DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ How the Israeli Air Force once destroyed over 60 enemy jets and dozens of Soviet missile systems in battle without losing a single fighter
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The Israeli Air Force achieved an unmatched air combat victory in the 1982 Lebanon War. The battle, known as Operation Mole Cricket 19, saw over 60 enemy aircraft eliminated without a single Israeli loss. The fourth-generation Israeli jets were also made much more lethal by the AIM-9L Sidewinder missile that could be fired from any angle. This allowed Israeli jets, with targeting assistance from UAVs, to destroy the SAMs using anti-radiation missiles. A picture taken on June 28, 2016 shows an Israeli Air Force F-16 fighter jet preparing to take off at the Ramat David Air Force Base located in the Jezreel Valley, southeast of the Israeli port city of Haifa JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty ImagesAdditionally, Israel had superior Command, Control, and Communications (C3) capabilities.

Persons: —, SAMs, Haifa JACK GUEZ, hadn't, Israel, Organizations: Israeli Air Force, Mole, Service, Palestinian Liberation Organization, Soviet Union, Soviet, Syrian Air Force, IAF, AIM, 9L, Ramat David Air Force Base, Getty, Syrian SAM, Kippur, Command, Communications, Grumman, RAND Corporation Locations: Lebanon, Beqaa, Israel, Syria, Soviet, Vietnam, Jezreel, Haifa, AFP, Syrian

☆ The pilot seat could have caused a Boeing 787 to suddenly drop midair. It wouldn't be the first time a similarly bizarre event happened to a widebody aircraft.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A Latam Airlines Boeing 787 dropped midair Monday, injuring at least 50 people. If true, that would be reminiscent of when a military Airbus A330 suddenly nose-dived in 2014. A pilot-seat mishap sent a military Airbus A330 plummetingTen years ago, on February 9, 2014, a Royal Air Force Airbus A330 plummeted 4,400 feet in about 30 seconds. The Boeing 787 system involved has a fly-by-wire system, but instead of a side-stick, the planemaker has installed the traditional yoke. A Singapore Airlines Boeing 787 flight simulator shows the fly-by-wire system uses a yoke instead of the Airbus' side-stick.

Persons: —, Paul Crouch, RAF Brize, armrest, Taylor Rains Organizations: Latam Airlines Boeing, Airbus, Service, CNN, Street, Royal Air Force Airbus, British military's Voyager, RAF, RAF Brize Norton, UK's Military Aviation Authority, Military Aviation, Boeing, Singapore Airlines Boeing Locations: Sydney, Auckland , New Zealand, Kabul, Bastion, Afghanistan

☆ A man is accused of trying to poison 77 people at a Russian pilot graduation party by gifting them a massive cake and whiskey: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A man is accused of trying to poison 77 attendees of a Russian pilots' banquet with cake and whiskey. Yegor Semenov brought the bottles of whiskey and a 44-pound cake to the banquet, Kommersant reported. AdvertisementAdvertisementA man in Russia is accused of delivering poisoned cake and whiskey to a military pilots' school banquet, according to local reports. FSB officials said the cake and whiskey were poisoned, and claimed that the gifts were arranged by Ukraine's spy services, per Kommersant. Baza reported that Semenov is 32, and had tried to fly out of the region from Stavropol after delivering the cake and whiskey.

Persons: Yegor Semenov, —, Semenov, Ukraine's, he'd, Baza Organizations: Kommersant, Service, Jameson, Higher Military Aviation School, Pilots, Federal Security Service, ., RIA Novosti, Russian Telegram, Fighter Bomber, Security Services of Ukraine Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Armavir, Krasnodar, Stavropol

☆ New missiles could help Ukraine's future F-16 fighters to take on Russian jets, but the planes will likely be more useful for other missions
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

The Pentagon plans to send highly capable air-to-air missiles that the jets can carry. A US Air Force aircraft fuels craftsman marshals a US F-16 at Rovaniemi Air Base in Finland during Astral Knight 23 Part 6 on August 23, 2023. These capabilities, coupled with its physical design, make the F-16 a formidable opponent for Russian fighter jets like the MiG-31 and Su-35, experts and former pilots say. AdvertisementAdvertisementAn F-16C Fighting Falcon from the 85th Test Evaluation Squadron flies a test mission March 19, 2019 near Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Snodgrass said these missiles are "fairly comparable" to Russian air-to-air missiles like the R-27 and R-77.

