Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

South Korean C-130 plane triggers Japanese jets scramble

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.

China Wants More Fighter Pilots—and Is Finding Creative Ways to Get Them

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.

Russian Su-27UB Burned at Training Airbase Overnight, Ukrainian Intelligence Says

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.

Ukraine's F-16 have a new trick to avoid Russian ballistic missiles

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.

Türkiye, Indonesia finalize historic sale of 48 Kaan fighter jets

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.

French “F-35 Taunt” Prompts NATO’s ‘Founding Father’ To Evaluate Franco-German FCAS Program Participation

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.

NATO Countries Choose F-35 as it Offers Key Advantages Over F-16 and Eurofighter

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.

Thai F-16s Deployed To Hit Cambodian Targets In Border Clash

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.

Kaan progresses, bolstered by international interest

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.

Boeing’s F-15EX Eagle II: The New Fighter Jet That’s Secretly A Bomber

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.

Why Belgium’s F-35 Fighter Jet Deal Makes France Angry

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.

Thai fighter jet bombs Cambodian targets as border battle escalates

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.

Taliban Vows to Recover Military Aircraft Held in Uzbekistan

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.

NORAD detects and tracks Russian aircraft operating in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone

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.

Lockheed ‘Steals’ Boeing’s F-15EX Strategy; Pitches Its 5.5-Gen “Ferrari” Stealth Fighter As A Bridge To F-47

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.”

Ukraine Confirms A Prized Mirage 2000 Jet Was Lost, But Not To Russian Fire

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.

Turkey and UK edge closer to Eurofighter fighter jet deal after MoU signing

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.

Dassault, in spat with Airbus, says European fighter jet project at risk

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.

US Air Force Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) Fighter – Analysis

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.

Pentagon Eyes Southern Philippines as Refueling Hub for U.S. Warships, Military Aircraft

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.

Ukraine suffered its first loss of a French fighter jet after equipment failure forced its pilot to eject

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.

We Just Got A Crucial Clue About Canada’s F-35 Stealth Fighter Decision

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.

Bangladesh plane crash: What happened, what’s the latest

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.

Why NATO is betting big on the F-35

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.

Here’s Everything We Know About the F-47 Program

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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