Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Russian army committing war crimes in Ukraine says Polish PM

03/10/2022

The Russian army is routinely committing war crimes in Ukraine and Poland will provide evidence, Mateusz Morawiecki, the Polish prime minister, said on Wednesday. Speaking after talks in Vienna with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer Morawiecki said: "Russia attacked Ukrainian cities and villages with full force which, today, is seen as a perpetration of war crimes."

Ukraine: Mother of Russian soldier asks 'Whose door should I knock on to get my child back?'

03/09/2022

President Putin has directly addressed the mothers of soldiers serving in Ukraine, telling them: "I know how worried you are" and trying to reassure them. But some mothers, grandmothers, sisters and girlfriends have been telling the BBC they are desperately anxious about loved ones in the military - young men who appear to have had little idea what they were being sent to do.

Why is Poland giving MiG-29 fighter jets to the US – and is it a risky move?

03/09/2022

One, from last week, shows a Russian helicopter flying low, just above the tree line - in the hope of avoiding what's about to happen next. Tracking its path is the smoking trail of a surface-to-air missile. In a matter of seconds the missile has found its target. On impact the Russian helicopter crashes to the ground, before bursting into a fireball.

Why is Poland giving MiG-29 fighter jets to the US – and is it a risky move?

03/09/2022

After a period where the deal seemed off, Poland said on Tuesday evening that it is willing to hand over its fleet of 28 MiG 29s to the US – which is in turn expected to pass them on to the Ukrainian air force. Poland is also expecting the US to supply it with more advanced F-16s to fill the gap.

U.S. rejects Poland's offer to give it Russian-made fighter jets for Ukraine

03/09/2022

The United States rejected a surprise offer by NATO ally Poland on Tuesday to transfer its Russian-made MiG-29 fighter jets to a U.S. base in Germany as a way to replenish Ukraine's air force in its defense against invading Russian forces. The United States has sought to speed weapons deliveries to Ukraine. But the prospect of flying combat aircraft from NATO territory into the war zone "raises serious concerns for the entire NATO alliance," the Pentagon said.

Can Ukrainian Freedom Fighters Stand Up to the Russian Military? History Suggests They Can

03/08/2022

On paper, Russia’s quest to occupy Ukraine looks like a foregone conclusion. With about four and a half times as many soldiers, five times as many tanks and armored vehicles, and 10 times as many military aircraft, common sense tells us that Ukraine does not stand a chance. In fact, history tells us otherwise.

Russian Air Force already lost four newest Su-34 fighter-bombers in Ukraine

03/08/2022

On top of that, visually confirmed losses of the Russian newest Su-34 (NATO reporting name: Fullback) fighter-bomber now exceed 4 aircraft during its invasion of Ukraine. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense on Sunday reported that Russian Su-34s struck at Ukrainian military infrastructure and civilian residents in Kharkiv, Chernihiv during an invasion.

Around-the-clock NATO air patrols fly to keep Russia at bay

03/08/2022

NATO has nearly doubled the number of military jets on alert across Europe amid concerns that Russia’s reckless flying in international airspace could escalate alongside its war in Ukraine. The alliance’s move to constantly guard its eastern edge highlights how rapidly the security situation has evolved in and out of Ukraine over the past 10 days, as well as the stakes of NATO’s biggest test since its founding in 1949.

RAF F-35B Lightnings Have Started Patrolling NATO Airspace Over Poland and Romania

03/07/2022

The F-35B Lightnings of the Royal Air Force’s 617 Squadron from RAF Marham, have started flying armed patrols as part of the pre-planned Enhanced Vigilance Activity, which is a NATO led Operation initiated due to the unfolding events in Ukraine. The British 5th generation aircraft joined the RAF Typhoon FGR4 jets, flying from both RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire and RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, and the rest of the NATO assets that have been dispatched to the region following the Russian invasion of Ukr

Russia-Ukraine War: Russian Sukhoi Su-30SM Fighter Jet Shot Down By Ukrainian Army; Watch

03/07/2022

On March 6, the Ukrainian army shot down a Russian fourth-generation Sukhoi-30SM multirole fighter jet. The Russian Su-30SM shot down by Ukraine's Army can be seen in flames in exclusive footage obtained by Republic Media Network. It's worth noting that the Su-30SM is a multi-role fighter aircraft built for the Russian Air Force by JSC Sukhoi Design Bureau. It's a more sophisticated version of the Su-30MK combat aircraft.

No significant Russian movement after 11 days of war on Ukraine: Pentagon

03/07/2022

Though Russia has now committed about 95% of the combat power it amassed along Ukraine’s borders, the Pentagon has seen “limited changes on the ground” while the airspace remains contested, a senior U.S. defense official said Sunday evening. After 11 days of war, “Russian forces continued efforts to advance and isolate Kyiv, Kharkiv and Chernihiv across the north and east are being met with strong Ukrainian resistance,” the official said, in an email to reporters.

Russia Warns Countries Against Hosting Ukraine Military Aircraft

03/07/2022

Russia on Sunday warned Ukraine's neighbours including NATO member Romania against hosting Kyiv's military aircraft, saying they could end up being involved in an armed conflict. "We know for sure that Ukrainian combat aircraft have flown to Romania and other neighbouring countries," defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a video briefing.

