August, 2022 Military Aviation News
08/29/2022
Two US warships yesterday sailed through the Taiwan Strait, the US Navy said, the first such transit since China staged unprecedented military drills around Taiwan, which the Ministry of National Defense said are still ongoing. In a statement, the US Navy said the transit “demonstrates the United States’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
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08/29/2022
The first cargo of 24 Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft has arrived in Qatar from the United Kingdom, according to the Qatar News Agency (QNA). At the Dukhan/Tamim Airbase on Saturday, Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani greeted the arrival of the fighter planes. The Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft would be deployed as part of a squadron with F15-QA and Rafale planes to provide security during the World Cup in Qatar at the end of the year, according to QNA.
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08/29/2022
The Ukrainian military renewed its requests to allies for the donation of advanced jet fighters, with a special focus on the American-made General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, in a series of social media posts on Ukraine's Aviation Day on Saturday.
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08/28/2022
A total of 21 Chinese military aircraft and five naval ships were detected in areas around Taiwan on Saturday, including 13 warplanes that flew into the southwestern part of Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ). According to the Ministry of National Defense (MND), the 13 Chinese planes that entered Taiwan's southwestern ADIZ consisted of seven Shenyang J-16 and two Chengdu J-10 fighter jets as well as four H-6 bombers.
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08/28/2022
Russia’s importance as an arms supplier to Asian states is likely to decline in the short term due to export constraints resulting from the Russia–Ukraine conflict. Russia’s need to use more of its own armaments in the Russia–Ukraine conflict, the sanctions imposed by the United States and European Union, and the perceived poor performance of Russian arms in the conflict itself may provide an opening for exports from competing arms suppliers including the United States and China.
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08/28/2022
To face the global geopolitical challenges, India and Argentina on Friday reaffirmed their commitment to further deepening and diversifying their bilateral cooperation, in various sectors including nuclear energy, defence, and space. The Argentine side expressed its interest in the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft `Tejas’ being manufactured by state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL). If the deal goes through, HAL will have to rework the LCA Tejas as per requirements of the South American nation.
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08/27/2022
According to what the head of the Polish MoD posted via his Twitter channel, it is now clear where the newly acquired aircraft of the Polish Air Force will be stationed. The information has been released on the Polish National Aviation Day. The Minister stated that the newly procured FA-50 advanced fighter trainers will be stationed at Minsk Mazowiecki (ICAO code: EPMM) – currently serving as a base for the upgraded Polish MiG-29 Fulcrums.
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08/27/2022
Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus and a close ally of Russia in its war in Ukraine, announced today that some of his country’s combat aircraft had been modified to carry nuclear weapons. There are currently reports, including from the Reuters agency, that long-withdrawn Belarusian Su-24 Fencer strike aircraft are involved, although this doesn’t stack up for several reasons.
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08/26/2022
According to information published by Tass on August 18, 2022, Russia’s fifth-generation Su-57 multirole fighter may serve as the basis for developing prospective aircraft for new Russian aircraft carriers. The Su-57 is a fifth-generation Russian-made multifunctional fighter designed to destroy all types of air, ground and surface targets. It has supersonic cruising speed, internal armament, radar-absorbing coating, as well as the latest onboard equipment.
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08/26/2022
Fighter jets from Japan and South Korea are making their debut at a large-scale air combat exercise in northern Australia, along with F-35 fifth-generation stealth fighters from the host nation and the United States. The aircraft and personnel from the U.S. allies will take part in the biennial Exercise Pitch Black alongside that from 15 other nations, making up a force of over 100 aircraft and 2,500 personnel at what the Royal Australian Air Force or RAAF calls its “premier multinational air co
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08/25/2022
Australia’s new Air Force Chief has said surveillance missions would continue in the South China Sea despite a “recent spate of unsafe incidences” in the contested region. In May, a Royal Australian Air Force surveillance plane was intercepted by a Chinese fighter jet in international air space claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea region.
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08/25/2022
The Canadian government in March 2022 began the finalization phase of the Future Fighter Capability Program to purchase 88 F-35 Lightning II fighter jets through prime contractor Lockheed Martin and the United States government. The parties will now need months of negotiation on key contractual elements like when and where aircraft are to be delivered, pilot and maintainer training, logistics, and a final price tag – estimated to be worth $19 billion.
