October, 2022 Military Aviation News
10/31/2022
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked eight Chinese military aircraft and three naval ships around Taiwan as of 5 p.m. on Sunday (Oct. 30). Of the eight People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, one Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the northeast sector of the nation’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND.
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10/31/2022
“Grand Navigator” Xi Jinping has vowed to bring the 24 million people of democratic Taiwan under Beijing’s control — by force if necessary. Under the 10 years of his increasingly authoritarian rule, he’s been working hard to do so. He repeated that vow as he brushed aside Communist China’s age-limit rule to cement his position as leader for life.
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10/31/2022
A dozen of pilots have already been selected by Ukraine’s Air Force for training on Western fighter jets. That’s according to the spokesman for the Air Force, Yuriy Ihnat, Ukrinform reports with reference to ArmyInform. These are young pilots with knowledge of the English language and powerful combat experience, the report reads.
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10/31/2022
The UK Ministry of Defence reported that, on 27 October 2022, Russian mogul Yevgeny Prigozhin posted online, apparently admitting allegations that his private military company, the Wagner Group, had altered its standards & was recruiting Russian convicts suffering from serious diseases including HIV & Hepatitis C.
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10/30/2022
On October 26, an undisclosed number of F-22 fighter jets flew over Cyprus, according to Greek media, which claimed that Ankara was not pleased with the detour the F-22s made over the north of the island. The fighter jets are said to have flown over Famagusta, part of Turkish-occupied Cyprus. The mission over Cyprus was carried out by F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft from the 90th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron.
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10/30/2022
French military pilots are facing an alarming training deficit, according to a recent report by a French lawmaker on behalf of the National Defense and Armed Forces Committee that discussed the challenges the French Air Force pilots will face in 2023.
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10/30/2022
The Nigerian Air Force is set to receive 55 brand new aircraft of varying types from manufacturers across the world, as part of efforts towards strengthening Nigeria’s security posture. Deliveries for these aircraft will begin in December 2022, and continue into the next year, which represents one of Nigeria’s largest acquisition haul in over several decades. The new aircraft will add to those already delivered since 2015.
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10/29/2022
India's Tata group is set to begin making military aircraft in the country in the first such project by a local private company. Tata and Airbus will make C-295 transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force, the government announced on Thursday. The project, valued at 219bn rupees ($2bn; £1.7bn), will be based in the western state of Gujarat.
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10/29/2022
The bombing of a concert in Kachin state last weekend that killed more than 60 people showed the brutal advantage the Myanmar military retains in its struggling campaign for control of the country: its air power. Junta forces have faced a number of setbacks since ousting the democratically elected government in a coup 20 months ago. Between 12,000 and 15,000 of its soldiers may have been killed, according to a Stimson Center report.
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10/29/2022
A group of A-10C Thunderbolt II attack planes are deployed to Guam for training amid tensions between the U.S. and its regional rivals, China and North Korea, the Air Force said Wednesday.
The A-10s, also known as “Warthogs,” belong to the 23rd Air Expeditionary Wing at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. The jets arrived at the U.S. territory on Oct. 23.
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10/29/2022
In the initial phases of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, aerial warfare was rapidly overlooked. The Ukrainian Air Force did not have the capacity to pose a threat to Russia’s advance. And since it failed to completely neutralize Ukraine’s air defense systems and establish air supremacy, the Russian Air Force has persisted in using its combat aircraft the way its strategy and doctrine prescribe: as airborne artillery.
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10/28/2022
Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 20 Chinese military aircraft and two naval vessels around the country, including nine warplanes that intruded on Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) with many crossing the median line Thursday (Oct. 27). The MND said that 20 People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) military aircraft and two People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels had been tracked around Taiwan as of 5 p.m. that evening.
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10/28/2022
The Su-33 could be Russia’s most dangerous carrier fighter. But the airplane’s footprint is somewhat larger—and on Russia’s only aircraft carrier, available real estate is at a premium. The Su-33 is closely associated with Russia's only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetzov. And since the Su-33 is a carrier-capable fighter, it is a familiar sight on the carrier’s uniquely sloped ski-jump flight deck, although it typically lands less often.
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10/28/2022
The only overseas U.S. Air Force F-15C/D Eagle units, at Kadena Air Base on the Japanese island of Okinawa, are to be withdrawn next year, according to a report today in the Financial Times. The move would see the current permanent units under the 18th Wing replaced by rotational fighter detachments. Not surprisingly, the news has already attracted criticism as a retrograde measure at a time when Chinese military power and political ambitions are expanding in the region.
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10/28/2022
In the video footage, Ukrainian troops seem to be on patrol when the super maneuverable Flanker emerges out of a sudden, flies at ultra-low altitude, and drops three bombs that explode in the following seconds. In the meantime, a Ukrainian soldier tries to bring down the Russian jet by firing an anti-aircraft missile from a MANPADS. Still, the missile does not appear to have reached the fighter jet, and the fighter disappears from the sky.
