February 07, 2026 Military Aviation News

SWEDISH JAS 39 GRIPEN DEPLOYMENT TO ICELAND MARKS HISTORIC MOMENT FOR NATO'S NEWEST ALLY

02/07/2026

In a landmark deployment, six Swedish JAS 39 Gripen fighter aircraft and a contingent of more than 110 personnel from Skaraborg Air Wing F7 have arrived at Keflavík Air Base . This rotation, running from early February to mid-March 2026, represents the first time the Swedish Air Force have led NATO’s Icelandic air policing mission since their accession to NATO in March 2024.

Turkish Air Force F-16 fighter jets have arrived in Somalia to support the fight against the Al-Shabaab terrorist group

02/07/2026

Turkish Air Force F-16 fighter jets, recently deployed to Somalia, arrived in the city of Mogadishu with the aim of supporting operations against the terrorist group Al-Shabaab, marking a new level of Ankara’s military involvement in the Horn of Africa country. The arrival of these aircraft represents the first time Türkiye has deployed manned fighter aircraft on Somali territory, expanding its role beyond training, advisory, and indirect support tasks.

Air Force’s Anticipated William Tell Weapons Meet Postponed

02/07/2026

A few weeks after the Air Force announced its prestigious William Tell Air-to-Air Weapons Meet would return in March, the service has decided to postpone the event to later this year, according to Air Combat Command. “The decision to postpone the competition was made to maximize available resources, and [William Tell] is intended to continue in the future,” an ACC spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine, adding that a new date for the competition will be released as soon as its available.

US approves $3bn sustainment package for Saudi F-15 fleet

02/07/2026

The US State Department has approved the possible Foreign Military Sale to Saudi Arabia of equipment and support services related to the ongoing sustainment of the nation’s extensive fleet of Boeing F-15 Eagle fighters for an estimated cost of $3bn. Approval of this prospective FMS was announced by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency – which handles most of Washington’s impending military export sales – after it had notified US Congress of the proposed multi-billion deal.

China’s Third Neighbor Eyes Rafale Jets Amid Russian Squeeze, Pressure From Beijing & Washington: Reports

02/07/2026

A French publication, L’Express, claimed on February 4, 2026, that Vietnam could be one of the Rafale’s next customers. The report claimed that Vietnam had already had the opportunity to secretly evaluate the aircraft in 2018 when two Rafales had a stopover in the country during an Indo-Pacific deployment.

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