8/14/2025 France’s New ‘Super’ Dassault Rafale Is ‘Gunning’ For The F-35  The Dassault Super Rafale, also known as the Rafale F5, is the next evolution of the Rafale fighter jet, currently under development and slated for French military service around 2030. It will feature more powerful engines, advanced sensors, improved data links, and a reduced radar cross-section. The F5 will also be equipped with the ASN4G hypersonic missile and is designed to work with a newly developed Unmanned Combat Aerial System (UCAS). |
8/14/2025 IAF seeks 114 Rafale jets in direct deal with France, bypassing MRFA tender  India is poised to move forward with a government-to-government (G2G) proposal for 114 additional Rafale fighter jets under its Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) program, The Times of India reports. The Indian Air Force (IAF) plans to submit the case for “Acceptance of Necessity” (AoN), an early but essential step in India’s defense procurement process, to the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) by October 2025. A final government decision is expected thereafter. |
8/14/2025 Did India Really Shoot Down an F-16 Fighting Falcon Fighter?  India’s announcement of its aerial victories came nearly three months after the brief border dispute with Pakistan. It is common to see both India and Pakistan each claim victory after one of their periodic border clashes, such as the recent four-day war in May. Information warfare is another reminder that in wartime, the first casualty is the truth. Both sides have downplayed their respective losses while inflating the casualties that the other endured. |
8/14/2025 Poland to upgrade entire F-16 fleet to F-16 Viper standard in $3.8B deal  Poland has signed a $3.8 billion contract to upgrade its fleet of 48 F-16C/D Block 52 multi-role combat aircraft to the advanced F-16V Block 72 configuration, enhancing the country’s airpower and interoperability with other Polish platforms such as the F-35 Lightning II, AH-64E Apache helicopters, and M1A2 Abrams tanks. |
8/14/2025 Chinese fighter 'intercepts' Philippine plane over disputed shoal, Manila says  Chinese jet fighter "intercepted" a Philippine aircraft carrying journalists during a patrol flight over the Scarborough Shoal on Wednesday, the Manila government said, days after two Chinese vessels collided in the area while allegedly trying to block a Philippine supply mission.
A Reuters journalist aboard the Philippine Coast Guard flight watched as the Chinese fighter closed in on the small Cessna Caravan turboprop. |
8/13/2025 The Tempest Stealth Fighter Could Have Panavia Tornado ‘DNA’  The Panavia Tornado is a multi-role jet developed by a tripartite European consortium—originally comprising Italy, the United Kingdom, and West Germany—and designed to combine the qualities of several types of aircraft, offering a modular approach to combat aviation. The design, a twin-engine, swing-wing aircraft, combined several roles, including air defense, reconnaissance, strike, and maritime operations, into a single aircraft. |
8/13/2025 We Now Know Why Russia’s Su-34 Fullback Fighter-Bomber Keep Getting Shot Down  On the night of June 27, a drone strike by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) hit several of the aircraft at the Marinovka Airbase in the Volgograd region of Russia. Satellite imagery of the aerodrome confirmed that two Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) Sukhoi Su-34 strike fighters were destroyed in this raid and that two others were damaged. |
8/13/2025 LM Announces New Industrial Collaboration Project for Philippines' Multi Role Fighter Program  Lockheed Martin is expanding its industrial collaboration package for the Philippines as part of its F-16 Block 70 solution for the country's Multi Role Fighter program. The enhanced offer includes a strategic partnership with Southern Methodist University (SMU) to drive digital innovation, intellectual property creation, and workforce development with Philippine universities and industry. |
8/13/2025 The Dassault Rafale Fighter Is Having A Moment  The Rafale entered service with the French Navy in 2004 and with the French Air Force in 2006. Rafale is one of the most experienced fighter aircraft in the world. It has been combat-proven since 2007. Daussault’s export success with the fighter is well-documented, as the company now has more export orders than French orders. |
8/12/2025 British F-35 stealth jet makes emergency landing in Japan after mid-air malfunction  A British F-35B Lightning stealth fighter jet was forced to make an emergency landing in Japan on Sunday after developing a technical fault. The £88m aircraft, one of the world’s most advanced combat jets, landed at the Kagoshima international airport at around 11.30am local time. It was operating from the HMS Prince of Wales as part of the UK Carrier Strike Group in the Indo-Pacific. |