Air Forces

Latest in Air Forces

Our Best Look At Ukraine’s ‘FrankenBuk’ Air Defense System
Air

Our Best Look At Ukraine’s ‘FrankenBuk’ Air Defense System

By Thomas Newdick

Posted Yesterday

France's President Emmanuel Macron (C) delivers a speech in front of a Dassault Mirage 2000 (L) and a Dassault Rafale (R) fighter aircrafts during his visit of the French Air and Space Force (Armee de l'air et de l'espace) Luxeuil-Saint-Sauveur Airbase in Saint-Sauveur, north-eastern France on March 18, 2025.
Air

France To Expand Its Nuclear Deterrent With New Air Base

By Thomas Newdick

Posted Yesterday

J36 second flight from its base in Chengdu.
Air

China’s J-36 Tailless Stealth Fighter Seen Flying For Second Time

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Mar 17, 2025

Israel has confirmed that its F-35 stealth fighters have flown airstrikes using external ordnance. The F-35’s so-called ‘beast mode,’ featuring heavier loads on underwing pylons, is well known by now, but as far as is known, has not been called upon operationally by any other countries. Meanwhile, Israel’s unique F-35I fleet — locally known as the “Adir” (Hebrew for mighty) — which features various local modifications, has frequently been at the forefront of demonstrating new capabilities.
Air

Israeli F-35s First To Use ‘Beast Mode’ In Combat

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Mar 17, 2025

New imagery shows the progress made on North Korea’s shadowy airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, based on an Ilyushin Il-76 Candid airlifter, and which you can read more about in our analysis of when it first broke cover. Since the start of this year the aircraft now had its rotodome fitted, putting paid to any suggestion that it’s intended for a role other than AEW&C.
Air

Our Best Look At North Korea’s New Early-Warning Radar Plane

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Mar 14, 2025

F-15EX deliveries accelerating.
Air

F-15EX Production Heats Up

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Mar 13, 2025

B-52 Re-Engining Plan Comes Into Sharper Focus
Air

B-52 Re-Engining Plan Comes Into Sharper Focus

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Mar 13, 2025

Dutch frigate fires Tomahawk
Air

Tomahawk Cruise Missile Fired By Dutch Navy Frigate For First Time

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Mar 12, 2025

B-21 refueling requirements are pushing rethinking of tanker needs.
Air

B-21 Aerial Refueling Demands Further Point To It Being A Stealthy Flying Gas Can

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Mar 7, 2025

The U.S. Air Force's new Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones are being developed around fundamentally different understandings of maintenance, logistics, and sustainment, with a heavy focus on commercial-of-the-shelf components, than the service's existing crewed and uncrewed platforms.
Air

Collaborative Combat Drones Designed From Ground Up To Do Logistics Differently

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Mar 6, 2025

F-16 Fighting Falcons from Kunsan Air Base and South Korean KF-16s taxi to the runway together during Exercise Buddy Wing 14-8 at Seosan Air Base, Republic of Korea Aug. 21, 2014. The purpose of the exercise was not only to improve interoperability between U.S. Air Force and ROKAF fighter squadrons, but to practice with ROKAF KF-16 units for their first upcoming RED FLAG exercise in Alaska.
Air

South Korean F-16s Just Bombed A Town By Accident

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Mar 6, 2025

U.S. Air Force officials remain focused on the ability to disperse forces to far-flung operating locations as the primary means of reducing vulnerability to enemy attacks.
Air

USAF Generals Downplay Calls For More Hardened Aircraft Shelters In Pacific Theater

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Mar 5, 2025

A U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle conducts combat patrols over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility Oct. 20, 2024. The F-15E is deployed within the USCENTCOM AOR to help defend U.S. interests, promote regional security, and deter aggression in the region.
Air

F-15’s New EPAWSS Electronic Warfare Suite Already Has Successor In Development

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Mar 5, 2025

Lockheed Martin has revealed more about its Common Multi-Mission Truck (CMMT, pronounced ‘comet’), a revised design based on its Speed Racer air vehicle, a missile-shaped uncrewed system you can read more about here. The CMMT is now said to be a family of systems, intended to yield low-cost air vehicles designed for a wide range of missions.
Air

Lockheed’s Low-Cost Cruise Missile ‘Truck’ Is Now In Testing

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Mar 5, 2025

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), has revealed that its jet-powered MQ-20 Avenger drone, equipped with U.S. government-provided autonomy software, took part in a recent Orange Flag test exercise. This is the latest milestone for the Avenger, which has been heavily involved in the testing of different artificial intelligence-driven autonomy systems for several years now.
Air

MQ-20 Avenger Tests ‘Hivemind’ AI In Orange Flag Exercise

By Thomas Newdick, Howard Altman

Posted on Mar 5, 2025

A deep review of the U.S. Air Force's paused plans to acquire a new crewed sixth-generation stealth combat jet came to the unambiguous conclusion that the service needs such an aircraft to be best positioned to achieve air superiority in future high-end fights.
Air

Next Generation Fighter Critical To Future Air Superiority, Key USAF Study Concluded

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Mar 5, 2025