WATCH: Canada’s debut in Exercise Cobra Warrior
Maple leaves are taking to the air now we are in autumn, however other ‘maple leaves’ are being seen airborne in the UK – namely those worn by Royal Canadian Air Force CF-188A Hornets and a CC-150T Polaris taking part in Exercise Cobra Warrior 23-2
RNLAF 313 Squadrons new Tiger tail anniversary jet
An exclusive first-look at the new 70th anniversary tail art on F-031
UK airpower in crisis amid growing threat of war, MPs say
The state of UK airpower and its inability to counter the growing threat of war has been laid bare in a damning report by an influential group of British MPs
Ex-USAF AT-6E Wolverines join the US Naval Test Pilot School
The US Naval Test Pilot School – a component of US Naval Air Systems Command’s (NAVAIR’s) Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) – has welcomed two newly acquired AT-6E Wolverine light attack aircraft to NAS Patuxent River in Maryland
GALLERY: Canadian Hornets in the Mach Loop during Cobra Warrior
McDonnell Douglas CF-188A Hornets of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) while deployed to the UK for Exercise Cobra Warrior 23-2 have also taken advantage of low flying areas for additional training
What is the USAF really doing with its secretive F-117A Nighthawk fleet?
Born in the ‘black world’, and operating in complete secrecy for the first years of its life, the F-117A has been doing much the same since its supposed ‘retirement’ in 2008. The veil of secrecy surrounding its operations since then has started to slip a little, however, as Jon Lake recounts
Romania pushes forward with quest to acquire F-35As
Romania’s Ministry of National Defence has formally submitted a request to the Romanian Parliament to approve the purchase of 32 fifth-generation F-35A Lightning II multi-role stealth fighters, local media reported on August 9
RAF Chinooks take part in Vortex Warrior at El Centro
Chinook HC5/HC6s and air/ground crews from the RAF’s No 27 Squadron at RAF Odiham, Hampshire, recently deployed to Naval Air Facility El Centro in California in August to conduct specialist desert flying training in Exercise Vortex Warrior
How Ukraine's venerable Su-24 fleet continues to be a thorn in Russia's side
The Ukrainian Air Force’s heavyweight Su-24 Fencer continues to be a burden to Russia’s war effort, moreso after it began employing Western air-launched cruise missiles earlier this year, as Vladimir Trendafilovski investigates
How was a Russian Mi-8 Hip pilot able to defect to Ukraine?
The Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine has published new details regarding the daring operation that was carried out by the Russian Aerospace Forces Mi-8AMTSh Hip tactical transport helicopter pilot, who defected to Ukraine last month
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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