April, 2023 Military Aviation News
04/30/2023
The first of Australia’s $368 billion nuclear submarine fleet won’t be operational before the 2040s. But China’s not sitting idly by. Reports suggest it is already actively working to “seal off” Taiwan and the South China Sea from all unwanted underwater intruders.
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04/30/2023
Defense cooperation between India and Bangladesh has made significant progress in the last few years. It is depicted in the exchange of visits between the leaders of the two countries, as well as the conduct of training programs, joint exercises, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR). India has always cherished its close ties with Bangladesh and at the same time works to strengthen its ties while contributing to Bangladesh’s development agenda.
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04/30/2023
The United States usually sells a good part of its advanced combat aircraft to friendly countries, including fighters such as the F-15 Eagle and even the F-14 Tomcat, whose only foreign customer was Iran, shortly before the fall of its ally, the Xa Reza Pahlavi. There are, however, exceptions. The F-117A stealth attack aircraft and the F-22 Raptor fighter are exclusive to the US Air Force (USAF) as are their strategic bombers.
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04/30/2023
A massive fire erupted at an oil depot in Crimea after it was hit by two of Ukraine's drones, a Russia-appointed official there reported Saturday, the latest in a series of attacks on the annexed peninsula as Russia braces for an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive. Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor of Sevastopol, a port city in Crimea, posted videos and photos of the blaze on his Telegram channel.
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04/29/2023
If Congress agrees with the Air Force’s request to retire 32 Block 20 F-22s as part of its fiscal 2024 budget, the aircraft will be used as trainers a while longer, then stored for an undetermined period at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base’s Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) “Boneyard” in Arizona, Air Combat Command told Air & Space Forces Magazine.
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04/29/2023
A Chinese uncrewed combat aircraft has flown around Taiwan, the island's defence ministry said, showcasing Beijing's ability to attack its fall-back east coast bases, as a U.S. maritime patrol aircraft transited the Taiwan Strait. China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has increased military pressure on the island over the past three years as it tries to force Taipei to accept its sovereignty claim.
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04/29/2023
Earlier this month, the U.S. Air Force Central Command released footage of an unsafe and unprofessional intercept conducted by a Russian Su-35 jet on a U.S. F-16 over Syria. The clip, shot by the American aircraft using a targeting pod on Apr. 2, 2023, shows the armed Flanker-E aggressively maneuvering while interacting with the “Viper” (as the F-16 is nicknamed in the fighter pilot community).
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04/29/2023
Ukraine has once again renewed the pitch for F-16 fighter jets, with the Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba telling the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting that the wisest investment in the long-term security of the European continent will be to provide Ukraine with modern combat aircraft. However, a popular air warfare expert has noted that if Ukraine ever receives F-16 fighters from the US, the aircraft may not be very durable.
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04/27/2023
A group of Russian military aircraft, including two nuclear bombers, triggered NATO’s Quick Reaction Alert system on Tuesday as it skirted Norwegian airspace and flew near the north of Great Britain. The Norwegian news organisation iFinnmark was first to report on the group, comprised of two Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers, two Il-78 Midas tankers and three MiG-31 fighter jets. The Blackjacks, which date back to the era of the Soviet Union.
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04/27/2023
Indonesia will order 18 additional Rafale fighter jets from France as part of a $2.3-billion deal, according to a report by La Tribune, citing procurement sources. The order is part of 42 aircraft Jakarta plans to purchase to modernize its air force. According to the report, the Southeast Asian nation has already secured funding for the additional Rafales and to arm them with air-to-air missiles.
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04/27/2023
A Russian MiG-31 fighter jet crashed in a remote part of northwestern Russia on Wednesday, marking the latest in a string of aviation accidents. The aircraft was flying a routine training mission in Russia's Murmansk region — which borders NATO's newest member Finland — when it crashed in a deserted area, state media outlet TASS reported, citing a statement from Russia's defense ministry.
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04/27/2023
The iconic plane will now join the museum’s impressive lineup of exhibits, showcasing the aircraft’s significant role in US military aviation history. After conducting several fly-bys to burn off fuel, Lt. Col. Matthew “Beast” Tanis piloted the F-15C from Barnes Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts to Dayton. He then shared his personal connection to the aircraft and what it signifies to him.
