November, 2023 Military Aviation News
11/30/2023
The Boeing Company’s Defense, Space & Security business segment recently secured a modification contract involving the KC-46A Tanker aircraft. The award has been offered by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH.
(Read More...)
.jpg)
11/30/2023
How Iran still flies the F-4 Phantom Since Hamas’ October 7 massacre in Israel, Iranian-backed militias across the Middle East have launched scores of attacks targeting the U.S. and its assets in the region. As America’s self-declared top adversary, the Islamic Republic of Iran poses perhaps the largest threat to U.S. national interests in the Near East.
(Read More...)
11/30/2023
Romania has received from Norway the first of 32 surplus Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon combat aircraft it contracted in November 2022. The Norwegian Armed Forces announced the transfer of the first three aircraft on 28 November, saying the jets were flown by Romanian Air Force pilots from Rygge Air Station to their future home operating station at the 86th Fetesti Air Base in eastern Romania.
(Read More...)
11/29/2023
A US military aircraft with six people on board has crashed off Yakushima Island in south-western Japan. Japan's Coast Guard said one person had been found dead near the crash site.
Japan's NHK broadcaster said the CV-22 Osprey hybrid plane had been trying to land at Yakushima Airport with one engine on fire. There is no US comment. Ospreys - which can function as a helicopter and a turboprop aircraft - have been involved in a string of fatal crashes over the years.
(Read More...)
11/29/2023
Despite its losses in the Ukraine, Russia's air force is still quite robust. It began the war with about 900 fighters and other combat aircraft and is estimated to have lost only about 90 jets between February 2022 and September. What Russia doesn't have is the support aircraft needed to find and attack enemies on the ground.
(Read More...)
11/29/2023
Iran’s Deputy Defense Minister, Brigadier General Mahdi Farahi, announced that the arrangements to acquire a range of advanced Russian military aircraft, including Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets, Mil Mi-28 attack helicopters, and Yak-130 jet trainers, have been finalized, reported Tasnim News.
(Read More...)
11/28/2023
India and Russia had once joined hands to develop the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) together under a contract signed in 2007. Under the agreement, it was envisaged that the Indian aerospace maker Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will collaborate with the Russian Sukhoi Design Bureau to develop an improved variant of the Su-57 stealth fighter. However, the project fell through the cracks over the years.
(Read More...)
11/28/2023
The MiG-31 is Still a Capable Combat Aircraft - Even as the Kremlin has been seen more as a paper tiger than a truly fearsome bear after it failed to achieve a quick victory in Ukraine, it still fields some impressive combat platforms. Among those is the Mikoyan MiG-31 (NATO reporting name "Foxhound"), a warplane that was developed during the Cold War era as a home defense interceptor
(Read More...)
11/27/2023
France offers its Rafale fighters to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, Azernews reports, citing French sources. According to the publication, the French Dassault Aviation company has been working in this direction for "several months", while Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have begun to show interest in Rafale fighters.
(Read More...)
11/27/2023
Aviation unions in Germany are backing Turkey's efforts to buy 40 Eurofighter Typhoons over fears its specialist workforce will be lost if contracts for the jets are not drawn up and signed.
The Eurofighter Typhoon jets are built by a consortium of Germany, Britain, Italy and Spain, represented by Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo. Turkey's Defence Minister Yasar Guler said he has been in talks with Britain and Spain to buy the Typhoons but Germany has objected to the idea.
(Read More...)
11/27/2023
Two Chinese fighter jets were monitored "orbiting" a Philippine aircraft participating in patrols with Australia in the South China Sea but did not cause any untoward incident, Manila said on Sunday. The militaries of the Philippines and Australia carried out a second day of sea and air exercises in the Southeast Asian country's exclusive economic zone, days after Manila held patrols with the U.S. as Pacific nations warily eye an increasingly assertive China.
(Read More...)
11/27/2023
Russia has used its MiG-35 fighter in air strikes against Ukraine, according to its top aeronautical designer. Over the years, the fighter has nearly gone out of prominence in operational service in Russia and has also not found foreign customers. Only Ukraine has used the model’s predecessor in the war, the Soviet-era MiG-29, from both its own and Polish inventory.
