October, 2024 Military Aviation News
10/31/2024
The US Government has awarded Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, a Foreign Military Sale contract to provide 35 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters to Greece. The deal includes 35 aircraft for the Hellenic Army as well as personnel training, training equipment and an initial provisioning package, which will significantly improve self-defense and bolster interoperability within the nation and with NATO allies.
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10/31/2024
On 29 September 2024, Austria held national elections. The challenge for the new government will be to start and set aside billions of dollars to replace the mixture of fifteen early T1-B2R-B5 Eurofighter Typhoon single-seaters flown by the Luftstreitkräfte. Their primary goal, which has been internally blocked for the last year, is to acquire 12 to 15 Leonardo M346FA advanced jet trainer/light combat aircraft to replace the outdated SAAB-105OE, which was phased out in 2020 after 50 years.
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10/30/2024
The U.S. Air Force’s B-21 Raider, originally intended as a stealth bomber, may evolve beyond traditional roles. With advancements in anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) and artificial intelligence, the Raider could replace the NGAD fighter in air dominance missions.
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10/30/2024
There is a new theory of airpower on the horizon. Over the next five years, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) plans to invest billions in research and development for a force of over 1,000 collaborative combat aircraft (CCA). The vision includes working with allies and partners to pair fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft with versatile unmanned systems, creating aerial networks that can rapidly adapt to changes in the battlespace.
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10/30/2024
The Indian government plans to penalise General Electric Co. for significant delays in delivering jet engines for its domestically built light-combat aircraft, Bloomberg reported citing an Indian official familiar with the matter. The deliveries GE has been penalised for are a part of a $716 million deal with state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL). That deal, signed in 2021, covers the supply of 99 engines for the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft Mk1.
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10/29/2024
The Supreme Commander of the Iranian Air Force recently arrived in Islamabad for discussions on a potential military partnership, as reported by various Arab sources. Brigadier General Hamed Wahidi touched down at Noor Khan Air Base on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, following an official invitation from his Pakistani counterpart. Leading a high-level military delegation, General Wahidi’s visit highlights a growing interest in defense collaboration between the two nations.
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10/29/2024
The future of the Air Force’s next-generation combat jet will be decided by the end of the year, the service’s top officer said Oct. 25. “We intend to have that by December,” Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin said at the Military Reporters and Editors Conference in Washington, D.C. “We also want to be able to influence the Department’s Presidential Budget Submission in February.”
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10/29/2024
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez inaugurated India’s first private military aircraft plant on Monday, boosting New Delhi’s ambitions of growing local manufacturing in its defense and aerospace industries. Sanchez was welcomed to the country with a roadshow in Gujarat state’s Vadodara city where hundreds of people cheered and waved banners.
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10/29/2024
Armenia has initiated talks with the Indian company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited [HAL] to acquire Su-30MKI fighter jets, according to reports from Indian sources. This move is part of Armenia’s broader strategy to strengthen its air force capabilities. The potential acquisition of these advanced aircraft represents a second option for upgrading its military assets, with the first being the modernization of its existing fleet of Su-30SM fighters to the “Super Flanker” variant through HAL.
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10/29/2024
The KAI KF-21 Boromae, a joint project by Korean Aerospace Industries and Indonesian Aerospace, is South Korea’s latest 4.5-generation or “Fourth Gen+” fighter jet, with partial stealth capabilities. First flown in 2022, the Boromae is designed to replace aging F-4 and F-5 fighters in the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF). Equipped with twin GE F414 engines, the KF-21 can reach Mach 1.81 with a range of 1,000 km.
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10/28/2024
Israel deployed US-made F-35 stealth fighters among its 100 jets, spy planes and refueling aircraft to conduct its largest-ever strike on Iran, which left Tehran vulnerable should war break out, a report says. The Jewish state greenlit the use of F-35s, its most-advanced aerial weapon, to help lead operation “Day of Repentance” that bombarded military sites across Iran on Friday night, sources told the Wall Street Journal.
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10/28/2024
For some time, there has been growing suspicion that Russia has been offering cash (or gold), technology, know-how and modern weaponry in return for the drones, ammunition, missiles and now, in the case of North Korea, people to support its war in Ukraine – as Kyiv Post previously reported.
