January, 2023 Military Aviation News
01/31/2023
The "constant" fighting in and around the eastern Ukraine city of Bakhmut has been "a living hell" as Russian forces try to take control of the Kostiantynivka-Bakhmut highway, a Ukrainian commander said in an interview on Ukrainian television Monday.
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01/31/2023
The 122nd Fighter Wing executed Guardian Blitz, a training exercise with approximately 180 Airmen and ten A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft with the main force located at MacDill Air Force Base and a smaller, contingency force located at Moody Air Force Base, Jan. 23 - Feb. 4, 2023.
The 122nd FW performed Guardian Blitz with proactive airpower maneuvers called Agile Combat Employment.
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01/31/2023
On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that he would not completely rule out the possibility of France sending fighter jets to Ukraine. During a news conference after Macron met with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in The Hague, Macron was questioned about the possibility of handing over fighter jets to Ukraine as a deterrent against Russia’s invasion of the country. “Nothing is excluded in principle,” he said.
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01/31/2023
The body of the co-pilot of an F-4 Phantom fighter jet of the Hellenic Airforce that crashed on Monday morning in the Ionian Sea, off western Greece has been recovered. The pilot is still missing as a major search and rescue operation is currently underway to locate and rescue him.
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01/31/2023
China started to retire the J-7 in earnest since the year 2018. However, Chinese experts have now opined that the legacy aircraft may be decommissioned entirely from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force this year, state-run Global Times reported. The reason cited for this is China’s burgeoning sophisticated fighter jet production.
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01/30/2023
Ukraine has said its forces repelled an attack in the area of Blahodatne in the eastern part of the Donetsk region on Sunday, responding to claims by Russia’s Wagner private military group that it took control of the village. “Units of Ukraine‘s Defence Forces repelled the attacks of the occupiers in the areas of ... Blahodatne ... in the Donetsk region,” the General Staff of Ukraine‘s Armed Forces said in its daily morning report, referring to fighting over the weekend.
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01/30/2023
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz doubled down on his rejection of demands by Kyiv to supply Ukraine with fighter jets on the heels of Berlin’s agreement to send battle tanks. “The question of combat aircraft does not arise at all,” Scholz said in an interview with Tagesspiegel published on Sunday. “I can only advise against entering into a constant competition to outbid each other when it comes to weapons systems.”
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01/29/2023
A contingent of military officials is quietly pushing the Pentagon to approve sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine to help the country defend itself from Russian missile and drone attacks, according to three people with knowledge of the discussions.
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01/29/2023
Ukraine and its Western allies are engaged in “fast-track” talks on the possibility of equipping the invaded country with long-range missiles and military aircraft, a top Ukrainian presidential aide said Saturday. Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said Ukraine’s supporters in the West “understand how the war is developing” and the need to supply planes capable of providing cover for the armored fighting vehicles that the United States and Germany pledged.
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01/29/2023
The inaugural edition of the 16-day bilateral air exercise between the Indian Air Force and the Japan Air Self-Defence Force has concluded in Japan. The exercise, ‘Veer Guardian 2023’, involved precise planning and skilful execution by both the air forces, the Indian Air Force said on Friday. The exercise concluded on Thursday.
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01/29/2023
In a rare and tragic accident, two frontline combat aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed during a training mission in Madhya Pradesh's Morena district on Saturday, resulting in the death of a wing commander while two other pilots ejected safely. Defence experts said it is probable that the Russian-designed Sukhoi-30MKI jet and the French Mirage-2000 had a mid-air collision, but there was no official comment on it from the IAF.
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01/28/2023
The French Air and Space force conducted a temporary deployment of one Rafale fighter aircraft from Siauliai Air Base, Lithuania, to join the German fighter detachment at Ämari Air Base, Estonia, to practice dispersed operation drills and aircraft cross-servicing.
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01/28/2023
Poland has already delivered operational MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine in secret, local media has reported. Since the initial invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Ukrainian authorities have been asking their allies for the delivery of combat aircraft, both Soviet and Western. In March 2022, shortly after the beginning of the war, a plan to transfer the whole Polish fleet of MiG-29 fighters officially fell through, after Poland and the United States failed to reach an agreement.
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01/28/2023
The Global Combat Air Program is a multilateral initiative by the United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan to develop a sixth-generation stealth fighter jet akin to American Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) and the Franco-German Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programs. It was announced in December 2022 after merging existing next-gen fighter programs.
