3/6/2026 France to let US planes not involved in Iran strikes use air base  The announcement came after President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday said that US-Israel military operations in Iran were conducted "outside international law". "US aircraft providing operational support (not combat aircraft) have been accepted at the Istres air base in France," the general staff said. |
3/6/2026 NATO Scrambles a Dozen Aircraft as Russian Warplanes Approach Alaska  NORAD scrambled a half-dozen American and Canadian fighters, along with six support aircraft, to intercept two Russian military aircraft that entered the Air Defense Identification Zone off the coast of Alaska and Canada on March 4. The response, which included fifth-generation F-35s and F-22s and Canadian CF-18s, is among the largest NORAD has mounted in the past decade and comes as hundreds of U.S. combat aircraft are massed in the Middle East for operations against Iran. |
3/5/2026 Somalia explores buying up to 24 JF-17 Block III fighters to rebuild air force  More than three decades after its air force effectively disappeared with the collapse of the Somali state, Mogadishu is now exploring what could become the most ambitious defence procurement in its modern history. |
3/5/2026 Kuwaiti F/A-18 Suspected in Downing of Three U.S. F-15Es  New reporting indicates a Kuwaiti Air Force F/A-18 Hornet may have been responsible for the downing of three U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles over Kuwait on March 2. People familiar with the incident told Air & Space Forces Magazine that at least one Kuwaiti fighter aircraft is believed to have fired the missiles that struck the jets. The aircraft had previously been reported shot down in what officials described as “an apparent friendly fire incident,”. |
3/5/2026 Saab sees role for Canada in sixth-generation fighter development  Saab has said Canada could play a role in the development of future sixth-generation combat aircraft technologies, as Ottawa continues to review the scope of its planned acquisition of F-35A fighter jets. According to a CBC News report on March 4, 2026, the Swedish defense company believes Canada could become a partner in shaping next-generation air combat capabilities while positioning its Gripen fighter as a potential alternative in Canada’s fighter replacement program. |
3/5/2026 U.S. could hold a 'red card' over Canada's Gripen fighter jet option  There is a way the U.S. could play hardball with Canada, if the Liberal government of Prime Minister Mark Carney decides it wants to limit its purchase of F-35s in favour of the Gripen.
Critics who favour the Lockheed-Martin stealth fighter have long argued that the Swedish-built Gripen would not be interoperable with American aircraft and the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD). |
3/4/2026 Israeli F-35I shoots down Iranian Yak-130 jet  The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Wednesday that an Israeli F-35I fighter jet shot down an Iranian Yak-130 aircraft, marking what officials described as the first fighter-to-fighter aerial engagement of the ongoing war between Israel and Iran. |
3/4/2026 Downing of U.S. F-15s and the Role of Joint All-Domain Command and Control  For years, U.S. and allied nation military planners have been seeking to improve planning, technology development and deployment of advanced systems for command, control and communications across all domains of a potential conflict space. This has been an acutely imperative concern for disparate nations conducting operations within each other’s airspace. Recent events in the start of U.S./Israeli military strikes on Iran, have profoundly illustrated the importance of this effort. |
3/4/2026 British Royal Air Force F-35 stealth fighter jets just scored their first-ever combat kill  British F-35s shot down drones over Jordan within the past 24 hours, the UK government said. It marks the first time a Royal Air Force F-35 has destroyed a hostile target during operations. The Middle East has been locked in an air defense frenzy as Iran fires waves of missiles and drones. |
3/4/2026 What Is Known About the Military Forces of Arab States in the Persian Gulf Amid Iranian Strikes  If Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, currently targeted by Iranian strikes, were to take direct military action, it could significantly accelerate the process, effectively doubling the forces already deployed by the U.S. and Israel |