Military Aviation News Archive
06/04/2024
While the deployment of J-20s has been widely reported, the presence of “Rafale Challenger” J-10 warplanes has not really caught the media’s attention. J-10s are the only fighters deployed on both sides of the Indian border with China and Pakistan.
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06/03/2024
Russian forces operating in Ukraine lost nine jets in May, according to Kyiv, as Ukraine reports record equipment losses and casualties for Moscow's troops. Ukraine's Defense Ministry said on Saturday that nine Russian jets were "destroyed" in May 2024.
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06/03/2024
The United States and China are racing to develop sixth-generation warplanes, signaling intense military rivalry in a multipolar world. China unveiled a mockup of its sixth-generation fighter in 2021, aiming for deployment by 2035, while the U.S. targets 2030 for its "Next-Generation Air Dominance" (NGAD) platform.
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06/03/2024
Sweden is pausing plans to transfer JAS 39 Gripen fighters to Ukraine, reportedly to enable Kyiv’s air forces to focus on integrating the US-made F-16 fighters when they eventually arrive. Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson announced the decision on May 28, citing a request by members of NATO’s aviation coalition.
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06/03/2024
South Korea’s largest defence company is developing a fighter jet engine as the country works to move up the arms exporter value chain and boost its security self-sufficiency. The chief of aero systems at Hanwha Aerospace said the company wanted to develop the engine by as early as 2036. It is working in partnership with the South Korean government, one of the world’s highest spenders on arms development.
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06/01/2024
The F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter will take on the Nato’s nuclear role for the first time on 1 June 2024, as the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF), one of few Nato Allies contributing dual-capable aircraft to this mission, transfer the task from its F-16 fighters to the new fifth-generation airframe.
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06/01/2024
The Dutch military is investigating whether fighter aircraft can jointly use the civil airports in Eelde, Lelystad, and Twente, the Ministry of Defense announced on Friday. Due to rising international tensions, the military will need much more space in the coming years.
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06/01/2024
Will the Next Generation Air Dominance program, or NGAD, produce the last stealth fighter that the U.S. Air Force ever builds? The fighter jet in general may soon be outdated, given recent advances in drone technology and artificial intelligence. It’s hard to say exactly when the moment will arrive that renders fighter jets obsolete and prompts the Air Force to cancel all future development programs.
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06/01/2024
Belgium has agreed to supply up to 30 F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets to Ukraine over the next few years to aid in its defense against Russian aggression. This pledge, alongside commitments from other countries, brings the total number of F-16s promised to Ukraine to around 115.
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05/30/2024
The Ukrainian Air Force will receive two Saab 340 AEWCS aircraft in the ASC 890 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) system configuration from Sweden, providing Kyiv with “absolutely new potential for radar reconnaissance and combat control against targets in the air and at sea,” according to the local publication Sydsvenskan.
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05/30/2024
A military fighter jet on its way to an Air Force base in California crashed Tuesday near the international airport in New Mexico’s largest city, sending up a large plume of smoke and injuring the pilot. The pilot, the only person on board, was able to escape after crashing around 2 p.m. on a hillside on the south side of Albuquerque’s airport and was taken to a hospital with serious injuries, according to the city’s fire department.
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05/28/2024
The first 16 of the air force's new F-35 fighters will be paid for out of the current federal budget, even though Canada isn't expected to take delivery of the warplanes until 2026.
Defence Minister Bill Blair pointed to the investment on Monday while defending the Liberal government's military spending plans before a House of Commons committee.
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05/28/2024
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 21 Chinese military aircraft, 11 naval vessels, and four coast guard ships around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Sunday (May 26) and 6 a.m. on Monday (May 27). Of the 21 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, 10 entered the southwest and southeast sectors of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND. No PLA aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line during that time.
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05/28/2024
The Philippines and Sweden have signed a key agreement to support Manila’s planned acquisition of multi-role fighter (MRF) aircraft for the Philippine Air Force (PAF). Titled “Implementing Arrangement Concerning the Procurement of Defense Materiel and Equipment,” the deal provides the government framework for the Philippines to purchase Swedish-made defense equipment.
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05/28/2024
On May 27, the Chinese PLA Air Force’s WL-10, an unmanned aerial vehicle designed for high-altitude, long-endurance missions, carried out flight activities above the East China Sea. Japan’s Joint Staff Office (JSO), which oversees the operations of the Ground, Maritime, and Air Self-Defense Forces, announced that the incident prompted an immediate response from Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force, which scrambled fighter jets to intercept the intruding UAV.
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05/28/2024
Saab has revealed the initial details of Sweden’s Future Combat Aviation Concept study (Koncept för Framtida Stridsflyg, KFS). This independent project began in July 2023 and is expected to continue through 2025. It was presented at a press briefing held at Saab’s headquarters in Linköping.
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05/26/2024
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), a division of the U.S. Department of Defense, has confirmed the start of production of the advanced F-16 Viper fighter aircraft for Morocco. This development marks a pivotal moment in the North African kingdom’s defense strategy, aiming for greater self-sufficiency and enhanced military prowess.
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05/26/2024
The US Air Force revealed, through press release, the names of the two manufacturers selected to design and build the prototypes of the first batch of combat drones, intended to accompany the future NGAD, successors to the F-22, as well as a few hundred specially prepared F-35As.
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05/25/2024
Taiwan tracked dozens of Chinese warplanes and navy vessels off its coast on Friday, the second day of a large military exercise launched by Beijing to show its anger over the self-governing island’s inauguration of new leaders who refuse to accept its insistence that Taiwan is part of China.
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05/25/2024
The first round of Ukrainian pilots have completed F-16 fighter jet training at a military base in Arizona, advancing Kyiv one step closer to using the modern aircraft in its war against Russia.
Air National Guard spokesperson Erin Hannigan told Politico's Lara Seligman that the pilots had been training at the 162nd Wing of the Arizona Air National Guard in Tucson. They are now headed to Europe for additional training.
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05/25/2024
As part of operational training, SU-30 and F-16 aircraft of the Bolivarian Military Aviation conducted combined exercises under the framework of the so-called “Domingo Sifontes Task Force.” According to information published by the Bolivarian Military Aviation on its social media platforms, the maneuvers carried out in coastal areas involved the participation of units from the Army and the Bolivarian Navy conducting patrol exercises, land incursions, and aerial coverage.
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05/25/2024
Once hailed as the epitome of cutting-edge aerial warfare, the Eurofighter Typhoon soared to prominence in the early 2000s, emerging as one of the “world’s most advanced combat aircraft.” However, its glory days seem to be fading a bit. In the ring with the Typhoon is the Rafale, a contender that emerged almost a decade after its European counterpart. Surprisingly, the Rafale is swiftly closing in on the Typhoon’s sales figures.
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05/23/2024
History serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of neglecting air superiority, a mistake America must not repeat with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter as it did with the F-22 Raptor. In 2009, the F-22 program was abruptly cancelled after the production of only 187 aircraft — a quarter of the originally planned 750 fighters. This short-sighted decision left the U.S. Air Force with a diminished capacity to maintain air superiority in the face of evolving threats from the major military adversa
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05/23/2024
Saudi Arabia is seeking full partner status as it decides what future combat aircraft program to join, with a decision possible within months. The kingdom aims to be “an equal partner” in any sixth-generation fighter program, Maj. Gen. Hamed Alamri, director of Joint Chiefs of Staff and chairman of the Committee on Future Capabilities of the Armed Forces for the Saudi Air Force, said May 21. “Saudi Arabia seeks to become a global innovator, not just a customer,” he told an event at the Royal Aer
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05/23/2024
The U.S. Air Force today is the oldest and smallest in its history. Consequently, it is experiencing a severe fighter aircraft gap between what it has and what it requires to execute the national defense strategy. This gap is particularly acute within the F-35 stealth advanced 5th generation aircraft inventory. The Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 House Armed Services Committee bill language cutting F-35 purchases exacerbate this shortfall.
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