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01/28/2023
After being able to obtain large numbers of Western tanks (potentially up to 175 so far, including M1 Abrams, Challenger 2 and Leopard 2 tanks), Ukrainians negotiations are now focusing on the supply of Western fighter aircraft and something might already be in motion. In fact, on Jan. 24, Colonel Yuriy Ignat, the speaker of the Ukrainian Air Force, said that a cooperation in this area is being actively discussed.
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01/28/2023
Ukraine said on Friday it would take its pilots about half a year to train for combat in Western fighter jets such as U.S. F-16s, as Kyiv steps up its campaign to secure fourth-generation warplanes in the wake of Russia's invasion last February. Ukraine got a huge boost this week when Germany and the United States announced plans to provide heavy tanks to Kyiv, which is now hoping the West will also provide long-range missiles and fighter jets.
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01/27/2023
U.S. Marine Corps aviation is being significantly and needlessly decimated, another unforced error of Force Design 2030. Newly procured aircraft have been tossed aside; identical blows to state-of-the-art helicopters and strike/fighter jets are on the way. The losses in aircraft are significant. The reductions are not the result of insufficient funding or mandated cuts in personnel; the wounds have been self-inflicted.
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01/27/2023
The aircraft of the Ukrainian Defense Forces launched 14 strikes on Russian military personnel concentration areas and two strikes on the positions of the enemy's anti-aircraft missile systems on January 25.
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01/27/2023
I would say we are more valid now than ever before. With the Secretary of the Air Force and Secretary of Defense saying their focus is China, China, China, that’s what we are here for. We are here to embody and replicate our enemies to the best of our ability,” says Lt. Col. Christopher “Vön” Finkenstadt, F-16 pilot, and commander of the U.S. Air Force’s 64th Aggressor Squadron (AGRS), at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.
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01/27/2023
The Mikoyan MiG-29K is a fourth-generation, twin-engine, multirole fighter aircraft developed by the Soviet Union's Mikoyan design bureau. It is the naval variant of the MiG-29, and is designed for aircraft carrier operations. The aircraft was first introduced in the late 1980s and has been in service with the Russian Navy since the 1990s.
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01/26/2023
The Indian Air Force needs 4 billion dollar to upgrade its fighter aircraft Sukhoi fleet. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has already proposed the upgrade program, which is expected to be approved by the government soon. As a HAL nodal agency, about 150 fighter aircraft will upgrade fifth generation fighter jet as ‘Super Sukhoi’, after which the Indian Air Force’s fighter capacity will increase manifold, reported HS.
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01/26/2023
Lockheed Martin has won a $320 million US Navy modification contract to construct three new F-35 Joint Strike Fighters to be used as flight science test aircraft to replace the current aging testing force, the Defense Department announced in a press release.
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01/26/2023
Rwanda has fired on a Congolese military aircraft it alleges violated its airspace in a new escalation of tensions between the neighbors that has set off alarm across central Africa. A Rwandan government statement said “defensive measures” were taken against a Sukhoi-25 from Congo on Tuesday evening, and it urged Congo to “stop this aggression.” Rwanda’s state broadcaster shared unverified video of what appeared to be a projectile fired at an aircraft.
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01/26/2023
Ukraine says it will now push for Western fourth-generation fighter jets such as the American F-16 after securing dozens of high-end battle tanks from NATO allies. Ukraine won a huge boost for its troops as the United States and Germany announced plans to provide heavy tanks for Kyiv on Wednesday.
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01/25/2023
The Pentagon’s chief weapons tester fears a crucial test for the F-35 program is in danger of slipping further, perhaps into fiscal 2024. And even the best-case scenario for carrying out the series of tests in the Joint Simulation Environment means the chances of an F-35 full-rate production decision happening in fiscal 2023 are rapidly dwindling.
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01/25/2023
The Ukrainian Air force on Tuesday claimed via a tweet that they downed three Russian helicopters in just half an hour. Reportedly, the three Ka-52 choppers, also known as The Black Shark, a single-seat aircraft costing £12 million, arguably the best combat helicopters in the world, were brought down on Monday night.
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01/25/2023
The National Guard remains an integral part of U.S. military might, and it's changing to remain effective for the future, Army Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, said today. Hokanson and Senior Enlisted Advisor Tony L. Whitehead, the senior enlisted advisor to the chief of the National Guard Bureau, held a wide-ranging news conference on the challenges facing the National Guard and its 430,000 service members.
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01/25/2023
The Marine Corps used a new Pentagon program designed to quickly prototype systems for conflict in the Pacific to buy two unmanned aerial vehicles last month for $15.5 million, a service official told USNI News on Tuesday.
