Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Kazakhstan Adds Russian-Made Fighters and Helicopters to Aircraft Fleet

11/13/2020

Kazakhstan received last week the next batch of Su-30SM multirole fighter — an aircraft manufactured by IRKUT which is a subsidiary of Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), the country’s defense ministry said on Friday. Military officials in Kazakhstan are convinced that the Russia-made fighters will significantly bolster country’s military fleet.

Airbus hopes its $6.5 billion German Eurofighter sale will shine for Switzerland, Finland

11/13/2020

Airbus is trying to make hay out of its $6.5 billion sale of 38 Eurofighter aircraft to Germany for other procurement competitions in Switzerland and Finland. The European defense giant inked a deal with the German air force this week after the country’s parliament, the Bundestag, approved the budget earlier this month. The Luftwaffe stands to get 30 single-seater and 8 twin-seater planes, Airbus said in a statement.

UAE Cleared to Buy F-35As and MQ-9Bs

11/12/2020

On November 10 the U.S. State Department approved three possible Foreign Military Sales to the United Arab Emirates. The three packages, potentially worth in excess of $23 billion, cover the sale of Lockheed Martin F-35s, which the UAE has sought for some time, and the acquisition of the General Atomics MQ-9B SkyGuardians. The third approval is for a huge package of fighter weapons.

Airbus : has signed a contract to deliver 38 new Eurofighter aircraft to the German Air Force.

11/12/2020

Airbus has signed a contract to deliver 38 new Eurofighter aircraft to the German Air Force. This makes Germany the largest ordering nation in Europe's biggest defence programme. The order, also known by its project name Quadriga, covers the delivery of 30 single-seater and 8 twin-seater Eurofighters. Three of the aircraft will be equipped with additional test installations as Instrumented Test Aircraft for the further development of the Eurofighter programme.

Britain's Tempest sixth-generation jet fighter will have high-speed radar, artificial intelligence (AI)

11/12/2020

Under development for the Royal Air Force (RAF), the Tempest will be one of the first sixth-generation jet fighter aircraft. It's designed to complement current combat craft like the F-35 Lightning II and the Typhoon fighters starting in the mid-2030s until the older warplanes are retired in the 2040s. The stealth fighter will be able to carry hypersonic missiles and control drone swarms, and produce large amounts of electricity so it can power laser weapons.

Nigeria to receive six Super Tucano aircraft from U.S. soon – Air Force Chief

11/11/2020

Six Super Tucano aircraft will soon be delivered to Nigeria from the United States, the Chief of Air Staff, Sadique Abubakar, has said. The aircraft are part of the 12 fighter jets sold to Nigeria by the U.S. to aid combat actions and air assaults. He said this on Monday after defending the 2021 budget estimates of the Nigerian Air Force before the Senate Committee on Air force.

Russia’s Strategic Bomber Trio Poses With Nearly All Its Weapons

11/11/2020

A fearsome-looking array of weapons artfully arranged in front of the aircraft expected to carry them is a familiar trope of military aviation and has frequently been used for both military “shows of strength” and marketing purposes. Until now, however, there have been precious few opportunities to see Russia’s strategic bombers displayed alongside their potential payloads.

Boeing wins $808m worth of contracts in support of Qatari F-15QA fighters

11/11/2020

Boeing has won three foreign military sales contracts from the US Air Force for training services, aircraft support and spare parts for F-15QA fighter aircraft ordered by the Qatari air force. Qatar signed a $12 billion deal for 36 examples of combat aircraft in 2017. Boeing plans to deliver the first F-15QA fighters to Qatar starting in 2021.

Nigerian Air Force continues to refurbish its fleet

11/10/2020

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) continues to carry out life extension and periodic depot maintenance on its aircraft fleet as it improves serviceability across the board. Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, during a visit to Kainji Air Base on 3 November, “applauded the appreciable level of work on the in-country Periodic Depot Maintenance (PDM) on two Alpha Jet aircraft, NAF 465 and NAF 471.

Dassault Rafale Jets Get Talios Laser Designation Pods; Will India Acquire The French ‘Eye In The Sky’?

11/10/2020

The French Air and Space Force announced the initial operational capability (IOC) of the Talios laser designation pod on the Dassault Rafale F3-R multi-role fighter. The first flight of the F3R standard jet, which took place in September, saw an Indian air force (IAF) pilot operating from the rear-seat of the twin-seater jet.

Airborne Tactical Advantage to Deliver up to $441M in Contracted Air Services

11/10/2020

Airborne Tactical Advantage Co. (ATAC), part of the Textron Systems segment of Textron Inc., has been selected to continue to provide the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps with fleet fighter jet training support services under the Fighter Jet Services (FJS) program, the company said in a Nov. 9 release.

U.S. Air Force receives first HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters

11/09/2020

The 23d Wing and 347th Rescue Group leadership received the Air Force’s newest Combat Rescue aircraft on 5 November. The delivery of the new model is significant to the personnel recovery mission as it begins the transition from the predecessor, the HH-60G Pave Hawk, which has been flown for more than 26 years.

