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.

Greek F-4E Phantom II crashes into the Ionian Sea

An Hellenic Air Force-operated McDonnell Douglas F-4E (AUP) Phantom II crashed in the waters of the Ionian Sea, some 25nm (46km) south of Andravida – the type’s home base – on January 30

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BAE Systems: RAF’s Tranche 1 Typhoons could be upgraded and retained

BAE Systems has told MPs that the RAF’s ageing fleet of Tranche 1 Typhoon FGR4s – which is slated to be phased out of UK military service in 2025 – could be upgraded and retained for operational use

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How Portuguese Air Force TB-30 training course has evolved

Joe Campion visits Esquadra 101 ‘Roncos’, the main hub of Portuguese pilot training, as its students embark on a new syllabus

Russia receives another upgraded Tu-22M3 bomber

The United Aircraft Corporation has delivered another modernised Tu-22M3 Backfire-C supersonic-capable strategic bomber/missile carrier to the Russian Aerospace Forces’ Long-Range Aviation command

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Engine issues with RAF’s Hawk T2 fleet may take three years to solve

BAE Systems has said that technical issues with the Hawk T2’s Rolls-Royce/Turbomeca Adour Mk 951 non-afterburning turbofan engine could take between two and three years to resolve, leaving the fleet’s flying hours greatly reduced

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Lockheed Martin reveals cost of British F-35B procurement

Documents have revealed that the UK has paid $4.17bn (£3.36bn) in procuring its first 35 short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL)-configured F-35B Lightning II fifth-generation multi-role stealth fighters from Lockheed Martin

Russia marks key milestones in delivery of modernised Tu-160Ms

Russia has recently marked two key milestones regarding the delivery and testing of its newly modernised Tupolev Tu-160M Blackjack supersonic-capable strategic bomber/missile carrier fleet

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Saudi F-15 Eagles exercise with Hellenic Air Force

The Royal Saudi Air Force deployed six F-15 fighters to Souda Air Base on the Greek island of Crete to take part in Falcon Eye-3, a joint exercise with the Hellenic Air Force. George Karavantos reports.

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Want to buy a Gnat in Red Arrows colours?

A Folland Gnat and a full size replica Hawk, plus a range of aircraft parts are being offered for sale in an online auction.

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BBMF Hurricane and PA-28 seconds away from mid-air collision

A Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) Hawker Hurricane was seconds away from a head-on mid-air collision, the latest report from the UK Airprox Board (UKAB) has revealed.

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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