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01/25/2023
On Jan. 24, 2023, at 09.17AM ET, the first F-16 Block 70 jet carried out its inaugural flight from the Lockheed Martin’s Greenville, South Carolina site. Piloted Lockheed Martin test pilots Dwayne “Pro” Opella and Monessa “Siren” Balzhiser, the aircraft remained airborne for about 50 minutes conducting various airworthiness checks, including engine, flight control and fuel system checks, as well as basic aircraft handling.
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01/24/2023
The Turkish ‘Bayraktar Kizilelma’ (Red Apple Fighter) UAV has successfully completed the second flight, the Baykar Technology company told Trend. According to the company, the identification of unmanned combat aircraft systems was tested during the second flight. The ‘Bayraktar Kizilelma’ project was launched in 2021 and in less than a year, in record time, after one month of testing, the first flight took place.
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01/24/2023
The Air Force has begun replacing Eielson Air Force Base’s aging fleet of F-16’s with upgraded models of the fighter jet. The first two of the newer jets arrived last week. The two newer F-16 Fighting Falcons are both about 35 years old, a couple of years younger than the jets they’ll replace. More importantly, the incoming F-16s have avionics that were updated five years ago, nearly a decade after then the old jets got their last upgrade.
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01/24/2023
The Nato Allied Air Command (AIRCOM) has announced that Norwegian F-35 aircraft have been certified to continue their Air Policing mission in High North region. Provided by Nato’s Combined Air Operations Centre in Uedem, Germany, the certification will allow the Norwegian forces to continue the Air Policing task until February.
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01/24/2023
Turkey is gradually coming to terms with the reality that the Greece's air force could soon field a more technologically advanced fighter fleet in just a few years. "If our project to modernize the F-16 aircraft fails and Greece realizes its own projects, the Greek side will gain the upper hand in terms of combat aircraft in 2025," said retired Turkish Air Force commander General Abidin Unal. "Therefore, our program to procure 40 F-16 Viper aircraft and modernize up to 80 F-16s is vital."
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01/23/2023
Apparently, Moscow has no intention of severing military-political ties established years ago, but against the background of its war with Ukraine. Last Friday showed similar intentions. On January 19, Mali received a new arms shipment from Russia. Training aircraft used as light attack aircraft, helicopters, and fighter aircraft. Although the weapon is Soviet-era and quite outdated, it raises questions about the stockpiles of the Russian Federation.
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01/23/2023
Nigeria’s Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Isiaka Oladayo Amao, on Saturday said the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) was expecting the delivery of additional new platforms, which President Muhammadu Buhari approved for the service. Amao, who made the disclosure during an operational visit to the Nigerian Air Force Institute of Safety and 209 Quick Response Group, Ipetu-Ijesa, Osun State, stated that the NAF had effectively operationalised the usage of new and modern platform in the battlefield.
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01/23/2023
Europe must fight. The realisation has been slow in coming. Yet almost one year after Russia invaded Ukraine, most western governments finally understand Kyiv’s war for survival is their war, too. It’s a fight to the death for Ukraine, but also for European democracy, rights and values. It’s a fight against the historical evils of fascism and imperialism embodied by Vladimir Putin, a dictator for our age.
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01/23/2023
Through this decade, the J-10CE and JF-17 Block-3 will form the new mainstay of the Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) combat aircraft fleet. However, one can readily guess that the J-10CE and JF-17 will make up a “high-low mix” – i.e., a combination of a larger, “high-end” fighter complemented by a smaller, “low-end” fighters in greater numbers. In fact, with every generation, the PAF had always built a high-low mix, at least since the start of its own jet age when it inducted both the F-86 and F-104.
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01/23/2023
Iran expects to receive the first of the 24 Su-35 Flanker-E fighter jets it ordered from Russia as soon as Mar. 21, the Persian New Year. Tehran also claims it has ordered helicopters and missile systems. Shahriar Heidari, a member of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, told Iranian state media that Iran has ordered other Russian military equipment, including helicopters, air defense systems, and other missile systems, and expects to receive them soon.
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01/22/2023
Israel has sent a formal request to the United States to purchase 25 advanced F-15-EX fighter jets with an eye to boosting its capabilities to strike Iran, the Breaking Defense news site reported. The Defense Ministry sent an official Letter of Request (LOR) to the US last week, the Thursday report said, citing industry sources. The LOR is the first step in the process that will now see Israel and the US negotiate over the exact number of jets and the price of the Boeing-manufactured warplanes.
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01/22/2023
Amid heightened tension with China in the eastern sector of the Line of Actual Control due to the 32-month-long military confrontation in eastern Ladakh, the Indian Air Force (IAF) will conduct a major air combat exercise with frontline fighters, helicopters, other aircraft, and drones in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and other northeastern states early next month, reported TOI.