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08/25/2022
The 2023 draft budget for the Ministry of Defence’s branch of government is EUR 6.1 billion, representing an increase of EUR 1 billion, or 20%, on the current budget. The figure is explained by general increases in the Defence Forces’ operating expenditure, in defence materiel procurement and in support for the activities of national defence organisations. The increases seek respond to the changes in the Defence Forces’ operating environment.
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08/25/2022
F-16 fighter jets from the 132nd Fleet Weapons and Tactics Command, located at the 3rd Main Jet Base Command in the Turkish Air Force Command, escorted US B-52s as part of the NATO mission. During the operation conducted in Slovakian airspace to protect NATO’s eastern flank, Turkish F-16s were tasked with protecting American B-52s loaded with AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile munitions.
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08/24/2022
"Slovakia will send its 30 IFVs to Ukraine & get 15 Leopard2A4 MBT from Germany," Minister of Defence of the Slovak Republic Jaroslav Nad posted on Twitter. Earlier, Nad stated that the Government of Slovakia would not stop military support to Ukraine despite all the efforts of Russia to influence public opinion in his country on this matter.
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08/24/2022
Aircraft simulators must evolve to meet the adversary threat, leaders from the 53rd Wing told Air Force Magazine. Once mainly used for initial qualification training, the Air Force is moving toward a paradigm of simulator training known as the “common synthetic environment” that will create non-proprietary, interchangeable training devices and environments for aircrews to train, conduct mission rehearsals, and even test new weapons and other capabilities in a virtual environment.
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08/23/2022
An announcement by Russia last week revealing that Turkey is on track to receive another “regiment” of the S-400 missile defense system has left officials in Washington scratching their heads. But the Biden administration suggested that Ankara would not face additional sanctions as it appeared the new batch of Russian weapons is part of the original deal, which forced the Trump administration to penalize Turkey under US law.
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08/23/2022
Nomads with the 33rd Fighter Wing, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, participated in exercise Northern Lightning from Aug. 8-19. Northern Lightning is a joint training exercise that replicates today’s air battle-space and where the Nomad’s worked to enhance Agile Combat Employment and build combat-credible Airmen. The Nomads stayed in Volk for roughly four weeks as they conducted off-site training and participated in the exercise.
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08/23/2022
The Air Force plans to invest billions of dollars to develop new combat fighters—and the military engines to power them—over the next decade. The plan shows Air Force leaders’ desire to keep its three large airplane makers—Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman—as well as engine makers General Electric and Pratt & Whitney, viable to build aircraft for years to come.
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08/22/2022
When I worked for Secretary Wynne when he was head of defense acquisition and then Secretary of the USAF, I had a chance to focus on the coming of the F-35 global enterprise. What I argued at the time was that a global force of F-35s would provide a foundation for working defense integration, not just interoperability. For me, the aircraft was not really a fighter understood in classic terms; it was a multi-domain flying combat system.
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08/22/2022
The U.S. Air Force released new photos of the new EC-37B Compass Call as it briefly visited Davis-Monthan Air Force Base on August 17, 2022. The visit gave to the personnel of the 55th Electronic Combat Group the opportunity to see up-close the aircraft that will replace in a few years their ageing EC-130Hs giving in turn better performance and new capabilities over the retiring aircraft. The aircraft, which received all external modification, is still flying with its primer paint and the civili
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08/21/2022
The headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in Ukraine's occupied Crimea region was hit by a drone attack early on August 20, a Russia-installed administrator reported. Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed administrator of the port city of Sevastopol, posted on Telegram that the drone crashed into the roof of the building and that there were no casualties.
A video showing a plume of smoke rising over the building was posted on social media.
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08/21/2022
According to intelligence data, the Belarusian Ministry of Defense and the Russian government have signed urgent contracts for the repair and restoration of aviation equipment. “In particular, employees of the 558th aircraft repair plant (Baranovichi) periodically go on business trips as part of ‘field groups’ to carry out work on the restoration and commissioning of aircraft equipment at the 121st aircraft repair plant (the territory of the Kubinka air base),” reads the report.
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08/20/2022
Iraq’s military is reportedly facing significant difficulties sustaining its fleet of Russian-made military helicopters as an indirect result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The latest quarterly report by the U.S. Defense Department’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) on Operation Inherent Resolve against ISIS notes that Russian supply chain issues caused by the Ukraine war, and sanctions against Moscow for perpetrating it, has affected Iraq’s ability to sustain its Russian-built aircraft.
