Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Israel’s F-35 And Stealth Fighter Monopoly In Middle East May Soon End

11/26/2025

Almost a decade has passed since Israel received its first Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth strike fighter from the United States. The fifth-generation aircraft markedly enhanced Israel’s air superiority and technological edge over the wider region, as demonstrated by recent wars, especially the 12-day June war against Iran. With the U.S. signaling its intent to sell F-35s to other regional states, this may prove the beginning of the end for Israel’s regional monopoly on F-35s.

Romania has deployed military aircraft following the Russian attacks in Ismail

11/25/2025

Romania’s radar monitoring systems detected new drones on Monday heading towards the city of Ismail in Ukraine. Consequently, two Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft of the German allies and two F-16 aircraft of the Romanian Air Forces were launched. Authorities across the Prut issued Ro-Alert warning messages last night for the locals in the north of Tulcea county, reports IPN.

Germany’s First F-35A Fighter Jet Reaches Production Milestone at Lockheed Martin facility in U.S.

11/25/2025

U.S. Company Lockheed Martin has begun producing Germany’s first F-35A, following the ceremonial signing of the aircraft’s center-fuselage bulkhead and the start of final assembly in Fort Worth. The milestone marks a major step in Germany’s shift toward fifth-generation airpower and deeper NATO integration.

Japan Reveals New Details into Project for Collaborative UAVs Expected to Operate with Manned Fighter Jets

11/25/2025

Japan’s Ministry of Defense (JMOD) recently made public an evaluation report on a prospective research and development (R&D) project for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) capable of collaborating with Japan’s next-generation fighter aircraft scheduled to be delivered by 2035 as part of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) with Italy and the United Kingdom.

Germany’s Air Force chief open to alternatives as FCAS fighter faces uncertainty

11/25/2025

Germany’s recently appointed Air Force chief, Lieutenant General Holger Neumann, has signaled that Berlin is prepared to consider alternative paths to a future combat aircraft if the Franco-German-Spanish Future Combat Air System (FCAS) continues to face delays and political friction.

KF-21 Boramae: The Cheap Stealth Fighter Breaking All The Rules ‘Aimed’ Right At The F-35

11/24/2025

South Korea’s KF-21 Boramae is a home-grown 4.5-generation “budget stealth” fighter aimed squarely at countries that want advanced jets but can’t afford large F-35 fleets—or don’t want the strings that come with them. owered by twin F414 engines, equipped with an AESA radar and modern avionics, the KF-21 trades full stealth and internal bays for lower cost and easier export.

Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter pogramme in crisis: rising costs, TR-3 delays and engine modernisation failures

11/24/2025

After years of uninterrupted cost growth and mounting implementation problems, the programme to modernise the avionics of Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft to the TR-3/Block 4 standard has already exceeded its planned budget by more than six billion US dollars and is five years behind schedule. In an attempt to curb this process, the Pentagon plans to reduce the scope of the modernisation, which will result in the installation of a downgraded TR-3/Block 4 package.

Indian Su-30MKIs Join French Rafale Jets in Rare Mixed Close-Formation Flights over France.

11/24/2025

Indian Air Force Su-30MKI fighters are flying tightly integrated mixed formations with French Rafale and Mirage 2000 jets during Exercise Garuda 25 at Mont-de-Marsan Air Base in France from 16 to 27 November 2025. The eighth Indo-French air exercise brings together over 500 personnel and around 25 aircraft for high-intensity air combat drills that deepen interoperability from Europe to the Indo-Pacific.

Is There Chance for Ukrainian Air Force to Receive Used Rafales From France in 2026

11/24/2025

Ukraine is extremely interested in resolving the issue of what the country’s Air Force will fly in the 2030s-2080s. The answer to this should be 100-150 Swedish Gripen and/or 100 French Rafale aircraft. But in order to have a reasonable hope for the implementation of such plans, it is necessary to resolve the issue of what Ukrainian pilots should fly in the 2020s.

Belarus And Russia Strengthen Defense Ties with Joint Su-75 Stealth Fighter Production Plan

11/23/2025

Russia has confirmed that it is working on joint production of the Su-75 Checkmate stealth fighter with Belarus, with the prototype now in final assembly and moving into bench testing ahead of an expected first flight in early 2026. The move deepens Russia Belarus' defense integration and aims to position their Union State as a lower-cost alternative supplier of new-generation combat aircraft to markets that cannot or will not buy Western fighters.

Human rights fears over Australia’s role in F-35 parts after Trump’s decision to sell fighter jets to Saudi Arabia

11/23/2025

Experts warn US deal on ‘lethal’ aircraft presents issues for Australia that ‘we’ve tried desperately to ignore with the Israelis’. Donald Trump’s unilateral decision to sell F-35 joint strike fighter jets to Saudi Arabia will rely on critical Australian components, prompting experts to warn Australia could become complicit in human rights abuses.

?What Other Aircraft Besides Gripen and Rafale Does Ukraine Need, Billions of Dollars Are Also Needed for This

11/23/2025

Plans to put 100-150 Swedish Gripen fighters and/or 100 French Rafales into service with the Ukrainian Air Force mean not only the insane costs of their purchase. And not even just the astronomical costs of their maintenance, especially when it comes to 250 fighters, which only a small number of countries can afford. But these are far from all the aircraft that need to be purchased in order to have combat fighters, as they will not fly without pilots.

