12/23/2025 Editors’ picks for 2025: ‘More F-35s, more tankers: a reliable way to strengthen Australian deterrence’  If the Chinese navy’s task group sailing around Australia a few weeks ago showed us anything, it’s that Australia has a deterrence gap so large you can drive a ship through it. Waiting for AUKUS or hoping Australia’s troubled shipbuilding program will deliver—in the 2030s—is a recipe for annual panic about grey zone coercion as Chinese deployments become routine. |
12/23/2025 Lockheed?Martin?and?MANTECH?Partner To Advance AI Based Sustainment For U.S. Combat Aircraft Fleet  Lockheed Martin and MANTECH today announced a strategic teaming agreement to integrate advanced AI driven sustainment solutions into the U.S. combat aircraft fleet. Through this effort, we will deliver real-time aircraft performance monitoring, predictive maintenance, optimized logistics support and improved mission availability across legacy and next-generation platforms, while adhering to the highest standards of security. |
12/23/2025 Air Force designates Northrop Grumman’s Talon prototype as YFQ-48A  The U.S. Air Force announces the designation of YFQ-48A as the Mission Design Series for Northrop Grumman’s Project Talon, a semi-autonomous prototype aircraft. This designation marks a key step forward in the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, underscoring the Air Force’s commitment to rapidly delivering next-generation capabilities that meet the urgent and evolving needs of the warfighter. |
12/23/2025 Russia begins flight tests of Su-57 fighter with new fifth-generation engine  Russia has begun flight testing a new engine on its Sukhoi Su-57 fifth-generation fighter as part of an effort to introduce a more powerful and efficient powerplant on future versions of the aircraft. |
12/23/2025 Ukraine said it sneaked into a guarded Russian airbase and destroyed 2 jets worth up to $100 million combined  Ukraine said it destroyed two more Russian fighter jets by sneaking into an airfield hangar over the weekend, estimating the destroyed aircrafts' combined worth at up to $100 million. The hits add to the large haul of Russian jets Ukraine says it has been able to strike even at bases hundreds of miles from the front lines. Business Insider was not able to independently verify Ukraine's claim. |
12/22/2025 Saab submits proposal for Canadian Gripen and GlobalEye production with over 12,000 jobs .jpg) Saab has submitted proposals to the Canadian government to build Gripen fighter jets and GlobalEye surveillance aircraft in Canada, with the potential to create 12,600 jobs. Local media reported that the plan includes domestic production for export markets, including Ukraine, following recent U.S. tariffs that have affected Canadian industry. |
12/22/2025 Pakistan to strike multi-billion-dollar fighter jet deal with Haftar  The Times of Islamabad newspaper has revealed that Pakistan and Benghazi are in the process of signing a major defense memorandum of understanding that could include the supply of 16 to 18 JF-17 Thunder fighter jets, in a deal estimated to be worth several billion dollars. |
12/21/2025 Switzerland needs more fighter jets: Could Saab’s Gripen be a viable option?  Switzerland’s decision to cap spending on its F-35A fighter programme has raised an obvious follow-on question: could Bern look beyond Lockheed Martin to fill a growing gap in its future fighter force? While the country remains contractually committed to the F-35, rising costs and a reassessment of Switzerland’s long-term air defence needs have created tension at the heart of its procurement strategy. |
12/21/2025 Japan’s Fleet of F-35 Fighter Jets Is Growing. So Are Its Military Bases  Japan is the largest operator of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fifth-generation stealth fighter. There are currently 105 F-35As, the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variants, and 42 F-35Bs, the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) models now in service. Three squadrons operate the F-35A at Misawa and Komatsu air bases, and as additional aircraft are received, each base will host two squadrons. |
12/21/2025 SBU Successfully Destroys Two Russian Su-27 Jets in Crimea Attack, Damages Control Tower Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) successfully struck two Russian Su-27 fighter jets at the Belbek military airfield in temporarily occupied Crimea, SBU wrote in Telegram on December 20. One of the jets, fully equipped with munitions and ready for combat, was destroyed in the attack. The estimated value of the two aircraft is around $70 million. |