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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RAF surges reserve Voyagers into service as operational demands grow

For the first time, the RAF has surged two reserve Airbus A330-243 Voyager KC2/KC3 Multi-Role Tanker Transports – operated by the AirTanker consortium – into active service to cater for growing operational demands over Eastern Europe

The final Hustler built, B-58A 61-0280, displays the bare metal finish worn by the whole fleet. The aircraft is preserved at Pima Air & Space Museum, Arizona. (Mark Nicholls) Feature Premium

Convair B-58 Hustler – Mach 2 bomber

Mark Nicholls details the history behind the distinctive Convair B-58 Hustler and in this article from the August 1996 issue of ‘FlyPast’ lists the handful of survivors

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When an RAF Phantom shot down a 14 Sqn Jaguar

May 2022 marks the 40th anniversary of the RAF Phantom fleet’s one and only air-to-air ‘kill’. But, as Ian Black reveals, it was not a celebrated event

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UK MOD issues RFI for New Medium Helicopter programme

A much-anticipated Request for Information (RFI) was issued by the UK MOD on May 18 for the New Medium Helicopter (NMH) contract to supply up to 44 NMHs to replace existing rotorcraft systems for Army and Strategic Commands

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Green Mountain F-35 Lightnings

This year, Vermont’s 158th Fighter Wing made history as the first Air National Guard wing to be declared combat ready with the F-35A. Tom Kaminski outlines its history and fifth-generation transition

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REPORT: Israeli F-16Is continue to wage war on Syria's missile production facilities

Since 2017, the Israeli Air Force has been periodically attacking missile production facilities in Syria – with the latest assault occurring in April 2022. Air Forces Monthly details all six airstrikes, as well as the aircraft and squadrons that carried them out

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RAF reveals name of Dassault 900LX CSAT aircraft

A new aircraft type procured by the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a replacement for its BAe 146 fleet in the Command Support Air Transport (CSAT) role has been officially named.

RAAF to receive seven MQ-28A Ghost Bats within two years

In an Australian Liberal Government press release on May 15 Minister for Defence Peter Dutton revealed that seven Boeing MQ-28A Ghost Bat uncrewed autonomous air vehicles will enter Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) service within two years.

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QEAF's first marked Typhoon sighted and more F-15QAs are delivered

The first Eurofighter Typhoon destined for the Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF) performed a test flight at BAE System’s Warton Aerodrome in Lancashire on May 9, while six more Boeing F-15QA fighters arrived the same day at RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk, en route to Qatar

USAF and Lockheed Martin complete ARRW hypersonic flight test

The US Air Force and Lockheed Martin have conducted a hypersonic-boosted flight test of the AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon from the service’s B-52H Stratofortress

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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