' BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, was inducted at Thanjavur airbase on Monday. The missile can hit targets at around 300 kilometers with precision. Bhadauria said that the decision to deploy the Su-30 MKI at Thanjavur was taken due to its strategic location.
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01/21/2020
BAE Systems intends to acquire two parts of the Collins Aerospace and Raytheon portfolios which were mandated for sale as part of regulatory requirements enabling the US companies’ pending merger. Announcing the formal asset purchase agreements on 20 January, BAE values its proposed acquisition of Collins’ military GPS business at over $1.9 billion, and says obtaining Raytheon’s airborne tactical radios unit will cost $275 million.
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01/20/2020
The 116th Squadron “Lions of the South”, based at Nevatim in southern Israel, is the second Israeli Air Force unit to be equipped with the “Adir”. On Jan. 16, 2020, the IAF officially reopened the 116th (“Lions Of The South”) squadron. The unit joins the 140th “Golden Eagle” squadron, becoming the second to operate the “Adir” (as the Israeli Lightning II stealth aircraft are dubbed).
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01/20/2020
The PAF Chief of Air Staff (CAS), revealed the PAF’s plans to procure 26 JF-17Bs in an interview in May 2019.[1] According to the CAS, the primary purpose of inducting the JF-17B was to train new pilots on the JF-17 “without first putting them through the F-16, Mirage or F-7P/PG” as they are currently. In other words, as the JF-17 becomes the PAF’s most numerous aircraft, the PAF is adding twin-seat variants to convert pilots with limited experience in JF-17.
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01/20/2020
The latest version of the F-16, officially dubbed the F-16 Block 70, is a thoroughly modern fighter jet. The original F-16 was introduced in the 1970s, but the new jet is a different beast thanks to advanced avionics. F-16 Block 70 fighter jet can be deployed in suppression of enemy air defences missions, air-to-ground and air-to-air combat, and deep interdiction and maritime interdiction missions.
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01/19/2020
Israel unveiled its second F-35i squadron to coincide with the new year at its Nevatim Airbase where its F-35s are based. This is a milestone for Israel which received its first F-35s in 2016 and declared its first squadron operation in December 2017. Israel’s F-35i is a modified version with unique features. Israel is expected to acquire at least 50 of the Lockheed Martin jets amid rising tension with Iran. It fulfills Israel’s desire to have a qualitative military edge over adversaries thro
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01/19/2020
The B-52 Stratofortress will no longer carry the B61-7 and B83-1 nuclear gravity bombs as it prepares to carry the new long-range standoff weapon, known as LRSO. Following reports that the bomb variants had been removed from the Cold War-era aircraft's inventory, officials at Air Force Global Strike Command confirmed the move is in line with the bomber's transition into an era of modern warfare.
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01/19/2020
Following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, Washington found that Zia’s policies dovetailed conveniently with getting Pakistani assistance in supporting Mujahideen insurgents fighting Communist forces. Thus, Pakistani and U.S. agents collaborated in organizing and arming militants proliferating in Afghan refugee camps in Pakistan.
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01/19/2020
Historically a land power, the Soviet Union grappled with the idea of a large naval aviation arm for most of its history, eventually settling on a series of hybrid aircraft carriers. Big plans for additional ships died with the Soviet collapse, but Russia inherited one large aircraft carrier at the end of the Cold War—that remains in service today.
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01/18/2020
For the first time ever, an E-2D Hawkeye came in for a landing, testing the USS Gerald R. Ford's Advanced Arresting Gear, a system that is unique to the Navy's new Ford-class aircraft carrier.
It was part of what's called "A.C.T." - Aircraft Compatibility Testing. The "trap" was successful, and that's a good thing, after several years of seemingly endless technological difficulties for the $12.9 billion Ford.
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01/18/2020
On May 22, Israeli Air Force commander Amikam Norkin announced that its F-35I stealth fighters had flown on two combat missions on “different fronts,” showing as proof a photograph of an F-35 overflying Beirut. While details on those missions have not been released—apparently, they were not deployed in a massive Israeli air attack on Iranian forces in Syria that took place on May 9—this nonetheless apparently confirmed the first combat operations undertaken by any variant.