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10/28/2024
Lockheed Martin is ramping up its autonomous drone integration capabilities. It aims to have its F-35 fighter jet operate as a central control hub for up to eight Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCAs). The defense company, after being sidelined in the first stage of the US Air Force’s CCA program, is positioning itself as a strong contender for the next increment of development, company officials revealed during an Oct. 22 earnings call.
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10/27/2024
Jordan has not permitted any military aircraft from warring parties in the region to cross its airspace, the Jordanian army said Saturday in the wake of Israeli strikes targeting Iran. "No military aircraft have been allowed to traverse Jordanian airspace from any of the conflicting parties in the region,” the official Jordanian news agency cited a military source as saying.
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10/27/2024
A Russian pilot's defection to Ukraine in a Mi-8 helicopter echoes the famous 1976 defection of Soviet Lieutenant Viktor Belenko, who flew his MiG-25 Foxbat to Japan. Disillusioned with the Soviet system and facing personal issues, Belenko seized an opportunity during a routine flight to escape.
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10/27/2024
France is hoping that the new dispensation in Bangladesh will finalise a long-awaited deal to purchase Rafale fighter jets as part of a broader effort to modernise the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF), according to sources familiar with the matter. The discussions have gained momentum as the caretaker Prime Minister Mohammad Yunus has been described as more receptive to France’s offer compared to his predecessor Sheikh Hasina.
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10/26/2024
Due to escalating global threats, the U.S. Air Force is pushing for faster production of the F-15EX Eagle II fighter jet. The F-15EX, a highly capable 4.5th-generation fighter, is being prioritized for homeland defense but could also serve in offensive roles, particularly in the Indo-Pacific.
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10/26/2024
US Central Command announced on Friday that F-16 fighter jets have arrived in the Middle East from Germany ahead of an impending Israeli strike on Iran. “US Air Force F-16s from the 480th Fighter Squadron based at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany arrive in the US Central Command area of responsibility,” CENTCOM wrote on X Friday.
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10/25/2024
With the purchase of six new Rafale jets, Greece will have 30 state-of-the-art French fighter aircraft. In this context, decision-makers in the Greek “Pentagon” have long expressed their desire for the government to acquire six additional new Rafale fighters so that the Air Force can maintain two squadrons of the French aircraft.
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10/24/2024
At least four people have been killed and 14 were injured Wednesday in what Turkish officials are calling a “terrorist attack” on a state-owned military aircraft factory outside Ankara. Three of the injured are in a serious condition, Turkish interior minister Ali Yerlikaya told reporters.
“Two terrorists, one male and one female, were neutralized,” he said. Yerlikaya added that investigations into their identities were ongoing.
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10/24/2024
The Ukrainian Air Force is working to solve one of the major issues on its way to obtaining a larger number of Western fighter jets. When Ukraine was pushing its partners to provide F-16 multirole fighters, the key problem was where and how to train pilots to operate these jets.
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10/24/2024
France has decided to supply Ukraine with the first batch of three Mirage 2000-5 aircraft. They will be armed with SCALP cruise missiles and AASM bombs, La Tribune says. “France will supply three Mirage 2000-5s to Ukraine in the first quarter of 2025. This figure has not yet been announced by either the Elysee Palace or the Ministry of the Armed Forces,” the agency writes.
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10/24/2024
According to sources from Turkey, cited by Iranian journalist Hayal Muazin, Iran plans to start producing Russian Su-30 and Su-35 fighter jets domestically. According to the information, Tehran has already received a license to manufacture these aircraft and is preparing to set up an assembly plant in the near future. “This will be a significant step in the development of Iranian aviation,” Muazin stated in his report.
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10/24/2024
The US Marines successfully tested their experimental unmanned "loyal wingman" aircraft alongside F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jets earlier this month. The flight test, the fourth for the Marine Corp's XQ-58A Valkyrie, was a milestone for the program that helped advance the manned-unmanned teaming concept that the military is pursuing, an official said.
