3/3/2026 Rolls-Royce boss ‘open’ to Germany joining UK’s fighter jet project  The boss of Rolls-Royce has said he would welcome Germany helping to build Britain’s next-generation fighter jet, arguing it would bring in more business for the project. The aircraft, designed to replace the Eurofighter Typhoon, is a joint effort between the UK, Italy and Japan. Rolls-Royce is building the engine for the jet, which has attracted fresh attention as plans for a rival Franco-German warplane edge towards collapse. |
3/3/2026 The US Badly Wants Portugal to Reconsider Buying the F-35  Portugal quit the F-35 program last year amid political disagreements with the Trump administration, and has shown few signs of wanting to return. The United States ambassador to Portugal is reportedly attempting to woo Lisbon back to the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, months after the NATO member withdrew from a deal to obtain the multirole fighter. |
3/3/2026 U.S. Deploys Broad Mix Of Military Aircraft In Iran Strikes  U.S. Central Command said American forces have used more than 20 types of aircraft, ships, missiles and other systems in strikes on Iranian targets as part of Operation Epic Fury. According to Stars and Stripes, CENTCOM said the operation involved “the largest regional concentration of American military firepower in a generation.” The campaign began Feb. 28 in coordination with Israeli forces. U.S. officials said more than 1,000 targets were struck in the opening phase. |
3/2/2026 Iran deploys Yak-130 jets for drone patrols over Tehran  Iran has deployed Yak-130 advanced jet trainer aircraft in air patrol missions over Tehran, where the aircraft have been observed armed with air-to-air missiles and tasked with countering unmanned aerial threats. Reports citing aviation observers indicate that Yak-130 aircraft of the Iranian Air Force were seen conducting patrol flights alongside MiG-29 fighter interceptors over Tehran.
|
3/2/2026 U.S. Forces destroy Iranian Su-22 combat aircraft  United States Central Command released new video footage showing precision airstrikes against Iranian military targets, including the destruction of at least two Su-22 fighter jets positioned at a military airfield in Iran. In a statement accompanying the video, U.S. Central Command said: “U.S. forces are taking bold action to eliminate imminent threats posed by the Iranian regime. Strikes continue.” |
3/2/2026 Qatar says its air force shot down 2 Iranian warplanes  The Gulf state of Qatar says its air forces shot down two Iranian warplanes. The Qatari Defense Ministry said in a statement Monday that its forces downed two Sukhoi Su-24s, Soviet-era bombers. |
3/2/2026 Kuwait: Several U.S. military planes crash; all crew members survived  Several U.S. military aircraft crashed in Kuwait on Monday, as Iran launched retaliatory strikes against Israel and U.S. targets across the Middle East. The number of aircraft downed was not mentioned in the Kuwaiti Defense Ministry statement, reported by the official state Kuwait News Agency, nor was the cause of the crashes. |
3/2/2026 Retired U.S. General slams U.S. delay in fighter transfers to Ukraine  Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. David Deptula criticized U.S. policy on military assistance to Ukraine during a Substack Live podcast hosted by military historian Phillips P. O’Brien, arguing that Washington delayed providing key combat capabilities early in the war because American leaders were deterred by Russian rhetoric. |
3/2/2026 Israeli Air Force deploys F-35I Adir fighter fleet in Operation Roaring Lion amid pngoing strikes on targets in Iran  The Israeli Air Force is using its most advanced combat aircraft, the F-35I Adir, in strikes on targets in Iran. These aircraft are adapted to Israeli requirements and represent a customized version of the fifth-generation Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II. |
3/2/2026 A, B, C: What’s the difference between the different Lockheed Martin F-35 variants?  To maintain combat dominance across air, land, and sea, the multirole F-35 strike fighter is available in three major variants: a conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant, a short/vertical takeoff and landing (SVTOL) variant, and a carrier-based variant. |