Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Kazakhstan’s Su-30 fighter crashes over Balkhash

04/17/2021

“During routine training mission at the landing approach at the training aviation center of the city of Balkhash, the Su-30SM multi-role fighter jet crashed,” the press service of the Ministry of Defense of Kazakhstan reported. A statement from the press service confirmed that both the pilots of the aircraft ejected safely and [have] been rescued.

Interview: Commander Air, HMS Queen Elizabeth

04/16/2021

In September 2020, the USMC Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211 (VMFA-211) embarked ten F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters onboard the UK’s new aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, joining British platforms of the same aircraft type. The deployment underlined the interoperability benefits of acquiring an aircraft such as the F-35B, as well as its role in projecting the UK’s carrier strike capability, according to Cdr Edward Phillips, HMS Queen Elizabeth’s Commander Air.

Mobility Airmen exercise ACE, joint force integration in Indo-Pacific

04/16/2021

As part of an effort to maximize Mobility Air Forces and Combat Air Forces integration as well as enhance agile combat employment capabilities in the Indo-Pacific theater, a contingent of Airmen from the 19th Airlift Wing participated in an off-station training exercise at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, March 29 – April 7.

Can Smaller Countries Produce Competitive Fighters?

04/16/2021

South Korea has rolled out the prototype of its new indigenous fighter, the KF-21 Boramae. The new jet will complement the country’s mostly American-made fleet, fitting between its older F-15 and F-16 fighters and complementing its brand-new, fifth-generation F-35s.

Myanmar junta taps Russian air power to bomb ethnic rebels

04/15/2021

The skies above Myanmar's hinterlands have thundered from Russian-made jets over the past three weeks as they bomb strongholds of ethnic rebels along the country's borders with China and Thailand. On other nights, witnesses say, Russian-made attack helicopters shattered the silence and lit up the sky.

First Danish F-35 fighter jet debuts at Lockheed Martin plant

04/15/2021

This major F-35 programme milestone strengthens national defence and global partnerships between the United States, Denmark and other F-35 partner and buying nations. “The security situation around the world is increasingly complex,” said Trine Bramsen, Danish minister of defence. “Being able to defend yourself and your allies is crucial. For peace. For stability. For freedom and democracy. With the new F-35 fighter jets we will increase our ability to protect Denmark.

A US F-15C fighter jet recently fired the longest air-to-air missile 'kill' shot in Air Force history

04/15/2021

A US Air Force F-15C Eagle fighter fired the longest known air-to-air "kill" shot to date in a recent test, the service said Wednesday. The fighter fired an AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) at a BQ-167 target drone and scored a "kill" from the farthest distance ever recorded during testing at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida in March, the 53rd Wing said in a statement.

Nigeria To Receive Six Super Tucanos Combat Aircraft In Mid-July – Presidency

04/14/2021

According to presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, 14 Nigerian pilots are currently training with the aircraft at the Moody Air Force Base in Georgia. Mr. Garba posted a video of what appeared to be test-flight operations on his verified Twitter handle. The video was credited to the Sierra Nevada Corporation, a private American aerospace firm.

China sends 25 warplanes into Taiwan's air defense zone, Taipei says

04/14/2021

China sent 25 warplanes into Taiwan's air defense identification zone on Monday, the largest breach of that space since the island began regularly reporting such activity in September, Taiwan's Defense Ministry said. The Chinese flights came a day after the US secretary of state warned Beijing that Washington was committed to the defense of the democratic, self-governed island, which China considers part of its sovereign territory.

Ukraine Turns To West For Fighters; Plans To Drop MiG Fleet

04/14/2021

Ukraine, faced with Russian troops on two fronts, has gone public with plans to buy combat aircraft that are not Russian-made. The vulnerable NATO partner plans to become independent of Vladimir Putin’s military in a crucial domain.

Russia's Su-57 Stealth Fighter Is Now For Sale

04/13/2021

The Su-57 project will occupy a sizable chunk of Russian defense spending. The Kremlin is keen to offset as much of these costs as possible through a series of high-profile export contracts.

Taiwan reports largest incursion yet by Chinese air force

04/13/2021

Twenty-five Chinese air force aircraft including fighter jets and nuclear-capable bombers entered Taiwan’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ) on Monday, the island’s government said, the largest reported incursion to date.

US Air Force's new F-15EX fighter aircraft finally has a name

04/13/2021

The Air Force officially rolled out its newest fighter jet on Wednesday at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, where the service finally announced its name. The F-15EX will be called the "Eagle II," following the naming tradition of the F-15C Eagle and the F-15E Strike Eagle.

Taiwan Reports New Incursion by Chinese Jets into Defense Zone

04/06/2021

Taiwan's Defense Ministry on Monday reported a new incursion by China's air force into the island's air defense identification zone, made up of eight fighter jets and two other aircraft, one of which flew through the strategic Bashi Channel. Chinese-claimed Taiwan has complained over the last few months of repeated missions by China's air force near the island, concentrated in the southwestern part its air defense zone near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands.

