Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Brazilian Air Force fires first Meteor air-to-air missile from Saab Gripen fighter jet

11/30/2025

On November 27, 2025, the Brazilian Air Force performed the first live launch of the Meteor beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air missile from a Saab F-39E Gripen. The test, made during the EXTEC BVR-X exercise near Natal Air Base, was conducted in a scenario designed to test the missile and the fighter jet against high-speed aerial targets in conditions intended to reproduce complex operational environments.

Baykar’s KIZILELMA achieves virtual F-16 strike in major test of Turkish unmanned fighter

11/30/2025

Baykar Technologies has announced a major milestone for Türkiye’s first unmanned fighter aircraft, Bayraktar KIZILELMA, which achieved a direct virtual hit on a Turkish Air Force F-16 during a simulated firing test. The trial took place on 19 November 2025 over Tekirdag, with two F-16s participating in the scenario.

Saab delivers eleventh Gripen E fighter to Brazilian Air Force as binational programme advances

11/29/2025

Saab has delivered another F-39E Gripen to the Brazilian Air Force, with aircraft 4111 landing at Anápolis Air Base at 10:26 on 19 November after a one-hour and three-minute flight from Navegantes. The jet, piloted by Major Thiago Camargo, is now the eleventh Gripen to arrive in Brazil.

F-35 Crushed Gripen-E Jets In Leaked Canadian Military Test; Saab’s New Campaign Runs Into Bitter Reality

11/29/2025

Newly leaked data shows that the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II was the top-scoring aircraft in Canada’s fighter jet competition, outmatching Saab’s Gripen E by a massive margin. In a 2021 evaluation conducted by Canada’s Department of National Defense, the F-35 received a 95% rating for military capabilities. The Gripen-E finished with a score of 33%, scoring 19.8 points out of 60, according to data obtained by Radio-Canada.

Ukrainian pilot says his French Mirage 2000 fighter has a 98% kill rate against Russian drones and missiles

11/29/2025

A Ukrainian crew operating one of their country's few Dassault Mirage 2000s said their French-built fighter has been nearly 100% effective against Russia's weapons. The Ukrainian Air Force released a video about the fourth-generation combat jet on Wednesday, in which a Mirage pilot and several technicians discussed the aircraft at a forward airstrip.

As General Caine flies out, 2 US military aircraft reportedly touch down in Tobago

11/27/2025

One day after US top military officer General Dan Caine arrived in Trinidad and met with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, two US military aircraft are believed to have departed from Scarborough Tobago, headed to North America.

French Mirage 2000 fighter jet shown in action in Ukrainian skies

11/27/2025

The Ukrainian Air Force has released a video showing a French Mirage 2000 fighter jet in action during a combat sortie. In the video, pilots talk about their impressions of the aircraft and demonstrate the launch of a Magic 2 missile. The video was posted on the Facebook page of the Ukrainian Air Force Command.

Why No One Touched The F-35 Fighters Escorting B-2 Stealth Bombers Over Iran

11/27/2025

Expert Reuben F. Johnson pairs a personal story of a lost naval aviator with the F-35’s combat debut as both “tip of the spear” and “tail-end Charlie” over Iran. During Operation Midnight Hammer, F-35s escorted B-2 bombers hundreds of miles into Iranian airspace, then loitered to hunt surface-to-air missile sites and cover the raid’s egress — the most vulnerable phase of any strike.

U.S. Air Guard gets new advanced Eagle fighter jet

11/27/2025

Boeing announced on Tuesday that a new F-15EX fighter aircraft, designated EX15, has been officially delivered to the 142nd Wing of the Oregon Air National Guard, marking the unit’s eighth aircraft of the type and adding momentum to the U.S. Air Force’s growing fleet of upgraded Eagles.

Dassault and Thales to develop AI for crewed and uncrewed combat aircraft

11/27/2025

Dassault Aviation and Thales have entered a long-term strategic partnership to develop “controlled and supervised” artificial intelligence (AI) for future air combat applications, the two companies announced on November 25, 2025. The agreement was signed on November 18, 2025, by Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier and Thales CEO Patrice Caine, and unveiled at the International Adopt AI Summit at the Grand Palais in Paris.

Chinese Drone Incursion Prompts Japanese Fighter Jet Scramble Near Yonaguni Island

11/26/2025

Japan scrambled JASDF fighter aircraft after a presumed Chinese high altitude surveillance drone passed between Yonaguni Island and Taiwan on November 24, 2025. The incident comes as Tokyo prepares to station a new Type 03 Chu SAM unit on Yonaguni, a move that strengthens air defense coverage across one of the most sensitive points in the first island chain.

A German Factory Is Now Building Its First F-35A Fighter Jet

11/26/2025

Construction has continued on NATO member Germany’s first Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II, the US-based aerospace firm confirmed. A ceremony marking the signing off on the center-fuselage bulkhead and start of final assembly at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth, Texas, facility was held last week.

Saudi Arabia in talks with General Atomics for up to 200 Gambit Collaborative Combat Aircraft

11/26/2025

On November 18, 2025, Breaking Defense reported that General Atomics Aeronautical Systems' ongoing talks with Saudi Arabia now include up to 200 Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCAs) based on the Gambit family and 130 MQ-9B drones. At the Dubai Airshow, the company's president, David Alexander, noted that production options inside the Kingdom are being analyzed due to the size of the potential order, one of the largest regional opportunities in the company’s history.

Defense chiefs of Japan, UK, Italy discuss joint development of fighter aircraft

11/26/2025

The defense chiefs of Japan, the UK and Italy on Tuesday discussed their trilateral collaboration to jointly develop the next-generation fighter aircraft. Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, UK Defense Secretary John Healey and Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto held the Trilateral Defense Ministerial Meeting via teleconference, according to a statement from Japan’s Defense Ministry.

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.