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. |
12/20/2025 South Korean firm to supply advanced displays for Air Force’s new F-15EX fighters  A South Korean defense technology firm will supply advanced cockpit displays for the U.S. Air Force’s new F-15EX Eagle II fighter jet and South Korea’s F-15K Slam Eagle under a new deal with Boeing. Hanwha Systems announced Thursday that it had signed a contract with the U.S. aircraft manufacturer to provide Eagle Large-Area Displays for both jets. |
12/20/2025 F-15EX Eagle II Fighter Resumes Production Post Delays  Following temporary production delays earlier this year, the US Air Force has resumed its deliveries of the new F-15EX Eagle II iteration to the Portland Air National Guard Base. Beginning in August, a strike affecting workers employed at Boeing’s St. Louis facility halted progress on the Eagle II’s production. However, following rounds of negotiations, members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 837 returned to work in November. |
12/20/2025 Radar, other upgrades planned for experimental US Air Force AI fighter  The Air Force is upgrading its experimental, autonomous X-62 VISTA aircraft with new radar and other mission systems to expand its ability to conduct complicated tests of artificial intelligence technology. The X-62 VISTA, which stands for Variable Stability In-flight Simulator Test Aircraft, is now undergoing a comprehensive mission systems upgrade, according to a Thursday statement from Edwards Air Force Base in California. |
12/19/2025 Israel Worries as Qatar Eyes F-35 Jets  For more than half a century, the United States has worked to ensure Israel’s qualitative military edge in the Middle East. That could change if Qatar gets the F-35 Lightning II. Israeli officials are growing more concerned regarding Qatar’s renewed interest in a potential F-35 Lightning II acquisition deal with the United States. According to a Channel 12 news report, Washington appears to be weighing the possible arms deal. |
12/19/2025 Bulgaria holds official ceremony for completion of delivery of first eight F-16s  Bulgarian government ministers and representatives of the US as well as of F-16 manufacturer Lockheed Martin attended an official ceremony on December 18 at Graf Ignatievo air base for the completion of deliveries of the fighter jets under the 2019 initial contract. |