Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

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.

Next-Generation Power for Air Force Fighters

11/06/2021

After nearly 15 years in development and a $4 billion Air Force investment, two brand-new fighter engines are in test, promising game-changing improvement in range and thrust. Which airplane they will equip first—and when—is suddenly a hot debate in Washington.

Meet the Saab 'Gripen': A Powerful Fighter Jet You've Never Heard Of

11/06/2021

First flown in December of 1988, the venerable SAAB JAS 39 "Gripen" (Griffon) might actually be one of the most capable non-stealth jet fighters ever built. Designed to replace the SAAB 35 "Viggen" and SAAB 37 "Draken", the JAS 39 officially entered service in 1997.

S. Korea seeks to sell 10 fighter jets to Slovakia

11/04/2021

Korea Aerospace Industries, South Korea’s sole aircraft manufacturer, is in talks with the Slovakian government to sell 10 FA-50 homegrown trainer jets in a $500 million deal, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said Wednesday. KAI is set to sign a deal with Slovakian aircraft repair company LOTN on Wednesday in Hungary upon President Moon Jae-in’s European tour this week.

Sikorsky considers developing new communications links to connect future combat helicopters and jet fighters

11/04/2021

Avionics designers at Lockheed Martin Corp. are exploring ways to connect Sikorsky’s next-generation helicopters with combat aircraft such as F-35 jet fighters. American Military News reports. Continue reading original article

The A-10 that landed without a canopy or landing gear is back flying after 3 years of repairs

11/04/2021

It was July 20, 2017, and Capt. Brett DeVries was in trouble. The Michigan Air National Guard pilot was flying an A-10 Thunderbolt II attack plane on a training mission over Michigan’s Grayling Air Gunnery Range when the aircraft’s 30mm cannon malfunctioned, blowing off the A-10’s canopy and sending his maps and checklists flying.

Northrop Grumman Might Have Previewed Its Newest Fighter

11/04/2021

In a just-released advertisement, Northrop Grumman drops a hint at what might be their entry into the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, an effort to field a sixth-generation combat aircraft.

Russia to feature cutting-edge Checkmate fighter at Dubai Airshow

11/03/2021

Russia’s state tech corporation Rostec will for the first time demonstrate the Checkmate fifth-generation single-engine fighter at the Dubai Airshow 2021 that will run in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on November 14-18, a source in the aircraft-building industry told TASS on Tuesday.

Air Force Awarded F-15EX Engine Contract to General Electric

11/03/2021

Last month the United States Air Force awarded a $1,579,662,187 contract to General Electric, GE Edison Works, Cincinnati, for the purchase of twenty-nine engines—installs and spares—in support of the production of 12 Boeing F-15EX Eagle II aircraft. Initial deliveries of the engines will begin in October 2023.

Hundreds Of South Korean And U.S. Warplanes Are Conducting A Secretive Exercise In Korea

11/03/2021

Amid a simmering ‘missile race’ on the Korean peninsula, South Korea and the United States are running a large-scale air exercise in the region, with around 200 aircraft reportedly involved. The maneuvers represent a return to the large-scale collaboration of this kind between the two nations that was scaled back dramatically as Washington attempted to negotiate with North Korea about its nuclear weapons program.

Russian fighter jets spotted at base in ‘super close proximity’ to US forces for first time

10/31/2021

A possible larger deployment may be on the horizon as Moscow hopes to increase its presence in the northeastern part of Syria. An undated photo apparently shows a Russian Aerospace Forces Su-35S at the Qamishli Airport. The picture was posted on Twitter with geolocation. The photo also features a medium-range R-77 and a short-range R-73. The Su-35S has been a regular flanker in Syria since Moscow launched it back in September 2015.

Pictures of China’s Controversial New Jet Have Emerged

10/31/2021

The first images of the much anticipated two-seat Chengdu J-20 have emerged in various news reports, a development which for the first time shines a light on new dimensions of Chinese fifth-generation stealth fighter modernization.