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08/20/2022
China's response to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan was anything but subtle — dispatching warships and military aircraft to all sides of the self-governing island democracy, and firing ballistic missiles into the waters nearby.
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08/20/2022
Recent explosions widely considered to have been a Ukrainian attack at a Russian base in occupied Crimea knocked out over half of the Russian Black Sea fleet's combat jets, Western officials have revealed to the media Friday. Multiple blasts on August 9 at Saki Air Base — situated well-behind the front lines in eastern and southern Ukraine — caused widespread damage, destroying several Russian warplanes and buildings.
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08/19/2022
Jaroslav Nad', Slovakia's defence minister has stated that the Government of Slovakia will not stop providing military support to Ukraine despite all Russia’s efforts to influence public opinion in his country on this matter. According to the minister, a not too high number of Slovaks' support for this government initiative is related to the activity of Russian propaganda in his country which is making significant efforts to block the arms supplies to Ukraine, EuroNews reports.
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08/19/2022
A series of apparent Ukrainian attacks and logistical disasters for Russian forces in the 25th week of the war may indicate that Ukraine’s promised southern counteroffensive is still viable, despite the absence so far of significant territorial gains for Kyiv.
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08/19/2022
The skies over the Top End have filled with aircraft from across the world for the return of Exercise Pitch Black. From today until 8 September, 16 nations will participate alongside Australia in Exercise Pitch Black in an effort to enhance interoperability and develop strong relationships between participating military forces.
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08/19/2022
US Air Force B-52 bombers arrived in Europe for a Bomber Task Force deployment on Thursday after training with Norwegian and Swedish fighter jets before landing at RAF Fairford air base in England. The exercise yielded first-of-their-kind photos of the countries training together, reflecting an already close military relationship that is growing closer as Sweden moves to join NATO and the alliance increases its focus on the high north.
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08/18/2022
BAE Systems officially delivered its first Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft to the Qatar Armed Forces (QAF) during a roll-out ceremony at the company’s facility in Warton, UK. The Typhoon aircraft was delivered on schedule and will be transported from the UK to Doha later this month. BAE Systems and the UK see the delivery as a “significant milestone” under Qatar’s 5-billion-euro ($5.08 billion) program to acquire Eurofighter jets and Hawk advanced jet trainers.
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08/18/2022
In the first day since the launch of a collection drive in Latvia for the purchase and donation of the Bayraktar combat drone to Ukraine, over EUR 250,000 has been collection, according to information on the portal Ziedot.lv. The collection driver itself was launched on Tuesday, and already 8,000 persons have donated to the initiative.
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08/18/2022
U.S. Navy airborne electronic warfare (EW) experts needed upgraded power supplies for the AN/ALQ-218 signals intelligence (SIGINT) system aboard the Boeing EA-18G Growler carrier-based aircraft. They found their solution from the Crane Aerospace & Electronics Keltec segment in Fort Walton Beach, Fla.
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08/18/2022
Taiwan unveiled its most advanced fighter jet, the missile-equipped F-16V, in a rare nighttime demonstration in the wake of China’s unprecedented military drills around the island. Chinese forces have staged days of air and sea military drills in the Taiwan Strait this month after visits to the self-governed island by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a congressional delegation.
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08/16/2022
The Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) F-35A Lightning II aircraft is set to participate in the multinational exercise Pitch Black 2022. This marks the first time RAAF will deploy its F-35As, which will replace the F/A-18A/B Classic Hornet that took part in the last iterations of the exercise. The RAAF’s fifth-generation aircraft from Nos. 3 and 75 Squadron will be deployed to demonstrate their capabilities in a multinational air combat environment.
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08/16/2022
Taiwan’s air force showed off in July its first locally designed and manufactured trainer jet in more than 30 years. The jet trainer is part of the self-governed island’s move to advance its domestic defense industry, Reuters reported.
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08/16/2022
The German Air Force is set to travel to Australia to make its debut in the country’s multi-national Exercise Pitch Black, marking the first time the German and Australian forces have trained together. The Luftwaffe will arrive Down Under in mid-August, with more than 200 personnel, six Eurofighter Typhoons, three A330 multi-role tanker transports and an A400M transport aircraft, the Australian Department of Defence said in a press release on August 15, 2022.