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10/23/2024
French media said that Iraq is still interested in purchasing France’s top-tier Dassault Rafale multirole fighter aircraft to use them in air patrol operations. The lack of Meteor air-to-air missiles beyond visual range will limit the aircraft’s overall effectiveness as air superiority fighters for Baghdad, according to Forbes. On October 18, the French weekly business journal La Tribune published an article about Iraq’s ongoing interest in the Rafale.
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10/23/2024
Australia needs to bring the civil, military and industrial components of aviation policy into a coherent whole. It should view the sector as a national enterprise to promote mutual support among its various parts. The civilian aviation workforce could be seen as a defence asset, for example, and various efforts to support aerospace manufacturing could be better coordinated to create a stronger industry.
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10/23/2024
North Korea might have dispatched fighter pilots to Russia, who are capable of flying Russian military aircraft and could participate in the war against Ukraine, according to Newsweek. The agency said that North Korea has not only sent ground forces to Russia but may have deployed fighter pilots to Vladivostok last month.
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10/23/2024
The defense market in the Philippines is intensifying as two major competitors, South Korea's KF-21 and the American F-16 from Lockheed Martin, have been shortlisted for the Philippine government’s multirole fighter (MRF) aircraft procurement project. According to an article from The Korea Economic Daily published on October 18, 2024, the KF-21 is considered a strong contender for meeting the Philippines' needs. With an estimated budget of 400 billion Philippine pesos ($6.95 billion).
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10/22/2024
Swedish aircraft maker Saab has made an appealing offer to deliver the first Gripen E/F within three years if awarded the contract. Taking the conversation forward, Saab Campaign Director and Head of Gripen for India Programme (Business Area Aeronautics) Kent-Ake Molin asserted that the Swedish firm was already exploring manufacturing opportunities in India to serve local and global markets with complete transfer of technology.
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10/22/2024
The two US Navy aviators who were killed in a fighter jet crash in the United States last week had recently returned from flying combat missions against the Houthis. Lt. Cmdr. Lyndsay Evans and Lt. Serena Wileman were killed when their EA-18G Growler crashed during a training flight near Washington's Mount Rainier on October 15, the Navy said Monday.
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10/22/2024
A US F-35 stealth fighter jet landed aboard Japan's new destroyer-turned-aircraft carrier for the first time off the coast of California, the US military said, sharing photos of the event. It's a major step in integrating the F-35B short-takeoff/vertical landing variant used by the US Marine Corps and the British Royal Navy on its carriers into Japan's self-defense forces.
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10/21/2024
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 19 Chinese military aircraft and six naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Thursday (Oct. 17) and 6 a.m. on Friday. Of the 19 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, 15 crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the nation’s northern, central, and southwestern air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND.
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10/21/2024
As the battle to power India’s 5th-generation fighter jet heats up, French aero-engine maker Safran is increasing its footprint in India. India has partnered with the US to build engines for Light Combat Aircraft, LCA MK1A and LCA MK2. However, the US firm is reluctant to part with the 100 percent technology. French Safran sees this as an opportunity to bolster defense ties with India.
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10/21/2024
Two crew members who were missing following the crash of a fighter jet in mountainous terrain in Washington state during a routine training flight have been declared dead, the U.S. Navy said Sunday. The EA-18G Growler jet from the Electronic Attack Squadron crashed east of Mount Rainier on Tuesday afternoon, according to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. Search teams, including a U.S. Navy MH-60S helicopter, launched from the air station to try to find the crew and crash site.
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10/21/2024
The defense ministers of Japan, the U.K. and Italy agreed to accelerate the joint development of a next-generation fighter jet, and announced that a trilateral government organization would be established by the end of this year to work with the parties producing the aircraft, Japanese officials said Sunday. The three countries agreed in 2022 to jointly produce a new combat aircraft that will be ready for deployment in 2035, under the Global Combat Air Program, or GCAP.
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10/20/2024
The roar of aircraft around Selfridge Air National Guard Base has returned. As of Tuesday crews completed their work on the runway resurfacing project and by Wednesday afternoon military planes that had been dispersed from the airfield at the start of construction in July were landing on the new surface.
