Military Aviation News Archive
06/12/2021
Russian planes breached Danish airspace twice on Friday, Ritzau reported, citing the Defense Ministry in Copenhagen. Trine Bramsen, Denmark’s defense minister, said such acts are “very rare” and to be taken “seriously,” according to Ritzau. “There should be no doubt that it’s unacceptable,” she said.
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06/12/2021
Airborne radar experts at Raytheon Technologies Corp. will build upgraded radar systems for advanced versions of the Boeing F-15 Eagle jet fighter under terms of a $3.1 billion contract U.S. Air Force contract announced Wednesday.
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06/10/2021
FS21 is a joint, multinational exercise with participants from the United States working with service members from Israel, Italy, and the United Kingdom, that optimizes the integration between 4th and 5th Generation aircraft, increases the level of cooperation in the F-35 logistics and expeditionary fields, and strengthens interoperability of allied and partner air forces during joint operations.
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06/09/2021
Swedish defense minister Peter Hultqvist on Tuesday reportedly re-pitched to sell SAAB’s Gripen fighter jets to India during an event hosted by the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers, Mint reported. This is the second time Sweden has pitched its Gripen jets to India. Earlier, Indian PM Narendra Modi met his Swedish counterpart Stefan Lofven in a video conference (March 05), under which the two leaders are said to have discussed key matters on various subjects including sale of Gripen jets.
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06/09/2021
Around 24 Chinese fighter jets, including J-11s and J-16s, recently held exercises near eastern Ladakh amid the heavy deployment of forces on the ground at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) by both countries. The exercises come when both sides have been engaged in a military standoff for over a year now at the LAC in Ladakh.
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06/09/2021
As the decision on the next fighter jet to fly with the colors of the Swiss Air Force is about to be made, local media reports that the scales might be tilted in favor of the Dassault Rafale. The Air 2030 tender was launched in 2020 following the positive outcome of a referendum on whether Switzerland should acquire or not new fighter jets. 50.1% of voters have voted “yes” to the procurement of new aircraft for the Swiss Air Force.
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06/09/2021
The Russian Air Force’s Sukhoi Su-34 has been seen as one of Russia’s most capable strike fighters; it blends a time-proven airframe design with numerous modern performance features. The combat aircraft also proved it was more than capable when it was deployed to Syria, where it was employed in attacks against rebel and ISIS forces.
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06/08/2021
The Arctic Challenge Exercise (ACE), organized by Finland, Sweden, and Norway, is scheduled to be held from June 7-18, 2021 on the Rovaniemi airbase in Finland, Norway’s Bodo base, and Swedish base Lulea. This year’s edition of the drills is headed by the Finnish forces with a limited number of participants due to the coronavirus pandemic. Held every two years, ACE is one of Europe’s largest tactical air exercises.
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06/08/2021
The U.S. Navy's new unmanned tanker aircraft just completed its first aerial refueling of a manned fighter jet, the service said Monday. The MQ-25 Stingray drone was able to successfully attach to and refuel a Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet during a test flight June 4 out of MidAmerica Airport, Illinois, the service said in a release. The airport, near St. Louis, Missouri, serves as the location for the test program, overseen by the drone's manufacturer, Boeing.
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06/07/2021
Six Israeli F-35 stealth fighters landed in Italy last week to take part in a two-week air exercise in Italy with its air force, alongside those of the United States and United Kingdom, in the largest and farthest drill that the aircraft have taken part in to date, the military said Sunday. Though the explicit goal of the exercise is to improve the overall capabilities of the F-35 jet, which entered military service in late 2016
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06/07/2021
Not a day goes by without some new rumors about Russia’s military development, which are eventually confirmed, or sometimes not. This time, it looks like the “war of drones” concept is getting closer to turning into reality, as fighter jets become capable of coordinating not just one, but 4 simultaneous drone attacks.
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06/07/2021
The sheer dominance of the Israeli Air Force has come about through super-efficient training, intelligence operations conducted by Mossad and other agencies to gauge the vulnerability of its opponents, and a resilient approach to design and acquisition of new aircraft. One country that always but unsuccessfully challenged the Israeli air dominance was Egypt. The country is veering off course in its weapons procurement policy, purchasing more from nations such as Russia and France.
