Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Historic First – Bangladesh Air Force To Operate From India For 1st Time During IAF’s ‘Tarang Shakti’ Exercise

08/02/2024

More than four decades after its creation, Bangladesh military aircraft will roar over the skies of India for the first time. In the exercise Tarang Shakti (Power of Waves), the Bangladesh Air Force will participate with its fighter jets, along with other Western air forces. So far, Bangladesh Air Force aircraft have never operated from Indian soil. They will participate in the second phase of the exercise at Jodhpur Air Base in Rajasthan, home to the Indigenous Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) ‘Pr

French, German, and Spanish fighter jets to stop over in Malaysia after Exercise Pitch Black 2024

08/02/2024

A large tri-national force comprising 23 aircraft from the air forces of France, Germany, and Spain will be transiting to the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) base in Subang, from Aug 5-6. This trilateral deployment, dubbed Pacific Skies 2024, follows the three-week deployment to this year’s edition of Exercise Pitch Black 2024, in Darwin, Australia.

Taiwan tracks 29 Chinese military aircraft, 10 naval ships around nation

08/01/2024

The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 29 Chinese military aircraft and 10 naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Wednesday (July 31) and 6 a.m. on Thursday. Of the 29 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, 13 crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the country’s northern, southwestern, and southeastern air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND.

F-15SA: The F-15 Fighter That Doesn't Fly for the U.S. Air Force

08/01/2024

The F-15SA, a heavily upgraded version of the F-15S, features advanced avionics, electronic warfare systems, and weaponry, making it one of the most capable aircraft in Saudi Arabia's arsenal.

Breaking: Ukraine Receives First Batch Of F-16 Fighter Jets

08/01/2024

After a long wait, it appears that Ukraine has just received the first batch of F-16s provided by the international fighter jet coalition. The news, first disclosed by Bloomberg on Jul. 31, 2024, has also been confirmed by a U.S. official to the Associated Press.

What Makes the F-35 So Powerful: It Keeps Getting Upgraded

07/31/2024

The F-35 Lightning II fighter is the most advanced fighter jet in the world, but it has several updates and upgrades lined up. To begin with, Lockheed Martin is currently rolling out the TR-3 software update that is necessary for the aircraft to remain at the tip of the spear of combat aviation.

Sweden’s Gripen Fighter Jet Could Soon Launch Satellites

07/31/2024

The Swedish Air Force has embarked on a comprehensive study into the viability of launching small satellites from the JAS-39 Gripen multi-role fighter aircraft. Called “Stella,” the study is inspired by a statement from a former Ukrainian space agency official who said a responsive satellite launch capability with an aircraft would have been useful in preparing for an enemy attack.

Air Force ‘taking a pause’ on NGAD next-gen fighter: Kendall

07/31/2024

After months of hinting at a disruption in the program, the US Air Force has formally decided to “pause” its effort to field a new stealth fighter, according to Secretary Frank Kendall. “We’re taking a pause there,” Kendall said today at the Life Cycle Industry Days conference here. “With the platform itself, we’re taking a pause. With the rest of the elements of the air dominance family of systems, we’re moving forward as fast as we can.”

The road to a sixth-generation fighter programme

07/30/2024

As far as combat aircraft programmes go, there appears to be one inescapable fact; although every new generation of combat aircraft aims to outperform its predecessor and often does so, it is unable to achieve a significant reduction in costs. Despite efforts to control costs, the reality of designing, developing and fielding an advanced combat aircraft system and what seems to be a global problem in achieving effective programme management, that can deliver on time and on cost, adds to programm

France Renews Vow to Defend Freedom of Navigation as It Showcases Fighter Jets in the Philippines

07/30/2024

France renewed a commitment to help defend freedom of navigation and overflight in the Asia-Pacific Sunday and said that its supersonic fighter jets — a pair of which landed for the first time in the Philippines — and advance military power would enable it to respond rapidly to any humanitarian or security crisis in the region.

Inside the F-15EX Fighter: The Air Force's Most Advanced 'Eagle' Yet

07/29/2024

The F-15EX Eagle II, the latest variant of the iconic F-15, boasts numerous upgrades, making it one of the most advanced fighters in the U.S. Air Force. Featuring powerful F110-GE-129 engines, the F-15EX can achieve Mach 2.5 and carry nearly 30,000 lbs of payload. Advanced sensors, including the APG-82 AESA radar and Legion Pod IRST, enhance threat detection, while the EPAWSS system ensures superior situational awareness.

Concerns Over UAE Mirage 2000s Involved In Air Combat Exercise In China

07/29/2024

China could benefit from familiarizing itself with the Mirage 2000’s performance and capabilities, as well as from the possibility of engaging in dissimilar air-combat training. This preparation could be advantageous in the event of a conflict with Taiwan.

