Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Chinese aircraft carrier conducts fighter jet operations in East China Sea

05/26/2025

Japan’s Defense Ministry has announced for the first time that China sent its Liaoning aircraft carrier into the East China Sea, some 200 kilometers from the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands, for practice deploying fighter jets. The Defense Ministry’s Joint Staff Office said in a statement late Sunday that the Chinese carrier was sailing alongside four destroyers in the waters north of Kuba Island in the Senkaku chain, which is also claimed by Beijing, where the islets are known as the Diao

Ukraine and Sweden explore Soviet aircraft upgrades and Saab jet transfers

05/26/2025

Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Defence for Aviation Development Oleksandr Kozenko met with a Swedish delegation led by Thomas Lindén, Director for Ukraine Affairs at Saab, on May 23, 2025. The discussions centered on modernizing Ukraine’s aging fleet of Soviet-era aircraft and exploring the potential transfer of advanced Swedish aviation platforms.

Why China’s fighter jets should worry the US and Taiwan

05/26/2025

The recent aerial clash between Pakistan and India offers a glimpse of how China is narrowing the gap in military airpower with the US. It is a warning not just for Washington, but for Taipei, too. Claims from both sides remain contested, but a broader picture is emerging among experts who track China’s air force and fighter jet development: Beijing’s defense systems are growing increasingly credible.

Why Turkey’s Development of Stealth Fighter Jet Should Alarm the Region and the World

05/26/2025

In 2016, Ankara announced the launch of its Turkish Fighter (TF-X), a stealth, twin-engine, all-weather air superiority fighter plane, rechristened as the KAAN project, which is part of a wider initiative intended to reduce Turkey’s dependence on foreign imports for its defense industry. At the start of the 2000s, Turkey relied on imports for 80% of its defense requirements, a figure that has now been reduced to around 20%.

Israeli Air Force F-15 Baz fighter-bombers carried out strikes against Houthi positions in Yemen

05/26/2025

Almost simultaneously with U.S. President Donald Trump concluding his tour of the Middle East, the Israeli Air Force confirmed that it carried out airstrikes against Houthi positions in Yemen, using its F-15 Baz fighter-bombers for the operation. According to the Air Force, the missions took place on Friday, May 16th, and specifically targeted the ports of Hodeidah and Salif—an action that, according to Jerusalem, was a response to the ongoing missile and drone attacks launched by the rebels.

Why Does America Need Both the F-22 and the F-35?

05/25/2025

The U.S. has two of the world’s four fifth-generation fighters, the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II. Owing to their similar names and appearances, the two planes have a tendency to be conflated—and the fact that both are produced by Lockheed Martin invites further confusion. But the two cutting-edge fighters are quite different in most respects. From speed to maneuverability to stealth to avionics, they were built for different missions.

U.S. Air Force Tests F-15E Fighter Jet with 42 APKWS II Rockets to Boost Defense Against Aerial Drones

05/25/2025

On May 22, 2025, The Merge published imagery of a U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle undergoing flight testing with an underwing loadout of 42 APKWS II 70 mm guided rockets, marking a substantial increase in munition capacity. Compared to the typical six air-to-air missile loadout, the integration of APKWS II enables the F-15E to carry up to 42 guided rockets, potentially increasing the number of engagement opportunities by a factor of seven against UAS and cruise missiles.

Will Sweden Build Its Own Sixth-Gen Fighter?

05/25/2025

Only time will tell whether or not Sweden’s domestically produced sixth-gen fighter will ever make it past the conception phase. The United States and China are not the only nations racing to build sixth-generation fighter programs. While Washington’s Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) family of systems and China’s J-36 fighter prototype continue to monopolize media headlines, other sixth-gen concepts have come to fruition in recent years.

Has China started serial production of the J-35A fighter jet to face the US-made F-35 in future conflicts?

05/25/2025

On May 21, 2025, the Weibo user posted images reportedly showing a green-painted J-35A fighter jet, a color typically associated with unpainted airframes or early production models, which led to speculation that the aircraft could be the first serial production J-35A. Although some internet sources and commentators claimed the aircraft was intended for Pakistan or had already entered operational service, such interpretations are not supported by any official statements.

NATO Scrambles Jets Over 'Dangerous' Russian Bomber Maneuvers

05/25/2025

Two NATO members have accused Russia of provocation along the alliance's eastern flank. Poland said on Thursday that its fighter jets had intercepted a Russian Su-24 bomber that performed "dangerous" maneuvers in international airspace over the Baltic Sea. The next day, Finland said it was investigating whether Russian aircraft had breached the NATO member's

South Korea Repairs Badly Damaged F-35 Lightning II Fighter Jets

05/24/2025

South Korea, with US support, restored a grounded F-35A by pioneering wing-removal transport. This saved millions of dollars and bolstered future repairs in the F-35 sustainment program. The US-led F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) aided the Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF) in refurbishing its damaged Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II, previously considered irreparable and a write-off. After colliding with an eagle, the RoKAF F-35A was forced to make an emergency landing.

Simulators and engines for Argentina’s F-16 fleet

05/24/2025

As part of the “Peace Condor” program, the Argentine Air Force (FAA) achieved two major milestones in May on its path toward full operational capability with F-16 fighter jets: its first participation in the global F100 engine users conference hosted by Pratt & Whitney, and the launch of a state-of-the-art tactical simulation center at the VI Air Brigade in Tandil.