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10/20/2024
As we know, the American armies, including the US Air Force, are facing serious problems in the area of ??human resources, hampered by insufficient recruitment and non-renewals of contracts, creating a haemorrhage that is difficult to stem. This problem now affects all specialties, including the most attractive and symbolic function of the US Air Force, fighter pilots.
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10/19/2024
A model of the next-generation fighter jet, currently under development by Japan, the United Kingdom, and Italy, was unveiled at the 2024 International Aerospace Exhibition held in Tokyo from October 16 to 19. The project, officially known as the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), aims to develop a cutting-edge fighter jet that integrates advanced capabilities across all three nations’ defense sectors.
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10/19/2024
The Air Force has picked Anduril and General Atomics to continue developing their autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft concepts over designs offered by Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman, the service announced on April 24. In a non-traditional move, the companies that were not picked will still be able to compete to produce the resulting aircraft.
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10/19/2024
France is considering collaboration with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to develop the Rafale F5 next-generation fighter aircraft. The countries are currently in talks about co-financing the initiative, with Abu Dhabi potentially covering the non-sovereign components of the fighter jet.
Paris will maintain exclusive control over the jet’s critical components, even if the other party agrees to the deal, according to French newspaper La Tribune.
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10/19/2024
South Korea’s homegrown fighter jet KF-21 is competing against US defense firm Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-16 for the Philippine government’s multirole fighter (MRF) aircraft procurement project, with an estimated budget of up to 400 billion pesos ($6.95 billion). According to industry sources on Friday, the KF-21, developed by Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI), and the Lockheed Martin F-16 have been shortlisted in the Philippine Air Force’s MRF project.
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10/18/2024
The US says it has carried out "precision strikes" against five weapons storage locations in areas of Yemen controlled by the Houthi movement. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said B-2 Spirit stealth bombers were part of the operation that targeted hardened underground facilities housing missiles and other munitions that the Iran-backed group had used to attack civilian and military ships.
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10/18/2024
Search efforts continued Thursday for the two-person crew of a Navy fighter jet that crashed near Washington's Mount Rainier earlier this week, officials said. The EA-18G Growler jet was on a routine training mission when it went down Tuesday in the scrubby landscape on the mountainside east of Rainier, about 30 miles west of Yakima, and officials have said the whereabouts of the crew remains a mystery.
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10/18/2024
Turkey has been conducting technical works aimed at accelerating its planned purchase of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets, a defence ministry official said on Thursday. Ankara said last year it was in talks with Eurofighter consortium members Britain and Spain to buy Typhoons, though Germany objected the idea. Since then, it has complained of a lack of progress on the issue over Berlin's reluctance.
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10/18/2024
On August 28, the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) announced the Swedish Saab Gripen E as its preferred combat aircraft to replace its aging F-16A/Bs. However, as the RTAF aspires to become one of the best air forces in Southeast Asia, it is unlikely to be satisfied with 4+ generation combat aircraft in the future. With denied access to the U.S.-made fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II, Thailand may turn to South Korea to fulfill its future airpower needs.
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10/18/2024
A historic agreement on the joint development of the Gripen fighter jet has been reached with the Swedish defence minister, Hungary’s Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky announced in a video posted on his Facebook page on Wednesday. Szalay-Bobrovniczky highlighted that the Gripens are the iconic, multi-role tactical aircraft of the Hungarian Air Force, originating from Sweden and serving as a key asset in Hungary’s defence.
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10/16/2024
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) has achieved Initial Operational Capability (IOC) for its CF-18 Hornet Extension Project (HEP), marking a significant step forward in the modernization of the Canadian fighter fleet. The announcement comes as the first six HEP2-upgraded CF-18 Hornets were delivered to 3 Wing Bagotville in Quebec, part of a five-year collaboration with the U.S. Navy’s F/A-18 and EA-18G Program Office (PMA-265). The project aims to upgrade a total of 84 aircraft by 2026.
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10/16/2024
Ministers have been accused of “cutting” the RAF’s next generation fighter programme by 10 per cent this year as Rachel Reeves seeks budget savings. The Ministry of Defence has confirmed £160 million less than expected will be spent on the Tempest project amid wider fears about its future. It comes after Labour was accused of downgrading its pre-election commitment to increase military spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP “as soon as possible”.
