February, 2024 Military Aviation News
02/29/2024
Singapore has announced the purchase of eight F-35A Lightning II fighters to bolster its air power. The acquisition will put Singapore in an ‘elite club’ that operates both variants of the F-35 — the US, Italy, and Japan being others. The announcement was made by Singapore’s Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen on February 28 during a Ministry of Defense budget debate in the parliament. The Minister noted that the aircraft would be delivered to the Royal Singapore Air Force by the end of this decade.
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02/29/2024
The U.S. Air Force's Next Generation Air Dominance program (NGAD) is set for a pivotal moment in May when it awards a contract for developing its sixth-generation fighter, with Lockheed Martin and Boeing as leading contenders. Lockheed's rich history in innovative aircraft, including the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II, positions it strongly.
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02/29/2024
On February 18, escorted by two Su-35 jets, the Su-57 launched a missile strike on Ukrainian targets. Sources suggest that the aircraft utilized the advanced Kh-69 stealthy cruise missile, specifically designed for the Su-57 platform. Operating from the occupied territory of the Luhansk region, the Su-57 entered Ukrainian airspace under escort and launched the missile. Despite a technical malfunction, the missile missed its target and crashed in a field.
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02/29/2024
Ukraine’s Armed Forces (AFU) have brought down another Russian Su-34 fighter bomber, the ninth Russian frontline aircraft recently shot down. The two-man crew managed to eject, according to the Air Force’s Commander. “Minus another Su-34 in the eastern direction! Yesterday, Russian pilots managed to dodge our missiles, but this will not always be the case!” Ukrainian Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk reported in a Telegram post.
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02/27/2024
The first Dassault Rafale fighter to be upgraded to the F4.1 standard for the French Air and Space Force (AAE) was deployed for operational duty for the first time on February 16, 2024, at Mont-de-Marsan Air Base. A year after its delivery to the French Air Warfare Center (CEAM) located at the Mont-de-Marsan Air Base near Bordeaux, the Rafale F4.1 standard aircraft conducted its inaugural alert sortie to support the 30th Fighter Wing’s training exercises.
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02/27/2024
With Japan, Britain and Italy set to begin the next phase of talks about their joint next-generation fighter aircraft next month, industry officials have said that the partners are close to completing the aircraft’s conceptual design phase as they prepare to set up the industrial entities from the year-end that will deliver the program.
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02/26/2024
The United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK) have launched a fresh wave of air strikes against Iranian-backed Houthi military targets overnight. US Air Force F/A-18 Super Hornet and Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4 fighter jets led the strikes, backed by a coalition of nations, at around 11.50 pm (Sanaa Yemen time) on February 24, 2024.
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02/26/2024
As Turkey's rapprochement with the United States gathers pace, the future of Turkish-purchased Russian S-400 missiles is increasingly in question. The missile deal is a potent symbol of Ankara's close ties with Moscow, but Washington is offering to sell Turkey its advanced F35 military jet for the removal of the Russian weapons.
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02/25/2024
Azerbaijan has signed a contract to purchase Pak-Chinese fighter jets, JF-17 Thunder Block III (also known as FC-1 Xiaolong.” Azerbaijan will purchase the fighter jets for US $1.6 billion. The deal encompasses pilots’ training and acquisition of armament. The rumors have been going on for some time, but Azernews said that the export of JF-17 to Baku will take place after the completion of 62 fighter jets to the Pakistan Air Force by 2024.
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02/24/2024
Ukraine says it has downed a Russian A-50 military spy plane - the second such claim in just over a month. The plane was hit between the Russian cities of Rostov-on-Don and Krasnodar, Ukrainian military sources said, over 200km (124 miles) from the front line. Emergency services reportedly found plane fragments in Kanevskoy district and put out a raging fire.
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02/23/2024
According to information published by Global Times on February 19, 2024, China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, is on the verge of completing a significant upgrade, with recent reports revealing the presence of a stealth fighter jet mockup, identified as the J-35, on its deck.
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02/23/2024
Six months after Ukrainian pilots tested the Swedish Gripen fighter jets, the aircraft’s vendor says government and industry movements are continuing to provide them to Kyiv in what could be a relatively quick transfer. Stockholm has been touting the possibility of sending the Gripen JAS39 to Ukraine for several months now, but has made any decision on this contingent upon the country’s accession to NATO.
