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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First flight of the Republic F-84 Thunderjet

On 28th February 1946, the Republic F-84 Thunderjet made its first flight. Despite coming up against several issues in the initial stages, it went on to become an extremely successful and well-loved aircraft

F-111E exercises and weapons detachments

Lt Col Nick Frasca (ret’d) recalls the exercises and weapons detachments he participated in while flying with the 20th Tactical Fighter Wing

Flying the F-111E in the UK, roles and memorable sorties

Lt Col Nick Frasca (ret’d) recalls what it was like flying in the UK and describes a typical F-111 low-level training sortie

Upper Heyford F-111 Pilot Interview – Cold War Tales - Full length

Former USAF F-111 pilot Lt Col Nick Frasca (ret’d) gives fascinating insights into this potent fighter-bomber and recounts some flying experiences while based RAF Upper Heyford with the 20th Tactical Fighter Wing

Flying different variants of the F-111

In the second part of our interview with Lt Col Nick Frasca (ret’d) he details his flying career and the main differences between variants of F-111

US to send F-35s, AH-64s and troops to bolster NATO’s eastern flank

The US announced on February 22 that it will further bolster the defence of NATO’s eastern flank with additional European-based troops, F-35A Lightning II fifth-generation multi-role stealth fighters and AH-64 Apache attack helicopters

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EXCLUSIVE: RAF's new AOC No 1 Group talks Combat Air and ISTAR forces

Air Vice Marshal Ian Duguid moved sideways from his role as the head of the RAF’s 11 Group, tasked with multi-domain integration, to the 1 Group, running the combat air force fleet and surveillance aircraft. We recently caught up him with him to find out more

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Victor at war in the Gulf and Falklands conflict

Thankfully, the Victor was never used in the role it was originally designed for, but it played an important supporting role in the Falklands conflict (1982) and Gulf War One (1991). Chris Pierce reports.

Chinese Navy ship lases RAAF Poseidon near Australia

While a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft was conducting a routine surveillance flight over Australia’s northern approaches on February 17, it detected a laser illuminating the aircraft.

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Putin shows his hand as Russian forces move into Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin stunned the world on February 21, 2022, when he signed an agreement that formally recognises two proxy states in eastern Ukraine as independent regions - much to the dismay of the global political community. We detail what this move means for the ongoing crisis and where Russia's air assets are currently deployed in the region

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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