New Chinese pilots of J-15 fighter are qualified for operational deployment on Liaoning aircraft carrier

11/09/2020

According to information published by the Global Time website on November 6, 2020, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy aircraft carrier Liaoning or Type 001 has been at sea over the past week, making history by qualifying the first batch of new J-15 fighter jet pilots who were directly recruited from high school and trained specifically to fly carrier-based aircraft.

Can Russian MiG-35 or Chinese J-10 Jets Match SAAB Gripen Fighters As Venezuela Looks To Counter Brazil?

11/08/2020

The ever-changing landscape of the Americas, in which the United States stands as the supreme leader in defensive capabilities owing to their possession of the most advanced fighter jets, warships, and other weapons, other nations especially in the South American belt have felt the need to bolster their own strength.

F-35s Rejected, Germany OKs A Whopping 5.4 Billion Euro Contract To Buy 38 Eurofighter Typhoons

11/08/2020

The contract has been awarded to Airbus for the purchase of 38 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets, with the cost estimates indicating a figure of 5.4 billion euros. The variants ordered are the Tranche-3, which would replace the in-service Tranche-1 variant of the Typhoons.

F-18 Super Hornets To Battle MiG-29K Fighter Jets As Indian & US Navy Prepare For War Drills

11/08/2020

American F-18 Super Hornets will be pitted against Russian-origin MiG-29K fighter jets of the Indian Navy at the Malabar Naval Drill which will include the US, Australia, Japan, and India. The war drills, termed by Beijing as an anti-China grouping will be held from November 17 to 20.

Ask A Fighter Pilot: Hornet vs Super Hornet!

11/07/2020

“Something I’d like to see in the future is an article talking about the performance of the Hornet versus the Super Hornet. I often times see people comment that the legacy Hornet is more maneuverable than the Super, but I’d like to see an article by someone who has stick time in both who knows what they are talking about. Perhaps G.M. would be interested in this topic since he has flown both?”

Aircraft carrier Liaoning embarks on voyage, sets fighter jet pilot training history

11/07/2020

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy aircraft carrier Liaoning has been at sea over the past week, making history by qualifying the first batch of new fighter jet pilots who were directly recruited from high school and trained specifically to fly carrier-based aircraft.

Germany Confirms Acquisition Of 38 New Tranche 4 Eurofighter Combat Aircraft

11/07/2020

The German parliament approved the acquisition of 38 new Eurofighter on Nov. 5, 2020. The new jets will replace the 38 older Eurofighters of Tranche 1, the first delivered to the Luftwaffe, as part of Project Quadriga. The contract signature with Airbus is expected this month, with deliveries starting in 2025.

Canadian Fighter Pilot Training Company To Buy FA-50 Light Combat Jets

11/07/2020

ITPS Canada Ltd, a commercial provider of tactical aviation training services, is poised to add the two-seat Korea Aerospace Industries FA-50 Fighting Eagle light combat aircraft to its roster, with a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Canadian firm and the jet’s manufacturer. The relationship, which ITPS officially announced yesterday, is described as serving to “promote the FA-50 for tactical and adversary training.”

Coalition aircraft launched almost 35,000 strikes on ISIS targets over six years

11/06/2020

The U.S.-led multinational coalition launched almost 35,000 strikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria over the past six years, officials told Military Times Wednesday. From August 2014 to September 2020, aircraft of the Combined Joint Task Force conducted 34,917 strikes in the region.

Mitsubishi To Lead Japan’s Next-Gen Stealth Fighter Jet; To Partner US’ Lockheed Martin Or British BAE Systems

11/06/2020

One of the high priority areas that need urgent addressing by the Suga-led Japanese government is the development of a next-generation fighter jet which could replace the country’s long-serving F-2 fighters while also supplementing the US F-35s in bolstering the military capabilities.

From Cameroon to U.S. pilot; student seeks wings

11/05/2020

For many, becoming a pilot in the United States Air Force is a dream that can be achieved through the traditional means of commissioning, but every so often a unique story is brought to life in this process. One such story is of 2nd Lt. Clifford Mua, 41st Flying Training Squadron student pilot, currently undergoing Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi.

Russian Su-57 Fails To Get Second-Gen Engine; Yet To Become A ‘True Competitor’ To US’ F-35 Jets

11/05/2020

After a long wait, Russia’s Su-57 fifth-generation fighter aircraft may finally be available for the country’s air force, if the government sources quoted by TASS are to be believed. According to the report, the first serial-produced Su-57 fighter will be delivered to the Defense Ministry in December this year.

Defense aerospace primes are raking in money for classified programs

11/05/2020

Two months after disclosing the existence of a next-generation fighter jet demonstrator, the U.S. Air Force is staying mum on which company may have built it. But one thing is for sure: Classified aviation programs are on the rise, and opportunities abound for the three major American defense aerospace primes — Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Boeing.