9/17/2025 Wave of interceptions of Russian aircraft by Spanish fighters in Lithuania  In early August, the Spanish Air Force deployed eight Eurofighter fighter jets (C-16, according to the Spanish designation) to the Lithuanian base, under the name Vilkas Detachment. This is a Baltic Air Policing (BAP) mission with NATO, in which Spanish fighter jets are participating for the 12th time to provide support to three NATO member countries (Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia) that have very small air forces and no combat aircraft of their own. |
9/17/2025 ATAC Awarded Fleet Fighter Jet Services Contract for Up to $555M in Air Services Over Five Years for U.S. Navy and Marine Corps  Airborne Tactical Advantage Company (ATAC), part of the Textron Systems segment of Textron Inc., announced today that it was awarded a contract from the U.S. Navy to continue to provide the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps with training support services under the Fleet Fighter Jet Services (FJS) program. This latest award builds on ATAC’s 20 years of success supporting the U.S. Navy with high subsonic and supersonic aircraft flying a variety of airborne threat simulations. |
9/17/2025 China converts Cold War jet into combat drone  At the Changchun Air Show, China publicly displayed for the first time a J-6 fighter aircraft that has been converted into a drone, marking a rare appearance of the retrofitted Cold War-era jet in unmanned form. |
9/17/2025 US approves $3.4 billion F-16 fighter jet sale to Peru  The United States has struck a potentially significant military deal with Peru, approving a $3.42 billion sale of advanced F-16 Fighting Falcon single- and dual-seat jets plus a support package of weapons and spare parts aimed at modernizing the South American nation’s air force. |
9/17/2025 Japan deploys fighter jets to NATO bases  Japan is deploying eight aircraft, including four F-15 fighter jets, to bases in the United States, Canada and Europe in an unprecedented mission to support NATO. The mission, dubbed Atlantic Eagles, reportedly marks the first time in history that Japanese warplanes have deployed to Canada and Europe. |
9/16/2025 UK jets to defend Polish skies after Russian drone incursion  Fighter jets from the UK will join Nato allies in defending Polish airspace after last week's incursion of Russian drones, the defence secretary has confirmed. RAF Typhoon jets will fly air defence missions over Poland as part of the military alliance's mission to bolster the eastern flank. |
9/16/2025 The Hellenic Air Force is evaluating the purchase of additional F-35A fighters from the U.S. instead of modernizing its 38 F-16 Block 50 aircraft to the Block 70 standard  In what would constitute a significant shift in its future modernization plans, the Hellenic Air Force is reportedly evaluating the purchase of additional F-35 stealth fighters from the U.S., which would effectively rule out continuing the upgrade of its remaining fleet of 38 F-16 Block 50 aircraft. According to local media reports, the Greek government is interested in acquiring between 8 and 12 fifth-generation aircraft, which would join the 20 F-35s already ordered. |
9/16/2025 DSEI 2025: The fighter market shift to Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T)  Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) capabilities is set to become a market differentiator for fighter aircraft, allowing 4.5-5th generation platforms to remain relevant to the battlefield. With the extensive development of C4I systems, electronic warfare and other avionics, the aircraft has evolved into a system hub. While the global primes work to achieve a sixth-generation capability, it remains crucial that the defence industry continues to develop the 4.5-5th generation market. |
9/16/2025 Turkey’s Security Outlook Without The F-35: A Multi-Layered Strategy – OpEd  Stealth technology, embodied by the F-35 fighter jet, poses a serious challenge to many air defense systems. But how does a country without access to such aircraft construct an effective defense posture? Since Turkey’s removal from the F-35 program, Ankara has pursued a multi-layered strategy to close the capability gap. The key elements of this approach are outlined below. |
9/16/2025 British P-8 Poseidon Flies Unusual Overland Mission Along Polish Border  A U.K. Royal Air Force P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft was noted today flying in Polish airspace along the border with Russia and Belarus, apparently highlighting a significant, if overlooked, overland surveillance mission for the type. The unusual flight comes amid rising tensions between NATO and Russia in the region, following the Russian drone incursions into Polish airspace last week. |