German Air Base Readying for F-35 Deployment
The German Luftwaffe’s (Air Force’s) Büchel Air Base—located near the city of Bonn, the former capital of West Germany during the Cold War—remains the only location in the NATO-member nation that is capable of storing US nuclear weapons under the alliance’s nuclear-sharing agreement. It hosts the Luftwaffe’s Tactical Air Force Wing 33 (TaktLwG 33) as well as the US Air Force’s 702nd Munitions Support Squadron.
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US Air Force advances AI fighter program, attracting Greek interest
Just months ago, Lieutenant General Dimosthenis Grigoriadis, Chief of the Hellenic Air Force General Staff, noted interest in acquiring cooperative drone systems. Greece is also set to procure 20 F-35A fighters, with an option for 20 additional aircraft. CCAs could potentially operate alongside these platforms, significantly enhancing their operational capabilities.
US firms to begin production of autonomous fighter jets that can team up with crewed jets
The U.S. Air Force has awarded production contract for its Collaborative Combat Aircraft program. The engineering and manufacturing development and production contracts have been awarded to General Atomics, FQ-42, and Anduril, FQ-44 for CCA Increment 1.
Go Big on Airpower
The Pentagon’s record $1.5 trillion defense budget reveals interesting differences in how each service seeks to spend its share of this trove of national treasure. The Army and Navy are going big on procurement. The Space Force is investing across the board. And the Air Force leaders prioritized near-term readiness—with good reason.
RAAF and US Air Force conduct first joint F-35A weapons integration flight test
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has announced the completion of its first joint Weapon Fill Measurement Vehicle flight test on an F-35A Lightning II, carried out in tandem with the United States. Officials consider this to be a milestone that will help accelerate the integration of weapons onto the advanced fighter jet.
US Air Force deploys Hivemind software to enable autonomous multi-aircraft combat
Shield AI has secured a U.S. Air Force production contract to deploy its Hivemind autonomy software as part of the service’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, marking a key step in the military’s effort to field autonomous wingmen alongside crewed fighters.
Belgium Has Seven More F-16s for Ukraine—and Says More Could Be Coming
Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken has outlined new plans for the delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, announcing an increase in both the number and operational status of aircraft to be transferred, according to UNITED24 Media correspondents.
British aircraft carrier launches fighter jets in Arctic
British F-35B stealth fighters have embarked on the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales and are flying from her deck as the fleet flagship conducts heightened vigilance in the North Atlantic under NATO’s Arctic Sentry mission, the Royal Navy has said.
India’s 5G Fighter Aircraft Dilemma
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has a 5G problem, not the telecom one, but an aerospace problem. At the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on June 5, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered India joint production of the SU-57 fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) without any “issues or limitations.”
Two French Rafales intercept Russian military aircraft over the Baltics, and the mission shows how quickly NATO’s warning line is moving
Six Russian military aircraft operating over the Baltic on June 2, 2026, triggered a NATO response that brought French Rafale fighters and Swedish Gripen jets into the air. The mission ended without reported escalation after the aircraft were visually identified and escorted until they left the Baltic area of responsibility, according to the source material and subsequent reporting.