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10/16/2024
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense reported an intense surge of military activity from China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) over a 24-hour period spanning from 05:00 on October 14 to 06:00 local time on October 15, 2024. A total of 153 PLAAF aircraft and 14 PLA Navy (PLAN) vessels were detected operating near Taiwan, raising concerns of escalating tensions in the region.
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10/16/2024
In a new milestone for the integration of Western weaponry with Russian/Soviet-origin platforms, the Ukrainian Air Force has announced that its Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker fighters have begun to be equipped with GBU-39 SDB glide bombs provided by the United States. This news was confirmed through a recent viral video on social media, showing ground crews loading and equipping a Ukrainian combat aircraft.
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10/16/2024
A new video from Taiwan's response to China's military exercises this week shows a Chinese J-15 carrier-based fighter jet through the sniper pod on an American-made F-16. The Chinese drills, which were called "Joint Sword-2024B," saw a record number of Chinese aircraft flying around Taiwan, according to data from Taiwan's defense ministry.
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10/15/2024
China employed 125 military aircraft in exercises aimed at Taiwan on Monday, a record for a single day, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said. It said 90 of the aircraft, including warplanes, helicopters and drones, were spotted within Taiwan’s air defense identification zone.
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10/15/2024
With German Chancellor Olaf Scholz scheduled to visit Türkiye on October 19, 2024, Germany has greenlit technical discussions with Türkiye for a potential sale of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets. This decision, taken in a confidential meeting by the German Federal Security Council, marks a shift from Berlin, which had previously blocked the sale over concerns that these aircraft could be used against Kurdish armed groups in Syria and Iraq.
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10/15/2024
Kuwait is in negotiations to sell its F/A-18C/D Hornet multi-role fighters to the Malaysian Air Force, subject to US approval. During a recent visit to Kuwait, Malaysian Defense Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin inspected the Kuwait Air Force’s F/A-18C/D jets manufactured by Boeing.
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10/14/2024
Taiwan’s military is on “alert” after a Chinese aircraft carrier was spotted sailing to its south on Sunday. Last week, Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te held a National Day speech in which he vowed to resist Chinese annexation. Beijing responded by saying that Lai’s “provocations” would result in “disaster” for Taiwan.
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10/14/2024
The Eurofighter Typhoon, a fourth-generation multirole aircraft, has served as the Royal Air Force's backbone for two decades. Despite the rise of fifth-generation stealth fighters like the F-35, the Typhoon remains effective for roles such as quick reaction alerts and air policing.
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10/13/2024
After the Middle East, Asia and Europe, the Rafale could soon land on the South American continent. Several South American air forces must, in fact, modernize their fighter fleets more or less quickly, and the Rafale is often cited by the local press as one of the favourites, or even the favourite, for the competition.
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10/13/2024
Taiwan might not move forward with its Advanced Defense Fighter (ADF) program over a host of technological, financial and commercial-diplomatic hurdles, Up Media reported. Chief among them is a prohibitive cost, together with the inability to develop a high-thrust engine and “unwillingness” of foreign defense firms to participate as the main contractors. The report also mentioned the thrust on “asymmetric” systems that is de-prioritizing big capital weapons.
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10/13/2024
More than 130 NATO aircraft took to the skies over Europe this week in a major show of strength and coordination as part of the Ramstein Flag exercise. The multinational drill, which took place in Greek airspace, involved fighter jets and support aircraft from over 12 NATO member nations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Greece, Italy, and Poland.
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10/13/2024
An F-16 Fighting Falcon, possibly supplied by Denmark earlier this year, has reportedly claimed its first air-to-air kill against a Russian Su-34 aircraft in Ukraine. The incident, which occurred around 30 miles from the frontlines, was first reported by pro-Kremlin milbloggers, though neither the Russian nor Ukrainian governments have officially commented.
