Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

With JF-17 ‘Out Of Action’, Russian Su-30SME Fighters Supplied To Myanmar Can Support Combat Ops – Expert

09/13/2023

Charlie Chan, the trade minister of the Myanmar junta government, shared details about the delivery of Su-30SME fighter jets with a Russian media outlet on September 10, as reported by Reuters. Chan made this revelation while attending the Eastern Economic Forum, an annual event held in Russia to promote regional economic cooperation and attract foreign investments.

US Air Force receives first new Compass Call electronic warfare plane

09/13/2023

The U.S. Air Force has received its first EC-37B Compass Call electronic warfare aircraft from contractors BAE Systems and L3Harris Technolgies, industry officials announced Tuesday. BAE Systems said in a release that the Air Force will next start combined developmental and operational testing for this Compass Call, the first of 10 aircraft planned for the Air Force.

UK, Japanese, Italian partners agree next steps for fighter jet

09/13/2023

Britain's BAE Systems, Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Italy's Leonardo have agreed the next steps to deliver the concept phase of a next-generation combat aircraft, BAE Systems said on Tuesday. The three nations agreed in December 2022 to collaborate to build an advanced front-line fighter to enter service around the middle of the next decade.

Rafale For Bangladesh? 1st Time In 33 Years, French President Visits Dhaka As Dassault & Eurofighter Compete For BAF Deal

09/12/2023

Bangladesh plans to modernize its armed forces under the Forces Goals 2030. Under the plan, the BAF already inducted 16 Chengdu J-7 fighter jets from China. Apart from this, Bangladesh floated a tender for eight Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) in the financial year 2017-2018. The tender can order four more aircraft in the second tranche.

Boeing to integrate BAE Systems electronic warfare (EW) avionics aboard upgraded Japan F-15 jet fighter

09/12/2023

Electronic warfare (EW) avionics experts at the Boeing Co. will produce EW avionics for modernized Japan air force F-15 jet fighter aircraft that will help protect the aircraft from radar-guided missiles. Officials of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, announced a $474.5 million five-year order Thursday to Boeing Defense, Space & Security segment in St. Louis to add the BAE Systems Eagle Passive Active Warning and Survivability System.

AFA NEWS: Collaborative Combat Aircraft Will Be 'In A Lot of Places,' Air Force General Says

09/12/2023

To confront potential threats in the Indo-Pacific, Pacific Air Forces is focused on expanding agile combat employment — an operational scheme to develop network of small bases and facilities. One component of the scheme is the collaborative combat aircraft, or CCA, and a top Air Force official said a lot are coming.

Insight: What does the future hold for the Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft?

09/12/2023

The Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 3A has been adopted by Middle Eastern air forces as well as the European partner nations. Shephard Defence Insight analyses its next-generation radar, cockpit technology and future upgrade plans.

Frustrated China steps up warship and fighter plane activity around Taiwan

09/12/2023

China has sent a carrier strike group and dozens of warplanes into the region around Taiwan in one of its biggest operations in months. The activity comes as Beijing accuses the US and Canada of “inciting conflict” by sailing through the Taiwan Strait, and as Xi Jinping calls for “comprehensive” military combat readiness of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

The Rise, Fall & Rise Of F-15 Fighters: How Eagles Continue Their Relevance Even After Decades In Service

09/11/2023

Boeing Aerospace announced on September 7 that Poland was actively interested in buying the F-15EX Eagle II fighters. The announcement was made at the press conference at the annual MSPO defense trade exhibition without divulging specific details. Tim Flood, Boeing’s senior director of Global Business Development for Europe and Americas, said in a statement: “Poland’s interest in the F-15EX confirms its dedication to the preparedness and effectiveness of its military forces.

Myanmar receives first shipment of Russia's Su-30 fighter jets, RIA reports

09/11/2023

Myanmar has received the first shipment of two Russian Su-30 fighter jets, Charlie Than, Myanmar's trade minister, told the Russian RIA state news agency in remarks published on Sunday. "Two aircraft have already been delivered," Than told RIA on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum, Russia's annual forum aimed at developing economic cooperation in the region and encouraging foreign investment, which starts on Sunday in the port of Vladivostok.

S. Korea and Turkey seek defense industry partnerships in drones, armored vehicles

09/10/2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol held a summit with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) Summit in New Delhi, Saturday, and discussed ways to expand partnerships in the defense industry focusing on drones, military transport aircraft and other weapons.

Japan To Become Third-Largest Military Spender By 2027; Plans To Spend $315B Over Next 5 Years

09/10/2023

Japanese government officials and representatives of four domestic startups in emerging technologies with potential defense applications met in Tokyo on Sep. 6. It was to discuss ways to help the fledgling companies working on drones and robots.

India, Nigeria Ink $1B Military Deal; Delhi To Help The African Nation Boost Its Defense Industry – Reports

09/09/2023

The Indian diplomatic blitzkrieg of the past couple of years to further defense ties with African countries has started bearing fruits. India and Nigeria have inked an unprecedented US $1 billion deal to boost the defense industry in the African country. Nigeria has expressed interest in the Indian Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, drones, and armored personnel carriers.

