Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

RAF Hercules fleet to be axed under plans to modernise Britain’s military

03/21/2021

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Second Bomb Wing executes Combat Hammer

03/21/2021

Airmen from the 2nd Bomb Wing loaded and employed nearly 50 types of various munitions and flew a total of eight sorties in support of exercise Combat Hammer, March 8-12. A week-long evaluation of the wing’s capacity to generate, load and employ conventional weapons on target, Combat Hammer measured the effectiveness and lethality of Barksdale’s combat capabilities.

Rafale F3-R receives green light for operational duty

03/20/2021

The Rafale F3-R multirole fighter has been approved for operational service by the French Navy and French Air and Space Force. The navy and air force ‘are now authorised to make operational use of all the capacities that are developed around the F3-R standard, which is already installed in half the French fleet and will eventually be installed on all Rafale aircraft in service’, the French MoD announced on 17 March.

Russia debunks Algerian reports it is building Su-34 fighters for the North African country

03/20/2021

A Russian official has branded rubbish reports in Algeria that Moscow is manufacturing state-of-art Su-34 fighter jets for the Algerian army, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) reports. Reports from Algiers indicated that Moscow is set to deliver a first batch of six Russian Su-34 fighter aircraft to the North African country and that Algerian pilots would start training to fly the aircraft in the summer of 2022.

Dassault ‘Rafale’ Aviation, Airbus Lock-Horns Over Europe’s Next-Gen Fighter Jet Program

03/20/2021

Europe’s next-gen fighter jet program FCAS is facing some teething problems, with two prime contractors — Airbus and Dassault Aviation — locking horns over the aircraft’s feasibility and the issue pertaining to who will lead the initiative.

HAL completes production of 140 raw material stage Su-30MKI aircraft

03/20/2021

Indian firm Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has announced that its Nashik Division completed production of 140 Su-30MKI jets from raw material stage (phase 4). The Sukhoi Su-30MKI is a multirole combat fighter aircraft equipped with thrust vectoring control and canards. It is jointly developed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau and HAL for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

How Germany’s Greens could spell the end for the Franco-German fighter jet

03/20/2021

Germany’s Greens like to think of themselves as their country’s most committed champions of Europe. They see in France their most important partner to further European integration and to advance the green and socially just transformation of the European Union. French President Emmanuel Macron’s vision for a sovereign Europe, too, is shared whole-heartedly by the Greens.

Controlling the Skies - Fighter Aircraft Central to AsPac Defence Spending (Studio)

03/20/2021

Aircraft with advanced air dominance capabilities have emerged as a top acquisition priority for countries across the Asia-Pacific, driven by the evolving geopolitical landscape. Several nations are pursuing fighter aircraft programmes, which are set to see significant progress over the coming decade.

Hawaiian Raptors hold fighter exercise with Alaska-based ‘Aggressors’

03/19/2021

The exercise was held to generate dissimilar aircraft combat training with the Alaska-based aircraft from the Eielson Air Force Base, exposing the Hawaiian F-22 Raptors to new combat strategies that are likely to be faced in the event of an air-to-air battle. “We’re helping the F-22s by replicating adversary capabilities so that they are trained and ready for any fight the Air Force wants to take them to,” said Capt. Daniel Simpson, 18th Aggressor Squadron pilot.

NATO AWACS provides area surveillance during Red Flag 21-2

03/19/2021

Service members from seven NATO member nations are at Nellis Air Force Base, supporting Red Flag 21-2 to test and sharpen their abilities in countering threats while building a cohesive protocol for real-world events. “For decades, Red Flag has been the world’s premier air combat training environment,” said Maj. Stephen Wahnon, tactical director and NATO E-3A Airborne Warning and Control System Red Flag detachment commander.

F-35 in the crosshairs: Despite criticism, America needs the fighter jet

03/19/2021

The F-35 is in the middle of a public relations storm. With the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Adam Smith, referring to the program as a “rathole” and news reports attacking the aircraft, the public is left to wonder about America’s newest fighter. However, reality dictates a far different conclusion: The F-35 is an operational success.

Russia denies supplying Algeria with Su-34 fighters

03/18/2021

A Russian military official on Wednesday denied manufacturing Su-34 fighters for the Algerian Air Force this year. The Russian Sukhoi SU-34 fighter is among the latest additions to the Russian Air Force arsenal, in operation since 2014. A representative of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSVTS) in Russia stated that Russia did not engage in manufacturing aircraft for Algeria.

Ukraine should look to US for air defenses, improved air force, says former defense adviser

03/18/2021

The recent decision by the Biden administration to send $125 million in military aid for Ukraine is a welcome site in Kyiv, but the country needs and deserves much more, according to a former chief adviser to Ukraine’s defense minister.