(Read More...)
11/26/2023
The Navy will convene an investigation into Monday’s incident in Hawaii where a Navy P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft overshot a runway and ended up in Hawaii’s Kaneohe Bay, officials said. Three pilots along with a crew of two officers and four enlisted personnel were aboard the aircraft at the time, but no injuries were reported, officials said.
(Read More...)
.jpg)
11/25/2023
Gavião Peixoto, Brazil, November 23, 2023 – Embraer (NYSE: ERJ, B3: EMB3) has delivered to the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) its fifth EMB 145 AEW&C aircraft, upgraded and designated as E-99M in the FAB. The aircraft has been updated to perform Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) functions, as well as participate in intelligence, surveillance, and airborne reconnaissance missions.
(Read More...)
11/25/2023
How fast can the F-22 Raptor fly? Just how fast is the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter, the plane that took out China's Spy Balloon? Widely regarded as the most capable air superiority fighter in service anywhere in the world, the Lockheed Martin F-22 was developed to be capable of both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. It has been designed to combine stealth, performance, agility, and integrated avionics in a single and highly capable airframe.
(Read More...)
11/25/2023
MBDA and Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) have signed an agreement to deepen cooperation, which will see new missile systems integrated into South Korea’s fighters, as well as potential joint export opportunities. In a 24 November release, European missile manufacturer MBDA stated that the company is already working with KAI to integrate its Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile on the KAI-led KF-21 Boromae fighter aircraft.
(Read More...)
11/24/2023
The U.S. House of Representatives in July voted on the National Defense Authorization Act. As part of the bill, Congress accepted an amendment to add $30.6 million to the funds allocated for the U.S. Air Force to procure the F-15EX. The funding is slated for two Eagle IIs that would be delivered to the 127th Wing based at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan.
(Read More...)
11/24/2023
Turkey began talks with European states on buying 40 Eurofighter Typhoon jets after recognising that its request for F-16 jets from the United States might not work out, a Turkish defence ministry source said on Thursday. Defence Minister Yasar Guler said last week that Turkey was in talks with Britain and Spain to buy Typhoons, though Germany objected to the idea.
(Read More...)
11/23/2023
The US State Department has approved two potential Foreign Military Sales (FMS) packages to the South Korea for air- and ship-launched missiles. The Defense Security and Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on 14 November that approval had been given to South Korea’s request to buy up to 38 Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) Block I missiles, MK.21 Vertical Launch System (VLS) canisters and other associated equipment and support. The estimated total program cost is US$650 million (A$1.005 billion).
(Read More...)
11/23/2023
Taiwan again reported Chinese military activity around the island on Nov 22, with 11 aircraft crossing the sensitive median line of the Taiwan Strait as the island’s election campaign kicked into high gear. Democratically governed Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has complained for the past four years of regular Chinese military patrols and drills near the island.
(Read More...)
11/23/2023
Classes for the fall high school semester had just begun when on September 6, 1976, a "special report" flashed across the airwaves in that pre-internet, pre-24-hours cable news era. A young fighter pilot had landed the then-Soviet Union’s most advanced combat aircraft, a Mikoyan MiG-25 (NATO codename Foxbat), on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido. He announced his intention to defect and to hand the aircraft to the United States with both man and machine.
(Read More...)
11/23/2023
Uzbekistan expressed interest in acquiring 24 Dassault Rafale multirole fighters during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to the country on November 2, 2023. The prospect, first reported by Intelligence Online citing French governmental sources, would mark a significant diplomatic shift for Uzbekistan, a country historically aligned with and armed by Russia.
(Read More...)
11/23/2023
The Novosibirsk Aircraft Production Association’s (NAPO) plant, part of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) within the Rostec State Corporation, has completed the manufacturing and delivery of another series of Su-34 bombers to the Russian Ministry of Defense, as confirmed by the corporation’s press service.
(Read More...)
11/22/2023
The militaries of the Philippines and the United States launched joint patrols on Tuesday in waters near Taiwan, officials of the Southeast Asian nation said, a move likely to fan further tension with China. Security engagements between the treaty allies have soared this year, including a decision to almost double the number of Philippine bases the American military can access, some facing Taiwan, and their largest-ever joint military drill in April.
(Read More...)
11/22/2023
Ukrainian pilots are already undergoing training to fly the F-16 fighter aircraft in Denmark.
The relevant statement was made by Spokesperson for the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Yurii Ihnat during a briefing at Media Center Ukraine - Ukrinform. “Prior to that, there were NATO-standard light-engine aircraft, which help to transition more easily to the F-16s. Now these are already dual flights.
(Read More...)
11/22/2023
In the patent, the company outlined the technical specifications of the new design as well as the details surrounding its role and capabilities, namely, that it’s an aerial command center capable of launching and/or controlling unmanned aerial vehicles capable of carrying bombs and other combat aircraft.
(Read More...)
11/22/2023
It can take years to fully train an F-16 fighter pilot. “Moonfish” – a Ukrainian military aviator – has about six months. Moonfish is the call sign of a Ukrainian pilot who is training to fly the United States-designed multirole aircraft. He spoke with CNN via Zoom from an undisclosed location, where he is in his second month of training.
(Read More...)
11/20/2023
According to British Intelligence, Russia is likely considering bringing the Soviet-era M-55 MYSTIC B high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft back into service to rectify a critical failure to establish an adequate Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) capability.
(Read More...)
11/20/2023
Taiwan has reported renewed Chinese military activity including nine aircraft crossing the sensitive median line of the Taiwan Strait and warships carrying out “combat readiness patrols”.
Democratically governed Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has complained for the past four years of regular Chinese military patrols and drills near the island, as Beijing seeks to pressure Taipei over its sovereignty claims.
(Read More...)
11/20/2023
F-16 fighter jets will change the course of the war very seriously, as they will help push back Russian aircraft and cover Ukrainian ground troops from the air, Ukrainian Air Force spokesman said on Sunday. “I would like to argue with all the critics of this jets issue. The planes will change the course of the war and they will change it very seriously,” Yurii Ihnat said as cited by state news agency Ukrinform.
(Read More...)
11/19/2023
Russia’s first and only operational stealth fighter, the Sukhoi Su-57 twin-engine multirole fighter (NATO code name Felon), experienced a ten-year development hell when it officially entered service with the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) in 2020.
(Read More...)
11/19/2023
NATO Air Command disclosed on Friday an urgent scramble of Norwegian F-35 fighter jets from Evenes base as Russian military aircraft encroached upon the fringes of NATO Allied airspace. The Norwegian 5th Generation F-35 fighters were mobilized in response to the identification of two Tu-160 strategic bombers, accompanied by two MiG-31 interceptors and two Il-78 Midas aerial refueling aircraft.
(Read More...)
11/19/2023
During the 2023 Dubai Airshow, China’s Hongdu Aircraft Company confirmed that Pakistan is engaged in formal negotiations to acquire light attack aircraft from China. This potential acquisition aims to replace the aging F-7PG fighters currently used by the Pakistan Air Force for combat pilot conversion. According to Hongdu, Pakistan wants to buy a light attack aircraft version of the L-15 trainer.
(Read More...)
11/18/2023
NATO has selected Boeing’s E-7 Wedgetail as its next airborne moving target indicator and air battle management aircraft, succeeding the aging Boeing E-3 Sentry AWACS, the alliance announced this week. The first of six aircraft will be operational by 2031, but the fleet may grow beyond that number.
(Read More...)
11/18/2023
The McDonnell Douglas F-18 multi-role fighter has been the versatile workhorse of the US Navy for nearly 40 years. To stay relevant and competitive over four decades, multiple iterations of the F-18 have been released, each an upgrade from the previous. The original Block I “Hornet” was a fourth-generation fighter, designed in the 1970s, that became operational in 1984. The upgraded Block II “Super Hornet” was delivered in 2005.
(Read More...)
11/18/2023
Recent updates on developing the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) KJ-600 carrier-based airborne early-warning (AEW) aircraft indicate intensive trials underway for this critical component of the new domestically built Type 003 aircraft carrier Fujian.
(Read More...)
