UK holds biggest Air Force exercise in 13 years for "Russian attacks"(media)

The UK’s Royal Air Force held the biggest exercise over British skies in the past 13 years to repel a Russian threat, The Sunday Times reported...

China's military secrecy justifies surveillance flights. "We have the right to conduct legitimate missions..." (U.S. official)

WASHINGTON - The United States is justified in carrying out surveillance flights in East Asia, in spite of Chinese objections, given a lack of transparency in China's military buildup, a senior U.S. official said on Friday.
Beijing called last month for the United States to cut back, or even stop, close surveillance by patrol aircraft if it seriously sought to repair damaged bilateral ties.

The request followed an Aug. 19 incident in which Washington said a Chinese jet flew dangerously close to a U.S. navy P-8 Poseidon anti-submarine and reconnaissance plane operating in international waters southeast of the Chinese island of Hainan.

Russia denies brief violation into Finnish western airspace

A Russian aircraft was suspected to have violated Finnish air space briefly on Saturday, just before 1600 GMT, said the Finnish Ministry of Defence.

Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb said on Sunday that he had received a sufficient report about the incident and that no drama had been involved.

The ministry described the aircraft as a Russian state aircraft which could mean a military plane or other plane in governmental use. Russia has denied that its aircraft violated Finnish air space on Saturday.

China accuses US over military reconnaissance in Chinese waters and airspace.

China's Defense Ministry on Thursday accused the United States of regular reconnaissance by naval ships and aircraft in Chinese waters and airspace.

"Vessels and aircraft of the U.S. military have for a long time carried out frequent reconnaissance in waters and airspace under Chinese jurisdiction, which seriously affects China's national security and could easily cause accidents," spokesman Geng Yansheng said at a monthly briefing.

Cinq chasseurs ont bombardé le village de Louganskaïa.- Deux avions ont été abattus

Ukraine: deux avions de chasse abattus à Lougansk (insurgés)

20:56 01/07/2014 Les combattants des forces d'autodéfense de Lougansk (est de l'Ukraine) ont annoncé avoir abattu deux avions militaires ukrainiens.>>

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Les combattants des forces d'autodéfense de Lougansk (est de l'Ukraine) ont annoncé mardi avoir abattu deux avions militaires ukrainiens.
"Tout récemment, cinq chasseurs ont bombardé le village de Louganskaïa. Deux avions ont été abattus, les trois autres ont réussi à repartir", a raconté à RIA Novosti le porte-parole de la république populaire autoproclamée de Lougansk Vladimir Inogorodski.

Militia shot down military transport aircraft (Ukrainian Ministry of Defense)

"Ukraine Air Force military transport aircraft IL-76 transporting personnel with the aim of rotation was brought down by anti-aircraft heavy machine gun. 

There were military personnel, machinery, equipment and food on board," - the Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

The exact number of deaths is still unknown. IL-76 - Soviet and Russian heavy military transport aircraft developed by OKB Ilyushin. Crew - seven people. It is able to carry 167 soldiers with weapons.

Greece offers help to Turkish search and salvage operation in Aegean Sea for F-16 fighter jet.

Greece is to assist in the salvage operation of a Turkish fighter jet which crashed with its pilot in 1996 in the Aegean Sea, the Greek foreign ministry spokesperson Konstandinos Kutras said Tuesday. 

Kutras said Turkish officials informed the Greek authorities about the searches in international waters off the island of Chios, adding that Greece was ready to contribute to the search and salvage efforts for the lost jet if need be.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson’s response to a journalist’s question on the search being carried out by Turkish vessels in the area south of Chios, in international waters, for the retrieval of a Turkish military aircraft

MFA, Tuesday, 15 April 2014

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Konstantinos Koutras stated the following in response to a journalist’s question regarding the search being carried out by Turkish vessels in the area south of Chios for the retrieval of a Turkish military aircraft:

“The Foreign Ministry has of course been notified by the Turkish authorities regarding the search being carried out, in international waters, in the area south of Chios, aimed at the location and retrieval of a Turkish military aircraft – which crashed in 1996 – and the body of the its pilot.

Ukrainian daily says shots, explosions heard at Kramatorsk military airdrome

A Ukrainian daily claims with reference to witnesses that shots and explosions were heard at the military airdrome near the city of Kramatorsk, the Donetsk Oblast, on Tuesday.

According to the website of the daily Novosti Kramatorska, a military aircraft circled over the airdrome for a while.

“Witnesses say it was a MiG-25 or Sukhoi-27 plane. It was flying at a very low altitude,” the paper said.

Turkey downs Syria warplane on border. The pilot ejected from the aircraft

Turkish anti-aircraft fire shot down a Syrian warplane on Sunday as it bombed rebels fighting to seize control of a border post in northwestern Syria, Turkey’s premier said, confirming media reports.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated the military for downing the plane and warned of a “heavy” response if its airspace was violated.
“A Syrian plane violated our airspace. Our F-16s took off and hit this plane. Why? because if you violate my airspace, our slap after this will be hard,” Erdogan told a rally of his supporters in northwest Turkey ahead of March 30 local elections, Reuters reported.

Transdniestria to tighten control of air space as Moldova steps up cooperation with NATO

"Moldova's stepping up cooperation with NATO bodies leads to erosion of the republics' constitutional neutrality and puts Transdniestria's security under threat," the parliament said.

TIRASPOL, March 05. /ITAR-TASS/. Transdniestria will tighten control over its air space as Moldova is stepping up its cooperation with NATO. On Wednesday, the parliament of the self-proclaimed republic asked President Yevgeny Shevchuk to support this initiative, Shevchuk's press service reported.

"Moldova's stepping up cooperation with NATO bodies leads to erosion of the republics' constitutional neutrality and puts Transdniestria's security under threat," the parliament said.

Japanese military planes defy China's new air zone (video cctv). -PLA (People’s Liberation Army) pledges to defend East China Sea

Japanese military aircraft have defied China’s new Air Defense Identification Zone, and flown into the zone without informing China.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga says the planes, which flew into the zone on Thursday, were carrying out routine surveillance missions.