Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

The Hellenic Air Force is evaluating the purchase of additional F-35A fighters from the U.S. instead of modernizing its 38 F-16 Block 50 aircraft to the Block 70 standard

09/16/2025

In what would constitute a significant shift in its future modernization plans, the Hellenic Air Force is reportedly evaluating the purchase of additional F-35 stealth fighters from the U.S., which would effectively rule out continuing the upgrade of its remaining fleet of 38 F-16 Block 50 aircraft. According to local media reports, the Greek government is interested in acquiring between 8 and 12 fifth-generation aircraft, which would join the 20 F-35s already ordered.

DSEI 2025: The fighter market shift to Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T)

09/16/2025

Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) capabilities is set to become a market differentiator for fighter aircraft, allowing 4.5-5th generation platforms to remain relevant to the battlefield. With the extensive development of C4I systems, electronic warfare and other avionics, the aircraft has evolved into a system hub. While the global primes work to achieve a sixth-generation capability, it remains crucial that the defence industry continues to develop the 4.5-5th generation market.

Turkey’s Security Outlook Without The F-35: A Multi-Layered Strategy – OpEd

09/16/2025

Stealth technology, embodied by the F-35 fighter jet, poses a serious challenge to many air defense systems. But how does a country without access to such aircraft construct an effective defense posture? Since Turkey’s removal from the F-35 program, Ankara has pursued a multi-layered strategy to close the capability gap. The key elements of this approach are outlined below.

British P-8 Poseidon Flies Unusual Overland Mission Along Polish Border

09/16/2025

A U.K. Royal Air Force P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft was noted today flying in Polish airspace along the border with Russia and Belarus, apparently highlighting a significant, if overlooked, overland surveillance mission for the type. The unusual flight comes amid rising tensions between NATO and Russia in the region, following the Russian drone incursions into Polish airspace last week.

Swedish Air Force Gripen Fighters Intercept Russian Su-30SM/SM2 and Su-35 Combat Aircraft over the Baltic

09/16/2025

In the days before and after the Russian drone incursion into Poland, the Swedish Air Force confirmed the interception over the Baltic of Russian Armed Forces combat aircraft, as well as signals intelligence (SIGINT) aircraft, by its JAS-39 Gripen fighters, in coordination with Denmark.

Poland Purchases Rounds for Its FA-50 Fighter Jets for the First Time

09/15/2025

Turkish company Makine ve Kimya Endüstrisi signed an agreement to export 20 mm ammunition for FA-50 light fighter jets to Poland at the DSEI 2025 exhibition. This will allow aircraft delivered in 2023 to begin using their cannon weapons.

Poland, Romania scramble jets as NATO ally records new Russian drone violation

09/15/2025

NATO allies Poland and Romania both scrambled fighter jets to respond to Russian drone and missile attacks in Ukraine on Saturday, as the alliance looks to bolster its defensive options in response to repeated violations of allied airspace by Russian munitions.

TAI advances KAAN fifth-generation fighter as European nations express interest

09/15/2025

Share Most Read 1 Türkiye’s rising 'ghetto tourism': Poverty as a commodity amid urban inequality 2 Exclusive: Ex-FBI agent explains why US political violence is on rise 3 Türkiye extradites 8 fugitives wanted on red notices, national warrants 4 Türkiye falls short in EuroBasket final, securing silver in 88-83 defeat to Germany 5 Fidan attends Arab-Islamic preparatory meeting ahead of Gaza summit newsletters Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) is advancing development of its KAAN f

Piloting a Fighter Jet Is One of the World’s Most Dangerous Jobs

09/15/2025

The human body has not evolved to meet the physical demands of flying a fighter jet. High G-forces, high altitude, low oxygen—the fighter jet places the human body in an environment and in situations far removed from what that body is built to withstand. Put simply, without specialized training and equipment, the environment is not compatible with life. This is why flying a fighter jet is among the most physically demanding and physically dangerous occupations in the world.

US F-35s seen landing in Puerto Rico amid Venezuela tensions

09/14/2025

Five U.S. F-35 aircraft were seen landing in Puerto Rico on Saturday after President Donald Trump last week ordered 10 of the stealth fighters to join a military buildup in the Caribbean to counter drug cartels amid rising tensions with Venezuela. The F-35s were seen landing at the former Roosevelt Roads military base in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, by Ricky Arduengo, a contract photographer working for Reuters.

Japan to dispatch F-15s to Europe, Canada for 1st time

09/14/2025

Defense Minister Gen Nakatani announced that F-15 fighter jets from the Air Self-Defense Force will fly to the other side of the world to demonstrate Japan’s commitment to deepened exchanges with like-minded nations. He said the aircraft would visit the United States, Canada, Britain and Germany over roughly two weeks from Sept. 14.

Singapore Defence Minister reaffirms plan for 20 F-35 fighter jets as first delivery set for 2026

09/14/2025

Singapore’s Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing has reaffirmed the country’s commitment to acquiring 20 F-35 fighter aircraft during a visit to Lockheed Martin’s production facility in Fort Worth, Texas. The first aircraft is on track for delivery at the end of 2026.

After Poland, Russia breaches Romania's airspace, prompting Nato to ramp up security

09/14/2025

After Poland, a Russian drone breached the Romanian airspace, raising worries among Nato over a war spilling over. The incident prompted Romania to scramble F-16 fighter jets to track the unmanned aircraft for nearly an hour. The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) ramped up its security after a Russian drone violated Romanian airspace on Saturday. The incident prompted Romania to scramble F-16 fighter jets to track the unmanned aircraft for nearly an hour.