Turkey working with Rolls-Royce on 5th-gen combat aircraft engine

03/07/2022

The top body of Turkey’s defense industry has started cooperating with United Kingdom-based Rolls-Royce on the engine to power the country’s National Combat Aircraft (MMU), the head of the authority said Saturday. In a televised program on broadcaster CNN Türk, Ismail Demir, head of the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB), commented on the developments regarding the MMU, a long-awaited domestic defense industry project.

Italian And German Eurofighters Deployed To Romania Have Carried Out First Joint Scramble Last Week

03/06/2022

The Italian Air Force detachment, originally made of four Eurofighters, recently increased to eight, has carried out 20 alert scrambles and 400 flight hours supporting enhanced Air Policing Area South (eAPA-S) in Romania, since December 2021.

Ukrainians cheer as they shoot down two Russian aircraft and destroy helicopter near Kyiv as president Zelensky berates Nato over lack of no-fly zone

03/06/2022

Shocking battlefield footage from today shows Ukrainians cheer and applaud as they appear to shoot down two Russian aircraft in the Chernihiv and Mykolaiv oblasts as forces were also earlier said to down a Russian helicopter near Kyiv. This comes as Volodymyr Zelensky in an address this morning urged Ukrainians to continue fighting Putin's forces.

US aircraft carrier is in northern Aegean Sea to ensure flight operations if tensions escalate in region

03/06/2022

The American aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman has been in the northern Aegean Sea this week in part to ensure it can conduct flight operations from there if tensions escalate in the region due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to a US official familiar with the carrier’s current task.

White House weighs three-way deal to get fighter jets to Ukraine

03/06/2022

The U.S. remains in discussions with Poland to potentially backfill their fleet of fighter planes if Warsaw decides to transfer its used MiG-29s to Ukraine, four U.S. officials tell POLITICO. The ongoing talks, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pleads with Congress for help, underscore the frantic push to find weapons to equip Ukrainian forces as they continue to fight off the massive Russian invasion.

Letter from Kyiv: Putin’s War on Ukraine is ‘Pozor Rossii’

03/05/2022

The following is a report from Reuben F. Johnson, who has written for Breaking Defense in recent years from Ukraine. This piece was written over several days, as Johnson relocated from shelter to shelter to avoid Russian strikes in the Kyiv area, with limited access to internet and power. Given that, statistics and facts on the ground may have shifted by publication; as Johnson himself put it in an email, “everything is fluid right now.”

US Sanctions Against Russia Take India's Materiel Upkeep Concerns From Bad to Worse

03/05/2022

The Indian Air Force’s (IAFs) optimism over being able to source spares to ensure operability for its fleet of Russian combat and other military aircraft, despite punitive US-led sanctions imposed on Moscow over its Ukraine invasion, is belied by the recurring component shortages the force has always faced, even when no embargoes existed.

The Russian army is failing – but not enough to lose the war

03/05/2022

There have been three major surprises for military analysts since the Russian military invaded Ukraine. The first has been the extent of the difficulties faced by the Russian army in terms of logistics, coordination of forces, morale and mobility. The second has been the failure of the Russian air force to achieve air superiority over Ukrainian air defences, and to operate against Ukrainian ground forces at scale. The third has been the extraordinary unity and effectiveness of the Ukrainian resi

Indonesian Air Force readies pilots to fly Rafale fighter jets

03/05/2022

Air Force Chief of Staff Marshal Fadjar Prasetyo is preparing special pilots to fly the 4.5 generation Dassault Rafale fighter jets that Indonesia had bought from France. "We have prepared several pilots, but we have not determined the number. However, we have readied the criteria and those who are eligible to fly the Rafale," Prasetyo remarked after the 2022 Indonesian Air Force Leadership Meeting at the Air Force Headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta, Friday.

RAF F-35 jets join NATO mission following Russian invasion

03/05/2022

RAF F-35 Lightning aircraft have joined NATO's Enhanced Vigilance Patrols for the first time – an operation started in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The activity ensures policing of the skies over NATO member states. Lightning jets from RAF Marham have taken part alongside Typhoon aircraft from RAF Coningsby and RAF Akrotiri.

Ukraine still has 'significant majority' of its military aircraft -U.S. official

03/05/2022

Ukraine still has a "significant majority" of its military aircraft available nine days after Russian forces started their invasion of the country, a U.S. defense official said on Friday. Vastly outmatched by Russia's military, in terms of raw numbers and firepower, the fact that Ukraine's own air force is still flying and its air defenses are still deemed to be viable has surprised military experts.

Putin 'Overestimated' Russia's Military in Ukraine, But He's Still a Threat, Air Force Secretary Says

03/04/2022

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin overestimated the power of his military forces when deciding to invade Ukraine, as reports of low morale among troops, equipment woes and a lack of airpower emerge from the battlefield. But Kendall told reporters that none of Russia's failures in Ukraine has made it less of a threat in his eyes.

Fire out at key Ukraine nuclear plant, no radiation released

03/04/2022

No radiation was released from a Russian attack at Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant in Ukraine and firefighters have extinguished a blaze at the facility, U.N. and Ukrainian officials said Friday, as Russian forces pressed their campaign to cripple the country despite global condemnation.