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08/16/2022
On July 27, Poland signed one of its largest arms deals ever for more artillery, tanks, and aircraft to modernize its military amid heightened tensions in Europe. Warsaw's $14.5 billion deal with South Korea — the largest ever for South Korea's defense industry — includes 1,000 K2 Black Panther tanks, nearly 700 K9 self-propelled howitzers, and 48 FA-50 light combat aircraft.
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08/15/2022
The German Air Force will send military aircraft to Indo-Pacific countries including Japan, Australia, South Korea and Singapore for the first time from Monday for joint drills and other activities. Germany hopes to deepen military ties with Asian democracies while stepping up efforts to check China's hegemonic ambitions.
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08/15/2022
With the Russian invasion of Ukraine well into its sixth month, the war has settled into a baffling pattern that defies the expectations of both sides. The most extreme example is the air war over Ukraine, which devolved into a stalemate almost from the beginning. With NATO now open to supplying Ukraine with modern Western fighter planes, the question is, will this change the game or is it already too late?
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08/15/2022
With upgrades, F-16s can serve as a numbers-builder in the combat air forces until the 2040s, and it’s not necessary to launch its successor yet, program officials said at an industry conference. “We anticipate hundreds of F-16s in active service for decades to come,” meaning into the 2040s, Col. Tim Bailey, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s F-16 program manager, said in a press conference at the Life Cycle Industry Days.
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08/14/2022
13 Chinese airforce planes flew on the eastern part of the median line of the Taiwan Strait on Saturday, 13 August, Taiwan's Defence Ministry said. Taking to their official Twitter handle, Taiwan's Defence Ministry said that 29 Chinese aircraft and six vessels were detected around their territory. The incursions occurred just three days after days after Beijing ended its military drills around Taiwan.
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08/14/2022
It’s increasingly obvious China is thinking the unthinkable – taking on the United States military, and winning. But is it possible? The Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is running war games in Washington. They’re trying to figure out what chance the West has of defending Taiwan.
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08/14/2022
The Chinese air force is sending fighter jets and bombers to Thailand for a joint exercise with the Thai military on Sunday. The training will include air support, strikes on ground targets and small- and large-scale troop deployment, the Chinese Defense Ministry said in a statement posted on its website.
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08/13/2022
According to Russian sources, Admiral Igor Osipov, the Commander of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation, has been relieved of his post today, Friday, August 12, by President Vladimir Putin. His position is believed to have been filled by Vice Admiral Viktor Sokolov. This action is believed to have been executed as a direct consequence of the Ukrainian sabotage attack on the air base near the village of Novofedorivka in occupied Crimea last Tuesday, August 9.
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08/13/2022
As many as 24 Chinese aircraft and six vessels were detected by the Taiwan Defence Ministry near its territory on Friday, two days after China halted its large-scale military drills near the self-ruled island. "Six PLAN vessels and 24 PLA aircraft around our surrounding region were detected today (August 12, 2022) until 1700(GMT+8). #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and responded to these activities with aircraft in CAP, naval vessels, and land-based missile systems," Taiwan Defence M
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08/13/2022
This year marks half a century of U.S. Air Force aggressors, and it’s therefore fitting that the 65th Aggressor Squadron has been reactivated at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, in one of the most significant milestones ever for the squadrons that play the part of the enemy. The unit flies stealthy F-35A fighter jets, and it will set a new standard for the USAF’s aggressor forces as a whole.
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08/13/2022
The U.S. Air Force is preparing a report to Congress detailing a major cost overrun that resulted from its decision to cut its HH-60W combat rescue helicopter procurement by 38 aircraft. The service planned to buy 113 new helicopters from aircraft manufacturer Sikorsky, owned by Lockheed Martin. However, the fiscal 2023 budget request revealed a plan to cap the fleet at 75 helicopters and study the future of the combat rescue mission.
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08/12/2022
South Korea is seeking a niche market for its semi-stealth fighter jets praised for their high agility and low maintenance costs, which are likely to emerge as a cost-effective alternative to Chinese warplanes, analysts in the country have said. The KF-21 Boramae, meaning "hawk" in Korean, is likely to provide stiff competition for China's J-10 CE and FC-31 fighters in the global market, especially in Africa, the observers said.
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08/12/2022
The Royal Canadian Air Force Snowbirds air demonstration team has been grounded indefinitely because of a runway accident in early August. The RCAF says it will “conduct a deliberate, detailed and broad risk analysis, with the aim of enabling the safe resumption of CT-114 flying operations.” No timeline has been offered to get the aircraft flying again. The team has 10 airshows booked for the balance of the season.
