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.

Feature Premium

Vulcan ops at Masirah

The RAF station at Masirah, off the Omani coast, was an unusual outpost for the Vulcan force usually stationed at Akrotiri, Cyprus, but it provided some memorable training 

News Freemium

Spain offers second-hand Eurofighters to Colombia

The Colombian Air Force received a new Eurofighter Typhoon proposal from the Spanish government in early December, with the proposed deal reportedly covering the supply of between 12-16 second-hand Tranche 2 Eurofighters from the Spanish Air and Space Force

Feature Freemium

Paveway and Litening: Key to the RAF Typhoon Force's successful strikes in Yemen

Alan Warnes explains how the RAF Typhoon FGR4s were capable of striking targets in Yemen – more than 1,500 miles (2,500km) away from RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus – with pin-point accuracy

News Freemium

US, UK strike Houthi targets in Yemen in retaliation to Red Sea shipping attacks

The US and UK – with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands – carried out joint retaliatory strikes on more than 60 targets at 16 different Houthi facilities across Yemen on January 12, with the aim of degrading the Iran-backed militant group from continuing their illegal attacks on multinational shipping vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden

News Freemium

USAF to replace Kadena's outgoing legacy Eagles with F-15EXs?

The USAF is reportedly considering a plan to permanently replace the legacy F-15C/D Eagle fighters assigned to the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, with a smaller number of new F-15EX Eagle IIs

News Freemium

US, Singapore plotting to base F-15SG Strike Eagles on Guam?

The USAF is assessing proposed infrastructure improvements at Andersen AFB, which would permit the basing of up to 12 Republic of Singapore Air Force-operated F-15SG Strike Eagle multi-role fighters and their relevant mission support infrastructure in Guam – a US island territory in the western Pacific Ocean

Canada formalises MQ-9B SkyGuardian purchase

Canada became the latest customer to acquire the MQ-9B SkyGuardian UCAV from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) on December 19, when it agreed to purchase 11 MQ-9Bs, six ground control stations and related support equipment and services for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) at a cost of $1.87bn

Best UK MoD aviation photos of 2023

A selection of some of the best photos of aviation released by the UK Ministry of Defence taken during 2023.

An F-86D-50-NA of the 513th Fighter Interception Squadron at Manston. Note the many vortex generators, including those on one of the NACA flush intakes for tailpipe cooling. All “Aeroplane” photographs Feature Premium

Revealing insights into UK-based USAF F-86D Sabres

A detailed report on the new capabilities provided by the F-86D from the April 22, 1955 issue of The Aeroplane

RAF Poseidon Force to gain UK-made Sting Ray torpedoes

The UK Ministry of Defence will integrate the British-made Sting Ray acoustic homing lightweight torpedo onto the RAF’s fleet of P-8A Poseidon MRA1 maritime patrol aircraft, with the munition set to augment the type’s current US-made Mk 54 Lightweight Torpedo

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.

Subscribe to Key.Aero

Become a part of our aviation community and subscribe to Key.Aero now. You can get all the aviation information you'll ever need, whenever you want, with access to all the latest aviation updates, news, events and more.