Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

U.S. Air Guard gets new advanced Eagle fighter jet

11/27/2025

Boeing announced on Tuesday that a new F-15EX fighter aircraft, designated EX15, has been officially delivered to the 142nd Wing of the Oregon Air National Guard, marking the unit’s eighth aircraft of the type and adding momentum to the U.S. Air Force’s growing fleet of upgraded Eagles.

Dassault and Thales to develop AI for crewed and uncrewed combat aircraft

11/27/2025

Dassault Aviation and Thales have entered a long-term strategic partnership to develop “controlled and supervised” artificial intelligence (AI) for future air combat applications, the two companies announced on November 25, 2025. The agreement was signed on November 18, 2025, by Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier and Thales CEO Patrice Caine, and unveiled at the International Adopt AI Summit at the Grand Palais in Paris.

Chinese Drone Incursion Prompts Japanese Fighter Jet Scramble Near Yonaguni Island

11/26/2025

Japan scrambled JASDF fighter aircraft after a presumed Chinese high altitude surveillance drone passed between Yonaguni Island and Taiwan on November 24, 2025. The incident comes as Tokyo prepares to station a new Type 03 Chu SAM unit on Yonaguni, a move that strengthens air defense coverage across one of the most sensitive points in the first island chain.

A German Factory Is Now Building Its First F-35A Fighter Jet

11/26/2025

Construction has continued on NATO member Germany’s first Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II, the US-based aerospace firm confirmed. A ceremony marking the signing off on the center-fuselage bulkhead and start of final assembly at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth, Texas, facility was held last week.

Saudi Arabia in talks with General Atomics for up to 200 Gambit Collaborative Combat Aircraft

11/26/2025

On November 18, 2025, Breaking Defense reported that General Atomics Aeronautical Systems' ongoing talks with Saudi Arabia now include up to 200 Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCAs) based on the Gambit family and 130 MQ-9B drones. At the Dubai Airshow, the company's president, David Alexander, noted that production options inside the Kingdom are being analyzed due to the size of the potential order, one of the largest regional opportunities in the company’s history.

Defense chiefs of Japan, UK, Italy discuss joint development of fighter aircraft

11/26/2025

The defense chiefs of Japan, the UK and Italy on Tuesday discussed their trilateral collaboration to jointly develop the next-generation fighter aircraft. Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, UK Defense Secretary John Healey and Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto held the Trilateral Defense Ministerial Meeting via teleconference, according to a statement from Japan’s Defense Ministry.

Israel’s F-35 And Stealth Fighter Monopoly In Middle East May Soon End

11/26/2025

Almost a decade has passed since Israel received its first Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth strike fighter from the United States. The fifth-generation aircraft markedly enhanced Israel’s air superiority and technological edge over the wider region, as demonstrated by recent wars, especially the 12-day June war against Iran. With the U.S. signaling its intent to sell F-35s to other regional states, this may prove the beginning of the end for Israel’s regional monopoly on F-35s.

Romania has deployed military aircraft following the Russian attacks in Ismail

11/25/2025

Romania’s radar monitoring systems detected new drones on Monday heading towards the city of Ismail in Ukraine. Consequently, two Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft of the German allies and two F-16 aircraft of the Romanian Air Forces were launched. Authorities across the Prut issued Ro-Alert warning messages last night for the locals in the north of Tulcea county, reports IPN.

Germany’s First F-35A Fighter Jet Reaches Production Milestone at Lockheed Martin facility in U.S.

11/25/2025

U.S. Company Lockheed Martin has begun producing Germany’s first F-35A, following the ceremonial signing of the aircraft’s center-fuselage bulkhead and the start of final assembly in Fort Worth. The milestone marks a major step in Germany’s shift toward fifth-generation airpower and deeper NATO integration.

Japan Reveals New Details into Project for Collaborative UAVs Expected to Operate with Manned Fighter Jets

11/25/2025

Japan’s Ministry of Defense (JMOD) recently made public an evaluation report on a prospective research and development (R&D) project for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) capable of collaborating with Japan’s next-generation fighter aircraft scheduled to be delivered by 2035 as part of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) with Italy and the United Kingdom.

Germany’s Air Force chief open to alternatives as FCAS fighter faces uncertainty

11/25/2025

Germany’s recently appointed Air Force chief, Lieutenant General Holger Neumann, has signaled that Berlin is prepared to consider alternative paths to a future combat aircraft if the Franco-German-Spanish Future Combat Air System (FCAS) continues to face delays and political friction.

KF-21 Boramae: The Cheap Stealth Fighter Breaking All The Rules ‘Aimed’ Right At The F-35

11/24/2025

South Korea’s KF-21 Boramae is a home-grown 4.5-generation “budget stealth” fighter aimed squarely at countries that want advanced jets but can’t afford large F-35 fleets—or don’t want the strings that come with them. owered by twin F414 engines, equipped with an AESA radar and modern avionics, the KF-21 trades full stealth and internal bays for lower cost and easier export.

Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter pogramme in crisis: rising costs, TR-3 delays and engine modernisation failures

11/24/2025

After years of uninterrupted cost growth and mounting implementation problems, the programme to modernise the avionics of Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft to the TR-3/Block 4 standard has already exceeded its planned budget by more than six billion US dollars and is five years behind schedule. In an attempt to curb this process, the Pentagon plans to reduce the scope of the modernisation, which will result in the installation of a downgraded TR-3/Block 4 package.