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04/27/2023
Taiwan and the U.S. have signed two deals worth close to $420 million for maintaining fighter aircraft operated by the self-governing island that China considers its own territory.
Based on the agreement, around $323 million will be allocated for a parts contract that runs through March 2028, according to a local news report.
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04/26/2023
On a crisp Tuesday afternoon, four of the most advanced fighter jets in the world emerged like speeding, roaring, dark seeds from banks of silvery white clouds above Truax Field on Madison's North Side.
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04/26/2023
Hurjet, Türkiye's first indigenous supersonic combat aircraft, has made its maiden flight the country’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter. The aircraft is the fruit of an advanced jet trainer and light attack aircraft project that was launched in 2017 by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI).
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04/25/2023
The total defence strategy is defined in Swedish law as the planning and measures required to prepare the country for total war and informs almost every aspect of defence planning. The 2021-25 bill outlines plans to strengthen ‘total defence’ and establish a new agency tasked with reviewing and evaluating all total defence activities to avoid wasteful spending or poor planning.
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04/25/2023
Retired German General Erhard Bühler argues that Ukraine requires not only air defense systems, but also Western fighter jets, Bild reports. Bühler, a former commander of NATO forces in Kosovo, criticized the German government for the inadequate equipment provided to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
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04/25/2023
Vietnam is in talks with the Czech Republic for military supplies, including aircraft, radars, upgrades of armoured vehicles and firearms, a Czech government source told Reuters, as Hanoi aims to diversify its mostly Russian arsenal. Security was one of the main topics discussed with Vietnam leaders by Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala in a three-day visit last week, the official said, noting that security firms were the largest component of the business delegation that accompanied Fiala.
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04/25/2023
The 56th Fighter Wing graduated the 2,000th F-35 Lightning II pilot, U.S. Air Force Maj. Christopher “Blade” Jeffers, April 17th, 2023, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. This milestone marks a step forward for the Airmen at Luke in realizing its mission of training the world's greatest fighter pilots.
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04/25/2023
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense has approved a 12.84-billion New Taiwan dollar ($419 million) deal with the US to provide maintenance services for the island nation’s fighter aircraft fleet. Around 9.9 billion New Taiwan dollars ($323 million) is allotted for spare parts, while the remaining 2.94 billion New Taiwan dollars ($95.9 million) will be used for nonstandard parts and aviation materials.
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04/24/2023
Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 13 Chinese military aircraft and three naval vessels around the country between 6 a.m. on Sunday (April 23) and 6 a.m. on Monday (April 24). At 9 a.m. on Monday, the MND said that 13 People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) military aircraft and three People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels had been tracked around Taiwan. Of the detected aircraft, one entered the southeast section of Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ).
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04/24/2023
Germany has begun to evacuate its citizens from Sudan, authorities said on Sunday. The German Defense Ministry said on Twitter that it started a military evacuation operation, in close coordination with the partners. "Our goal is to fly out as many citizens as possible from Khartoum, during this dangerous situation in Sudan. Within the scope of our possibilities, we will also take EU citizens and other nationals with us,” the ministry said.
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04/24/2023
Of late, Russian and Chinese Air Forces have been engaging in dangerous interceptions with Western aircraft, which could result in accidents similar to the mid-air collision between an American P-3 Orion and a Chinese J-8II interceptor over the South China Sea 22 years ago.
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04/22/2023
On Thursday 21 April, two Swedish Jas 39 Gripen and two Danish F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets followed a Russian Ilyushin-20 military reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea. It is the first time that a synchronised effort has been carried out in this way. During the entire operation, the Swedish and Danish airlines were under their own national management.On Thursday 21 April, two Swedish Jas 39 Gripen and two Danish F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets followed a Russian Ilyushin-20.
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04/22/2023
South Korea is on the way to joining the ranks of major arms exporters as Russian aggression in Ukraine triggers a global race for arms acquisition, already triggering an indignant response from Moscow, which has issued a stern warning that supplying arms to Ukraine would make Seoul a participant in the conflict, according to a Reuters dispatch.
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04/22/2023
With fighting between the Sudanese government and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia about to enter its second week, the number of aircraft being destroyed or heavily damaged during the clashes has continued to increase. Khartoum International Airport was at the epicentre of the conflict on April 16, 2023, the first day of fighting. In fact, the situation developed so quickly that a Saudia A330-300 (HZ-AQ30) was hit by gunfire while still on the tarmac preparing to depart.
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04/22/2023
NATO allies have already supplied certain types of combat aircraft to Ukraine, such as the Mig-29s provided by Poland, but discussions are underway among NATO allies and their partners to provide Ukraine with other types of aircraft. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said this today in Germany, at the Ramstein military base, before the meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
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04/21/2023
The U.S. has enjoyed superiority in military technology since the end of the Cold War. But this edge is being rapidly eroded by its main rival, China, which seems determined to become a global leader in technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) that could potentially revolutionize warfare.
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04/21/2023
In recognition of the US Air Force (USAF) F-15 Eagle’s legacy, the 18th Wing hosted the Kadena Eagle Sunset Celebration, April 14-15. The event gathered F-15 pilots, intelligence professionals, maintainers, families, and others who directly contributed to the success of the F-15C/D the last 44 years.
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04/21/2023
After the world witnessed three days of large-scale combat exercises around Taiwan from China, an area I’ve seen personally during my Navy days, I can say this as a former naval aviator: It was a pleasure to see Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall recently announce that the U.S. Air Force will upgrade the F-35’s current engine rather than switch to an entirely new design — a major win for the Air Force, Navy and our 17 allies and partners.
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04/21/2023
Russia said one of its fighter jets lost ammunition over Belgorod near the Ukrainian border on Thursday, after local authorities reported a blast that injured two people and left a huge crater in the city. Russian jets have regularly flown sorties over Belgorod since the launch of Moscow's offensive in Ukraine in February 2022.
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04/20/2023
Ukraine's defense forces on Wednesday repelled more than 40 enemy attacks in four areas, with the fiercest battles being fought in the cities of Bakhmut and Marinka in the Donetsk region. According to Ukrinform, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said this in an evening update posted to Facebook.
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04/20/2023
The U.S. Air Force and Navy on Wednesday morning conducted a test launch of an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile in California using an airborne control center. The weapon, which contained a test reentry vehicle, was controlled from an Airborne Launch Control System in a Navy E-6B Mercury aircraft, the Air Force said in a statement.
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04/20/2023
Despite a relationship that has been strained following Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the bloody conflict in Yemen, the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) has continued to exercise with the United States Air Force (USAF) and, more recently, with other NATO air forces. RSAF Typhoon and F-15S Eagle aircrews have participated in eight consecutive Red Flag advanced aerial combat training exercises hosted at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.
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04/20/2023
The U.S. based Falcon Air proposed to the Uruguayan Air Force (FAU) the purchase of six BAE Hawk 200 light subsonic fighters and two BAE Hawk 100 advanced trainers for US$110 million. According to the website Defensa.com, Uruguay has received an economically very advantageous offer for the acquisition of eight aircraft of the BAE Hawk family.
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04/20/2023
The Fresno Air National Guard Base at Fresno Yosemite International Airport has been selected as one of three sites across the U.S. deemed as “preferred locations” to receive some of the U.S. Air Force’s newest fighter jets. The selection of the Fresno base and a naval joint reserve base in Louisiana to be the “beddown” sites for the F-15EX Strike Eagle jets was reported Tuesday night by the Air Force in a statement on its news website.
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04/18/2023
We have a direct follow-up to our recent post on a number of advanced MiG-29s belonging to the Egyptian Air Force that were captured by Sudanese militia forces at Merowe Air Base outside the country's capital of Khartoum. Satellite imagery obtained by The War Zone shows at least one of these aircraft destroyed and it is likely that others are badly damaged or destroyed, as well.
