Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Two Italian Air Force planes collided in mid-air on Tuesday, killing both pilots during training exercises northwest of Rome, officials said.

03/08/2023

The two pilots were on board U-208 training aircraft and were participating in a training mission according to a statement from Italy’s air force, the Aeronautica Militare. The cause of the collision was not immediately known. Four aircraft were flying in formation when two of the planes collided, witnesses told local media.

Kendall Reveals New Details on Air Force Plans: 1,000 CCAs, 200 NGAD Fighters

03/08/2023

The Air Force will field 200 Next-Generation Air Dominance aircraft and notionally 1,000 Collaborative Combat Aircraft, and will request funds in the fiscal 2024 budget to develop these new systems, Secretary Frank Kendall said in his keynote address at the AFA Warfare Symposium on March 7.

Which fighter jet is best for Ukraine as it fights off Russia?

03/08/2023

When Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago, the Kremlin had an air force that could draw on hundreds of MiG and Sukhoi fighter jets in reserve. Ukraine’s fighter fleet was, by some estimations, far more meager, with 69 jets at most. Experts say that put it at about one-tenth the size of Russia’s.

Preparing for Russia: Inside NATO fighter pilot training in Texas

03/07/2023

More than 5,000 miles from NATO’s eastern flank, a new generation of allied fighter pilots is coming of age in North Texas. After decades of peace at home, American and European airmen here face a new reality: They are the frontline flyers who will keep Russia’s war in Ukraine from spilling across NATO’s borders, and the instructors who will teach the new pilots how to do it.

DARPA moves General Atomics’ ‘LongShot’ drone pitch to phase 2

03/07/2023

General Atomics’ pitch for the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency’s LongShot program — a three-phased effort to build a turducken-like unmanned aircraft system (UAS) dropped from a bomber or fighter that can launch missiles of its own — is still on the menu for DARPA, following its selection by the agency to move into the program’s second phase, the company told Breaking Defense.

British, German fighter aircraft to jointly police skies of NATO ally Estonia

03/07/2023

British and German air forces will patrol the skies over Estonia together for the first time as Britain prepares to take the lead of NATO's mission in the former Soviet Republic, the Ministry of Defense said Monday. In a show of "unity," Royal Air Force and German Air Force Typhoon jets will fly integrated missions with the eventual aim of carrying out full joint and integrated NATO Air Policing missions in the future, the Defense Ministry said in a news release.

Turkey's powerhouse drone industry is on the verge of another milestone: a stealthy unmanned fighter jet for its new aircraft carrier

03/07/2023

In less than a decade, Turkey has become a drone powerhouse. Unmanned aerial vehicles were its defense industry's single largest export last year, totaling $871.5 million — an 80% increase over 2021. Much of that market is served by the firm Baykar, which produces the TB2 model widely known for its use in recent conflicts, including in Ukraine. Baykar has built more than 400 TB2s for 24 countries. But the TB2 is just one of Baykar's models. On January 23, the company announced that the Kizile

Sanctions leave Russia unable to produce vital radar plane - Ukraine intel

03/06/2023

Russia has been met with a roadblock - foreign suppliers of crucial aircraft are hesitant to provide for Russia amidst sanctions. Russia is unable to further produce vital A-50 radar aircraft due to a defense industry crippled by foreign sanctions, the Ukrainian Intelligence Directorate said on Friday. Russia has 6 or 7 operational A-50s according to a UK Defense Ministry Tuesday intelligence update.

RAAF crews offered counselling after tense encounters with Beijng's military over South China Sea

03/06/2023

The Air Force has revealed Australian pilots and aircrew are offered counselling after they encounter Chinese military jets during patrols over the South China Sea. Tensions are rising in the strategically important waterway, and the RAAF says it is noticing a trend of more dangerous behaviour by aircraft from the People's Liberation Army.

Israeli Fighter Pilots Refuse to Train in Protest of Judicial Reform

03/06/2023

A total of 37 reserve pilots out of the 40 members of an elite Israel Air Force (IAF) unit announced that they will absent themselves from a scheduled training this week in protest of the government’s judicial overhaul. Air Force Squadron 69 is one of the top units in the IAF. It operates the advanced F-15 Thunderbird aircraft that serve as the Israeli military’s long-range attack arm.

Two Ukrainian pilots in US for fighter jet training but still no decision on F-16s being sent to Ukraine

03/06/2023

The arrival of the pair marks the first time Ukrainian pilots have travelled to the US. But officials said their presence does not mean the US has decided to send fighter jets as part of its military aid. Two Ukrainian pilots are currently undergoing a training assessment in the US to fly American fighter jets, including F-16s. The F-16 planes are believed to be the aircraft Ukraine wants the most to fight back against Russia's invasion in the skies.

Russian Fighter Jets ‘Shoot Down’ Two Ukrainian Mi-8 Choppers After ‘Dramatically’ Losing Su-34 Bomber

03/06/2023

Amid fierce combat raging in the Bakhmut region, Russian fighter jets reportedly shot down two Mi-8 combat helicopters of the Ukrainian Air Force. The spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenko, announced on March 4 that two Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopters were shot down by fighter jets of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) on March 3.

Air Mobility Command Removes Tail Numbers and Unit Info from Planes, Alarming Watchdogs

03/05/2023

Air Mobility Command has directed its refueling and cargo planes to obscure the majority of identifying information painted on the aircraft, citing national security concerns -- an unusual move that is alarming to government watchdogs. James Stewart, a spokesman for Air Mobility Command, told Military.com in an emailed statement that airmen's missions take them around the globe and often involve sensitive movements of cargo - the main reason behind the change.