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10/26/2022
A spokesperson for the Attorney-General’s Department of Australia informed Reuters that a person was detained on October 21 in response to a request from the US government. Daniel Edmund Duggan, 54, was detained by the Australian Federal Police on Friday in Orange, a small town in New South Wales. Court records, two law enforcement sources, and his attorney confirmed that he appeared before a judge on the same day, Reuters reported.
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10/26/2022
As F-35 crashes mount, rare crash recovery training has been launched by USAF. The US Air Combat Command recently announced that the 388th Maintenance Group held a unique F-35 crash recovery course using a recently decommissioned, now-reassembled F-35A Lightning II.
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10/26/2022
As Germany’s inflation rate hit double digits last month among escalating energy and food prices, concerns have risen over the country’s ability to pay for its planned multibillion-euro military spending run. The air force’s most critical fighter procurement program, however, is expected to weather inflation-related cost increases intact, according to the service’s chief of staff.
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10/26/2022
Escorted by two F-16s, the first KC-390 Millennium cargo aircraft for the Portuguese Air Force landed at Beja air base on Oct. 16, 2022. This is the first of five aircraft acquired by Portugal in 2019, which will soon become the first European operator of the Brazilian aircraft made by Embraer. The aircraft took off from Gavião Peixoto, São Paulo, on Oct. 15 and, after two fuel stops, it finally arrived at its new home.
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10/26/2022
Czech aircraft company Aero Vodochody has conducted the first flight test of its L-159 T2X combat trainer aircraft prototype. The demonstration was conducted recently at Vodochody’s airport in the Czech Republic. The latest milestone comes after four years of intensive work performed by the company to modernise and upgrade the L-159 aircraft to fulfil the emerging needs of fifth-generation fighter pilot training programmes.
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10/24/2022
Ben Wallace has refuted Russian claims that the West was conspiring with Ukraine to stage an attack involving a 'dirty bomb'. Sergei Shoigu, the Russian Defence Minister, told his French counterpart Sebastien Lecornu that the war was rapidly deteriorating and "trending towards further uncontrolled escalation".
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10/24/2022
The U.S. Air Force confirmed on Oct. 20 that it plans to reveal the B-21 Raider stealth bomber aircraft Dec. 2 during an unveiling ceremony hosted and sponsored by the Northrop Grumman Corporation at its production facilities in Palmdale, California. The B-21 is a long-range, highly survivable, penetrating strike stealth bomber that will incrementally replace the B-1 and B-2 bombers, becoming the backbone of the U.S. Air Force bomber fleet.
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10/24/2022
A crazy footage has started doing the rounds on social networks: posted by the popular Russian Fighterbomber Telegram channel (and then made available on their Youtube channel), the video shows the ejection of a Russian pilot from a Su-25SM involved in a mission over Ukraine.
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10/24/2022
A Russian warplane has crashed into a residential building in the Siberian city of Irkutsk, killing both crew members – the second such fatal incident in a Russian residential area in six days involving a Sukhoi fighter plane. The crashes appear to reflect the growing strain that the fighting in Ukraine has put on the Russian air force. The Irkutsk governor, Igor Kobzev, said the Su-30 fighter jet came down on a private, two-storey building housing two families. There were no casualties on the g
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10/23/2022
The video shows two Su-30SM fighters taxiing out and then taking off in swing-role configuration carrying wingtip mounted electronic warfare (EW) pods, two RVV-MD close combat missiles, two RVV-SD medium-range missiles, and two Kh-29 air-to-surface missiles.
n swing role configuration, a fighter has the weapons and the software to execute air-to-air and air-to-ground attacks during the same mission.
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10/23/2022
As the military pilots on board one of NATO's airborne warning and command planes skirt just inside Poland's border with Ukraine, the real action is happening metres behind them. Surveillance operators and weapons controllers crowd around one of the multitude of radar screens peering deep inside wartime Ukraine.
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10/23/2022
A small cell of the highest confidence of the Minister of Defence, Margarita Robles, has already finalised negotiations with the US Department of Defence and the Lockheed Martin industrial corporation for the purchase of the F-35, the fifth-generation stealth fighter of which more than 840 aircraft are already flying in the air forces of 17 nations.
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10/22/2022
A high level team from Argentina is arriving soon in India and will visit state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to look at the helicopters which are being manufactured in Bengaluru. The team will be looking at Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv, Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Prachand and the HAL Light Utility Helicopter (LUH).
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10/22/2022
Spain will send eight Eurofighter fighter jets to Bulgaria in November to help the country monitor Baltic airspace as part of NATO’s mission to protect its eastern flank in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to the Ministry of Defence. The department headed by Margarita Robles also announced the dispatch of aircraft to Romania in December, without specifying the number or type of aircraft.
