1/29/2026 Another massive secret Ukraine drone blitz pummels Putin as 15 aircraft are struck deep inside Russia  UKRAINE has hammered Russia’s air force with attacks on 15 aircrafts deep behind the front lines. Dramatic drone footage showed strikes on 15 aircraft including 11 Sukhoi and MiG fighter jets, three helicopters and an Antonov An-26 cargo plane. |
1/29/2026 Ukrainian sources say Su-30 shot down off coast  Unconfirmed reports emerged late on Wednesday that a Russian Su-30SM fighter jet was shot down over the Black Sea near southern Ukraine, according to multiple Ukrainian sources familiar with the situation. The reports state that the aircraft belonged to the Russian Armed Forces and was lost in the maritime area south of Ukraine’s coastline. |
1/29/2026 2 pilots killed in Russian Su-34 combat jet crash  Initial reports claimed that Ukraine’s Air Force had shot down a Russian Su-34 Fullback strike aircraft during operations over southern Ukraine, with the incident initially linked to combat activity near the Black Sea region. The aircraft was first believed to have been engaged during a combat mission in the south, where Russian tactical aviation has routinely operated in support of missile and guided bomb strikes. Early reports stated that the Su-34 was destroyed during the mission. |
1/29/2026 Taiwan shows off F-16 jets rapid response amid tensions with China  Taiwan's air force showcased its ability to rapidly replenish and get back in the air its most advanced F-16 fighter jets in a readiness drill on Wednesday, designed to demonstrate combat-oriented training. Taiwan's air force scrambles on an almost daily basis to monitor and warn off Chinese aircraft which routinely fly around the island. Taipei views the incursions as part of an ongoing harassment campaign to test and tire out the much smaller Taiwanese forces and exert political pressure. |
1/29/2026 Ukraine is waiting for the delivery of new Mirage 2000-5 fighters  Ukraine and France are working on the transfer of additional Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets, as well as missiles for French anti-aircraft missile systems. Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced this following a meeting with his French counterpart Catherine Vautrin. |
1/28/2026 Lithuania postpones purchase of new military transport aircraft  “The purchase of new military transport aircraft is being postponed,” Deividas Matulionis, the president’s chief adviser on national security, told reporters at the Presidential Palace. Last June, Lithuania announced plans to buy three new Embraer C-390 transport planes to replace its existing Spartan aircraft. |
1/28/2026 Taiwan tracks 5 Chinese naval ships, 4 military aircraft  The Ministry of National Defense tracked five Chinese naval vessels and four military aircraft around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Tuesday and 6 a.m. on Wednesday. The four People’s Liberation Army aircraft did not cross the Taiwan Strait median line, according to the MND. The MND also tracked one Chinese balloon to the northeast of the country. |
1/28/2026 US announces multi-day aerial military drills in the Middle East amid Iran tensions  The US has announced plans to hold multi-day military exercises in the Middle East as it deploys what Donald Trump has called an “armada” led by the USS Abraham Lincoln to the region as part of a tense standoff with Iran. The display of US air power was announced as the White House has suggested it could launch new strikes on Iran after the government’s crackdown on pro-democracy protesters that has left thousands dead and many more in detention with their fates uncertain. |
1/28/2026 F-35 Quarterbacks and CCAs: The Behavioral Path to Sixth-Generation Airpower  The concept of fifth-generation air warfare was clearly articulated by former Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne during the early development of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. Wynne emphasized a fundamental shift from platform-centric thinking to network-centric operations, where stealth, sensor fusion, and information dominance would define a new era of air combat. |
1/28/2026 Russia Sends Yak-130s to Ethiopia—Just a Sale, or a Signal to the West? .jpg) Russia has delivered up to six Yak-130 advanced trainer and light combat aircraft, along with at least one Orion combat drone, to Ethiopia, according to Defense Express on January 27, citing images from the Aviation Expo 2026 held at Bishoftu Air Base. Photos from the air show show Yak-130 jets bearing tail numbers 2301 through 2306. The aircraft, produced by Russia’s defense industry, are designed primarily for pilot training but can also perform light combat missions. |