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01/18/2020
The Russian Navy displayed a model of a new small missile during a Jan. 9 meeting in Sevastopol attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Joint Small-sized Modular Aviation Weapon, (Mezhvidovoye Malogabaritnoye Modulnoye Aviatsionnoye Sredstvo Porazheniya, or MMM ASP), according to the descriptive plate on the model, is being made to defeat “fuel depots, manpower, various naval surface targets, strongholds, aircraft and helicopters at the base site.”
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01/18/2020
The Army secretary along with senior Army officials joined industry leaders last week to get a closer look at cutting-edge capabilities for future vertical lift ahead of the fiscal year 2030 goal to replace the UH-60 Black Hawk. Developers from Bell Textron, a Texas-based aerospace manufacturer, demoed their part-aircraft, part-helicopter - Bell V-280 Valor - to leaders who will ultimately choose the force's newest chopper.
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01/18/2020
U.S. defense contractor Lockheed Martin has won a $32.9 million contract modification for logistics support to the Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) F-16 Peace Phoenix Rising program, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) announced on January 14. “This modification provides for contractor logistics support, repair and return and diminishing manufacturing source management services for Taiwan F-16s Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar,” the DoD stated.
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01/18/2020
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is all set to enhance its strike capabilities in the Indian Ocean Region keeping an eye on the increasing Chinese presence to augment the Indian Navy's strength by inducting Sukhoi fighter jets armed with lethal BrahMos missile in the newly set up squadron based in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. The new squadron will initially have five to six fighter jets but gradually it will operate with full strength. Each squadron has 18 aircraft. The induction will happen on January 20
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01/18/2020
During World War II Japan found that control of islands offered some strategic advantages, but not enough to force the United States to reduce each island individually. Moreover, over time the islands became a strategic liability, as Japan struggled to keep them supplied with food, fuel and equipment. The islands of the SCS are conveniently located for China, but do they really represent an asset to China’s military? The answer is yes, but in an actual conflict the value would dwindle quickly.
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01/17/2020
Sierra Technical Services recently completed several ground tests, including an engine test run, on its Fifth Generation Aerial Target (5GAT) aircraft. The aircraft, which is powered by two General Electric J85 engines salvaged from retired Northrop T-38 Talon trainer jets, is intended to be used as a stealth target drone for the US Air Force (USAF) to shoot down.
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01/17/2020
The US Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) X-60A rocket recently completed test firings of its engine while on the ground at Cecil Spaceport in Jacksonville, Florida. The X-60A is an air-launched, single-stage rocket designed to reach hypersonic speeds so that the AFRL can routinely test hypersonic technologies, such as air-breathing propulsion, advanced materials, and hypersonic vehicle subsystems. The system is designed to reach speeds above Mach 5.
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01/16/2020
A military aircraft crashed on Tuesday during the training of the Air Forces and its pilot was announced dead,according to military spokesperson Colonel Tamer al-Rifai. Rifai added in his statement that the military craft crashed in one of the training locations, and that they are still figuring out the reason behind the crash.
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01/16/2020
The US Navy (USN) for the first time in late 2019 flew an F/A-18F Super Hornet carrying an Infrared Search & Track (IRST) Block II pod under the centerline of its undercarriage. The IRST Block II is in the risk reduction phase of development, says Boeing on 15 January. Flights at Boeing’s facilities in the St. Louis, Missouri area are to be used to collect data on how the hardware is performing.
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01/16/2020
Paris has tapped Dassault and Thales to provide three signals intelligence (SIGINT) aircraft based on the Falcon 8X business jet under its ARCHANGE requirement. The project will see the Thales CUGE system installed on two aircraft initially, with a third to follow, say the two companies.
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01/15/2020
By modifying an existing, proven airframe – with an undefeated air-to-air combat record - the Air Force can take advantage of an existing manufacturing process and ground support infrastructure without the need for extensive pilot-re-training. This will allow the military to deploy the F-15EX quickly with little added cost to the American taxpayer – saving valuable funds for F-35 production.
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01/15/2020
The Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) Light Combat Aircraft technology demonstrator has successfully performed an arrested landing on board the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, followed by a maiden ski jump take-off. The fighter is undergoing additional carrier trials, following which it will return to the Shore Base Test Facility (SBTF) at Goa. The flight represented a historic moment for Indian aviation, being the first time a locally-produced jet has arrested aboard a carrier.
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01/15/2020
Egypt now has the capability to aerial refuel combat aircraft, with an official video released by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) showing 'buddy-buddy' systems fitted to air force MiG-29M 'Fulcrum' fighters. The video, which was released on 13 January to highlight the capabilities of the Egyptian armed forces, shows a pair of MiG-29Ms equipped with centreline hose-and-drogue units preparing to offload fuel to two Dassault Rafale combat aircraft.
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01/14/2020
Details about why Iran air defense forces mistook a Ukrainian airliner for a cruise missile remain murky, but one thing is clear: Safeguards for operating surface-to-air missiles are supposed to prevent that kind of mistaken identity and all of them failed. The error, which killed all 176 people aboard the plane on Wednesday, is probably the result of multiple layers of failure that extend into high levels of the government and military, said Steven Zaloga, senior analyst for missile systems at
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01/14/2020
The UK Royal Air Force in April is set to stand up a new squadron to bring swarming drones into service and assess their capabilities. The technology, originally announced by former Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, was due to be in service by the end of 2019; however, the capabilities will now be brought into service in April.
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01/14/2020
Lockheed Martin has won a $3 billion multiyear contract to deliver up to 50 C-130J Super Hercules to the US Air Force (USAF), US Marine Corps (USMC) and US Coast Guard. The Department of Defense awarded $1.5 billion for the first tranche of 21 C-130Js on 27 December, the company says on 13 January.
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01/13/2020
While America's attention was firmly fixed on Iran, China had a large fishing fleet operating illegally in Indonesia's exclusive economic zone protected by China's coast guard, said Rear Adm. Ken Whitesell, deputy commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet. Indonesia deployed fighter jets and warships to "drive out the foreign vessels, " News Corp Australia reported.
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01/13/2020
Four members of Iraq's military were wounded Sunday in a rocket attack targeting an air base just north of Baghdad where American trainers are present, Iraqi security officials said. The attack by at least six rockets came just days after Iran fired ballistic missiles at two bases in Iraq that house U.S. forces, causing no casualties.
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01/13/2020
The government is in the process of acquiring around 200 aircraft to cope with the depleting aerial inventories of the Indian Air Force, defence secretary Ajay Kumar said here on Sunday.
The contract for HAL-manufactured 83 LCA Tejas Mark 1 A advanced fighter jets are in the final stages, he said. Apart from these, Expression of Interest (EOI) has been floated for another 110 aircraft, based on which Request for Proposal (RFP) will be floated, Kumar said.
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01/12/2020
The 18th Aggressor Squadron departed Eielson this week to participate in exercise Sentry Aloha 20-1, which is scheduled to take place Jan. 8-22 at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawai, hosted by Hawaii Air National Guard. For more than 20 years, Sentry Aloha exercises have provided tailored, cost-effective and realistic combat training for the U.S. Air Force, Air National Guard and other military personnel.
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01/12/2020
Burkina Faso’s air force conducted its first joint air operation with France, when an Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano worked alongside French Mirage 2000D fighter jets near Arbinda in December, the French Armed Forces Ministry said in a release.
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01/12/2020
On 10 January 2019 the Director-General of the Israeli Defence Ministry, Udi Adam, confirmed officially in Zagreb that Israel could not sell Croatia its F-16 Barak jets as it could not obtain Washington's approval for the deal. A year later, by all accounts, Croatia is further away from buying a new generation of combat aircraft than it was a year ago, says the daily.