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10/22/2022
Flight tracker data shows that four B-1 bombers recently deployed to Andersen Air Force Base in Guam following a series of ballistic missile launches by North Korea, including one that flew over Japan earlier this month. “In response to your inquiry concerning the B-1B Lancers in Guam, Bomber Task Force activities are routine and are not tied to any one country or threat,” a US Air Force spokesperson said.
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10/22/2022
As the United States Air Force continues celebrating its 75th anniversary, we reflect on our shared heritage and how Airmen are using the lessons from the past to shape our future. The Air Force is transitioning from focusing for two decades on countering violent extremists to strategic competition with peer adversaries.
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10/21/2022
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday backed a decision by his predecessor to cancel a deal to buy 16 Russian military heavy-lift helicopters and said his administration has "secured an alternative supply from the United States." Marcos Jr. said at a news conference that the Philippine government will negotiate to get back part of the down payment it made to the Russian aircraft manufacturer.
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10/21/2022
Led by Lieutenant General Juan Martin Paleo, Joint Chief of Staff of the Argentine Armed Forces, the touring party visited the Hindustan Aeronautic Limited (HAL) stall at Asia’s largest defence event. HAL Director (Operations) E P Jayadeva and D K Sunil, Director (Engg and R&D) briefed Paleo and other senior officials about the various futuristic defence products on display.
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10/21/2022
Poland on Wednesday accepted the first batch of its new South Korean-made tanks and howitzers at a ceremony in Seoul, while signing yet another weapons deal with local industry — after key Polish officials were blocked from attending due to what seems to be a power play by China.
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10/21/2022
Before the invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s aerospace leadership had planned to market the next generation heavy fighter bomber, the Su-57, and its highly touted derivative the Su-75 to several foreign military buyers. These plans now appear to be in ruins. The Su-57 suffers from a low production rate. Export models are unlikely to be available until the end of the decade. As for the medium-weight Su-75, the so-called “Checkmate” aircraft, it has been only realized in models and computer graphics.
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10/20/2022
Bulgaria is looking for fighter jets for hire to take over combat duty in the coming years. The reason: MiG-29s can no longer be repaired, because of the situation in Ukraine and because of the fighters’ long-exceeded life cycle. F-16 fighters are the preferred option.
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10/20/2022
Ukrainian aircraft have carried out 15 strikes in Ukraine’s south near Russian strong points and areas where their troops and equipment were concentrated. "The enemy is actively conducting aerial reconnaissance in order to ascertain the positions of our troops and adjust artillery fire. The Russians shelled the recently liberated settlements of Petropavlivka and Tryfonivka in Beryslav district twice, using Grad and Uragan multiple launch rocket systems. There are no casualties."
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10/20/2022
It's not uncommon to hear people citing China's theft of American F-22 and F-35 plans as inspiration for its J-20 stealth fighter, but Russia has also raised suspicions about China borrowing heavily from one of its own defunct fighter efforts. The Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon is China's first fifth-generation fighter, with roots dating back to the nation's J-XX program that began in the late 1990s.
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10/20/2022
A F-35 combat aircraft crashed at the Hill Air Force Base south of Ogden, Utah, Wednesday, according to a tweet from 388th Fighter Wing. “A F-35 from the 388th crashed at the north end of the runway @HAFB. Pilot ejected. Emergency crews are responding,” the tweet read. No further details were available on the pilot’s condition, or if anyone else was involved in the crash.
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10/19/2022
China hired thirty former United Kingdom military pilots to provide training to the People’s Liberation Army of China. The armed forces will be trained and taught how to fight Western fighter jets and helicopters, British government officials have revealed. In this way, China wants to gain a strategic advantage over the West in the event of war.
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10/19/2022
China is looking to speed up its timeline for taking control of Taiwan to 2027, raising concerns with one member of Congress that the Pentagon is modernizing too slowly. U.S. Navy officials have pointed to 2027 as the year when China wants to have the capability to take over Taiwan. Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), a retired Marine who sits on the House Armed Services Committee, pointed to that timeline on Tuesday as a reason why the Pentagon needs to modernize faster and prepare for a conflict.
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10/19/2022
South Korea and the United States will publicly stage large-scale aerial drills, involving their F-35 stealth fighters, to enhance combat readiness and train for wartime contingencies amid mounting threats from North Korea. Unlike previous years when the allies sought to keep a low profile, the publicized air combat exercise would be an apparent warning message to North Korea.
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10/19/2022
The Myanmar Air Force has ordered several FTC-2000G midrange fighter jets from China, a major arms supplier to the Southeast Asian nation. The Irrawaddy has learned that a group of approximately eight Air Force pilots, eight technicians and at least two armaments officers traveled to China via Kunming in June.