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10/12/2024
A new cockpit video offers an exclusive look at the operations carried out during Exercise Baana 24, in which two U.S. Air Force F-35As landed for the first time on a highway in Finland. The historic event, which took place on Sept. 4, 2024, saw the 495th Fighter Squadron’s Lightning II fighters operate from the makeshift airstrip in Hosio, Ranua, Finland.
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10/11/2024
A second russian MiG-31K fighter jet, equipped to carry the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missiles, has arrived in Belarus, marking a significant escalation in military presence from russia. This development, reported by Belarusian Hajun on Telegram, indicates that the aircraft has landed at the Machulishchy airfield, just two days after the first MiG-31K aircraft was deployed.
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10/11/2024
The Royal Saudi Air Force has deployed six Panavia Tornado fighter jets for the Indus Shield 2024 air exercise in Pakistan, where Turkey and Egypt also showcased their military capabilities and explored opportunities for enhanced cooperation. The drill allowed each nation to discuss and exchange best practices on the latest technologies, strategies, and operations.
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10/11/2024
Airbus Defence and Space is collaborating with Spain-headquartered Multiverse Computing to develop advanced gesture recognition software for future fighter aircraft, leveraging quantum-inspired algorithms and Large Language Models (LLMs). This initiative is part of the European Defence Fund’s Enhanced Pilot Interfaces and Interactions for Fighter Cockpit (EPIIC) project.
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10/11/2024
More of the U.S. Air Force fighters directed to deploy to the Middle East late last month arrived as Israel contemplates its response to Tehran’s ballistic missile attack on Israel on Oct. 1. A squadron of F-15E Strike Eagles began arriving in the region Oct. 9, U.S. Central Command announced.
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10/11/2024
In a significant technological advancement for the French Air and Space Force, the nation has announced the development of a stealthy uncrewed aerial vehicle (UCAV) that will fly alongside the futuristic ‘Super Rafale’ in a manned-unmanned teaming configuration.
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10/11/2024
The U.S. Department of Justice has requested information from a subsidiary of Saab, opens new tab over Brazil's purchase of the Swedish firm's Gripen fighter jets in 2014, which was the subject of a Brazilian corruption probe, Saab said on Thursday. "Saab intends to comply with the request to supply information and to cooperate with the DoJ in this matter," the company said of the U.S. queries to Saab North America.
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10/10/2024
A Kuwaiti Air Force F-18 fighter jet crashed and its pilot was killed "while conducting a training flight mission in the north of the country," the Kuwaiti Defense Ministry announced Wednesday.
Investigation was underway to find out the details and cause of the accident, ministry spokesman Hamad Al-Saqr was quoted as saying by Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), Xinhua reported.
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10/10/2024
The Russian Air Force has reportedly lost at least 35 Su-34 fighter-bombers in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, accounting for about a quarter of its pre-war fleet of 140 aircraft. In response, the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) announced the delivery of a new batch of Su-34s to the Russian Aerospace Forces.
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10/10/2024
French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation has initiated the development of a new uncrewed combat aerial vehicle (UCAV). The UCAV are slated to augment the capabilities of the future Rafale F5 standard post-2030. This advanced UCAV will be designed for collaborative combat, featuring stealth technologies, autonomous control with human oversight, internal payload options, and adaptability to counter emerging threats.
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10/10/2024
Local media in Myanmar are reporting that six FTC-2000G fighter jets purchased from China have arrived, and observers are concerned that Chinese military support for the Myanmar military is prolonging the conflict and worsening civilian suffering. China's supply of fighter jets, such as the FTC-2000G, has helped the junta maintain air superiority, and that has caused widespread casualties across Myanmar.
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10/09/2024
France plans to deliver French-made Mirage 2000 fighter jets to Ukraine by the first half of 2025, Minister of the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu said in a post on X on October 8, 2024.
On June 6, 2024, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that France would send Mirage-2000 jets to Ukraine and provide training for Ukrainian pilots as part of a new military cooperation program with Kyiv.
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10/09/2024
The Netherlands has delivered the first U.S.-made F-16 Fighting Falcons to Ukraine, part of the 24 jets pledged to support Kyiv's war effort against Russia. Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans confirmed the delivery, emphasizing the urgency given Russian airstrikes. Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov expressed deep gratitude for the support. Ukrainian pilots are training on the F-16s in Romania.
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10/09/2024
The government of Kuwait has agreed to start negotiations on the sale terms of F/A-18 Hornet multi-role fighters to Malaysia. The Malaysian newspaper KOSMO reported that Malaysia and Kuwait had agreed to establish a joint committee to begin discussions and negotiations for the purchase of the combat aircraft. At this time, it is unknown how many of the 39 aircraft in the Kuwaiti Air Force (KAF) will be purchased, as the approval of the Kuwaiti government is expected.
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10/08/2024
The Royal Canadian Air Force has announced its CF-18 Hornet Extension Project (HEP) has achieved Initial Operational Capability. As part of a joint effort with the F/A-18 and EA-18G programme office, HEP will ensure the RCAF CF-18 Hornet fighter fleet can meet operational commitments to the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) and NATO until 2032, the RCAF stated. From then on, the fleet will be retired and replaced with F35-As under Canada’s future fighter capability project.
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10/08/2024
Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans has confirmed that the first Dutch F-16 fighter jets have arrived in Ukraine. “For the first time, I can officially announce that the first Dutch F-16s have been delivered to Ukraine,” Brekelmans stated on the social media platform X. “This is urgently needed. In Kharkiv, I saw the damage from Russian airstrikes and heard frequent air raid alarms. The rest of the 24 jets will follow in the coming months.”
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10/08/2024
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense reported the detection of multiple China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) fighter jets and drones operating in areas surrounding Taiwan between October 6 and 7, 2024. 19 of the aircraft detected breached the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s northern, central, and southwestern Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). The exact model of the aircraft involved in the incursion was not specified. Six warships were also identified.
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10/07/2024
After suspending the NGAD 6th generation fighter program, will the US Air Force embark on a Copernican revolution in the way it designs and pilots its combat aircraft programs, and more generally, future air combat systems? This is essentially what can be understood from recent statements made by General James Slife, vice chief of staff of the US Air Force, and Andrew Hunter, vice secretary of the Air Force for acquisitions, on the occasion of the Defense News Conference.
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10/06/2024
Ukrainian forces said they shot down a Russian fighter plane Saturday while Russia claimed it made gains in Ukraine’s east. The Russian bomber was shot down near the city of Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk province, head of the Kostiantynivka Military Administration Serhiy Horbunov was quoted as saying by Ukraine’s public broadcaster, Suspilne. Photos showed charred remains of an aircraft after it landed on a house that caught fire.
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10/06/2024
The Ramstein Flag 2024 exercise has begun with the arrival of fighter jets from the Air Forces of France, Italy, Sweden, and the U.S. in Greece. During the week of September 27, NATO Allied members started deploying their combat and transport aircraft to Andravida Air Base to carry out Exercise Ramstein Flag 2024.
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10/06/2024
Videos have started appearing online on Oct. 5, 2024, showing a RuAF (Russian Aerospace Forces) fighter jet shooting down an S-70 Okhotnik loyal wingman UCAV (Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle) over the Konstantinovka area, Ukraine. The clips of the overhead flight of the two aircraft show two contrails one behind the other, with another streak of smoke leaving the aircraft in the rear and hitting the one ahead, implying it had fired it had fired an AAM (Air-to-Air Missile).
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10/05/2024
The new Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief made a strong case for the speedy acquisition of Medium-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) as the force has a yawning technological gap vis-à-vis China. However, he contends that based on superior training and exposure, the IAF will be able to maintain the status quo if China ups the ante.
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10/05/2024
Ukraine's F-16 pilots have had to dramatically change the way they fly in a very short period of time in order to fight Russia, and it's a tremendous challenge for pilots when they're under pressure, an air-warfare expert told Business Insider. Michael Bohnert, an engineer at the RAND Corporation, told BI the big changes Ukrainian pilots have had to make so quickly made it difficult for them to overcome old habits and muscle memory in a crisis.
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10/05/2024
Spain's Air Force on Friday confirmed the death of an F-18 Hornet fighter jet pilot after the aircraft crashed near the northeastern city of Teruel. "We regret to communicate that our teammate Lieutenant Colonel Pablo Estrada Martin died in the F-18 accident," the Air Force posted on X.