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02/23/2024
The new Boeing F-15EX Eagle II fighter jet's potential to reach nearly Mach 3, announced at the Singapore Airshow, evokes memories of the golden era of jet technology. This speed is achievable in a "clean" configuration, without external add-ons, emphasizing the jet's aerodynamic efficiency. With twin GE F110-GE-229 engines providing 29,500 pounds of thrust each, the F-15EX's speed approaches that of historical aircraft like the SR-71 Blackbird, albeit with limitations.
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02/22/2024
The first four Ukrainian pilots will complete their F-16 fighter jet training program by summer 2024, CNN reported on Feb. 20, citing the Arizona National Guard. The training kicked off in mid-October 2023 at the 162nd Fighter Wing in Tucson, Arizona. The Pentagon said that the extensive training regimen would last several months.
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02/22/2024
An Air Force B-52H Stratofortress and three Philippine FA-50 fighters flew a joint patrol over the South China Sea this week, a move Chinese state media labeled a political show. The Philippine air force posted photos and video of Monday’s patrol on social media the next day. It covered an area 90 nautical miles west of Candon, Ilocos Sur province, and 50 nautical miles northwest of Lubang, Mindoro province, the service wrote on Facebook.
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02/22/2024
Turkey's KAAN, its first national combat aircraft, completed its first flight on Wednesday, part of the country's efforts to upgrade its air force. NATO member Turkey launched its TF-X project to produce a national combat aircraft in 2016. Turkish aerospace firm TUSAS signed a deal with Britain's BAE Systems (BAES.L), opens new tab worth $125 million in 2017 to develop the next-generation fighter jet.
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02/22/2024
Ukraine said it destroyed another Russian fighter jet on Wednesday, bringing its kill streak to seven in one week. The commander of Ukraine's air force, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, said on Wednesday that Ukraine had taken out a Su-34 fighter bomber.
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02/21/2024
The Royal Thai Air Force plans to acquire 12 new fighter jets — either the US F-16 or the Swedish Gripen — to replace an aging fleet in the coming years after failing last year to procure its No. 1 choice: the most advanced US F-35. The acquisition plan would be released when the Air Force issues a White Paper on its long-term air defense strategy at the end of February, according to Air Chief Marshal Punpakdee Pattanakul, the commander-in-chief of the Air Force.
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02/21/2024
In May 2023, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) approved a utility model patent for China’s first Vertical and/or Short Take-Off and Landing (V/STOL) Fighter. Chengdu Aircraft Research & Design Institute (CADI) – also known as Chengfei – submitted the patent on December 29, 2022, for a twin-engine tandem vertical take-off and landing aircraft.
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02/20/2024
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 24 Chinese military aircraft and eight naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Monday (Feb. 19) and 6 a.m. on Tuesday (Feb. 20).
Of the 24 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, four crossed the Taiwan Strait median line, while seven entered the southwest corner of the country's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND. Two PLA aircraft also were tracked in the northeast corner of the ADIZ.
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02/20/2024
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked seven Chinese military aircraft and seven naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Sunday (Feb. 18) and 6 a.m. on Monday (Feb. 19). Of the seven People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, one entered the southwest corner of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND. No PLA aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line during that time.
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02/20/2024
Germany’s Diehl Defence and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), manufacturer of the FA-50 series and the KF-21 fighter aircraft, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the purpose of intensifying their integration and commercialization efforts, addressing the potential of the IRIS-T short-range air-to-air missile on FA-50 and KF-21 aircrafts.
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02/20/2024
South Korea's aircraft maker Korea Aerospace Industries will work with Diehl Defence, a weapon manufacturer in Germany, targeting the European defense market. "IRIS-T," an air-to-air missile made by the German arms maker, is set to be integrated with South Korea's homemade fighter jet FA-50.
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02/20/2024
Ukraine's Air Force destroyed two Russian aircraft that were dropping guided bombs on the positions of our troops this morning. [The warplanes in question were] one Su-34 fighter-bomber and one Su-35S fighter jet."
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02/19/2024
Japan is considering a plan to limit — at least for now — exports to certain countries of finished defense equipment co-developed with other nations to its next-generation fighter jet, which will be built with Britain and Italy, sources have said.
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02/19/2024
The contract between DAPA, the South Korean arms agency, and the aircraft manufacturer KAI, for the mass production of the KF-21 Boramae fighter, will be signed soon, according to an official South Korean press release. It will make it possible to begin manufacturing the 120 fighters expected by the South Korean air force before the end of the first half of 2024, with the last aircraft due to be delivered in 2032.
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02/19/2024
The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) claim to have shot down a fourth Russian fighter aircraft in less than 48 hours. On early Sunday morning, video of aircraft reported to be a Russian Su-34 crashing in the Luhansk region made the rounds of social media. Ukrainian defenders “brought down” another Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber. It happened this morning, according to Mykola Oleshchuk, Commander of the Air Forces of the AFU, cited by the RBC Ukraine news outlet.
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02/18/2024
Embraer's growth target of 80 percent over the next seven years would result in $10 billion in revenue by 2030, thanks largely to its presence in the flourishing Asia-Pacific region. Speaking with AIN just ahead of this year's Singapore Airshow, company president and CEO Francisco Gomes Neto noted the company’s high-profile presence at the Changi Exhibition Center reflects its ambition to meet that goal.
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02/18/2024
By 2011, China's fighter design bureau and defense industrial firms earned a reputation for turning out two types of aircraft: either adaptations of foreign designs subsequently modified by a Chinese design team or models that nearly mirrored the Russian-made Sukhoi Su-27 and Su-30MK series. Though based on 1980s innovations, the aircraft and technology transfer that came with them nonetheless helped move the Chinese air power into the 21st century.
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02/18/2024
Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked seven Chinese military aircraft, five naval vessels, and one balloon around the country between 6 a.m. Friday (Feb. 16) and 6 a.m. Saturday (Feb. 17). The defense ministry said that seven People’s Liberation Army (PLA) fighter jets had been detected in the Taiwan Strait. However, it did not indicate that any had entered the air defense identification zone (ADIZ) or crossed the median line.
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02/18/2024
The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Saturday displayed its firepower capability at a mega exercise featuring over 120 aircraft, including frontline fighter jets and attack helicopters in Rajasthan's Pokhran desert. In the Vayu Shakti exercise, the IAF also demonstrated the capabilities of its long-range drones and air-to-air missiles as well as its increasing strength in the rapid deployment of combat assets by airlifting weapons like M-777 ultra-light howitzers and other military platforms.
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02/18/2024
Ukraine's military shot down two Russian Su-34 fighter jets and another Russian Su-35 combat aircraft on Feb. 17, Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk reported. The destruction of the jets is the latest in a recent uptick of downed Russian planes, including a Beriev A-50 military observation plane in January, which reportedly cost $330 million to produce.
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02/17/2024
Russia's most significant opposition leader for the past decade, Alexei Navalny, has died in an Arctic Circle jail, the prison service has said. President Vladimir Putin's most vociferous critic, he was serving 19 years on extremism charges that were widely seen as politically motivated.
Navalny was moved to one of Russia's toughest penal colonies late last year.
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02/17/2024
Reports have circulated online this week that a mockup of China's J-35 carrier-capable fighter aircraft was being employed in tests aboard the People's Liberation Army Navy aircraft carrier Liaoning. As TheWarzone reported, it could be an indication of further progress in the J-35's path to a career as a frontline naval fighter. Still, it further raises the possibility of a version of the jet operating from Beijing's two in-service carriers.
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02/17/2024
NATO allied air forces practiced refueling, close formation flights, and aerial combat drills in Europe this week. The training comes as more warnings emerged that NATO’s eastern flank faces potential conflict with Russia within the next decade. Speaking this week in Poland, Estonia Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said that allied forces have about three or four years to strengthen its defenses before Russia prepares a “test for NATO,” the Associated Press reported.
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02/17/2024
The young government of President Javier Milei is still working through its options for what fighter jet Argentina’s air force will be equipped with, but one contender is making an open push for the new government: India and its Tejas multirole fighter.
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02/17/2024
The Boeing F-15EX Eagle II got its seal of approval from Lt Gen Michael A Loh, Director of the US Air National Guard, for its operability as it can carry more weapons and fly longer distances and its easy integration into the service than the stealth F-35A. The all-weather multirole strike fighter is, incidentally, the first US Air Force aircraft to be tested and fielded from beginning to end through combined developmental and operational tests.
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02/16/2024
Russia's brazen plan to put a nuclear weapon in space could threaten satellites that enable military and civilian communications for the US and other western allies. It is unclear what exactly Moscow plans to put into space, but according to early reports from unnamed US government sources, a space-based nuke would be used to attack satellites in orbit rather than strike targets on the ground.
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02/16/2024
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked eight Chinese military aircraft and seven naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Thursday (Feb. 15) and 6 a.m. on Friday (Feb. 16). Of the eight People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, one entered the southwest corner of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND. No PLA aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line during that time.
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02/16/2024
A total of 14 warplanes and drones sent by the Chinese People's Liberation Army were detected in waters near Taiwan on Wednesday afternoon, with nine of them crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait, according to Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND). The 14 aircraft dispatched by the Chinese military starting at 1 p.m. included Shenyang J-16 fighter jets, Shaanxi Y-8 transport aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles, the MND said.
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02/14/2024
In recent years the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region has gained renewed strategic global importance, a trend primarily fueled by the rise of China’s military and its expansionist aims. Chinese influence is now felt in many parts of the globe, chiefly through its economic reach, but also militarily on a more regional basis. That includes growing threats against Taiwan and military expansion into the South China Sea.
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02/14/2024
The United States Air Force hasn't disclosed which aerospace defense contractor is taking the lead on the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program – the effort to develop a "system of systems" that will include a sixth-generation jet fighter to eventually replace the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor.
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02/14/2024
When General Dynamics began developing what would become the F-16 Fighting Falcon in the 1970s, it was expected that the aircraft might have to take on the best the Soviet Union had to offer. Now, more than 50 years after the aircraft took its first flight, it could soon be engaging with the Russia's aircraft in the skies over Ukraine.
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02/13/2024
The F-35 Lighting II stealth fighter jet is slotted to be compatible with two new powerful munitions by the end of the decade. Lockheed Martin is working with partner militaries to incorporate the Meteor air-to-air missile and SPEAR 3 air-launched cruise missile into the F-35.
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02/13/2024
The US Air Force is overhauling its aircraft fleets, preparing them for a potential great-power fight, "a war that we've not ever seen the likes of before," a general said recently. With the possibility of conflict between the US and China in mind, aircraft fleets are being downsized, upgraded, and reconfigured. Pilots are being retrained, and airmen are being pivoted towards what's needed for a possible conflict.
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02/13/2024
A Dutch court has ordered the government to halt the delivery of parts for F-35 fighter jets used by Israel in its bombardment of the Gaza Strip. The verdict, delivered by an appeals court on Monday, said there is a “clear risk” that the parts the Netherlands is exporting are being used in “serious violations of international humanitarian law”.
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02/12/2024
Two Jordanian military pilots were killed when their aircraft crashed during a routine training exercise, a military statement said on Sunday. Major Pilot Omar Atta Abadi and Captain Pilot Muhammad Abdullah Khudair were pronounced dead after they were transferred to Hussein Medical Center following the crash, reported state news agency (PETRA).
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02/12/2024
The sale of F-16 fighter jets to Türkiye is considered final as the review and objection process in the U.S. Congress ended on Saturday. U.S. President Joe Biden's administration on Jan. 26 formally notified Congress of its intention to proceed with the sale of 40 Lockheed Martin F-16s and nearly 80 modernization kits to Türkiye.
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02/11/2024
The Ministry of National Defense tracked five Chinese military aircraft and four naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Friday (Feb. 9) and 6 a.m. on Saturday (Feb. 10).
Of the five People’s Liberation Army aircraft, two crossed the Taiwan Strait median line and entered the southwest corner of the country’s air defense identification zone, according to the MND. In response, Taiwan sent aircraft and naval ships and deployed land-based air defense missile systems to monitor the PLA activit
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02/11/2024
Ukrainian pilots are "very impressed" with US F-16 fighter jets, the Ukrainian service of the Voice of America reported. A pilot who went by the call sign "Phantom" said in an interview with the outlet that Ukrainian pilots training on the multirole fighters in the US and Europe had praised the aircraft.
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02/10/2024
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked seven Chinese military aircraft and five naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Thursday (Feb. 8) and 6 a.m. on Friday (Feb. 9). Of the seven People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, three entered the southwest corner of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND. No PLA aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line during that time.
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02/10/2024
Two Russian jets entered an air defense zone just outside of Alaskan airspace on Thursday—the second time this week that such an incident has occurred. The military jets were tracked operating in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) but remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said in a statement the same day.
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02/10/2024
The government of Australia has announced an additional allocation of $399 million towards the ongoing development of the MQ-28A Ghost Bat, a Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA).
