Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Navy Secretary Nominee Touts Service’s NGAD, with Improved Range and Capacity

03/01/2025

The Navy’s secretive sixth-generation fighter—which will likely share attributes with the Air Force’s own Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter—will have substantially greater range and payload than its predecessors, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of the Navy said—indicating enthusiasm for the program amid uncertainty about both services’ path forward for advanced fighters.

Starmer: Britain Is Ready to Send Peacekeepers And Fighter Jets To Ukraine

02/28/2025

The United Kingdom is ready to send troops and combat aircraft to Ukraine for a peacekeeping mission. This was stated by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer after a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.

China denies selling Egypt J-10 fighter jets

02/28/2025

China today denied that the Egyptian Air Force received its first batch of J-10 fighter jets from China, state media reported. “It is inconsistent with the facts. Total fake news,” said Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian. Wu’s remarks came following various media reports that Egypt had received the jets from China. Daily News Egypt had reported on 13 February that Cairo received J-10 fighter jets from China.

The 56th Fighter Wing Is Ending F-16 Training—And Starting On The F-35

02/28/2025

The United States Air Force has begun to retire the oldest and least capable F-16 Fighting Falcons in its fleet, even as the newest models—the Block 40 and Block 50 versions of the Cold War aircraft—will remain in service until the early 2040s. Training options for the F-16 are already being scaled back, and the Air Education and Training Command announced that the final F-16 training unit at Luke Air Force Base (AFB), Arizona, had recently completed its final training sortie on Wednesday, Febru

Chinese military patrols Scarborough Shoal amid rising tension

02/28/2025

The Chinese military held a combat readiness exercise around a flashpoint with the Philippines in the South China Sea, its Southern Theater Command said, the latest exercise Beijing has undertaken in the region. The command on Thursday “organized naval and air forces to carry out combat readiness patrols in the territorial waters and airspace of China’s Huangyan Island and surrounding areas,” it said in a statement, referring to the disputed Scarborough Shoal by its Chinese name.

U.S. Air Force Tests Harpoon Missile Integration on F-16

02/28/2025

The 53rd Test and Evaluation Group completed an operational taxi test with a U.S. Navy AGM-84N Harpoon Block II+ anti-ship missile loaded on a U.S. Air Force F-16 in a demonstration of rapid weapons integration capabilities.

Taiwan spots 45 Chinese aircraft in 24 hours

02/27/2025

Taiwan said Thursday it had detected 45 Chinese aircraft near the self-ruled island, the highest number this year and a tally that comes a day after Taipei denounced China's "live-fire" drills off the south. In the 24 hours to 6:00 a.m., 45 Chinese aircraft and 14 warships were spotted near the island, the de-fense ministry said in a statement.

The F-15EX Can Hold Its Own Against Fifth-Gen Fighter, Claims Annual Report

02/27/2025

The Boeing F-15EX Eagle II has been touted as being a cost-effective alternative to the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II—despite a 2023 study that found the “flyaway” cost for the Eagle II was even higher than the Lightning II. Moreover, critics of the Boeing fighter have argued it is simply a new model of an old warbird—but one with a significant combat record that includes more than 100 aerial kills and no losses.

What Do Fighter Jet “Generations” Actually Mean?

02/27/2025

In many military publications, writers often discuss fighter aircraft in reference to the plane’s generation. For instance, the F-15 is a fourth generation aircraft; the F-22 is a fifth-generation aircraft; and the upcoming NGAD will be a sixth-generation aircraft. But for new readers, it may be difficult to understand what exactly constitutes a distinct fighter jet generation. So, let’s take a moment to work from the beginning, and explain each generation of fighter aircraft.

A joint project? Turkey’s KAAN fighter program attracts Gulf interest, exec says

02/27/2025

Turkey has seen “lots of interest” from foreign nations in potentially joining its next-generation fighter jet project, including from an unnamed Gulf country that is “seriously considering” joining development, a senior Turkish industry official told Breaking Defense. As of now, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) General Manager Mehmet Demiroglu said that the jet, known as KAAN, is under development only by Turkish companies as “there is no official [outside] participation yet.

Beyond F-35 & Su-57: How Can IAF Adopt A ‘System-Of-Systems’ Approach To Enhance Air Power?

02/27/2025

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the U.S. and Aero India 2025 took place simultaneously earlier this month. These events sparked a comparison between two modern combat aircraft—the stealthy F-35 and the aerobatic Su-57—both of which stole the limelight at the airshow.

F-22 Raptor Fired AIM-260 JATM In 1st Rendering! Now U.S. Navy Unveils Another Image Of Joint Armed Tactical Missile

02/25/2025

The rendering of the next-generation air-to-air missile was published by the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) of the US Navy. It was part of the portfolio overview of the Program Executive Office, Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons (PEO [U&W]), which contained a list of items from the Air-to-Air Missiles Program Office (PMA-259). The other items on the list were the AIM-174B, AIM-120D, AIM-9X, and their latest variants.

For India, it’s ‘Pick your fighter,’ as Delhi weighs US, Russian bids

02/25/2025

The cream of the U.S. and Russian air forces shared a runway at the recent Aero India 2025 exhibition in Bengaluru, as both the Lockheed Martin F-35A and Sukhoi Su-57E attempted to woo the Indian Air Force towards an unlikely deal. Emanating from opposing blocs, the surprising juxtaposition of these latest fifth-generation fighters at Aero India, held here Feb. 10-14, illustrates India’s non-aligned stance.

Argentina presents first Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter jet at official ceremony

02/25/2025

The Argentine Air Force has officially presented its first Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon at a ceremony held on 24 February 2025 at the Tandil military airbase, near Buenos Aires. The event was attended by Argentine government officials, including the Minister of Defence, as well as high-ranking military personnel.

Vietnam’s Urgent Air Force Overhaul: Exploring Fighter Jet Options Amid Global Tensions

02/25/2025

Vietnam’s People’s Air Force (VPAF) faces a critical challenge: replacing its aging fleet of fighter aircraft while simultaneously expanding its defense partnerships. The backbone of Vietnam’s air force, the Soviet-era Su-22 Fitter, is nearing obsolescence, with multiple recent crashes underscoring the urgency of modernization.

Taiwan tracks 12 Chinese ships, 5 military aircraft

02/24/2025

The Ministry of National Defense tracked 10 Chinese naval vessels, five military aircraft, and two official ships around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Sunday and 6 a.m. on Monday. Three of the five People’s Liberation Army aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the country’s southwestern and southeastern air defense identification zone, according to the MND. The MND also tracked two Chinese balloons to the north and over central Taiwan.

Cope North 2025 showcases advanced fighter integration with Pet-the-Jet Day

02/24/2025

A three-week multinational exercise involving more than 2,300 participants and 62 aircraft concluded Friday at Andersen Air Force Base in Yigo, marking significant advances in fifth-generation fighter integration among United States, Japanese, and Australian forces, the U.S. Air Force said. Cope North 2025, which began Feb. 3, focused on enhancing trilateral fifth-generation interoperability, particularly with F-35 operations, representing a shift from previous years' emphasis on ACE.

India’s naval aviation roadmap: NAMCA’s path to self-reliance

02/24/2025

The Indian Navy’s unveiling of its Naval Aviation Roadmap is more than a policy document—it is a declaration of intent. With the world’s naval forces moving decisively toward fifth-generation carrier-based airpower, India’s need for an indigenous naval stealth fighter is no longer a mere aspiration but a strategic imperative. The Naval Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (NAMCA), if realised, could define India’s maritime airpower trajectory for decades.

The sale to India fell through, and the Hellenic Air Force is rushing to sell its Mirage 2000-5 Mk II before they turn into scrap—could they now be sent to Ukraine?

02/24/2025

To reduce the "zoo" of aircraft in its air force, Greece plans to retire its Mirage 2000-5 Mk II while keeping three types of combat aircraft in service: Rafale, F-16, and eventually F-35, which are not expected to arrive before 2028.

F-35 snafu pushes Ukraine’s F-16 hopes a year down the line

02/22/2025

The delivery of Belgium’s promised F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine has hit yet another snag, with the first of the 30 aircraft now not expected to arrive in Kyiv until at least the end of 2025. This delay, announced on February 21, 2025, stems from a ripple effect caused by the United States’ lagging delivery of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters to Belgium, according to Belgian Air Force Chief of Staff General Frederik Vansina.

UAE expresses interest in joining Turkiye’s KAAN fighter jet project

02/22/2025

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has expressed significant interest in Turkiye’s national fighter jet project KAAN, signalling attempts by Abu Dhabi to deepen defence cooperation with Ankara. According to Turkish media, Turkish defence firms attracted considerable attention at the IDEX 2025 defence exhibition in Abu Dhabi this week, with a key interested party reportedly being the Emiratis and their defence companies.

Media show footage of F-16 fighter in combat on frontline

02/21/2025

Frontliner has released footage of an F-16 fighter jet in combat on one of the frontline directions, according to Frontliner founder and editor-in-chief Andrii Dubchak. "Silence. Frost. We are making a report on a heavy drone unit in the field. Suddenly, we hear a recognizable increasing roar of a jet engine, and a plane flies at ultra-low altitude towards the front, just beyond a nearby tree line," Dubchak described.

Advanced Fighter Engines Pass Design Review. Now Comes Fabrication Stage

02/21/2025

Engines from GE Aerospace and RTX’s Pratt & Whitney have cleared the Air Force’s “Detailed Design Reviews” for the Next-Generation Adaptive Propulsion program, paving the way for the engine-makers to build prototype ground demonstrators, the two companies announced separately. The plan is for the winner of the NGAP program to power the Air Force’s Next-Generation Air Dominance NGAD fighter.

Turkey will consider creating a carrier-based version of the KAAN fighter jet

02/21/2025

Turkey will consider creating a carrier-based version of the KAAN fighter jet based on a domestic aircraft carrier. Relevant discussions are ongoing between the Turkish Navy’s design office and Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI).

Backed By 175 Warplanes, F-35 Pilots ‘Drill’ In China’s Backyard; Both A & B Version Of Fighters Join Wargames

02/21/2025

The U.S. Air Force (USAF) is preparing its F-35 Lightning II pilots for a conflict in the Indo-Pacific amid the potential threat of a war with China. This was displayed at the recently-concluded ‘Bamboo Eagle’—USAF’s new advanced combat-readiness exercise. The U.S. Air Force Warfare Center recently wrapped up Bamboo Eagle 25-1 exercises. Over 10,000 troops from various Air Force major commands, the Joint Force, and allied air forces participated in the exercise, the USAF said in a statement on F