Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Thailand First International Buyer of US AT-6 Wolverine Aircraft

11/18/2021

The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) has awarded a $143-million contract to Textron Aviation Defense LLC for the supply of eight AT-6 Wolverines, making it the first foreign customer of the US light-attack aircraft. Made during the Dubai Airshow 2021, the agreement requires the American defense firm to provide ground support equipment, spare parts, training, and other necessary equipment for the aircraft’s operation.

Here's Why Ejecting From a Superfast Fighter Jet Is Still Dangerous

11/18/2021

Sometimes saving your life means risking an early death. Earlier on Wednesday, an F35 fighter jet of the U.K. crashed into the Mediterranean Sea during a conventional operation, in a loss that cost the island nation at least $134 million (£100 million). Luckily, no one was injured, since the pilot ejected before impact and was subsequently recovered from the water.

One killed, another injured in Royal Malaysian Air Force Hawk jet crash at Butterworth base

11/17/2021

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has confirmed that there was one fatality in the crash involving a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Hawk MK108 combat aircraft in Butterworth tonight. He also said that a second airman sustained injuries in the incident that occurred at about 10.07pm last night at the runway within the Butterworth Air Force Base.

Swiss parliament to probe decision to buy US fighter jets

11/17/2021

A Swiss parliamentary committee said Tuesday it would probe the government’s decision to purchase 36 Lockheed Martin F-35A fighter jets to replace its ageing fleet. The management scrutiny committee of the National Council lower house of parliament decided to investigate “the legality and advisability of certain aspects of the evaluation procedure taken for choosing the Swiss military’s new combat aircraft”, it said in a statement.

The development of the 5th-generation Checkmate fighter aircraft was first announced as recently as the summer of 2021. However, interest among foreign buyers is already very high.

11/17/2021

The United Aircraft Corporation is working on the development of Russia’s first single-engine fighter jet, the aptly named ‘Checkmate’. Its price is expected to be very affordable - $30-35 million. The low cost, as well as political considerations, mean that many countries that currently can’t afford to join the club of owners of 5th-generation fighters will be able to do so, thanks to the Russian manufacturer.

Russian Aircraft Could be Flying High Over the Middle East

11/16/2021

Russia will be actively looking to court international buyers, notably those in the Middle East at the Dubai Air Show 2021, which runs this week from Sunday to Thursday. Among the aircraft that will be on display is its new single-engine Checkmate light tactical fighter, a platform that has been widely touted as a more affordable option to America’s F-35 Lightning II. Currently, fourteen nations operate the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter, and Russia clearly doesn’t want to los

DAPA unveils CG video of KF-21 jet, stealth drones in joint sortie

11/15/2021

South Korea's military has unveiled a computer-generated video of a homegrown fighter and radar-evading drones in a joint sortie, offering a glimpse into a future battle concept mixing the manned and unmanned assets currently under development. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) recently posted the short video on its YouTube channel, depicting the KF-21 fighter flanked by three stealth drones in joint air operations over South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo.

Dassault Touts Military Ties, Bizav MRO in Dubai

11/15/2021

Dassault Aviation is highlighting its military and business jets at the Dubai Airshow, including a Rafale C combat aircraft, the Falcon 900LX and 8X, and a mockup of the upcoming 6X's cabin. The Rafale is being presented by the French Armeé De L'Air & De L'Espace (air and space force), which operates a detachment of the fighters at the UAE’s Al Dhafra Air Base, and visitors can watch it taking part in the daily flying display.

Russia offers Turkey assistance in developing new-gen fighter jet

11/15/2021

Russia is in talks with Turkey and has offered its help in developing advanced fighter jets, news agencies cited a top defense official as saying on Sunday, while no agreement has been reached so far. “Russia has repeatedly expressed readiness to assist Turkey (in the development of a fifth-generation fighter jet),” Dmitry Shugayev, head of the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC), told RIA news agency at the Dubai Airshow exhibition.

US and Turkey: It is not over yet

11/14/2021

US President Joe Biden and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met on the margins of the G20 gathering in Rome, ending weeks of speculation about whether such a summit would take place. Earlier that month, a short-lived diplomatic crisis had demonstrated just how strained ties between the two countries are.

Airbus confirms the conversion of three former Iberia A330-200s into A330 MRTT

11/14/2021

The Spanish Ministry of Defence has signed the formal order for the acquisition of three Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport aircraft (MRTT). Under the agreement, the handover of the first aircraft in transport configuration is scheduled in the coming days, followed by its conversion to MRTT in 2024. The handover of the first fully converted aircraft is scheduled in 2023 and the third and final unit in 2025.

Deadly game of cat and mouse in the skies over Europe: Video shows RAF jet intercepting Russian bomber as it heads towards British airspace as as tensions rise in Belarus amid fears of Ukraine invasion

11/13/2021

Dramatic cockpit footage has captured the moment an RAF jet intercepted a Russian bomber as it headed towards British airspace on Friday, as tensions on the Poland-Belarus border ratcheted up and fears grew of an invasion of Ukraine. The two nuclear-capable Russian Tu-160 'White Swan' bombers entered 'the UK area of interest,' the MoD confirmed after the incident.