Developed in tandem with Boeing Defence Australia, the MQ-28A aims to act as a so-called ‘loyal wingman’, safeguarding and assisting military assets and pilots by engaging in various missions, including combat duties.
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02/10/2024
On February 8, the first Embraer KC-390 Millennium military transport aircraft of the Hungarian Defense Forces was tested in Gavião Peixoto, Brazil, and is scheduled to arrive in Hungary later this year. With the use of the Brazilian aircraft type, attracting increasing interest worldwide, the Defense Forces will add a new capability in military air transport.
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02/10/2024
After nearly 50 years of flying A-10 “Warthog” attack jets at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, the 355th Wing has begun divesting planes from one A-10 squadron amid a planned retirement of the entire fleet. A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft number 82-648 was retired from service with the 354th Fighter Squadron at Davis-Monthan and on Tuesday taxied from D-M’s main airfield to the adjacent 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group for final maintenance procedures and preparation for storage.
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02/08/2024
The Greek Air Force (HAF) is currently looking for a buyer for its aging fleet of Dassault Aviation Mirage 2000 EGM/BGMs, which were retired in 2022. Sources have told local news publication Kathimerini that the HAF leadership is considering selling the jets to India. Discussions are already underway between Greek defense authorities and their counterparts.
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02/08/2024
The US Air Force has upgraded 139 Taiwanese Air Force F-16 fighter jets to the F-16Vs (Block 70-72) configuration. The last aircraft under the Peace Phoenix Rising program was delivered in December, Air and Space Forces Magazine wrote citing the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center. It comes five years after the first F-16V was delivered in late 2018 and a little over two years after the commissioning of Taiwan’s first F-16V squadron in November 2021.
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02/08/2024
The United Kingdom has reiterated its pledge to acquire 138 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning combat aircraft despite previously scaling back from the complete Program of Record (PoR) quantity. In a recent parliamentary exchange, the United Kingdom underscored its unwavering dedication to procuring 138 F-35B aircraft, signaling an uncompromising commitment to one of its arsenal’s most critical defense programs.
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02/08/2024
The acquisition of the American single-seater, single-engine stealth fighter jet F-35 ‘Lightning II’ remains a pipedream for the Middle Eastern countries, baring Israel. Meanwhile, China has moved to fill the gap and help the countries achieve localization in defense manufacturing by offering its latest FC-31 (J-31) Gyrfalcon stealth jet.
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02/08/2024
Five US Marines are missing after their helicopter went down in the snow-covered California mountains. The CH-53E Super Stallion was found about 45 miles (72km) from its destination after the team were "reported overdue". But the fate of the five Marines travelling on board is unclear. They were on a training flight to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, near San Diego, early on Wednesday.
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02/06/2024
Mission accomplished! RAF aircraft and personnel have made a significant contribution to the success of the world’s premier air combat exercise. The RAF contribution to the exercise consisted of Typhoon fighter jets, a Voyager air-to-air refueler, Rivet Joint electronic surveillance crews, engineers, Air Controllers, Space specialists and a variety of support personnel.
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02/06/2024
The Netherlands scrapped plans to sell six F-16 fighter jets to a U.S. company and will prepare the planes for delivery to Ukraine instead, according to the Dutch Defence Ministry. The agreement increases the number of Dutch aircraft that will be handed over to the embattled country to 24, it said.
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02/06/2024
Moscow is continuing to seek interested foreign buyers for its highly-touted Sukhoi Su-75 "Checkmate" fighter aircraft. Among the interested parties could be India, and it was reported that the state-owned military-industrial conglomerate Rostec was even ready to slash costs "as per feedback" from New Delhi.
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02/05/2024
The US carried out more strikes against Houthi missiles in Yemen on Sunday, US Central Command (Centcom) said in a statement on X. Centcom said US forces struck a land-attack cruise missile and four anti-ship missiles that "were prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea". The latest military action comes a day after US-UK strikes on Houthi targets.
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02/05/2024
The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces has warned of a possible intensification of military aviation in the east of the country, near the borders with Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, between February 5 and March 5. This was reported by the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces on the social network X, Ukrinform reported.
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02/05/2024
Indonesian technicians were caught attempting to smuggle out sensitive development data on the KF-21, a supersonic fighter jet co-developed with South Korea, marking a significant breach in the bilateral defense collaboration. This incident occurred 13 years after South Korean National Intelligence Service agents were caught unauthorized in the accommodations of an Indonesian delegation in 2011.