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01/22/2023
The Kawasaki C-1 is a twin-engine military transport aircraft developed and manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF). Developed beginning in 1966 with production started in 1971, the Kawasaki C-1, between 1971 and 1981, the JASDF was delivered 31 C-1s that served with three squadrons: the 401 Hikotai at Komaki, 402 Hikotai at Iruma and 403 Hikotai at Miho.
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01/22/2023
The report said that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron would discuss the German-French initiative, known as the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), when they meet on January 22 in Paris. However, the report does not disclose which aspects of the project will be examined in depth by the two leaders. FCAS plans to produce a prototype by bringing together Dassault Aviation, the developer of the Rafale fighter, and Airbus, one of the firms behind the Eurofighter Typhoo
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01/22/2023
The Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) Command has signed a deal to buy 12 Block 70 F-16 fighter jets from the US in a bid to help modernize its aging air force. As announced by the armed forces’ official website, the deal was signed Thursday by Royal Air Force Commander Brigadier General Pilot Muhammad Fathi Hiasat and US Deputy Chief of mission in Amman Rohit Nepal.
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01/20/2023
A large Royal Air Force detachment of more than 300 personnel has arrived in the US to take part in a major training exercise. Typhoon and Voyager ground crews and pilots from RAF Lossiemouth and RAF Brize Norton have deployed to Nevada, together with ground support personnel from across the Air Force. Exercise Red Flag 2023 will see RAF jets join forces with combat aircraft from the United States Air Force, US Navy, US Marine Corps and the Royal Australian Air Force.
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01/20/2023
Chinese fighter pilots fresh out of training college have been assigned to combat-ready patrol missions around the country’s southeast coast as the air force battles an increase in close-range surveillance flights by foreign aircraft, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported citing a CCTV report.
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01/19/2023
A Ukrainian H-225 Super Puma helicopter has crashed at 08:20AM LT on Jan. 18, 2023, in Brovary, an eastern suburb of the capital Kyiv, Ukraine. The building of the National Emergency Service was damaged with subsequent fire, glazing in a fourteen-story residential building and three cars. At 09:06AM, the fire in the building was contained to an area of ??500 square meters, and at 09:28AM it was extinguished.
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01/19/2023
Türkiye has to give importance to the modernization plans to balance the air power in the Aegean in case of Greece’s new aircraft projects, retired Turkish Air Force commander General Abidin Ünal has aid, adding that Türkiye should also rely on its domestic infrastructure.
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01/19/2023
Militaries expect to lose aircraft in combat, and even in peacetime there will be accidents when operating fast, complex jets, but a series of crashes by Russian combat jets may indicate that Western sanctions are cutting into Moscow's ability to maintain its warplanes. "Sanctions placed on Russia by the West could well be affecting Russia's ability to manufacture and maintain parts needed to keep aircraft safe," Michael Bohnert, an engineer and analyst at the Rand Corporation wrote in a Novemb
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01/19/2023
China’s PLA Air Force (PLAAF) has recently stepped up its incursions into the Taiwanese Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). On January 15, Taiwan’s National Ministry of Defense (MND) stated that PLAAF had sent its fighters on at least seven occasions last week.While all the PLAAF fighter jets flying close to Taiwan are regularly monitored by the island’s Air Force, there may have been an instance when the service could not intercept China’s fifth-generation stealth fighter jet flying close t
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01/18/2023
South Korea’s homegrown KF-21 fighter jet flew at supersonic speeds for the first time, leading the way for South Korea to become one of only a few countries that have indigenously produced and flown advanced supersonic fighter jets. A KF-21 Boramae fighter prototype took off for its first-ever supersonic test flight on Tuesday at 2:58 p.m. at the base of South Korea’s Air Force 3rd Training Wing in the city of Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Admi
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01/18/2023
The Air Force is temporarily moving fighter jets from Germany to Okinawa, Japan, after the Pentagon announced it was pulling older F-15 Eagles from Kadena Air Base in an attempt to bring more modern aircraft to the Pacific. F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, arrived at Kadena on Monday, even as the installation continues to slowly return its fleet of F-15C/D fighters to the United States.
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01/18/2023
The 122nd Fighter Wing in Fort Wayne has been officially approved for conversion to the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft under passage of the National Defense Authorization Act. The move sets events in motion to replace the 122nd FW’s 21 A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft with the F-16, a news release said.
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01/18/2023
The Deputy Foreign Minister and former ambassador of Ukraine to Germany, Andrii Melnyk, appealed to the German government on January 15 to transfer 93 Tornado fighter jets to Ukraine, which are yet to be replaced by the F-35 stealth fighters. “I have a creative proposal for our German friends. The Bundeswehr has 93 Tornado multirole combat aircraft that will be decommissioned soon and replaced by F-35.