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01/12/2020
On December 24, 2019, a sleek-looking Su-57 stealth fighter designated Blue 01 took to the skies for an engine test flight from Dzemgi airport in eastern Russia. Manufacturer Sukhoi had already built ten T-50 prototype aircraft for Russia’s PAK FA stealth fighter program, and had even twice deployed them to Syria for combat tests.
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01/12/2020
The Naval Light Combat Aircraft made its first successful landing on the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya on Saturday. The Defence Research and Development Organisation-developed fighter aircraft is expected to attempt its maiden take off from the carrier soon. The indigenously designed and developed Light Combat Aircraft (N) Mk1 made the successful arrested landing on the India's biggest warship INS Vikramaditya on Saturday.
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01/11/2020
Germany's Air Force has a special mission: deliver American nukes in the case of a nuclear strike. But its Tornado fleet is rapidly nearing the end of its shelf life. So why has Germany yet to decide on a replacement?
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01/11/2020
Though the cause of the Ukraine International Airlines crash remains unconfirmed, defence experts suspect high stress and poor civilian-military coordination led ill-trained missile units to mistakenly shoot down the Boeing 737-800. US and Canadian officials have already said they believe Iranian surface-to-air-missiles (SAMs), possibly fired by accident, downed flight PS752 on 8 January, killing 176 people.
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01/11/2020
The US Air Force (USAF) is requesting information for modifications to the US Navy’s (USN) Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile-Extended Range (AARGM-ER) programme that would make that weapon suitable for its Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter.
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01/10/2020
The Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) Kamra completed production of the first batch of eight twin-seat Pakistan Aeronautical Complex/Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation (PAC/CAC) JF-17B Thunder for the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in late December.
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01/10/2020
The US State Department approved a possible Foreign Military Sale of up to 12 Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters to Singapore for an estimated $2.75 billion. The Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency says that it notified the US Congress on 9 January.
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01/10/2020
An Air National Guard F-16 recently received the fleet’s first active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. The US Air Force (USAF) installed the Northrop Grumman-made AN/APG-83 SABR radar on an undisclosed recent date, says Northrop Grumman on 9 January. The recipient aircraft will be used as part of the service’s effort to declare initial operational capability of the AESA radars on the Air National Guard’s F-16 fleet.
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01/10/2020
Finland has launched the latest stage of its HX fighter contest, with a first candidate type now involved in flight evaluation from the nation’s Pirkkala air base. Detailing the new phase in a blog post, Finnish defence ministry programme manager Lauri Puranen describes it as a “testing and verification event for HX candidates”. Intended to evaluate aircraft performance against the responses submitted following Helsinki’s earlier invitation to tender.
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01/10/2020
According to various U.S. media outlets, Pentagon has intelligence suggesting Iran may have mistakenly fired two surface-to-air missiles at the Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737 that crashed shortly after take-off from Iran’s Imam Khomeini airport in Tehran early in the morning on Jan. 8, 2020. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-800, registration UR-PSR, was flying with 176 people on board, to Kyiv as flight PS752. No one survived the crash.
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01/09/2020
Iran's missile attack on two large military bases in Iraq damaged installations housing U.S. service members and battered an airplane hangar, aircraft, buildings and runways. Preliminary reports from American and Iraqi military officials reported that Iran fired 22 missiles at both Al Asad Airbase in western Iraq and at the airbase near Erbil in the north. Two Defense Department officials told Newsweek that 18 ballistic missiles struck Al Asad Airbase alone.
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01/09/2020
Russia appears to be developing a new, small air-to-air missile that could arm the Su-57 stealth fighter. The United States also is working on smaller air-to-air missiles to arm its own growing force of radar-evading warplanes. The new missile appeared in a display at munitions-maker Vympel NPO's I. I. Toropov design facility in Moscow on Nov. 18, 2019, The War Zone reporter Joe Trevithick noted.
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01/09/2020
The U.S. military is looking for a new, modern aircraft that could replace the outdated Black Hawk helicopter fleet across all branches. On Wednesday, North Texas-based, Bell held a demonstration event for their offering, the V-280 Valor. In attendance was U.S. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy who took the opportunity to comment on the tension with Iran.
