Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Launches Aircraft-Carrying Ship

11/21/2020

ran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said it launched a heavy warship Thursday capable of carrying helicopters, drones and missile launchers amid ongoing tensions with the U.S. Photographs of the ship, named after slain Guard naval commander Abdollah Roudaki, showed it carrying truck-launched surface-to-surface missiles and anti-aircraft missiles. It also carried four small fast boats, the kind the Guard routinely uses in the Persian Gulf. Sailors manned deck-mounted machine guns.

Malabar 2020: China’s sweat is not missing like this, see how the Indian and American fighter aircraft roared together

11/21/2020

The Malabar War exercises between India, America, Japan and Australia in the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean have increased China’s tension. In videos surfaced on Friday, the Indian Navy’s MiG-29 and the American Navy’s F-18 gunfire are seen maneuvering on the ground. Fighter aircraft can be seen flying and landing from the Indian aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.

As LCA Tejas Gets Ready, Indian Air Force Inducts Last Overhauled Russian-Origin MiG-21 Bison

11/21/2020

This marks the successful completion of the MiG project, and the last airframe numbered CU-2780 was received by Air Marshal Vibhas Pande, Air Officer-in-Charge, Maintenance of the IAF. The last delivery marks an important milestone for India’s MiG-21 replacement efforts. MiG-21 is expected to serve till late 2021 or early 2022 and further in reserve units. The aircraft is expected to be replaced by India’s own Light Combat Aircraft ‘Tejas’, which is still only in limited series production.

US proposes to sell F/A-18 fighter aircraft to Indian Navy

11/21/2020

The US has reportedly proposed to provide its F/A-18 fighter jets to the Indian Navy to address the service’s requirement for combat jets. Earlier this week, defence ministers from India and the US signed a?Basic Exchange and Agreement (BECA) for geo-spatial cooperation. The agreement was signed during the US-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue held in New Delhi, India to discuss bilateral defence issues.

Germany and Airbus offer Eurofighter aircraft to Switzerland

11/20/2020

The Federal Republic of Germany and Airbus have officially proposed the sale of Eurofighter aircraft to the Swiss Federal Office of Armaments armasuisse. The offer was submitted in partnership with other Eurofighter nations and industry partners, Leonardo and BAE Systems. It is said to meet the needs of Switzerland new combat aircraft Neues Kampfflugzeug (NKF) procurement process, which is intended to replace the existing F-5 and F/A-18 fleet.

ITPS positions to offer lead-in fighter training with FA-50 fleet acquisition

11/20/2020

International Test Pilots School (ITPS) Canada has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) to acquire a fleet of FA-50 light combat aircraft. The London, Ont.-based company earlier this year launched the International Tactical Training Centre (ITTC) to provide advanced fighter pilot training with a first cohort of students from the Royal Malaysian Air Force for fighter lead-in training (FLIT).

The Navy’s F/A-18 Super Hornet Gets Even More Super

11/20/2020

These already-potent F/A-18 Super Hornets, returning to Naval Air Station Lemoore after a 2019 training mission, are about to get an upgrade. A new radar, new fuel tanks, and a new computer will give the Hornets more ability to sting.

Israel strikes 'Iranian military sites' in Syria after bombs found in Golan

11/19/2020

Israel's military says it launched air strikes against Iranian and Syrian military targets in Syria overnight, after explosive devices were found in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The Syrian state news agency said the country's air defences had "confronted an Israeli aerial aggression" and downed a number of missiles. It reported that three Syrian soldiers were killed and another was injured. But a monitoring group reported that 10 people died, including five Iranians.

Fears of TOTAL WAR surge as Japan plans new fighter jet to combat China

11/19/2020

The new warplane is hoped to replace Japan’s fleet of F-2s when they retire from service in 2035. It is hoped a prototype of the new aircraft will be manufactured by 2024. In May China announced it would be increasing its defence expenditure by another 6.6 percent in 2020. Last month Beijing said its second aircraft carrier, the 50,000-tonne Shandong, is now combat ready.

France To Replace Its Rafale Fighter Jets With New Stealthy Warplanes Equipped With Laser Weapons

11/19/2020

French aerospace giant Dassault Aviation SA is giving stiff competition to the United States Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program by developing a state-of-the-art fighter, better known as Future Combat Air System (FCAS), which could very well replace the Rafales in the near future.

A U.S. Navy Destroyer Has Shot Down an Incoming ICBM For the First Time.

11/19/2020

The U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS John Finn (DDG-113) became the first ship to successfully shoot down an incoming ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) on Tuesday, November 17, 2020. The demonstration of this new capability could provide a new level of missile defense for the United States from incoming attack by ICBMs.

Taiwan Grounds F-16s After Second Fighter Accident in Less Than a Month

11/19/2020

Taiwan's air force has grounded its F-16 fleet after losing a plane on a training mission, President Tsai Ing-wen said on Wednesday, the second loss of a fighter jet in less than a month at a time of increased missions to intercept Chinese aircraft.

How Turkish F-16 Vipers ‘Crippled’ Russian-Origin Su-30 Fighters Without Even Firing A Single Shot?

11/19/2020

According to Russian aviation website AviaPro, “Despite the statements of the Armenian defense department about the use of Su-30SM fighters to perform various kinds of combat missions in the airspace of Armenia and NKR, in fact, these fighters never even took off because of the fear of Armenia lose them in a battle against Turkish F-16s or when attacking Azerbaijani air defense systems.”

USAF deploys F-16 Fighting Falcons to UAE

11/18/2020

US Air Force (USAF) has deployed the F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 480th Fighter Squadron, 52nd Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany to the Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE. The aircraft arrived at the Al Dhafra Air Base on 12 November.

Taiwan F-16 fighter jet disappears from radar screen

11/18/2020

Taiwan’s Air Force has confirmed it lost contact with one of its F-16 fighter jets, which disappeared from radar screens Tuesday night (Nov. 17) during a training session, according to a UDN report. The Ministry of National Defense (MND) reported that an F-16 fighter jet took off from Hualien at 6:05 p.m. for night training, but it disappeared from the radar screen at 6:07 p.m. The aircraft disappeared 8 nautical miles (15 kilometers) northeast of Hualien Airport while training with two other co

Greece applies to US to buy 2 dozen F-35 jets

11/18/2020

Athens made a request to the U.S. to buy two dozen F-35 fighter jets through a letter it sent on Nov. 6, Greek media has reported. The letter was written by Theodoros Lagios, the director-general of Armaments and Investments, reported the journal Greek Reporter on Nov. 16.

Chinese Pilots To Train On New AI-Enabled Fighter Trainers Before Flying The ‘Highly Prized’ J-16s, J-20s

11/17/2020

With frequent upgrades, jet trainers can help fighter pilots hone their craft and equip them with the necessary skills to handle modern warplanes. China’s Hongdu L-15 is one such aircraft, which trains pilots of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and Navy (PLAN) to fly advanced fighter jets such as the J-10, J-11, J-15, J-16, and J-20.

U.S. Air Force deploys Raptors to Guam

11/17/2020

The fighters assigned to the 1st Fighter Wing and associated personnel of 94th Fighter Squadron Airmen deployed to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, to conduct missions in the Western Pacific with allies and joint partners.

DARPA selects teams to further advance dogfighting algorithms

11/17/2020

DARPA has recently awarded contracts to five companies to develop algorithms enabling mixed teams of manned and unmanned combat aircraft to conduct aerial dogfighting autonomously.

Two Chinese aircraft enter Taiwan's ADIZ Sunday

11/16/2020

A Chinese Y-8 anti-submarine military aircraft and another Y-8 surveillance plane flew into Taiwan's southwestern air defense identification zone (ADIZ) Sunday, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND). In response to the incident, which has become an almost daily occurrence in recent months amid escalating cross-Taiwan strait tensions, Taiwan's Air Force scrambled jets to chase off the Chinese aircraft, issued radio warnings and mobilized air defense systems to monitor their movement

Both India & China Likely To Acquire Russian Stealth Fighter Jets – Su-57: Chinese State Media

11/16/2020

According to reports in Chinese state media the Global Times (GT), military experts in the world’s second-biggest economy are becoming increasingly convinced about the competence of Su-57 warplanes but also remain skeptical if the Russian jets can integrate into the Chinese system since China has developed its own stealth jets – the J-20s.

South China Sea: US military deploys civilian aircraft on covert surveillance ops

11/15/2020

Beijing-backed think-tank the South China Sea Probing Initiative (SSCBI) said three planes had been used to conduct secret surveillance flights over the disputed waters. A report from the group said the aircraft had taken off from bases in Okinawa in Japan and Manila in the Philippines and had carried 150 patrols in the East China, Yellow and South China seas since March.

Michigan Air Guard pilot awarded Distinguished Flying Cross

11/14/2020

Capt. Brett DeVries, a 107th Fighter Squadron A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot assigned to Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich., poses beside the aircraft he safely landed after a malfunction forced him to make an emergency landing July 20, 2017, at the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center. For his efforts, DeVries was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross Nov. 6, 2020.

After Shooting-Down Over 250 Russian Aircraft, US To Replace Its Most Dangerous Man Portable Missiles

11/14/2020

A ‘Request For Information’ by the US has been issued to identify potential companies that can come up with a solution to supply a new generation Man-Portable Air Defense System (MANPADS). The FIM-92 Stinger MANPADS were inducted into the service in 1981, and are nearing their retirement after four decades- many of which are being used under a service life extension to fulfill the needs.

Eurofighters Typhoons Outflank Rafales, F-35 Stealth Jets For Lucrative Deals Across Europe

11/14/2020

While all eyes were glued on to the potential mega-deal involving the sale of the 50 advanced US F-35 stealth jets to the UAE in a whopping $23 billion deal, European aerospace giant Airbus is aggressively pitching its Eurofighters Typhoons across Europe.