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01/17/2023
Swedish aerospace and defence company, Saab, which had entered into a partnership with Adani Group to manufacture the Gripen E fighter in India, said on Monday that it was no longer going ahead with that agreement. “We have decided not to pursue the arrangement with the Adanis,” said Mats Palmberg, chairman and managing director of Saab India, at a media interaction in New Delhi on Monday.
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01/17/2023
Over the next 11 days, Japanese and Indian fighter jets are taking part in an exercise northeast of Tokyo. The drills come amid growing concerns of China's military power in the Indo-Pacific region.
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01/17/2023
The images appear to be of an exercise conducted by China in response to the US Navy’s Nimitz Carrier Strike Group (NIMCSG) operating in the South China Sea, starting from January 12 for the first time during the group’s 2022-2023 deployment. The NIMCSG conducted maritime strike training, anti-submarine operations, integrated multi-domain and joint training between surface and air elements, and flight operations with fixed and rotary wing aircraft.
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01/16/2023
It’s an arms race bigger than anything Asia has ever seen – three major nuclear powers and one fast-developing one, the world’s three biggest economies and decades-old alliances all vying for an edge in some of the world’s most contested land and sea areas. In one corner are the United States and its allies Japan and South Korea. In another corner, China and its partner Russia. And in a third, North Korea.
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01/16/2023
There are two ways the Ukrainian forces could employ them, one for air-to-ground attacks and another for a World War II-era (WWII-era) tactic that could be used against airborne targets. The second way could be especially relevant to the threat posed by Iranian-made Kamikaze drones that the Russians are using very effectively to wreak havoc on the Ukrainian energy grid and other critical infrastructure.
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01/16/2023
Russian Su-35 fighter jets ordered from the Kremlin by Tehran should arrive in Iran at the start of the next Persian calendar year (starts March 21), Shahriyar Heydari, a lawmaker who is a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian Parliament (Majlis), has informed Iranian news agency Tasnim.
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01/14/2023
The Biden administration has told Congress it is preparing the potential $20 billion sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, sparking an immediate objection from a senior U.S. lawmaker who has long opposed the deal. The State Department sent the informal notice to Congress on Thursday, three sources said, informing committees overseeing arms sales in the Senate and House of Representatives of its intention to proceed with the proposed deal.
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01/14/2023
A combined force of deployed US assets coordinated to save two lives of partner forces outside the wire in the Horn of Africa late this last December. The force consisted of HC-130J recovery aircraft and Guardian Angels from the 347th Rescue Group, as well as HH-60W Jolly Green II combat rescue helicopters in their first real-world casualty evacuation operation in the African area of responsibility (AOR).
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01/13/2023
It would serve as a new training facility for US carrier-based F/A-18 Super Hornets and F-35 fighters to simulate aircraft carrier landings close to China. The SDF will also employ the site as a logistic and maintenance depot to defend Japan’s Nansei southwest islands. The ministry also intends to construct a runway, hangars, and pier facilities for ships used by the Self-Defense Forces. Although the development is anticipated to take roughly four years.
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01/13/2023
The U.S. Air Force recently announced that, on Nov. 29, 2022, the two F-15EX Eagle II fighter jets delivered to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, launched air-to-air missiles for the first time from their new outer wing weapon stations. According to the press release, the 96th Test Wing’s pilots fired an AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile from Station 1 and an AIM-9X from Station 9 over the Eglin Test and Training Complex’s water range.
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01/13/2023
Russia is avoiding flying its advanced combat jets over Ukraine for fear of the wreckage from a crash giving away the plane's secrets, an expert told Insider. The Sukhoi Su-57, a modern Russian aircraft prized for its stealth, has not been a regular feature of the war so far, despite Moscow's efforts to hype its capabilities.
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01/13/2023
Years of delays, cost overruns, and technical glitches with the F-35 have put the Pentagon in a dilemma. If F-35s aren't fit to fly in sufficient numbers, then older aircraft such as the F-16 must be kept in service to fill the gap. In turn, having to extend the lifespan of older planes consumes money that could be used to acquire new aircraft and results in aging warplanes that may not be capable of fulfilling their missions on the current battlefield.