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10/18/2022
NATO today began military drills practising the use of Europe's nuclear bombs after Vladimir Putin threatened to use any means necessary to defend Russian territory in the face of setbacks in Ukraine. US B-52 long-range bombers and up to 60 aircraft will take part in training flights over Belgium, the UK and the North Sea today as part of NATO's annual nuclear exercise 'Steadfast Noon'.
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10/18/2022
SpaceX founder Elon Musk said Monday that the funding request the company had made to the Pentagon to start picking up the bill for satellite internet services for Ukraine has been withdrawn.
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10/18/2022
South Korea and the United States will conduct joint air drills on the Korean peninsula at the end of this month with 250 military aircraft. What is notable is that an F-35B stealth fighter from MCAS Iwakuni, a United States Marine Corps air station, will join the drill on the peninsula in four years and ten months. The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF), too, will use F-35A fighters.
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10/18/2022
South American nation Argentina stands out among the countries expressing their interest in the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas. Mired in a fierce diplomatic struggle against the United Kingdom (UK), Argentina has been unable to modernise its defence forces. While the US has offered them second-hand F-16s with modest modernisation, it is keen to equip itself with more formidable combat aircraft for starters. And aircraft might be the start.
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10/17/2022
Unconfirmed footage of the aftermath of the incident showed a huge fireball engulfing a tower block. Russia's Defence Ministry said the plane, a Su-34 bomber, was on a training flight when one of its engines caught fire. There is no word yet of casualties, but ambulances and fire engines were seen at the scene.
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10/17/2022
The Italian multinational defense company Leonardo is testing the new high-tech European Common Radar System (ECRS) Mk2 at its World War 2 (WW2) era facility in the UK as part of a $2.8 billion (£2.35) upgrade program for British Eurofighter Typhoons.
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10/17/2022
Beijing’s rush to build military supremacy over Washington is experiencing an unexpected pause. No new aircraft carrier is being assembled on its slipways. Is there a problem? Or a policy change? China’s shipyards are mass-producing new cruisers, destroyers and assault ships at a rate not seen since World War II. And its new-found naval strength is already being applied to the waters around Japan and Taiwan.
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10/17/2022
This was stated by Vice Speaker of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania Paulius Saudargas, who made a comment to Guildhall, Ukrinform reports. “The recent attacks on innocent people and ordinary cities in Ukraine have once again confirmed that, without any shadow of doubt, Russia is a terrorist state. This is the assessment of the democratic world,” the parliamentarian said.
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10/16/2022
The Ukrainian military repelled Russian attacks on the Kramatorsk, Bakhmut and Avdiivka fronts on Saturday. Summary by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as of 18:00. "Units of the Defence Forces of Ukraine repelled enemy attacks in the districts of the settlements of Novosadove on the Kramatorsk front, Yakovlivka, Berestove, Bakhmut, Bakhmutske and Opytne on the Bakhmut front, Krasnohorivka, Nevelske, Pervomaiske, Mariinka and Pobeda on the Avdiivka front.
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10/16/2022
The Ministry of National Defense said it had tracked 11 aircraft and four ships from China’s military around the country by 5 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 15), the day before the opening of the 20th Communist Party Congress. Of the 11 People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) aircraft, two Shenyang J-11 fighters jet entered the southwest sector of the country’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), the military tweeted.
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10/16/2022
From a young age, Wang You-cheng and his friends debated what seemed like a theoretical question: If China were to attack, would they be willing to fight to protect their home? Growing up in Hualien, where half a dozen military installations guard Taiwan's east coast, the boys became accustomed to the sounds and sights of preparation for a war that seemed like it would never come. Airtight windows at schools blocked out the boom of F-16 fighter jets; military trucks mixed with mopeds in traffic.
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10/16/2022
Defeat of Russian air power in Ukraine raises hard questions for IAF. In the 1st of a 3-part series, ThePrint investigates lessons from Ukraine war for IAF’s equipment & doctrines.
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10/16/2022
Ukraine should receive Western warplanes and other necessary means to counter Russian cruise missiles and forestall further Russian attacks. This was stated in a comment by Guildhall by the Member of the European Parliament from Poland, a member of the Development Committee, Beata Kempa, Ukrinform reports.
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10/15/2022
A US Air Force F-22 Raptor has successfully loaded and fired a record-high 28 air-to-air missiles during a weapon system evaluation at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida. The service’s 94th Fighter Squadron and 94th Fighter Generation Squadron initiated the live-fire test, employing more than $14 million of missiles. According to the Air Combat Command, the squadrons demonstrated a “high-level of proficiency” while firing the weapons from the stealth tactical fighter aircraft.