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08/12/2022
U.S. Air Force aerial radar experts are ordering 31 modern active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar systems for F-16 jet fighters under terms of a $88.2 million order announced in July. Officials of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Fighter Bomber Directorate, F-16 Division, at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, are asking the Northrop Grumman Corp. Mission Systems segment in Linthicum Heights, Md., to build 31 AN/APG-83 AESA radar systems and spare parts for the F-16.
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08/12/2022
Explosions at a Russian airbase in Crimea that Ukraine says destroyed nine fighter aircraft may indicate new Ukrainian offensive capabilities that complicate Kremlin efforts to support its invading forces, according to European intelligence officials and defense analysts.
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08/12/2022
A congressional push to block the U.S. Air Force’s plan to retire 33 F-22s could have ripple effects for one of the service’s top priority programs, the Collaborative Combat Aircraft. The Air Force’s proposal to cut the F-22s is part of a broader plan to divest 150 aircraft in fiscal 2023 to free funds for higher priorities such as the B-21 bomber, hypersonic weapons programs and Next-Generation Air Dominance systems.
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08/11/2022
The U.S. military says Russian military surveillance aircraft entered the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone on two separate occasions over the past two days. U.S. F-22 fighter jets intercepted the second aircraft upon entering the airspace, a defense official told VOA. Both entries involved the same type of Russian surveillance aircraft, the official added.
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08/11/2022
Mali’s military government has received several fighter jets and helicopters from Russia, which has become a close and controversial ally in its fight against Islamist militants. The aircraft were handed over during a ceremony at Bamako’s airport, with Malian President Assimi Goita and Russian Ambassador Igor Gromyko present.
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08/11/2022
Just over two years ago, the Air Force announced it was buying limited quantities of Textron’s AT-6s and Sierra Nevada Corp.’s A-29s. Now, the service is seemingly set to get rid of the aircraft, most likely in the form of a foreign military sale. Should such a sale occur, it would mark the end of a prolonged back-and-forth. At the moment, Air Force Special Operations Command and Air Combat Command operate three A-29s and two AT-6s, respectively.
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08/11/2022
In a first-of-its-kind interaction between their respective Fighter Weapon Schools, the Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out a month-long engagement with the Egyptian Air Force (EAF) at Egyptian Fighter Weapon School, located in Cairo West Air Force Base.
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08/11/2022
Ukraine’s air force said it believed that up to a dozen Russian aircraft were destroyed on the ground following Tuesday’s dramatic explosions at the Saky airbase in Crimea, which Russia said killed one, wounded 13 and damaged dozens of nearby houses. Political sources in Ukraine said the country had carried out the attack – but no public claim of responsibility was made by Kyiv of the incident that one expert believes may have been the product of a daring raid rather than a missile strike.
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08/10/2022
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 39 Chinese military aircraft and 13 warships around the country as of 5 p.m. on Monday (Aug. 8). Of the 39 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, 21 entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), with 14 crossing the median line, including eight Sukhoi Su-30 fighter planes and six Shenyang J-11 fighter jets, according to the MND.
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08/10/2022
Korea Aerospace Industries is looking to establish an industrial partnership for the production and marketing of the FA-50 in Africa and the Middle East, and Egypt is a strong candidate. The Black Eagles aerobatic team of the Republic of South Korea Air Force (ROKAF) performed the first aerobatics demonstration during the recent Pyramid Air Show 2022.
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08/10/2022
The number of fighter jets, which are viewed as national defence assets for the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), needs to be increased. Former RMAF commander, General (R) Tan Sri Rodzali Daud said the country's capability was affected after the F5-E Tiger II and MiG-29 were retired (end of service). According to him, the addition of these assets need to be done immediately because the country is lagging behind in the aspect of owning air defence assets compared to other countries in the Asian r
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08/10/2022
The US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Colin Kahl, said in a press conference on August 8 that the US has sent “a number of anti-radiation missiles that can be fired off of Ukrainian aircraft that can have effects on Russia radars and other things.” Kahl’s remarks came shortly after Russian Telegram channels released the images of what is allegedly the destroyed AGM-88 HARM, and the missile in question was reportedly fired at a Russian position.
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08/10/2022
A report released by GlobalData has revealed growth in the global military fixed-wing market will see a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.12% between 2022 and 2032, reaching $98.3bn, driven by developments in stealth technologies.
