July, 2025 Military Aviation News
07/31/2025
A small military plane transporting members of an indigenous community to their Amazonian home territory crashed in the jungle Tuesday, killing seven people on board, Venezuela’s defence ministry said.
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07/31/2025
Ukraine's domestic security agency has detained an air force officer on charges of having spied for Russia by leaking the location of prized F-16 and Mirage 2000 fighter jets, officials said on Wednesday. The unidentified officer, a flight instructor holding the rank of major, stands accused of helping Russia carry out air strikes by providing coordinates and suggesting strike tactics, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said in a statement.
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07/31/2025
Selling combat aircraft against US competition has never been easy. Pentagon research budgets tend to push US fighters to the front of the technological pack, and Washington’s political clout slants the playing field even further.
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07/31/2025
Israel is closely observing growing interest from Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey, in acquiring the advanced F-35 stealth fighter from the United States. Security officials warn that any potential sale could affect the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) qualitative military edge in the region.
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07/31/2025
Southeast Asia is in the midst of a sweeping wave of air force modernisation, signalling a profound transformation in the region’s defence posture. From Indonesia and Malaysia to the Philippines and Thailand, governments are investing heavily in new combat aircraft.
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07/30/2025
Türkiye's indigenous TF35000 turbofan engine will undergo initial testing in 2026 and begin integration with the KAAN fighter jet in 2032, according to information published in TAI Magazine's 141st edition. The timeline represents a crucial milestone for Türkiye's most strategic defense project, as the country develops its fifth-generation fighter aircraft to replace aging F-16s beginning in the 2030s.
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07/30/2025
Despite the newer F-35 Lightning II’s introduction, the F-22 remains dominant in terms of stealth and speed. The US Air Force’s dwindling fleet of F-22 Raptor fighters may be aging, but these fifth-generation jets will not be scrapped for retirement just yet. According to recent reports, the Raptor platform may become the first operational airborne controllers for the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones.
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07/30/2025
Despite more than a decade of sanctions, Western tech is still powering Russia’s deadliest weapons linked to deliberate strikes on Ukrainian civilians. A new investigation uncovered more than 1,100 foreign-made microchips inside Russia’s most advanced fighter jets: the Su-34 and Su-35.
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07/30/2025
Boeing leaders say they are not concerned about the impact of 3,200 union workers going on strike next week at three St. Louis-area facilities that produce fighter jets and munitions. The number of workers planning to strike is an “order of magnitude less” than the 30,000 machinists who went on strike last fall in the Pacific Northwest, CEO Kelly Ortberg said Tuesday during the company’s second quarter earnings call.
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07/29/2025
Turkey has reportedly approved Egyptian participation in the programme for the development of the TAI Kaan fighter jet, opening the door for enhanced military industry cooperation with the Arab country. Egypt had been eyeing participation in the programme for some time, and Egyptian interest in this regard was purportedly expressed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi during his visit to Ankara, his first to the Turkish capital as president, in September last year.
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07/29/2025
Today's airpower is defined by a foundational defense system that seamlessly integrates multilayered technologies such as land and space-based detection platforms, missiles, UAVs as well as cyber operations in a centralized command system; one that requires a vision far beyond headline-grabbing aircraft acquisitions for short-term political visibility.
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07/29/2025
One of the biggest recent indicators that this change is consolidating came earlier this year, when India signed one of its biggest-ever defense import contracts – a $7.5 billion agreement to procure 26 Rafale M fighter jets. The Rafale M is a carrier-capable version of the land-based Rafale fighter – the Indian Air Force purchased 36 Rafale fighters more than a decade ago. India this year selected the Rafale M over other options including the Russian-made MiG-29K and the U.S. F/A-18E/F Super Ho
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07/29/2025
Boeing Co expects more than 3,200 union workers at three St Louis-area plants that produce US fighter jets to strike after they rejected a proposed contract on Sunday that included a 20% wage increase over four years.
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07/29/2025
After nearly 30 years in service, the Swedish-made JAS 39 Gripen fighter saw its first combat use by Thailand, in a border clash with Cambodia, signaling its growing regional strategic value.
