Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Mobility Air Forces fighters, bombers, Joint air ops: Bamboo Eagle 24-3

08/16/2024

Air Mobility Command teamed up with the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center (USAFWC), Air Combat Command and Air Force Global Strike Command to execute Exercise Bamboo Eagle 24-3, July 30 to Aug. 11, 2024, across the western United States and Pacific Ocean. Mobility Airmen used the eight-day exercise to practice mobility operations in a combat representative environment and emphasize mobility’s crucial role in wartime operations.

Ukraine downs Russian Su-34 aircraft over Kursk Oblast, military says

08/16/2024

Ukrainian forces shot down a Russian Su-34 fighter jet over Russia's Kursk Oblast overnight on Aug. 14 amid Kyiv's incursion into the region, Ukraine's General Staff reported. Ukraine's unprecedented operation, ongoing since last week, seems to have taken Russia by surprise, as Kyiv says its forces seized control of 74 settlements and over 1,000 square kilometers of land after they broke through the weakly defended border.

NATO Jet in Close Encounter With Russian Bombers, Escorts

08/16/2024

Rare footage from the cockpit of a nuclear-capable Russian bomber captured a close encounter on Wednesday between its fighter escort and a NATO air policing interceptor. A video shared to the Russian-language Telegram channel "warhistoryalconafter" showed the crew of a Tu-22M3 strategic bomber filming the approach of a German air force Eurofighter Typhoon over the Baltic Sea.

Countries With The Most Military Aircraft

08/15/2024

Air power is the backbone of any modern military. Since the dawn of early air warfare in the First World War, dominating the sky has become paramount in securing victory on the battlefield. This fact has not been lost on the military powers of today and is always a top priority for funding and modernization. The country with the most aircraft is the United States, which has 13,209 combat aircraft. In second place is Russia with 4,255 aircraft, and in third is China with 3,304 aircraft.

Two fighter jet pilots die in France after mid-air crash

08/15/2024

Two French pilots have died after their Rafale jets collided in mid-air in eastern France, President Emmanuel Macron has said, in a rare accident involving the cutting-edge military aircraft. One pilot ejected after the crash over northeastern France on Wednesday, but authorities had launched a desperate search for a missing instructor and a student pilot on the second jet.

Ukraine seeks retired pilots to fly newly acquired F-16 fighter jets

08/14/2024

Ukraine is actively looking for willing retired pilots from NATO nations capable of operating its newly acquired F-16 fighter jets. The need for recruitment is to address Ukraine’s shortage of trained pilots capable of flying F-16 fighter jets. According to US Senators Richard Blumenthal and Lindsey Graham, Ukraine is looking for ways to strengthen its air capabilities.

Canada to Build F-35A Facility for NORAD Missions in Quebec

08/14/2024

The Canadian Department of Defence has begun construction of a Quick Reaction Alert facility at the Bagotville base in Quebec. The site will house Ottawa’s future F-35A combat aircraft fleet and support North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) operations in partnership with the US military.

State Department Approves Sale of New, Updated F-15s to Israel

08/14/2024

The State Department approved a raft of foreign military sales to Israel on Aug. 13, including an $18 billion deal for up to 50 new F-15 fighters and upgrades to 25 existing F-15I models, plus engines, radars, and other equipment. The deal requires congressional approval, and would provide F-15IA aircraft, similar to the U.S. Air Force’s F-15EX Eagle II, the most advanced version of the F-15. Under the agreement, Israel would buy 25 of the fighters, with options for 25 more, according to report

A US Navy carrier strike group equipped with F-35 stealth fighters is rushing to the Middle East along with a submarine packed with Tomahawk missiles

08/13/2024

The US is accelerating the deployment of a carrier strike group to the Middle East and sending a guided-missile submarine to the region, the Pentagon announced late on Sunday. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin initially directed the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group to the Middle East earlier this month as the region braced for a potential attack on Israel by Iran and its proxies in retaliation for the killings of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders.

Why the F-22 Raptor Is the World’s Most Expensive Fighter Jet

08/13/2024

The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor remains the world’s most expensive fighter jet, with a per-unit cost of around $350 million. This price is largely due to its pioneering design, which introduced many advanced technologies, including stealth capabilities, sophisticated avionics, and thrust-vectoring nozzles.

President Marcos condemns China’s ‘dangerous’ actions vs Philippine military plane

08/12/2024

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Sunday condemned the Chinese air force’s “dangerous and provocative actions” against a Philippine military plane patrolling over the Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). According to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), two China air force aircraft “executed a dangerous maneuver” and “dropped flares in the path of its NC-212i.” The AFP said China’s action endangered the lives of its personnel conducting maritime security operations.

Modernization of Swiss F-35As creates political turmoil in the country

08/12/2024

The Swiss F-35As are once again making headlines in the Swiss press. Indeed, after the questions about the criteria used during the 2021 competition, to make the American plane its winner, it is now budgetary questions which are once again shaking up this very sensitive issue.

ROYAL AIR FORCE JETS TO CONDUCT FIRST NATO AIR POLICING MISSION WITH F-35S IN ICELAND

08/10/2024

Royal Air Force (RAF) F-35B jets from 617 Squadron, Marham, United Kingdom, have deployed to Iceland to commence NATO's Air Policing mission. This is the first time British F-35s will have taken part in any NATO air policing mission. The F-35Bs will defend NATO airspace in the Arctic Region and provide Airborne Surveillance and Interception Capabilities to meet Iceland's Peacetime Preparedness Needs – or ASIC IPPN. The last deployment for British jets in Iceland was 2019.