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01/12/2023
France led the force in 2022, and Germany is taking over this year. In February of this year, NATO deployed elements of the VJTF to Romania for the unit’s first-ever collective-defence mission in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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01/12/2023
The Indian Air Force (IAF) contingent was given a grand welcome as it landed at the Hyakuri Air Base, about 80 km northeast of Tokyo, on Tuesday, January 10, for the inaugural joint Air Exercise between India and Japan that kicks off on January 12. A traditional water cannon salute was given to the IAF's frontline Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft, four of which are participating, along with two C-17s and one IL-78, in Exercise 'Veer Guardian-2023' to be held till January 26.
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01/12/2023
The Colombian Air Force plans to buy four additional T-6C Texan II turboprop training aircraft from Textron Aviation in a potential deal worth $38.34 million. The negotiations are part of an effort to acquire up to 24 of the trainers, unveiled by the Defense Ministry on Dec. 9.
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01/12/2023
Last month, the world got its first look at the US Air Force’s new long-range bomber, the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider. The company has called it ‘the world’s first sixth-generation aircraft’ and says it will incorporate enhanced stealth technology based on new manufacturing techniques and materials. The B-21’s open-systems architecture will allow new technology, capabilities and weapons to be ‘seamlessly incorporated through agile software upgrades and built-in hardware flexibility’.
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01/12/2023
Combat aircraft designers at Lockheed Martin Corp. are preparing to build 118 F-35 jet fighter-bombers for U.S. military services and allies under terms of a $1.1 billion order announced on in December. Officials of the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md. - the organization handling F-35 aviation technology procurement for all military forces - are asking the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics segment in Fort Worth, Texas, to procure long lead items for 118 Lot 18 F-
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01/11/2023
Nearly 14 years after officially 'retiring' its F-117A Nighthawk stealth combat jets, the Air Force may now be looking to keep them flying through at least 2034. A portion of the remaining F-117A fleet, flown by Air Force test pilots, has been very actively used for research and development, test and evaluation, and training purposes in recent years. This has included using the jets as 'red air' aggressors and as surrogates for stealthy cruise missiles during large-scale exercises.
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01/11/2023
Ukraine’s desire for additional combat air assets is soberingly real. After 11 months of war, neither Ukraine nor Russia has secured any semblance of air superiority. As the West struggles to figure out how to resource Ukraine’s requirement for air power, some are suggesting a transfer of aircraft, such as F-16 Falcons, F-15E Eagles, JAS-39 Gripens or others.
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01/11/2023
A developmental test team from the 461st Flight Test Squadron conducted the first flight of an F-35 in the Technology Refresh 3 (TR-3) configuration on January 6, at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Maj. Ryan “BOLO” Luersen, a U.S. Air Force experimental test pilot, piloted the mission in tail number AF-7, a specially instrumented flight test aircraft and the first with TR-3 upgrades installed. He executed a functional check flight (FCF) profile to verify aircraft airworthiness and system st
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01/11/2023
U.S. Navy aerial warfare experts are asking Raytheon Technologies Corp. to build 408 AIM-9X precision short-range infrared-guided air-to-air missiles for jet fighters and other combat aircraft under terms of a $317.4 million contract announced in December. Officials of the Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md., are asking the Raytheon Missiles & Defense segment in Tucson, Ariz., to build lot 23 AIM-9X block II and block II-plus air-to-air missiles.
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01/11/2023
Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand, on January 9, announced plans to buy 88 F-35A Joint Strike Fighters (JSF) for CA$19 billion (US $14 billion). Anand said in an online briefing that the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) would receive its first four Lockheed Martin-made F-35s in 2026, with the following six in 2027 and another six in 2028. The remainder would come in subsequent years.
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01/10/2023
It's now official. After years of false starts and delays Canada will join growing number of countries who have adopted the Lockheed-Martin F35 fighter jet. In addition to the US which has hundreds of the stealth fighter other western countries using the aircraft include , United Kingdom, Italy, Netherlands, Australia, Norway, and Denmark. The F-35 provides pilots with enhanced intelligence; surveillance; and reconnaissance capabilities, greatly improving their situational awareness and surviv
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01/10/2023
British Defense Intelligence on January 9 said that Russia has used the Su-57 (NATO nickname Felon) fifth-generation combat aircraft against Ukraine since at least June 2022. “These missions have likely been limited to flying over Russian territory, launching long-range air-to-surface or air-to-air missiles into Ukraine,” the message added.
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01/10/2023
The Chinese military held large-scale joint combat strike drills starting Sunday, sending war planes and navy vessels toward Taiwan, both the Chinese and Taiwanese defense ministries said. Over the course of 24 hours, between 6 a.m. Sunday and 6 a.m. Monday, China's People's Liberation Army flew 57 warplanes and four ships towards Taiwan, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense said in a statement Monday morning.