11/18/2023
Australian Defense Minister announced on Thursday that Ukraine's request to enhance its air combat capabilities is a "complex issue," casting doubt on the proposal to support the Ukrainian army with outdated warplanes. Australia has increased its support for Ukraine on the sidelines of the NATO summit held in Lithuania. It pledged to send an additional 30 Bushmaster armored vehicles worth $67 million US dollars.
(Read More...)
11/18/2023
For the first time, Russia has likely started using A-50 MAINSTAY D, its Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft, to identify targets over Ukraine for its SA-21 long-range ground-based air defence missile system.
(Read More...)
11/16/2023
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is already considered by many to be among the most capable combat aircraft in service anywhere in the world today, but the United States Navy has called for the aircraft to be potentially even deadlier.
(Read More...)
11/16/2023
Earlier this month, Beijing sent seven of its J-10C jet fighters to the Middle East. The aircraft weren't deployed as part of any Chinese military operations – and rather were from the People's Liberation Army Air Force's August 1st Aerobatics Team, which performed during the Dubai Air Show. Named for the date of the founding of the PLAAF – the first of August 1927 – and established in 1962, the elite aviation team has performed at air shows around the world.
(Read More...)
11/16/2023
Boeing plans to release a strategy soon for adapting the T-7A for new missions after the trainer jet enters full-rate production, but several changes—including a switch to a classified infrastructure—are needed for the Red Hawk to perform an emerging “surrogate” mission and become an operational fighter.
(Read More...)
11/16/2023
Ukraine’s new F-16 fighter jets once deployed for combat will undergo major maintenance in the NATO member state Poland, a senior US government official said on Tuesday. Bill Laplante, US Deputy Secretary of Defense for Procurement and Logistics, announced at a Defense Summit organized by the newspaper Politico in Washington.
(Read More...)
11/15/2023
Indonesian Air Force and Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) conducted joint training in Pekanbaru regarding war tactics currently entering the final phase of Mission Oriented Training (MOT) or 4th Joint Fighter Weapon Course (JFWC). The arrival of six F-16 fighter aircraft comprising five F-16 AM/BM aircraft from Air Squadron 3, one F-16 D aircraft from Air Squadron 14 at the Iswahjudi Air Base, and one CN 295 aircraft from Air Squadron 2 marked the start of the final phase.
(Read More...)
11/15/2023
The Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) & Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) JF-17 Thunder Block III fighters are making their debut appearance at an international defense exhibition, the Dubai Air Show 2023.
(Read More...)
11/15/2023
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said today that the service intends to have the wingman drones being developed under the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) programin production by fiscal 2028. “We intend to have the uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft in production by the end of the five year plan, if we can get started,” he told Politico’s Defense Summit.
(Read More...)
11/15/2023
The United Arab Emirates’ largest defense conglomerate plans to equip the nation’s new Rafale F4 fighter jets with a subsidiary’s precision-guided munitions, in what would be a first for the French-made jet. Three different munitions — the Mk81, Mk82 and longer-range Mk83 guided bombs made by EDGE subsidiary Al Tariq — will all be integrated on the fourth generation plane in due course, according to Al Tariq CEO Theunis Botha.
(Read More...)
11/15/2023
There was a secret, multi-agency X-plane program to explore future fighters that paved the way for the Next-Generation Air Dominance program, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall revealed at the POLITICO Defense Summit on Nov. 14. Although Kendall and other Air Force officials have previously said there were flying prototypes before the current stage of the NGAD program,
(Read More...)
11/14/2023
The aircraft - using the call sign APT-2 - is the first production representative jet off the assembly line and was piloted by a joint U.S. Air Force and Boeing aircrew. According to the Air Force announcement, the aircrew collaboration in the cockpit represents the structure of the T-7A Integrated Test Force, which will see Air Force and Boeing team members working shoulder-to-shoulder to rapidly test and certify the aircraft.
(Read More...)
11/14/2023
The first batch of Boeing’s F-15EX Eagle II fighters is running late, but not late enough to trigger a schedule breach if current plans hold, according to an Air Force spokesperson. However, the service also confirmed that the first four lots of jets — about half the total expected buy — will not come with conformal fuel tanks, a decision that would reduce those fighters’ potential ranges and limit their ability to conduct ground attack missions.