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10/15/2022
Ukraine’s Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ignat confirmed to journalists the loss of the military aircraft. One crew member has died and one has sustained injuries after the jet crashed. “After completing the combat mission, the invaders hit the plane with a missile. The crew tried to return the aircraft to the home airbase, but the plane did not fly and crashed in the Poltava region,” Ignat said.
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10/15/2022
For the last few weeks, as the war in Ukraine rages and Russia’s relations with the United States (US) and Europe go from bad to worse, Russian fighter jets have repeatedly flown over the Baltic Sea. With just eight ‘Alpha Scrambles’ (alert departures) in the week before October 10 and a total of 16 in the last two months, Italian Air Force (ItAF) Eurofighter Typhoons have intercepted and escorted Russian Air Forces (RuAF) Sukhoi Su-30, Su-27, Su-24M and even Illyusin Il-20 spy planes.
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10/15/2022
The Ukrainian Air Force confirmed in a Facebook post that a fighter jet of one of the tactical aviation brigades crashed near Vinnytsia while carrying out a combat mission to destroy enemy kamikaze drones, ‘Shahed-136.’ The Air Force said that the fighter jet crashed because of an unspecified technical malfunction that led the pilot to lose control of the aircraft. Nevertheless, the pilot managed to eject and is currently hospitalized.
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10/14/2022
Ukraine’s military claimed the national air defense system had a record day of successes, shooting down six Russian Federation (RF) attack helicopters and 19 Iran-made kamikaze drones, an Army General Staff (AGS) statement released on Thursday, Oct. 13, said.
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10/14/2022
The Air Force is all-in on the concept of drone wingmen teamed up with human piloted fighters as the future of air combat. But how exactly will the human pilots inside F-35s or the Next Generation Air Dominance platform work with and guide collaborative combat aircraft? And will these drone wingmen be ready to fight under their human pilots’ instructions in a future war?
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10/13/2022
Russian troops continue offensive operations on the Bakhmut and Avdiivka fronts, and the conscripts go to war armed with Soviet-style protective wear and AK-12 assault rifles, which have proven themselves ineffective on the battlefield in Ukraine.
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10/13/2022
A MiG-29K trainer crashed off Goa today after developing a technical malfunction. A MiG 29K was on a routine sortie over the sea off Goa and developed a technical malfunction while returning to base.“The Pilot ejected safely & has been recovered in a swift SAR op; the Pilot was reported to be in stable condition. BoI ordered to investigate the cause of the incident,” said Indian Navy.
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10/13/2022
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to a wave of insecurity running through Europe. As a result, various European nations have expressed interest in the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter, with the landlocked country of Austria becoming the latest to join the bandwagon.
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10/12/2022
The Air Force expects to complete its two-year transition to the new undergraduate pilot training curriculum by the end of October, the head of Air Education and Training Command recently told reporters. Service officials contend that “Undergraduate Pilot Training 2.5,” a software-heavy, self-paced version of the course, is producing better-prepared pilots faster than before.
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10/12/2022
Tanker aircraft spending is expected to see an upswing in over the next few years, with procurement rising from today’s value of $4.5bn up to peaks of $6.6bn in 2024, according to GlobalData. As various nations alter their armed forces to become more ‘expeditionary’ and mobile in posture, demand for aerial refuelling capabilities will rise to support this increased mobility, predicts Tristan Sauer, defence analyst at GlobalData.
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10/12/2022
With its MiG-29s (pictured) nearing the end of their service lives and the newly acquired F-16 Block 70s not set to arrive for a few years, Bulgaria is planning to field interim fighter aircraft from 2023 to the end of the decade to bridge the capability gap. (Bulgarian Air Force) Bulgaria has begun to receive offers for the supply of interim combat aircraft as it struggles to maintain the airworthiness of its MiG-29s at the same time as managing a delay to the arrival of its Lockheed Martin F-1
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10/11/2022
Tobias Ellwood, Chair of the Defence Committee, asked: “To ask the Secretary of State Defence, how long it takes on average to train (a) fast jet, (b) heavy lift and (c) rotary pilots.” James Heappey, Minister of State for the Ministry of Defence, responded: “The average time for trainee pilots completing flying training in the current Financial Year, to the point of joining an Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) is 4.8 years for Fast Jet; 5.4 years for Multi Engine (heavy lift) and; 6.9 years for
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10/11/2022
The Russian army is trying to keep captured territories under their control and conduct attacks on the Bakhmut and Avdiivka fronts; however, the Russians have suffered additional losses on the Kherson front.
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10/11/2022
In an unprecedented attack that exposed Moscow’s weak military defenses, a mammoth explosion severely damaged Russia’s multi-billion Kerch Bridge. Incidentally, Russia had been trying to defend this bridge from Ukraine for months.