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01/09/2023
The lesson from the ongoing war in Ukraine is that drones, costing not even one percent of a fifth generation of fighter aircraft, can create problems for South Korea in more senses than one seems to have been well realized by the North Korean strongman Kim Jong-un.
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01/09/2023
Ten and a half months have passed since Russia started its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The resulting war became the most intense and large-scale conflict of recent decades, and the one that subverted many expectations on both sides. Recently, there has been a multitude of reports and analyses, delving into various details of air campaigns waged by both Russia and Ukraine.
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01/09/2023
While much has been written about the two armies’ capabilities amid the India-China standoff, a comparison between the air forces has been scarce. A recent article in Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post has raved about the touted ‘supermanoeuvring’ capabilities of the upgraded J-20B ‘Mighty Dragon’ Generation 5 interceptor/air superiority fighter, reportedly slated for mass production since last July.
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01/09/2023
China's military said it had carried out combat drills around Taiwan on Sunday, the second such exercises in less than a month, with the island's defence ministry reporting it detected 57 Chinese aircraft. China views democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory and has been ramping up military, political and economic pressure to assert those claims.
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01/09/2023
Turkey is making progress in the development of its own fifth-generation fighter aircraft, the TF-X or MMU project, intended to replace the F-16s of its Air Force as of 2030/35. The Turkish Defense Agency published an image on its social networks showing the degree of preparation progress of the first prototype, which should leave the assembly line to have its roll-out on March 18 this year.
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01/08/2023
Even as regular clashes between the Indian Army and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China continue to take place along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), India is taking part in several joint military exercises with several nations. An Indian Air Force (IAF) contingent will depart on Sunday for Hyakuri Air Base, Japan for the maiden edition of the Exercise Veer Guardian to be held with Japan Air Self Defence Force (JASDF) from January 12 to 26.
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01/08/2023
The Colombian government said on Jan. 2, 2023 that initial negotiations between Colombia, France’s Dassault Aviation and Sweden’s Saab to replace part of the aging fleet of Israeli-made Kfir fighter jets of the Colombian Air Force (FAC, Fuerza Aérea Colombiana) have collapsed.
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01/08/2023
For the 430th Expeditionary Electronic Communications Squadron, delivering communication coverage to the American warfighter, the nation’s allies and coalition partners is a primary objective. The 430th EECS is the only unit in the USAF that operates the E-11A aircraft with the Battlefield Airborne Communication Node payload. As such, the 430th EECS strives to provide consistent and effective communication channels for air, ground and maritime forces in the U.S. Central Command area of responsi
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01/07/2023
More than 180 Airmen from the 507th Air Refueling Wing here participated in Joint exercise Rim of the Pacific 2022, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, July 27-Aug. 2, 2022. During the exercise, 186 Okies and five KC 135R Stratotankers flew 32 sorties totaling over 133 flight hours and offloaded more than 1,000 pounds of fuel.
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01/07/2023
The Chinese military leaders appear alarmed by the novel tactics employed by the US Air Force (USAF). In particular, the USAF’s efforts to launch cruise missiles out of cargo aircraft have been perceived as a worrying development by military experts in China.
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01/07/2023
Taking advantage of Russia’s growing reliance on low-cost Iranian weapons amidst its stumbling campaign in Ukraine, Iran is now set to procure dozens of Russian Su-35 aircraft. While some Western assessments tend to downplay the gravity of the acquisition, claiming that it would not drastically alter the airpower balance in the Gulf, the Su-35 would give an unprecedented boost to Tehran’s control over the Iranian airspace.
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01/07/2023
November 2022 saw the visit of the French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu as well as the US Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro to India. Lecornu was in New Delhi for the Fourth India–France Defence Dialogue, where both countries decided to enhance military industrial cooperation with a focus on Make In India (MII).
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01/06/2023
The US Air Force's newest fighter aircraft — the F-15EX Eagle II — recently conducted a successful missile test that brought the aircraft closer to being able to hold more air-to-air missiles than any other jet in the service. During a testing in late November, two F-15EX fighter jets from the 96th Test Wing fired air-to-air missiles over a training range in the Gulf of Mexico, Eglin Air Force Base revealed in a statement Wednesday.
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01/04/2023
General Stéphane Mille, Chief of Staff of the Armée de l’air et de l’espace [CEMAAE], testified on Rafale Aircraft shortages in the armed forces during his hearing in the Senate on the occasion of the end-of-year budget discussions, the report for which was just issued – two months later. CEMAAE forecasted that the number of active fighter aircraft would drop to a low point as a consequence of the retirement of the Mirage 2000C from active duty and the export of 24 Rafales.