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02/04/2024
The Ministry of National Defense tracked 10 Chinese military aircraft and five naval ships around Taiwan over 24 hours to 6 a.m. on Saturday (Feb. 3). As of press time, there was no word on whether the planes crossed into the country’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ). In response, Taiwan sent aircraft and naval ships and deployed air defense missile systems to monitor the Chinese activity.
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02/04/2024
Zuyev, a MiG-29 pilot with the Baku PVO regiment at Gudauta, a Soviet Air Base in northeast coast of the Black Sea, flew to Turkey where he requested political asylum in the United States after a shoot-out at Gudauta. “Take me to hospital,” Zuyev then 28, was quoted as saying upon landing at the airfield at the Black Sea port of Trabzon in northeastern Turkey after a 110-mile flight from Tskhakaya air base near Batumi, in Soviet Georgia.
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02/03/2024
US forces have bombed 85 targets in Iraq and Syria as retaliation for an attack that killed three US troops at a base in northern Jordan last month. According to US officials, the co-ordinated attack was against Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Quds Force and allied militia groups. US President Joe Biden said the US attacks "will continue at times and places of our choosing".
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02/03/2024
Since 2005, the F-22 Raptor fighter jet has been dominating the skies. The first fighter jet in the world to become operational, the F-22 Raptor revolutionized air warfare and paved the way for future stealth aircraft like the F-35 Lighting II. The F-22 Raptor is an air superiority multi-role fighter jet. Its main role over the battlefield is to dominate the skies and ensure that enemy aircraft can’t fly.
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02/03/2024
The year 2024 will stand as a transformative year for modernizing the U.S. Air Force’s fighter force. Bottom line: the service needs to reset fast. That is why it was welcome news when Lockheed Martin recently announced the Tech Refresh 3/Block 4 variant of its F-35 are projected to join operational Air Force units by the third quarter of this year.
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02/03/2024
South Korea will build 40 KF-21 Boramae fighter jets this year with the 238.7 billion won (U.S. $178.6 million) allocated for the Defense Ministry, even as the aircraft makes its way through flight and ground tests. The first mass production of the KF-21 is expected to fill the “power vacuum” left when the South Korean Air Force’s aging fighter fleet retires, the defense minister said in a Dec. 21 statement.
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02/02/2024
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) has detected seven Chinese military aircraft along with four naval vessels around Taiwan between local time 6 am on Tuesday and local time 6 am on Wednesday. Following Chinese action, Taiwan sent out its aircraft and naval vessels. It deployed its air defence missile systems to closely watch the People’s Liberation Army (abbreviated the PLA) activity, per Taiwan’s MND.
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02/02/2024
Turkey is still interested in buying 40 Eurofighter Typhoon jets, a Turkish defence ministry official said on Thursday after the United States advanced the $23 billion sale of its F-16 fighter jets to Ankara. In November, Turkey said the country was in talks with Britain and Spain to buy Typhoons, though Germany objected the idea. At the time, a Turkish defence ministry source said talks had begun after Ankara recognised its request for F-16 jets from the U.S., first made in October 2021, might
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02/01/2024
The US Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded a $31m contract modification to Chemring Australia, a global supplier of aerial countermeasures, on 30 January 2024 to support various F-35 Joint Strike Fighter nations with 19,570 MJU-68/B flare infrared (IR) decoys. US Navy F-35s will benefit from 12,918 flares; 1,152 for the US Air Force; 1,176 for Italy; 1,152 for Belgium; 868 for the UK; 816 for Japan; 720 for Germany; 672 for Denmark; and 96 for Poland.
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02/01/2024
The German Air Force has scrambled some of its fighter jets to intercept a Russian reconnaissance aircraft that was spotted over the Baltic Sea off its coast. The patrol took off from the Laage airbase in northeastern Germany after a Russian military aircraft was spotted in international airspace near Rügen, the Air Force said. A German fighter jet escorted the Russian plane for a short time before it turned east, the department added.
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02/01/2024
Russia Has Lost Another Su-34: Ukrainian forces claim to have shot down a Russian Sukhoi Su-34 (NATO reporting name "Fullback") multirole strike fighter-bomber over the eastern Luhansk region earlier this week. According to reports from open source intelligence, the Kremlin has lost a total of 332 aircraft in total.
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