August, 2023 Military Aviation News
08/30/2023
In a strategic maneuver geared toward facilitating the export of next-generation fighters to other countries, the Japanese government conveyed its intention to the ruling parties to expand the scope of permissible exports for jointly developed defense equipment, including lethal weapons.
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08/30/2023
In what could be good news for the resistance movement and Myanmar’s National Unity Government (NUG), there appears to be shimmering tensions between Islamabad and Naypyitaw over the supply of a set of newly acquired JF-17s fighter planes.
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08/30/2023
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence has warned of a possible “sharp increase” in military tensions after reporting renewed Chinese military activity, including fighter jets crossing the sensitive median line of the Taiwan Strait. Democratically governed Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has complained for three years of increased military pressure from Beijing, mostly in the form of China’s air force flying near the island.
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08/29/2023
Two Japanese Air Self-Defense Force's F-35A fighter jets have arrived at a military base in Australia for training, marking the first time Japan deployed the aircraft overseas, the Australian Defense Department said Monday. The move comes as the two nations seek to boost security ties amid China's growing military assertiveness in the region and marks the first activity under a new agreement to facilitate reciprocal access and cooperation between their defense forces.
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08/29/2023
A fighter plane in Saudi Arabia has crashed during a training mission, according to the Ministry of Defense in the Kingdom. The crew aboard the Royal Saudi Air Force combat aircraft 'Tornado' fighter plane survived, the ministry said.
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08/29/2023
The Pentagon is launching a new effort to build up mass with inexpensive autonomous systems, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks announced Aug. 28. And the department wants lots of those systems fast—within 18-24 months. The goal, Hicks said, is simple: “small, smart, cheap, and many.”
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08/29/2023
The Air Force is seeking a multibillion-dollar budgetary allowance to research and build at least a thousand, but possibly more, unmanned aircraft driven by AI pilots, according to service plans. The XQ-58A Valkyrie aircraft, a potential contender for the Air Force's collaborative combat aircraft program, is meant to serve as a robotic wingman to human-piloted aircraft able to provide cover and maneuver around in scenarios where a flesh-and-blood pilot might struggle, The New York Times reported
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08/28/2023
Russia said it scrambled a fighter plane to deter a US air force reconnaissance drone from crossing its borders over the Black Sea. “As the Russian fighter approached, the foreign reconnaissance UAV made a U-turn away from the state border of the Russian Federation,” Russia’s defence ministry said.
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08/28/2023
The U.S., Australia, Japan and the Philippines carried out a joint exercise in the waters off Manila on Thursday involving the Australian and Japanese large-deck ships on deployment in the region. Meanwhile, Chinese bombers flew near Japan while a Chinese unmanned air vehicle conducted a flight off Taiwan’s east coast, according to Japan Ministry of Defense press releases.
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08/28/2023
Citing a report from the Ukrainian Air Force, Militarnyi reported that Ukraine’s combat aircraft target enemy command posts and warehouses, intercept enemy planes and helicopters and shoot down drones and missiles used by the Russian Federation to attack Ukraine.
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08/27/2023
The pilot of the Russian-made fighter jet that crashed earlier this month during the Thunder Over Michigan air show in Belleville was trying to land the plane while the backseater acknowledged to investigators he likely pulled the ejection handles for both of them, a preliminary investigation found.
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08/27/2023
Two Ukrainian aircraft collided in midair while on a training mission over Ukraine’s Zhytomyr region, killing three pilots, the State Bureau of Investigation (DBR) said on August 26. The DBR said the two L-39 aircraft collided on August 25 in the sky over the region west of Kyiv.
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08/26/2023
Ukraine's longstanding efforts to convince Russian soldiers to defect alongside their equipment paid off in a cinematic way this week. A Russian helicopter pilot landed an Mi-8 AMTSh on a Ukrainian air base on Wednesday in what Ukrainian officials said was the culmination of a six-month secret defection plot that involved moving the pilot's family out of Russia and into Ukraine.
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08/26/2023
Taiwan's defence ministry said on Saturday morning that over the past 24 hours it had detected 20 Chinese air force planes entering the island's air defence zone, including a combat drone the flew along Taiwan's Pacific east coast. Democratically governed Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has complained for three years of increased military pressure from Beijing.
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08/26/2023
North Korea has reportedly begun a military modernization program involving converting hundreds of outdated fighter jets into kamikaze drones, aiming to use them to target major industrial and infrastructure locations in South Korea.
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08/25/2023
The Ukrainian Armed Forces have a problem. In the twenty-first century, no land power—regardless of the potency of its heavy armor, infantry, or artillery—can prevail in war without a bare minimum of air superiority. Even the chief of Ukraine’s General Staff, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, admitted this in a recent interview with the Washington Post.
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08/25/2023
U.S. Air Force researchers needed help in developing infrared sensors to enable combat aircraft to search wide areas covertly. They found their solution from the Northrop Grumman Corp. Mission Systems segment in Linthicum, Md. Officials of the Multispectral Sensing & Detection Division of the Air Force Research Laboratory Sensors Directorate at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, announced a $8.1 million follow-on contract to Northrop Grumman last week.
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08/25/2023
The U.S. will train Ukrainian pilots and maintainers on F-16s at Morris Air National Guard Base, Ariz., in October, Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder announced Aug. 24—the most direct American involvement yet in the international effort to equip and train Ukraine with fighter aircraft.
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08/25/2023
Norway will donate U.S.-made F-16 combat aircraft to Ukraine, the Norwegian prime minister announced during a visit to Kyiv on Thursday, joining an effort led by the Netherlands and Denmark. F-16s have been on Ukraine's wish list for a long time because of their destructive power and global availability. The fighter jet is equipped with a 20mm cannon and can carry bombs, rockets and missiles.
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08/24/2023
Recently, the Armed Forces of Ukraine attacked a Russian plane over the Black Sea when it tried to destroy a Ukrainian military boat near Zmiinyi (Snake) Island; the Russian jet was damaged in the fight.
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08/24/2023
Brazil plans to invest 52.8 billion reals (U.S. $10.6 billion) for research, development and equipment acquisition efforts for its military, including nearly doubling the size of its Gripen fighter fleet and financing projects by local aircraft manufacturer Embraer for aerial refueling planes, the government announced earlier this month.
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08/24/2023
A Russian fighter jet intercepted a Norwegian military plane over the Barents Sea on Wednesday, the Russian defence ministry said. It said the Norwegian aircraft, a U.S.-made P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance plane, was nearing the Russian border but turned back after being approached by the Russian MiG-29 fighter.
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08/24/2023
The Netherlands and Denmark have led a push to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s and deliver the fighter jets to Ukraine to help counter Russia's air superiority. Here are some facts about the alliance of Western countries that will supply aircraft and training:
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08/23/2023
The Russian reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft, Tu-142 Bear-F and Tu-142 Bear-J, were monitored by the Typhoon jets launched from RAF Lossiemouth in Moray. RAF Lossiemouth is one of the RAF’s two Quick Reaction Alert stations, where jets are always available to respond to threats at short notice.
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08/23/2023
Iran unveiled a new drone this week that closely resembles the US military's MQ-9 Reaper, becoming the latest country to produce an aircraft that looks like the formidable American combat drone. State-run media on Tuesday published a video unveiling Iran's new drone, called the "Mohajer 10," full of glitzy footage showcasing the aircraft alongside strobe lights and a fog machine, as well as shots of the drone taking off, flying, and landing back on a runway.
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08/23/2023
South Korea’s newest light fighter jet, the FA-50, appears to be preparing for combat as part of the South Korea-US joint military drills that kicked off on August 21. The exercises aim to test combat readiness against a supposedly belligerent North Korea.
