2/26/2026 Su-30SM Fighter Jet Crashes in Kazakhstan  A Su-30SM fighter jet of Kazakhstan’s Air Force crashed during a training flight, the country’s Defense Ministry said. The crew ejected in time and survived. A special commission set up by the Defense Ministry has launched an investigation to determine the exact causes and circumstances of the crash. |
2/26/2026 Four years of war: How many aircraft have Russia and Ukraine lost?  Four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, the air war over Ukraine remains finely balanced.
Russia entered the conflict with a vastly larger fleet, yet hundreds of confirmed and unconfirmed aircraft losses, ageing legacy jets and limited replacement capacity have steadily narrowed its effective strength. Ukraine, despite heavy attrition, has survived through dispersal, adaptation and Western fighter donations. |
2/26/2026 United States deploys over 300 military aircraft to Central Command area of responsibility, open sources indicate  Open-source data shows that more than 300 U.S. military aircraft are deployed to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) as tensions rise between Washington and Tehran. Hundreds of aircraft remain on standby ahead of a third round of indirect nuclear talks between the United States and Iran scheduled for Thursday in Geneva. |
2/26/2026 General Running Air Force Reserve Wants Surplus F-15E Strike Eagles, New F-15EX Eagle IIs  The commander of Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) has said that he would like to field F-15E Strike Eagle and F-15EX Eagle II combat aircraft to help the command meet its commitment to supporting the overall Air Force mission. AFRC commander Lt. Gen. John P. Healy was speaking at the Air & Space Forces Association’s annual Warfare Symposium, where TWZ is in attendance. |
2/26/2026 Saab To Fly Fighter-sized Uncrewed Aircraft Next Year  Sweden's Saab is preparing to make the first flight of an uncrewed fighter-sized demonstration aircraft in 2027. The project is gathering pace as the NATO member state solidifies a strategy for its future combat aircraft program by 2030 in a process that could see it partner with other nations or decide to go it alone. |
2/25/2026 Turkish F-16 Fighter Jet Crashes During Training Flight in Balikesir: Pilot Killed  A Turkish Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed during a mission flight in the early hours of February 25, 2026, resulting in the death of the pilot. The aircraft, assigned to the 9th Main Jet Base Command in Balikesir, went down around 00:50 local time (approximately 22:50 GMT on February 24). Communication via radio and radar tracking was lost shortly after takeoff at 00:56, and search-and-rescue operations confirmed the crash, with wreckage located at the site. |
2/25/2026 NGC Accelerating B-21 Raider Production  Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Air Force are accelerating production capacity of the B-21 Raider, delivering unmatched combat capability faster. The B-21 program showcases Northrop Grumman’s proven performance and relentless commitment to fielding advanced technologies and capabilities at the speed of need. |
2/25/2026 US Air Force tests F-22 control of MQ-20 drone in collaborative combat exercise  The US Air Force has conducted a live demonstration of manned-unmanned teaming, linking a crewed F-22 Raptor with an uncrewed MQ-20 Avenger in a flight test designed to explore how autonomous aircraft can support frontline fighters in future operations. |
2/25/2026 NG names YFQ-48A fighter drone Talon Blue  Northrop Grumman has officially named its YFQ-48A prototype Talon Blue, formally identifying the autonomous fighter drone developed under its company-funded Project Talon portfolio as part of ongoing work with the United States Air Force on future collaborative combat aircraft. |
2/25/2026 Iran army helicopter crashes into market, killing 2 pilots and 2 merchants  Two military pilots and two merchants have been killed after an army helicopter crashed into a fruit market in central Iran. The crash on Tuesday morning occurred in Dorcheh, a town in Isfahan province, where the army has a major airbase, according to state media, which said the cause was likely a technical fault in the aircraft. |