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04/18/2023
Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence directorate says it is making good use of a U.S.-made UH-60A Black Hawk helicopter that it has acquired. The directorate says that the Black Hawk, the only one of its type in the country currently, offers important performance advantages over its Soviet-designed Mi-8 Hip and Mi-24 Hind series helicopters, and it is pushing to get more of them. That a UH-60A was in Ukrainian service first emerged in February.
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04/18/2023
THE Royal Air Force intercepted a Russian spy plane and two fighter jets flying close to Nato air space. The warplanes were sent packing by RAF and German Typhoons protecting the eastern flank of Nato’s border, near Estonia.
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04/18/2023
A deactivated squadron got new life as Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 311 in a Friday ceremony attended by scores of combat veterans and an F-35C Lightning II jet sporting the “Tomcats” historic squadron logo.
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04/17/2023
Egyptian MiG-29M2 fighter jets and their crew, which were deployed at Merowe International Airport (Marawi) to participate in bilateral military exercises, were captured by the Sudanese paramilitary group RSF, which opposes the government of the military junta, which came to power after a coup d’état in 2019.
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04/17/2023
Russian President Vladimir Putin met Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu in Moscow on Sunday and both men hailed military cooperation between the two nations, which have declared a "no limits" partnership. Chinese President Xi Jinping met Putin in Moscow last month. Russia and China have moved to further strengthen their economic, political and military ties since Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022.
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04/17/2023
Air Crews, aircraft maintenance, operations, logistics, civil engineering, communications, security forces, and force support teams from the 168th Wing demonstrated the Air Force’s priority of Agile Combat Employment (ACE) during a flyaway readiness exercise April 1-7, 2023.
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04/17/2023
Cope India 2023 (CI23) is a bilateral aerial exercises series between the Bharatiya Vayu Sena (IAF, Indian Air Force) and the USAF. The Cope India exercises began in 2004 as a fighter training exercise held at Gwalior AFS (state of Madhya Pradesh) and have now returned since the last one that was held in 2018.
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04/17/2023
Türkiye’s unmanned fighter jet, the Bayraktar Kizilelma, completed its fourth test, the System Identification Test, a high-ranking official from the developing company said Saturday. Selçuk Bayraktar, Baykar chairperson and chief technology officer (CTO), shared the update on his Twitter account with video footage.
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04/16/2023
P-8 Poseidon is Norway’s new patrol aircraft replacing the older propeller P-3 Orion that for decades have monitored fisheries in the Barents Sea and Russian submarines on patrol in northern waters. This is the first time a report is made public about a Russian intercepter MiG-31 being scrambled from an air base on the Kola Peninsula to meet Norway’s new maritime patrol aircraft.
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04/16/2023
Four thousand student Airmen from the 82nd Training Wing shared the runway with 80 training aircraft from the 80th Flying Training Wing in possibly the largest and most unique “elephant walk” in Air Force history – all to shine a light on the importance of training and partnerships.
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04/15/2023
Allied Air Forces finished the two-day exercise Ramstein Alloy 23-1 (RAAL23) over the Baltic Sea area further enhancing Alliance cohesion and interoperability on April 12- 13, 22. Exercise RALY23 had allied fighters carry out live air-to-air drills and scenarios involving communications loss of civilian aircraft and then escort back to an airfield. These pilots sharpen their skills by practicing real-world scenarios faced by Air Policing personnel deployed in the Baltic region.
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04/15/2023
Belarusian Air Force crews have completed their training for using tactical nuclear weapons as part of Russia’s plan to deploy the weapons to its ally amid fighting in neighboring Ukraine, the Russian Defence Ministry said Friday. The ministry released a video in which a Belarusian pilot said that the training course in Russia had given the crews of the Belarusian Air Force’s Su-25 ground attack jets the necessary skills for using the weapons.
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04/15/2023
It’s finally happening—the Air Force has begun to retire its A-10 Thunderbolt IIs. An A-10 from the 74th Fighter Squadron at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., arrived at the Boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. on April 5, the service said. The aircraft is the first of 21 A-10s that will be leaving service by the end of September.
