Military Aviation News Archive

Su-75: Russia's Cheap Stealth Fighter Is Now a Giant Question Mark Now

10/30/2023

Russia’s Su-75 Checkmate fighter has had a troubling life. Initially envisioned as a cheap fifth-generation fighter intended for export, it has so far failed to get off the ground – both figuratively and literally.

Ukraine's combat aircraft land five strikes on clusters of Russians – General Staff report

10/30/2023

Ukraine’s Air Force launched five strikes on clusters of Russian military personnel, weapons and equipment. In addition, Ukraine’s air defence assets and personnel destroyed three Iskander-K ground-based cruise missiles.

China dispatches 1 military aircraft, 5 navy ships around Taiwan

10/29/2023

A relatively low-key day for China sending military aircraft and navy ships near Taiwan was reported by the Ministry of National Defense on Saturday (Oct. 28). A defense ministry post on X (formerly Twitter) said just one aircraft and five ships were detected by 6 a.m. Saturday morning. It added that the Chinese incursions were tracked by Taiwan’s military.

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Now in the Mediterranean Sea, Bataan ARG in the Red Sea

10/29/2023

The Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group is headed toward the mass of U.S. naval power in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea after transiting the Strait of Gibraltar on Saturday. Meanwhile, two ships of the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group are now in the Red Sea. The Navy confirmed aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) and its escorts made the transit early Saturday via social media.

Deploying additional support

10/28/2023

he Australian Government has deployed additional ADF personnel and aircraft to the Middle East as part of Operation Beech. Operation Beech is Defence’s support to the Australian Government response to the Hamas-Israel conflict. Deploying in a non-combat role, Australian Army personnel from Townsville and Brisbane, and two Royal Australian Air Force C-130J aircraft from Sydney, will join a C-17A Globemaster heavy transport aircraft and the ADF contingent already in the region.

Ukraine Situation Report: Signs Longer-Range ATACMS Will Be Sent Grow

10/28/2023

There are growing indications that Ukraine could get longer-range Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) short-range ballistic missile variants from the U.S. military as early as January of next year. Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, said today that her country's military needs more "game changers" like ATACMS to keep up the pressure on Russian forces.

Kuwait boosts combat readiness with new Eurofighter typhoon jets

10/28/2023

The Kuwaiti Air Force received four Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 3 aircraft, bringing the total number of aircraft received to 13 out of 28 aircraft. The delivery of the aircraft began in December 2021 as part of a comprehensive strategic project to enhance combat readiness. The Eurofighter Typhoon is considered one of the latest multi-role fighters and is distinguished by electronic warfare capabilities and high-speed response capabilities. The aircraft received have exceeded 400 flight hours so

Turkish new Bayraktar TB3 combat drone has flown

10/28/2023

Baykar’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Selçuk Bayraktar, announced this historic event on the nation’s centennial, stating, “On the Republic of Türkiye’s centennial, the Bayraktar TB3 unmanned aerial vehicle successfully completed its maiden flight.” The TB3, a variant capable of operating from short runways, is based on Baykar’s renowned Bayraktar TB2 platform. It taxied down a runway in northwestern Türkiye before taking off from the Çorlu Flight Training and Test Center.

Kazakhstan puts 100+ Soviet-era combat aircraft up for sale

10/28/2023

According to Forbes Kazakhstan, the aircraft are offered for sale under the condition of liquidation. A total of 117 aircraft, which were previously in service with military units in the country’s Almaty, Abai, Karaganda, and Shymkent regions, are being auctioned. These aircraft predominantly include MiG-31, MiG-27, MiG-29, and Su-24 models, which were manufactured in the 1970s and 1980s.

KF-21 Stealth Fighter: Boramae’s Bodyguard Drone Could Have Smaller UAVs Protecting It In Warzone

10/27/2023

South Korea’s first homegrown stealth fighter, the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KF-21 Boramae, has been envisaged with another loyal wingman project, carrying other drones in what appears to be an extended manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) concept.

Russia ‘Fuses’ S-400 Missiles With A-50 AWACS To Shoot Down Ukrainian Aircraft At Longest Possible Range

10/27/2023

A report in TASS quoting an unidentified Russian said the fusion worked perfectly and led to the downing of at least one Ukrainian fighter. While the information in the story could not be verified, and there was no official word from the Russian Ministry of Defense (RuMoD) at the time of filing this report, at the same time, there is little reason to doubt the claim.

Chinese fighter jet got within 10 feet of US bomber over South China Sea, US military says

10/27/2023

A Chinese fighter jet came within 10 feet of a US Air Force B-52 bomber flying over the South China Sea on Tuesday, according to the US military. The Chinese pilot “flew in an unsafe and unprofessional manner, demonstrated poor airmanship by closing with uncontrolled excessive speed, flying below, in front of, and within 10 feet of the B-52, putting both aircraft in danger of collision,” US Indo-Pacific Command said in a Thursday statement.

US fighter pilots lay bare what it's really like to train for a mission at real-life Top Gun school in Dennis Quaid-presented Fox Nation show

10/26/2023

Dropping SEALs to confront a hostile mob at an embassy and battling Russian helicopters are just some of the tasks the nation's top military pilots face as they train in the real-life version of 'Top Gun.' The pilots at the elite Marines' Weapons and Tactics Instructor course are the best the US military has to offer. But their skills come at a price of $200,000 per student for the seven-week course - the same as an Ivy League education.

