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Military Aviation News

Japan confirms Chinese aircraft fly through Okinawa corridor

01/06/2026

Japan’s Ministry of Defense confirmed that Chinese military aircraft, including H-6 bombers, J-16 fighters, and a Y-9 intelligence-gathering aircraft, flew between Okinawa Island and Miyako Island into the Pacific Ocean on December 29, prompting an emergency response by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.

RAF Typhoon and French Rafale strike ISIS targets in Syria under Operation Inherent Resolve

European air power was once again on display on 2 January 2026, as the United Kingdom and France conducted coordinated strike missions against Islamic State (ISIS) targets in Syria. Operating under Operation Inherent Resolve, both nations deployed advanced multirole combat aircraft, precision-guided weapons, and aerial refuelling tankers to engage targets near Palmyra, hundreds of miles from their home bases.

Iraq, France prepare for Rafale fighter jet deal

Iraq is anticipated to sign a deal with France in 2026 to buy 14 Rafale F4 fighter jets for the Iraqi Air Force. According to Avions Legendaires, a French publication specializing in military aviation news, discussions between the two sides are approaching completion. Sources predict that the deal might be finished in the first half of 2026, while others merely say that it will take place next year.

America Is Selling Israel Another 25 F-15IA Fighter Jets. Not Everyone Is Happy

Earlier this week, the United States military’s Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (AFB), Ohio, awarded aerospace giant Boeing an $8.6 billion “hybrid cost-plus-fixed-fee, fixed-price incentive” contract for 25 F-15IA aircraft, the modernized variant of the F-15 for the State of Israel. The contract also included an option for 25 additional fighters.

NAWCAD simulation milestone advances F-35 Lightning II integration with U.S. Navy collaborative combat aircraft

The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division has completed a tactical demonstration advancing the integration of the F-35 Lightning II with the Navy’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft in its Joint Simulation Environment. The event showed how advanced modelling and simulation can be used to develop tactics for fifth-generation aircraft operating alongside uncrewed combat systems.

150 aircraft, cyber effects and ‘overwhelming force:’ How the Venezuela operation unfolded

“The word integration does not explain the sheer complexity of such a mission, an extraction so precise it involved more than 150 aircraft launching across the western hemisphere in close coordination, all coming together in time and place to layer effects for a single purpose, to get an interdiction force into downtown Caracas while maintaining the element of tactical surprise,” he said. “Failure of one component of this well-oiled machine would have endangered the entire mission.”

Why Does America Have an “Air National Guard”?

The Air National Guard (ANG) is often perceived as a reserve or secondary force to the US Air Force. In reality, the ANG performs a vital national security function, close to home, without the headlines or fanfare associated with the Air Force. Sitting at the crossroads of territorial defense, global operations, and civil response, the ANG is a versatile component of US air power.

China’s stealth fighter jet approached key Taiwanese airbase without detection: Report

New footage has been released that seems to show a Chinese Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter flying close to a Taiwanese airbase during a recent military exercise. Purportedly taken during the recent “Justice Mission 2025,” this has sparked debate as to whether the aircraft was able to approach undetected or not.

Saab CEO offers Germany fighter partnership as doubts grow over Europe’s air combat plans

Saab CEO Micael Johansson has said the company is ready to partner with Germany on a future fighter aircraft, presenting itself as an alternative as doubts continue over Europe’s next-generation air combat plans. In an interview with Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Johansson placed the offer in the context of Europe still struggling to move fast enough on defence modernisation nearly four years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

U.S. Marine Corps F-35s neutralize Venezuelan air force assets

US engines secured for Turkey’s KAAN fighter jet

Ukrainian Air Superiority 2026 Status Update: Western Weapons Systems to Watch

U.S. Approves Possible FMS of 3 P-8A Maritime Patrol Aircraft to Denmark

Ukraine trained nearly 100 pilots in 2025 as aviation training scales up

How Fighter Pilots Use “Post-Stall Maneuvering” in Air Combat

South Korea to Deliver First Locally Developed KF-21 Boramae Fighter Jets to its Air Force in 2026

Supersonic Without the Burn: The Hidden Power of Supercruise

Why the Flanker Fights Like No Western Jet

Taiwan confirms over 200 Chinese military aircraft during drills

Kizilelma unmanned fighter jet makes first flight with Aselsan's KARAT IRST