Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Taiwan holds massive Han Kuang military drills as tensions with China build

07/29/2022

In simulated scenes, a hostile enemy attempts to seize control of a key waterway close to the Taiwanese capital. Attacking from sea and air, the invading forces target the mouth of the Tamsui River on the island's northern coast -- a strategic estuary that provides direct access to the center of Taipei.

Iraq seeks to replace its F-16s, wants Rafale and pays in oil

07/29/2022

Iraq is interested in buying 14 French 4.5-generation Dassault Rafale fighter jets. The deal is valued at $240 million. Iraq offers to pay them through oil supplies. The news was first reported by the business magazine Forbes. At the moment, there is no information on exactly what combat aircraft Baghdad wants – brand new or second-hand [already used] aircraft.

In Pictures: Anatolian Eagle 2022 At Konya Air Base

07/29/2022

Organized at the 3rd Main Jet Base Command Konya Air Base, in central Anatolia, south of Ankara, Turkey, Anatolian Eagle is a series of exercises, inspired by the U.S. Red Flag and Maple Flag series, hosted by the Turkish Air Force and attended each year by several foreign air arms. The latter, include NATO allies along with rather exotic services from other countries, that are rarely seen elsewhere in Europe.

158th Fighter Wing Airmen Demonstrate ACE in Estonia

07/29/2022

Thirty-five multicapable Airmen from the 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard, deployed from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, to Amari Airbase, Estonia, to exercise Agile Combat Employment July 6-15. ACE is a U.S. Air Force concept that allows decentralized flying operations with a minimal footprint to provide rapid movement on short notice.

Building Asymmetric Advantage in Indo-Pacific Part of DOD Approach to Chinese Aggression

07/28/2022

In the Indo-Pacific region, Chinese aggression demonstrates an effort by Beijing to deconstruct core elements of the international rules-based order and assert greater control over the waterways that connect it with its neighbors, the assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs said.

US sends six F-22 fighter jets to Poland

07/28/2022

Six American F-22 Raptor combat jets have been sent to Poland under Nato's Air Shielding programme, the US Air Force's Europe and Africa command announced on Wednesday. The stealth tactical fighter aircraft, made by Lockheed Martin and Boeing, will be based at the Lask air base in central Poland.

China ‘Hyper Accelerates’ Training Program For Its Fighter Pilots After Record Warplane Production

07/28/2022

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force has established a new personnel training program, and its first batch of pilots, trained on the J-10 medium-weight, single-engine, multirole combat aircraft, graduated from the Shijiazhuang Flight Academy, the Chinese state-owned media outlet, Global Times reported on July 24. The Shijiazhuang Flight Academy first received J-10 fighter aircraft in 2020, which are used for this new pilot training program.

Battle from the skies: How aviation advances empower the Corps’ new combat plan

07/28/2022

The Marine Corps has been swapping out traditional tools for what some leaders see as a vastly different form of warfare in the coming decades: the Corps has been shedding tanks, reducing tube artillery, cutting law enforcement while adding rocket artillery and transforming infantry-centered regiments.

Textron Aviation Defense Beechcraft AT-6E Wolverine Achieves Military Type Certification from USAF

07/27/2022

Textron Aviation Defense announced the Beechcraft AT-6E Wolverine has achieved Military Type Certification (MTC) from the United States Air Force, paving the way for continued global sales of the light attack aircraft. The AT-6E is a multi-mission aircraft system designed to meet a wide variety of warfighter and peacekeeper needs.

House panel cuts ?7.4 billion for two F-35A combat jets, Thai air force defends plan

07/27/2022

A House subcommittee scrutinising procurement projects of state agencies decided yesterday (Monday) to cut the 7.4-billion-baht budget for the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) to procure two US-made F-35A combat jets, on the grounds that the US Congress has not yet approved the sale of the aircraft to Thailand and the acquisition is not urgent.

Is Prague’s F-35 move checkmate for Europe’s fourth-gen fighters?

07/27/2022

The decision by the Czech Republic earlier in July to begin negotiations to acquire the fifth-generation F-35 multirole stealth fighter represented another milestone in the platform’s growing presence among Europe’s future combat air fleet, in a move that could checkmate the competition.

Air Force orders more advanced F-16 jet fighter SABR AESA radar avionics systems from Northrop Grumman

07/27/2022

U.S. Air Force aerial warfare experts are ordering additional modern active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar for F-16 jet fighter aircraft under terms of an $88.2 million order announced Friday. Officials of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Fighter Bomber Directorate, F-16 Division, at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, are asking the Northrop Grumman Corp. Mission Systems segment in Linthicum Heights, Md., for 31 production radars and spare parts.