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04/15/2023
India is sending its Rafale combat jets to France for a multi-nation air exercise. This is the first time the 2020-inducted Indian Air Force (IAF) fighters have flown overseas to join a war game in a friendly foreign nation’s air base. The French-origin nuke-delivery platform has emerged as the South Asian giant’s true “frontline” fighter replacing the Russian-origin Su-30MKIs.
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04/15/2023
The Ministry of Defence has awarded £650m to manufacturers working on its Tempest fighter jet, in the latest sign that the UK is pushing forward with the aim of producing the aircraft by 2035. The companies who will receive the money are led by manufacturer BAE Systems, jet engine maker Rolls-Royce, and the UK arms of Italy’s Leonardo and European missile-maker MBDA.
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04/14/2023
The German government has approved Poland’s request to transfer five Soviet-designed MiG-29 fighter jets to help Ukraine defend against the Russian invasion. “I welcome the fact that we in the federal government have reached this decision together,” Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said in a statement on Thursday.
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04/14/2023
The Marine Corps is set to activate its second squadron of F-35C Lightning II strike fighters for operation from the Navy’s fleet of aircraft carriers. The “C” version of the stealth fighter, with longer wings, stronger landing gear and greater fuel capacity, is also flown by Navy pilots.
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04/14/2023
The Polish Air Force’s F-35 Lightning II combat aircraft were officially in production at Lockheed Martin’s facilities on 12 April 2023. The original equipment manufacturer (OEM), Lockheed Martin, will now produce the standard Nato combat aircraft, the F-35A conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) aircraft, which will be delivered to Poland from 2024 through to 2030.
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04/13/2023
The aging E-3 AWACS fleet got a little smaller last week, as the first of 13 E-3s tp be retired this year took off from Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., for the last time. E-3 Tail Number 0560 departed for the Boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., on April 6, a week after the 552nd Air Control Wing hosted a retirement celebration with retired and Active-Duty Airmen getting a chance to sign their names to the airframe, an Air Force tradition.
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04/13/2023
On April 11, 2023, the Myanmar military is said to have killed at least 100 people in one of the deadliest airstrikes in the ongoing civil war. The attack targeted a village in the north-western Sagaing region. Witnesses report that among those killed were many women and children. The numbers of those killed are yet to be confirmed as the bodies are being collected.
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04/13/2023
Swedish aerospace and defence company Saab and Brazilian aerospace conglomerate Embraer have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 11 April to strengthen collaboration in several domains, including engineering and business development opportunities for the C-390 transport aircraft and future Gripen fighters. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was unveiled at the LAAD defence and security exhibition held in Rio de Janeiro.
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04/13/2023
Talks about the possible transfer of Finnish combat aircraft to another country “currently irrelevant". Finnish Defense Minister Antti Kaikonen said this in an interview with local media, Xinhua reports, according to Ukrinform "The fighter jets will be used by our defense forces for the coming years, after which their life cycle will end," Kaikonen replied to a question about Ukraine's request for the transfer of F-18 aircraft.
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04/13/2023
The United States is helping the Philippines to develop an acquisition plan for a fleet of multi-role fighter aircraft as part of a broader “roadmap” for the next decade of defense acquisitions, top officials from both countries announced Tuesday in Washington, as the two countries continue to tighten up military ties.
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04/13/2023
North Korea fired a ballistic missile into waters off its east coast on Thursday, prompting an evacuation order that was later lifted in northern Japan. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea fired one mid-range or longer ballistic missile from near Pyongyang into the waters off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula at around 7:23 a.m. local time Thursday. Japan’s government initially urged residents in the country’s northern prefecture of Hokkaido to take shelter after the North
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04/12/2023
Bulgaria is ready to transfer its MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine, but only if it receives guarantees of receiving modern aircraft from Western partners. Interfax-Ukraine writes about this with reference to the EFE agency. According to the agency, 16 MiG-29 fighters are in service with Bulgaria. At the same time, only 6 aircraft are in working order.
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04/12/2023
The US Air Force (USAF) has finally begun the long-sought retirement of its Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II ground attack jets. The service said on 10 April it had retired the first A-10C, commonly known as the Warthog, from the 74th Fighter Squadron at Moody AFB after the airframe had logged 43 years of operational service.
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04/12/2023
The Chinese navy continued with "actual combat training" around Taiwan on Tuesday, state media said, a day after Beijing announced the end of drills and as Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen criticised China for its "irresponsible" behaviour. China began the exercises on Saturday after Tsai returned to Taipei following a meeting in Los Angeles with U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
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04/12/2023
U.S. and European allies will conduct a massive air exercise in Germany this June on a scale unseen since the end of the Cold War, military officials said. Some 220 allied aircraft and 10,000 personnel will take part in Air Defender 23, against the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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04/12/2023
Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak attended a ceremony at the 31st Tactical Air Base in Poznan, celebrating the completion of a specialist training cycle of Several Polish F-35 combat aircraft crews, during which he emphasized that Poland is consequently “creating a system that will deter an aggressor.”
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04/12/2023
In a show of force, American F-22 Raptor fighter jets landed in Poland on a rotational mission to enhance NATO’s defense capabilities and counter potential threats from Russia. With the latest deployment, the Raptors are poised to soar over NATO’s Eastern Flank, close to Russia.
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04/11/2023
Developmental flight tests are underway for the Air Force’s new Next Generation Fixed Wing Helmet here. Engineers with the 46th Test Squadron and the 28th Test and Evaluation Squadron oversee the helmet’s testing. Approximately five F-22A Raptor pilots from the 301st Fighter Squadron, a Reserve unit with the 43rd Fighter Squadron here, fly with the new lighter, cooler and more readily equipped helmet.
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04/11/2023
The Turkish navy officially added the TCG Anadolu light aircraft carrier and amphibious assault ship to its arsenal on Monday, touting it as the world's first "drone carrier". Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the ship is a turning point for the country’s defence industry, as 70 percent of the vessel was built using local resources over seven years.
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04/11/2023
F-15E Strike Eagles deployed to Kadena Air Base, Japan in April, joining F-35s to bolster the Air Force’s fighter fleet on the strategically important island in the western Pacific. Meanwhile, the F-16CMs and F-22s that were previously forward deployed to Kadena have returned home, according to their respective home bases. The Air Force is rotating fighters through Kadena as it sends the aging F-15C/D fleet back to the United States after more than 40 years of permanent Eagle operations on the i
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04/11/2023
On April 2, the final MC-130H Combat Talon ll made its last flight, arriving at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona to retire at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG). This aircraft was the last of the final six MC-130Hs transferred for storage at the 309th AMARG, known as the boneyard.
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04/11/2023
Japan said Monday it had scrambled jets in recent days as Chinese fighter planes landed and took off from an aircraft carrier deployed near southern Japan and Taiwan. The Shandong aircraft carrier has been moving in waters southeast of Taiwan as China responds to a meeting between the island's president and the US House speaker.
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04/10/2023
China’s military conducted mock attacks on key targets in and around Taiwan on Sunday, state media said, the second day of its planned three days of “encirclement” patrols and joint drills near the self-ruled island. Chinese state-run television said that the “combat readiness patrols” and drills — which came just days after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s landmark meeting with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California — were ongoing.
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04/10/2023
The Indian and US air forces will hold exercises with Japan as an observer, keeping up the high pace of multilateral and bilateral military drills among the countries of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or the Quad. India, the United States, Japan and Australia make up the Quad. Called Cope India, the exercises are being held after a gap of four years for 11 days starting on Monday at the Kalaikunda airbase in West Bengal.
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04/10/2023
In order to ensure that India will own all Intellectual Property (IP), Rolls-Royce has expressed its willingness to co-develop a new engine that will not be based on the Eurojet EJ200, a low-bypass turbofan used as the powerplant of the Eurofighter Typhoon. The EJ200 was developed by four companies under a multi-national engine manufacturing consortium.
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04/09/2023
In February 2023, Secretary of State Antony Blinken publicly confirmed that the Biden Administration supports a possible sale of F-16 fighter aircraft to Turkey, and has engaged Congress on the issue. According to January 2023 media reports citing unnamed U.S. officials, the Administration informally notified Congress of its intent to sell 40 new F-16s in the Block 70/72 Viper configuration (F- 16Vs) and Viper upgrade packages for 79 existing fighters, along with 900 air-to-air missile.