(Read More...)
11/14/2023
The U.S. Air Force conducted its first aerial refueling of fighter aircraft by a commercial tanker on Nov. 6. The commercial refueling of F-16 Fighting Falcons from Osan Air Base in South Korea took place as part of the Commando Sling 23 joint exercise conducted in Singapore. The bilateral training event with the Republic of Singapore Air Force is sponsored by Pacific Air Forces and is intended to improve how the island nation operates with the United States.
(Read More...)
11/14/2023
The European training center to teach Ukrainian pilots how to operate F-16 combat planes was officially opened on Monday in Romania. "The center will be an international hub for the training of F-16 pilots and will facilitate increased interoperability among allies," the Romanian defense ministry said. It was inaugurated by Romanian Defense Minister Angel Tîlvar and his Dutch counterpart Kajsa Ollongren at an air base east of Bucharest.
(Read More...)
11/12/2023
The upcoming Dubai Airshow 2023 is poised to witness a showdown between one of the world’s most popular 4+ generation fighter jets, the French Dassault Rafale, and one that is looking for a breakthrough in the international markets, i.e., the Chinese J-10C.
(Read More...)
11/12/2023
A US military aircraft has gone down over the eastern Mediterranean Sea, US European Command said Saturday. The command said in a statement that the aircraft crashed while conducting training operations. It said the cause is under investigation, but there are no indications of any hostile activity involved.
(Read More...)
11/12/2023
A Myanmar military jet fighter crashed Saturday in a combat zone in the eastern state of Kayah, a military officer and a member of an anti-military resistance organization said. The resistance group said the plane had been shot down, but its claim could not immediately be confirmed.
(Read More...)
11/12/2023
On November 10, US aerospace manufacturer Boeing announced that its advanced F-15QA Ababil fighter aircraft, operated by the Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF), successfully touched down in Dubai for their inaugural participation in the Dubai Air Show.
(Read More...)
11/11/2023
General Atomics plans try adding missile systems made by the Emirati defense conglomerate EDGE Group to its MQ-9B SkyGuardian unmanned aerial vehicle, as a multi-billion dollar deal between the United Arab Emirates and General Atomics to buy several of the drones remains stalled but alive.
(Read More...)
11/11/2023
The U.S. Air Force has noted that the AC-130J's close air support missions include troops in contact, convoy escort, and point air defense. In contrast, its air interdiction missions are conducted against pre-planned targets or targets of opportunity and include strike coordination and reconnaissance and overwatch mission sets.
(Read More...)
11/11/2023
A short video shot by a freelance photojournalist this morning confirms that Northrop Grumman’s B-21 has taken to the skies. The stealth bomber took off from Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California at 7 am local time and climbed away on a test flight that reportedly lasted 90 minutes before the aircraft landed at nearby Edwards Air Force Base at approximately 8:30 am.
(Read More...)
11/11/2023
While long assumed, the reported Swedish disinterest pointed towards problems with the other rival projects — France, Germany, and Spain’s Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program. The development comes amid speculative reports about Germany wanting to quit the FCAS and wanting, ironically, to join the Tempest project. This followed long-running differences with France over the project’s techno-industrial aspects.
(Read More...)
11/11/2023
Ukrainian security forces, in a series of coordinated operations across multiple regions, have dismantled two transnational smuggling networks attempting to export components of military aircraft illegally. The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) has detained several individuals involved in these illicit activities, safeguarding national security and preventing the unlawful transfer of equipment.
(Read More...)
11/10/2023
At a time of exceptionally heightened global security tensions, Iran might be on the cusp of a historic acquisition of Russia’s Sukhoi Su-35 Super Flanker fighter. The anticipated deal could immediately affect defense planning among other Gulf states that have long viewed their neighbor as a primary threat.
(Read More...)
11/09/2023
In July 2023, the United States Air Force deployed several Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptors to the Middle East as a show of strength amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Russian forces. Sending one of the most advanced fighters was meant to bolster U.S. firepower further if needed – as no one would want to mess with one. Moreover, despite being the world's greatest air superiority fighter, the Raptor, in its nearly 20 years in service, has never been employed in aerial combat.
