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.

Stunning aurora over HMS Prince of Wales

Personnel embarked aboard the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales were treated to a stunning display by the northern lights

News Freemium

Ukraine claims it shot down 13 Russian military jets in February

As of February 29, the Ukrainian Air Force (UkrAF) has claimed to have shot down a total of 13 Russian military fixed-wing aircraft since January 30, marking the highest number of Russian military jet losses in a single month and the greatest increase in results for Ukraine’s anti-air operations since October 2022

Hungary orders four more Gripen Cs

Saab inked a contract with the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) covering an order for four more single-seat JAS 39C Gripen multi-role fighters for the Hungarian Air Force (HuAF) on February 23

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The efforts to fly a Dutch F-104 again

In the March 2024 issue of Aviation News, Leonard van den Broek provides an update on efforts to return a Lockheed F-104 Starfighter to flight at Volkel Air Base in the Netherlands

News Freemium

Davis-Monthan AFB bids fond farewell to first ‘Warthog’

In line with the USAF’s plan to retire its entire fleet of A-10C Thunderbolt II close air support (CAS) aircraft within the next three-to-five years, the 355th Wing (WG) has withdrawn its first ‘Warthog’ from operational use at Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona, which shares an almost 50-year history with the type

New Zealand considers axing Super Seasprite helicopter fleet

The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is reportedly considering a move to axe its eight-strong fleet of SH-2G(I) Super Seasprite multi-role maritime helicopters as part of a 6.5% cut in defence spending – equivalent to NZ$150m (US$91.23m) – that has been requested by the New Zealand government

RAF Voyagers on patrol

An article from the AirForces Monthly Yearbook 2024, where Alan Warnes interviews the Officer Commanding of 101 Sqn about the increased taskings of the RAF’s Voyagers since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine

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B-1Bs arrive for first Bomber Task Force in Sweden

Two B-1B Lancers have touched down in Sweden to conduct the first US Air Force Bomber Task Force deployment in the Scandinavian country.

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How the RNLAF’s C-130 unit is transitioning to the MC-390

Joe Campion discovers how 336 Squadron of the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) plans to provide combat support while preparing for a brand-new aircraft type

WATCH the trailer for the new film of RAF Spitfire ace

The soon to be released film ‘Shamrock Spitfire’ tells the story Brendan “Paddy” Finucane – the legendary Irish pilot who became one of the most celebrated fighter aces of World War Two.

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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