Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Navy asks Lockheed Martin to build electro-optical helmet-mounted displays for F-35 combat jet air crew

12/16/2023

U.S. Navy avionics experts will acquire one production lot of the third-generation helmet-mounted displays for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter under terms of a $174.6 million order announced on Tuesday. Officials of the Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md., are asking the Lockheed Martin Corp. Aeronautics segment in Fort Worth, Texas, for production lot 17 of the F-35's third-generation helmet-mounted displays for the U.S. military service

Japan, Britain, and Italy Join Forces to Develop Next-Generation Fighter Aircraft

12/16/2023

In a historic move, Japan, Britain, and Italy have agreed to merge their individual plans to produce a new combat aircraft for deployment in 2035. This joint trilateral initiative, known as the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), aims to develop a high-performance fighter aircraft to strengthen air superiority and enable effective deterrence. The project involves the formation of a joint body called the GCAP International Government Organization, which will manage a private sector joint venture.

U.S. and Japan defense chiefs call Osprey safety 'top priority'

12/14/2023

The Japanese and U.S. defense chiefs have said that ensuring the safety of the Osprey V-22 military aircraft is a “top priority" for the allies, following the first fatal crash of the aircraft in Japan late last month in waters off Kagoshima Prefecture. Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said late Tuesday that he had asked U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during talks over the telephone — their first since the crash — that the U.S. military not resume Osprey flights until the aircraft's safety co

Taiwan tracks 9 Chinese military aircraft, 9 naval ships around nation

12/14/2023

The Ministry of National Defense tracked nine Chinese military aircraft and nine naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Wednesday (Dec. 13) and 6 a.m. on Thursday (Dec. 14). Of the nine People’s Liberation Army aircraft, one Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane, one Shaanxi Y-8 reconnaissance plane, and one Xian H-6 bomber entered the southwest corner of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, according to the MND. No PLA aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line during that ti

Commercial tanker refuels airborne Air Force fighter jets for first time

12/14/2023

The Air Force has refueled airborne fighters from a commercial tanker for the first time, proving another means of extending its combat airpower, the service said in a recent news release. Omega Aerial Refueling Services gassed up F-15C Eagles, F-16 Fighting Falcons and F-22 Raptors from a KDC-10 tanker during last month’s Commando Sling exercise in Singapore.

US pilot safely ejects in F-16 crash off South Korea

12/12/2023

A U.S. Air Force pilot safely ejected on Monday before his F-16 fighter jet crashed into the sea off South Korea’s southwestern coast, U.S. and South Korean military officials said. The unidentified pilot was recovered by South Korean maritime forces and was “awake and in stable condition,” the U.S. Air Force’s 8th Fighter Wing said in a statement. It said the pilot was being returned to Kunsan Air Base near the southwestern port city of Gunsan, where he would be evaluated further.

F-15SA: Saudi Arabia Has a Very Special and Expensive F-15 Fighter

12/12/2023

The F-15SA is the most advanced version of the upgraded two-seat F-15S Strike Eagle, and is currently operated by the Royal Saudi Air Force's No. 3 Wing at King Abdulaziz Air Base, No. 92 Squadron RSAF; and No. 5 Wing at King Khalid Air Base, No. 6 Squadron RASF and No. 55 Squadron RSAF.

Congress Restores $1 Billion For US Navy’s F/A-XX

12/12/2023

The recent version of the compromise Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), restored to almost full funding, what is believed to be a special access program (SAP) that includes the US Navy’s F/A-XX fighter.

Air Force: F-16 to become Ukraine’s main combat aircraft, Gripen may become additional option

12/11/2023

Ukraine and its partners are considering the possibility of providing Swedish Gripen fighter jets in addition to the F-16. Yuriy Ihnat, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, said it during the national telethon, according to RBC Ukraine.

Lockheed Martin rolls out first of F-35 fighter jets ordered by NATO member Belgium

12/11/2023

The Belgian military got its first look at the F-35A Lightning II combat jets it ordered from Lockheed Martin on Sunday at the company’s facility in Fort Worth. Belgium, a member of NATO and the European Union, ordered 34 of the fifth-generation fighter aircraft it says will enable it to fulfill its military obligations.

U.S. F-16 fighter jet crashes in Yellow Sea: sources

12/11/2023

A U.S. F-16 fighter jet crashed in the Yellow Sea on Monday and the pilot made an emergency escape, sources said. The jet crashed into the waters after taking off from an air base in Gunsan, 178 kilometers south of Seoul, according to the sources. They did not elaborate on whether the pilot has been rescued.

Belgian F-16s intercept Russian Sukhoi-30s over the Baltic Sea

12/10/2023

NATO radars spotted unknown planes that had taken off from Kaliningrad. Two Belgian Air Force F-16s took off from Šiauliai in Lithuania to investigate and found that they were two Russian Su-30 combat aircraft which were not in contact with civil air traffic control.

Russia's MiG-35 Is No 5th Generation Fighter Like the F-35 or F-22

12/09/2023

Russia remains the sole operator of the MiG-35, and even though production has been slow, a variant has been considered for export. The MiG-35 is Not a Fifth Generation Fighter - In January 2017, President of Russia's Aircraft-Building Corporation Yuri Slyusar touted the capabilities of the Mikoyan MiG-35 (NATO reporting name "Fulcrum-F"), and suggested it would be armed with a "promising" number of armaments.

