12/3/2025 Finally, the Hellenic Air Force is set to move forward with upgrading its 38 F-16 Block 50 fighters to the Block 70 standard  Amid various doubts that seemed to point toward purchasing new F-35 fighters at the expense of the upgrade program, the Hellenic Air Force has ultimately decided to continue moving forward with modernizing its fleet of F-16 Block 50 fighters to the Block 70 standard, a fleet that currently consists of around 38 aircraft. According to local media reports, the decision already has the approval of the current Greek government. |
12/3/2025 In a first, Egypt locally manufactures Rafale Fighter Jet parts  Egypt officially announced a significant step in its journey toward localizing defense industries after the Arab Organization for Industrialization revealed its success in locally manufacturing components of the French Rafale fighter jet. This announcement was made during the launch of the Egypt Defense Expo (EDEX 2025), currently hosted by Egypt under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. |
12/3/2025 France confirms India’s interest in Rafale F5, potential first export customer  The French Ministry of the Armed Forces has publicly confirmed that India is pursuing a plan to acquire 90 Rafale F4 fighter jets, with an additional option for 24 Rafale F5s, marking the most explicit acknowledgment yet of New Delhi’s commitment to the aircraft’s upcoming variant.
The reference appeared in a ministry analysis, since removed from public access, addressing the information campaign launched by China and echoed by Pakistan following the loss of an Indian Air Force Rafale during M |
12/3/2025 China’s navy flexes muscles with new flattops  China’s navy is gradually moving closer to becoming a peer adversary for U.S.naval forces in the Pacific region, as evidenced by China’s growing number of modern aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships. The increasing quality of these flattops also threatens to erase the qualitative advantages that U.S. ships currently have. |
12/3/2025 AFCENT strengthens international partnerships through Ferocious Falcon 6  Air, land and naval forces from Qatar, Turkey, Italy, France, the United Kingdom and the United States converged across their respective domains to raise combat efficiency by building integrated command and control systems capable of achieving combat readiness in joint operations during Ferocious Falcon 6, an exercise hosted and led by Qatar, Nov. 16-20. |
12/3/2025 Upgrade carrier air wings with F/A-XX or lose to China  Carrier Air Wing 8 provides powerful options. Yet while US aircraft carriers have delivered remarkable results in Operation Rough Rider and other strikes in the Middle East, their recent combat success is masking a problem that will only get worse: old planes. |
12/2/2025 Indonesian Air Force accepts first three Rafale F4 fighter jets in France  On November 28, 2025, the Indonesian Air Force held an acceptance ceremony for the first three Rafale fighters at Dassault Aviation’s Merignac production line in Bordeaux. Marking the official handover of these jets, the event was attended by representatives of Dassault Aviation, Safran, and Thales, the Indonesian Deputy Air Force Chief of Staff, who represented the Air Force leadership and oversaw technical presentations, airframe inspections, and reviews of airworthiness and op readiness. |
12/2/2025 Sweden and UK conduct joint Viking flame trials to advance next generation aircraft countermeasures  Swedish and British armed forces conducted the Viking flame trials at Donna Nook Air Weapons Range in Lincolnshire between 10 and 14 November. The aim was to strengthen self protection capabilities and improve the survivability of NATO combat aircraft. |
12/2/2025 S. Korea Ramps Up Homegrown Fighter Engine Initiatives With New Interagency Task Force  South Korea has formed a government-wide task force to push the development of a locally manufactured engine for next-generation fighter aircraft, according to local media. The ministerial group consists of agencies for industry, land, and defense, with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and the Korea AeroSpace Administration directing coordination. |
12/2/2025 Lockheed Martin F-35 Fighter Flies at the Dubai Airshow  The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American single-seat, single-engine, supersonic stealth multirole combat aircraft that originated from the U.S. Department of Defense's Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program.1 Classified as a fifth-generation fighter, it is designed for both air superiority and strike missions, while also possessing advanced electronic warfare and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. |