For US$82 million, the U.S. authorizes the sale of new GBU-53 glide bombs for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force’s fighter aircraft

11/23/2025

The United States government has authorized the possible sale of new GBU-53 glide bombs to equip the fighter aircraft of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. This approval is reflected in one of the most recent notifications issued by the State Department to the U.S. Congress, aimed at greenlighting the operation under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Program, valued at US$82 million.

Not In The U.S. Air Force: Israel F-35I Adir Might Be The Best Stealth Fighter On Earth

11/22/2025

Israel’s F-35I Adir is a uniquely customized variant of the F-35, tailored for deep, high-risk strikes across the Middle East. Built on the U.S. airframe but fitted with Israeli electronic warfare suites, plug-and-play mission computers, local weapons, and jamming pods, the Adir is optimized for long-range, stealthy penetration.

Indian combat aircraft crashes during a demonstration at Dubai Air Show, killing the pilot

11/21/2025

The pilot of an Indian combat plane died after the aircraft crashed Friday during a demonstration flight for spectators at the Dubai Air Show, the Indian Air Force said.The Indian HAL Tejas, a combat aircraft used in the Indian Air Force, crashed around 2:10 p.m. local time after the pilot had flown across the site of the biennial air show in Dubai several times. The plane appeared to lose control and dive directly toward the ground just prior to crashing inside the grounds of the airfield.

Impact Of Selling F-35s To Saudi Arabia On The Region

11/21/2025

The Trump administration’s agreement to sell F-35 stealth fighters to Saudi Arabia marks a major policy shift, with Washington previously being unwilling to export these high-end jets to Arab states in the Middle East. Such a sale would have significant ramifications for the airpower balance in the region, especially as regards Israel, currently the only F-35 operator in the Middle East, but its ripples could also be felt well beyond Tel Aviv.

Saab says Canada's air force could have Gripen fighter jets in as little as 3 years

11/21/2025

Should Canada choose to fly the Swedish-built Gripen-E, the country’s air force could receive the first aircraft as quickly — or perhaps even sooner — than the long-awaited American-manufactured F-35, the CEO of Saab signalled Thursday. Micael Johansson also said the defence giant is willing to set up not only an assembly factory in Canada, but a full-fledged manufacturing centre and a research and development hub.

Türkiye's Kizilelma rules skies: Stealth UAV nails F-16 in simulated strike

11/21/2025

Türkiye’s unmanned stealth fighter jet Kizilelma has reached a milestone, locking on an F-16 and achieving a direct hit in its simulated test fire using locally produced advanced MURAD AESA radar and firing a local air-to-air missile.

'Friendly country' signed MoU to buy Pakistan's JF-17 fighter jet

11/21/2025

The Pakistan Army on Thursday announced a pact with a "friendly country" for the procurement of its JF-17 fighter jet. Without revealing the name of the country, the Pakistan Army's media wing said in a statement that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was "signed with a friendly country for the procurement of the JF-17 Thunder, marking another significant milestone in Pakistan’s expanding defense and industrial partnerships."

Kola-based spy ship pointed lasers at UK military aircraft

11/21/2025

The Yantar, an infamous spy ship from the Olenya Bay north of Murmansk, is currently sailing north of Scotland. This is its second voyage in UK waters this year. “My message to Russia, and to Putin, is this: We see you, we know what you are doing, and if the Yantar travels south this week, we are ready,” John Healy said at a news conference. Healy said the vessel is gathering intelligence and mapping undersea cables.

India Turns Down Russian Su-57 as It Builds “Better” AMCA Stealth Jet at Home

11/20/2025

India is prioritizing the development of its domestic stealth fighter aircraft, AMCA, over potential cooperation with Russia on the Su-57, despite Moscow’s continued offers of technology transfer and local production. According to Defense Express on November 19, Russia has offered India a package deal involving the Su-57E fighter jet, which includes technology transfer and domestic assembly through Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

US Air Force F-22 controls MQ-20 Avenger unmanned aircraft for the first time

11/20/2025

The US Air Force conducted a successful integration demonstration between an F-22 Raptor fighter and a MQ-20 Avenger unmanned aerial vehicle on October 21 at the Nevada Test and Training Range. The milestone, however, was only revealed by the service in recent days. This flight is part of a series of internally funded demonstrations aimed at advancing collaboration between crewed and uncrewed combat aircraft.

Russia unveils 3400-pound fifth-gen aircraft engine, promising supercruise for fighter jets

11/20/2025

Russia’s primary engine manufacturer, United Engine Corporation (UEC), part of Rostec, has revealed its new 177S turbofan engine at the Dubai Airshow 2025. The fifth-generation propulsion system for tactical combat aircraft was designed as a direct evolution of the proven AL-31F/FP series currently powering the entire Su-27 family of fighter aircraft.

Boeing’s F-15EX Multirole Fighter Jet To Lead MQ-28 Ghost Bat Drones In Future Air Combat

11/20/2025

Boeing used the Dubai Airshow 2025 to detail how the F-15EX could serve as the command hub for a network of MQ-28 Ghost Bat drones, sharing targeting and sensor data in real time. The approach signals a shift toward scalable mass and lower operating costs as the U.S. and partner air forces prepare for high-end air combat.

Recent data shows significant spike in US military aircraft accidents

11/20/2025

The number of major accidents involving military aircraft spiked in 2024, internal Pentagon figures show, and a series of high-profile aviation mishaps with deaths and the loss of aircraft in 2025 suggest the disturbing trend may be continuing. Across the military, the rate of severe accidents per 100,000 flight hours rose 55% in the 2024 budget year compared with four years earlier. The Marine Corps saw the highest increase, nearly tripling its rate over the same period.