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10/11/2022
Bulgaria’s Ministry of Defense has requested fighter jet lease offers from four countries, as the nation scrambles to secure its air-combat capabilities until the first eight American F-16s become operational in 2027 or 2028. The development comes shortly after the country’s caretaker government decided to ask the parliament to approve a second F-16 order for a further eight jets, valued at about $1.3 billion.
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10/11/2022
The Italian Eurofighters deployed to Poland have carried out 16 alert scrambles to intercept 19 Russian combat aircraft in the last few weeks. An “impressive number” according to the commander of the Italian Task Force.
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10/11/2022
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that people were killed and injured in multiple missile strikes across Ukraine, including the first bombardment of the capital, Kyiv, in months. CBS News senior foreign correspondent Charlie D'Agata said the strikes, which could signal a major escalation in the eight-month-old war, appeared to be entirely punitive — retaliation meant to terrorize Ukrainian civilians in densely-populated urban neighborhoods, close to government buildings.
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10/10/2022
Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday officially introduced a domestically developed light-combat helicopter into the Indian Air Force, hailing the aircraft’s addition as a big step for India’s self-reliance in the defense sector. “For a long time, India has had to be dependent on foreign attack helicopters,” said Mr. Singh, speaking at an Air Force base in the western desert state of Rajasthan. “This is an important milestone in India’s defense production.”
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10/10/2022
The UK Ministry of Defence reported early on 08 October 2022, an explosion damaged the Kerch Strait Bridge, the road and rail crossing which links Russian-occupied Crimea and the Krasnodar region of Russia. Two of the four carriageways of the roadway have collapsed in several places over a length of approximately 250m. It is almost certain that some vehicle transits via the other two carriageways have resumed, but capacity will be seriously degraded.
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10/10/2022
The Su-75 "Checkmate" is Russia's attempt at an export fifth-generation fighter. Billed as a cheaper F-35 with better specs than the JAS-39 Gripen, Russia designed the Su-75 specifically to sell to countries with no homegrown aeronautical industry. Originally revealed at the MAKS Airshow last year, the Su-75 was hailed as a solid move by Russia's United Aerospace Corporation, building off the Su-57 platform — Russia's first fifth-generation fighter.
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10/09/2022
Turkey has intensified the search for another option after the cancellation of the deal for F-16 fighter jets with America. Turkish media have reported that if the F-16 plan fails, the Eurofighter Typhoon may be considered for purchase from Europe. The Eurofighter Typhoon has been jointly developed by the UK, Germany, Italy and Spain. Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo together manufacture this fighter aircraft.
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10/09/2022
In light of North Korea's ongoing missile launches, the United States and Japan are conducting a combined military exercise with the American aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan in the vicinity of Japan, the Japanese defence ministry announced on Saturday.
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10/09/2022
The Russian armed forces are not on the verge of collapse. And No! The Su-35 doesn’t lack the capability associated with it. And certainly not! Russian fighter pilots are not a bunch of kick-the-tire and light-the-jocks! The apparent regression in employed tactics likely has an excellent reason. Russian forces appear to be adapting to the realities of a protracted conflict against an adversary drawing on an unending supply of troops, equipment, and ammunition from the West.
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10/09/2022
An explosion caused the partial collapse of a bridge linking the Crimean Peninsula with Russia on Saturday, damaging a key supply artery for the Kremlin's faltering war effort in southern Ukraine. Russian authorities said a truck bomb caused the blast and that three people were killed.
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10/08/2022
With a flying radius of 1500 km without mid-air refuelling and a 450-km Extended Range variant of the BrahMos missile system, the IAF believes that the combination would be a deadly weapon package with strategic reach to hit targets at sea and land.
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10/08/2022
The Indian Air Force has initiated a project to carry out life extension studies on its Su-30 MKI frontline fighter aircraft to determine the feasibility of enhancing its calendar life by at least 10 years from 25 years to 35 years.
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10/08/2022
When the House passed its version of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2023, it included a section requiring the Navy to maintain “a minimum quantity of high-demand, low-density EA-18G aircraft capabilities.”
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10/07/2022
The U.S. Air Force deployed four B-52H Stratofortress aircraft to the U.S. European Command theater August 18-September 21, 2022 to conduct Bomber Task Force missions with key allies and partners. The strategic bombers are assigned to the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air Force Base), North Dakota. The aircraft operated out of Royal Air Force Fairford, England, which marks the second time this year B-52s from Minot have flown to RAF Fairford for a bomber task force mission.
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10/07/2022
According to Pozdnyakov, the tests would comprise climatic and resource tests and examine ‘mechanical impacts.’ This implies checking whether the structural integrity is maintained and if the system can withstand the extreme pressures on the seat while being ejected by rocket boosters mid-flight. In July 2021, Pozdnyakov said that the deliveries of the seats to the Tupolev Public Joint Stock Company (PJSC) should begin by 2023.