Ukraine Shoots Down $16 Million Russian Combat Helicopter: Defense Ministry

07/26/2022

Ukraine shot down a Russian combat helicopter worth $16 million, its defense ministry said on Monday. Ukraine's Ministry of Defense announced on Monday that its troops successfully shot down a Russian Ka-52 helicopter, which is considered to be one of Russia's most powerful helicopters as it provides direct support for troops on the battlefield and is capable of detecting and attacking any targets. Ukraine destroying one of the helicopters is the latest sign of their success amid the Russia-Ukra

Taiwan’s aircraft and warships stage five-day live-fire exercise

07/26/2022

The Taiwanese military kicked off a five-day annual live-fire exercise on Monday aimed at bolstering the island’s defense capabilities and combat readiness at a time when China and Taiwan’s allies have been facing off in the airspace and seas around the island. The Han Kuang drills will be taking place at a number of locations on the island, with President Tsai Ing-wen observing a large-scale naval exercise from a warship off Yilan County in northeastern Taiwan on Tuesday.

Why engine replacement plan would hurt F-35’s international credentials

07/26/2022

Lockheed Martin’s F-35 has become the air force centrepiece for a growing number of Western nations. The interoperability of the aircraft’s operations and sustainment systems is recognised as a force multiplier in the delivery of combat air power, whether deployed to blunt Russian aggression in Europe or challenge China’s rise to dominance in the Indo-Pacific region.

German Military Halts Use of Eurofighter Jets Over Faulty Component

07/26/2022

The German military has restricted the use of its Eurofighter jets after their manufacturer said a component used in the ejector seats was faulty, a spokesperson told dpa on Friday. An investigation is now under way to test the component, the spokesperson added.

Four Chinese military aircraft enter Taiwan's ADIZ

07/25/2022

Four Chinese military aircraft flew into the southwest corner of Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Saturday, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND). The MND revealed that the Chinese planes consisted of two J-16 fighter jets, one Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane, and a Y-8 tactical reconnaissance plane.

US military chief warns of ‘significant’ increase in Chinese aircraft intercepts

07/25/2022

Please use the sharing tools found via the share button at the top or side of articles. Copying articles to share with others is a breach of FT.com T&Cs and Copyright Policy. Email [email protected] to buy additional rights. Subscribers may share up to 10 or 20 articles per month using the gift article service. More information can be found at https://www.ft.com/tour. https://www.ft.com/content/73846d05-932a-47a0-997c-6f307083b912 The US military’s top officer said China had become more a

South Korea world's fastest-growing arms exporter now

07/25/2022

South Korea's share of the global arms exports market has nearly tripled and it is now the world's fastest-growing arms exporter. The country's growth in the arms market has vastly outpaced other major market players in recent years, with the nation's arms exports hitting a record high of more than US$7 billion last year.

South Korea restores military drills once reduced to help Trump

07/24/2022

South Korea will bring back joint military exercises with the U.S. that had been scaled down or halted since about four years ago under former President Donald Trump to facilitate his nuclear negotiations with North Korea.

This Is The Clearest Photo Yet Of Chinese Navy’s J-35 Fighter

07/24/2022

The clearest image to date of China's future carrier-borne stealth fighter known as J-35 surfaced this week on Chinese social media Weibo. The twin engine aircraft will be flown by the People's Liberation Army Navy Air Force (PLANAF) from China's future Type-003 Fujian-class aircraft carriers.

Peru: President guarantees support for Air Force modernization

07/24/2022

The President of the Republic and Supreme Chief of the Armed Forces, Pedro Castillo, on Saturday ensured the Government's support for the Peruvian Air Force modernization process. "My administration supports and will support the process of modernizing the Air Force because we want it to be a solid institution, an efficient and effective institution," Mr. Castillo expressed at the ceremony for the 81st anniversary of Air Force Captain Jose Abelardo Quiñones immolation and Peruvian Air Force Day.

Russian missiles hit Ukraine port; Kyiv says it is still preparing grain exports

07/24/2022

Russian missiles hit Ukraine's southern port of Odesa on Saturday, the Ukrainian military said, threatening a deal signed just a day earlier to unblock grain exports from Black Sea ports and ease global food shortages caused by the war.

The New B-21 Stealth Bomber to Be Revealed Later This Year, Senator Says

07/23/2022

Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said the B-21 Raider stealth bomber will finally be revealed to the public later this year, unveiling an aircraft that has been shrouded in secrecy since the program began in 2014. Rounds, the only elected official in a classified visit July 15 to the B-21 Raider production facility in Palmdale, California, said the project is also on track for a first flight in 2023.

U.S. pledges more military aid to Ukraine, peace seems far off

07/23/2022

The United States promised more military support for Ukraine, including drones, and is doing preliminary work on whether to send fighter aircraft, as fighting raged on in the east of the country five months into Russia's invasion. Moscow and Kyiv signed a landmark deal on Friday to unblock grain exports from Black Sea ports. However, representatives declined to sit at the same table and avoided shaking hands at the agreement ceremony in Istanbul, reflecting wider enmity.