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07/29/2025
Poland's armed forces have scrambled aircraft in response to the threat posed by a combined drone and missile attack by Russian forces on Ukraine. The NATO member said in a statement the aircraft were deployed overnight Sunday and air defense and radar reconnaissance systems had been placed on high alert.
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07/28/2025
When it comes to MIG-21s, there is no one more knowledgeable than Air Commodore Surendra Singh Tyagi (retd), who has a record-breaking 4,306 hours flying the aircraft–a feat acknowledged by the Russians themselves–and a staggering 6316 sorties in total. So when he speaks about the pros and cons of the Russian aircraft, everyone listens.
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07/28/2025
On 22 July, a combined formation of two Tupolev Tu-95 bombers and two Sukhoi Su-35 fighter aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) conducted flight operations off the coast of Alaska. At one point, this formation entered the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), triggering a response from the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
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07/27/2025
A South Korean Air Force C-130 transport aircraft prompted a response from Japanese fighter jets earlier this month after it entered Japanese airspace without prior authorization, according to South Korean defense officials. The incident occurred on July 13 as the aircraft was en route to Guam for training.
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07/27/2025
Rather than targeting only one group of young people, Beijing has directed its recruitment efforts to a wider range of sources. Even as all branches of the United States military met their respective recruiting goals for fiscal year 2025 (FY25) and are either on track to reach or exceed them, there is still one area where the services continue to fall short for FY26. Across the Department of Defense (DoD), a shortage of pilots remains.
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07/27/2025
A Russian Su-27UB combat trainer aircraft was destroyed in a fire at the Armavir military airfield in Krasnodar Krai overnight on July 25–26, according to Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR). In a statement published via its official Telegram channel, HUR confirmed the incident, stating that the aircraft belonged to the Russian Armed Forces and was stationed at a base primarily used for training cadets from the Krasnodar Higher Military Aviation School.
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07/27/2025
Ukraine's fleet of F-16 fighter jets have been given a badly-needed boost with the creation of new mobile maintenance and operations modules which will help them evade Russian ballistic missile strikes. Developed by the Come Back Alive charity foundation and Ukraine's Defense Ministry, the two types of mobile modules contain everything needed to both maintain and equip the aircraft and to conduct operations.
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07/27/2025
Türkiye and Indonesia on Saturday finalized the sale of 48 Kaan fighter jets with a ceremony at the International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF) 2025 in Istanbul. Representatives from both sides signed the agreement that makes the Southeast Asian nation the first buyer of Türkiye’s homegrown aircraft.
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07/26/2025
Days after committing to seek full-partner status in the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) sixth-generation aircraft program, Belgium has taken a sharp U-turn, notifying that it is “reconsidering” its position due to the arrogance displayed by Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier.
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07/26/2025
The U.S. outlet Task & Purpose raised the question of why 14 out of 32 NATO member states are ordering the F-35 despite its known shortcomings, and what makes it better than the F-16 or Eurofighter, which also form the backbone of NATO’s combat aviation fleet. The article is insightful in light of how the U.S. military press assesses both the strengths and weaknesses of their domestically designed aircraft. Interestingly, for American observers, the answer is not obvious by default.
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07/26/2025
The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) has deployed six Lockheed Martin F-16A/B fighter jets in response to cross-border rocket and artillery attacks by Cambodian forces. The developments mark a sharp escalation in tensions between the two Southeast Asian neighbors.
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07/25/2025
Türkiye’s indigenous 5th-Gen stealth fighter, Kaan, built by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI, also known as Tusas), is entering a new phase of development. New prototypes are under construction and the aircraft’s future is looking increasingly bright, underpinned by growing international interest and a national determination to ensure the programme flies high, despite geopolitical tensions.
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07/25/2025
The newest variant of Boeing’s F-15 is the F-15EX, an extensively upgraded version of the jet fighter that first entered service in the 1970s. Updated avionics, as well as what Boeing calls the world’s most powerful fighter jet radar, and other upgrades give that Cold War-era platform new life.
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07/25/2025
The Belgian government announced earlier this week that it would seek to expand its acquisition of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, increasing the number from 34 to 45 aircraft. Antwerp, following the lead of its neighbor, the Netherlands, sought to expand its fleet of fifth-generation multi-role stealth fighters as part of its recently published “Strategic Vision,” which called for increased defense spending.
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07/25/2025
Thailand scrambled an F-16 fighter jet to bomb targets in Cambodia on Thursday after artillery volleys from both sides killed at least 11 civilians, as border tension boiled over into rare armed conflict between the Southeast Asian countries.
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07/24/2025
The aircraft in question, including American-made A-29 Super Tucanos, Mi-17 transport helicopters, and UH-60 Black Hawks, were flown across the border by Afghan military personnel escaping the Taliban’s rapid takeover in August 2021. On the day Kabul fell, Uzbek authorities confirmed that 22 planes and 24 helicopters entered their airspace.
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07/24/2025
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) detected and tracked Russian military aircraft operating in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on 22 July 2025. The Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace. This Russian activity in the Alaskan ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat.
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07/24/2025
Speaking at the second quarter earnings call, Lockheed Martin CEO Jim Taiclet said, “We did bid on NGAD, and we weren’t selected.” “But the pivot that we made is one we’re taking very seriously, which is how we create a bridge from today’s fifth generation to the sixth-generation NGAD, which might not be fielded for a lot of years.”
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07/24/2025
On Tuesday, 22 July, the Ukraine Air Force (PSU) lost a French-made Mirage 2000-5 fighter aircraft that had been donated in February 2025. This is the first crash of this aircraft type by the PSU, which has previously lost four of its donated F-16 models, with three of the pilots of those aircraft killed. According to the PSU, “In the evening of July 22, 2025, during the performance of a flight mission on a Mirage 2000 fighter, an aviation equipment failure occurred.
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07/24/2025
Turkey and the United Kingdom took what the UK called a “big step” closer to finalizing a contract for 40 Eurofighter Typhoon fourth-generation fighter jets today by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF) in Istanbul.
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07/23/2025
French warplane maker Dassault Aviation (AM.PA), opens new tab raised questions over the future of a Franco-German-Spanish fighter jet project on Tuesday in a growing feud with Europe's Airbus (AIR.PA), opens new tab over control of the futuristic program that combines traditional warplanes with automated drones. CEO Eric Trappier said the Future Combat Air System, widely known under its French initials SCAF.
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07/23/2025
On March 21, 2025, President Donald Trump announced the Air Force would move forward with development of the F-47—to become the Air Force’s Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter jet. Following the announcement, the Air Force awarded an engineering and manufacturing development contract to Boeing to develop the aircraft.
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07/23/2025
The Defense Logistics Agency is looking to expand its maritime refueling capacity from the Philippines by contracting companies on the southern island of Mindanao to supply up to 42 million gallons of fuel a year, according to new documents.
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07/23/2025
Ukraine's air force said on Tuesday that one of its Dassault Mirage 2000 fighters crashed due to a malfunction, marking its first loss of the French-donated jet. It's a blow to Ukraine's limited fleet of Western fourth-generation aircraft, which Kyiv spent years urging its allies to help build amid Russia's invasion.
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07/22/2025
Unclassified papers obtained by The Canadian Press have revealed a multi-billion-dollar plan to bolster Canada’s air power with a fleet of tactical unmanned aerial systems (UAS). According to the outlet, the drones will be designed to work alongside an incoming shipment of F-35 stealth strike fighters.
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07/22/2025
“Bangladesh Air Force’s F-7 BGI training aircraft crashed in Uttara. The aircraft took off at 13:06 [07:06 GMT],” the Bangladesh military’s public relations team said. Local media reported that the plane crashed at about 1:30pm. Videos emerged of the aftermath of the crash, showing a fire, as well as plumes of thick smoke rising into the sky as people watched from a distance.
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07/22/2025
The F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter started its life as one of the more controversial programs in Pentagon history. Two decades of delays, blown budgets, software problems, and political fights made it look like the fifth-generation fighter might be remembered more for what it cost than what it could do.
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07/21/2025
The F-47 is expected to replace or complement existing fifth-generation fighters, such as the F-22 Raptor, with initial operational capability anticipated sometime in the late 2020s or early 2030s. Not much has been revealed about the F-47 NGAD program since President Donald Trump awarded Boeing the contract over Lockheed Martin last March. However, despite the secretive nature of the program, fragments of information have become available about the F--47.
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07/21/2025
A San Diego-based defense giant has launched an initiative to deliver new uncrewed combat aircraft for European forces. The Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) will be based on the U.S. Air Force’s YFQ-42A prototype. General Atomics revealed that the advanced uncrewed system will be assembled in Europe.
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07/18/2025
BAE Systems has released the first image of the UK’s Combat Air Flying Demonstrator, marking a key milestone for the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), the joint effort by the UK, Italy and Japan to develop a sixth-generation fighter by 2035.
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07/18/2025
A UK F-35 stealth fighter jet has been stuck for more than a month in India, a country that isn't part of the program and does not have access to the plane's advanced tech and capabilities. The stealth fighter landed on June 14 at Thiruvananthapuram airport in the state of Kerala, where it was diverted after it ran into bad weather in the Indian Ocean. An engine issue then prevented the jet from returning to the Royal Navy's flagship carrier.
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07/18/2025
After a quarter of a century, Canada is now moving into the most critical phase in the process of acquiring new fighter jets – a process in which some major decisions have already been made, but in which the most crucial choices have yet to be made.
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07/18/2025
Uncrewed aircraft manufacturer General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) plans to offer a European-made variant of its prototype uncrewed fighter jet. The San Diego-based company on 17 July said it will partner with a General Atomics aerospace affiliate in Germany to build a derivative of the YFQ-42A autonomous fighter being developed for the US Air Force.
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07/18/2025
Before their first permanent overseas deployment, the latest variant of the cutting-edge fighter jet, the F-15EX Eagle II, reached Kadena Air Base on Okinawa, Japan, for a visit. The first operational deployment of the Eagles in the Indo-Pacific has been made as the Taiwan Strait is turning into a potential flashpoint.
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07/17/2025
The U.S. Air Force has taken a step toward modernizing its forward-deployed airpower in the Pacific, sending two of its newest F-15EX Eagle II fighter jets to Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. The aircraft arrived on July 12 for training exercises aimed at integrating the advanced jets with local units stationed at the base.
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07/17/2025
As part of its participation in the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) 2025, which will begin on July 18, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has deployed a significant detachment of aircraft, including two JF-17C Thunder Block III fighters, which have recently arrived in the United Kingdom.
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07/17/2025
In a factory on the banks of the River Ribble in Lancashire, robot arms stand on a floor striped with glowing lights. They will hold the tail fin for a test model for the UK’s next generation fighter jet, which is intended to fly for the first time in 2027. The jet, known as Tempest, will act as a symbol of Britain’s hopes to remain a top-tier military nation and keep alive more than a century of building military aircraft.
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07/17/2025
The Philippines will buy 12 South Korean-made FA-50 Block 70 light combat aircraft under a $700 million agreement that will double Manila’s FA-50 fleet and boost the nations’ defense ties. The acquisition marks “a significant enhancement to the country’s air defense capabilities and aligns with the DND’s [Department of National Defense] comprehensive archipelagic defense concept,” the DND said in mid-June 2025, referring to a strategy prioritizing territorial defense and national sovereignty.
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07/16/2025
According to The War Zone, auxiliary power units (APUs) on some of the tankers are not functioning properly. The APU is a small engine that helps start up the aircraft’s main engines and provides electricity for other systems, reducing the KC-46’s reliance on ground support equipment and crews. Without it, though, the tanker becomes more cumbersome and costly to operate.
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07/16/2025
British defence firm BAE Systems has expressed strong confidence in winning new export orders for its Typhoon fighter jets from countries including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. The company's optimism was conveyed by Richard Hamilton, Managing Director for Europe and International in BAE Systems' Air sector, during a press briefing at its facility in Warton, northern England.
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07/16/2025
The Canadian Department of Defence is planning to acquire a fleet of tactical unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to complement the armed forces’ incoming F-35 combat aircraft. Ottawa is now laying the groundwork to adopt systems in line with the military’s requirements, according to unclassified papers obtained by The Canadian Press.
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07/16/2025
Two examples of the F-15EX touched down at Kadena Air Base, Japan, recently, for a period of advanced training in the Pacific. The jets will take part in Resolute Force Pacific 2025, which the Air Force describes as its biggest-ever contingency response exercise in the region. It marks the first foreign deployment of the F-15EX, which began equipping its first operational squadron last year.
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07/16/2025
The likelihood of a new country joining the British, Italian and Japanese project to develop a fighter jet is diminishing, said a BAE Systems executive, amid long-held speculation Saudi Arabia could become a fourth partner.
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07/15/2025
In the Zaporizhzhia region, a Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet launched a precision strike using GBU-39 guided bombs on a Russian drone command center. Footage of the operation was shared by AIR FIGHTER, a Telegram channel associated with Ukrainian combat aviation. The jet flew at an ultra-low altitude during the attack to ensure mission success and evade Russian air defense systems.
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07/14/2025
In light of the need to modernize its training aircraft fleet, the United States Air Force has formally begun employing its Embraer A-29C Super Tucano aircraft in the training of new test pilots. This milestone marks the full integration of the Brazilian-designed light attack aircraft into the curriculum of the Test Pilot School, based at Edwards Air Force Base, California.
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07/14/2025
According to the report, the B-21 Raider, developed by Northrop Grumman, is considered the world’s first sixth-generation aircraft and is currently undergoing flight testing. It is intended to replace the B-1 and B-2 bombers and will be capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear weapons while operating in high-threat environments.
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07/13/2025
Poland on Saturday scrambled fighter jets in response to Russian military aircraft near its border with Ukraine. "Attention. Due to the activity of long-range aviation of the Russian Federation, conducting strikes on targets located, among others, in western Ukraine, Polish and allied aviation have begun operations in Polish airspace," the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces said on X.
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07/13/2025
Once a dominant force in global arms sales, Russian fighter jet exports are now in sharp decline. Decades after inheriting the Soviet Union’s military aerospace industry, Russia is seeing its traditional markets vanish. A mix of Western sanctions, the war in Ukraine, and rising competition from China and others has driven a collapse in exports and cast serious doubt over Russia’s long-term role in the global fighter aircraft market.
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07/13/2025
China’s state-run CCTV network has provided the world with its first glimpse inside the secretive Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) production facilities, where the J-35 was spotted. During a segment focused on the new catapult-capable J-15T carrier fighter, two J-35 stealth fighters were prominently visible in the background.
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07/13/2025
Canada's Department of National Defence is examining the potential addition of uncrewed combat aircraft to support its incoming fleet of F-35 fighter jets. Newly obtained documents reveal that officials are researching various options for acquiring this emerging technology.
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07/12/2025
The F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter is a technologically cutting-edge multirole stealth fighter aircraft. Originally conceived in the 1990s by the US Department of Defense, the UK is one of 8 nations that are partners in the global F-35 programme, although the US has by far the most influence on the programme, so far ordering approximately 80% of all aircraft. Other countries purchase F-35s as foreign military sales customers. F-35s from different countries are designed to be interoperabl
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07/12/2025
Multiple Russian defense industry facilities were reportedly hit in a wave of drone strikes, including two major aircraft plants and several weapons manufacturers, according to the head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, Andrii Kovalenko, on July 11. Kovalenko said a strike targeted the Lukhovitsy Aircraft Plant in the Moscow region, which manufactures and upgrades MiG-29 and MiG-31 fighter jets.
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07/12/2025
Sixteen retired four-star Air Force generals, including six retired Chiefs of Staff, signed a June 7 letter along with AFA leadership in a plea to Congress to increase investment in F-35 fighter jets and restore funds cut from the fiscal 2026 budget for E-7 Wedgetail. On July 10, eight of the signatories gathered for a virtual media roundtable and candid conversation on Department of the Air Force needs and requirements, and the 2026 budget.
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07/12/2025
The U.S. Air Force has transferred upgraded F-16 Fighting Falcons from Japan to South Korea, reinforcing its fighter capabilities on the Korean Peninsula amid ongoing efforts to deter airborne threats. The 51st Fighter Wing at Osan Air Base — home to the 7th Air Force, about 30 miles south of Seoul — received the aircraft from the 35th Fighter Wing at Misawa Air Base in northeastern Japan, said Maj. Kippun Sumner, spokesman for the 51st.
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07/11/2025
Japan has demanded China stop flying its fighter jets abnormally close to Japanese intelligence-gathering aircraft, which it said was happening repeatedly and could cause a collision. Japan's Defense Ministry said a Chinese JH-7 fighter-bomber flew as close to 30 meters (98 feet) to a YS-11EB electronic-intelligence aircraft of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force on Wednesday and Thursday.
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07/10/2025
Aero Vodochody, the Czech aircraft manufacturer renowned for its L-39 Albatross, has set its sights on the African continent with the introduction of its latest aircraft, the Skyfox. This light attack and trainer jet, officially designated the Aero L-39NG (“Next Generation”), represents the company’s effort to build on its long-standing relationship with African air forces.
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07/10/2025
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has announced that a full batch of pilots graduated from the challenging Introductory Fighter Course (IFC) at the RAAF Base Williamtown’s 76 Squadron, on June 27, 2025. This is the first time that a single cohort has had a 100% pass rate – 10 out of 10 pilots – since the introduction of the Hawk 127 Lead-In Fighter aircraft in the year 2000.
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07/10/2025
Peru is set to acquire 24 Saab Gripen E multirole fighter jets for $3.5 billion, according to local outlet Perú21. The deal includes additional support packages and marks a significant step in modernising the country's ageing air force.
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07/10/2025
U.S. Navy’s fiscal year 2026 Unfunded Priorities List, or UPL, includes a $1.4 billion funding request for a sixth-generation fighter aircraft program called F/A-XX. “This additional funding will enable Navy to award the 6th Generation Strike Fighter contract to industry,” the service branch wrote in its letter to lawmakers. “Navy’s 6th Generation Strike Fighter aircraft is a critical component of both the future Carrier Strike Group (CSG)” and the “air wing of the future.”
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07/10/2025
In a wide ranging discussion this week, Denmark’s defense minister Troels Lund Poulsen expressed interest in acquiring more F-35 fifth-generation fighter jets, secured an agreement on behalf of European nations to buy and donate 10 Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine, as well as lease hours on Norway’s P-8 Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA).
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07/09/2025
A group of senior retired U.S. Air Force generals has written to Congress urging full funding for 75 F-35A fighter jets and the E-7 Wedgetail airborne command aircraft in the Fiscal Year 2026 defence budget. The letter, sent on behalf of the 125,773 members of the Air & Space Forces Association (AFA), warned that proposed cuts "will severely and unnecessarily undermine our service members’ ability to deter, and if necessary, prevail in future conflicts."
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07/09/2025
The UK has formally submitted a proposal to sell 40 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets to Turkey, in a move that signals growing momentum in Ankara’s efforts to modernize its air force and deepen defense ties with European partners, the Ekonomim news website reported on Tuesday.
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07/09/2025
Berlin on Tuesday said the Chinese military had targeted a laser at a German aircraft participating in an EU-led mission to protect marine traffic in the Red Sea. “Endangering German personnel and disrupting the operation is entirely unacceptable,” the foreign ministry said on X, adding that Beijing’s ambassador to Berlin had been summoned for talks.
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07/09/2025
Drop tanks come with one notable drawback: they can degrade the F-35’s stealthy profile to the point of compromising it entirely. Range has been a key factor in combat aircraft effectiveness since their inception during the First World War. Extending the range of fighter or strike aircraft has been particularly challenging thanks to their small size and limited internal fuel capacity.
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07/09/2025
The US Navy plans to award Leonardo a contract to supply thousands of airborne countermeasures for the service’s F-35 Lightning II and F-18 Hornet/Super Hornet/Growler combat aircraft fleets. A notice published by Naval Air Systems Command said that it “intends to negotiate and award” a fixed-price agreement, including associated materials. labor, overhead, and equipment to the company’s segment in the UK.
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07/09/2025
According to information published by French Newspaper La Tribune on July 4, 2025, Indonesia is set to finalize a major defense contract with France for the acquisition of 24 Rafale multirole fighter jets during President Prabowo Subianto’s state visit to Paris, where he will be the guest of honor at France’s national Bastille Day celebrations on July 14. Initially, a purchase of 12 aircraft was announced during bilateral meetings in May 2025, but this has now been upgraded to 24 jets.
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07/09/2025
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has reportedly operationalized its second fifth-generation combat aircraft, the J-35A, as evidenced by the latest images posted by Chinese military watchers. The induction, yet to be officially verified, would be a massive boost to the Chinese PLA Air Force (PLAAF) amid simmering tensions in the Indo-Pacific.
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07/09/2025
On June 30, 2025, the Indian company Reliance Defence entered into a strategic partnership with Coastal Mechanics Inc. (CMI), a US Department of Defense-authorized contractor, to jointly address India’s military Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) needs. The agreement includes the servicing, upgrading, and lifecycle extension of several key Indian military platforms, most notably the Russian-origin MiG-29 fighter aircraft currently operated by the Indian Air Force.
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07/08/2025
From 1 September to 1 December, Dutch F-35 fighter jets will monitor NATO airspace over Eastern Europe to safeguard military equipment destined for Ukraine. This mission aims to ensure the safe arrival of matériel donated by NATO member states.
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07/08/2025
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) and its counterparts from the United States Pacific Air Forces (Pacaf) conducted a joint patrol Monday to mark the second iteration of “Cope Thunder” bilateral air drills this year. Pacaf’s F-35 fighter aircraft joined PAF’s light combat aircraft FA-50 in patrolling the country’s territorial waters and exclusive economic zone including the West Philippine Sea.
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07/07/2025
The Jordanian Armed Forces participated in efforts to extinguish fires that broke out in several areas of Syria as a result of exploding remnants of war and rising temperatures. According to the Jordan News Agency (Petra), the Armed Forces sent two Black Hawk helicopters belonging to the Royal Jordanian Air Force, equipped with specialised crews and advanced technical equipment, to help control the fire hotspots and limit their spread, in order to protect lives and property.
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07/07/2025
Through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program, the United States continues to provide services and support for the sustainment of the F-16C/D Block 52 fighter fleet operated by the Iraqi Air Force. This follows the most recent contract awarded to the company V2X, with an initial value of US$118 million.
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07/07/2025
The F-22 Raptors are set to serve the US Air Force (USAF) much longer than initially expected. While the USAF is eagerly awaiting the arrival of the sixth-generation combat aircraft, the F-47, which will also feature integrated loyal wingman drones, it appears that the Raptors will be the first stealth aircraft to operate as airborne controllers for Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA).
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07/06/2025
The chiefs of the South Korean and Polish air forces met in late June to explore deeper defence and arms cooperation, the South Korean Air Force confirmed. The discussions followed Poland’s acquisition of South Korean FA-50 fighter jets under a recent defence agreement.
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07/05/2025
A ceremony was held yesterday at Hualien Air Base to mark the official retirement of the air force’s F-5 jets after more than 50 years of patrolling Taiwan’s skies. The event began with the 5th Tactical Fighter Wing flying a sortie consisting of three RF-5E reconnaissance aircraft and two F-5F jets.
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07/05/2025
Amid heightened regional tensions and a steady increase in claimed aerial interceptions by the Chinese Air Force, the US Air Force has initiated a major modernization effort for its F-22 Raptor fleet. The effort is to preserve the aircraft’s tactical edge against emerging threats, including those posed by advanced peer platforms such as China’s J-20 stealth fighter.
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07/05/2025
In a significant milestone for next-generation air combat, the US Air Force has successfully demonstrated real-time manned-unmanned teaming in a combat-representative environment.
During a high-fidelity training event over Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, pilots flying an F-16C Fighting Falcon and an F-15E Strike Eagle each controlled two XQ-58A Valkyrie drones, marking one of the most advanced operational evaluations of semi-autonomous collaborative platforms to date.
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07/04/2025
An American defense company has revealed that the world’s most advanced fighter jet’s manufacturing could be easily sped up. Northrop Grumman has employed advanced manufacturing technologies to develop the F-35’s center fuselages. The company manufactures center fuselages for all three variants of the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter at its Integrated Assembly Line (IAL) in Palmdale, California.
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07/04/2025
Terma has signed a support agreement with the Argentinian Ministry of Defense and the Argentinian Air Force, formalizing its role in the modernization and operational preparation of 24 former Royal Danish Air Force F-16 aircraft. The agreement marks a strategic milestone in Argentina’s acquisition program and confirms Terma’s continued role as a trusted supplier of advanced defense technology.
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07/04/2025
A Myanmar military fighter jet crashed in a combat zone in the country’s east, according to an anti-military resistance organization that claimed to have shot it down. State-run media reported about the disappearance of an aircraft.
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07/04/2025
Naval aviation is in high demand around the globe today, and I predict it will be for decades to come. With advances in technology across all domains, U.S. carrier strike groups will continue to operate where and when needed. In fact, the aircraft carriers being built today (future USS John F. Kennedy [CVN-79], Enterprise [CVN-80], and Doris Miller [CVN-81]) are designed to serve beyond 2075.
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07/04/2025
Aerial combat has evolved from dogfights between high-speed, maneuverable fighters to duels among missile-armed aircraft at long range. In 2015, John Stillion presciently analyzed this transformation. His research demonstrated that victory no longer results from the fastest, most maneuverable fighter destroying an enemy in a dogfight. Instead, air combat today favors larger, less detectable aircraft using networked information to defeat adversaries with long-range missiles.
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07/01/2025
According to information published by the Hürriyet Daily News on June 30, 2025, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced the United Kingdom’s full support for Türkiye’s effort to join the Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet program. In an interview ahead of his visit to Ankara, Lammy underscored the strategic value of Türkiye acquiring the fourth-generation-plus Eurofighter Typhoon.
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07/01/2025
At the 2025 Paris Air Show, Airbus Defence and Space confirmed the development of a new variant of the A400M military transport aircraft to support an expanded range of missions aligned with the operational goals of the Future Combat Air System and the Multi-Domain Combat Cloud. The aircraft is being adapted to serve as a broadband communications node capable of linking manned and unmanned platforms across all domains, air, land, sea, space, and cyber.
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07/01/2025
As reported by Rupprecht Deino on June 18, 2025, the J-15DT, a carrier-based electronic warfare variant of the Shenyang J-15 multirole fighter, seems to participate in China’s upcoming 80th Victory Day Parade. This will be the first public appearance of the catapult-capable variant, and it indicates that the aircraft has reached a sufficiently advanced stage of testing or initial integration to be presented as part of the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s future carrier air wing.
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07/01/2025
Poland’s Ministry of National Defense has signed a contract for the delivery of 24 AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles to enhance the operational capabilities of its FA-50 light combat aircraft.
The agreement was concluded on June 30, 2025, in Warsaw in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz and Secretary of State Pawel Bejda.
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07/01/2025
According to information published by the U.S. Marine Corps on June 27, 2025, Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 224 has officially been redesignated as Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 224. It has begun its transition from operating the legacy F/A-18D Hornet to the advanced F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter. This transition marks the end of an era for VMFA-224, which has flown the Hornet for over 32 years in support of U.S. Marine Corps aviation missions worldwide.
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07/01/2025
Hanwha Aerospace has received a contract to supply propulsion systems for South Korea’s KF-21 Boramae fifth-generation combat aircraft. Costing 623.2 billion won ($460.7 million), the deal includes 80 General Electric F414s manufactured domestically under license by the Changwon-based company.
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