3/6/2026 Sukhoi Su-30 MKI fighter jet goes missing in Assam, IAF launches search ops  A Sukhoi-30 fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) went missing from radar contact while flying over Assam’s Karbi Anglong district on Thursday evening, officials said. “An IAF Su-30 MKI is reported overdue. The aircraft had taken off from Jorhat air base in Assam and was last in contact at 7.42 pm,” Defence PRO Lt Col Mahender Rawat said in a statement. He said search and rescue operations have been initiated to ascertain the status of the fighter jet. |
3/6/2026 Pair of low-flying Iranian bombers came within 2 minutes of hitting Al Udeid Air Base, report says  Iranian fighter planes flying less than 100 feet above ground came within minutes of hitting the U.S. military’s largest base in the Middle East, CNN reported this week. The incident, which happened Monday morning, involved two Russian-made Su-24 bombers that were headed toward Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. Several thousand U.S. troops operate out of Al Udeid, making it the main hub for U.S. operations in the region. |
3/6/2026 British F-35s Just Scored an Air Combat Kill over Jordan  The British fighter jets are in the Middle East to defend the UK’s regional military installations, most notably on Cyprus. Royal Air Force (RAF) Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning stealth fighters have reportedly scored their first aerial victory, downing Iranian drones over Jordan this week. |
3/6/2026 Fresh Off Labor Strike, Boeing Set to Double F-15EX Production  The expanded production line comes even as the Air Force has expressed a desire to shrink its F-15EX fleet. This week, the United States Air Force lost three F-15E Strike Eagle fighters in a friendly fire incident over Kuwait as part of its ongoing Operation Epic Fury. Any loss of combat aircraft is significant—not only because of the immense cost of the aircraft, but because of the risk to the lives of the pilots and weapons systems officers. Fortunately, all six crewmembers ejected and were r |
3/6/2026 France will expand the number of Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets to be transferred to the Ukrainian Air Force  With the publication of a brief statement on its official website, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has confirmed that it expects to receive an additional batch of Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets to equip its Air Force, which will be delivered from France as part of a new military assistance package. |
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. |