F-35s for India: Is America About to Make a Big Stealth Sale
New Delhi still likes Russian technology, but Washington is trying to make a sale and enhance American-Indian ties. If a deal happens, it will further remove India from Russia’s influence. When the Times of India revealed that the Indian air force was revising its single-engine fighter competition to encompass twin-engine jet designs, a collective groan likely rang from New Delhi to Washington—and even Stockholm. This first appeared in 2018 and is being reposted due to reader interest. The competition was meant to acquire a new generatio…
F-35B jets out of Japan make debut at Australia’s Pitch Black exercise
DARWIN, Australia — The F-35 fighter jet is making its debut at the multinational Pitch Black exercise in Australia, with U.S. Marine Corps “B” variants participating in drills there in the lead-up to the main event. The 12 F-35B short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing aircraft were practicing the Corps’ concept known as “Expeditionary Advanced Basing Operations” at RAAF Base Curtin, according to Lt. Col. Richard Behrmann, an operations officer at Marine Aircraft Group 12 based in Iwakuni, Japan. The F-35Bs have been deployed to RAAF Base Tindal, 6…
US Air Force Awards Boeing $1.2 Billion for 8 F-15EX
The U.S. Air Force has awarded a contract to acquire its first fourth-plus-generation F-15EX fighter aircraft from Boeing Co. The service said Monday that the nearly $1.2 billion contract will cover eight jets, including initial design, development, test and certification, plus spare parts and support equipment, training and technical data, and delivery and sustainment costs. "The F-15EX is the most affordable and immediate way to refresh the capacity and update the capabilities provided by our aging F-15C/D fleets," Gen. Mike Holmes…
Taiwan grounds F-16 fighters as search continues for downed jet
Taiwan grounded its F16 fleet as a search was underway to locate a fighter jet that plunged into the sea, the air force said on Tuesday. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen in F-16V The F-16V, one of Taiwan’s most advanced fighter jets, disappeared from radar screens around half an hour after taking off for a routine training flight from a base in the city of Chiayi, the air force said. The pilot was identified as 28-year-old captain Chen Yi, who joined the air force in 2020. Taiwan’s national rescue centre reported that people saw the jet “crash…
With J-31 Flight, China Makes a Statement
ZHUHAI, CHINA — When China’s stealthy, twin-engine J-31 took to the skies over Airshow China in Zhuhai last week, the skies were cloudy, but the message the country wanted to send was clear. Beijing not only plans to sell a new fighter — it also wants to sell itself on the world stage. “I think the public unveiling of J-31 certainly shows the Chinese military is now more confident and transparent,” said Wang Dong, director of the School of International Studies, Center for Northeast Asian Strategic Studies, Peking University. Beijing…
Indian air force and royal air force of oman chiefs review exercise eastern bridge-iv at jamnagar
Indian air force and royal air force of oman chiefs review exercise eastern bridge-iv at jamnagar. The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa PVSM AVSM YSM VM ADC and Commander of Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) Air Vice Marshal Matar Ali Matar Al-Qbaidani reviewed today the progress of fourth joint Indo-Oman Air Exercise Eastern Bridge IV at Air Force Station Jamnagar which commenced on 16 Jan 2017. During review the Chief of the Air Staff and Commander of Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) interacted with the participa…
DefenseNews: Look at the military firepower the US is providing to Israel
DefenseNews : Within hours of the horrific attack by Hamas, the U.S. began moving warships and aircraft to the region to be ready to provide Israel with whatever it needs to respond. A second U.S. carrier strike group departs from Norfolk, Virginia, on Friday. Scores of aircraft are heading to U.S. military bases around the Middle East. Special operations forces are now assisting Israel’s military in planning and intelligence. The first shipment of additional munitions has already arrived. For now, the buildup reflects U.S. concern that the de…
US needs new stealth fighter to combat China's J-31: expert
China recently demonstrated its second fifth-generation stealth fighter, the J-31, for the 10th Zhuhai Airshow held in Guangdong from Nov. 11-16. Dave Majumdar, an American defense expert, thus suggests in Washington's National Interest that the US must put the F-35 into service or develop new fighters to face this challenge. China has come to realize that fourth-generation fighters such as the J-10, J-11, Su-27 and Su-30 will be obsolete when facing American fifth-generation stealth fighters like the F-22 and F-35, an officia…
Zhuhai Airshow 2024: China Showcases Advanced Military Aircraft, Including the J-35A Stealth Fighter
DefenseNews : The Zhuhai Airshow, one of the world's most prominent aerospace exhibitions, offered an impressive showcase of China’s advancing military aviation capabilities in 2024. Held in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, the event featured state-of-the-art aircraft, drones, and weapon systems, highlighting China’s strategic efforts to modernize its military technology and establish itself as a leader in global aerospace innovation. J-35A Stealth Fighter Debut A standout revelation at the show was the J-35A, a fifth-generation carrier-based s…
Taiwan Approves Major Defense Budget as China Pressure Intensifies
Taiwan strengthens military readiness amid rising Chinese pressure. Taiwan’s latest defense budget signals a major acceleration in military modernization as Taipei expands missile defense, drone warfare, and U.S. weapons procurement to counter growing Chinese military pressure in the Indo-Pacific. Taiwan’s parliament has approved a massive new defense spending package aimed at accelerating the island’s military modernization amid intensifying pressure from China and rising uncertainty across the Indo-Pacific security environment. The decision …
What If the First Strike Is Invisible? Inside the JASSM Missile Changing How Wars Are Fought
WARNING: What if the next full-scale war begins not with exploding bombs or invading tanks, but with a stealth missile you never saw coming, striking from hundreds of kilometers away, deep inside your borders, before your air defenses even knew it was coming? This is the chilling reality of modern long-range precision weapons like the AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM), a weapon so advanced that it can decide the outcome of a conflict before it starts. Imagine a missile launched from a fighter jet flying well outside hos…
Amazing Military Aviation Technologies of the Near Future
Defense News: While there won't be any grunts manning the rotors of a $6 million military helicopter anytime soon, there could still be some qualified to fly them. The secret is in advanced drone technology that makes the task as easy as flying an off-the-shelf quadcopter back home. All they need is a tablet device. If it sounds outlandish, Marine Corps infantrymen have already flown a UH-1H Huey after a few hours of instruction, using a tablet and a laptop computer. In 2017. Spearheading the drive to autonomous helicopters an…
DefenseNews: Chinese, Russian long-range bombers make reciprocal base visits
MELBOURNE, Australia – Chinese and Russian long-range bombers made reciprocal visits to each other’s bases following a joint patrol over regional waters, marking the first such visit following a bomber patrol involving the two countries. The patrol over the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea on Wednesday was undertaken by a pair of Tupolev Tu-95MS “Bear” bombers of the Russian long-range aviation forces and a similar number of Xi’an H-6Ks from of China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force or PLAAF, according to a statement from the Russian de…
Israel’s New KC-46 Tanker Signals Major Shift in Middle East Airpower Balance
Israel expands long-range strike reach with strategic tanker capability. Israel’s first KC-46 aerial refueling aircraft has completed its maiden flight, marking a major leap in Israeli Air Force operational reach and strategic strike capability. The platform significantly strengthens Israel’s long-range deterrence posture against Iran while enhancing regional power projection, endurance, and multi-domain operational flexibility across the Middle East. Israel’s successful maiden flight of its first KC-46 Pegasus aerial refueling aircraft mark…
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