Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

KAI Unveils First ‘Gap-Filler’ Light Fighter for Poland

03/13/2023

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has unveiled the first FA-50 light fighter/attack aircraft for Poland. The East European nation signed for 48 FA-50s in July 2022, making the first down-payment in November. Under a $705 million contract KAI is delivering a batch of 12 aircraft that it had been manufacturing for the Republic of Korea Air Force in order to kick-start the Polish air force’s replacement program for its aging and difficult-to-support MiG-29s and Sukhoi Su-22Ms.

Teal Group: Chinese military aircraft getting better up to a point

03/13/2023

Chinese aircraft are a mixed story. Historically, the country has operated and sold a variety of legacy aircraft that can be charitably termed “inadequate”. But in recent years, this has been changing, with considerable resources provided to create a series of fourth and fifth generation aircraft.

Bahrain becomes first country to receive F-16 Block 70 aircraft

03/13/2023

Bahrain on Sunday received the first aircraft of the advanced F-16 Block 70, becoming the first nation in the world to get the combat jet. According to the state news agency BNA, the Royal Bahraini Air Force has been handed over the first F-16 Block 70 fighter jet. A handover ceremony was held at the Lockheed Martin headquarters in Greenville, South Carolina.

Türkiye not without options on F-16 fighter jets: Defense chief

03/13/2023

Türkiye on Sunday reiterated its frustration over the prolonged process of its request to acquire F-16 fighter jets from the United States, again signaling it could look elsewhere in case Washington fails to provide it with the warplanes. “We want everyone to know that we are not desperate in this matter; we have options in our hands,” Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said, stressing they were waiting for approval by the U.S. Congress and that “there is a constructive environment in general.”

Anti-Russia Guerrillas in Belarus Take on 'Two-Headed Enemy'

03/12/2023

After Russia invaded Ukraine, guerrillas from Belarus began carrying out acts of sabotage on their country's railways, including blowing up track equipment to paralyze the rails that Russian forces used to get troops and weapons into Ukraine. In the most recent sabotage to make international headlines, they attacked a Russian warplane parked just outside the Belarusian capital.

Ukraine ‘Unleashes’ US-Made JDAM Smart Bomb For The Very 1st Time; Aims To Integrate With MiG-29 Fighters

03/12/2023

The military-political expert and advisor to the acting DPR leader, Yan Gagin, told TASS news agency on March 10 that the Ukrainian military dropped a JDAM bomb on the area of Kurdyumovka near the Bakhmut region of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) to test the viability of employing it from Soviet-made aircraft. Gagin told the media, “These are air- launched bombs. Originally, they were made for NATO aircraft. Ukraine has no such aircraft. This could have been a combat test with a non-standar

Media Reports Say Finland Is Open To Providing Fighter Jets To Ukraine

03/12/2023

Media in Finland have reported that Prime Minister Sanna Marin is prepared to discuss providing U.S.-made fighter jets to Ukraine. Marin, who visited Kyiv on March 10, said Helsinki plans to purchase 64 modern F-35A fighters to replace 62 Hornet fighters. The Hornets could be provided to Ukraine, Marin has said, although she noted that discussions are at a preliminary stage.

F-22 Raptors Rearmed in Demonstration of ACE Capabilities

03/11/2023

Hawaii - Total-Force weapons specialists from 154th and 15th wings rearmed F-22 Raptors at the Pacific Missile Range Facility for the first time March 8-9, demonstrating their ACE capabilities. The maneuver operation was part of a larger Joint Base Readiness Exercise carried out by Hawaii Air National Guard and Active-Duty Airmen stationed at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

Russia has been sending some US-provided weapons captured in Ukraine to Iran, sources say

03/11/2023

Russia has been capturing some of the US and NATO-provided weapons and equipment left on the battlefield in Ukraine and sending them to Iran, where the US believes Tehran will try to reverse-engineer the systems, four sources familiar with the matter told CNN.

Ukrainian pilot nicknamed ‘Skywalker’ says he’s ready to save lives with new jets

03/11/2023

Yuriy, who earnt the nickname ‘Skywalker’ in the UK, told Metro.co.uk that it is an ‘honour’ to fly despite knowing that ‘every day could be your last’ due to Russia’s numerical and technological superiority in the skies. He described the sensation of flying combat missions as like multiplying everyday stress by ‘100 or 1,000’ but sees it as his duty to fight for the freedom of his family and other Ukrainians.

AIM-120 missiles for Ukrainian fighters?

03/11/2023

In the United States, discussions are reportedly underway for a possible delivery of AIM-120 AMRAAM medium-range air-to-air missiles to equip Ukrainian combat aircraft. The use of this missile would be advantageous in several ways for Ukrainian pilots, but it would first be necessary to resolve numerous technical problems concerning the use of this American missile on Soviet-designed aircraft.

Dispersed But Resilient: Air Force Gets to Work on New Basing Construct Under ACE

03/11/2023

Last month, the Air Force’s evolving Agile Combat Employment (ACE) doctrine received arguably its most rigorous test yet in the annual Cope North exercise, as Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps fighter and bomber aircraft, backed by aerial refuelers and airborne early warning and control aircraft and supported by Japanese fighters and French and Australian transports, fanned out across 1,200 miles of ocean and far-flung Pacific islands.

Russia Removed MiG-31’s Radar & Used A-50 AWACS To Strike Ukraine; Now Forced To Rely On Ground Control For Combat Ops – UK MoD

03/11/2023

Days after a Russian A-50 Beriev (Mainstay) early warning aircraft came under attack by an unmanned aerial system (UAS), a new set of claims regarding the contentious attack—which may have dealt a blow to Russia—have been made in a latest UK intelligence update.

Japan mulls drones to deter rising Chinese intrusions

03/09/2023

Japan is mulling the use of drones for aerial interception missions as the cost of scrambling manned fighter aircraft becomes increasingly unsustainable amid intensified Chinese air incursions.

Indonesia Air Force Expands Fleet With Used Foreign Fighter Jets

03/09/2023

Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto at the Halim Perdanakusuma airbase on Wednesday assured that Indonesia’s military air fleet will continue to be expanded. The latest plan, he elaborated, is to acquire a number of used military planes that are still considered to be in good condition. “We plan to acquire a number of aircraft from overseas that are not too old,” said Prabowo after the official handover of the Super Hercules C-130 Type J at the airbase on March 8.

F-35s to Operate Out of Denmark for First Time

03/09/2023

In a first for the country, five US Air Force F-35 fighter jets will operate out of the Skrydstrup airbase in Denmark. The aircraft arrived at the base in Southern Jutland on Monday, where they will be hosted until March 16 in preparation for the arrival of Denmark’s first F-35s from the US in the autumn. The new planes will replace the Royal Danish Air Force’s current fleet of F-16s.

Two Italian Air Force planes collided in mid-air on Tuesday, killing both pilots during training exercises northwest of Rome, officials said.

03/08/2023

The two pilots were on board U-208 training aircraft and were participating in a training mission according to a statement from Italy’s air force, the Aeronautica Militare. The cause of the collision was not immediately known. Four aircraft were flying in formation when two of the planes collided, witnesses told local media.

Kendall Reveals New Details on Air Force Plans: 1,000 CCAs, 200 NGAD Fighters

03/08/2023

The Air Force will field 200 Next-Generation Air Dominance aircraft and notionally 1,000 Collaborative Combat Aircraft, and will request funds in the fiscal 2024 budget to develop these new systems, Secretary Frank Kendall said in his keynote address at the AFA Warfare Symposium on March 7.

Which fighter jet is best for Ukraine as it fights off Russia?

03/08/2023

When Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago, the Kremlin had an air force that could draw on hundreds of MiG and Sukhoi fighter jets in reserve. Ukraine’s fighter fleet was, by some estimations, far more meager, with 69 jets at most. Experts say that put it at about one-tenth the size of Russia’s.

Preparing for Russia: Inside NATO fighter pilot training in Texas

03/07/2023

More than 5,000 miles from NATO’s eastern flank, a new generation of allied fighter pilots is coming of age in North Texas. After decades of peace at home, American and European airmen here face a new reality: They are the frontline flyers who will keep Russia’s war in Ukraine from spilling across NATO’s borders, and the instructors who will teach the new pilots how to do it.

DARPA moves General Atomics’ ‘LongShot’ drone pitch to phase 2

03/07/2023

General Atomics’ pitch for the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency’s LongShot program — a three-phased effort to build a turducken-like unmanned aircraft system (UAS) dropped from a bomber or fighter that can launch missiles of its own — is still on the menu for DARPA, following its selection by the agency to move into the program’s second phase, the company told Breaking Defense.

British, German fighter aircraft to jointly police skies of NATO ally Estonia

03/07/2023

British and German air forces will patrol the skies over Estonia together for the first time as Britain prepares to take the lead of NATO's mission in the former Soviet Republic, the Ministry of Defense said Monday. In a show of "unity," Royal Air Force and German Air Force Typhoon jets will fly integrated missions with the eventual aim of carrying out full joint and integrated NATO Air Policing missions in the future, the Defense Ministry said in a news release.

Turkey's powerhouse drone industry is on the verge of another milestone: a stealthy unmanned fighter jet for its new aircraft carrier

03/07/2023

In less than a decade, Turkey has become a drone powerhouse. Unmanned aerial vehicles were its defense industry's single largest export last year, totaling $871.5 million — an 80% increase over 2021. Much of that market is served by the firm Baykar, which produces the TB2 model widely known for its use in recent conflicts, including in Ukraine. Baykar has built more than 400 TB2s for 24 countries. But the TB2 is just one of Baykar's models. On January 23, the company announced that the Kizile

Sanctions leave Russia unable to produce vital radar plane - Ukraine intel

03/06/2023

Russia has been met with a roadblock - foreign suppliers of crucial aircraft are hesitant to provide for Russia amidst sanctions. Russia is unable to further produce vital A-50 radar aircraft due to a defense industry crippled by foreign sanctions, the Ukrainian Intelligence Directorate said on Friday. Russia has 6 or 7 operational A-50s according to a UK Defense Ministry Tuesday intelligence update.

RAAF crews offered counselling after tense encounters with Beijng's military over South China Sea

03/06/2023

The Air Force has revealed Australian pilots and aircrew are offered counselling after they encounter Chinese military jets during patrols over the South China Sea. Tensions are rising in the strategically important waterway, and the RAAF says it is noticing a trend of more dangerous behaviour by aircraft from the People's Liberation Army.