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01/04/2023
The Two USAF B-52 Stratofortress bombers from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, recently conducted a three-day bomber task force operating out of Andersen Air force Base, Guam. The mission was carried out within USINDOPACOM’s operational domain. The USAF bombers arrived at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, on December 18, 2022.
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01/04/2023
The US Air Force has received a new E-11A aircraft with a battlefield airborne communications node payload at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia. The plane will be integrated into the air force’s 430th Expeditionary Electronic Communications Squadron, the “Black Wolves,” which supports combat communications. The BACN’s “WiFi in the sky” capability allows the E-11A to function similarly to a low-Earth satellite, maintaining aerial command and control capabilities for airborne and ground units.
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01/04/2023
The Navy is buying two stealth unmanned aerial systems – originally developed for the Air Force – that could operate with a manned fighter, as the service pursues the manned-unmanned teaming concept officials say is central to the future of naval aviation. The service issued a $15.5 million contract to Kratos for the XQ-58A Valkyrie unmanned aerial system, according to a Dec. 30 Defense Department contract announcement.
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01/04/2023
The Pentagon needs to do a better job managing the risks of replacing aging fighter jets and should share information with Congress so it can make better spending decisions and avoid gaps in air superiority, a top federal watchdog concluded in a recent report. Federal and independent analysts have determined some fixed-wing tactical attack aircraft are outliving their life spans and, in some cases, there aren’t planes to replace them yet, according to a study by the Government Accountability Off
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01/04/2023
Some 20 years after their first appearance in the skies, fifth-generation fighters remain both the most advanced and rarest aircraft in service. Only four models from three countries — the US's F-22 and F-35, China's J-20, and Russia's Su-57 — have been officially introduced. But many other countries are determined to have their own next-generation models. At least nine countries are already developing sixth-generation aircraft, either on their own or in cooperation with other countries.
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01/03/2023
“A year that changed us, our present and future forever,” he said. “A year that entered world history – in the name of Ukraine and its Armed Forces.” Zaluzhnyi said the Defense Forces had liberated 40% of the territories occupied after Feb. 24 and 28% of all of the Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia.
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01/03/2023
New images of one of the J-35 prototypes have appeared on Chinese social networks, evidence that the development program continues to advance at a good pace. China, from time to time, makes its defense progress known by leaking poor quality images of the prototypes of its military aircraft under development on the social networks it controls.
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01/03/2023
The Japanese government said it had to scramble fighter jets and send aircraft along with warships as it monitors the operation of China's Liaoning aircraft carrier conducting naval exercises in the Pacific. Japan said it sent warships and aircraft over the last two weeks to keep an eye on five Chinese warships and the Liaoning aircraft carrier as it conducts maneuvers.
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01/03/2023
Cruise shared a promotional picture on Twitter featuring ‘Maverick’ (the callsign of Tom Cruise’s character in the movie) looking at a F/A-18E/F Super Hornet with the phrase “Feel the Need” superimposed on it. The USAF responded to this tweet, saying, “If Maverick had a need for speed, he’d hop into one of our F-15E Strike Eagles! #DYK: They have a top speed of 1,875 miles per hour.”
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01/03/2023
The United States Air Force on Monday deployed six fighter jets to an Israeli Air Force base in southern Israel, as part of a military tactic to constantly disperse its aircraft at various airbases.
According to the IAF, during the deployment at the Nevatim Airbase, the six F-15s would conduct joint drills with Israel’s fleet of F-35 stealth fighters and a squadron of intelligence-gathering Gulfstream G550 planes.
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01/02/2023
Russia's Defense Ministry confirmed that it hit "the facilities of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine," which is involved in the production of drones. In a statement, the Russian Ministry said the strikes destroyed "storage facilities and launch sites" for the drones, adding that "the aim of the strike was achieved."
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01/02/2023
Britain, Italy and Japan have agreed to develop a new fighter. It's almost certainly the one we'll need for supplementing our current main fighter type, the Lockheed Martin F-35, in the second half of the 2030s. The problem that we need to think about now is that the F-35 is likely to be badly outclassed by new Chinese fighters 15 years from now.
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01/01/2023
The Russian occupation forces have now lost more military equipment and weapons in Ukraine than they had in their possession at the time of the full-scale invasion on 24 February.
Source: Brigadier-General Oleksii Hromov, Deputy Chief of the Main Operational Department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, talking to Ukrinform
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01/01/2023
On December 21, the same day that a Chinese J-11 fighter jet intercepted a US Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance plane in what the Pentagon called an “unsafe maneuver,” the Chinese Navy practiced an attack on a US Navy task group in the South China Sea. The US released a video of the dangerous intercept only on November 30.
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