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10/07/2022
The Bangladesh Army Aviation Group has received its second C295W tactical military transport aircraft from Airbus Defence and Space. The new medium utility military aircraft officially joined the Bangladeshi Fleet on September 25 after a six-day journey from the company’s factory in Spain. The army stated that the aircraft will enhance the South Asian nation’s combat capabilities.
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10/07/2022
For the uninitiated, Tom Cruise-starrer Top Gun: Maverick provided a sneak peek into the world of fighter aircraft and aerial combat. In the 2022 sequel to the popular 1986 film Top Gun, Cruise pointedly tells his US Navy (USN) teammates about the advantage that the enemy state had over them with its advanced fifth-generation fighter jets during a special mission that they were set to embark upon with their slightly inferior jets.
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10/07/2022
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by work, chores, family, or just bad news on social media, you actually have more in common with young fighter pilots than you might think. “The single hardest thing about flying the F-16 is handling the bewildering onslaught of information,” wrote historian Peter Aleshire in his 2004 book Eye of the Viper: The Making of an F-16 Pilot. “The [Heads-Up Display] displays 20 different key bits of information about the airplane, from headings to weapons locks.
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10/06/2022
With no end in sight for the grounding of virtually the entire fleet of older C-130H Hercules, the Air Force is turning to other aircraft and trying to find other workarounds to keep its mobility missions moving. But the Air Force can’t say how long it will be before most or all of the grounded C-130Hs will be back in the air. Replacement parts to end the groundings are in short supply.
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10/06/2022
Former Afghan Air Force (AAF) Maj. Samimullah Samim, one of the thousands of Afghans who ran the gantlet of Taliban checkpoints and the deadly chaos at the Kabul airport gates to escape to the U.S. in late August 2021, is still in the fight. But rather than bombing and strafing Taliban positions as he did in the AAF, he's targeting fires in the Pacific Northwest, using his piloting skills to combat a pressing threat in his adopted country.
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10/06/2022
The US Air Force is set to begin flight experiments with Boeing’s MQ-28 Ghost Bat, a combat drone developed for the Australian air force that may help its American counterpart learn how to operate unmanned aircraft alongside fighter jets. Lt. Gen. Clint Hinote, who leads Air Force Futures, told Breaking Defense in a September 20 interview that the service is “getting ready to take delivery” of a drone prototype through the Pentagon’s research and engineering office, also known as OSD (R&E).
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10/05/2022
apanese and US military planes carried out a joint drill Tuesday in response to a North Korean ballistic missile launch, Japanese officials said. Japan’s Joint Staff said eight Japanese and four US fighter jets took part in the drill in airspace west of the country’s Kyushu region.
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10/05/2022
China is seeking to "normalise" its military activities close to Taiwan, including crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait, which poses a challenge like none seen before, the Taiwanese defence ministry said on Tuesday. China, which views the democratically-governed island as its own territory, carried out war games including firing missiles over Taipei in early August in response to a visit to Taiwan by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
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10/05/2022
With Russian airpower still very much embroiled in the war in Ukraine, the country’s little-known aggressor squadron recently took delivery of its first Su-35S Flanker-Ms — the most advanced fighter jets in frontline service with the Russian Aerospace Forces, or VKS. Experiences from the current conflict in Ukraine suggest that overhauling the air combat training capabilities of the VKS is badly needed, and the Su-35S might now be expected to help achieve that goal.
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10/05/2022
The U.S. will soon deliver to Ukraine four more of the advanced rocket systems credited with helping the country’s military gain momentum in its war with Russia. The High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, known as HIMARS, will be part of a new $625 million package of aid expected to be announced on Tuesday, according to U.S. officials.
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10/04/2022
Ukraine’s military is on the offensive against Russian forces and asking for more powerful weapons to press its advantage, but so far there is no sign that allies will step up their commitments. Instead, President Vladimir Putin dramatically raised the stakes in a Sept. 21 speech, threatening nuclear war and launching sham votes aimed at expanding Russia’s borders into occupied Ukraine.
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10/04/2022
Bangladesh Air Force on Monday had to postpone its air-to-air live shell and missile firing exercise, slated for October 2-6, due to inclement weather. The firing exercise planned at Kutubdia firing range VGD-2 and VGD-43 by different combat aircraft of BAF was postponed due to bad weather, the Inter Services Public Relation (ISPR) Directorate said on Monday.
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10/04/2022
The Finnish Air Force's main exercise of the year began on Monday. Around 3,700 personnel in various parts of Finland will take part, including some 2,400 reservists. The annual six-day exercise is dubbed Ruska, referring to autumn foliage. All units of the Finnish Air Force are involved in the manoeuvres, flying about 50 aircraft, mostly US-built F-18 Hornet multirole combat aircraft.
