10/17/2025 Indonesia buys Chinese J-10 fighter jets  Indonesia will acquire 42 Chinese-built Chengdu J-10C fighter jets in a deal valued at over $9 billion, marking the country’s first major non-Western aircraft procurement, according to top defense officials in Jakarta. Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin confirmed the move on Wednesday, stating that the aircraft, produced by China’s Chengdu Aerospace Corporation, would soon be flying over Jakarta. |
10/17/2025 RAF fighter pilots to be trained by Indian ‘Top Guns’  Royal Air Force fighter pilots will be trained by Indian flying instructors for the first time under a new defence deal with Delhi. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has agreed to send some of its “Top Guns” to teach British cadets how to fly Hawk T2 fast jets from October next year, The Times has learnt. |
10/17/2025 Army asks General Atomics for additional uncrewed aircraft for reconnaissance and attack  General Atomics will build MQ-9B SkyGuardian uncrewed aircraft for the U.S. Army under an $86.4 million contract. The MQ-9B, derived from the Reaper, offers 40-hour endurance, SATCOM-only control, and full all-weather capability with advanced radar and infrared sensors. Operators including Canada, the U.K., Belgium, and Japan employ the MQ-9B for reconnaissance, electronic warfare, anti-submarine missions, and precision strike operations. |
10/17/2025 US-China Rivalry Intensifies Over Next-Generation Combat Weapons  The United States and China are locked in an intense race to develop unmanned aerial vehicles — a new class of weapon poised to transform the future of aerial warfare. In late August, the US military conducted the first flight test of its YFQ-42A unmanned aircraft. Just a week later, China unveiled a drone closely resembling it during a military parade marking what they call the 80th anniversary of the War of Resistance Against Japan. |
10/17/2025 Netherlands joins CCA programme to develop unmanned aircraft supporting F-35 combat missions  The Netherlands has officially joined the United States Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) programme, an initiative focused on developing autonomous unmanned air systems designed to fly in coordination with manned fighter jets such as the F-35. The agreement was confirmed on 16 October with a letter of intent signed by State Secretary for Defence Gijs Tuinman in Washington, just ahead of the annual Defence Industry Days held at the Dutch embassy. |
10/16/2025 Sweden plans to first provide reconnaissance aircraft to Ukraine, then focus on Gripen jets  Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson said his country is ready to strengthen military support for Ukraine, including through the PURL initiative and the aviation coalition, speaking ahead of a NATO defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels, Ukrinform reported on Oct. 15. |
10/16/2025 Indonesia to Buy China’s Chengdu J-10 Fighter Jets, Minister Says  Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin revealed Wednesday that Indonesia would soon buy China’s Chengdu J-10 fighter jets as the country sought to upgrade its military fleet. Sjafrie, however, did not give a time frame for when the purchase would take place, including the number of fighter jets. The J-10s will soon fly in Jakarta,” Sjafrie said, as reported by the state news agency Antara. |
10/16/2025 Belgium reaffirms full F-16 delivery to Ukraine as F-35 rollout begins  Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken has confirmed that all the F-16 fighter jets pledged by Belgium to Ukraine will indeed be delivered, reiterating his government’s commitment during a press conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels. Francken emphasized that the aircraft transfer would take place once Ukrainian pilots have completed their training and all necessary technical procedures are finalized. |
10/16/2025 A Russian Pilot Defected With A Mach 2.3 MiG-29 Fulcrum Fighter Jet  In a dramatic 1989 defection, Soviet Air Force Captain Aleksandr Zuyev escaped to the West in his advanced MiG-29 fighter. His daring plan involved baking a cake laced with sleeping pills to incapacitate his airbase comrades. After cutting phone lines and getting wounded in a shootout with a guard, Zuyev successfully took off and flew across the Black Sea to Turkey.
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10/16/2025 Germany orders 20 new Eurofighters to strengthen air superiority  Germany is strengthening its defence capabilities with the purchase of 20 new Eurofighters. Under the contract, Airbus will produce the multi-role combat aircraft at its final assembly line in Manching, near Munich in Germany. The first aircraft is scheduled for delivery to the German Air Force in 2031, the last in 2034. |