Special Purpose

Military Aviation News

Putin’s Dangerous Game Of Chicken With NATO In The Sky

11/05/2025

NATO fighters have scrambled three times in a week as Russian drones and reconnaissance aircraft prodded Baltic airspace and nearby corridors. After Polish jets and allies shot down drones that crossed Poland in September—triggering an Article 4 consult—recent incidents saw Il-20, Il-76, and Il-78 flights intercepted in international airspace without transponders or flight plans.

The US Military Is Retiring The A-10 Warthog: Here's Why

The legendary A-10 Warthog has been granted retirement in 2026 for several reasons, including the changing landscape of modern combat and military budget limitations. Due to the aircraft's effective but simplistic design, it lacks some features necessary to compete against other modern forces. For instance, the A-10 Warthog is anything but stealthy or quick, which is a problem when sending this aircraft against an adversary utilizing state-of-the-art air defenses.

Navy pursues uncrewed combat aircraft with artificial intelligence (AI) for carrier operations

U.S. Navy aerial warfare experts are pursuing carrier-based semi-autonomous uncrewed combat aircraft that operate together with crewed combat aircraft in a new project called Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). The CCA project seeks to enhance the carrier air wing's combat capabilities; sensing and situational awareness; and ability to blend crewed and uncrewed aircraft to enhance safety and extend the read of carrier-based aircraft.

New GA-ASI Gambit 6 UCAV Adds Air-To-Ground Operations for International CCA

The latest iteration of the innovative Gambit Series of unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAV) from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) is Gambit 6, a collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) that adds air-to-ground operations to its already proven air-to-air capability. The multi-role platform is optimized for roles such as electronic warfare, suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD), and deep precision strike, making it a versatile option for evolving defense needs.

China’s Banner Year in Combat Aircraft

“Updating priors” means revising an existing belief system in the face of new evidence. Much has been written of about the modernization of China’s military in recent years, particularly People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aviation (both the PLA Air Force and PLA Naval Air Force). However, the niche trade of tracking PLA news still causes significant lags in disseminating information among the wider defense journalism, think tank, and defense commentariat crowd.

Netherlands formally transfers 18 F-16 fighter jets to Romania for use at European training centre

The Netherlands has formally transferred ownership of 18 F-16 fighter jets to Romania, finalising the agreement in Bucharest. The documents were signed by Romanian Defence Minister Ionut Mosteanu and Linda Ruseler, Director of Movable Property at the Dutch Ministry of Finance.

Saab and Bombardier consider Gripen E assembly in Canada to support Ukraine deal

Sweden’s Saab is considering Canada as a potential assembly site for its Gripen E fighter jets as it looks to expand production capacity amid rising international demand, including from Ukraine. On October 22, 2025, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a letter of intent in Linköping covering a potential sale of more than 100 Saab JAS 39 Gripen E fighters.

The first flight of the new carrier-based training aircraft for the Chinese Navy has been recorded

While China continues to make steady progress in the development of sixth-generation aircraft, as well as in the production of the new stealth fighters J-35 intended to equip the Navy’s aircraft carrier Fujian, the country has now recorded the first flight of its new advanced carrier-based training aircraft, which will be used to train its future pilots.

Finnish Air Force’s first F-35 moves out of final assembly

As the photos in this post show, the Finnish Air Force‘s first F-35 has moved out of final assembly. The service said on its Facebook page; ‘Excitement is building! The Finnish Air Force’s first F-35 has moved out of final assembly, and we couldn’t resist sharing this behind-the-scenes sneak peek.’

Russian military aircraft trigger three NATO scrambles over Baltic in single week

U.S. contractor working to speed up F-16V delivery to Taiwan: Ministry

Drones spotted above Belgian airbase were ‘spying’ on military planes, defense minister says

Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets to be flight-ready by the first quarter of 2027: Report

Armenia to Buy Indian-Made Su-30 Fighter Jets

How Exporting F-35 Fighter Jets Strengthens the United States

Taiwan tracks 6 Chinese military aircraft and 8 naval vessels

Russian cargo plane lands in Venezuela as Maduro turns to Moscow for military support

These are the U.S. ships and aircraft massing off Venezuela

China's 6th-Gen J-36 Aircraft Joins 5th-Gen J-20 Stealth Jet Marking New Era in Air Superiority

The Great U.S. Air Force Reboot Is Coming