Air Force B-2 bomber tests ship-killer bomb off of Norway

09/14/2025

One of the Air Force’s most powerful bombers recently flew to the Arctic to test out its ship killing bomb earlier this month. A B-2 Spirit bomber flew with planes from the Norwegian Air Force in a test of the military’s “Quicksink” munition, taking out a floating target.

Boeing’s NGAD F-47 Fighter Might End Up With ‘Ferrari F-35’ DNA

09/14/2025

One month after Boeing won the USAF’s F-47 NGAD, Lockheed Martin surprised observers twice: it declined to protest and unveiled a “Ferrari” F-35 concept—a fifth-gen-plus upgrade leveraging NGAD tech. Thus far, Pentagon and JPO reactions are muted, and insiders note upgrade programs rarely mint generals, dampening enthusiasm inside the Air Force.

‘Go Home’: Stealth F-22 Raptor Flew Right Under Iran’s F-4 Fighter ‘Totally Undetected’

09/13/2025

U.S.–Iran antagonism did not begin with this June’s B-2 strikes. In 2013, after Iranian jets harassed U.S. MQ-1 flights in international airspace, the Pentagon began escorting drones with fighters. During one mission, two Iranian F-4 Phantoms closed on a Predator—until an F-22 Raptor flown by Lt. Col. Kevin “Showtime” Sutterfield slid unseen beneath them, verified their loads, then pulled alongside with a radio warning: “You really ought to go home.”

The J-20 Mighty Dragon Is Turning China Into A Stealth Fighter ‘Superpower’

09/13/2025

China’s two-seat J-20S debuted prominently, highlighting a shift toward manned-unmanned teaming and airborne command roles. Beijing touts the back-seater as a “mission commander,” potentially controlling loyal-wingman drones.

Why Modern Fighter Jet Cockpits Are Becoming a Lot More User-Friendly

09/13/2025

As anyone who has glanced inside the cockpit of an older aircraft can tell you: the cockpit used to be a clutter of gauges and switches, a schematic overload that could leave the layman disoriented. This effect was hardly isolated to the layman; the confusing gauge-filled cockpit was also a source of friction for the pilot, albeit one that could be somewhat mitigated through training and repetition.

The Force We Need: Stand-off and Penetrating Airpower

09/13/2025

Decades of force cuts and deferred modernization have left the U.S. Air Force unable to simultaneously deter nuclear attacks, defend the U.S. homeland, and defeat Chinese aggression at acceptable levels of risk. Years of insufficient resources have also eroded the Air Force’s ability to conduct long-range, penetrating attacks against China’s centers of gravity and deny the operational sanctuaries the People’s Liberation Army.

France to deploy fighter jets to Poland after Russian drone incursions

09/12/2025

France will send three Rafale fighter jets to help defend Polish airspace following what Warsaw described as an unprecedented Russian drone attack that violated NATO territory 19 times, President Emmanuel Macron announced Thursday.

Second B-21 Flies for the First Time

09/12/2025

A second B-21 bomber has flown from Palmdale to Edwards Air Force Base in California, ramping up the Air Force’s test effort for its new fleet. The flight occurred Sept. 11, the Air Force confirmed. Aviation enthusiasts snapped photos of the B-21 taking off and flying from outside the fence line at Plant 42, where the aircraft is manufactured. Photographer Jarod Hamilton shared a video on social media showing the Raider soaring across a cloudless sky, accompanied by an F-16.

How Will the Air Force’s “Collaborative Combat Aircraft” Drones Work?

09/12/2025

The US Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program—slated as drone “wingmen” to the Boeing F-47 Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program—represents a leap forward in unmanned aerial operations. Whereas today’s drones rely upon remotely piloted systems, complete with human operators and satellite links, the CCA will be truly autonomous—making self-contained combat decisions in real-time, executing missions with minimal human input.

Apex Aviation confirms China military jet buzzed medevac plane in June

09/12/2025

Taiwan's Apex Aviation on Thursday confirmed reports that a Chinese military aircraft had flown close to one of its medevac planes near Kinmen in June. Confirming the first news report of the incident, which was published by the local RW News on Tuesday, Apex told CNA on Thursday that the issue occurred on the morning of June 26, when one of its medevac aircraft was flying from Taipei Songshan Airport to its base in the offshore Kinmen County, carrying no patients.

Su-27 Fighter Jet Pilot Killed In Action Over Zaporizhzhia

09/12/2025

Ukraine’s 39th Tactical Aviation Brigade announced on Thursday that the pilot of a Su-27 (NATO: Flanker) fighter aircraft, Major Oleksandr Borovyk, has been killed in action during combat operations near Zaporizhzhia. According to the 39th’s statement on Facebook, Borovyk was performing a combat mission in a Su-27 aircraft on the Zaporizhzhia front when his fighter jet went down at about 13:30 on Thursday afternoon – for reasons that are still being clarified.

Poland’s Su-22 Fitter Swing-Wing Strike Jets Pass Into History

09/12/2025

The last of the venerable Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter swing-wing strike aircraft in Europe have been officially withdrawn from service. At one time, the Su-22 was a backbone of Warsaw Pact offensive airpower on the continent, with the final examples having been operated by the Polish Air Force, which had flown these impressive jets since the first example was delivered more than 40 years ago.