10/2/2025 Dutch Air Force fighter jet shoots down Russian Shahed drone  A Dutch Air Force F-35 fighter jet has shot down a Russian Shahed drone, as evidenced by a marking left on the aircraft’s fuselage, according to Defensie.nl. As evidence, the outlet published a photo of the aircraft featuring a marking of a Russian attack drone on its fuselage.
The downing likely occurred in Polish airspace on September 10. |
10/2/2025 Japan’s fighter jet visit follows U.K. strike group’s port call as security partnership deepens  Japan and the United Kingdom are deepening their defense ties as security challenges grow across the Indo-Pacific and Europe. Following the U.K. Carrier Strike Group’s three-week visit to Japan in August and September 2025, which included joint fighter jet training over the Sea of Japan, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) dispatched F-15 fighters and support aircraft to Europe and North America for unit-to-unit exchanges. |
10/2/2025 Why Sweden’s JAS 39 Gripen Fighter Jet Is Heading to Ukraine  In an interview with the BBC on Sunday, First Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Ivan Havrylyuk, warned that Russia is poised to increase its airstrikes and said that more Western aircraft are desperately needed. Havrylyuk added that help is on the way and that Kyiv is expected to receive “additional deliveries of F-16 aircraft, as well as French Mirage and Swedish Gripen” jet fighters. |
10/2/2025 The Great U.S. Air Force Reboot Has Arrived  The Air Force is racing toward 2035 with a simple idea: keep the edge by mixing a few game-changers with smarter versions of what already works. The B-21 Raider sneaks in first; the B-52J lugs big magazines from afar. Up top, the new F-47 NGAD leads with stealth and sensor fusion while “loyal wingman” drones add mass. In the middle, refreshed classics—F-15EX for big weapons and jamming, a “Super” F-22, and a “Ferrari-ized” F-35—stretch every dollar. |
10/2/2025 US Air Force revamps pilot training as T-7 era nears  The Air Force is laying the groundwork to start incorporating the T-7A Red Hawk into its pilot training operations. But the service is still about two years away from the first student pilots learning in the new, fifth-generation, Boeing-made jet. Before that can happen, the Air Force has to train its own trainers, said Air Education and Training Command deputy commander Maj. Gen. Clark Quinn. |
10/1/2025 Turkey To Declare S-400 ‘Inoperable’ To Gain F-35 Stealth Fighter Deal  The Trump Administration is exploring a workaround to restore Turkey’s access to F-35s by deeming Ankara’s Russian S-400 “inoperable” after removing a component—an attempt to skirt CAATSA sanctions that Congress must review. Critics warn the reversible fix sets a dangerous precedent: Iran or North Korea could cite it to “disable” systems temporarily while preserving rapid reactivation. |
10/1/2025 Ministry of Defense Announces Delivery of Gripen Fighters to Ukraine  Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister, Lieutenant General Ivan Havryliuk, hinted in a BBC interview that the country anticipates receiving additional combat aircraft, including F-16, as well as French Mirage jets and Swedish Gripen fighters. |
10/1/2025 Türkiye starts integrating homegrown engines into military platforms Türkiye has started fitting its own developed engines into land, air, sea and missile systems, a key move toward full self-reliance in defense.The push, driven by the Defense Industry Agency (SSB), aims to cut reliance on foreign parts like engines for home-built platforms. |
10/1/2025 Taiwan Eyes Rafale Jets to Replace Aging Mirage 2000 Fleet: Dassault CEO  Taiwan has expressed interest in acquiring Rafale fighter jets from Dassault Aviation to replace its aging Mirage 2000 fleet, according to company Chairman and CEO Eric Trappier. Although Taipei has extended the service life of its Mirage 2000s, Trappier noted that Taiwan and other operators may face growing sustainment challenges as production support for the aircraft declines with Dassault’s shift toward the newer Rafale. |
10/1/2025 Lockheed, Pentagon finalize deal for 296 F-35s  The Pentagon’s Joint Program Office and manufacturer Lockheed Martin have finalized a deal for roughly $24.3 billion that covers nearly 300 F-35 stealth fighters, the two parties announced Monday evening. The agreement provides for 148 airframes each in production lots 18 and 19, according to a Pentagon contract announcement, concluding negotiations that have stretched on for roughly two years. The deal includes jets for the US government as well as foreign buyers. |