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01/09/2020
The UK’s Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group will provide in-service support services for a trio of Lockheed Martin KC-130J tanker/transports for the Kuwait air force, after securing the business via the US government. Announcing its contract receipt on 6 January, Marshall said it will perform “planned maintenance interval inspections, full aircraft repainting and specific overhaul tasks this year” for the customer.
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01/09/2020
The cost to buy new aircraft to maintain the US Navy’s (USN) current fleet size is projected to be about $380 billion over the next 30 years. The replacement of fighter and attack aircraft, such as the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II and the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet would represent the largest overall costs between 2020 and 2050, totaling about $190 billion, according to a projection by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), released on 6 January.
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01/08/2020
The strategic bombers and their support tankers could be tracked online as they moved from Barksdale Air Force Base to the American outpost in the Indian Ocean as part of the U.S. build up in the region.
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01/08/2020
The flightline at Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center is a busy place.As the year-round host for training events like Northern Strike – the Defense Department's largest joint reserve-component exercise – it's not uncommon to see more than 60 aircraft on Alpena's tarmac. During exercise Northern Strike 19, more than 450 flights launched from the airfield over two weeks.
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01/08/2020
Iranian state TV says the attack is a retaliation after the country's top commander Qasem Soleimani was killed in a drone strike in Baghdad, on the orders of US President Donald Trump.
The Pentagon says at least two sites were attacked, in Irbil and Al-Asad. It is unclear if there have been any casualties.
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01/08/2020
Warsaw intends to buy between four and eight new helicopters to replace its navy’s Kaman SH-2G Super Seasprite maritime rotorcraft, which are to be withdrawn from use due to a lack of technical support. Cirium fleets data shows that the Polish navy has an active fleet of four SH-2Gs, each aged at almost 30 years.
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01/07/2020
President Trump has made numerous claims in recent days that he has completely updated the U.S. military’s equipment and suggested it is well-prepared for a major conflict with Iran. But his comments grossly overstate spending decisions and mask an aging fleet of planes. On Sunday, Trump tweeted that “The United States just spent Two Trillion Dollars on Military Equipment” and that if necessary he would use it to hit Iran “very fast and very hard.”
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01/07/2020
In a show of military might, jet after jet took off from Hill Air Force Base on Monday in a scheduled exercise meant to keep the fleet ready at a moment’s notice. While the effort has been in the works for some time, it came against a backdrop of political and military tensions in the Middle East following the U.S. strike that killed Iranian Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani.
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01/07/2020
The F-35 Joint Program Office awarded Lockheed Martin a $1.9 billion contract to sustain and support the worldwide fleet of F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters in 2020. The contract will also fund increasing maintenance capacity for future deliveries of the F-35, says Lockheed Martin. To meet the needs of the growing F-35 fleet, the contract funds hiring industry sustainment experts for base and depot maintenance, pilot and maintainer training, and sustainment engineering efforts, says the compa
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01/06/2020
Turkey has started deploying troops to Libya, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sunday evening in a live television interview, keeping his promise to support the fragile government in Tripoli even as Western states have warned against escalating a conflict between the government and rebel forces.
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01/06/2020
A U.S. service member and two Department of Defense contractors died Sunday following an attack from al-Shabab militants in Manda Bay, Kenya, according to U.S. Africa Command. Two other Defense Department members were also injured in the attack, but remain in stable condition.
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01/06/2020
In an apparent slip of the tongue on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Israel as a nuclear power before correcting himself with a bashful nod and an embarrassed smile. Israel is widely believed to have an atomic arsenal but has never confirmed or denied that it has nuclear weapons, maintaining a so-called policy of ambiguity on the issue for decades.
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01/06/2020
Germany's foreign minister said Saturday he is hoping for direct talks with Iran, in addition to the country's European partners and the United Nations, as a way of de-escalating tensions in the Middle East following the US assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.
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01/06/2020
The U.S. military said the security situation was "fluid" at a Kenyan airfield used by U.S. forces after a pre-dawn attack Sunday by the al-Shabab extremist group. The attack destroyed U.S. aircraft and vehicles, Kenyan authorities said, and at least four attackers were killed. It was not yet clear whether any U.S. or Kenyan forces were killed. A U.S. Africa Command statement said "an accountability of personnel assessment is underway."
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01/05/2020
Indonesia is stepping up sea and aerial patrols of islands near the disputed South China Sea, an official said on Saturday, following a diplomatic spat over "trespassing" Chinese vessels. Military aircraft and three warships with some 600 navy, army and air force personnel have been deployed to waters around the Natuna islands, which border the South China Sea.
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01/05/2020
"Severe revenge awaits" those behind the attack on General Qasem Soleimani, said Iran's Supreme Leader. So what do we know about Iran's military capabilities?
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01/05/2020
Turkey has all but given up on rescuing its deal for 100 F-35 fighter jets with the United States, and instead is seeking alternatives to the American jets besides improving its defensive capabilities. With the new U.S. National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in effect, it is highly likely that Turkey will not be able to receive its fifth-gen F-35 multirole stealth aircraft in the foreseeable future, according to an article by Dr. Can Kasapoglu of EDAM, an Istanbul based think tank.
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01/05/2020
With 2020 here and the Air Force prepares to take on the challenges of the next decade, we must also review our successes and lessons learned from the last year. For Air Force Operational Energy, 2019 was a year for laying the foundation to build a more optimized and lethal force in the years to come.
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01/05/2020
The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) is diligently pursuing the acquisition of three major assets to bolster its maritime surveillance capabilities. Newly-appointed RMAF chief General Datuk Seri Ackbal Abdul Samad said the assets comprised unmanned aircraft systems, maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) and ground-based radars. “These are vital elements to shore up the air force which needs such requirements to meet the challenges ahead.
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01/04/2020
Following a U.S. airstrike on the convoy of Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps General Qasem Soleimani near Baghdad International Airport, which claimed the life of the senior commander and two dozen others, Tehran has vowed to respond with a "crushing revenge" sparking a rise in tensions across the Middle East.
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01/04/2020
With the United States withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal with Iran, a war with Tehran seems to be a distinct possibility. In the event of a military conflict between Washington and Tehran, there is also the ever growing possibility that the White House might seek regime change in Iran.
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01/04/2020
The Iranian air force on paper is one of the biggest air arms in the world. Its order of battle includes around 350 fighters, more than twice as many as the Royal Air Force possesses. But most of Iran’s fighters are old and outdated. The ones that aren’t old are just new copies of old designs. The air force’s squadrons fly American-made F-14s, F-5s and F-4s dating from the 1970s, some 1980s-vintage MiG-29s and Sukhoi fighter-bombers and a few J-7s that the Islamic Republic bought from China.
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01/04/2020
Lockheed Martin delivered 134 examples of its F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter in 2019 to the US military services, international development partners and Foreign Military Sales customers.
The total was three more than the 131 aircraft it expected to deliver in 2019, the company said on 30 December 2019.
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01/04/2020
Lockheed Martin was awarded a five-year contract worth $7 billion for maintenance of the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter. The contract is an option exercised by the US Air Force (USAF) from its ongoing sustainment deal with Lockheed Martin, the Department of Defense says in an online notice on 20 December. This additional five-year contract will extend the service’s contract work with Lockheed Martin through 31 December 2032.
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01/04/2020
The US Air Force is again allowing Boeing KC-46A Pegasus in-flight refuelling tankers to carry passengers and cargo, lifting a ban after accepting Boeing’s cargo-lock retrofit. The USAF announced in September that during test flights multiple cargo-floor restraint locks malfunctioned and came unlocked. At the time, in-service KC-46As were transporting cargo. The service suspended cargo and passenger flights as a precaution.
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01/04/2020
Indonesian Aerospace has rolled out the first prototype of a medium altitude long endurance (MALE) UAV for which it sees a number of domestic missions. The aircraft was unveiled on 30 December 2019 at Indonesian Aerospace’s Bandung factory, says the company, also known as PTDI.
