4/18/2024 Joint Strike Fighter expansion plan facing axe under government defence reprioritisation  Plans to purchase additional Joint Strike Fighter aircraft are being halted under sweeping defence changes unveiled by the Albanese government that would see Australia’s overall military budget almost double within a decade. On Wednesday, Defence Minister Richard Marles released Labor’s long awaited National Defence Strategy that includes plans to lift annual spending to around $100 billion by 2034. |
4/17/2024 Taiwan tracks 11 Chinese military aircraft, 8 naval ships around nation  The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 11 Chinese military aircraft and eight naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Monday (April 15) and 6 a.m. on Tuesday (April 16). Of the 11 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, six crossed the Taiwan Strait median line, one entered the southwest sector of the nation’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), and one helicopter was detected in the southeast ADIZ, according to the MND. |
4/17/2024 Japan's Next-Gen Fighter Jet and the Future of its Defense  Japan's next-gen fighter jet, increased collaborative efforts, and military spending signal a new, more proactive era in its defense strategy. The Japanese government's recent approval of exporting a next-gen fighter jet developed with Italy and Britain marks a significant milestone. It signals a new era in Japan's security outlook, emphasizing collaboration and innovation. |
4/17/2024 Argentine President Buys 24 F-16 Military Aircraft From Denmark  On Tuesday, Argentine President Javier Milei celebrated the signing of an agreement to purchase 24 F-16 fighter jets from the Danish Army. "The task we are carrying out is only possible because I am accompanied by a cabinet with extremely talented human beings," Milei told Defense Minister Luis Petri, who was at the Skrydstrup Air Base in Denmark. |
4/17/2024 Air Force secretary: Selfridge could 'potentially' get future fighter jet mission  The secretary of the U.S. Air Force said Tuesday that Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County would "potentially" be considered for a future fighter mission to replace the base's aging A-10 aircraft, "but at the current time we don't have an option to do that." Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall was testifying Tuesday morning before the Senate Committee on Armed Services. |
4/16/2024 France Approves Transfer of 30 Mirage 2009-E Fighter Jets from UAE to Morocco  France has authorized the transfer of 30 Mirage 2009-E aircraft from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Morocco. According to Spanish media, the transfer is part of a broader cooperation agreement that will see Abu Dhabi acquire 80 Rafales. |
4/16/2024 Russia's Su-57 Felon Fighter Nightmare Is Just Getting Started  As the Russo-Ukraine War continues into its third year, the limitations of the Russian military, particularly in controlling airspace, have become evident. Notably, the Sukhoi Su-57 “Felon,” a fifth-generation multirole fighter, has underperformed. Since its first flight in 2010, only about 32 Su-57s have been delivered, with production delays exacerbated by industrial bottlenecks. |
4/16/2024 The Navy's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Fighter Now Has the 'Stormbreaker'  The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, a mainstay of the U.S. