Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

The Race for the Indian Naval Fighter Contract

01/07/2023

November 2022 saw the visit of the French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu as well as the US Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro to India. Lecornu was in New Delhi for the Fourth India–France Defence Dialogue, where both countries decided to enhance military industrial cooperation with a focus on Make In India (MII).

The new F-15EX took a 'major step' closer to carrying more air-to-air missiles than all other US Air Force fighters in testing

01/06/2023

The US Air Force's newest fighter aircraft — the F-15EX Eagle II — recently conducted a successful missile test that brought the aircraft closer to being able to hold more air-to-air missiles than any other jet in the service. During a testing in late November, two F-15EX fighter jets from the 96th Test Wing fired air-to-air missiles over a training range in the Gulf of Mexico, Eglin Air Force Base revealed in a statement Wednesday.

French Air Force faces a shortage of Rafale, AESA radars and pilot training hours

01/04/2023

General Stéphane Mille, Chief of Staff of the Armée de l’air et de l’espace [CEMAAE], testified on Rafale Aircraft shortages in the armed forces during his hearing in the Senate on the occasion of the end-of-year budget discussions, the report for which was just issued – two months later. CEMAAE forecasted that the number of active fighter aircraft would drop to a low point as a consequence of the retirement of the Mirage 2000C from active duty and the export of 24 Rafales.

US B-52 Stratofortress Bombers Conduct Three-Day Bomber Task Force Mission From Andersen AFB, Guam

01/04/2023

The Two USAF B-52 Stratofortress bombers from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, recently conducted a three-day bomber task force operating out of Andersen Air force Base, Guam. The mission was carried out within USINDOPACOM’s operational domain. The USAF bombers arrived at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, on December 18, 2022.

New E-11A Communications Aircraft Handed Over to US Air Force

01/04/2023

The US Air Force has received a new E-11A aircraft with a battlefield airborne communications node payload at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia. The plane will be integrated into the air force’s 430th Expeditionary Electronic Communications Squadron, the “Black Wolves,” which supports combat communications. The BACN’s “WiFi in the sky” capability allows the E-11A to function similarly to a low-Earth satellite, maintaining aerial command and control capabilities for airborne and ground units.

Navy Buys 2 ‘Loyal Wingman’ XQ-58A Valkyrie Drones for $15.5M

01/04/2023

The Navy is buying two stealth unmanned aerial systems – originally developed for the Air Force – that could operate with a manned fighter, as the service pursues the manned-unmanned teaming concept officials say is central to the future of naval aviation. The service issued a $15.5 million contract to Kratos for the XQ-58A Valkyrie unmanned aerial system, according to a Dec. 30 Defense Department contract announcement.

Pentagon should better study risks of swapping older fighter jets for new ones, watchdog finds

01/04/2023

The Pentagon needs to do a better job managing the risks of replacing aging fighter jets and should share information with Congress so it can make better spending decisions and avoid gaps in air superiority, a top federal watchdog concluded in a recent report. Federal and independent analysts have determined some fixed-wing tactical attack aircraft are outliving their life spans and, in some cases, there aren’t planes to replace them yet, according to a study by the Government Accountability Off

Only 3 countries have managed to build 5th-generation fighters, but nearly a dozen are already working on 6th-gen jets

01/04/2023

Some 20 years after their first appearance in the skies, fifth-generation fighters remain both the most advanced and rarest aircraft in service. Only four models from three countries — the US's F-22 and F-35, China's J-20, and Russia's Su-57 — have been officially introduced. But many other countries are determined to have their own next-generation models. At least nine countries are already developing sixth-generation aircraft, either on their own or in cooperation with other countries.

Ukraine’s army commander sums up military results of 2022

01/03/2023

“A year that changed us, our present and future forever,” he said. “A year that entered world history – in the name of Ukraine and its Armed Forces.” Zaluzhnyi said the Defense Forces had liberated 40% of the territories occupied after Feb. 24 and 28% of all of the Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia.

China’s future carrier-borne stealth fighter J-35 images emerge

01/03/2023

New images of one of the J-35 prototypes have appeared on Chinese social networks, evidence that the development program continues to advance at a good pace. China, from time to time, makes its defense progress known by leaking poor quality images of the prototypes of its military aircraft under development on the social networks it controls.

Japan: Jets scrambled to watch Chinese aircraft carrier's operation in Pacific

01/03/2023

The Japanese government said it had to scramble fighter jets and send aircraft along with warships as it monitors the operation of China's Liaoning aircraft carrier conducting naval exercises in the Pacific. Japan said it sent warships and aircraft over the last two weeks to keep an eye on five Chinese warships and the Liaoning aircraft carrier as it conducts maneuvers.

US Air Force & US Navy Fighter Jets Engage In Dogfight; F-15 Eagle Battled F/A-18 Super Hornet In Mock Drills

01/03/2023

Cruise shared a promotional picture on Twitter featuring ‘Maverick’ (the callsign of Tom Cruise’s character in the movie) looking at a F/A-18E/F Super Hornet with the phrase “Feel the Need” superimposed on it. The USAF responded to this tweet, saying, “If Maverick had a need for speed, he’d hop into one of our F-15E Strike Eagles! #DYK: They have a top speed of 1,875 miles per hour.”

