Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

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.

Potential F-35, Reaper deal with UAE not completely dead, senior US official says

02/23/2023

“We have a continuing and robust dialogue with the [United Arab Emirates] on these sales," senior State Department official Stanley Brown told Breaking Defense. "We remain committed to them, even as we continue consultations to ensure that we have a clear, mutual understanding with respect to Emirati obligations."

Royal Navy F-35 pilot tells of ejecting seconds before crash

02/23/2023

The pilot of a British fighter jet that rolled off a Royal Navy aircraft carrier has spoken of his relief at managing to eject from the £100m F-35. Speaking soon after the incident in November 2021, the pilot, known as Hux, recalled having only seconds to react. An official investigation concluded the sudden loss of power on take-off was probably caused by a cover being left on one of the aircraft's jet intakes.

Ukraine fighter jets: What are the pros and cons of supplying military aircraft?

02/23/2023

When Finland’s airforce switched from Soviet fighter jets to US-made aircraft, Jarmo Lindberg led the first group of experienced pilots to be trained in California to fly F18 hornets. That training took a full year including English lessons, flight simulations, emergency procedures and learning to use the aircraft to fight, the former fighter pilot and chief of defence told Euronews.

Political Momentum Grows for Sending F-16 Jets to Ukraine

02/22/2023

Since the early days of Russia's full-scale invasion of his country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's pleas to the U.S. for advanced fighter jets have gone largely unanswered, but even as experts warn that the planes might not make much of a near-term difference in the conflict, the idea is gaining support.

KAI will attempt to export fighter jets, helicopters to Middle East, says CEO

02/22/2023

South Korean defense company Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) is aiming to export its combat jets and helicopters, including the KF-21 stealth fighter jet, to the Middle East, the company’s CEO Kang Goo-young said. Speaking at the IDEX defense exhibition in Abu Dhabi on February 21, 2023, the CEO said one of the main priorities for KAI is continuing with the MC-X, a joint project to develop a twin-engine military transport aircraft, according to a report published by The Korean Herald.

CHINA / MILITARY China seals deal to export L15 trainer jet to UAE, displays Y-20 cargo plane & FC-31 stealth fighter at expo

02/22/2023

China's aviation industry announced on Tuesday that a deal to export the domestically developed L15 advanced trainer jet to the UAE has been sealed, as it put the latest, aerial refueling-capable variant of the aircraft on display at an ongoing defense expo in Abu Dhabi, with experts hailing the aircraft as one of the best trainers in the world.

Airbus Stares At ‘Death’ Of Eurofighter Typhoons While Lockheed Martin Walks Away With Monstrous European Deals

02/22/2023

European defense consortium Airbus is staring at a shortage of orders, including for the Eurofighter Typhoon, when European countries are making new military purchases to combat potential Russian threats. Airbus SE’s defense unit revealed recently that the company has been planning to increase production of its Eurofighter jet and other important weapons systems but has been held back due to the inability of governments to commit to orders, Bloomberg reported.

Belarus to make Su-25 attack aircraft as Russia eyes industry takeover

02/22/2023

In another sign of tightening defense ties between Belarus and Russia, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has announced his country’s defense industry is ready to kick off the manufacturing of Sukhoi Su-25 ground attack aircraft. Some analysts suggest the move could be related to Moscow’s plan to streamline Minsk’s defense industry capacities towards its war against Ukraine.

S. Korea's first two-seater fighter jet KF-21 succeeds 34-minute maiden flight

02/21/2023

The fourth prototype of South Korea's homemade fighter jet KF-21 successfully conducted its flight about seven months after the first prototype made its 33-minute maiden flight in July 2022. The first two-seater fighter jet will be used for various missions such as testing the performance of a computer-controlled array antenna system that determines the survival of fighter jets in a combat situation.

Italy Ready To Provide Ukraine With Modern Aircraft, But Only On Its Own Terms - Media

02/21/2023

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni may raise the issue of providing Ukraine with modern combat aircraft during her upcoming visit to Kyiv, which is due to take place before February 24. The Italian publication Repubblica reported this with reference to its own sources writes.

US conducts combat drills with Japan and South Korea

02/21/2023

The US has carried out separate air exercises with both the Japanese and South Korean air forces to build quick response capability to any regional threat. According to a US Forces Japan’s media statement, the bilateral exercise between Japan and US was conducted on 19 February to demonstrate the combined rapid capabilities of both nations in countering a wide range of regional adversaries.