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01/03/2020
A shortage of naval pilots is holding back Beijing’s ambitions to develop a truly combat-ready fleet, military analysts have said. China officially commissioned its second aircraft carrier the Shandong last week, which means it will need at least 70 pilots, along with more supporting flight officers.
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01/03/2020
Neither Iran or Israel may seek war. But a diplomatic breakdown after the US pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal, strategic errors and a military buildup make a direct conflict — even an inadvertent one — more likely. Tensions between Israel and Iran have increased since President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled the United States out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action— the 2015 accord to wind back Iran's nuclear program in return for sanctions relief — in 2018.
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01/03/2020
An upgraded version of a fighter jet being jointly developed by China and Pakistan has made its maiden flight in the Chinese city of Chengdu, official media reported on Thursday. The JF-17 Thunder, earlier named as FC-1 Xiaolong, was a single-engine multi-role light fighter jet jointly produced by the two countries for several years with engines supplied by Russia. The upgraded version features the technologies of China's stealth fighter J-20.
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01/03/2020
If you drive along the main northern road through South Australia with a good set of binoculars, you may soon be able to catch a glimpse of a strange, windowless jet, one that is about to embark on its maiden flight. It’s a prototype of the next big thing in aerial combat: a self-piloted warplane designed to work together with human-piloted aircraft.
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01/03/2020
The Block III version of the Chengdu/Pakistan Aeronautical Complex JF-17 fighter has conducted its maiden flight, and China appears to be making progress with indigenous engines for the J-20 stealth fighter. Social media accounts covering Chinese defence aerospace developments were busy over the holidays, with two notable developments.
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01/02/2020
The first public photograph has appeared depicting an F-35 stealth fighter in the livery of Israel’s second squadron of the radar-evading jets. The Israeli air arm in late December 2019 released a photo of an F-35 wearing the tail markings of 116 Squadron.
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01/02/2020
The battle for the South China Sea is heating up. Vietnam. Malaysia. The Philippines. All have drawn lines in the sandbars against China. But it may already be too late. This past year, Vietnam stood its ground over the right to deploy an oil rig within its UN-mandated waters. Malaysia complained publicly of interference by the Chinese coastguard. The Philippines moved to secure its Scarborough Shoal islands.
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01/02/2020
The U.S. State Department has signed off on Argentina’s proposed purchase of four ex-U.S. Navy P-3C patrol planes. The $78-million acquisition, should Buenos Aires follow through on it, would continue the slow regeneration of Argentina’s air power.
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01/02/2020
Lockheed Martin Corp. says it delivered 134 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters worldwide in 2019, surpassing its goal of 131. The milestone marks a "47% increase from 2018 and nearly a 200% production increase from 2016," the company said in a news release Monday. "Next year, Lockheed Martin plans to deliver 141 F-35s and is prepared to increase production volume year-over-year to hit peak production in 2023."
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01/01/2020
The Air Force and Lockheed Martin have now “validated” several new weapons on the F-22 Raptor to equip the stealth fighter with more long-range precision attack technology, a wider targeting envelope or “field of regard” and new networking technology enabling improved, real-time “collaborative targeting” between aircraft.
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01/01/2020
2019 has been a pretty good year for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. In October DoD announced a fairly dramatic rise in readiness rates, and yesterday Lockheed Martin announced it had exceeded its year-end delivery goal of 131 aircraft, pushing the per-unit price tag down to below the 2016 target of $80 million, a year earlier than planned.
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01/01/2020
The German air force just received the last Eurofighter Typhoon fighter from its initial order for 143 of the planes. The German air force in late 2019 operates 141 surviving Typhoons plus 74 Tornado fighter-bombers and 30 Tornado ECRs, the latter equipped with special weapons and sensors for the dangerous suppression-of-enemy-air-defenses, or SEAD, mission.
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01/01/2020
Lockheed Martin closed out the calendar year with $2.35 billion in five new contracts for the F-35 program. The F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter -- a single-engine stealth multirole combat aircraft used by the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps -- is considered the most advanced fighter aircraft in the sky, as well as a notable driver of the Pentagon's budget.
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