(Read More...)
11/09/2023
The Pentagon’s hopes have been dashed as Spain withdrew its earlier declaration of intent to acquire the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II as a possible substitute for its existing McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II and Boeing EF-18 Hornets.
(Read More...)
11/09/2023
An unmanned US military drone was shot down off the coast of Yemen by Houthi forces, a defense official told CNN. The official said the MQ-9 Reaper drone was operating in international airspace and over international waters when it was shot down. US Central Command is investigating the incident, the official said.
(Read More...)
11/09/2023
For the second time in nearly two weeks, the United States carried out airstrikes against a facility used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and its proxies in eastern Syria early Thursday, ratcheting up retaliation for a steady stream of rocket and drone attacks against American forces in Iraq and Syria.
(Read More...)
11/07/2023
The Ministry of National Defense tracked 10 Chinese military aircraft and 10 naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Monday (Nov. 6) and 6 a.m. on Tuesday (Nov. 7). Of the 10 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, three were monitored in Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND. One Xian JH-7 fighter bomber crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the northeast sector of the ADIZ.
(Read More...)
11/07/2023
Poland expects to sign a production contract with General Atomics for MQ-9B SkyGuardian UAVs in a matter of weeks, according to a senior Polish military official, as part of an extensive air force modernization effort jolted into action by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
(Read More...)
11/07/2023
The German Air Force, Luftwaffe, wants the wingman drone, designed to operate alongside the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) aircraft as a manned-unmanned team (MUM-T), to be ready for deployment even before the fighter plane under the sixth generation jet project.
(Read More...)
11/07/2023
Mariusz Blaszczak, the Polish Minister of National Defense, announced via X, formerly known as Twitter, that the 9th and 10th FA-50 light combat aircraft have now arrived in Poland. The process of integrating these advanced fighter jets has officially commenced at the Minsk Mazowiecki Air Base.
(Read More...)
11/06/2023
Taiwan’s domestically developed Brave Eagle advanced trainer aircraft is set to replace the Air Force’s aging AT-3 and F-5 training aircraft, a military official said on Saturday (Nov. 4). The F-5s will be retired from combat duty by the end of this year, though the RF-5 reconnaissance variants will be retained for surveillance missions, working in conjunction with F-16Vs, the official said.
(Read More...)
11/06/2023
The development marks a significant enhancement in Nigeria’s military capabilities in the long-running effort to modernize its defense forces and maintain its status as one of the leading military in Africa. The procurement preceded a two-year negotiation between Nigerian defense officials and Turkey’s Tusas Engine Industries (TAI) through 2021 and 2022.
(Read More...)
11/05/2023
The strike group is commanded by Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 2 and comprised of flagship aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58), guided-missile destroyers USS Mason (DDG 87) and USS Gravely (DDG 107) of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 22, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3 with its nine squadrons, and the Information Warfare Commander.
(Read More...)
11/05/2023
General Valerii Zaluzhny, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, says his country's war with Russia has reached a stalemate on the battlefield. In an article in The Economist, he blamed this on the lack of combat aircraft and soldiers. Europe's media discuss what to make of the criticism.
(Read More...)
11/04/2023
A Canadian military helicopter operating in the South China Sea had a close encounter of the unfriendly kind with Chinese fighter jets, the Department of National Defence (DND) has confirmed. The CH-148 Cyclone, which is attached to HMCS Ottawa, was buzzed by two People's Liberation Army Air Force J-11s on Sunday.
(Read More...)
11/04/2023
The US has confirmed for the first time that it has been flying unarmed surveillance drones over Gaza. Pentagon spokesman Brig Gen Pat Ryder said the drones were operating in "support of hostage recovery efforts". "These UAV flights began after the Oct 7 attack by Hamas on Israel," he said in a brief statement. The acknowledgement comes after reporters spotted unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) on flight-tracking websites.
(Read More...)
11/04/2023
The US has significantly strengthened its military posture in the Middle East amid concerns about the war between Israel and Hamas triggering a wider regional conflict. It has moved roughly 1,200 US service members to the region, alongside thousands of others aboard Navy carrier strike groups and a Marine Expeditionary Unit roughly 2,000 people strong.