Ukrainian sting thwarts sale of stolen fighter jet parts to Russia

12/09/2023

The stolen parts, including starter generators and aircraft pumps for MiG-29 multi-purpose fighters, were valued at over Hrv10m ($268,000). The SSU’s efforts led to the prevention of a potentially damaging transaction involving stolen military equipment. The investigation revealed that a criminal from Dnipro, who pilfered the components from a manufacturer’s warehouse in 2019, played a key role in attempting to sell these items.

Here Is How Congress Plans to Keep Tight Oversight of New Fighters and CCAs

12/09/2023

House and Senate lawmakers, in their recently unveiled compromise 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, are seeking tight oversight of both the Air Force and the Navy on their respective versions of the new and highly secret Next Generation Air Dominance fighter and the Collaborative Combat Aircraft programs Specifically, lawmakers are demanding briefs every six months on virtually all metrics of the projects.

141 F-16 Vipers Geared-Up To Thwart Potential Chinese Invasion As Taiwan Completes Final Flight Testing

12/08/2023

As China aggressively pushes boundaries in the Indo-Pacific, there is a proliferation of advanced Western-origin fighters like F-16s, Rafales, and F-35s underway in the region. In a significant development that took place recently, the last F-16 fighter, upgraded to the F-16V standard as part of the Feng Zhan or Phoenix Rising program, completed flight testing in Taiwan, paving the way for the induction of these jets in the Taiwanese Air Force.

Ukraine Destroyed a Russian Su-24M Strike Aircraft over the Black Sea

12/08/2023

Ukrainian anti-aircraft gunners successfully downed a Russian Su-24M (NATO reporting name "Fencer-D") over the Black Sea on Tuesday. The Soviet-era supersonic, all-weather tactical bomber was reported to be near Snake Island (also known as Zmiinyi Island), which is about 30 miles from the Ukrainian coastline and near Romania.

South Korea to upgrade its F-15 fighter jets

12/08/2023

According to Dong-A Ilbo, this transformation involves outfitting the cockpit, radar, and other components with state-of-the-art equipment to introduce an advanced variant. Boeing representatives disclosed ongoing discussions between the U.S. and South Korea during a meeting held on October 29th at the Boeing Mesa facility in Arizona. They highlighted the imminent shift towards a new model by integrating cutting-edge technology into the entire front section of the aircraft.

Defense bill would let Air Force retire A-10s, F-15s — but not F-22s

12/08/2023

A compromise defense policy bill released Wednesday night would grant the Air Force’s request to retire older F-15 Eagle fighters, A-10 Warthogs, and other aircraft, but again block its attempt to mothball 32 older F-22A Raptors. And lawmakers want to see more of the Air Force’s plans for folding drone wingmen known as collaborative combat aircraft into its fleet at an affordable rate, and how it plans to create the Next Generation Air Dominance future fighter platform.

Taiwan tracks 10 Chinese military aircraft, 6 naval ships around nation

12/07/2023

The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 10 Chinese military aircraft and six naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Wednesday (Dec. 6) and 6 a.m. on Thursday (Dec. 7) Of the 10 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, one BZK-005 reconnaissance drone crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the southwest sector of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND. Meanwhile, one Shenyang J-11 fighter jet entered the southwest corner of the ADIZ.

US military grounds entire fleet of Osprey aircraft in wake of deadly crash in Japan

12/07/2023

The military announced late Wednesday it was grounding all of its Osprey V-22 helicopters, one week after eight Air Force Special Operations Command service members died in a crash off the coast of Japan. The Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps took the extraordinary step of grounding hundreds of aircraft after a preliminary investigation of last week's crash indicated that a materiel failure — that something went wrong with the aircraft — and not a mistake by the crew led to the deaths.

Netherlands human rights groups challenge F-35 fighter jet parts export to Israel

12/07/2023

Human rights groups Oxfam Novib, PAX, and The Rights Forum are seeking to halt the Dutch government‘s export of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel in a hearing that began Monday. During summary proceedings in front of the Hague District Court , they argued that such exports make the Netherlands complicit in potential war crimes, pointing to Israel‘s alleged use of these planes in attacks on Gaza. The Israel-Hamas war has resulted in more than 15,000 civilian casualties.

China Reveals ‘World’s Longest Air-To-Air Missile’; PL-17 Missile Spotted On PLAAF’s J-16 Fighter Jet

12/05/2023

China has reportedly revealed its longest-range air-to-air missile (AAM), the PL-17, on a J-16 fighter, putting to rest speculations about what the missile looks like after its existence began to be noted a few years ago.

The U.S. Air Force Is in Serious Decline

12/05/2023

In September, the United States Air Force celebrated another birthday. At age 76, it is in bad shape. Despite lowering qualification standards, it cannot attract enough recruits to fill its ranks. The size and serviceability of its combat aircraft are at all-time lows. And truncated training has weakened pilot readiness.

Navy ‘safely’ recovers military spy plane stuck in Kaneohe Bay for almost 2 weeks

12/04/2023

The Navy announced they ‘safely’ recovered the Military plane that overshot the runway and has been stuck in Kaneohe Bay for almost two weeks. Navy officials say it took meticulous planning and assembling specialized equipment from off island, a multidisciplinary team of military and civilian experts to carefully raise the P-8A Poseidon from the bay.