KF-21 Fighter ‘Challenges’ Tejas MK2, F/A-18 Super Hornets As South Korea Looks To Develop Superior Engines

07/28/2024

South Korean defense contractor Hanhwa Defense announced recently that the domestic jet engine that will power the Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF) KF-21 fighter will be identical in size to the F414 engine made by General Electric (GE) and used on Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and HAL Tejas Mk2, among others, but it will produce superior results.

Air Superiority and Russia’s War on Ukraine

07/27/2024

The conduct of the war in Ukraine provides two distinct lessons on airpower. The first lesson is what not to do: The Russian air force’s failure to establish air superiority at the outset cost Vladimir Putin’s forces the ability to achieve a decisive victory at the start of the conflict. The second is about the difficulty of establishing air superiority with insufficient resources and capabilities. This is what has forced Ukraine to endure costly attacks on its territory throughout the war.

169th Fighter Wing conquers Exercise Caribbean Fox, mastering Agile Combat Employment

07/27/2024

In a historic first, the South Carolina Air National Guard's 169th Fighter Wing conducted Exercise Caribbean Fox at St. Croix, July 16 - 24. This large-scale training focused on mastering Agile Combat Employment concepts, preparing the wing for any global challenge.

Chinese and Russian bombers patrolling off Alaska raise concerns about growing military cooperation

07/26/2024

Russian and Chinese bombers flew together for the first time in international airspace off the coast of Alaska, in a new show of expanding military cooperation that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday raises concerns.

China gets first-hand insight into Western fighter with UAE exercise

07/24/2024

A joint United Arab Emirates (UAE)-China airborne training exercise dubbed Falcon Shield 2024 has potentially provided Beijing with access to intricate capabilities of the Mirage 2000 fighter operated by the UAE Air Force, an aircraft also in service with a number of other countries, including France and Taiwan.

USAF Expands Role of Boeing's F-15EX Eagle II Fighter

07/24/2024

Boeing’s F-15EX Eagle II brings such capability to the table that there has been evidence of a considerable re-evaluation of its mission set in U.S. Air Force service. Following a gap between deliveries of the first two aircraft and subsequent units, the combined operational and developmental test fleet at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida has received six aircraft for trials. On June 5, Boeing delivered the first aircraft to the 123rd Fighter Squadron “Redhawks” of the Air National Guard at Portl

Navy aviator scores first air-to-air victory by a US female fighter pilot

07/24/2024

The aerial victory came against a one-way Houthi attack drone, one of dozens the Yemen-based group has deployed against civilian merchant ships in the Red Sea and nearby waters in reaction to the destruction in Gaza during Israel’s war against Hamas, a release from Carrier Strike Group 2 said.

Lockheed Martin lifts 2024 sales target on fighter jet, missile demand

07/24/2024

U.S. defense company Lockheed Martin (LMT.N), opens new tab raised its annual sales target on Tuesday, following the unexpected resumption of deliveries of its F-35 aircraft after the Pentagon began accepting the jets last week. It expects 2024 sales to be between $70.5 billion and $71.5 billion, versus $68.5 billion to $70 billion forecast earlier.

UK-led fighter program is still open-ish to paying partners

07/23/2024

The prospect of another nation joining the trilateral Global Combat Air Program remains on the table, but an expansion would require additional work on an already demanding timeline, officials involved in the sixth-generation fighter effort said. Representatives from the Italian, British and Japanese GCAP lead companies showcased a new concept model of their proposed aircraft at the Farnborough Airshow here, which featured a large wingspan for increased aerodynamics.

More than a Mirage: UAE combat aircraft in China

07/23/2024

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air Force and China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) began Falcon Shield, their second exercise in China, on 10 July 2024. China’s Ministry of National Defense said the joint air exercise was again being held in Xinjiang province but did not identify the air base hosting it. Satellite imagery, however, shows that Hotan Airport in Xinjiang is being used for the exercise; it was also the location for the event in 2023.

German, French and Spanish fighter aircraft arrive in Japan for joint drills

07/20/2024

A contingent of more than 30 military aircraft from Germany, France and Spain arrived in Japan on Friday to conduct a series of training exercises with the Air Self-Defense Force, marking these countries’ first-ever trilateral air force deployment to the Indo-Pacific.

Russian military receive upgraded MiG-31BM jets

07/19/2024

The United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) has delivered the first batch of MiG-31BM fighter jets to the Russian Ministry of Defense as part of this year’s state defense order, the company announced. As noted by the company, these aircraft, which have undergone extensive repairs and modernization, have been transferred to their permanent bases following comprehensive ground and flight tests.

The J-10C and J-16 fighter jets of the Chinese Air Force are operating alongside the Mirage 2000 jets of the UAE as part of Exercise Falcon Shield 2024

07/19/2024

Yesterday, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) of China and the United Arab Emirates Air Force (UAE AF) commenced Exercise Falcon Shield 2024 in the Xinjiang region, located in northwest China. According to officially released information, over the coming days, aerial exercises are planned involving various aircraft participating in the activities, including UAE Mirage 2000 fighters and Chinese J-10C and J-16 combat aircraft.