Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Russia To Arm Its MiG-31D Jet With Anti-Satellite Missiles, IL-76 With Combat Lasers To Down Hostile Space Assets

04/08/2023

The information was disclosed in the military journal “Military Thought” published by the Ministry of Defense, Ria reported. According to the article, the Russian military has developed mobile anti-satellite combat systems that can be relocated. These systems include the Kontakt anti-space defense complex, based on the MiG-31 heavy fighter interceptor, the A60 Sokol-Echelon combat laser system mounted on the IL-76 transport aircraft, and the Peresvet combat laser system.

Strengthening Sweden’s military defence and preparations for NATO membership

04/06/2023

Today the Government has presented investment proposals that will be included in its Spring Amending Budget. The proposals aim to create conditions for the continued growth of Sweden’s military defence and make preparations for NATO membership. Increased appropriations totalling SEK 660 million are proposed in the Spring Amending Budget for 2023. In addition, it is proposed that the Swedish Armed Forces’ authorisation to place orders be increased by SEK 16.78 billion.

After 5-year lapse, second Saudi Eurofighter Typhoon deal not dead – but not close

04/06/2023

Despite being trapped in limbo for five-years, there are signs that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia remains interested in buying an additional tranche of Eurofighter Typhoons — and that the government in London would support such a sale if KSA wants to move forward.

India’s Tejas, Rafale, Su-30MKI to dogfight against USAF F-15E Strike Eagle fighter bombers in Cope India air exercise

04/06/2023

The air forces of India and US will meet at Kalaikunda air base, India next week to resume the Cope India air exercise. Cope India 2023 will be held from Apr. 10 to Apr. 21 and “further enhance operational capability and interoperability between the two air forces”.

Bakhmut, Marinka remain epicenter of fighting - Ukraine's General Staff

04/05/2023

The cities of Marinka and Bakhmut in Ukraine's Donetsk region remain the epicenter of hostilities, with about 20 enemy attacks repelled by Ukrainian defenders near Bakhmut throughout the day. The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said this in a situation update on Facebook, according to Ukrinform.

NATO Fighter Jets Fly in ‘Large-Scale’ Joint Training Over Baltics

04/05/2023

More than 20 fighter jets from NATO allies and partners joined a “large-scale” training exercise over Baltic airspace. The activity commenced at Amari Air Base in Estonia and was joined by military forces from the US, the UK, Finland, Germany, France, Estonia, and the Netherlands. The exercise saw the deployment of L-39 Albatrosses, F-15 Eagles, Eurofighter Typhoons, F/A-18 Hornets, Rafales, and F-35 Lightning IIs.

PORTUGUESE F-16 JETS CONDUCT FIRST ALERT SCRAMBLE IN LITHUANIA

04/04/2023

On April 2, 2023, two Portuguese F-16 fighter jets from NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission launched from Šiauliai, Lithuania, to identify and escort an IL-76 Russian military aircraft. The Russian aircraft was flying from mainland Russia to the Kaliningrad exclave above international waters off the Baltic Sea coast of Estonia.

Sweden’s defence spending suggests they will catch up

04/04/2023

The Swedish government is on track in their aim to meet Nato’s target to spend 2.0% of its gross domestic product (GDP) on shoring up their defence according to the GlobalData report: Sweden Defence Market 2023-28.

Battle of Kyiv: tactics and tricks that saved Ukrainian capital

04/03/2023

On 2 April 2022, the Russian army was forced to retreat from the vicinities of the Ukrainian capital. After more than a month of heavy fighting, Ukrainian defenders partially destroyed the invading force around Kyiv and pushed the Russians back to neighboring Belarus. What was supposed to be an overwhelming blitzkrieg became a complete debacle for the Russian forces.

Rafale F4.1 Standard Qualified For Fielding

04/03/2023

The French Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) announced that the new Rafale F4.1 standard has been qualified and is now ready for fielding. While the announcement was released just few days ago, the qualification arrived on March 13, 2023, shortly after the first aircraft in the new configuration was delivered to the Base Aérienne 118 at Mont-de-Marsan.

Air force downs unidentified aircraft in north amid escalating tensions with Iran

04/03/2023

Air force combat helicopters and planes downed an unidentified aircraft that appeared to have crossed into Israeli airspace from Syria on Sunday, the military said. The incident came amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran related to Iran’s presence on Israel’s northern border, and after a series of airstrikes attributed to Israel in Syria.

China to pair new battle drone with J-20 stealth fighter jet, says report

04/03/2023

China's most sophisticated stealth fighter plane, the J-20 Mighty Dragon, will be operated alongside a new cutting-edge combat drone that the country is developing, which may equal the jet's speed. J-20's and the FH-97A's fuselage designs are comparable, indicating that the FH-97A might perhaps fly as quickly as the Mighty Dragon, claims a South China Morning Post (SCMP) report from Saturday.

332d AEW conducts first FARP operation at cluster base in combat AOR

04/02/2023

Airmen from the 332d Air Expeditionary Wing executed a first-of-its-kind Forward Arming and Refueling Point operation at a cluster base in a combat area of responsibility. During the FARP operation, an MQ-9 Reaper from the 361st Expeditionary Attack Squadron was rapidly refueled and re-armed by members of the 26th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron.

