Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Belarusian partisans damage russian A-50 AWACS aircraft

02/28/2023

On February 26, 2023, a Russian A-50 AWACS aircraft was damaged at Minsk’s military airfield near Minsk, according to Reuters and Militarnyi with reference to the opposition Belarusian channels Belarusian Hajun and BYPOL. Belarusian sources mentioned the use of two UAVs, which were controlled from the territory of Belarus. Operators are reported to be safe outside the country. It is claimed that the A-50 has received serious damage and will not fly anywhere.

Ukraine Says Fighting in Eastern Mining Town Becoming More Difficult

02/28/2023

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday the situation is becoming increasingly difficult in the eastern city of Bakhmut, where Ukrainian and Russian forces are engaged in heavy fighting. "The situation is getting more and more complicated," Zelenskyy said Monday during his nightly address. He said Russian forces are "constantly destroying everything that can be used to protect our positions."

What’s the future for crewed aircraft in combat?

02/28/2023

Russia’s war on Ukraine, with its images of helicopters trailing flames, has demonstrated their vulnerability to effective air defences and triggered debate on the future of crewed aircraft sent to penetrate enemy airspace. Former Australian Army major general Mick Ryan, who has studied the conflict closely since Moscow’s 2014 invasion, says Russia is no longer flying crewed aircraft over Ukraine because of its potent air- and missile-defence regime.

Volodymyr Zelensky: We need modern combat aircraft to protect the entire territory of Ukraine from Russian terror

02/28/2023

The day began with an attack by Iranian drones. Most of them were shot down. Eleven out of fourteen. Unfortunately, there were also hits. Three employees of the State Emergency Service in Khmelnytskyi were wounded, two were killed. In fact, that is why we need the aviation component of air defense – modern combat aircraft – to protect the entire territory of our country from Russian terror. Air defense is complete only when it is backed by aviation. Modern aviation.

War update: Ukraine’s Air Force launches four strikes on enemy positions

02/27/2023

In the past 24 hours, Ukraine’s Air Force has launched four strikes on enemy personnel and military equipment clusters. Russian troops attempted to conduct offensive actions in five directions but failed. The relevant statement was made by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The spring-summer period will be tough, but we are ready for any development in the situation

02/27/2023

The Armed Forces, defense forces, and all defenders of Ukraine are ready for any scenario during the spring-summer campaign, which will be extremely difficult. This was said by the Deputy Chief of the Main Directorate of Intelligence, Vadym Skibitsky, at an event on the occasion of the anniversary of the beginning of the Russian Federation’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine, organized on February 24 at the residence of the Federal President of Germany in the Bellevue Palace in Berlin.

CJTF-HOA conducts joint FARP exercise on African continent

02/27/2023

Various U.S. units under Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa, or CJTF-HOA, and the 449th Air Expeditionary Group pooled their resources to conduct the first simulated joint branch Forward Arming and Refueling Point, or FARP, exercise on the African continent, Feb. 22.

Ukraine War ‘Thwacks’ SAAB; JAS-39 Fighter Jets Take A Hit Due To Pilot Shortage, Export Losses — New Report

02/27/2023

The maker of JAS-39 Gripen fighter jets, Saab, is facing an acute supplier shortage, according to a newly published annual report. As per the report, Sweden has been facing supplier shortages due to the Ukraine war, which have caused struggles with the maintenance of military equipment and “major delivery deviations,” such as delayed delivery of the new signals intelligence ship “HSwMS Artemis.”

'American aircraft, this is the PLA Air Force': Moment Chinese fighter jet and guided-missile destroyer threaten U.S. reconnaissance aircraft in heart-stopping confrontation over the South China Sea as tensions between the nations escalate

02/26/2023

A Chinese fighter jet together with a guided-missile destroyer warship in the South China Sea warned a U.S. military reconnaissance aircraft to turn away from Chinese airspace in a heart-stopping confrontation all caught on camera.

C-130 airlifter used to refuel an M1A2 Abrams tank for the first time

02/26/2023

The 317th AW successfully passed fuel from a C-130 to an M1A2 utilizing an Emergency Response Refueling Equipment Kit, marking the first time in USAF history that a C-130 has been used to refuel an Abrams tank.

Air-To-Air Missiles Extend Combat Engagement: As Missiles Evolve In Range & Tech, Dogfighting Goes Down

02/26/2023

The latest use of an Air-to-Air missile (AAM) was by the US Northern Command F-22 Raptor fighter jet launching an AIM-9X Sidewinder missile to take down a car-sized object flying above Alaska on February 10. The same combination of jet and missile destroyed the Chinese balloon on February 4. While there have been a few air combat engagements in the initial days of the war in Ukraine, missile usage is not clear.

Lightning ‘Strikes’ Asia: F-35 Fighters Proliferate In China’s Neighborhood As New Orders Mount With More In Pipeline

02/26/2023

Singapore announced on February 24 that the country would purchase eight additional F-35B Lightning II fighter jets on top of the four for which a deal was signed in 2019. The announcement indicates that the F-35s are rapidly proliferating in China’s neighborhood.

Stalemate in the skies

02/25/2023

As the world marks the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine Dr DAVE SLOGGETT asks if the lessons emerging from the conflict challenge the long-held military doctrine on achieving and maintaining air supremacy? It is still true to say that the enduring characteristic of war is that it is a bloody affair. While some significant technological advances have occurred, they have not changed this fundamental perspective.

How many fighter jets does the UK have as country is willing to supply jets to allies for Ukraine

02/25/2023

Britain is prepared to provide fighter jets to its allies in eastern Europe, according to UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace. According to Mr Wallace, this would enable Britain's allies to give Ukraine their own Soviet fighter jets. Notwithstanding the UK's willingness to “backfill” ally stocks, he reiterated that it would not send its own Typhoon fighters to Ukraine.

Russia-Ukraine: A Year of War

02/25/2023

Ukraine’s leader pledged Friday to push for victory in 2023 as he and other Ukrainians marked the somber anniversary of the Russian invasion that upended their lives and Europe’s security. It was Ukraine’s “longest day,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, but the country’s dogged resistance a year on has proven that “every tomorrow is worth fighting for.”

177th Fighter Wing Hosts Air Mobility Command Units For Integrated Combat Turnaround Training

02/25/2023

The 177th Fighter Wing of the New Jersey Air National Guard, part of Air Combat Command, hosted Integrated Combat Turnaround (ICT) training for members of Air Mobility Command (AMC) from Feb. 9 to Feb. 17, 2023. An ICT is a process by which an aircraft is recovered and relaunched in a minimum amount of time, through the simultaneous fueling, loading of munitions, aircraft reconfiguration and aircraft inspections.

Denmark’s Defense Minister “open” to looking at the donation of Danish fighter jets to Ukraine

02/25/2023

Danish acting Minister of Defense Troels Lund Poulsen is “open to” Denmark sending combat aircraft to Ukraine in the long term, DR reports. “I don’t want to deny that at some point it may be necessary to look at a fighter aircraft contribution,” he said making it clear that no decision has been made yet: “I cannot announce this morning that we are going to provide a contribution of fighter aircraft from the Danish side.”

US says Iran ‘expanding’ support for Russia’s war on Ukraine

02/25/2023

Iran’s backing of Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine is expanding to include “unprecedented defence cooperation” that will see the Islamic Republic purchase advanced weaponry from Moscow in exchange for providing Russian forces with equipment meant for use on Ukrainian territory, the White House has said.

MINDEF TO ACQUIRE EIGHT MORE F-35B FIGHTER AIRCRAFT

02/25/2023

The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) will purchase eight more F-35B Joint Strike Fighters, to be added to its fleet by the end of the decade. This follows the agreement of purchase of four F-35Bs first, which was inked in 2020. Since then, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) was given exclusive access to information and facilities of the aircraft, allowing them to conduct robust evaluations.

Malaysia picks South Korea’s FA-50 light combat jet over Indian bid

02/25/2023

Korea Aerospace Industries has won a competition to supply light attack aircraft to Malaysia, the company announced, marking its latest export for the line of trainer/light attack jets. The South Korean company said the contract, worth $920 million, will see it deliver 18 FA-50 jets to the Southeast Asian country, with the first due for delivery in 2026.

Lockheed Plans To ‘Ramp Up’ Production Of F-16 Fighters As Ukraine Looks To Acquire Dozens Of Jets From The West

02/24/2023

While US President Joe Biden’s historic surprise visit to Ukraine on the eve of the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of that country and his new offer of $460 million of the military to boost the country’s defense has raised the spirit of the Ukrainians enormously, Kyiv’s request to get F-16 fighter aircraft at the earliest remains pending for Washington’s approval.

Ukraine Situation Report: Kyiv Claims New Combat Aircraft Has Been Determined

02/24/2023

Ukrainian pilots have visited the U.S. and the specific type of aircraft to be provided to Ukraine has already been selected, the top spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force claimed on Tuesday. “Our military pilots went to the United States, funds were allocated for the training of our pilots,” Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuri Ignat said, according to ArmyInform an information agency of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (MoD).

Serbia eyes Rafale fighter aircraft

02/24/2023

The current serviceability and related maintenance issues of the Ratno vazduhoplovstvo i protivvazduhoplovna odbrana Vojske Srbije (Serbia Air Force and Air Defence) MiG-29 fighter aircraft is causing headaches for the Serbian Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The fighter jet featured in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ with Tom Cruise is going into retirement after 40 years

02/24/2023

Boeing Co. plans to end production of its F/A-18 Super Hornet, the fighter jet that wowed movie audiences in last year’s Top Gun: Maverick, after more than 2,000 deliveries over 40 years. The aerospace giant will stop manufacturing the fighters after it hands over the last Super Hornet to the US Navy in late 2025, according to a statement Thursday.

Ukraine Military Intelligence Aviation Receives UH-60A Black Hawk Helicopter

02/23/2023

If it has not yet convinced the United States to pass on some Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters to its air force, Ukraine at least already has a new American aircraft. Military Intelligence Aviation, linked to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence, revealed that it had received a Sikorsky UH-60A Black Hawk helicopter.