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10/04/2022
Chinese aircraft incursions have been a persistent source of conflict with its neighbors, including Taiwan and Japan. In the last few years, these incursions have grown in frequency and ferocity, with the majority of the incursions serving as evidence of the “new normal.” Furthermore, dozens of Chinese and Russian aircraft flew into Korea’s air defense identification zone (KADIZ) in 2021, according to the latest data from the Korean Defense Ministry.
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10/03/2022
The Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Test Center (AATC) - KC-135 Test Detachment, working with the 151st Air Refueling Wing, Salt Lake City, Utah, continues its transformation and modernization efforts on the KC-135R Stratotanker by testing the MICRO Forward Area Refueling Equipment (FARE) Kit on the 65-year-old aircraft, ensuring it has the best warfighting capabilities.
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10/03/2022
The Ukrainian army liberates Lyman. Ukrainian troops are continuing to conduct counteroffensive operations in Kherson Oblast and setting conditions for future advances. Russian forces conducted ground attacks in the Bakhmut and Avdiivka areas of Donetsk Oblast. The Russian army launched 4 missiles, 16 air strikes, carried out more than 75 rounds of anti-aircraft fire at military and civilian objects on the territory of Ukraine and used the Iranian-made “Shahid-136” UAV.
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10/03/2022
India has four squadrons of Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 supersonic jet fighters. The four MiG-21 squadrons of the Indian Air Force are called Bison. New Delhi has already decided that the four MiG-21 Bison squadrons will be equipped with MiG-29s, thereby consigning the famous MiG-21s to history.
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10/03/2022
China’s flashy displays of combat aircraft and warships circling Taiwan are more about propaganda than practicality. But the quiet practicality of preparing civilian car ferries for war shows Beijing is getting serious about invading. For months, international military analysts have been connecting the dots.
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10/02/2022
All the military component commanders of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command stress the need for partnership in the immense region of the world. Reporters traveling with Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III interviewed with the component commanders: Air Force Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach, the commander of Pacific Air Forces; Navy Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander of the Navy's Pacific Fleet, and Army Maj. Gen. Peter N. Benchoff, the chief of staff of U.S. Army Pacific.
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10/02/2022
North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea off its east coast on Saturday, hours before South Korea staged a large military show, displaying stealth fighters and its own missiles. Pyongyang’s fourth launch in a week comes amid a flurry of military muscle-flexing by countries in the region, including joint anti-submarine exercises on Friday by the navies of South Korea, the United States and Japan.
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10/02/2022
The expectations after February 24 were as follows – that Russia would disable Ukraine’s air defense systems in a short time. It kind of worked, but today we count the completion of that mission as a failure. Ukraine had and received from partner countries the Soviet S-300s. The US supplied [and continues to supply] low-altitude handheld systems such as the Stinger.
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10/02/2022
After being encircled by Ukrainian forces, Russia pulled troops out Saturday from an eastern Ukrainian city that it had been using as a front-line hub. It was the latest victory for the Ukrainian counteroffensive that has humiliated and angered the Kremlin.
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10/01/2022
France’s Ministry of Defense has revealed a 2023 budget worth billions more than the previous year to start a new “war economy,” driven by a directive to make significant investments in its defense industrial base. The €43.9 billion ($42.8 billion) projected for the French military is an increase of 36% over the 2017 budget and 7.4% over 2022 finances.
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10/01/2022
The US, along with five allied and partner nations participated in a week-long event to discuss the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft’s maintenance and operations. The five participant nations included Bulgaria, Poland, Belgium, Portugal and Romania. The multilateral event, known as European Partnership Flight (EPF), was held in Bucharest, Romania, on 19 September.
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10/01/2022
It was during a routine inspection in April that an Air Force technician found a single faulty Cartridge Actuated Device in the ejection seat of an F-35 at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The device — known colloquially as CAD — contained no magnesium powder, a necessary material for generating the explosive charge that allows a pilot to begin ejecting from an aircraft.
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10/01/2022
The Kuwait Air Force has taken delivery of another two Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft, bringing the total in the country to six. The delivery is part of a larger order for 28 fighters to boost the country’s military capabilities. The arrival of two new Kuwaiti Eurofighters was made possible with the support of the Italian Air Force, which provided air-to-air refueling through a KC-767A tanker aircraft.
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10/01/2022
Indonesia has reiterated its commitment to the KF-21 Boramae fighter under co-developed by South Korea and Indonesia. Indonesia’s deputy defense Muhammad Herindra visited Sacheon Air Base in South Korea on September 28. He met Korea’s defense minister Lee Jong-Sup as well as Minister of Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) Eom Dong Hwan. The successful flight testing of the KF-21 is a tangible manifestation of the successful development of this fighter and is a long-awaited progress
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