Austria orders 12 Leonardo M-346 Block 20 light combat aircraft from Italy

05/24/2025

On 21 May, the Italian Ministry of Defence announced the signing of an intergovernmental agreement for the supply of 12 Leonardo M-346 FA (Block 20) light combat aircraft to Austria. The contract also includes a full mission simulator, IRIS-T short-range air-to-air missile integration, Link 16 data link, Nexter 20mm gun pods, LAU-32 rocket launchers, and Elbit SPEAR AECM pods for self-defence and electronic warfare.

Top And Largest Air Force In The World 2025: Growth Analysis - By Spherical Insights

05/23/2025

The capability of military aircraft is a crucial element of international defense strategies, serving as a foundation for rapid-response operations, force projection, and national security. Beyond defending their own borders, nations with the largest and most advanced military aircraft fleets by 2025 will significantly influence regional and international security dynamics. Fighter jets, bombers, transport aircraft, observation systems, aerial refuelers, drones, and early-warning aircraft.

China’s battle-tested J-10CE fighter wows crowds in Malaysia

05/23/2025

At the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition [LIMA] in Malaysia, which opened on May 20, 2025, China’s J-10CE fighter jet emerged as a focal point, drawing crowds of military officials, industry experts, and global defense enthusiasts.

Cubic Delivers First-Ever Encrypted Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation (ACMI) for 4th Gen Aircraft to the United States Air Force

05/23/2025

Cubic Defense, the world's leading provider of advanced air combat training, announces the delivery of the first-ever encrypted ACMI upgrade to 4th gen aircraft, following the recent U.S. Air Force Production award. The modernization delivers a new era of operational readiness, bringing a much-needed proficiency to the Warfighter.

U.S. Air Force sets new course with F-47 fighter, emphasising shared architecture and government control

05/23/2025

The United States Air Force will manage the F-47 fighter programme differently from previous efforts, with a focus on shared systems and greater government control, according to Gen. David Allvin, Air Force Chief of Staff. Speaking before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Allvin stated that the F-47 will share the same mission systems architecture as the Collaborative Combat Aircraft.

Allvin to Congress: USAF Will Have More Control of New F-47 Fighter

05/23/2025

The F-47 fighter will be run differently than previous fighter programs and share the same mission systems architecture as the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin told the Senate Armed Services Committee. That means advances in one will fuel advances in the other.

KAI has begun the final assembly of the first production KF-21 Boramae fighter jet, which will be used to equip the South Korean Air Force

05/22/2025

Yesterday, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), together with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), announced that the first production KF-21 Boramae fighter jet has entered its final assembly phase, bringing it one step closer to being incorporated into the South Korean Air Force in the near future. The news was confirmed during a ceremony held at the company’s facilities in the Sacheon region.

F-15E Strike Eagles To Leave England For Good

05/22/2025

The U.S. Air Force is planning to return its F-15E Strike Eagles from RAF Lakenheath in England and consolidate its fleet stateside. Currently, the F-15Es in the United Kingdom are the only permanently forward-deployed examples of the aircraft, which remain the service’s first choice for a wide variety of critical missions around the globe.

U.S. Air Force Leaders Urge Deep Tactical Shift with New F-47 and B-21 Aircraft to Counter China Threats

05/22/2025

In testimony before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, senior officials from the USAF and Space Force delivered a clear and urgent message: the American airpower structure is being recalibrated to address advanced threats from strategic competitors, with a sharp focus on tactical innovation and modernization of combat systems. With the rise of peer adversaries such as China, the Air Force leadership emphasized that maintaining tactical superiority requires a new generation of aircraft.

Ukrainian Drone Forces Strike russian Semiconductor Plant Linked to Missiles and Fighter Jets

05/22/2025

In the early hours of May 21, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, through coordinated efforts involving its Unmanned Systems Forces and other defense components, struck the Bolkhov Semiconductor Device Plant in russia's Oryol region, a facility crucial to Moscow's military-industrial complex.

Combat Losses Prompt Russia To Cancel A-100 AEW&CS Development, Report Claims; End Of “Eye In The Sky” Aircraft?

05/22/2025

On May 19, the FighterBomber Telegram channel—typically a reliable source for insights into Russian military aviation—suggested in a post that Russia’s A-100 AEW&CS development program had been canceled. The last official statement on the A-100 program was issued in December 2023, when Rostec reported that its subsidiary, Vega Concern, was delivering modernized A-50 AEW&CS aircraft to the Russian armed forces while concurrently developing the more advanced A-100 AEW&CS.

Air Force Secretary Affirms Plan to Send F-15EX Aircraft to Michigan Base, and on Time

05/21/2025

The secretary of the U.S. Air Force on Tuesday said future Pentagon spending will support President Donald Trump's decision last month to send F-15EX fighters to Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County, and that they would arrive on time in 2028 as Trump announced.

The F-35 Fighter Jet Now Has DAGGR-2 Data Sharing

05/21/2025

On Monday, aerospace giant Lockheed Martin announced that its Advanced Development Programs division, more commonly known as the “Skunk Works,” has achieved another significant milestone with the F-35 Lightning II. The company, working with the Danish Ministry of Defense (MOD), “completed a successful live F-35 interoperability demonstration,” the latest “success in a series of Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) demonstrations” involving the fifth-generation stealth fighter.