Saudi jets arrive in Britain ahead of massive air exercise

03/05/2023

International participants have commenced preparations for Britain’s largest air exercise exercise, Cobra Warrior. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has dispatched the first aircraft to RAF Coningsby and RAF Waddington, where they will be stationed throughout the exercise. The Indian, Finnish, and Belgian Air forces will soon follow suit, joining the UK-based aircraft from the United States Air Force and a variety of RAF aircraft.

NATO aircraft conduct close air support training in Baltics

03/05/2023

During Exercise Winter Camp, Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTAC) from allied nations deployed in NATO’s enhanced forward presence battle groups in the Baltics have been practising Air-Land Integration. The exercise included Allied fighters stationed in the Baltics under the NATO Air Policing mission such as French Rafales, German Eurofighters, and Polish F-16s.

Pakistan Inducts JF-17 Block 3 Fighter Jets Into Its ‘Black Panthers’ Squadron After Acquiring ‘Cutting-Edge’ J-10C – Reports

03/05/2023

Less than a year after Pakistan Air Force (PAF) took a giant leap and inducted China’s cutting-edge J-10C fighter jets into service, it reportedly commissioned a highly upgraded and advanced version of the JF-17, called the JF-17 Block III. Earlier this week, some reports on social media indicated that Pakistan’s most famous air squadron – 16 Squadron nicknamed ‘Black Panthers’ had received the first batch of JF-17 Block III aircraft.

Latvian prime minister: Delivery of Western fighter jets to Ukraine 'a matter of time'

03/05/2023

Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins told the Spiegel on March 4 that he was sure that combat aircraft would be delivered to Ukraine by Western countries, calling it “a matter of time” before the decision is made. “If the Ukrainians need fighter jets, they should get them,” he said, adding that Ukrainians have repeatedly proven that they quickly learn to operate new equipment.

Russian Su-34 Fighter ‘Shot Down’ By S-300 Air Defense Missile; Ukraine, Russia Debate ‘Who Downed The Fullback’

03/05/2023

A Russian Su-34 Fullback fighter jet was shot down on March 3 in the Donbas region in east Ukraine. While both sides agree that the Fullback was shot down, there is a dispute on how exactly the aircraft went down. The images and videos of the Russian strike aircraft crashing to the ground have been doing the rounds on social media. An air defense missile shot down the fighter.

Air Force chief insists Australian drones already part of 'kill chain'

03/04/2023

Unmanned surveillance aircraft flown by the Australian Defence Force are already being used as part of the "kill chain", according to the RAAF chief, who has stopped short of saying when he believes this country will get its first armed drones. Australia last year cancelled plans to acquire its first lethal drone technology known as SkyGuardian, more than 20 years after the United States military first deployed the killer Predator drone in Afghanistan.

Boeing, US Army AH-64 Apache attack helicopters Achieve 5 Million Flight Hours, Equivalent to Flying nonstop for more than 208,333 Days or 570 Years and Nine Months

03/04/2023

Boeing and the AH-64 team are observing a unique milestone as the US Army’s AH-64 Apache attack helicopters have officially reached five million flight hours. The accomplishment is equivalent to flying nonstop for more than 208,333 days or 570 years and nine months. Additionally, 1.3 million of those five million flight hours were accomplished during combat.

Sweden to investigate C-130H replacement options after ‘quotation from industry’ thrown out

03/04/2023

Sweden will reassess options to replace a fleet of six Lockheed Martin C-130H Hercules tactical airlifters after an attempt to acquire used C-130J Super Hercules aircraft unexpectedly failed to meet requirements. The acquisition “needs to be reviewed after completed analysis of quotation from industry,” stated a translated version of the Swedish Armed Forces Budget 2024.

S Korea, US to hold joint military drills despite N Korea warning

03/04/2023

South Korea and the United States will press ahead with large-scale military drills later this month despite North Korea threatening to take “unprecedentedly” strong action against such exercises. The South Korean and US militaries will conduct military exercises from March 13 to 23 to strengthen their combined defensive capabilities, the two militaries said in a statement on Friday.

Slovakia Considering Transferring Almost All Its MiG-29 Aircraft To Ukraine

03/03/2023

Slovakia is considering transferring 10 of its 11 Soviet-made MiG-29 aircraft to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which were withdrawn from service last year. Slovak Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad announced this in an interview with AP, Ukrainian News Agency reports. A decision can be made within the coming days or weeks. "We will never use the MiGs anymore. They have no real value for us. If we give them to Ukraine, they can help save their lives,” he said.

US Deploys F-22 Raptors From Japan To Mariana Islands As USAF Trains For Battle In Contested Environment

03/03/2023

For the first time, an unspecified number of F-22 fighters from the 525th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron at Kadena Air Base in Japan have been stationed in the Northern Mariana Islands, a strategically important location close to China. The Raptors are positioned there to participate in Exercise Agile Reaper 23-1 (AR 23-1). The information regarding the deployment was published on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service website on March 1.

The Air Force’s upcoming radar aircraft is already a combat veteran

03/03/2023

The jet which the U.S. Air Force will soon use to coordinate air battles has already earned its stripes helping the Royal Australian Air Force fight the Islamic State. The E-7A Wedgetail, which is based on the Boeing Next Generation 737-700 commercial jet, is an airborne early warning and control aircraft, meaning it has a large multi-role electronically scanned array radar mounted to the fuselage which helps the crew see hundreds of miles in all directions.