Ukrainian Armed Forces have success near Bakhmut and Robotyne – General Staff report

09/09/2023

Thirty-nine combat clashes took place over the past 24 hours. Russia launched seven missile attacks, 74 air strikes, and 46 multiple-launch missile attacks on the positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements. The Russian Federation launched another missile and air strike overnight on 7-8 September on Ukraine. Information about the aftermath of this is being updated. The operational situation in Ukraine's east and south remains difficult.

Belgium will not deliver F-16 fighters to Ukraine, citing ancient airframes

09/09/2023

After consideration, Belgium has now decided not to deliver its aging F-16 aircraft to the Ukrainian military. Belgian officials cited the fleet condition as a primary reason for their reluctance, estimating that the airframes have accumulated too many flight hours and are at the end of their service life. Coincidentally, Belgium will retire the first F-16A, registered FA-95, from service on August 8, 2023, after it reaches 8,000 flight hours, the end of structural life set by Lockheed Martin.

Boeing offers F-15EX for Poland, but details are scant

09/08/2023

Boeing today announced it is actively seeking to sell its F-15EX fighter aircraft to Poland — but for now, both sides are keeping their cards close to their chest. Boeing held a Thursday press conference at the annual MSPO defense trade exhibition, although offered little in the way of details about what a potential F-15EX buy would look like.

Rafales on the upswing? French fighter eyes additional Mideast sales

09/08/2023

The United States’ dominance of the combat aircraft industry could see increased competition as the French hope to bolster their slice of the pie. With a German veto blocking Eurofighter deliveries to Saudi Arabia, and amid Israel’s persistent opposition to any F-35 sale to Qatar, this may be French firm Dassault’s opportunity to further push its fighter in the region.

First F-16 Block 70/72 aft fuselage manufactured in Poland

09/07/2023

In a symbolic return to the tradition of manufacturing military jet aircraft, the F-16 structures are being built in a renovated hall where training and combat aircraft were produced more than 20 years ago. The completed F-16 aft fuselage, similar to smaller F-16 components also manufactured in Mielec, is destined for export to Lockheed Martin’s production line in Greenville, South Carolina, where F-16 Block 70/72 fighter aircraft are currently being manufactured for customers around the world.

Upgraded F-35 Deliveries Delayed to Mid-2024; USAF Prioritizes New Units in the Meantime

09/07/2023

The first F-35s with the Tech Refresh-3 upgrade—largely a processor upgrade upon which the Block 4 configuration of the fighter will ride—will be delivered before the middle of next year, a Lockheed Martin spokesperson said Sept. 6. Previously, TR-3 jets were forecast to become available in the last quarter of calendar 2023.

US Air Force general eyes more uses for drone wingmen By Stephen Losey

09/07/2023

The U.S. Air Force should consider additional uses for its planned fleet of drone wingmen beyond just flying them alongside fighter jets, a top officer said Wednesday. Lt. Gen. Jim Slife, the service’s deputy chief of staff for operations, made his pitch Wednesday at the Defense News Conference in Arlington, Virginia, suggesting the proposed collaborative combat aircraft could fly alongside the Air Force’s next-generation aerial refueling system.

Mirage-2000: Zelensky Meets Macron; Triggers Buzz Of France Sending Dassault Combat Jets To Ukraine

09/06/2023

After Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced he had struck a significant agreement with French President Emmanuel Macron on training Ukrainian pilots in France, speculation is rife that Paris could eventually announce the transfer of its Mirage 2000 fighter jets to the Ukrainian Air Force.

Russia's Increasingly Desperate Drone Defenses: Truck Tires and Jacked-Up Missiles

09/06/2023

Embarrassed by Ukrainian drones penetrating Russia’s most sacrosanct air space apparently at will, Kremlin air defense planners are trying several creative countermeasures: parking expensive anti-aircraft missile systems on towers, piling used truck tires on the wings of strategic bombers, and putting up smoke screens.

The Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine with a Mi-8 helicopter said he flew 32 feet above the ground to avoid being seen and turned off his transponder, per the WSJ

09/06/2023

The pilot who pulled off a first-of-its-kind defection from Russia to Ukraine flew 32 feet above the ground with his transponder off to avoid being spotted, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. The defection was first made public in late August, but additional details about the Russian pilot who flew a Mi-8 helicopter to Ukraine were released by Ukraine's Defense Intelligence in a video posted on Sunday.

Map shows China stepped up circling Taiwan's ADIZ in August

09/05/2023

Intrusions by Chinese military aircraft into Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) in August dropped slightly by 20% from July, but there were more flights that circled Taiwan. In August, 130 Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) military planes breached Taiwan's ADIZ, a 20.2% decrease from the 163 reported by the Ministry of National Defense (MND) in July.

Lockheed Martin to Establish European F-16 Training Center in Romania

09/05/2023

Lockheed Martin is partnering with the governments of Romania and the Netherlands to establish a European F-16 training center in Bucharest. The facility would help ensure the safety and effectiveness of Romanian military personnel flying and operating the multi-role fighter aircraft. It could also expand to training aviators from other European nations, including Ukraine.