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.

Romania suspends all MiG-21 LanceR flight operations

The Romanian Air Force has suspended all flight activities with its ageing Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 Lancer B/C fleet to improve aviation safety and prevent further attrition events involving the Soviet-era fighter

Production of first two RNZAF Poseidons gets underway

The Royal New Zealand Air Force's first and second P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft are now being manufactured by Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems teams in the US

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The RAF’s first Javelin squadron

In its July 13, 1956 issue ‘The Aeroplane’ reported on No. 46 Squadron at RAF Odiham which was putting the Javelin through its paces in terms of trials and tactics development

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ANALYSIS: What Russian air assets are currently operating from Belarus?

Belarus has provided Russian Aerospace Forces with a crucial launch pad for operations over Ukraine. Tim Ripley details which Russian air assets are currently operating from various locations across Belarus

RNLAF set to begin MQ-9A operations later this month

Having received its first three MQ-9A Block 5 RPAS and two mobile ground control stations from GA-ASI, the Royal Netherlands Air Force is now set to launch operations with the Reaper before the end of April

Chinooks at RAF Odiham News Premium

Clean up of huge diesel leak at RAF Odiham begins

The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded a contract to clean up a fuel spill at RAF Odiham air base, following an equipment failure last year which resulted in up to 31,000 litres of diesel escaping into the local environment

Swedish Gripen C/D upgrade aims to keep type relevant until mid-2030s

Sweden’s Defence Materiel Administration has contracted Saab to upgrade the Swedish Air Force’s entire JAS 39C/D Gripen fleet in a bid to keep the multi-role fighters operationally relevant until the mid-2030s

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Ukraine-Russia War: Analysing the First Month

As Vladimir Putin redirects forces to the Russian-controlled Donbas and Crimean regions, evidence of possible war crimes is coming to light. Khalem Chapman charts recent key events in the conflict

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USAF releases report into $10m B-2 landing incident

An abbreviated Accident Investigation Board report into the incident on September 14, 2021, involving a B-2A Spirit at Whiteman Air Force Base (AFB) in Missouri has been released by Air Force Global Strike Command.

AERALIS receives further RAF support as development progresses

UK-based start-up military jet developer, AERALIS, announced on April 11 that it has received “significant further investment” from the Royal Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office under the UK MOD’s wider PYRAMID open mission system architecture programme

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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