Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

France’s Jet Fighter Sales Are Endangering Allies

10/25/2025

France’s approach to defense exports, especially fighter aircraft, has long favored industrial reach and diplomatic flexibility over strict end-use control. Once seen as deft statecraft, this policy now arms U.S. adversaries and undermines the security of America’s closest partners—notably, Greece, Cyprus, Israel, and Taiwan.

How American Is F-35? Nearly 42% Built Abroad, Why U.S. Controls 100% Of The Stealth Fighter Aircraft?

10/25/2025

Lockheed Martin’s F-35 is arguably the most popular aircraft. The fifth-generation fighter jet has already delivered over 1,200 units, and total program commitments exceed 3,000 aircraft across 20 nations.

Russian aircraft enter airspace of NATO member Lithuania

10/24/2025

Lithuania's army reported on Thursday that two Russian military aircraft had crossed the Lithuanian border, remaining in the NATO member state's airspace for 18 seconds. The aircraft, a fighter jet and a tanker, flew 700 meters (nearly half a mile) into Lithuania from the Kaliningrad region. The Lithianian air force detected the Russian SU-30 and IL-78 aircraft near Kybartai at around 6 p.m. (1600 GMT).

British and German military aircrafts join forces to hunt down Russian submarines

10/23/2025

Britain and Germany will join forces to hunt down Russian submarines. The Royal Air Force (RAF) and Deutsche Marine aircraft will jointly conduct defensive patrols for Russian submarines, working side by side from RAF Lossiemouth, defending NATO’s Eastern and Northern flanks. British and German forces will also ramp up their cyber and military co-operation in a bid to strengthen Nato’s security.

France plans to order 60 additional Dassault Rafale fighters by 2035

10/23/2025

France plans to expand its Rafale fighter fleet by more than 60 aircraft under its 2026 finance bill, potentially raising the total number of combat-ready jets for the French Air and Space Force and French Navy to 286.

Sweden and Ukraine eye export deal for up to 150 Gripen fighter jets

10/23/2025

Sweden has signed a letter of intent that could see it supply up to 150 of its domestically produced Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Wednesday after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The two leaders met for talks in Linkoping in southern Sweden and visited Saab, opens new tab, which is the maker of the JAS 39 Gripen fighter, the GlobalEye surveillance aircraft, missile systems, anti-tank infantry weapons and other equipment.

Turkey pressing for Western fighter jets to claw back regional edge

10/23/2025

Anxious to bolster its air power, Turkey has proposed to European partners and the U.S. ways it could swiftly obtain advanced fighter jets as it seeks to make up ground on regional rivals such as Israel, sources familiar with the talks say.

Ukraine hits Russian chemical plant with UK-made Storm Shadow missiles

10/23/2025

Ukraine has hit a Russian chemical plant with Storm Shadow missiles, its military said on Tuesday, referring to the UK-made long-range weapon. Calling the strike "a successful hit" that penetrated the Russian air defence system, Ukraine's general staff of the armed forces said they were still assessing the outcome of the "massive" strike.

France’s Dassault Rafale Fighter Can Fly From U.S. Navy Aircraft Carriers

10/22/2025

France’s carrier-capable Dassault Rafale M is the only non-U.S. fighter jet certified to operate from American aircraft carriers, a unique interoperability proven since 2007. This capability holds particular strategic significance in the vast Indo-Pacific region, where both France (with its extensive Pacific territories) and the U.S. have major interests.

The U.S. military has built up a large force in the Caribbean Sea. Here’s what’s there

10/22/2025

The U.S. military has built up an unusually large force in the Caribbean Sea and the waters off the coast of Venezuela since this summer, when the Trump administration first began to shift assets to the region as part of its so-called war against narcoterrorism.

Military aircraft, air defense, Ukrainian weapons: Zelensky holds meeting with Umerov

10/22/2025

New agreements to strengthen Ukraine's combat aviation and air defense, transformation of the NSDC Secretariat became the main topics of President Volodymyr Zelensky's meeting with Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Rustem Umerov.

Boeing to Test the ‘Collaborative’ in its Collaborative Combat Aircraft

10/22/2025

Boeing’s MQ-28 Ghost Bat collaborative combat aircraft will take two important steps in its development when it tests its ability to conduct combat and then later collaborate with another jet fighter, a senior company official said Oct. 20. Boeing previously announced that it would autonomously fire an air-to-air missile from the MQ-28 by the end of the calendar year. That test is still on track, Randy Rotte, the company’s regional director for India, Asia and Pacific, told reporters at the ADE

Shield AI’s unmanned fighter jet concept pitched as a drone wingman or solo aircraft

10/22/2025

Shield AI’s new unmanned, vertical-takeoff-and-landing fighter jet concept is designed to be a drone wingman or a standalone aircraft, marking the latest autonomous aircraft announcement by defense companies in recent weeks. The X-BAT, revealed at a private event in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday evening, is Shield AI’s first unmanned fighter jet offering.

Cobra Maneuver: The Fighter Jet Trick That Looks Like A ‘Motorcycle Popping A Wheelie’

10/21/2025

There is a significant fighter jet maneuver that seems to wow the crowd at Russian air shows called the Pugachev Cobra Maneuver. It’s more for show than for tactical advantage in a dog fight, but it looks intriguing and demonstrates just how much certain fighter jets can conduct aerial feats like no other aircraft in the world.

Saab hands over first Gripen E fighter to Swedish Air Force in major step toward future air capability

10/21/2025

The Swedish Armed Forces officially received their first JAS 39 Gripen E fighter aircraft during a handover ceremony on 20 October 2025 at the Skaraborg Air Wing (F 7) in Såtenäs. The event marks a key milestone in Sweden’s air power modernisation, bringing a new generation of combat air capability into service.

Raytheon delivers first PhantomStrike radar for Korea Aerospace Industries’ FA-50 aircraft

10/21/2025

Raytheon has delivered the first PhantomStrike radar to Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) for its FA-50 Light Combat Aircraft, marking a key milestone in their defence technology partnership. The radar is a compact, fully air-cooled fire-control system that combines advanced threat detection, tracking, and targeting with high efficiency and reduced cost.

US Falls Behind in Air Superiority as Fighter Jets Retire Faster Than They’re Built

10/21/2025

The United States Air Force is retiring combat aircraft nearly five times faster than it is building new ones, raising concerns among defense analysts about the country’s long-held aerial dominance. According to Defense Express, citing a recent analysis published by Defense News, the United States is on track to decommission approximately 340 aircraft in the 2026 fiscal year while producing only 76 new ones.

Australia accuses China of 'unsafe' military jet manoeuvres

10/21/2025

Australia has accused a Chinese military aircraft of releasing flares "in close proximity" to its patrol jet over the South China Sea. The Australian government has raised its concern with Beijing over the "unsafe and unprofessional" manoeuvre, the defence department said in a statement on Monday. There was no damage to Australia's P-8A aircraft and its personnel were unharmed after Sunday's encounter.

Pakistan deploys JF-17 fighter jets to Azerbaijan

10/20/2025

Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has deployed its latest JF-17 Thunder Block III fighter jets to Azerbaijan to participate in the bilateral air combat exercise Indus Shield Alpha, the service announced via its official channels on Sunday.

Canada delays F-35 decision as Ottawa weighs Gripen option and industrial return

10/20/2025

Canada’s long-delayed F-35A fighter jet program is facing renewed uncertainty as Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government weighs whether to proceed with its planned fleet of 88 aircraft from Lockheed Martin or diversify toward a mixed fleet that could include Saab’s Gripen E.

Taiwan spots 27 Chinese military aircraft, 8 Naval ships near its territory

10/19/2025

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) reported on Friday that it had tracked 27 Chinese military aircraft and eight naval vessels operating close to its territorial boundaries. The ministry said that 19 of the aircraft had crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, entering the northern, central, and southwestern parts of Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).

F-15E Strike Eagle: How the Air Force Turned a Dogfighter Into a Strike Aircraft

10/19/2025

When McDonnell Douglas first conceived of the F-15 in the late 1960s, they had one, and only one, purpose: to create the world’s best air superiority fighter. When the F-15A and B variants entered service in the mid-1970s, they embodied that design philosophy, incorporating powerful twin engines, a massive thrust-to-weight ratio, and a radar built only for finding other aircraft. In short, the original F15s were built strictly for air superiority, and had virtually no use beyond that.

How Do Pilots Actually Eject From A Fighter Jet?

10/19/2025

A civilian-owned Hawker Hunter fighter jet, acting as a “red air” adversary for the U.S. Navy, crashed into the Pacific off Big Sur, California, this week. The pilot, working for the contractor ATAC, safely ejected after a suspected engine failure and was rescued uninjured. The incident highlights the role of private companies in military training and the inherent dangers of aviation.

General Atomics Selected To Support U.S. Navy CCA Design Effort

10/19/2025

GA-ASI was selected to work on Navy CCA designs emphasizing a modular approach to platform selection, capable of being rapidly reconfigured and upgraded to meet changing mission requirements, including operations on and from aircraft carriers. GA-ASI’s approach supports the Navy’s revolutionary acquisition strategy of smaller, frequent purchases that enable rapid technology insertion rather than traditional long-lifecycle programs.

Qatar coming to Idaho for military aircraft trainings. Here’s what we know

10/18/2025

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s announcement took many by surprise, including Idaho’s governor and federal lawmakers who weren’t informed ahead of time. And it was criticized across the political spectrum, with a number of prominent right-wing Republicans questioning what came off as the U.S. permitting the Middle East nation to establish an air base in Idaho.