Japanese Fighter Pilots To Be Trained At Italy’s International Flight Training School

10/31/2021

The new International Flight Training School (IFTS), a joint venture between the Italian Air Force and Leonardo, currently located at Lecce-Galatina Air Base, in southeastern Italy, but about to relocate to Decimomannu Air Base, Sardinia, continues to attract the interest of foreign air forces. After the two Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF) pilots, who have already reached the final stage of the LIFT (Lead In to Fighter Training) course.

After Rejecting Dassault Rafale, Brazil Set To Receive The ‘Most-Advanced’ Variant Of SAAB Gripen Fighter Jet

10/31/2021

Saab currently has nine jets ready in its assembly line and the number will rise by the end of December 2021. Four of these Gripens will be sent to the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) early next year. This delivery is part of a contract for 36 Gripen E signed years ago.

US Navy reveals more details on future F/A-XX fighter

10/31/2021

The US Navy brought more details about the NGAD (Next Generation Air Dominance) program, which will give rise to the 6th gen fighter still known only by the provisional designation of the F/A-XX. The new fighter jet will replace the Boeing F/A-18E/F as air defense and attack aircraft on US nuclear carriers in the mid-2030s. And its role will be quite different from the Super Hornet, as a document shows of the Navy recently released, the “Navy Aviation Vision, 2030-2035”.

UK and India conclude first tri-service exercise ‘Konkan Shakti 2021’

10/30/2021

The armed forces of the UK and India have successfully completed the first bilateral seven-day tri-service exercise, Konkan Shakti 21. The Indian Ministry of Defence said in a statement that the exercise was designed to provide an opportunity to the armed forces of the two countries to share best practices and experiences with each other.

Revolutionary uncrewed Royal Australian Air Force combat jet mission surges on

10/30/2021

Planning for Australian combat operations assumes that the RAAF and allied forces will have control of the air. This has been easy to achieve in the technologically lopsided engagements of the last couple of decades, including Afghanistan and Iraq. However, this is unlikely to be the case in the future – and the RAAF is investing significantly in world-leading technology designed to multiply the effectiveness of traditional platforms such as F-35s and Super Hornets.

Why the Air Force Needs the Fighting Falcon

10/30/2021

The Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies recently published a study that recommends the rapid retirement and divestiture of the Air Force’s fourth-generation fighter jets. Despite calling for “wholly divesting” those fourth-generation platforms, the study, titled the Future Fighter Force Our Nation Requires: Building a Bridge, recommends that the Air Force “keep” large numbers of the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Why? One pressing reason, apart from the fact that it costs less to operate a Fighting

China is definitely on the rise. But don’t write off American dominance just yet.

10/29/2021

China is definitely on the rise. But don’t write off American dominance just yet. Even if the trade wars between the United States and China that dominated the Trump era have receded slightly, many other issues have intensified. China tested a hypersonic and potentially globe-spanning weapon this summer.

Turkey’s Push for the F-16V Is About More Than Fighter Jets

10/29/2021

Turkey is turning to the United States in hopes of buying a batch of new F-16V fighter jets. Since its purchase of Russia’s S-400 air defense system, Turkey has been removed from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program and forced to watch its geopolitical competitors improve their air warfare capabilities. Turkey believes F-16V procurement is vital to keeping its airpower sharp into the 2020s and beyond.

Russia ready to supply combat aircraft to Peru

10/29/2021

Moscow is ready to supply combat aircraft to Peru if the country makes a request, CEO of Russia's state arms seller Rosoboronexport (part of the Rostec state corporation) Alexander Mikheyev said in an interview with TASS ahead of the SITDEF 2021 international defense exhibition. "We reaffirm our readiness to supply new Russian combat aircraft of Peru's choice," he pointed out.

Dangerous Brinkmanship Over Taiwan

10/28/2021

n recent weeks, the airwaves have been full of inflammatory rhetoric over Taiwan, increasing the risk that tensions over the island’s status could provide the spark for a military conflict, even a catastrophic war, between the United States and China. On October 10, President Xi Jinping of China called on the Taiwanese to merge with the mainland in a peaceful fashion, but warned of unspecified dangers if they chose otherwise.