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08/23/2023
Indonesia is in the midst of a recapitalization of its combat aircraft fleet. The country retired its legacy F-5E/F Tigers and has opted for a two-pronged approach to modernizing its inventory. This involves the procurement of the Dassault Rafale and now, most likely, the Boeing F-15EX.
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08/22/2023
A drone attack targeted the Russian Tu-22M3 Backfire swing-wing bomber based at Soltsy-2 on August 19. As soon as the news broke out, visuals appeared on social media showing thick black smoke billowing from the air base. However, it was initially unknown what asset at the base caught fire.
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08/22/2023
The US State Department has signed off on a potential $12 billion sale of military equipment to Poland, including 96 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters and other military equipment. The announcement, posted on the website Defense Security Cooperation Agency today, does not represent a final sale. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) cases announced like these have been approved by the executive branch for review by Congress.
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08/22/2023
Any attempts by Ukraine to build airfields and facilities to accommodate the F-16 fighter jets that Western allies provide will be met with targeted attacks by Russian forces destroying the infrastructure during the construction before they are fully built, according to retired Russian Colonel Viktor Litovkin.
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08/22/2023
Saudi Arabia has spent decades building an enormous air force composed exclusively of advanced US and British fighter jets. But Riyadh's reported interest in potentially purchasing a large number of French jets may be a sign it doesn't think its longtime patrons are as reliable as before.
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08/21/2023
The Netherlands and Denmark said Sunday that they would donate F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine — the first countries to do so — in what President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said was a breakthrough in his nation’s quest to acquire the aircraft considered imperative in the war against Russia.
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08/20/2023
China has launched air and sea military exercises around Taiwan to send a “stern warning” to separatist forces on the island following a recent visit by Taiwan’s Vice President William Lai to the United States. Taiwan responded on Saturday saying the drills highlighted Beijing’s “militaristic mentality” and that combat aircraft, naval ships and land-based missile systems had been tasked with monitoring Chinese forces.
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08/20/2023
The Ukrainian Defense Forces attacked a military airfield in the novgorod oblast of the russian federation with drones, at least one aircraft was damaged. The Ministry of Defense of russia informs about this.
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08/20/2023
Ukrainian pilots have started testing Sweden’s Griping fighter jets, and Ukraine is getting closer to these fighter jets flying in Ukrainian skies. President Zelensky said this in his video address late on Saturday evening, August 19, Ukrinform reports with reference to the president’s press service.
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08/20/2023
After a 19-year hiatus, the 2023 William Tell Air-to-Air Competition is scheduled to take place Sep. 11-15, 2023, at the Air Dominance Center in Savannah, Georgia. As told by Airman 1st Class Rebecca Sirimarco-Lang, 4th Fighter Wing, in the article 4th Fighter Wing selects team to participate in William Tell competition, the historic fighter aircraft competition is named after legendary Swiss archer, William Tell.
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08/19/2023
The 95th Reconnaissance Squadron validated and verified recently developed RC-135 hot refueling procedures at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, Aug. 14, 2023. Hot refueling is when an aircraft is refueled after landing and parking, while also leaving an engine running. “This was part of a larger system safety engineering analysis process we are going through with Air Force Life Cycle Management Center,” said Capt. Jon Comer, 95th RS maintenance director of operations.
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08/19/2023
Based on available information, it is likely that the upgraded air-launched variant of Japan's Type 12 missile and the US-origin Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range could be used to turn Japan's cargo aircraft into lethal platforms. (Janes) Transport aircraft of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) could be equipped with long-range missiles to improve the country's stand-off strike capabilities.
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08/19/2023
Nineteen months into Russia’s war on Ukraine, its lessons are shaping how the U.S. Air Force thinks about combat over Europe. The conflict is pushing the Pentagon to focus on tactics instead of the strategic-level chess moves that have defined the U.S.-Russia military relationship in Europe since the end of the Cold War, Gen. James Hecker, the Air Force’s top officer in Europe, told Air Force Times in a recent interview.