RAAF Wedgetail to protect vital supply lines to Ukraine

10/26/2023

A Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail early warning aircraft will use its highly effective radar system to search for missiles launched from hundreds of kilometers inside Russia and Belarus as it watches over Ukraine’s supply lines from Europe. The chief of the RAAF, Air Marshal Robert Chipman, tells The Strategist that the US decision to call in the Wedgetail to help protect the flow of military and humanitarian supplies Ukraine relies on as it battles Russia’s invasion.

U.S. and Australia agree to cooperate with Japan on military drones

10/26/2023

The U.S. and Australia will join hands with Japan to develop next-generation military drones, the leaders of the two countries announced Wednesday, stepping up efforts in the field of "collaborative combat aircraft." U.S. President Joe Biden and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese released a joint statement after their White House meeting, noting that the two allies will "explore trilateral cooperation with Japan" on unmanned aerial systems.

F-16s Deploy from Germany to Iceland for Air Policing Mission

10/25/2023

A quartet of F-16 fighters and some 100 Airmen from the 480th Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, arrived in Keflavik, Iceland, on Oct. 22 to take over the NATO Air Policing mission there—the first deployment of U.S. Air Force fighters to Iceland in two years. The arrival of the F-16s detachment comes a month after three B-2 bombers departed Keflavik, wrapping up a month-long Bomber Task Force deployment there.

Pentagon: China Working on Upgrades to Top Stealth Fighter, Manned-Unmanned Teaming

10/25/2023

The People’s Liberation Army Air Force is upgrading the Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon, China’s answer to the Lockheed Martin F-22, and is experimenting with manned-unmanned teaming concepts, much in the same way the U.S. Air Force is doing, according to the Pentagon’s latest assessment of Chinese military power.

New delivery of Korean FA-50 fighter jets has reached Poland

10/25/2023

More Korean aircraft for the Polish Air Force. Two FA-50s have checked in at Warsaw Okecie. A total of 8 FA-50s have been delivered to date, and by the end of the year, there will be 12. Wrote the head of the Ministry of Defense. “With determination, we are modernizing the Polish Army and increasing the security of the Polish skies,” Minister Blaszczak wrote.

Sweden to upgrade its Gripen fighter jets

10/25/2023

Saab, the Swedish aerospace and defense company, has secured an additional order from the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) to ensure the continuous operation and capability improvement of the Gripen C/D fighter aircraft. The order is valued at SEK 579 million ($52.7 million).

More F-16s Arrive in Middle East as AFCENT Fighter Footprint Grows to 6 Squadrons

10/25/2023

More U.S. Air Force F-16s arrived in the Middle East, the service announced Oct. 24, as threats to American forces in the region continue to grow. The New Jersey Air National Guard’s 119th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron’s arrival in the U.S. CENTCOM region increases the Air Force’s fighter footprint in the Middle East to six squadrons. U.S. bases in the Middle East have begun to come under attack from militia groups aligned with Iran, and officials have voiced concerned about possible region-wid

Increased USAF fighter presence for the Middle East

10/24/2023

As expected, recently more USAF, consisting of Air Combat Command (ACC), United States Air Force Europe (USAFE) and Air National Guard (ANG) fighter aircraft departed the Continental United States (CONUS) to be embodied into the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing at Al Dhafra Air Base (United Arab Emirates) and Muwaffaq Salti/Al Azraq Air Base (Jordan).

Future of Colorado Air National Guard unit at Buckley is at risk as F-16s near retirement, officials say

10/24/2023

The year 2028 looms large for the Colorado Air National Guard at Buckley Space Force Base in Aurora. The guard’s F-16s — fighter jets referred to as Fighting Falcons — are getting old, with most expected to start running out of useful life in about five years. Many of them were built in the late 1980s, and while updates potentially could extend their use for another three to four years, the planes’ retirement is on the horizon.

France Says Talking to Saudi About Rafale Fighter Sale

10/24/2023

The French government is talking to Saudi Arabia about selling the kingdom Rafale fighter jets, France’s defense minister said on Monday. Sebastien Lecornu told reporters there were “discussions” between Rafale maker Dassault Aviation and Saudi Arabia about a potential sale but gave no details.

This is the Most Widely Used Military Aircraft on Earth

10/24/2023

In these days when single aircraft can cost billions of dollars, technological sophistication can often be more important than numbers. (This is the most expensive aircraft in the U.S. Military) But that doesn’t mean that certain jets, bombers, transports, and helicopters don’t serve an important role in large numbers. And some aircraft, despite being expensive, have been proven to be so effective relative to their cost, that they are owned by dozens of militaries around the world in the hundred

Russia’s Air Force ‘eating into’ aircraft lifespans, with no easy solution

10/24/2023

As the ground war in Ukraine continues to grind ahead of the winter months, the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) are experiencing falling availability rates with their existing fleet of combat aircraft. The culprit is a combination of a high number of losses of fixed-wing aircraft combined with a drop in mission-capable rates due to the higher-than-normal number of flight hours being flown by those aircraft remaining.