3/20/2026 The Netherlands accelerates access to CCA technologies for advanced unmanned air systems  The Dutch Ministry of Defence has confirmed a new step in its participation in the U.S.-led Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, announcing its intention to sign a Letter of Acceptance (LoA) ahead of the April 8 deadline. The decision, communicated by State Secretary Derk Boswijk to the Dutch Parliament, formalizes the continuation of an initiative first outlined in October 2025 with the signing of a Letter of Intent (LoI). |
3/20/2026 Russia tests Estonia’s border again with a brief airspace violation  Russia has once again tested Estonia’s border, with a fighter jet briefly violating the country’s airspace near Vaindloo Island in the Gulf of Finland – a smaller incident than last September’s extraordinary incursion, but one that Tallinn is clearly unwilling to let pass without protest. |
3/20/2026 Poland looks to join rival to FCAS fighter jet programme .jpg) Negotiations to join the British-Italian-Japanese fighter jet project, the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), are ongoing, a Polish deputy minister revealed. The GCAP project rivals the French-German-Spanish Future Combat Air System (FCAS). And while the €100 billion FCAS project is on the brink of failure, a similar project by the UK, Italy and Japan is progressing. Now, Poland is turning its back on the struggling FCAS project and is aiming to join the alternative. |
3/20/2026 US F-35 Stealth Jet Forced Into Emergency Landing After Possible Iranian Strike .jpg) A fifth-generation US F-35 stealth fighter sustained damage and was forced to perform an emergency landing at a US military facility in the Middle East. The incident occurred during a mission. Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for US Central Command, confirmed the aircraft was on a combat mission over Iranian territory when the emergency landing became necessary, according to CNN on March 19. |
3/20/2026 Germany marks April deadline to rescue FCAS fighter project from collapse: Reports  In partnership with France, Germany says it is working to a deadline next month aimed at resolving a long-running industrial dispute over the troubled New Generation Fighter (NGF) element of Europe’s Future Combat Air System (FCAS). The last ditch effort to save NGF from collapse centers on France’s Dassault and Germany’s Airbus aligning on a common approach for the NGF in the coming weeks — a timeframe communicated by a German official today and widely reported. |
3/19/2026 RAF Typhoons deploy to Romania to lead NATO Air Policing mission under Operation Biloxi 2026 on Alliance’s eastern flank  Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft from 3 (Fighter) Squadron have deployed to Romania to begin the United Kingdom’s four-month commitment to NATO’s Air Policing mission on the Alliance’s eastern flank. The deployment forms part of Operation Biloxi 2026 and will see the RAF operate from Borcea Air Base as part of NATO’s enhanced vigilance activities. |
3/19/2026 Marines plan ‘sunset’ salute for AV-8B Harrier II jet as it leaves service  The legacy of the Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier II ground-attack “jump jet” will be celebrated during a week’s worth of events late this spring in North Carolina. The “Harrier Sundown Celebration” will be hosted by the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point from June 1-4, according to a memorandum posted Tuesday on the Marine Corps Administration website. |
3/19/2026 Next Gen Propulsion – the Time Is Now  In recent months, Iranian drone and missile attacks have pushed U.S. and allied aircrews to operate at the edge of their range and survivability. The next crisis, whether in the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, or over Taiwan, will demand fighters that can fly farther, stay on station longer, and power more advanced defenses than today’s engines allow. |
3/19/2026 Air Power and the Politics of Defence Dependence: Ethiopia’s Strategic Imperative  In 2020, former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, in discussing his country’s fleet of American-made F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets, revealed a constraint that most purchasing states accept but rarely articulate. Malaysia had been incapable of programming the aircraft for offensive operations without the involvement of the United States, and any military use required reverting to Washington. |
3/19/2026 What Macron’s “forward deterrence” demands from France’s Rafale fleet  French President Emmanuel Macron introduced “forward deterrence” in his speech at Île Longue on March 2, 2026, signaling France’s intent to involve European allies more explicitly in its sovereign nuclear deterrent. |