Hindustan Aeronautics Unveils Lead-in Fighter Trainer Project

02/21/2023

Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) displayed a model of its company-funded HLFT-42 (Hindustan Lead-in Fighter Trainer) concept at the recent Aero India show, despite the apparent lack of a formal Indian Air Force requirement for the jet. The project is being positioned as a lead-in fighter training aircraft that will have performance and systems representative of frontline types, allowing it to download training from operational aircraft while exposing pilots to modern sensors, weapons and roles at low

War update: Ukrainian forces shoot down enemy Su-25 aircraft, three drones

02/20/2023

Ukraine’s Defense Forces have shot down another Russian Su-25 aircraft, two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and one Lancet-3 loitering munition. The relevant statement was made by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The United States announced progress on the transfer of fighter jets to Ukraine

02/20/2023

The likelihood of US transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine is gradually increasing. Such an opinion on Sunday, February 19, on the air of the TV channel CNN expressed the head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives of the US Congress Michael McCall (R-Texas).

Under Cover Of Su-35, Su-30SM Fighters, Russia Deploys ‘Highly Modified’ Su-25 Attack Aircraft To Strike Ukraine

02/20/2023

On February 16, the Russian Ministry of Defense (RuMoD) highlighted the capabilities of the Su-25 attack aircraft upgraded by the country in a Telegram post titled ‘Upgraded Su-25SM3: Superpower Over The Battlefield’.

The story of the F-15E Strike Eagle that shot down an Iraqi Mi-24 with a 2000lb laser-guided bomb during Operation Desert Storm

02/19/2023

During Operation Desert Storm F-15E Strike Eagle #89-0487, or “487” for short, from 335th Tactical Fighter Squadron (TFS, today 335th Fighter Squadron, FS) “Chiefs” was credited with one of the most unique air-to-air kills in aviation history.

Russia to propose Gulf States partnership to produce Su-75 Checkmate fighter aircraft

02/19/2023

Russia is to propose a partnership with the Gulf States to produce its cutting-edge fighter jet Su-75, also referred to as Checkmate, Russian media reported on Thursday. "Rosoboronexport is considering options for joint design and manufacture of cutting-edge high-tech products, including a fifth-generation fighter based on the Checkmate light tactical aircraft," shared Rosoboronexport's Director General Alexander Mikheev.

Chinese Shandong, USS Nimitz Aircraft Carrier ‘Encounter’ In SCS After First Meet Of Stealth Fighters – Reports

02/19/2023

China has released a video featuring its second aircraft carrier Shandong conducting a training exercise and making announcements in English, which according to a Chinese military expert, could mean that the aircraft carrier had “a close encounter with a US aircraft carrier in the South China Sea.”

Ukrainian Air Force launches five strikes on invaders, hits anti-aircraft missile system

02/18/2023

During the day, the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine launched five strikes on the personnel and military equipment clusters of the Russian invaders and hit the location of an anti-aircraft missile system. This is stated in the report of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as of 18:00, February 17, published on Facebook.

RAAF EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft to get Jammer Upgrades

02/18/2023

Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)’s EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft will be upgraded to the most current US capabilities by Australian Defence Force’s standout radar-systems developer CEA Technologies as part of the $6 billion Project AIR 5349 Phase 6 project.

Taiwan tracks 12 Chinese military aircraft, 3 naval ships around country

02/18/2023

The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 12 Chinese military aircraft and three naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Thursday (Feb. 16) and 6 a.m. on Friday (Feb. 17). Of the 12 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, one Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane 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 this time.

China helps military junta with fighter aircraft to strengthen its control over Myanmar population: Report

02/18/2023

China is helping Myanmar’s military to strengthen its control over the helpless civilians by providing them with “fighter aircraft”, and this clearly shows that Beijing doesn’t value human rights when it comes to furthering its own interests, Mekong News, Myanmar-based news agency reported. Earlier, in October, Irrawaddy, a newspaper in Myanmar run by the opposition had claimed that the country had ordered several FTC-2000G midrange fighter jets from China.

Russian combat aircraft production sustained despite sanctions

02/18/2023

The invasion of Ukraine on 24 February provoked ‘swift and severe’ retaliatory sanctions against Russia – as President Biden had warned. Russia’s defence industry was a target sector for santcions. In the last year the maritime and land domains have been significantly debilitated by sanctions. In Russia there is debate over how naval ship-building can recover under sanctions.