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08/19/2023
Initially comprising the United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan, the program now grapples with a dilemma as Saudi Arabia expresses its desire to become a participant. The kingdom’s request has ignited debates, raised concerns, and exposed divisions among the existing partners.
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08/18/2023
The war in Ukraine has reinforced the age-old lesson that geography is one of the most important variables in warfare. Any battle plan that Ukraine’s or Russia’s commanders might draw up remains subject to the dictates of space and terrain. As they have over the centuries, mountains, rivers, rain, mud, and snow continue to set humanity’s boundaries in fighting wars.
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08/18/2023
From August to October 2022, the German Air Force conducted its first large-scale deployment in the Indo-Pacific region, known as Rapid Pacific. This was defense diplomacy by the German Air Force, symbolized by the “Air Ambassador” paint scheme on one of the six Eurofighters deployed to strengthen ties with allies and partners in the region, including Japan. Thus, Rapid Pacific marked the beginning of full-fledged airpower defense diplomacy in the region.
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08/18/2023
Ukrainian pilots constantly disperse combat aircraft to various air bases and civilian airports to counter the Kremlin’s intensified strikes on air installations, runways, and pilot training centers in the western regions of Ukraine, as reported by The Financial Times.
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08/18/2023
A final decision on deploying the Tejas squadrons in fighter air bases along the borders with Pakistan and China will be taken later. But the Indian Air Force (IAF) has already begun sending the existing two LCA squadrons on detachments to forward air bases along the western and northern frontiers, as was witnessed recently with a squadron in Awantipur in Jammu and Kashmir for training.
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08/18/2023
A newly built airstrip on a disputed island in the South China Sea is only long enough for China to stage patrol aircraft, but it could still boost Beijing’s ability to collect intelligence over an area that includes Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone, a security analyst told Radio Free Asia. Satellite photos from Earth imaging company Planet Labs PBC this week showed that a 600-meter (2,000-foot) airstrip was built on Triton Island in the Paracel chain between July 12 and Aug. 15.
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08/17/2023
Sweden has again offered its Saab JAS 39 "Gripen" multi-role fighter aircraft for the modernization needs of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) which is looking to beef up its fleet. This developed following Monday's courtesy call of Sweden Ambassador to Manila Annika Thunborg to Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. at the DND headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
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08/17/2023
Alexander Mikheyev, the chairman of Rosoboronexport, told TASS on the sidelines of the Army-2023 symposium that Russia is in discussions with several partners about cooperation on its fifth-generation fighter jets, the SU-57E and the Su-75 Checkmate, including their joint development and manufacturing.
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08/17/2023
Moscow risks sparking a direct war with NATO by intercepting ships in international waters and seeking to impose an economic stranglehold on Ukraine, NATO's former Supreme Allied Commander Europe is warning. Ex-U.S. Admiral James Stavridis, who led the alliance's forces on the continent between 2009 and 2013, told POLITICO that escalations at sea — including the boarding of a Turkish ship on Sunday — could force Kyiv's partners to intervene to prevent Ukraine's economy being crippled.
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08/16/2023
The Australian government is investing $100 million to establish an aircraft-coating facility at the Royal Australian Air Force base in Williamtown, New South Wales, aiming to keep its fleet of F-35 fighters ‘nearly invisible.’
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08/15/2023
Turkey recently announced it is starting negotiations with Pakistan to make it an official partner in combat aircraft development. The culmination of a series of bungling by the Indian defense establishment and top brass of the Indian Air Force (IAF) over the years has resulted in the force staring at two lost decades of technological advancement.
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08/15/2023
With F-16 fighter jets expected to be provided to Ukraine over the coming months, opinions of their usefulness spans from a gamechanger in the war with Russia to a total waste of resources. But there is one way that these aircraft will harm Russia even if they never shoot down a missile, fighter jet or helicopter: They will cost the Russian Aerospace Forces precious aircraft life.
