Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

First Two Italian Navy F-35B Returning From The U.S. Land Aboard Cavour Aircraft Carrier

12/23/2022

?The first two F-35B Lightning II STOVL aircraft of the Marina Militare (Italian Navy), MM7451/4-01 and MM7452/4-02, landed aboard Cavour aircraft carrier on Dec. 16, 2022, completing the long return trip from the U.S. that had (virtually) started on Nov. 29, with the ceremony held last November 29, at the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina, to celebrate the end of the PIA (Pooling Implementing Arrangement) signed in 2018 by the Italian MOD Defense and the US Marine Corps.

Taiwan scrambles jets as China flies dozens of aircraft into air defense zone

12/23/2022

Taiwan scrambled fighter jets to confront dozens of Chinese aircraft that flew into the self-governed Island's southeastern Air Defense Zone on Thursday. China's sortie included 21 fighter aircraft, four bombers and an assortment of support craft as well. The group totaled 39 planes in all, and Taiwan's military also detected three Chinese naval vessels operating in the region, Reuters reported.

EXPLAINER: Patriot Missile System and How it Might Help the AFU

12/22/2022

The United States will give Ukraine top-of-the-line Patriot anti-aircraft missiles as part of $1.8 billion military assistance package, according to Dec. 21 news reports. The top-end American air defense technology will add a new layer to Kyiv’s air defense capacities, but not so much to prevent Russian drone attacks against Ukrainians cities.

Polish Air Force Receives Final Batch of Leonardo Advanced Jet Trainers

12/22/2022

Italian aerospace firm Leonardo has completed the delivery of M-346 advanced trainer aircraft to the Polish Air Force, boosting Poland’s fleet to 16. The third and final delivery of four advanced jet trainers last week made the Polish Air Force’s the second largest fleet of M-346 aircraft in Europe. “We are very proud to have equipped the Polish Air Force with an advanced training system based on our M-346,” Senior Vice President Dario Marfè said.

The Swedish Air Force prepares for the next 20 years

12/22/2022

As part of a military strategic analysis study up to 2045, the Swedish Air Force (Flygvapnet) designed its roadmap for the next two decades, which will guide its expansion and modernization. The study, conducted for the entire Swedish Armed Forces, seeks to guide decisions on defense policy towards 2045. It echoes the war in Ukraine and Sweden’s future membership in the NATO structure, which marks a turning point for the country after decades of strategic neutrality.

Colombia closes in on purchase of 16 French Rafale fighter planes

12/22/2022

Colombia has shortlisted a French bid to sell 16 Rafale fighter planes to the South American nation for up to $3.15 billion, the Colombian government said on Wednesday. Colombia wants to replace the Israeli-made Kfir aircraft it acquired in the late 1980s, and would use the new planes to defend its territory, fight organized crime and conduct aerial surveillance.

Italy Drops A ‘Bombshell’ On 6th-Gen GCAP Fighter Program; Wants Equal Share In Development With Japan & UK

12/22/2022

Earlier this month, an agreement was signed by the UK, Japan, and Italy to develop the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), which will see them work together on next-generation fighter aircraft. The deal fused the UK-Italy Tempest and Japan’s F(X) programs. As negotiations to establish the responsibilities of each nation in the ambitious project move forward, Italy has raised a precondition for the functioning of the GCAP.

US to send $1.8 billion in aid, Patriot battery, to Ukraine

12/21/2022

The U.S. will send $1.8 billion in military aid to Ukraine in a massive package that will for the first time include a Patriot missile battery and precision guided bombs for their fighter jets, U.S. officials said Tuesday, as the Biden administration prepares to welcome Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Washington.

Naval Aviator who took part in first F/A-18E combat mission tells the story of Super Hornet’s combat debut

12/21/2022

Fresh from conducting Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) patrols over Afghanistan, USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) steamed into the NAG from the Northern Arabian Sea in late October 2002 where the aircrew of the embarked Carrier Air Wing Fourteen (CVW-14) started to perform the Operation Southern Watch (OSW) mission.

Putin says Russia is training Belarusian pilots to fly jets capable of carrying a "special warhead"

12/21/2022

Russia will continue training Belarusian Air Force pilots to fly combat jets that have been refurbished to carry a "special warhead," Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday during a joint news conference with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk. "I think it would be possible to continue implementing the proposal made by the Belarusian President to train crews for Belarusian combat planes.

Tactical Aircraft Investments: DOD Needs Additional Portfolio Analysis to Inform Future Budget Decisions

12/21/2022

DOD is upgrading its fleet of fighter and attack planes, known as tactical aircraft. Most of these planes—purchased in the 1970s and 80s—have outlived their planned service lives. Over the next 5 years, DOD is proposing to spend nearly $100 billion on major investments and changes to its current mix of tactical aircraft.

XQ-58 Valkyrie UAVs Delivered To Eglin AFB As Kratos Flies Improved Block 2 Variant

12/21/2022

The 40th Flight Test Squadron ar Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, took possession of the first of two government-owned Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie low-cost, high-performance unmanned aerial vehicles. The Autonomous Aircraft Experimentation team established within the unit will use the XQ-58 and Eglin range for further developmental ground and flight testing.