Ten Chinese aircraft cross Taiwan Strait median line, island’s defence ministry says

04/02/2023

Ten Chinese aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line, normally an unofficial barrier between the mainland and the island, Taiwan’s defence ministry has said. Nine Chinese fighter jets and one military drone crossed the median line in the 24 hours to 6am on Saturday, the ministry said in its daily report on Chinese military activities.

Breathing AIR into MDF reprogramming

04/01/2023

The Crows at the 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing (SWW) are evaluating a new process that could change how the U.S. Air Force approaches Electromagnetic Warfare Integrated Reprogramming (EWIR) to better adapt to wartime reprogramming timelines and support Agile Combat Employment (ACE) operations through a process called Agile Integrated Reprogramming (AIR).

CAS aircraft arrive in Middle East

04/01/2023

The first A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft arrived in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility at Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates, March 31, 2023. The combat air support aircraft arrived ahead of schedule following the approval for the platform to return to theater. They will fall underneath the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing at Al Dhafra AB.

Seven allied nations conduct joint training over Baltic states

04/01/2023

The Nato Allied Air Command has announced that more than 20 fighter planes from Finland and other allied nations have carried out a large-scale training exercise. Conducted over the Baltic states, the exercise was undertaken by air forces from the UK, the US, Estonia, France, Finland, the Netherlands and Germany.

Airbus’s Drone Aerial Refueling Demo Is A Glimpse Of Air Combat Future

04/01/2023

An Airbus A310 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) testbed aircraft has demonstrated its ability to guide and control drones while in flight without direct human interaction, according to the company. The test has laid the early groundwork for Airbus’ future plans to provide its MRTTs with the ability to autonomously refuel uncrewed aircraft, a concept that many air forces around the globe will have to adopt as airpower rapidly evolves towards uncrewed operations.

ALLIED AND FINNISH FIGHTERS INTEGRATE OVER THE BALTIC STATES

03/31/2023

Allied and Partner fighter aircraft conducted a large-scale training exercise over the Baltic States, March 29. Finnish F/A-18s landed in Amari Air Base, Estonia and took part in large-scale training drills over the Baltic States with up to 20 fighters involved. Allied units based along NATO’s eastern flank including French Rafales, US F-15s, Dutch F-35s, Estonian L-39s and Eurofighters from the joint British and German detachment in Estonia were involved in the exercise.

F-35s Arrive at Kadena as F-15 Withdrawl Continues

03/31/2023

F-35 Lightning II fighters arrived on Okinawa this month as the Air Force continues to swap out its permanently deployed F-15 Eagles at Kadena Air Base, Japan. The 18th Wing at Kadena said the 355th Fighter Squadron from Eielson Air Base, Alaska began the deployment on March 28. It is unclear how many F-35s are now operating there. Air Force officials declined to provide the exact number of F-35s at Kadena or say when more F-15s would depart, citing operational security.

Sweden and Brazil benefit as Saab tests oxygen and anti-gravity system for Gripen F

03/31/2023

Saab, the Swedish aerospace and defence company, is testing the oxygen and anti-gravity system of its new Gripen F aircraft in extreme conditions to identify potential deficiencies early in development. The tests are being conducted in the Life Support rig at Saab’s facility in Linkoping, Sweden, where the Gripen aircraft’s systems are pushed to their limits. The Life Support rig is installed in a high-altitude chamber that enables Saab engineers to simulate high altitude with extremely low pre

19 AW pioneers new C-130 Hot-Integrated Combat Turn capabilities

03/30/2023

The 19th Airlift Wing demonstrated their newly developed concept of operations for C-130 Hot-Integrated Combat Turns, March 27, 2023, at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. A C-130 Hot-Integrated Combat Turn focuses on a minimum turnaround of aircraft and recovery launch times through simultaneous fueling and loading/unloading of cargo, aircraft reconfiguration and other servicing with all engines running.

USAF adds 54 AESA radars to F-16 modernisation order

03/30/2023

The US Air Force (USAF) has ordered an additional 54 air combat radar systems as part of the service’s bid to modernise its fleet of Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center on 28 March disclosed a contract with Northrop Grumman for 54 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars.

US F-35 Fighters From Alaska Land In Japan To Guarantee Continuous Fighter Presence In The Volatile Region

03/30/2023

On March 28, the US Air Force announced the arrival of advanced multi-role F-35A Lightning II fighter planes at Kadena Air Base. These cutting-edge aircraft are being deployed to replace the outdated F-15 Eagle fleet. According to the statement from the service, the deployment of F-35s will guarantee a continuous fighter presence as the F-15C/D Eagles fleet of Kadena is gradually brought back to the United States.

Lightning IIs arrive at Kadena to maintain advanced fighter presence

03/29/2023

F-35A Lightning IIs from the 355th Fighter Squadron, Eielson Air Force Base, arrived at Kadena Air Base, Japan, March 28, 2023, to ensure continuous fighter presence through the phased return of Kadena’s fleet of F-15C/D Eagles to the United States. While deployed to the Keystone of the Pacific, the Lightning IIs will work in conjunction with other fighter units at Kadena Air Base to ensure continued steady-state fighter capabilities in the region.