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08/14/2023
A retired Russian fighter jet flying in Yankee Air Museum’s Thunder over Michigan air show at the Willow Run Airport near Ypsilanti crashed just after 4 p.m. Sunday, as thousands of spectators, including children, watched in horror. The two aboard ejected before the jet went down, but the plane burst into a raging fireball when it hit the ground, narrowly missing an apartment building adjacent to Interstate 94 in Van Buren Township and hitting vehicles but not injuring anyone.
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08/13/2023
A Russian Su-30 two-seat fighter aircraft crashed in Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russian exclave sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania, Russian state news agency TASS reported on Aug. 12, referring to the Western Military District. The aircraft was performing a training flight. The crew was killed in the incident.
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08/12/2023
Over the next few days, as one of Taiwan's most senior politicians touches down in the United States, observers are anticipating that China could take another opportunity to flex its military muscles. China has ratcheted up military and political pressure on its democratically governed neighbour over the last three years, and has repeatedly voiced its opposition to friendly relations between Taiwan and the US.
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08/12/2023
Dassault Aviation delivered 18 Rafale multirole fighter jets to Indonesia as part of a $2.3-billion acquisition program signed in April 2023. The handover supports an effort to replace the Indonesian National Army Air Force’s aging F-5 light combat aircraft. In 2021, France offered the Rafale to sustain the service’s airspace dominance.
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08/12/2023
Saudi Arabia is pushing the UK, Japan and Italy to allow it to become a full partner in the landmark next-generation fighter jet project that the three countries signed in December. The request, confirmed by five senior officials in London, Tokyo and Rome, has already created strains within the tri-national alliance. While the UK and Italy are open to the idea of Saudi membership, Japan is firmly opposed and has made its position clear to the other two.
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08/11/2023
Ahead of Army 2023, Vladimir Artyakov, First Deputy General Director of Rostec, told Izvestia that Russia plans to significantly increase the rate of production of the Su-57, which is currently undergoing operational trials in Ukraine. “We fully fulfill our obligations to the Ministry of Defense. Now the aircraft is undergoing a trial operation in the Russian Aerospace Forces. This year, our cooperation led by UAC plans to significantly increase the pace of production of these aircraft under the
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08/11/2023
The end of an era is swiftly approaching for the Air Force Reserve’s 301st Fighter Wing. One of its units, the 457th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, is finishing its final deployment with the F-16 Fighting Falcon, widely known as the Viper. When the squadron returns home to Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, later this month after its deployment to Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, the unit will begin transitioning to the F-35A stealth fighter.
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08/11/2023
Two Russian Tupolev Tu-160 strategic missile-carrying bombers performed a scheduled flight over the neutral waters of the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Thursday. “Two Tu-160 strategic missile-carrying bombers performed a scheduled flight in the airspace over the neutral waters of the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean. The flight lasted about eight hours,” the ministry said.
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08/10/2023
The joint aerial exercise, which saw the arrival of four Italian Air Force F-35As in Japan, commenced on August 7 at Komatsu Air Base in Ishikawa Prefecture, situated along the coast of the Sea of Japan. On August 8, a display of coordinated maneuvers took place, featuring Japan’s F-15 fighter jets alongside Italy’s F-35 fighters, accompanied by a diverse array of additional military aircraft.
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08/10/2023
Ten Chinese air force aircraft entered Taiwan's air defence zone on Wednesday accompanying five Chinese warships engaged in "combat readiness" patrols, the island's defence ministry said, the second such incursion this week. Taiwan, which China claims as its territory, has repeatedly complained of Chinese military activity near it over the past three years, as Beijing steps up pressure to try to force the island to accept its sovereignty.
