Military Aviation News Archive

Marines Stand Back Up ‘Tomcats’ as a F-35C Lighting II Squadron

04/18/2023

A deactivated squadron got new life as Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 311 in a Friday ceremony attended by scores of combat veterans and an F-35C Lightning II jet sporting the “Tomcats” historic squadron logo.

Egyptian MiG-29M2 fighters captured by Sudanese paramilitary group

04/17/2023

Egyptian MiG-29M2 fighter jets and their crew, which were deployed at Merowe International Airport (Marawi) to participate in bilateral military exercises, were captured by the Sudanese paramilitary group RSF, which opposes the government of the military junta, which came to power after a coup d’état in 2019.

Putin, Chinese defense minister hail military cooperation

04/17/2023

Russian President Vladimir Putin met Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu in Moscow on Sunday and both men hailed military cooperation between the two nations, which have declared a "no limits" partnership. Chinese President Xi Jinping met Putin in Moscow last month. Russia and China have moved to further strengthen their economic, political and military ties since Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022.

168th Wing flyaway demonstrates Agile Combat Employment Readiness

04/17/2023

Air Crews, aircraft maintenance, operations, logistics, civil engineering, communications, security forces, and force support teams from the 168th Wing demonstrated the Air Force’s priority of Agile Combat Employment (ACE) during a flyaway readiness exercise April 1-7, 2023.

Cope India 23

04/17/2023

Cope India 2023 (CI23) is a bilateral aerial exercises series between the Bharatiya Vayu Sena (IAF, Indian Air Force) and the USAF. The Cope India exercises began in 2004 as a fighter training exercise held at Gwalior AFS (state of Madhya Pradesh) and have now returned since the last one that was held in 2018.

Türkiye’s uncrewed fighter jet Kizilelma conducts 4th test flight

04/17/2023

Türkiye’s unmanned fighter jet, the Bayraktar Kizilelma, completed its fourth test, the System Identification Test, a high-ranking official from the developing company said Saturday. Selçuk Bayraktar, Baykar chairperson and chief technology officer (CTO), shared the update on his Twitter account with video footage.

Russian MiG fighter jet intercepts a Norwegian aircraft for the first time over the Barents Sea

04/16/2023

P-8 Poseidon is Norway’s new patrol aircraft replacing the older propeller P-3 Orion that for decades have monitored fisheries in the Barents Sea and Russian submarines on patrol in northern waters. This is the first time a report is made public about a Russian intercepter MiG-31 being scrambled from an air base on the Kola Peninsula to meet Norway’s new maritime patrol aircraft.

Sheppard AFB ‘elephant walk’ asserts training’s role in airpower

04/16/2023

Four thousand student Airmen from the 82nd Training Wing shared the runway with 80 training aircraft from the 80th Flying Training Wing in possibly the largest and most unique “elephant walk” in Air Force history – all to shine a light on the importance of training and partnerships.

ALLIES CONDUCT FIRST ITERATION OF RAMSTEIN ALLOY 23 NEAR BALTIC SEA REGION

04/15/2023

Allied Air Forces finished the two-day exercise Ramstein Alloy 23-1 (RAAL23) over the Baltic Sea area further enhancing Alliance cohesion and interoperability on April 12- 13, 22. Exercise RALY23 had allied fighters carry out live air-to-air drills and scenarios involving communications loss of civilian aircraft and then escort back to an airfield. These pilots sharpen their skills by practicing real-world scenarios faced by Air Policing personnel deployed in the Baltic region.

Russia trains Belarusian pilots in nuclear weapons use

04/15/2023

Belarusian Air Force crews have completed their training for using tactical nuclear weapons as part of Russia’s plan to deploy the weapons to its ally amid fighting in neighboring Ukraine, the Russian Defence Ministry said Friday. The ministry released a video in which a Belarusian pilot said that the training course in Russia had given the crews of the Belarusian Air Force’s Su-25 ground attack jets the necessary skills for using the weapons.

After Years of Trying, Air Force Retires First A-10 to the Boneyard

04/15/2023

It’s finally happening—the Air Force has begun to retire its A-10 Thunderbolt IIs. An A-10 from the 74th Fighter Squadron at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., arrived at the Boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. on April 5, the service said. The aircraft is the first of 21 A-10s that will be leaving service by the end of September.

Rafales Replace Russian Sukhois As India’s Frontline Fighters; Fly To France For 1st Multi-Nation Wargames

04/15/2023

India is sending its Rafale combat jets to France for a multi-nation air exercise. This is the first time the 2020-inducted Indian Air Force (IAF) fighters have flown overseas to join a war game in a friendly foreign nation’s air base. The French-origin nuke-delivery platform has emerged as the South Asian giant’s true “frontline” fighter replacing the Russian-origin Su-30MKIs.