Persons: Albert Morel Additionally, John Baum, Baum, it's, Guy Snodgrass, Russia's Su, Joshua Hoskins, Snodgrass, Biden, ANDREY SMIRNOV, Doug Birkey, Evgeniy, we've, Tannehill, ABIS Kayla Hayes, Moscow's, Perry Aston Organizations: Pentagon, Aviation, Service, AIM, US Air Force, Rovaniemi Air Base, Astral, Russian, Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Air Missiles, Air & Space Forces Magazine, Washington, Air Missile, US Navy, Getty, Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, AP, Kyiv, Avionics, 3C Orion, Marine Corps Base, Australian Defense Force, NATO, Army Tactical Missile, Storm, Alabama National, 187th Fighter Wing, Joint Base, Sweden, Gripen Locations: Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Russian, Finland, Fla, Kyiv, Moscow, Russia, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Crimean, Md, Stockholm

The pilot, who has not been identified by the Marine Corps, did not have serious injuries and has been discharged from the hospital. Then there’s the Marine Corps’ F-35B variant, which can hover and take off and land vertically like a helicopter. The Marine Corps’ variant has a specialized seat that can auto eject to better protect pilots in case an incident occurs while the plane is in hover mode. The 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing told AP that there was an “investigation ongoing” and would not share any more details. The Marine Corps announced Monday it was pausing aviation operations for two days after the fighter jet’s crash.

Persons: “, ”, Mark Cancian, Cancian, Jeremy Huggins, Huggins, ___ Copp, Pollard Organizations: U.S . Marine Corps, Associated Press, Marine Corps, Emergency, Services, Charleston International Airport, AP, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Force, Marines, Corps, Joint Base Charleston, NBC News, Washington Post, 2nd Marine Aircraft, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, U.S . Department of Defense, U.S, Government, Office, The Department of Defense, Department of Defense, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: CHARLESTON, S.C, South Carolina, Indiantown , South Carolina, Charleston, Williamsburg County, Federal, Fort Worth, Australia, San Diego, Washington ,

CNN —Ukrainian pilots have started joint training on F-16 fighter jets with US instructors in Ukraine, according to Kyiv. It landed at our airfields, we conducted joint training with F-16 pilots … A day ago two of my pilots were tested by US instructors,” Ukrainian Air Force Commander Oleksandr Oleshchuk told Ukrainian state TV on Saturday. An F-16 fighter jet performs at an air show in Houston, the United States, on Oct. 10, 2020. Denmark and the Netherlands have taken the lead in preparing a program to train Ukrainian pilots on the American jet, but the US is still working with other countries to see who may provide F-16s to the Ukrainian Air Force. Denmark said Ukrainian pilots would begin training on F-16 jets later this month, part of a coalition of 11 countries that will be involved in the training program.

Persons: …, Oleksandr Oleshchuk, Oleshchuk, Oleksii Reznikov, Reznikov, ”, Lao Chengyue, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ulf Kristersson, Jonas Ekstromer, Reuters Archer, Volodymyr Zelensky, “ Archer, ” Zelensky, Archer, “, Zelensky Organizations: CNN, Ukrainian, Ukrainian Air Force, Ukrainian Defense, Getty, NATO, Swedish, TT, Agency, Reuters, Sweden Ukrainian, Archer, Sweden’s, Swedish Archers, Gripen Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Houston, United States, Xinhua, Denmark, Netherlands, Harpsund, Sweden, Swedish

☆ Russian attack helicopters showed up in force on the front lines and have been putting dents in Ukraine's armored assaults
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

These activities are a detriment to the Ukrainian counteroffensive, but Kyiv's forces appear to be adapting. In this situation, "Russian forces deployed aviation in a way they haven't recently, to front-line positions, and were able to use it more successfully than they have in the past," he said. Russian Air Force Mil Mi-8 and Kamov Ka-52 "Alligator" attack helicopter Leonid Faerberg/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images"We haven't seen Russian forces really use aviation super extensively on the front line," Bailey said, adding "they have been concerned about having aviation losses." "Ukrainian forces are having to adapt to how Russian forces are employing these in southern Ukraine," he said, noting that they are seeing signs of that as the Ukrainians set the stage for their main attack. Ukraine hasn't committed the bulk of its dedicated counteroffensive forces to a major assault operation, and, as ISW's George Barros said recently, "big fireworks are still to come."

Persons: —, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Riley Bailey, Bailey, Kamov, Leonid Faerberg, it's, VITALY TIMKIV, Wagner, Karolina Hird, It's, Ukraine hasn't, George Barros Organizations: Service, Senior Ukrainian, BBC Wednesday, Institute for, Russian Air Force, Getty, Operations, Ukraine, Bakhmut, CNN, Fox News Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russian, Russia's Krasnodar, AFP, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Oblast

☆ Attack helicopters are giving Russia the edge in the skies over southern Ukraine, says UK intel
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The UK Ministry of Defence said Russia's attack helicopters gave Putin's forces "a temporary advantage." Of all the Russian Air Force's attack helicopters, the Ka-52 is perhaps the most widely used. According to the latest UK Ministry of Defence briefing, Russian troops have reinforced its attack helicopter forces, allowing them to gain "a temporary advantage in southern Ukraine, especially with attack helicopters employing longer-range missiles against ground targets." Of all the Russian Air Force's attack helicopters, the Ka-52 is perhaps the most widely used. Featuring an unusual coaxial rotor design and a side-by-side crew seating arrangement, Insider reported that it has been on the frontline and involved in the thickest fighting more than any other Russian attack helicopter since Russia's attack began in February 2022.

Persons: —, h. Organizations: UK Ministry of Defence, Russian Air, Service, — Ministry of Defence Locations: Ukraine

☆ F-16s for Ukraine: Kyiv would face big hurdles in using US-made jets
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Ukraine’s quest for US-made F-16 fighter jets received a big boost over the weekend when US President Joe Biden gave his backing for Kyiv’s pilots to be trained to fly them. In fact, one active duty F-16 pilot told CNN that expectations may be way too high. An F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft has its landing gear extended to land at the US military airfield at Spangdahlem, Germany. This is a multi-year process, and that’s just for the basic tactical unit of employment,” the F-16 pilot said. “To bring in Western aircraft, Ukraine might need to repave and potentially extend a number of runways, a process which Russia would likely detect.

CNN —Russia’s air force may have just suffered one of its worst days since the Ukraine war began. Some analysts believe Ukrainian air defenses may have been pushed forward as the Russian air force uses more “glide munitions” that can fire at targets from distance. They are using these bombs “from a distance that is unreachable for Ukrainian air defense,” he said. Mykola Oleshchuk, the commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, has also suggested that the nature of the threat has changed. That may be as of much concern in Russia as the loss of four aircraft over Russian territory

☆ Four Russian Military Aircraft Crash Near Border With Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Stephen Kalin | Georgi Kantchev | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

DNIPRO, Ukraine—Two Russian jet fighters and two military transport helicopters crashed in southern Russia on Saturday, while Ukrainian forces struck deep into Russian-controlled territory in eastern Ukraine, moves that suggest Kyiv’s military capabilities are growing. The crashes are the worst losses for Russia’s military aviation since the first week of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, when Moscow mistakenly assumed that Ukrainian air defenses had been destroyed. It has lost more than 70 planes since then.

☆ Four Russian Military Aircraft Downed Near Border With Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Stephen Kalin | Georgi Kantchev | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

DNIPRO, Ukraine—Two Russian fighter jets and two military transport helicopters crashed in southern Russia on Saturday, while Ukrainian forces struck deep into Russian-controlled territory in eastern Ukraine, moves that suggest Kyiv’s military capabilities are growing. The crashes are the worst losses for Russia’s military aviation since the first week of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, when Moscow mistakenly assumed that Ukrainian air defenses had been destroyed. It has lost more than 70 planes since then.

☆ The French château with more than 100 fighter jets
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Miquel Ros | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The sleek, dark-gray lines of a F-16 Fighting Falcon jet, flanked by two other veterans of the Cold War skies, a French Dassault Mirage IV and a F-104 Starfighter, is not what you would usually expect to come across when walking into the courtyard of a 700-year-old French château. The majority of them were acquired as scrap,” says Christophe Pont, Michel’s son and current owner and manager of the château. Courtesy Miquel RosIn the mid-1980s, Pont, who was ex-military, made inquiries with the French Air Force about the possibility of getting one of their decommissioned Mirage III fighter jets to exhibit at the château. The request was granted and six months later what would become the kernel of the world’s largest private fighter aircraft collection was on its way to Savigny-lès-Beaune. Château de Savigny-les-Beaune, Rue Général Leclerc, 21420 Savigny-lès-Beaune, France; +33 3 80 21 55 03

☆ Russian pilots trying to ‘dogfight’ US jets over Syria, US Central Command says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Russian pilots are trying to “dogfight” US jets over Syria, according to a spokesman for US Central Command, part of a recent pattern of more aggressive behavior. The attempts have happened in several of the most recent instances of aggressive behavior from Russian pilots, Col. Joe Buccino said. A video released by US Central Command from April 2 shows a Russian SU-35 fighter jet conducting an “unsafe and unprofessional” intercept of a US F-16 fighter jet. That also includes 26 instances in which armed Russian jets flew over US and coalition positions in Syria. Russia subsequently presented state awards to the pilots of the Russian jets.

☆ US Special Operations Command's workhorse helicopter is getting upgrades to replace parts that are nearly 50 years old
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

US special operators rely on their variant, the MH-47, for missions at night and behind enemy lines. As such, the US special-operations community's workhorse helicopter is getting upgrades to replace parts that are nearly 50 years old. US Army Special Operations Command has used Chinooks for several decades. Early versions had modifications for special operations. The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, nicknamed "the Night Stalkers," is the cream of the crop when it comes to US military aviation.

☆ The Russian air force's struggles in Ukraine reveal glaring problems in now Moscow trains its pilots
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Alex Hollings | Sandboxx News | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +35 min

Despite being bigger and more advanced than its enemy, Russia's air force has struggled in Ukraine. It's commonly said that Russian fighter pilots are not as well trained as their Western counterparts, particularly those from the United States. But however ineffective you may think Russian pilot training is compared to the West, the truth seems to be … much worse. A Russian air force pilot prepares to take off in an Su-35 fighter jet at Hemeimeem air base in Syria in September 2019. Put simply, the Gulf War air campaign creates a damning juxtaposition when compared directly to Russia's air campaign over Ukraine.

☆ China is scrambling to find pilots to fly from its growing aircraft carrier fleet
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

China's fleet of aircraft carriers has grown quickly, expanding from one to three in a decade. To use that fleet effectively, China's navy also has to train pilots to operate carrier aircraft. "Starting in 2023, the Navy will select carrier-based aircraft pilots from fresh graduates from local ordinary colleges and universities," according to a Chinese navy brochure. Yet it takes more than ships to build an effective carrier fleet. In fact, the Chinese navy ended up copying a Russian carrier jet without permission to give its carrier program a boost.

☆ Here's how a wildly outgunned US Navy pilot outfoxed one of the Soviet Union's best jets, scoring a string of kills in a legendary dogfight
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

An outgunned US Navy pilot downed four Soviet MiG-15 jets in a legendary dogfight over 70 years ago. This swept-wing Soviet aircraft was considered to be superior to the straight-wing American Panther in terms of overall performance. A Grumman F9F Panther fighter jet fires its guns during an attack on the North Korean port of Hungnam. "In the moment I was a fighter pilot doing my job," Williams said in an account of the fight, according to Pacific Fleet. Williams' dogfight isn't the only example of US planes battling enemy aircraft that are superior on paper.

☆ Only 3 countries have managed to build 5th-generation fighters, but nearly a dozen are already working on 6th-gen jets
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

(The recently unveiled B-21 bomber is billed as the world's first sixth-gen aircraft, but little is known about its capabilities.) Lockheed Martin, Northrup Grumman, and Boeing are believed to be competing to build the jets, and all have released illustrations of sixth-gen aircraft. FCAS/SCAFA full-scale model of the Future Combat Air System at the Paris Air Show in June 2019. An illustration of Japan's next-generation fighter aircraft concept. While China is making heavy investment in military aviation, Russia's ability to develop next-generation jets may be shrinking.

☆ C919 narrowbody jet to make its first public appearance at China air show
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] The fifth prototype of China's home-built C919 passenger plane takes off for its first test flight from Shanghai Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, China October 24, 2019. REUTERS/StringerSHENZHEN, China, Nov 5 (Reuters) - The C919 narrowbody jet will join the opening flight display in China's biggest air show in the southern city of Zhuhai on Tuesday, according to a schedule posted by the organisers, in what will be its first public flight or display. The C919, made by Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) (CMAFC.UL), is designed to rival single-aisle jets made by Airbus SE (AIR.PA) and Boeing Co (BA.N) has never been displayed or publicly flown. China will show off its home-grown civil and military aviation technology at the air show, where 740 businesses are expected to take part both online and offline. The C919's presence was confirmed on the schedule on the organiser's official WeChat social media account.

☆ China's biggest air show could take off again without C919 narrowbody jet
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A display of VT5 light main battle tank is seen at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, or Airshow China, in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, China September 29, 2021. REUTERS/Aly SongBEIJING/SYDNEY, Sept 27 (Reuters) - China will show off its homegrown civil and military aviation technology at the country's biggest air show in November, the mayor of host city Zhuhai said on Tuesday, though there was no confirmation that would include the C919 narrowbody jet. Western suppliers are behind some of the key technology in the C919, including the avionics and engines. Two C919 jets arrived in Beijing on Sept. 13, in a move widely viewed as preparation for certification by the aviation regulator on Sept. 19, a symbolic date given the model number. But that did not happen and the two jets remain parked in Beijing, according to flight tracking websites.

☆ FAA refuses to let regional airline hire co-pilots with less experience because it believes the plan poses a risk to safety
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The FAA blocked Republic Airways' request to cut the number of hours co-pilots need to fly for training. Republic Airways said the proposal would help address the pilot shortage, but the FAA disagreed. The FAA said in a denial exemption that Republic's request "would adversely affect safety." The FAA said Republic's pilot training cannot be compared with military training programs, per the denial exemption. The agency added the argument that Republic's request would address "a perceived pilot shortage" was "overly simplistic."

☆ 2 of Russia's most modern multi-role fighters are leading Putin's air war over Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-14 | by ( Sebastian Roblin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Two of Russia's most modern fighters have led its air war over Ukraine: the Su-30SM and the Su-35S. Two of Russia's most modern multi-role fighters have spearheaded Moscow's air war over Ukraine: the two-seat Sukhoi Su-30SM (code-named Flanker-H by NATO) and its successor, the single-seat Su-35S Flanker-E. Su-35S units active in UkraineSu-35S jet fighter of the Russian Air Force taking off, Kubinka, Russia. Artyom Anikeev/Stocktrek Images via Getty ImagesThe Russian Air Force (VKS) is currently receiving the last of 128 Su-35s ordered, most now committed to the war in Ukraine. Russia evidently lacks enough longer-range/endurance surveillance and combat drones to hunt Ukrainian air defense assets through laborious optical scanning.

Search resuls for: "Military Aviation"

23 mentions found