Combat Debut for Typhoon/Storm Shadow Pairing

03/18/2021

Royal Air Force Typhoons have used the MBDA Storm Shadow cruise missile in action for the first time, with a pair of aircraft reportedly firing four weapons at cave complexes on March 10. The network of caves, southwest of Erbil, was being used by Daesh terrorist forces.

India’s New Aircraft Carrier, Vikrant, May Get 5th-Generation Fighter

03/18/2021

The air wing of the Indian Navy's latest carrier, INS Vikrant, could include a new indigenous fighter plane. The TEDBF (Twin Engine deck Based Fighter) is the natural successor to India's Light Combat aircraft (LCA), the Tejas. If it is flown it will be inherently better suited to the Indian Navy's needs. But in the short term it faces competition from off-the-shelf Western types, notably the Super Hornet and the Rafale.

Combat Drones Made in China Are Coming to a Conflict Near You

03/18/2021

A dozen years into its fight with the Islamic insurgent group Boko Haram, Nigeria is getting some new weapons: a pair of Wing Loong II drones from China. The deal is one of a growing number of sales by state-owned Aviation Industry Corp. of China (AVIC), which has exported scores of the aircraft. The United Arab Emirates has used AVIC drones in Libya’s civil war, Egypt has attacked rebels in Sinai with them, and Saudi-led troops have deployed them in Yemen.

Arms race in the Middle East gobbles up nearly half of all US exports

03/17/2021

Arms imports in the Middle East grew by 25 percent between 2011–15 and 2016–20, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute(SIPRI) report published on Monday. But overall, and for the first time since 2001–2005, the volume of major arms transfers between countries did not rise from the previous five year period, SIPRI said.

Navy, Marines Unveil How They Will Buy and Operate Future Pilotless Aircraft and Crewless Ships

03/17/2021

The sea services see themselves moving toward a future where they are just as likely to perform a mission with an unmanned platform as a manned one, based on the specifics of the mission and what assets are available. A third of the Navy’s fleet and half of Marine Corps aviation could be unmanned under this hybrid vision the two services are pursuing, which they argue in a new Department of the Navy Unmanned Campaign Framework is necessary to stay ahead of adversary capabilities.

Here’s how much one future TF-X fighter jet will cost Turkey

03/17/2021

A Ukrainian engine will power Turkey’s new Atak II-class T929 helicopter, the head of Turkish Aerospace Industries announced Monday in a TV interview, during which he also identified the price of the future TF-X fighter jet as $100 million per unit.

Can Russia Sell Its Advanced Su-35 & Su-57 Fighter Jets To India, Turkey?

03/15/2021

Russia is reportedly keen to discuss the possibility of supplying Su-35 and Su-57 fighter jets to Turkey. Russia is also keen to pitch the same jets to the Indian Air Force as it showcased its military-tech during the ‘Aero India’ exhibition. Turkey is believed to be exploring the 4++ generation Su-35 fighters and the fifth-generation Su-57 stealth fighters after Ankara was ejected from the F-35 jet project the US after Ankara inked S-400 missile deal with Russia.

Russian fighter aircraft ‘may drive a new wedge’ between Turkey, US

03/15/2021

Russia’s announcement that it is ready to hold negotiations with Ankara on the delivery of Su-35 and Su-57 fighter aircraft if requested may cause further tensions between the US and Turkey, experts say. Turkey hired a Washington-based law firm last month to lobby for its readmission to the US F-35 fighter jet program after it was suspended following its purchase of the Russian air defense system.

Kazakhstan Military Plane Crashes; 4 Killed By VOA News

03/14/2021

At least four people were killed Saturday in a military plane crash in Kazakhstan, the government said. The An-26 military transport plane crashed as it was landing in foggy conditions at the airport in Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city, the country's Emergencies Ministry said.

Satellite maps show China building helicopter base facing Taiwan Strait

03/14/2021

A military expert said on Friday (March 12) that new satellite imagery appears to show a helicopter base that could threaten Taiwan is being built in China's Fujian Province. Ho Cheng-hui was cited by the Taiwan news website pourquoi.tw as saying the base had not been previously reported. He added it could be regarded as a product of Xi Jinping's "desperate desire to resolve the Taiwan issue and expand the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) combat power."

MiG-29K fighter from Russian Navy deployed for the first time in Arctic

03/14/2021

The MiG-31BM fighters based at the Northern Fleet’s Rogachyovo airfield have been replaced by MiG-29K fighter aircraft s of the 100th shipborne aviation regiment of the Northern Fleet’s Air Force and Air Defense Army, according to a Russian Navy statement.

2 Chinese military aircraft enter Taiwan’s ADIZ

03/12/2021

Two Chinese military turboprops entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Monday (March 8), marking the fourth such intrusion this month. The People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) sent one Shaanxi Y-8 reconnaissance plane and one Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane into the southwest corner of Taiwan’s ADIZ, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND). In response, Taiwan scrambled fighter jets, issued radio warnings, and deployed air defense missile systems.