US Air Force temporarily deploys six fighter jets to Israeli airbase

01/03/2023

The United States Air Force on Monday deployed six fighter jets to an Israeli Air Force base in southern Israel, as part of a military tactic to constantly disperse its aircraft at various airbases. According to the IAF, during the deployment at the Nevatim Airbase, the six F-15s would conduct joint drills with Israel’s fleet of F-35 stealth fighters and a squadron of intelligence-gathering Gulfstream G550 planes.

Russia targets Ukraine facilities involved in drones production: MoD

01/02/2023

Russia's Defense Ministry confirmed that it hit "the facilities of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine," which is involved in the production of drones. In a statement, the Russian Ministry said the strikes destroyed "storage facilities and launch sites" for the drones, adding that "the aim of the strike was achieved."

Bradley Perrett | The F-35 won't allow Australia to keep up with China, we need a 2030 fighter solution now

01/02/2023

Britain, Italy and Japan have agreed to develop a new fighter. It's almost certainly the one we'll need for supplementing our current main fighter type, the Lockheed Martin F-35, in the second half of the 2030s. The problem that we need to think about now is that the F-35 is likely to be badly outclassed by new Chinese fighters 15 years from now.

Russians have lost more weapons and equipment than they had when invasion started General Staff report

01/01/2023

The Russian occupation forces have now lost more military equipment and weapons in Ukraine than they had in their possession at the time of the full-scale invasion on 24 February. Source: Brigadier-General Oleksii Hromov, Deputy Chief of the Main Operational Department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, talking to Ukrinform

China Attacked US Naval Targets During Mock Drills When Its J-11 Fighter Almost Rammed Into US RC-135 Aircraft

01/01/2023

On December 21, the same day that a Chinese J-11 fighter jet intercepted a US Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance plane in what the Pentagon called an “unsafe maneuver,” the Chinese Navy practiced an attack on a US Navy task group in the South China Sea. The US released a video of the dangerous intercept only on November 30.

British defence chiefs sign £9million deal in quest for new Red Arrows plane

12/31/2022

Defence chiefs have signed a £9million deal paving the way for a Red Arrows replacement plane. In July last year we revealed the RAF’s display team could, for the first time, be forced to fly foreign jets when their current Hawks are retired in 2030.

ANG F-15C pilot explains how he was able to score a gun kill against a TOPGUN student F/A-18F in a Mock Dogfight

12/31/2022

Pilots from the 194th Fighter Squadron, 144th Fighter Wing, California Air National Guard, based at Fresno Air National Guard Base, Calif., challenged US Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) students during their graduation capstone event Nov. 18-20, 2022, at Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada.

F-16 Viper: Challenging China’s J-20 Fighter, Taiwan Gets 100th Modified F-16V Amid Threats From Beijing

12/31/2022

Taiwan is currently upgrading 141 F-16A/B jets into F-16Vs and has ordered 66 new F-16Vs with enhanced avionics, missiles, and radar systems to counter China’s Air Force, including the J-20 stealth fighters. On December 30, the Liberty Times reported that the 100th fully upgraded fighter, serial number 6673, landed at Hualien Air Force Base. After completing its third and final test flight at the Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) in Taichung, the aircraft was flown to the airb

US to expand Aegis Guam performance against missile attacks

12/30/2022

Guam is a strategic position for the US to monitor Chinese activities in the region. The island is home to two US military bases. One military base houses conventional and nuclear submarines, as well as U.S. warships. Pacific Fleet The other base, Anderson, houses B-1, B-2, or B-52 heavy bombers.

Air Force to end ‘22 with no public data on Middle East air operations

12/30/2022

The Air Force will end 2022 without releasing any public data on the scope of air operations conducted in the Middle East this year. The decision limits the transparency of American troops’ continued involvement in Iraq and Syria, amid dwindling public interest and shrinking military resources in the region. “At this time, [Air Forces Central Command] is not releasing data specifying sortie type or weapons release,” spokesperson Capt. Kayshel Trudell said Tuesday.

Indian Air Force successfully test-fires extended range BrahMos cruise missile

12/30/2022

‘The missile achieved the desired mission objectives in the Bay of Bengal region. With this, IAF has achieved a significant capability boost to carry out precision strikes from SU-30MKI aircraft against land/sea targets over very long ranges,’ the IAF said in a statement. The Brahmos’ extended range capability coupled with the high performance of the SU-30MKI aircraft gives the IAF a strategic reach and allows it to dominate future battle fields, the IAF added.

South Korea To Spend Billions Upgrading Its F-15K Slam Eagle Fighters

12/30/2022

Seoul has approved major projects to upgrade its existing F-15K Slam Eagle fighter jets, and to buy additional refueling tankers. The move comes as South Korea seeks to bolster its armed forces to counter the growing North Korean threat. As part of this effort, South Korea’s air force is set to be a major beneficiary, and approval for the plans comes just two days after the first North Korean cross-border drone intrusion in five years — which you can read more about here.

‘Dangerously’ close: Video shows Chinese jet buzzing US spy plane

12/30/2022

The Pentagon on Thursday released video it said showed a Chinese fighter jet coming dangerously close to a U.S. Air Force RC-135 Rivet Joint reconnaissance plane over the South China Sea last week. The People’s Liberation Army Navy pilot flew the J-11 fighter in front of, and within 20 feet of, the Rivet Joint’s nose during the Dec. 21 intercept, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement.