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Category: Air Force

South Korean KA-1 shot down unidentified balloon in March

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In an incident raising questions about potential airspace incursions, the South Korean military shot down an unidentified balloon over the Yellow Sea in March 2024. The balloon, measuring approximately two meters in diameter, was detected by the Marine Corps stationed on Baengnyeong Island near the Northern Limit Line (NLL) – the de facto inter-Korean maritime border.

2010.10.24 공군 제8전투비행단 KA-1 전술통제기 ROK AirForce 8th Fighter Wing KA-1 (15530187269)
대한민국 국군 Republic of Korea Armed Forces, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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USAF Secretary watched AI-powered F-16 perform dogfight from the front seat

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The future of aerial combat took flight recently when U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall flew in the front seat of the X-62A VISTA, a specially modified aircraft designed to test cutting-edge autonomous flight capabilities.

Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall flies in the X-62 VISTA in the skies above Edwards Air Force Base, California, May 2. (Air Force photo by Richard Gonzales)

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Su-30MKI fighters to arrive in Malaysia for Exercise Udarashakti in August

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The Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) are gearing up for the second iteration of Exercise Udarashakti, a bilateral air combat training exercise. According to a social media post by the RMAF, preparations were underway following a Concept Development Conference (CDC) held at the Kuantan Air Base in Malaysia from Apr. 25th to 27th.


Photo: RMAF
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USAF preparing its F-35 pilots to carry out basic maintenance and refueling chores

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The US Air Force recently conducted a training exercise focused on Independent Pilot Off-Station Procedures (IPOP) for the F-35 Lightning II aircraft. Held at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, on Apr. 1st, the exercise aimed to equip F-35 pilots with the skills necessary to operate in austere environments with limited support personnel.

U.S. Air Force Capt. Matthew Brown, an F-35 assistant program manager assigned to the 59th Test and Evaluation Squadron, refuels an F-35 Lightning II as part of independent pilot off-station procedures (IPOP) at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, April 1, 2024. Exercises such as IPOP allow pilots the opportunity to learn maintenance and refueling techniques, extending operational range. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Brianna Vetro)

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