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06/06/2021
China has stepped up incursions into Southeast Asian airspace, drawing the ire of Malaysia in the most recent breach, as Beijing seeks to expand its influence in the region with the mix of a vaccine charm offensive and a show of force. Malaysia's air force scrambled jets this week to intercept 16 Chinese aircraft entering its national airspace. The Chinese aircraft were "flying in tactical formation" and came within 60 nautical miles of Borneo, the air force said on Monday.
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06/06/2021
There was a time when the US military had used both American and Soviet-made aircraft to train its fighter pilots. In a YouTube video released recently, a former F-14 Tomcat Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) Ward Carroll shared exciting details of secret dogfight training he was part of in 1985. Held at Nevada’s Tonopah Test Range Airport, Carroll took part in the secretive Constant Peg program and its equally secretive training unit- the Red Eagles.
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06/05/2021
A British-led aircraft carrier group voyage that will take the HMS Queen Elizabeth to the disputed South China Sea would push Beijing further into an angry defensive position, analysts believe. The 65,000-ton aircraft carrier with more than 30 aircraft plans to visit the Asian waterway for military drills with the U.S. Navy and Japanese Maritime Self Defense Forces, British media outlets say.
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06/05/2021
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Air Force’s 2011 decision to award Boeing the development contract for its next-generation aerial refueling tanker. Now designated the KC-46 Pegasus, the aircraft is based on a version of the company’s 767 commercial transport that has been modified to deliver fuel to other aircraft in flight, carry cargo and transport personnel (including wounded troops).
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06/04/2021
Often called a “flying tank,” the classic and much revered A-10 Warthog plane has for years been cherished by ground forces under enemy fire in combat. The battle-tested aircraft continues to live into future years due to various upgrades and sustainment efforts. The aircraft’s titanium hull, flight trajectory, and redundant electronics enable it to both withstand incoming enemy small arms fire as well as hover above and fire its 30mm cannon during dynamic fast-moving warfare scenarios.
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06/04/2021
China has once again flexed its muscles against Malaysian claims in the South China Sea, this time using airpower and not the typical deployment of coast guard vessels or maritime militia. On the afternoon of May 31, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) flew 16 aircraft consisting of Ilyushin Il-76 and Xian Y-20 multi-role airlifters over Malaysian maritime zone airspace close to Sarawak.
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06/04/2021
After a year-long competition with several other cities, Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith was chosen to host a multi-national training site for F-16 Falcon and F-35 fighter jets. The competition for the mission comes with an estimated $800 million – $1 billion economic impact on the region, according to the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce.
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06/03/2021
According to a recent Wall Street Journal report, the security cooperation between China and the UAE may prompt the US to review its decision to sell what is considered the world’s costliest combat aircraft. China’s growing footprints in the UAE and the rest of the Middle East are being critically looked at by the US. The UAE is one of the closest allies of the US in the region.
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06/03/2021
Tensions across the Taiwan Strait have risen sufficiently for The Economist to declare on the cover of its May 1, 2021 edition that Taiwan is now “the most dangerous place on Earth.” According to this narrative, Beijing has invested heavily in military capabilities that it can now bring to bear in a confrontation over Taiwan, which it regards as a renegade province.
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06/03/2021
Rooted in a sea of sand, the U.S. Air Forces Central (AFCENT) mission is, in-part, seamlessly accomplished by both active duty and the Air National Guard—proving the concept of Total Force Integration (TFI). TFI is nothing new. Once called “Future Total Force,” TFI became the standard about 15 years ago—fully integrating the Air Force’s active duty, guard and reserve components in exercises and contingency operations around the world.
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06/03/2021
The US Air Force just started taking delivery on the new F-15EX Eagle II in March of this year, but the jets already found their way into a massive force-on-force war game held in Alaska last month. Thus far, only two F-15EXs have been delivered, and both saw action during the exercises.
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06/02/2021
The Taiwanese air force is building up a force of 206 of the latest F-16 fighters. Now it needs aerial tankers to boost the new fighters’ endurance. That’s the surprising—and likely dead-end—recommendation of an analyst at Taiwan’s military think-tank.
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06/02/2021
Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $24.29 million contract from US Naval Air Systems Commandto provide non-recurring engineering and logistics sustainment programme support for F-35A Lightning II combat aircraft on order from Poland The contract was not competitively procured, the DoD announced on 28 May.
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