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08/10/2023
Ukraine wants desperately to add American-made F-16s to their arsenal of Soviet-made fighter jets, asserting that the Western fighter jets will be critical assets, even if they won't necessarily be silver bullets. F-16s "would be a massive improvement on what the Ukrainian fighter pilots are flying today," Justin Bronk, a professor at the Royal Norwegian Air Force Academy and senior research fellow for airpower and technology in the military sciences team at Royal United Services Institute, tol
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08/09/2023
11 Chinese military aircraft and five naval vessels were tracked around Taiwan between Monday and Tuesday by the Ministry of National Defense, according to Taiwan News. The Chinese military aircraft and naval vessels were tracked from 6 a.m. on Monday (Aug. 7) and 6 a.m. on Tuesday (Aug. 8).
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08/09/2023
Published by the UK MoD on August 7, the update read, “The Russian Air Force continues to consistently deploy considerable resources in support of land operations in Ukraine but without decisive operational effect.”
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08/09/2023
Iraq’s F-16C/D Block 52 Viper fighter jets have become indispensable for Baghdad’s ongoing air campaign against Islamic State (ISIS) remnants. They could become even more invaluable for Iraq if the U.S. supplies more advanced air-to-air missiles than it has hitherto proved willing.
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08/07/2023
Ukrainian fighter jets were not damaged by the Russian missile attack on the Starokonstiantyniv airfield in Khmelnytskyy Oblast (western Ukraine) last night, Ukraine’s Air Force spox Yurii Ihnat said, Ukrainska Pravda reported. During the national telethon, Yurii Ihnat explained that in case of flight risks, Ukrainian pilots redeploy aircraft to other airfields in Ukraine.
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08/06/2023
The three Chinese-run ports in South Asia – Chittagong in Bangladesh, Hambantota in Sri Lanka, and Gwadar in Pakistan – are called a “triangle of death” encircling India. New Delhi, striving to maintain strategic dominance in its backyard, is forging power, maritime, and connectivity relationships with Dhaka and Colombo to woo them back into its corner through energy and military hardware deals.
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08/06/2023
The Chinese military has now demonstrated aerial refueling in waters over the Pacific with its YU-20 Tanker and a J-15 carrier-based fighter jet, an extremely significant development which could over time greatly impact the strategic and tactical circumstances in the Pacific theater.
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08/05/2023
For the U.S. and Australian pilots and ground crews operating out of a secluded base in the far reaches of Australia's Northern Territory, Exercise Talisman Sabre 23 has provided a critical opportunity to train for the future of air warfare. Throughout the 15-day exercise aimed at enhancing interoperability among key allies, U.S. Air Force pilots flew a series of elaborate training missions with their Royal Australian Air Force counterparts, involving multiple fighter, tanker and patrol aircraft
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08/05/2023
The Taiwanese military is considering extending the service life of its Mirage 2000-5 fighter aircraft as it awaits the delivery of American F-16 jets. The island nation ordered 66 advanced F-16V combat aircraft from Lockheed Martin after receiving approval from the US State Department in 2019. However, the initial delivery of two F-16Vs scheduled for 2023 has been postponed until the third quarter of 2024 due to production issues.
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08/05/2023
Just a week after Turkey signed an agreement to add Azerbaijan to its fifth generation fighter jet program, a senior Turkish official suggested that Pakistan, too, could join in. “Pretty soon, within this month, we will be discussing with our Pakistani counterparts to officially include Pakistan in our national fighter jet program, KAAN,” deputy defense minister Celal Sami Tufekci announced Wednesday.
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08/04/2023
In a move aimed at bolstering Argentina military capabilities, the US Congress was notified in July of the potential transfer of crucial defense equipment to the South American nation. The proposed arms package includes the sale of up to 38 F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets from Denmark and four P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft from Norway.
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08/03/2023
Azerbaijan’s defense ministry has tapped the services of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) to modernize the country’s fleet of Sukhoi Su-25 twin-engine fighter aircraft. An agreement was signed between the two during the 2023 International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF) in Istanbul last week. According to the ministry, the modernization includes integrating ground-breaking technologies to boost the aircraft’s operational capability.
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08/03/2023
In what is expected to come as a significant boost to the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS), the Nizhny Novgorod Aviation Plant “Sokol” delivered a new batch of upgraded MiG-31 Interceptor fighters to the Russian Ministry of Defense (RuMoD).
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08/03/2023
Fighter jets will be zooming and sonic-booming over Northeast Wisconsin later this week as the state hosts a two-week military exercise. Northern Lightning brings Air Force, National Guard, Marine and Navy units from Arizona, Florida, Minnesota, Ohio and Virginia together at Volk Field, northwest of the Wisconsin Dells.
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08/03/2023
As tensions continue to simmer between Russia and NATO, the Eurofighter Typhoons of the British Royal Air Force (RAF) have been relocated to a forward base in Finland for training with Finnish F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets under the banner of ‘Exercise Joutsen Strike.’
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08/03/2023
If the F-35 is such a boondoggle, why are so many governments clamoring to buy it? The answers to this question are vitally important to America and its allies, and to every U.S. taxpayer.
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08/02/2023
Thousands of Marines backed by advanced U.S. fighter jets and warships are slowly building up a presence in the Persian Gulf. It’s a sign that while America’s wars in the region may be finished, its conflict with Iran over its advancing nuclear program continues to worsen, with no solutions in sight. The dispatch of the troop-and-aircraft-carrying USS Bataan to the Gulf, alongside stealth F-35 fighters and other warplanes, comes as America wants to focus on China and Russia.
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08/02/2023
On June 29, a new J-20 prototype with the serial number 2052 made its first flight at Chengdu Aircraft Corporation in China, newly powered by two WS-15 turbofan engines. This event was a major milestone for the WS-15 engine, a carefully guarded project whose rumors and hints of development had been carefully followed for the last decade and a half – ever since rumors of the J-20 (then known only as J-XX) began in the mid to late 2000s.
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08/02/2023
The German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall on Tuesday marked the construction launch of a new factory in the western town of Weeze that will produce fuselage sections for the F-35 stealth combat aircraft. The premier of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hendrik Wüst, took part in a ground-breaking ceremony at the construction site, saying that "a highly modern factory is to be built here that will guarantee good jobs for decades."
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08/02/2023
During Joint Exercise Northern Edge 2023, participants from Australia, the United Kingdom, and the Air National Guard Air Force Reserve Test Center (AATC) tested advanced tactical datalink and gateway technologies on a Utah ANG KC-135, equipped with the Tanker Intelligent Gateway (TIG). Testing was done with the goal of enhancing battlefield communication and situational awareness, enabling seamless data exchange, allowing battle-field commanders to make real-time decisions.
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08/02/2023
As the Air Force continues to evolve by modernizing its capabilities and maintaining air superiority in an ever-changing global security landscape, Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida has officially started the transition from an air dominance training mission towards becoming a fully combat capable F-35A Lightning II fighter wing. This transition was cemented with the touchdown of the first three F-35s Aug. 1, 2023.
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08/01/2023
The best air and ground crews from across the Air Force fighter enterprise will compete at the Air Dominance Center in Savannah, Ga., in September at the 2023 William Tell Air-to-Air Weapons Meet, the first fighter competition of its kind in nearly two decades.
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08/01/2023
What is now officially known as the KC-135 Tanker Recapitalization Program—formerly called KC-Y or the “bridge tanker”—should clear the Pentagon’s joint requirements process by the end of September, at which time the Air Force will issue a Request for Information to industry for potential solutions, Scott Boyd, USAF’s deputy program manager for mobility aircraft, told reporters July 31.
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08/01/2023
The Turkish Air Force Command plans to modernize 165 F16 jets with block levels of 30, 40 and 50, gradually transforming them into powerful viper level warplanes by the year 2030, local media has reported. The move comes as part of Türkiye's efforts to bolster its air combat capabilities in the face of potential weaknesses resulting from its exclusion from the F35 program.
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