Indian Su-30MKIs Join French Rafale Jets in Rare Mixed Close-Formation Flights over France.

11/24/2025

Indian Air Force Su-30MKI fighters are flying tightly integrated mixed formations with French Rafale and Mirage 2000 jets during Exercise Garuda 25 at Mont-de-Marsan Air Base in France from 16 to 27 November 2025. The eighth Indo-French air exercise brings together over 500 personnel and around 25 aircraft for high-intensity air combat drills that deepen interoperability from Europe to the Indo-Pacific.

Is There Chance for Ukrainian Air Force to Receive Used Rafales From France in 2026

11/24/2025

Ukraine is extremely interested in resolving the issue of what the country’s Air Force will fly in the 2030s-2080s. The answer to this should be 100-150 Swedish Gripen and/or 100 French Rafale aircraft. But in order to have a reasonable hope for the implementation of such plans, it is necessary to resolve the issue of what Ukrainian pilots should fly in the 2020s.

Belarus And Russia Strengthen Defense Ties with Joint Su-75 Stealth Fighter Production Plan

11/23/2025

Russia has confirmed that it is working on joint production of the Su-75 Checkmate stealth fighter with Belarus, with the prototype now in final assembly and moving into bench testing ahead of an expected first flight in early 2026. The move deepens Russia Belarus' defense integration and aims to position their Union State as a lower-cost alternative supplier of new-generation combat aircraft to markets that cannot or will not buy Western fighters.

Human rights fears over Australia’s role in F-35 parts after Trump’s decision to sell fighter jets to Saudi Arabia

11/23/2025

Experts warn US deal on ‘lethal’ aircraft presents issues for Australia that ‘we’ve tried desperately to ignore with the Israelis’. Donald Trump’s unilateral decision to sell F-35 joint strike fighter jets to Saudi Arabia will rely on critical Australian components, prompting experts to warn Australia could become complicit in human rights abuses.

?What Other Aircraft Besides Gripen and Rafale Does Ukraine Need, Billions of Dollars Are Also Needed for This

11/23/2025

Plans to put 100-150 Swedish Gripen fighters and/or 100 French Rafales into service with the Ukrainian Air Force mean not only the insane costs of their purchase. And not even just the astronomical costs of their maintenance, especially when it comes to 250 fighters, which only a small number of countries can afford. But these are far from all the aircraft that need to be purchased in order to have combat fighters, as they will not fly without pilots.

For US$82 million, the U.S. authorizes the sale of new GBU-53 glide bombs for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force’s fighter aircraft

11/23/2025

The United States government has authorized the possible sale of new GBU-53 glide bombs to equip the fighter aircraft of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. This approval is reflected in one of the most recent notifications issued by the State Department to the U.S. Congress, aimed at greenlighting the operation under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Program, valued at US$82 million.

Not In The U.S. Air Force: Israel F-35I Adir Might Be The Best Stealth Fighter On Earth

11/22/2025

Israel’s F-35I Adir is a uniquely customized variant of the F-35, tailored for deep, high-risk strikes across the Middle East. Built on the U.S. airframe but fitted with Israeli electronic warfare suites, plug-and-play mission computers, local weapons, and jamming pods, the Adir is optimized for long-range, stealthy penetration.

Indian combat aircraft crashes during a demonstration at Dubai Air Show, killing the pilot

11/21/2025

The pilot of an Indian combat plane died after the aircraft crashed Friday during a demonstration flight for spectators at the Dubai Air Show, the Indian Air Force said.The Indian HAL Tejas, a combat aircraft used in the Indian Air Force, crashed around 2:10 p.m. local time after the pilot had flown across the site of the biennial air show in Dubai several times. The plane appeared to lose control and dive directly toward the ground just prior to crashing inside the grounds of the airfield.

Impact Of Selling F-35s To Saudi Arabia On The Region

11/21/2025

The Trump administration’s agreement to sell F-35 stealth fighters to Saudi Arabia marks a major policy shift, with Washington previously being unwilling to export these high-end jets to Arab states in the Middle East. Such a sale would have significant ramifications for the airpower balance in the region, especially as regards Israel, currently the only F-35 operator in the Middle East, but its ripples could also be felt well beyond Tel Aviv.

Saab says Canada's air force could have Gripen fighter jets in as little as 3 years

11/21/2025

Should Canada choose to fly the Swedish-built Gripen-E, the country’s air force could receive the first aircraft as quickly — or perhaps even sooner — than the long-awaited American-manufactured F-35, the CEO of Saab signalled Thursday. Micael Johansson also said the defence giant is willing to set up not only an assembly factory in Canada, but a full-fledged manufacturing centre and a research and development hub.

Türkiye's Kizilelma rules skies: Stealth UAV nails F-16 in simulated strike

11/21/2025

Türkiye’s unmanned stealth fighter jet Kizilelma has reached a milestone, locking on an F-16 and achieving a direct hit in its simulated test fire using locally produced advanced MURAD AESA radar and firing a local air-to-air missile.

'Friendly country' signed MoU to buy Pakistan's JF-17 fighter jet

11/21/2025

The Pakistan Army on Thursday announced a pact with a "friendly country" for the procurement of its JF-17 fighter jet. Without revealing the name of the country, the Pakistan Army's media wing said in a statement that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was "signed with a friendly country for the procurement of the JF-17 Thunder, marking another significant milestone in Pakistan’s expanding defense and industrial partnerships."