1/28/2026 Lithuania postpones purchase of new military transport aircraft  “The purchase of new military transport aircraft is being postponed,” Deividas Matulionis, the president’s chief adviser on national security, told reporters at the Presidential Palace. Last June, Lithuania announced plans to buy three new Embraer C-390 transport planes to replace its existing Spartan aircraft. |
1/28/2026 Taiwan tracks 5 Chinese naval ships, 4 military aircraft  The Ministry of National Defense tracked five Chinese naval vessels and four military aircraft around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Tuesday and 6 a.m. on Wednesday. The four People’s Liberation Army aircraft did not cross the Taiwan Strait median line, according to the MND. The MND also tracked one Chinese balloon to the northeast of the country. |
1/28/2026 US announces multi-day aerial military drills in the Middle East amid Iran tensions  The US has announced plans to hold multi-day military exercises in the Middle East as it deploys what Donald Trump has called an “armada” led by the USS Abraham Lincoln to the region as part of a tense standoff with Iran. The display of US air power was announced as the White House has suggested it could launch new strikes on Iran after the government’s crackdown on pro-democracy protesters that has left thousands dead and many more in detention with their fates uncertain. |
1/28/2026 F-35 Quarterbacks and CCAs: The Behavioral Path to Sixth-Generation Airpower  The concept of fifth-generation air warfare was clearly articulated by former Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne during the early development of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. Wynne emphasized a fundamental shift from platform-centric thinking to network-centric operations, where stealth, sensor fusion, and information dominance would define a new era of air combat. |
1/28/2026 Russia Sends Yak-130s to Ethiopia—Just a Sale, or a Signal to the West? .jpg) Russia has delivered up to six Yak-130 advanced trainer and light combat aircraft, along with at least one Orion combat drone, to Ethiopia, according to Defense Express on January 27, citing images from the Aviation Expo 2026 held at Bishoftu Air Base. Photos from the air show show Yak-130 jets bearing tail numbers 2301 through 2306. The aircraft, produced by Russia’s defense industry, are designed primarily for pilot training but can also perform light combat missions. |
1/27/2026 Navy Is Flying Air Force F-35A Joint Strike Fighters  An elite U.S. Navy test and evaluation squadron, the VX-9 “Vampires” based out of NAWS China Lake, are now flying the U.S. Air Force’s F-35A model. The Navy traditionally flies the carrier-capable F-35C and the Marines fly both the short-takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) F-35B and the F-35C. |
1/27/2026 Swedish jets shadow Russian combat aircraft over Baltic Sea  Sweden’s Armed Forces detected two Russian Su-35S fighter jets and one Tu-22M3 bomber flying over the Baltic Sea on January 23, prompting a response by Swedish Air Force quick reaction alert aircraft. |
1/27/2026 Ukrainian Flamingo Missiles Strike Russian Plant Supplying Su-35 and Su-57 Fighter Jets  A precision missile strike carried out by Ukraine targeted the Skif-M plant in Belgorod, a facility identified by defense analysts as critical to Russia’s military aircraft production. According to open-source intelligence groups CyberBoroshno and Exilenova+, four domestically produced Flamingo cruise missiles were used in the September 23, 2025 operation. The site is known for supplying specialized tooling essential for manufacturing Su-34, Su-35, Su-57, and MiG aircraft. |
1/27/2026 Indonesia receives Rafale advanced fighter jets from France in major upgrade  Indonesia has received three Rafale fighter jets from France in the first deliveries from a multi-billion-dollar defence deal between the two countries, a defence ministry official told Reuters on Monday, marking a major upgrade to the country's ageing military hardware. |
1/27/2026 NORAD pact would change if Canada pulls back from F-35 order, warns U.S. ambassador  U.S. President Donald Trump's ambassador to Canada is warning of consequences to the continental defence pact if Canada does not move forward with the purchase of 88 F-35 fighter jets. "NORAD would have to be altered," U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra told CBC News in an exclusive interview at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. |