2/13/2026

Swedish Air Force to deploy Gripen fighters to NATO’s Arctic Sentry operation in High North

Sweden will contribute JAS 39 Gripen fighter aircraft to the newly established NATO operation Arctic Sentry, aimed at strengthening security in the Arctic and the High North, the Swedish Ministry of Defence said. The operation brings together ongoing and future NATO activities in the region to reinforce deterrence and stability.

2/13/2026

India approves $39 billion purchase of 114 Rafale jets ahead of Macron visit

India has approved the $39 billion purchase of 114 Dassault Rafale fighter jets, in an effort to bolster the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) operational readiness and modernize its military fleet. On February 12, 2026, the Defense Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired under the guidance of Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, backed the deal, along with the purchase of swathe of other military hardware including combat missiles.

2/13/2026

First Russian Su-57 Fighter Jet (Maybe) Spotted in Algeria

Russia’s Rosoberonexport arms exporter indicated last year that two Su-57s had already been sold abroad. One of them may have been seen for the first time. A video circulating on social media appears to show a Russian Sukhoi Su-57 flying over a field in Algeria. According to media reports, the short clip, which first appeared on the popular Chinese video-sharing platform TikTok, was recorded by a potato farmer near the Oum El Bouaghi Air Base, located outside of Ain Beida.

2/13/2026

China’s new maritime combat drone poised for global success: analysts

Beyond China’s ostentatious display of its J-35A fighter jet at the Singapore Airshow was a lower-profile piece of equipment, the new Wing-Loong X combat drone, which experts say is far more likely to find international success. Beijing banked on Asia’s largest aerospace event, organized here from Feb. 3-7, to flex its aviation muscle, in a bid to attract more customers.

2/13/2026

Fighter jets or missiles? Rethinking Brunei’s air defence priorities

As the skies over Southeast Asia grow more crowded and contested with advanced military aircraft, small countries can no longer assume that geography and diplomacy alone will guarantee security. For Brunei Darussalam, this raises a difficult but increasingly important question: should it invest in fighter jets to defend its airspace, or focus instead on building a surface-to-air missile air defence system?

2/12/2026

Did a Chinese Fighter Jet Try to Start a War with Taiwan in December?

During a series of air exercises in December 2025, a People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) J-16 fighter jet reportedly fired flares at a RoC Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon during the PLA’s “Justice Mission” exercises. The J-16 fired decoy flares towards the Fighting Falcon, which had been scrambled after the Chinese aircraft moved to cross the Taiwan Strait median line. The PLAAF J-16 then flew between the F-16s, which were seen as in the “firing position.”

2/12/2026

Think Tank Calls for Major Expansion of US Air Force Fleet to Counter China

A new policy paper by the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies argues that the US Air Force must expand its fleet of next-generation combat aircraft substantially to deter or prevail in a potential conflict with China. Titled Strategic Attack: Maintaining the Air Force’s Capacity to Deny Enemy Sanctuaries, the report calls for procuring far more sixth-generation fighters and long-range stealth bombers than currently planned.

2/12/2026

For US$328.5 million, Lockheed Martin will equip Taiwan’s Air Force F-16 fighter jets with new IRST21 systems

After completing at the beginning of 2024 the modernization to Block 70 of 139 aircraft, the Taiwan Air Force continues to advance in strengthening the combat capabilities of its F-16 fighters. The most recent milestone was the confirmation that Lockheed Martin will equip the Fighting Falcons with new Legion-ES infrared search and track systems —also referred to as IRST21— through a contract valued at US$ 328.5 million and encompassed within the United States Foreign Military Sales Program.

2/12/2026

U.S. Marine Corps selects GA-ASI YFQ-42A for MUX TACAIR Collaborative Combat Aircraft program

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has been competitively selected by the United States Marine Corps for evaluation in the Marine Air-Ground Task Force Uncrewed Expeditionary Tactical Aircraft (MUX TACAIR) Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. The agreement integrates GA-ASI’s expertise in autonomy and uncrewed aircraft systems with a government-provided mission package, using the YFQ-42A platform as a surrogate to assess integration with crewed fighters.

2/12/2026

The Royal Air Force is sending six F-35B fighters to RAF Akrotiri, a major British airbase in Cyprus—presumably for use against Iran

The Royal Air Force deployed six F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter jets to a key base in the Eastern Mediterranean in anticipation of a military clash between the United States and Iran. The stealth fighter jets will bolster British air power in the region—and are expected to play an important role in a potential conflict.