China Was Watching: F-22 and F-35 Fighters Took Part in 'Hot Pit' Drill

08/10/2024

During Exercise Pitch Black 24 in Australia's Northern Territory, U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors and Royal Australian Air Force F-35A Lightning IIs participated in a "hot pit" refueling exercise, a key component of the Agile Employment Concept (ACE). This exercise, held at the remote RAAF Base Curtin, emphasized rapid refueling operations in austere environments, reducing ground time to around an hour.

Taiwan tracks 36 Chinese military aircraft, 8 naval ships

08/08/2024

The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 36 Chinese military aircraft and eight naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Tuesday (Aug. 6) and 6 a.m. on Wednesday. Of the 36 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, 31 crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the nation’s northern, central, southwestern, and southeastern air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND.

Ukraine claims Su-35 fighter shoot down in Kursk region

08/08/2024

Several Ukrainian sources closely linked to the military have reported the loss of one of Russia’s advanced Su-35 fighter jets in the Kursk region. The Telegram channel “Polkovnik GSh” hinted at the loss in its messages, and various Ukrainian monitoring groups have stated that Russia withdrew its strike aircraft following the downing of the Su-35.

UK begins manufacturing of new combat aircraft

08/08/2024

The United Kingdom’s leading defense industry partners have announced that manufacturing and assembly of the main structure for the country’s first crewed combat air demonstrator in a generation are now underway. According to a press release from BAE Systems, this milestone marks a significant step in developing a new piloted supersonic aircraft aimed at testing a variety of advanced technologies.

Pakistan Pilots Start 5th-Gen Fighter Training In China? Will IAF’s Dwindling Fleet Force India Into ‘Panic Buying’

08/08/2024

Pakistan Air Force (PAF) pilots have begun training on the Chinese FC-31 Gyrfalcon (formerly known as J-31) fighter aircraft in China, Pakistan media is claiming. The media says it could soon be operating the 5th-gen fighters after undergoing training. In contrast, the delivery of India’s indigenous fighter jet, Light Combat Aircraft LCA MK1A, has been pushed back by a few months. If Indian defense officials are not proactive, they might end up ‘panic buying’ more Rafale fighter jets.

US Military Eyes Australian Island for Pacific Deterrence Initiative

08/07/2024

The US military is considering a remote island in Australia as the next potential location for construction under the Pacific Deterrence Initiative. Known as the Cocos Islands, the area sits west of the Australian mainland and is close to an Indian Ocean chokepoint for Chinese oil shipments. According to a US Navy construction tender published recently, the island can house infrastructure that would help improve Washington’s defense posture in the Indo-Pacific.

Spanish F-18 Fighters Join NATO Black Sea Policing Mission

08/07/2024

The military issues website BulgarianMilitary.com reported on Saturday, Aug. 3, that eight Spanish F/A-18A+ fighter aircraft supported by around 150 personnel arrived at Romania’s Mihail Kogalniceanu military airbase at the start of a new deployment as part of NATO’s Black Sea Air Policing mission. The Spanish team will be stationed in Romania until December as part of the routine rotation of member nation support to the operation.

Air Force F-22 Raptor Fighters Are Headed to Iran's 'Doorstep'

08/06/2024

The United States is bolstering its military presence in the Middle East by deploying F-22 Raptors, along with other fighter squadrons, amid escalating tensions with Iran and its allied militant groups. This move follows recent incidents, including the death of key leaders in Tehran and Lebanon, and a meeting in Iran with Hamas, Hezbollah, and other groups.

US Deploying F-22s to Middle East as Iran Seeks Revenge on Israel

08/05/2024

More U.S. military aircraft, warships, and other assets are deploying to the Middle East the Pentagon announced Aug. 2. A U.S. Air Force fighter squadron consisting of stealthy F-22 Raptors is being dispatched to the region, a person familiar with the deployment told Air & Space Forces Magazine.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy: This Is Reality, Reality in Our Skies – F-16s Are in Ukraine

08/05/2024

F-16 aircraft are already in Ukraine. This was announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the Day of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. F-16, MiG-29 and Su-27 fighter jets flew over the sky during the ceremony of congratulating the warriors.

Air Force exercises two Collaborative Combat Aircraft option awards

08/03/2024

The Department of the Air Force made the decision to continue funding Anduril and General Atomics for detailed designs, manufacture, and testing of production representative test articles under the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program. The companies not selected to build these production representative CCA vehicles, and execute the flight test program, will continue to be part of the broader industry partner vendor pool consisting of more than 20 companies to compete for future efforts.

US sending aircraft carrier, warships and fighter squadron to Middle East as region braces for Iranian retaliation

08/03/2024

The US is sending a carrier strike group, a fighter squadron and additional warships to the Middle East as the region braces for an Iranian retaliation to the killing of a senior Hamas leader in Tehran earlier this week. It is perhaps the largest movement of US forces to the region since the early days of the Gaza war, when the Pentagon sent two carrier strike groups toward the Middle East in a very public warning to regional militant groups not to expand the fighting.