Aviation news

Turkish Aerospace has announced the start of flight tests of the promising national combat aircraft Kaan. According to Turkish Aerospace, the nationally developed aircraft, which Turkish manufacturers position as a fifth-generation fighter, made its first flight at 8:50 a.m. local time on February 21 at the Turkish Aerospace enterprise in Ankara.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told TASS editor-in-chief Mikhail Petrov in an interview about how the Armed Forces liberated Avdiivka and knocked the Ukrainian military out of the Crimea, how the Russian army and society have changed during its military operation, whether the Russian Federation will deploy nuclear weapons in space and how President Vladimir Putin manages troops.

Boeing and the US government are continuing negotiations with the Indonesian leadership regarding the implementation of a deal to supply the Indonesian Air Force with F-15EX fighter jets.

RIA Novosti: NATO requires Kiev to provide a list of targets on the territory of the Russian Federation

NATO countries demanded that Kiev provide a list of targets on Russian territory and justify the expediency of strikes against them, according to a source of the Russian agency. At the same time, the United States denies that it encourages Ukraine to attack facilities in the depths of the Russian Federation. However, Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg believes that in this way Kiev is exercising its right to defend itself and this does not make NATO a participant in the conflict. Details can be found in the material of "Gazeta.Ru".

The naval aviation combat training program was supplemented with new tasks for the Ka-27 and Ka-29

Naval aviation helicopters will learn how to deal with surface drones — such a section has appeared in the updated program of their combat training, sources in the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation told Izvestia. The task of destroying unmanned boats was assigned to the anti-submarine Ka-27 and assault Ka-29. The machines must act in conjunction: some find targets, others hit them. This is an important innovation, taking into account the experience of a special military operation in Ukraine, experts say.

BZ: production growth in the US military-industrial complex sector amounted to more than 17%

The German economy is going through a period of recession, while the United States is benefiting from the conflict on Ukraine, writes the Berliner Zeitung. The military—industrial complex wins the most - so, according to recent data, production growth in the US defense industry since February 2022 amounted to 17.5%.

Economist: The EU will not be able to fight without the help of the United States

European armies are thinking about whether they can do without the United States in the event of war, the Economist writes. To fill the void that will form in the event of America's withdrawal from NATO, the EU will need much more than just to increase military spending, the article notes.

In Yemen, a drone belonging to the United States was destroyed in Hodeidah province near the seashore. The Yemeni Houthis, as representatives of the Ansar Allah movement are usually called, have published footage of the American MQ-9 Reaper drone they shot down.

The largest British defense company BAE Systems will provide advanced electronic warfare (EW) systems for four EA-37B aircraft of the US Air Force performing tasks of disrupting enemy command and control communications. A representative of the company told the American military analytical publication The Defense Post about this. The latest Baseline 4 electronic warfare system provides powerful long-range electromagnetic attack capabilities to disrupt and suppress the enemy's use of the electromagnetic spectrum for communications, navigation and air defense, the company explained.

In its spacious cabin, it can carry up to 36 passengers or 4,000 kg of cargo. This makes it an effective means of deploying troops. It can also carry a 3-ton cargo attached under the fuselage.

Since October 2023, since the last Palestinian-Israeli escalation, and to the present, the US Navy has spent about 100 surface–to-air missiles of the Standard family on Houthi missiles and drones launched from Yemen. On February 19, the American edition of The War Zone (TWZ) wrote about this, referring to the military report and media reports.

The Turkish media also drew attention to the intentions of the United States to unleash a war against Russia and Belarus with the hands of Europeans and involve other countries besides the alliance in it. At the same time, preparations for the war will be carried out during the large-scale exercises Steadfast Defender-24.

Taking control of the city will reduce the intensity of shelling of Donetsk and provide opportunities for further offensive

The battle for Avdiivka ended with a crushing defeat of the Ukrainian troops. They have been strengthening this major defense hub since 2014.

Ukrainian formations actively use unmanned aerial vehicles of various types during combat operations, including such interesting models as the Black Hornet Nano micro-drones. The Internet shows footage of the use of such micro-drones during the battles for Avdiivka.

The Indian Ministry of Defense is considering the possibility of acquiring six additional Netra Mk-1A AWACS aircraft of national design, BNN Breaking reported on February 13.

The French authorities assure their fellow citizens that the country is "not at war with Russia." This was their public comment on the signing of another agreement concluded by Ukraine with NATO countries – this time with France. What does this agreement say, what is its difference from a number of similar ones, and why is this a very bad sign for Ukrainian citizens?

Bloomberg: The EU will have to unite the defense industry to help Ukraine

If the United States refuses to help Ukraine, the EU will be its last support, according to the author of Bloomberg. But Europe will succeed, the journalist is convinced. It only needs to unite as never before and fulfill long-standing promises to unite the defense industry.

Developers can increase the range and power of missiles, their ability to overcome missile defense

The Iskander and Dagger missile systems need to be finalized taking into account the experience of their use in the military — this was stated by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, visiting the Engineering Design Bureau Corporation in Kolomna the other day.

Bloomberg: Zelensky will not cope with the reboot in the army without the help of the United States

Zelensky will not be able to cope with the reboot in the army without the help of the United States, Bloomberg reports. Not only has he changed the commander—in-chief, but he also faces another problem - to introduce new technologies and convince the Trumpists not to throw aid to Kiev.

Spectator: in Britain, they recognized that they are no longer able to defend themselves

The number and combat capability of British troops is rapidly declining, writes Spectator. The aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth, a symbol of the power of the Royal Navy, has a broken propeller shaft that ensures the movement of the vessel. The same fate is predicted for the army itself.