The F-16 Fighter Jet Is Getting a New 'Shield'

04/06/2021

The F-16 multirole fighter aircraft, now made by Lockheed Martin, is getting a new shield system. L3Harris Technologies, a Florida-based firm, announced in late March that it had received a contract from Lockheed to develop “a new advanced electronic warfare system to protect the international F-16 jet against emerging radar and electronic threats.”

New F4 Rafale Fighter Jets To Have Advanced Stealth & EWS; Is India A Potential Customer?

04/06/2021

The F4 generation of the Dassault Rafale is backed by an investment of $2.3 billion by the French defense ministry, announced in January 2019. The latest F4 version will see the incorporation of new generation technologies, especially enhanced aircraft connectivity, through software-defined radio, new links, and satellite communications.

South Korea to develop military transport aircraft

04/05/2021

Korea Aerospace Industries Co. (KAI), South Korea's sole aircraft manufacturer, said Sunday it aims to develop its own transport and multipurpose aircraft for the military. KAI has reached a consensus with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration on the need to develop transport and multipurpose aircraft to meet domestic demand for the planes, the company's Executive Vice President Ryu Kwang-su told Yonhap News Agency on the sidelines of a press conference.

Israeli air force debuts new spy aircraft

04/05/2021

Israel's air force received on Sunday a new intelligence aircraft that will provide the military with "unprecedented" reconnaissance capabilities, the Defense Ministry said. The so-called "Oron" airplane landed on Sunday in the Nevatim airbase in southern Israel after more than nine years of developments by the Defense Ministry, the Israeli Air Force, the Intelligence Directorate, the Israeli Navy, and the Israel Aerospace Industries, according to a statement issued by the Defense Ministry.

Chinese aircraft carrier and 5 ships pass Okinawa on way to Pacific

04/05/2021

The Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning and five escort vessels have passed through a key waterway off Japan on their way to the Pacific Ocean, the Joint Staff Office of the Japanese Defense Ministry said Sunday. The carrier group was spotted around 8 a.m. Saturday roughly 470 km southwest of Nagasaki Prefecture's Danjo Islands, the joint staff said. The convoy then passed through the Miyako Strait, the 250 km-wide waterway between Okinawa Island and Miyako Island.

Powerful Jets With One Weakness: Pakistani JF-17 Pilot Recalls Clash With Indian Su-30MKIs

04/05/2021

The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) had deployed as many as 24 fighter jets, including the JF-17, in response to India’s airstrike on Balakot terrorist camps on February 26, 2019. Several of these jets managed to cross the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto India-Pakistan border, releasing precision-guided glide bombs on Indian military installations in the Rajouri sector in Jammu and Kashmir.

US Navy places order for more 11 additional Boeing P-8A Poseidon submarine hunters aircraft to patrol the globe

04/04/2021

The U.S. Navy today awarded Boeinga $1.6 billion production contract for the next 11 P-8A Poseidon aircraft. Nine aircraft will join the U.S. Navy fleet and two will go to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), a cooperative partner in the P-8A joint program since 2009. The contract brings the total number of U.S. Navy P-8A aircraft under contract to 128 and the RAAF total to 14.

Chinese anti-submarine plane intrudes into Taiwan's ADIZ

04/04/2021

A Chinese military Y-8 anti-submarine aircraft entered Taiwan's southwest air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Saturday, but left the area after Taiwan scrambled fighter jets in response to the intrusion, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said. The aircraft flew into the airspace between Taiwan and the Dongsha Islands in the South China Sea, which are controlled by Taiwan, according to a chart provided by the MND.

Eisenhower Strike Group Joins Anti-ISIS Effort

04/03/2021

The Norfolk-based USS Dwight D. Eisenhower strike group started flight operations this week to support the continuing campaign against Islamic State remnants in Syria and Iraq. Aircraft from Carrier Air Wing 3, based at Naval Air Station Oceana, began flying March 31 in support of Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve to demonstrate U.S. commitment to security in the region.

'We hope to get our pilots alive,' Nigerian air force says, as military plane disappears from radar

04/03/2021

The Nigerian air force says it has yet to establish the whereabouts of a military plane that disappeared off the radar Wednesday evening near Borno -- an insurgency troubled state in the country's northeast region. A Nigerian air force spokesman told CNN Thursday afternoon that the fighter jet had been deployed to provide air support to ground troops, who were under fire from Boko Haram fighters before radar contact was lost.

Japan Is About To Waste Its F-35s Shadowing Chinese Planes

04/03/2021

The Japanese air force is assigning its new F-35 stealth fighters to alert duty, meaning that any day now the radar-evading jets could take off on short notice in order to intercept and shadow Chinese warplanes probing Japan’s air-defense zone. But if Tokyo had its way, the F-35 would sit out this dull, labor-intensive work. The stealth fighter is too expensive, too unreliable and too valuable for other missions to waste it on boring up-and-down flights.