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04/09/2023
Military aircraft from the United States and Australia have arrived in the Philippines days before the start of the Balikatan exercise next week. This year’s Balikatan, with a focus on maritime defense, coastal defense, and maritime domain awareness, will be held from April 11 to 28 in various areas in the country, including Palawan, Antique, and parts of Northern Luzon.
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04/09/2023
Units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine during the battles at the front on April 7 eliminated 570 servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces. In total, in the full 408 days of the war, the defenders have destroyed 177,680 occupiers.
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04/09/2023
F-15E Strike Eagles from the 336th Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, arrived at Kadena Air Base, Japan, April 8, 2023, to ensure continuous fighter presence through the phased return of Kadena’s fleet of F-15C/D Eagles to the United States.
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04/09/2023
On 5 April 2023, the first production Tejas LCA-T Mk1, serial LT5201, took to the air for a 35 minute flight. This trainer is the first of eight aircraft that were ordered in the first batch of 40 Tejas LCA Mk.1 fighter aircraft, consisting of 32 single seat and 8 dual seat.
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04/09/2023
China sent warships and dozens of fighter jets toward Taiwan on Saturday, the Taiwanese government said, in retaliation for a meeting between the U.S. House of Representatives speaker and the president of the self-ruled island democracy claimed by Beijing as part of its territory.
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04/08/2023
Leonardo is participating at the 13th edition of LAAD Defense & Security, in Rio de Janeiro 11-14 April, the most important trade exhibition in Latin America. After the recent selection of the Centauro II 120mm armoured vehicle made by the CIO Consortium - of which Leonardo has an equal share with Iveco Defense Vehicles – and in the frame of the Brazilian programme “VBC Cav - MSR 8×8”, the company is now focused on its land defence systems.
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04/08/2023
Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane on Friday inaugurated the third light combat aircraft (LCA) production line and also handed over the 100th Sukhoi-30 MKI repaired and overhauled (ROH) aircraft to the Indian Air Force at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's Nashik Division. Aramane appreciated the HAL's efforts in taking up the challenge of setting up an ROH facility for Su-30 MKI and also establishing a new production line for LCA manufacturing.
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04/08/2023
The minister said that while there were parts of the engine Slovak experts could access, there were also parts only accessible to Russian experts. Defects appeared only in the parts where the Russian experts could access, he said. The Slovak army stopped using the planes in August 2022 and they were transferred to Ukraine in March 2023.
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04/08/2023
The information was disclosed in the military journal “Military Thought” published by the Ministry of Defense, Ria reported. According to the article, the Russian military has developed mobile anti-satellite combat systems that can be relocated. These systems include the Kontakt anti-space defense complex, based on the MiG-31 heavy fighter interceptor, the A60 Sokol-Echelon combat laser system mounted on the IL-76 transport aircraft, and the Peresvet combat laser system.
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04/06/2023
Today the Government has presented investment proposals that will be included in its Spring Amending Budget. The proposals aim to create conditions for the continued growth of Sweden’s military defence and make preparations for NATO membership. Increased appropriations totalling SEK 660 million are proposed in the Spring Amending Budget for 2023. In addition, it is proposed that the Swedish Armed Forces’ authorisation to place orders be increased by SEK 16.78 billion.
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04/06/2023
Despite being trapped in limbo for five-years, there are signs that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia remains interested in buying an additional tranche of Eurofighter Typhoons — and that the government in London would support such a sale if KSA wants to move forward.
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04/06/2023
The air forces of India and US will meet at Kalaikunda air base, India next week to resume the Cope India air exercise. Cope India 2023 will be held from Apr. 10 to Apr. 21 and “further enhance operational capability and interoperability between the two air forces”.
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04/05/2023
The cities of Marinka and Bakhmut in Ukraine's Donetsk region remain the epicenter of hostilities, with about 20 enemy attacks repelled by Ukrainian defenders near Bakhmut throughout the day. The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said this in a situation update on Facebook, according to Ukrinform.
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04/05/2023
More than 20 fighter jets from NATO allies and partners joined a “large-scale” training exercise over Baltic airspace. The activity commenced at Amari Air Base in Estonia and was joined by military forces from the US, the UK, Finland, Germany, France, Estonia, and the Netherlands. The exercise saw the deployment of L-39 Albatrosses, F-15 Eagles, Eurofighter Typhoons, F/A-18 Hornets, Rafales, and F-35 Lightning IIs.
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04/04/2023
On April 2, 2023, two Portuguese F-16 fighter jets from NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission launched from Šiauliai, Lithuania, to identify and escort an IL-76 Russian military aircraft. The Russian aircraft was flying from mainland Russia to the Kaliningrad exclave above international waters off the Baltic Sea coast of Estonia.
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04/04/2023
The Swedish government is on track in their aim to meet Nato’s target to spend 2.0% of its gross domestic product (GDP) on shoring up their defence according to the GlobalData report: Sweden Defence Market 2023-28.
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04/03/2023
On 2 April 2022, the Russian army was forced to retreat from the vicinities of the Ukrainian capital. After more than a month of heavy fighting, Ukrainian defenders partially destroyed the invading force around Kyiv and pushed the Russians back to neighboring Belarus. What was supposed to be an overwhelming blitzkrieg became a complete debacle for the Russian forces.
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04/03/2023
The French Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) announced that the new Rafale F4.1 standard has been qualified and is now ready for fielding. While the announcement was released just few days ago, the qualification arrived on March 13, 2023, shortly after the first aircraft in the new configuration was delivered to the Base Aérienne 118 at Mont-de-Marsan.
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04/03/2023
Air force combat helicopters and planes downed an unidentified aircraft that appeared to have crossed into Israeli airspace from Syria on Sunday, the military said. The incident came amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran related to Iran’s presence on Israel’s northern border, and after a series of airstrikes attributed to Israel in Syria.
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04/03/2023
China's most sophisticated stealth fighter plane, the J-20 Mighty Dragon, will be operated alongside a new cutting-edge combat drone that the country is developing, which may equal the jet's speed. J-20's and the FH-97A's fuselage designs are comparable, indicating that the FH-97A might perhaps fly as quickly as the Mighty Dragon, claims a South China Morning Post (SCMP) report from Saturday.
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04/02/2023
Airmen from the 332d Air Expeditionary Wing executed a first-of-its-kind Forward Arming and Refueling Point operation at a cluster base in a combat area of responsibility. During the FARP operation, an MQ-9 Reaper from the 361st Expeditionary Attack Squadron was rapidly refueled and re-armed by members of the 26th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron.
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04/02/2023
Ten Chinese aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line, normally an unofficial barrier between the mainland and the island, Taiwan’s defence ministry has said. Nine Chinese fighter jets and one military drone crossed the median line in the 24 hours to 6am on Saturday, the ministry said in its daily report on Chinese military activities.
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04/01/2023
The Crows at the 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing (SWW) are evaluating a new process that could change how the U.S. Air Force approaches Electromagnetic Warfare Integrated Reprogramming (EWIR) to better adapt to wartime reprogramming timelines and support Agile Combat Employment (ACE) operations through a process called Agile Integrated Reprogramming (AIR).
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04/01/2023
The first A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft arrived in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility at Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates, March 31, 2023. The combat air support aircraft arrived ahead of schedule following the approval for the platform to return to theater. They will fall underneath the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing at Al Dhafra AB.
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04/01/2023
The Nato Allied Air Command has announced that more than 20 fighter planes from Finland and other allied nations have carried out a large-scale training exercise. Conducted over the Baltic states, the exercise was undertaken by air forces from the UK, the US, Estonia, France, Finland, the Netherlands and Germany.
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04/01/2023
An Airbus A310 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) testbed aircraft has demonstrated its ability to guide and control drones while in flight without direct human interaction, according to the company. The test has laid the early groundwork for Airbus’ future plans to provide its MRTTs with the ability to autonomously refuel uncrewed aircraft, a concept that many air forces around the globe will have to adopt as airpower rapidly evolves towards uncrewed operations.
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