Ukraine Situation Report: Russia Training Belarus Pilots To Fly Jets With ‘Special Warheads’

12/20/2022

During his first visit to Belarus in more than three years, Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed with his counterpart, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, on a wide range of military and economic issues, including training Belarusian pilots to fly combat jets equipped with “special warheads,” according to the official Belarusian BelTa new agency. Lukashenko also thanked Putin for providing nuclear-capable Iskander short-range ballistic missiles and an S-400 air defense complex to Bela

Sweden’s Gripen Fighter Aircraft to Undergo Major Upgrade

12/20/2022

Swedish aerospace firm Saab announced Friday that it has been awarded a contract for 3.5 billion Swedish Krona ($338 million) to perform major upgrades on the Gripen multi-role fighter aircraft. According to the company, the plane will be equipped with a new engine to improve its flight performance. A more effective electronic warfare system will also be integrated to deny adversaries the ability to jam or disrupt the Gripen.

Turkey’s future unmanned fighter jet conducts first flight

12/20/2022

Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar Tech on Dec. 14 conducted the first flight test of its next-generation unmanned fighter jet, known as the Bayraktar Kizilelma. The drone is expected to be the air force backbone of the Turkish Navy’s future flagship, LHD Anadolu.

B-2 Bomber Fleet Grounded Indefinitely

12/20/2022

The U.S. Air Force’s entire fleet of B-2 Spirits is grounded, and the sole runway at their home base remains closed after one of the stealth bombers had a malfunction while flying and was forced to make an emergency landing Dec. 10. The head of Global Strike Command, Gen. Timothy Ray, directed the “safety pause” to inspect the fleet after the incident, Master Sgt. Beth Del Vecchio of Bomb Wing Public Affairs told Defense One in an email.

Japan and U.S. set up military intelligence team at Yokota Air Base

12/19/2022

Japan and the United States have launched a new organization to analyze information collected by their defense equipment, including U.S. unmanned aircraft recently deployed near the East China Sea, where China is intensifying its military activities.

‘Double HARM’: Ukrainian MiG-29 Fires Two AGM-88 Missiles Simultaneously Presumably At Russian Positions

12/18/2022

On December 16, a video showing a Ukrainian MiG-29 jet launching two AGM-88 HARMs surfaced online, indicating that these missiles still play an important role in striking Russian defenses. AGM-88 High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM) is a tactical air-to-surface anti-radiation missile targeted at high-frequency radars to locate and strike the target.

Russia’s Shadowy Mercenary Air Force Is Losing More And More Jets In Ukraine

12/18/2022

The Sukhoi Su-24M supersonic bomber that was shot down and crashed practically on top of Ukrainian positions outside Bakhmut on Dec. 2 was flown by a pair of veteran aviators on contract with The Wagner Group, Russia’s notorious and mysterious mercenary firm. The Su-24 is at least the third Wagner-flown warplane the Ukrainians have shot down since Russia widened its war on Ukraine starting in February. Wagner also has lost a pair of Sukhoi Su-25 attack jets.

Turkey produced the mission computer for its 5th-gen aircraft

12/18/2022

Turkey has produced the mission computer of its fifth-generation fighter jet. This is clear from a post on Twitter by the account International Defense Analysis. In the post announcing the development and delivery of the mission computer for the aircraft, photos of the finished integrated circuits of the computer were shared.

European Future Combat Air Program Wants Demonstrators Flying By 2029

12/17/2022

The governments of France, Germany, and Spain have awarded a contract to industry to develop flying demonstrators for a Future Combat Air System (FCAS), which will eventually include a manned New Generation Fighter (NGF) aircraft. The contract — worth 3.2 billion Euros, or around $3.4 billion at the current exchange rate — comes a week to the day after the United Kingdom, Japan, and Italy announced they would team up to jointly develop a new fighter jet, under the Global Combat Air Program.

Gripen officially joins Brazil’s operational fighter fleet

12/17/2022

Brazil is set to officially add the Saab Gripen NG, locally designated as F-39, to the combat fleet of its air force on Dec. 19. The first of five F-39s, delivered from Sweden between December 2021 and April 2022, are now at Anapolis Air Base near the federal capital Brasilia. They were initially used for testing and training flying from Sao Paulo and other places.

Air Force asks Northrop Grumman to provide 42 AESA radar systems for F-16 fighters in $99.4 million order

12/16/2022

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 $99.4 million order last month. 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 42 production radars and spare parts.

Germany places firm order for 35 F-35A, first delivery expected in 2026

12/16/2022

The German parliament has given the green light for the acquisition of 35 F-35A fighters for a total of €10 billion. The first six aircraft are expected in 2026. The order was confirmed by both the Bundeswehr (the German military) and the US manufacturer Lockheed Martin. “At its meeting on December 14[, 2022], the budget committee of the German Bundestag approved the funds for the procurement of the stealth multipurpose combat aircraft,” the Bundeswehr announced in a statement.

Fighter jet alliance with Japan could boost Asian exports, say chiefs

12/16/2022

The UK and Italy’s groundbreaking partnership with Japan to build a new combat jet could open up export markets in Asia that have historically proved difficult to penetrate, according to the chief executives of two of the industrial groups involved.