A Russian Su-33 conducting operations off the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean Sea crashed on Saturday, the second mishap within a month. The jet crashed after attempting to land following a sortie in Syria. The pilot ejected and was recovered safely, according to Russian state-owned TASS news agency. In November, a MiG-29 crashed as it returned to the carrier after launching for a sortie. The carrier deployed to the Mediterranean as part of Russia’s continuing mission to support Syrian President Bashar al Assad.
A combined Navy and Air Force program is seeking to build a smaller version of a ubiquitous air-to-air missile that could give advanced aircraft, such as the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, greater magazine depth in a high-end fight.