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08/06/2022
India has firmly conveyed its concerns to China over certain instances of Chinese combat jets flying close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, official sources said on Friday. They claimed that on August 2, the concerns were expressed at a special round of military negotiations. The Indian delegation vigorously pushed for both sides to refrain from flying activities within 10 kilometres of the LAC during the discussion that took place at the Chushul-Moldo border crossing.
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08/06/2022
Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center Detachment 6 team members recently analyzed two of the first developmental and operational test missile shots for the F-15EX Eagle II. Engineers and analysts from the AFOTEC Detachment 6 F-15 division traveled to Eglin Air Force Base and Tyndall AFB, both in Florida, to draw results from the AIM-120D and AIM-120C3 missile shots performed as part of the Weapons System Evaluation Program, or WSEP, conducted by Eglin’s 53rd Wing.
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08/06/2022
The flow of weapons to battle-scarred Ukraine has been “non-stop”, says Rear Admiral Duke Heinz, the European Union’s chief logistician, as the fighting continues uninterruptedly ever since the Russian invasion last February. And US Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III was quoted as saying: “Ukraine needs the firepower and the ammunition to withstand its barrage and to strike back at the Russians launching these attacks from inside Ukraine’s own territory”.
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08/06/2022
India has offered to sell 18 light-combat aircraft (LCA) "Tejas" to Malaysia, the defence ministry said on Friday, adding that Argentina, Australia, Egypt, the United States, Indonesia, and the Philippines were also interested in the single-engine jet. The Indian government last year gave a $6 billion contract to state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HIAE.NS) for 83 of the locally produced Tejas jets for delivery starting around 2023 - four decades after it was first approved in 1983.
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08/06/2022
Ukraine’s network of surface-to-air missile systems has helped. The Norwegian-built National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS), which is also used to protect Washington, D.C., will be an added advantage. But two systems announced by President Joe Biden on July 1 and under contract by the U.S. government for Ukraine are believed to be months away from delivery.
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08/05/2022
Engineers and analysts from the AFOTEC Detachment 6 F-15 division traveled to Eglin Air Force Base and Tyndall AFB, both in Florida, to draw results from the AIM-120D and AIM-120C3 missile shots performed as part of the Weapons System Evaluation Program, or WSEP, conducted by Eglin’s 53rd Wing. These missile shots conducted Jan. 25, showed how the F-15 EX can be employed in theater and provided the context needed for Detachment 6 to verify its combat capability.
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08/05/2022
In the near future, “Top Gun” may get a reboot. Roughly one year from now, fighter pilots will begin flying with helmets outfitted with visors that can augment reality and place digital replicas of enemy fighter jets in their field of vision. For the first time, pilots will get to fly in the air and practice maneuvering against imitations of highly advanced aircraft made by countries like China and Russia.
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08/05/2022
Turkey and Greece, two of NATO's most valuable but least friendly allies, are pursuing new US-made fighter jets, but their diverging relationships with Washington mean they might not both get what they want. In June, Greece submitted a request to the US for the purchase of 20 F-35 stealth fighters with the option for 20 more jets in the future. The request comes as Athens's ties with Washington, especially their defense relationship, grow closer.
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08/04/2022
Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center Detachment 6 Morale Patch. Detachment 6 team members recently participated in two of the first developmental and operational test missile shots for the F-15EX Eagle II.
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08/04/2022
As tensions soared with the US over Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, China commenced joint military exercises surrounding Taiwan, featuring J-20 stealth fighters for the very first time, Chinese media reported. China released a video released showing J-20 stealth fighter jets participating in the military drills. The stealth jets flew from an airfield on Tuesday, with Beijing deploying rockets and missiles to thwart Pelosi’s visit.
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08/04/2022
The operational assessment of the Angry Kitten Combat Pod electronic attack system in April demonstrated rapid reprogramming between flights. This combat pod, an updated version of the Georgia Tech Research Institute Angry Kitten pod, simulates enemy electronic attack signals during Air Force test and training missions.
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08/03/2022
The United States is committed to working alongside our allies and partners to further impose severe consequences on President Putin and his enablers for Russia’s unconscionable war against Ukraine.
