February 18, 2026 Military Aviation News
02/18/2026
This past summer, UAE Defense Undersecretary Ibrahim Nasser Mohammed Al Alawi climbed into the rear seat of a South Korean KF-21 Boramae prototype for a symbolic “friendship flight” over Sacheon Air Base in South Korea. A few months later, during President Lee Jae-myung’s visit to Abu Dhabi, Seoul followed up with a far more consequential signal: a reported full value-chain partnership built around joint development, local assembly, and the co-export of future KF-21 variants.
(Read More...)
02/18/2026
The Army is one step closer to turning the AH-64 Apache helicopter into a drone-hunting tool. Soldiers recently carried out live-fire tests of a new explosive round specifically designed to take out enemy drones at the Yuma Proving Grounds in Arizona.
(Read More...)
02/18/2026
The Indian Air Force is one of the world’s largest air forces and operates in one of the most complex security environments on earth. The IAF faces a two-front challenge: China to its north and east, and Pakistan to its west. And unlike many Western air forces focused on expeditionary operations, the IAF is built primarily for continental deterrence and high-altitude combat. Though modernizing aggressively, the IAF remains caught between legacy platforms, procurement delays.
(Read More...)
02/18/2026
Media reports that the Philippine government had declined to buy the F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jet may have been premature—though its high price tag remains an obstacle. Last June, the Philippines began reconsidering whether to proceed with the purchase of American-made F-16 Fighting Falcons, even after the sale had received US State Department approval.
(Read More...)
02/18/2026
Saudi Arabia’s growing interest in Turkey’s next-generation KAAN fighter jet program is attracting pushback from the administration of US President Donald Trump, which views the potential deal as cutting into Washington’s share of the kingdom’s arms market, Middle East Eye reported, citing current and former US officials.
(Read More...)
02/18/2026
The United States has moved more than 50 advanced fighter jets toward the Middle East over the past two days, a massive show of military force that coincides with a pivotal moment in negotiations over Iran's nuclear program, according to open-source flight tracking data and a US official.
(Read More...)
02/18/2026
The Air Force has delayed delivery of the 18th Wing’s first F-15EX Eagle II fighters to Kadena Air Base on Okinawa, according to the wing. The wing expects an updated timeline for the aircraft’s arrival this spring, according to an unsigned email from Kadena on Tuesday. The delay is due to a strike at Boeing’s St. Louis plant that occurred from Aug. 4 to Nov. 17, Ann Stefanek, spokeswoman for the secretary of the Air Force, wrote in an email Tuesday.
(Read More...)
02/18/2026
Australia is one of the pioneers exploring collaborative combat aircraft, or CCAs, as it throws its full weight behind Boeing Defence Australia’s MQ-28A Ghost Bat platform. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) already has eight Block 1 aircraft in testing. In addition, the first of three Block 2 aircraft ordered in February 2024 is currently performing ground testing and will fly soon, according to the manufacturer.
(Read More...)
All Articles