May 25, 2025 Military Aviation News

Why Does America Need Both the F-22 and the F-35?

05/25/2025

The U.S. has two of the world’s four fifth-generation fighters, the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II. Owing to their similar names and appearances, the two planes have a tendency to be conflated—and the fact that both are produced by Lockheed Martin invites further confusion. But the two cutting-edge fighters are quite different in most respects. From speed to maneuverability to stealth to avionics, they were built for different missions.

U.S. Air Force Tests F-15E Fighter Jet with 42 APKWS II Rockets to Boost Defense Against Aerial Drones

05/25/2025

On May 22, 2025, The Merge published imagery of a U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle undergoing flight testing with an underwing loadout of 42 APKWS II 70 mm guided rockets, marking a substantial increase in munition capacity. Compared to the typical six air-to-air missile loadout, the integration of APKWS II enables the F-15E to carry up to 42 guided rockets, potentially increasing the number of engagement opportunities by a factor of seven against UAS and cruise missiles.

Will Sweden Build Its Own Sixth-Gen Fighter?

05/25/2025

Only time will tell whether or not Sweden’s domestically produced sixth-gen fighter will ever make it past the conception phase. The United States and China are not the only nations racing to build sixth-generation fighter programs. While Washington’s Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) family of systems and China’s J-36 fighter prototype continue to monopolize media headlines, other sixth-gen concepts have come to fruition in recent years.

Has China started serial production of the J-35A fighter jet to face the US-made F-35 in future conflicts?

05/25/2025

On May 21, 2025, the Weibo user posted images reportedly showing a green-painted J-35A fighter jet, a color typically associated with unpainted airframes or early production models, which led to speculation that the aircraft could be the first serial production J-35A. Although some internet sources and commentators claimed the aircraft was intended for Pakistan or had already entered operational service, such interpretations are not supported by any official statements.

NATO Scrambles Jets Over 'Dangerous' Russian Bomber Maneuvers

05/25/2025

Two NATO members have accused Russia of provocation along the alliance's eastern flank. Poland said on Thursday that its fighter jets had intercepted a Russian Su-24 bomber that performed "dangerous" maneuvers in international airspace over the Baltic Sea. The next day, Finland said it was investigating whether Russian aircraft had breached the NATO member's

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