Airforce News

On this page you will find news from the world’s airforces including first flights, latest deployments, procurement programs, weapon upgrades, training and technology, fleet retirements, the changing operational theatres and missions.

Whether it is the RAF, France’s Armée de l’air or the United States Airforce, airforces around the world are buying new platforms, choosing between legacy fleets, which maybe Russian, European or American, and building their own domestic capabilities in sub-systems, missiles or whole aircraft.

Whether the manufacturing contracts are for domestic or foreign firms, worldwide instability is driving airforce fleet renewals, recapitalisation and investment in support infrastructure, military technology, offensive and defensive systems, from missiles, super and hypersonic, to chaff and directed infra-red countermeasures.

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Where will Ukraine's F-16s come from and how will pilots be trained?

Kyiv’s quest for Western-made fighters was handed a major boost of May 19, when US President Joe Biden backed international plans for Ukrainian Air Force pilots to be trained to fly the long-desired F-16 Fighting Falcon and for European operators of the multi-role fighter to transfer their ‘Vipers’ to Ukraine

Sweden receives first Grob G120TP basic trainers

Sweden’s Defence Materiel Administration revealed on April 4 that it has delivered the first of ten new Grob 120TP basic trainers to the Swedish Air Force – marking the first time in 11 years that the FMV has handed over a new aircraft to the air arm

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The Dambusters Today

Based at RAF Marham in Norfolk, 617 Squadron will remain as the UK’s frontline F-35B Lightning unit until 809 Naval Air Squadron stands up later this year. Officer Commanding 617 Sqn, Wing Commander Stew Campbell has a unique perspective on the 80th anniversary year, having been involved in the 70th anniversary commemorations in 2013.

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Dambusters in depth: The history of 617 Squadron

To mark the 70th anniversary of the Dambusters famous raid, in the May 2013 issue of FlyPast, Andrew Thomas examined the heritage of 617 Squadron – arguably the most famous RAF unit of them all

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Is the US starting to catch China and Russia in the hypersonic missile race?

Three years after the Pentagon confirmed that China had deployed its first operational hypersonic land-attack missile to its frontline forces, the US military is finally beginning to catch up with its rivals in the race to develop munitions capable of traveling five times the speed of sound, as David Axe reports

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Raptor Resurrected: USAF F-22A involved in 2018 mishap returns to flight

Five years after a failed take-off at NAS Fallon in Nevada left F-22A Raptor (serial 07-146) – assigned to the USAF’s 3rd Wing at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska – in a critical condition, the fifth-generation air superiority fighter has returned to the skies after a lengthy restoration and rebuilding process

Severe weather forces USAF tankers to vacate McConnell AFB

The USAF’s 22nd ARW at McConnell AFB, Kansas, was forced to relocate its tanker fleet – which comprises a number of KC-46A Pegasus and KC-135R/T Stratotanker aerial refuelling aircraft – out of state on May 11 due to a severe weather system that was scheduled to strike their home base later that day

Australian KC-30A conducts refuelling trials with JASDF F-15Js

The Royal Australian Air Force has completed air-to-air refuelling trials with Boeing F-15J/DJ Eagle fighters from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force for the first time

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Italian Air Force Panavia Tornados: everything you need to know

The Tornado has been in Italian service for more than 40 years and is set to bow out in 2025. Joe Campion details the type’s story

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GALLERY: Incredible photos of the Italian Air Force in action

To mark the 100th year of the Italian Air Force, Key.Aero presents a selection of amazing photos showing the myriad of aircraft operated by the Aeronautica Militare.

Your source for all the latest Airforce and military aircraft news

As the latest fifth-generation platform, the Lockheed Martin F-35 is in use globally for international partner airforces, from the United States Airforce (USAF) to the RAF and the Australian airforce, the sixth-generation fighters are already on the drawing board.

Find out which airforces are looking at virtual cockpits, networked platforms and piloted aircraft working with drone wingmen for the stealth fighters of the 2030s and discover which airforces are planning to replace their existing fleets with the fighter planes of the future.

Military Aircraft Retirement and Technology Updates

International forces around the world are deploying military aircraft manufactured in France, Russia and America including aircraft from Saab, France’s Dassault Rafale, Russian Mig-29s and the Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon, which it will operate for years to come.

What will also be flying well into the next decade is the USAF’s Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor air superiority fighter. The next decade will also see the USAF’s newest stealth bomber, the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider enter service, while the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress strategic bomber will be in its seventh decade of operational service after refurbishments and restorations. This page is the only place you need to be to find out all the latest news on retirements and new deployments.

Be the first to find out which existing platforms such as France’s Dassault Mirage 2000 light weight jet and the Eurofighter Typhoon are facing the need for wholesale technology updates. The Eurofighter is being upgraded for an electronic warfare role in the 2020s and the USAF is improving some of its Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcons with F-35 fifth generation technology.

From restorations to retirement and procurement, international projects for new networked technologies including piloted and autonomous platforms and the contracts to manufacture them, all of this fast-moving defence aviation news and analysis can be found here.

Related Airforce Topics

Want to find out more about other types of military aircraft? We have dedicated pages for the latest Military Aircraft Shows, Military Fighter Aircraft and all the latest cutting-edge Military Aircraft Technology.

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