Ministry of Defence awards £650m to firms working on Tempest fighter jet

04/15/2023

The Ministry of Defence has awarded £650m to manufacturers working on its Tempest fighter jet, in the latest sign that the UK is pushing forward with the aim of producing the aircraft by 2035. The companies who will receive the money are led by manufacturer BAE Systems, jet engine maker Rolls-Royce, and the UK arms of Italy’s Leonardo and European missile-maker MBDA.

Germany approves Poland’s request to send MiG-29 jets to Ukraine

04/14/2023

The German government has approved Poland’s request to transfer five Soviet-designed MiG-29 fighter jets to help Ukraine defend against the Russian invasion. “I welcome the fact that we in the federal government have reached this decision together,” Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said in a statement on Thursday.

Marine Corps to Activate Second F-35C Stealth Fighter Squadron at Miramar

04/14/2023

The Marine Corps is set to activate its second squadron of F-35C Lightning II strike fighters for operation from the Navy’s fleet of aircraft carriers. The “C” version of the stealth fighter, with longer wings, stronger landing gear and greater fuel capacity, is also flown by Navy pilots.

Poland’s F-35A aircraft begin production

04/14/2023

The Polish Air Force’s F-35 Lightning II combat aircraft were officially in production at Lockheed Martin’s facilities on 12 April 2023. The original equipment manufacturer (OEM), Lockheed Martin, will now produce the standard Nato combat aircraft, the F-35A conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) aircraft, which will be delivered to Poland from 2024 through to 2030.

Boneyard-Bound: USAF Retires First of 13 AWACS

04/13/2023

The aging E-3 AWACS fleet got a little smaller last week, as the first of 13 E-3s tp be retired this year took off from Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., for the last time. E-3 Tail Number 0560 departed for the Boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., on April 6, a week after the 552nd Air Control Wing hosted a retirement celebration with retired and Active-Duty Airmen getting a chance to sign their names to the airframe, an Air Force tradition.

Myanmar Military Kills More Than 100 People In A Single Attack

04/13/2023

On April 11, 2023, the Myanmar military is said to have killed at least 100 people in one of the deadliest airstrikes in the ongoing civil war. The attack targeted a village in the north-western Sagaing region. Witnesses report that among those killed were many women and children. The numbers of those killed are yet to be confirmed as the bodies are being collected.

Saab and Embraer to collaborate on C-390 and Gripen fighter

04/13/2023

Swedish aerospace and defence company Saab and Brazilian aerospace conglomerate Embraer have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 11 April to strengthen collaboration in several domains, including engineering and business development opportunities for the C-390 transport aircraft and future Gripen fighters. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was unveiled at the LAAD defence and security exhibition held in Rio de Janeiro.

Defense Minister: Sending Finnish combat aircraft to Ukraine currently irrelevant

04/13/2023

Talks about the possible transfer of Finnish combat aircraft to another country “currently irrelevant". Finnish Defense Minister Antti Kaikonen said this in an interview with local media, Xinhua reports, according to Ukrinform "The fighter jets will be used by our defense forces for the coming years, after which their life cycle will end," Kaikonen replied to a question about Ukraine's request for the transfer of F-18 aircraft.

US-Philippines discuss ‘roadmap’ for weapon buys, including potential multi-role fighter sale

04/13/2023

The United States is helping the Philippines to develop an acquisition plan for a fleet of multi-role fighter aircraft as part of a broader “roadmap” for the next decade of defense acquisitions, top officials from both countries announced Tuesday in Washington, as the two countries continue to tighten up military ties.

North Korea fires ballistic missile, South Korea says

04/13/2023

North Korea fired a ballistic missile into waters off its east coast on Thursday, prompting an evacuation order that was later lifted in northern Japan. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea fired one mid-range or longer ballistic missile from near Pyongyang into the waters off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula at around 7:23 a.m. local time Thursday. Japan’s government initially urged residents in the country’s northern prefecture of Hokkaido to take shelter after the North

Bulgaria Can Transfer Its MiG-29s To Ukraine, But Only If It Receives Western Fighter Jets - Media

04/12/2023

Bulgaria is ready to transfer its MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine, but only if it receives guarantees of receiving modern aircraft from Western partners. Interfax-Ukraine writes about this with reference to the EFE agency. According to the agency, 16 MiG-29 fighters are in service with Bulgaria. At the same time, only 6 aircraft are in working order.

USAF begins long-sought A-10 retirements

04/12/2023

The US Air Force (USAF) has finally begun the long-sought retirement of its Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II ground attack jets. The service said on 10 April it had retired the first A-10C, commonly known as the Warthog, from the 74th Fighter Squadron at Moody AFB after the airframe had logged 43 years of operational service.

China continues 'combat training' around Taiwan after drills end

04/12/2023

The Chinese navy continued with "actual combat training" around Taiwan on Tuesday, state media said, a day after Beijing announced the end of drills and as Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen criticised China for its "irresponsible" behaviour. China began the exercises on Saturday after Tsai returned to Taipei following a meeting in Los Angeles with U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy.