1/11/2026 India Allocates $1 Billion to Replace Russian Il-78MKI Refueling Aircraft  The fleet of six Il-78MKI refueling aircraft, introduced more than twenty years ago, has exhausted its service life. It is no longer able to meet the current requirements for long-range operations of the Rafale, Su-30MKI and indigenous Tejas variants. The IAI plans to modify six used Boeing 767s into MMTT multirole refueling aircraft. |
1/11/2026 Italy Is Breaking Ground on Europe’s First F-35 Training Center  Last November, the Italian Air Force announced plans to create an international training facility for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. Currently, all pilots from allied and partner nations receive their F-35 training at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, Arkansas, following its relocation from Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. The latter base remains the primary hub for US F-35A pilot training, with Eglin AFB, Florida. |
1/11/2026 JF-17 gains traction as Iraq explores fighter jet purchase  Iraq has expressed a keen interest in acquiring Pakistan's JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft as senior air force commanders from both countries held talks in Baghdad, underscoring growing defence cooperation and Islamabad's expanding profile as a supplier of combat aviation platforms. |
1/10/2026 Pakistan negotiates a $1.5 billion military agreement with Sudan that would include JF-17 Block III 4.5-gen fighter jets  Pakistan is in the final stage of negotiating a defense agreement estimated at around USD 1.5 billion to supply weapons and military aircraft to Sudan, Reuters reported, citing a former senior Pakistani Air Force official and three sources with direct knowledge of the process. If finalized, the contract would not only substantially strengthen the Sudanese Armed Forces in their war against the Rapid Support Forces, but would also have direct implications for the strategic balance in the Red Sea. |
1/10/2026 Russia lost up to 21 tactical aircraft in 2025 – Defence24  Russian tactical aviation suffered significant losses in 2025, although formally its numbers even increased at the end of the year. This is stated in an analysis by Polish military observer Maciej Szopa on Defence24. According to a Polish military observer, Russia lost between 18 and 21 combat aircraft of this class during the year. |
1/10/2026 US Marines test deadly autonomous drones that can assist crewed fighter jets  Northrop Grumman and Kratos Defense and Security Solutions are collaborating to build autonomous military drones for the US Marine Corps, the two companies announced this week. The partnership will see Northrop lend its expertise to the development of Kratos’ pilotless Valkyrie drone. Their goal is to prepare the platform to fly alongside crewed Marine Corps fighter jets in high-threat environments. |
1/10/2026 While the US military grabbed Maduro, where was Venezuela’s air force?  When the United States military launched an operation to fly directly into downtown Caracas and snatch Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, top US officials noted that the invading force was met with limited ground-to-air fire — but they made no mention of any aerial resistance. |
1/10/2026 Why is Pakistan selling its JF-17 fighter jets to Bangladesh and others?  Less than a week into the new year, after a meeting between Pakistan’s Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu and his Bangladeshi counterpart Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan, the Pakistani military announced that a deal to sell its domestically produced JF-17 Thunder fighter jet could be imminent. |
1/9/2026 US military planes pictured at Scottish airport during tanker seizing operation  At least three American aircraft took off from Wick John O’Groats Airport, which is owned by the Scottish Government. The planes were assisting with the US seizure of the Marinera, a Russian-flagged vessel previously known as Bella-1, which is said to have escaped Donald Trump’s “total naval blockade” of Venezuela. After refusing to comment, the UK’s Ministry of Defence eventually confirmed it took part in the operation, saying it provided “operational support” to the US Air Force. |
1/9/2026 UK helped US seize Russian-flagged tanker, defence ministry says  Britain’s Ministry of Defence said it had provided military help to the US forces that seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker north-west of Britain and Ireland, initially arguing the operation was legal because the vessel had breached US sanctions on Iran. John Healey, the defence secretary, said the UK had allowed US aircraft to use bases to prepare for and carry out the mission, while the RAF had provided extra surveillance and the navy refuelling while the final capture was under way. |