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08/03/2022
As had been increasingly expected for days now, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has arrived in Taiwan along with a Congressional delegation as part of a scheduled trip through Asia. Despite earlier concerns, China's People's Liberation Army does not appear to have tried to directly intervene to block Pelosi's flight. However, Chinese authorities have now announced plans for a series of highly provocative "targeted military operations."
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08/03/2022
On Aug. 1, 2022, four U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18C, assigned to the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323 (VMFA-323) “Death Rattlers”, from MCAS (Marine Corps Air Station) Miramar, California, landed at Aviano Air Base, Italy.
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08/03/2022
The House committee scrutinising the 2023 budget bill will decide on Wednesday on a request by the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) for a budget to fund its F-35A fighter jet procurement scheme. Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, vice chairman of the committee, said on Tuesday the panel is split over the issue after reviewing the RTAF's appeal and documents, in which the air force insists the budget request is valid but has agreed to have it slashed by 50%.
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08/03/2022
The plans, first reported by The Mail on Sunday, come amid an announcement at Farnborough Airshow that a demonstrator aircraft will fly within the next five years. The defence manufacturer wants to hire an extra 1,000 engineers in the next 12 months in its air division. The new staff will work on the sixth generation fighter as well as the Typhoon and other future programmes. Team Tempest comprises the Ministry of Defence and BAE Systems, Leonardo UK, Rolls-Royce and MBDA UK.
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08/03/2022
NATO is building up its defenses in Eastern Europe to fend off Russian aggression in a new effort it calls “air shielding.” The 30-country transatlantic alliance has long flown “air policing” missions that dispatch fighter jets to keep unfriendly aircraft at bay. Air shielding, however, began in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a neighbor it shares with NATO nations.
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08/02/2022
Aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) and big deck amphibious ship USS Tripoli (LHA-7), with Marine F-35B Lighting II Joint Strike Fighters embarked, are operating in the vicinity of Taiwan, on the edge of the South China Sea ahead of a Western Pacific visit from U.S. House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to the region, according to the Aug. 1 edition of the USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker. An earlier version of this post indicated USS America (LHA-6) was underway but it is in port
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08/02/2022
L-39 combat training planes arrived in Kazakhstan after being modernized and repaired at the manufacturing plant in the Czech Republic, Kazinform cites the press service of the Kazakh Defense Ministry. The planes boast new digital avionics, ejection, objective control systems, communication means, and more.
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08/02/2022
The 26 US F-35 fighter jets based in Europe have resumed flying missions after temporary groundings and inspections of their ejector seat parts, according to an Air Force statement. “All subordinate commands hosting F-35A Lightning II throughout the European theater conducted a review” at the direction of Air Force headquarters, US Air Forces-Europe-Africa said in a statement on Monday. The fighter jets “underwent an immediate review” and “both squadrons will continue normal operations,” it said
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08/02/2022
The Indian Navy has accepted delivery of its first indigenously designed and built aircraft carrier — a milestone for the country’s defense industry as New Delhi seeks to not only modernize the force, but also counter increased Chinese presence and influence in the Indian Ocean. The future INS Vikrant, also known as the “Indigenous Aircraft Carrier,” was handed over to the navy on Thursday by local shipbuilder Cochin Shipyard following extensive trials.
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08/01/2022
A union representing nearly 2,500 employees at three Boeing defense locations in the St. Louis area said on Saturday they will vote on the company's revised contract offer, canceling a strike that was set to start early Monday. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said an overnight bargaining session had led to the new Boeing offer and workers will vote Wednesday on whether to accept it.
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08/01/2022
China has stepped up efforts to develop its next generation of ship-based warplanes for its new aircraft carriers, with recent photos revealing Beijing's progress in developing early warning aircraft and stealth fighter jets. A video circulating on Chinese social media this week showed the KJ-600 — China's first fixed-wing early-warning plane capable of operating on the carriers — on a test flight over the northwestern city of Xian, where its manufacturer, Xian Aircraft Industrial Corporation, i
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08/01/2022
According to a press release from NATO, seven Air Forces from across the Alliance joined their aircraft and ground systems for a training event in Romanian airspace to conduct coordinated combined air-to-ground drills demonstrating interoperability and preparedness.
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08/01/2022
The engines on the Rafale fighter jet are not the best in the world. Although they’re great, the Typhoon fighter jet’s engines are superior, he said. Até noted that “Rafale fighter jet is an excellent aircraft and that if you understand it perfectly and if you understand your opponents as well, you will know exactly how you want to fight the adversary and you will succeed.
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