(Read More...)
11/04/2023
France has moved closer to securing two new Rafale fighter jet orders by opening talks with India and Saudi Arabia, which could potentially see Dassault manufacture an additional 80 aircraft. But as lucrative as those prospects are, fresh uncertainty concerning the Future Combat Air System (FCAS)/SCAF next generation fighter project — featuring France, Germany and Spain — threatens to overshadow them.
(Read More...)
11/04/2023
The Israel Defense Forces said that it used F-35I Adir fighter jets to shoot down a cruise missile this week, the first known cruise missile intercept by the American-made stealth fighter.
“In recent days, a cruise missile launched from the southeast toward Israeli airspace was detected by the IAF’s control and detection systems. After tracking the cruise missile’s trajectory, Adir fighter jets were scrambled and successfully intercepted the missile,” the IDF said today, while releasing video o
(Read More...)
11/03/2023
Boeing expects to deliver the U.S. Air Force’s next F-15EX Eagle II fighter by the end of November, nearly a year after the company originally planned and four months behind its revised estimate. This F-15EX, the third Boeing has so far produced for the Air Force, took its first two flights on Oct. 27 at Boeing’s St. Louis, Missouri, factory, the company said, and published a video of a flight in a social media post.
(Read More...)
11/03/2023
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has revealed that it plans to develop a family of uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAV), culminating in an Uncrewed Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) that will be controlled and/or monitored from its indigenous KF-21 fighter. The KF-21 Boramae (‘Young Hawk’ or ‘Fighting Hawk’) is a 4.5 generation fighter with stealth characteristics under development by KAI to replace the Republic of Korea Air Force’s ageing F-4E Phantom II and F-5E Tiger II fighter jets.
(Read More...)
11/03/2023
In the wake of Hamas’ attack on Israel, U.S. forces mobilized to try to deter any expansion of the war to other fronts, in particular Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, where Hezbollah militants aligned with Iran—which analysts believe coordinated and funded the Oct. 7 attack—skirmished with Israeli border forces.
(Read More...)
11/03/2023
Indonesia’s recent shopping spree to acquire Western fighter jets, notably the US-made F-15 fighter aircraft, seems to have dented its interest in South Korea’s KF-21 stealth fighter jet. The KF-21 is a joint effort between South Korea and Indonesia to create a next-generation supersonic combat aircraft, incorporating South Korea’s domestically developed technology.
(Read More...)
11/02/2023
Indonesia, a partner of South Korea’s KF-21 fighter jet development project, has failed again to notify the Korean government of its plan to pay its share of the project's cost, putting their partnership in jeopardy. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), Seoul’s arms procurement agency, said on Wednesday that Indonesia didn’t provide its payment plan by the end of October as promised.
(Read More...)
11/02/2023
The Air Force aims to release a request for proposals for the KC-135 Recapitalization Program—formerly called the “bridge tanker”—in fiscal 2025 but has yet to set an acquisition strategy for the aircraft, waiting for more industry input, a service spokesperson said. Service officials have previously forecast an acquisition strategy to be ready by mid-2024.
(Read More...)
11/02/2023
Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots are converting from the MiG-21 to the Su-30 MKI, with the IAF Number 4 Squadron on 30 October flying the last sortie of the supersonic jet fighter that was in service for 60 years. The formal induction of the Su-30 MKI happened on the same day, joining the Mig-21 in its final flypast.
(Read More...)
11/02/2023
At the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine had 120 combat aircraft, of which only 40 were airworthy, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi wrote in an article for The Economist on Nov. 1. According to him, thanks to the material and technical assistance from partner countries, Ukraine has been able to strengthen its air force and air defenses.
(Read More...)
11/02/2023
Germany loosened export restrictions against Saudi Arabia earlier this year. Still, it refused to allow the sale of the 4.5th generation Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet to the kingdom, despite the UK government’s intense lobbying. Berlin’s refusal, unfortunately, poses a significant challenge to Britain’s production lines.
(Read More...)
All Articles