Here’s How the A-10 Thunderbolt Does Agile Combat Employment

11/13/2021

Agile Combat Employment, or ACE for short, is a U.S. Air Force (USAF) operational concept that aims to give America an edge over its adversaries, by simply taking advantage of existing infrastructure, pre-positioned hardware, and personnel trained in multiple areas to strike fast and hard.

Russian Su-57, MiG-35, Su-35, Su-30 combat aircraft in great demand in Mideast — official

11/13/2021

The Russian Su-57 fifth-generation fighter and also MiG-35, Su-35 and Su-30 combat aircraft enjoy great demand in Middle East countries, Head of the state tech corporation Rostec Sergei Chemezov told TASS in the run-up to the Dubai Airshow 2021 international aviation exhibition on Friday.

Air Force makes last call to develop enabling technologies for secure airborne networking for combat jets

11/12/2021

U.S. Air Force researchers are making last call for a four-year $50 million project to develop the next generation of directional low-probability-of-intercept networked aerial layer communications for high-performance combat jets. Officials of the Air Force Research Laboratory's Information Directorate in Rome, N.Y., re-issued a broad agency announcement (FA875020S7003) on Monday for the Next-Generation Airborne Directional Networking project.

Biden administration wrestles with selling armed drones to Indonesia

11/12/2021

The State Department is mulling the sale of armed drones to Indonesia, but concerns over human rights abuses and the country’s past purchases of Russian equipment have set off a debate inside the Biden administration over approving the move, according to government and defense industry officials.

Russia unveils prototype of its Su-75 Checkmate fighter at Dubai Air Show

11/12/2021

State-owned technology company Rostec said that a prototype of the latest generation of Russian single-engine fighters Checkmate was delivered on board the An-124 “Ruslan” freighter to the United Arab Emirates for display at the Dubai Airshow. In fact, a prototype of the new Checkmate single-engine combat aircraft has arrived in the UAE for its participation in the Dubai International Airshow. The state-owned company said the plane was delivered to the Dubai World Central complex by an An-124.

Spain Reported to be Eyeing F-35 Stealth Fighter Purchase

11/10/2021

The F-35 fighter jet could be the plane that flies over the plain in Spain as the NATO country looks to become the latest European nation to acquire the fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft. If the European nation gets the greenlight to buy the weapon, then it will join the ranks of the UK, Belgium, Poland and Italy. Greece and the Czech Republic have expressed interest in the Joint Strike Fighter too.

China conducts combat readiness patrol as U.S. lawmakers visit Taiwan

11/10/2021

China's military said on Tuesday it had conducted a combat readiness patrol in the direction of the Taiwan Strait, after its defence ministry condemned a visit to Taiwan by a U.S. congressional delegation it said had arrived on a military aircraft. The patrol was aimed at the "seriously wrong" words and actions of "relevant countries" on the Taiwan issue and the activities of pro-independence forces in Taiwan, a Chinese military spokesperson said in a statement.

Satellite images expose China practising blowing up US warships

11/09/2021

Satellite photos have revealed China’s is so concerned with being able to destroy the United States’ enormous 100,000-ton aircraft carriers that it has built a mobile mock-up target in the middle of a desert. The US Naval Institute has published images based on a report from AllSource Analysis identifying a new use for an old ballistic missile live-fire testing range in the Taklamakan Desert, near the town of Ruoqiang in Xinjiang.

KAI wins $360 mln deal from Iraq to provide follow-up support for light attack aircraft

11/09/2021

South Korea's sole aircraft maker has secured a deal worth $360 million from the Iraqi government to provide logistics support, pilot flight training and maintenance education for light attack and training aircraft.

Airbus unveils jet trainer with eyes on Spain

11/09/2021

By the end of this decade, the Spanish Air Force will replace its half-century-old fighter trainers with data-centric aircraft to train its pilots to fly fifth- and sixth-generation jets. And even though a contract isn’t yet on the horizon, Airbus is ready to start building.

Spain considers an F-35 order. Is the FCAS threatened?

11/08/2021

Spain reportedly considers an order for a total of 50 F-35 stealth fighter jets. The order would comprise 25 F-35B and 25 F-35A, a Lockheed-Martin official told Jane’s on the sideline of a Royal Institute of International Affairs session. The F-35A would come as a replacement for the aging F/A-18 Hornets of the Ejército del Aire, the Spanish Air Force. As for the F-35B, it would allow the Spanish Navy to retire its antique AV-8 Harrier II, operating from the Juan Carlos I aircraft carrier.

Saudi Arabia and Israel Tiptoe Toward Overt Security Cooperation

11/07/2021

Israeli and Saudi fighter jets participated in the same patrol mission (albeit at different times) on Oct. 30, accompanying a U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bomber circumnavigating the Arabian Peninsula and attempting to send a deterrence message to Tehran. Riyadh's willingness to join a military mission involving Israel is the latest indication that the actions of the Islamic Republic of Iran are incentivizing some Arab capitals to tiptoe toward overt security cooperation with Israel.

Saudis Cleared To Buy Hundreds More AMRAAM Missiles They've Been Using To Shoot Down Drones

11/06/2021

Saudi Arabia plans on topping up its stocks of AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles, or AMRAAMs, with a batch of no fewer than 280 examples, worth $650 million, with which to arm its fighter jets. The planned missile spending spree comes as the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) continues its relentless campaign to shoot down drones launched against its territory by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen.