12/10/2024 Qatar confirms purchase of 12 additional Eurofighter Typhoon jets .jpg) The Qatari Air Force, Al-Quwwat Al-Jawiyyah Al-Amiriyyah Al-Qatariyyah, has confirmed the acquisition of 12 additional Eurofighter Typhoon multi-role combat aircraft. This purchase is part of Qatar’s broader investment in enhancing its defence capabilities and strengthening ties with the United Kingdom. |
12/10/2024 Russian Su-24 intercepted by Dutch F-35s in Baltic standoff  The Royal Netherlands Air Force [RNLAF] reached a significant operational milestone with its fleet of Lockheed F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters, conducting what reports indicate as their first operational interceptions over the Baltic Sea. |
12/10/2024 Taiwan raises alert to ‘high’ amid presence of Chinese warships  Nearly 90 Chinese navy, coastguard ships reported near Taiwan, southern Japanese islands, East and South China Seas. Taiwan’s military has raised the alert level to “high”, saying China restricted its airspace and deployed dozens of warships and coastguard vessels in waters around the island amid reports of a possible Chinese military drill. |
12/10/2024 Air Force, Navy should work more closely to develop 6th-gen fighter, senator says  A key lawmaker on the Senate Armed Services Committee is suggesting that the Air Force and Navy work hand-in-hand to develop their respective sixth-generation fighter jets, rather than take diverging paths. The two services have discussed how to keep their sixth-generation aircraft — the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) platform and F/A-XX, respectively — complementary, but they’re running two separate programs that feature different airframes and propulsion systems. |
12/10/2024 Land Of The Rising Sun ‘Rising Again’! Japan Challenges China In 6th-Gen Military Race With ‘New Age’ Tech  In stark contrast to its previous pacifist posture, Japan is rapidly boosting its military might in the face of growing security challenges from China. Japan is co-developing its next-generation fighter jet and CCA drone with the United Kingdom and Italy under the ‘Global Combat Air Program’ (GCAP). |
12/9/2024 Taiwan reports 14 Chinese warships and 4 balloons near the island China sent 14 warships, seven military aircraft and four balloons near Taiwan between Saturday and Sunday, according to Taiwan’s Defense Ministry, as Beijing ramps up pressure on the island it claims as its own. China’s military activities come amid speculation Beijing might organize military drills around the island in response to Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s recent visit to Pacific allies, including U.S. stops in Hawaii and Guam. |
12/9/2024 PAF’s NASTP Sets Upgrade Path for JF-17 (or ‘PFX Alpha’)  During the 2024 International Defence Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS 2024), the Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) National Aerospace Science and Technology Park (NASTP) revealed that the JF-17 Thunder will undergo an ‘Operational Capability Upgrade’ (OCU). NASTP is also designating this JF-17 OCU project as ‘PFX Alpha’, indicating that it is the first sequential step towards the future PFX fighter program. |
12/9/2024 The arrival of the J-35A gives China control of the technological tempo of global combat aviation  For several days, a rumor has been circulating on Chinese social networks: the new J-35 fighter could be presented, for the first time, at the Zhuhai Air Show, which will be held in mid-November. The rumor was clearly true, as the People's Liberation Army confirmed the presence of no fewer than seven aircraft at the show, including the J-7 heavy stealth fighter, the J-20 multirole fighter-bomber, and the new Y-16U tanker aircraft. All three will perform flight demonstrations at the event. |
12/9/2024 United States Air Force A-10s Visit Philippines  U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt IIs assigned to the 25th Fighter Squadron landed at Clark Air Base, Philippines on Dec. 6, 2024. U.S. Pacific Air Forces Airmen will conduct integrated training with the Philippine Air Force through Dec. 15, providing pilots and maintenance teams an opportunity to increase shared capabilities and enhance interoperability. |
12/9/2024 Russia, North Korea Agree To Su-27, MiG-29 Transfer  The top U.S. officer in the Pacific says Russia has reached an agreement with North Korea to send MiG-29 and Su-27 fighter aircraft to Pyongyang in return for that nation deploying soldiers to help with Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. |