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10/05/2024
Since the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter’s inception, the Defense Department and industry have struggled to wrestle down its price tag to roughly $80 million or $100 million per jet, depending on the model. It’s been a grueling battle involving inflation, supply chain crunches, evolving requirements and developmental problems, and remains ongoing to this day.
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10/04/2024
The United States has expressed openness to selling F-15 fighter jets to Türkiye, according to sources familiar with recent discussions between the two nations. This development comes as Türkiye faces ongoing issues related to its acquisition of Russian-made S-400 Triumf air defense systems, which have strained U.S.-Türkiye relations and led to the imposition of CAATSA sanctions.
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10/04/2024
Ukrainian forces used long-range drones overnight to strike a Russian base where fighter-bomber aircraft and their highly destructive glide bombs are stored. A source in the Security Service of Ukraine told Business Insider on Thursday that the attack targeted the Borisoglebsk military airfield in Russia's Voronezh region. The source spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive operations.
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10/04/2024
Defense Minister Walter Enrique Astudillo Chávez confirmed that Peru will purchase 24 fighter jets for the Peruvian Air Force (FAP) to fulfill the constitutional role of defending national sovereignty and protecting the Peruvian population against threats to the country’s security.
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10/03/2024
pain plans to send two military aircraft to evacuate as many as 350 citizens from Lebanon as early as Thursday, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles said on Wednesday. “The Spanish airplanes are ready, the staff are ready, as always with the professionalism of the Spanish army,” she said in an interview with Antena 3 TV station.
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10/03/2024
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered on Wednesday military aircraft to be deployed immediately to evacuate its citizens from Israel and other parts of the Middle East amid escalating tension, his office said. Yoon met with his national security and economic advisers over the Middle East conflict and called for a swift but measured response to any impact on the country's energy supply, trade and supply chains, his office said.
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10/03/2024
Four NATO fighter jets were scrambled and an emergency alert issued in response to a Russian drone attack on targets near the Romanian border in Ukraine's Odesa region. The jets were deployed after Russian drones were detected near Romanian airspace flying toward Ukrainian territory in the early hours of Wednesday morning, the country's Ministry of National Defense said in a statement.
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10/03/2024
The Philippine Air Force has awarded Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) a contract to sustain its FA-50 Fighting Eagle light combat aircraft. The agreement will run under a performance based logistics (PBL) framework in which value per maintenance, repair, and overhaul relies on resulting improvements.
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10/03/2024
In the race to field the first sixth-generation fighter, the U.S. Navy is pressing ahead as the Air Force pauses its program amid concern that it’s too expensive and might not be the best answer to emerging threats. The Navy expects to award a contract for its next-generation, carrier-based fighter and expects the long-range attack jet to enter service in the 2030s, its top officer said Oct. 2.
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10/02/2024
Azerbaijan has officially confirmed that the JF-17C Block-III fighter jets it bought from Pakistan are now in service as part of a $1.6 billion deal signed in February. The president’s office announced the news, showing Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev seated inside the aircraft during his inspection of it at the Azerbaijan International Defence Exhibition 2024 in Baku on September 25.
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10/02/2024
Bulgaria is to begin a long-awaited review of the readiness and training of its air force, which has seen several fatalities during combat exercises and demonstration flights in recent years.
Bulgaria guards part of NATO's eastern flank with old, hard-to-maintain MiG-29 fighter jets and Su-25 aircraft that were supplied by the USSR more than 35 years ago.
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10/01/2024
A Russian Su-35 fighter cut across the front of a U.S. Air Force F-16 conducting a routine intercept of Russian aircraft off the coast of Alaska in a dramatic incident Sept. 23. The U.S. military called the encounter “unsafe,” and said the Russian aviator’s actions were “unprofessional and endangered all.”
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10/01/2024
The U.S. military is ordering additional U.S. Air Force fighters to the Middle East after Israel launched punishing attacks on Lebanese Hezbollah and killed the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, U.S. officials told Air & Space Forces Magazine.
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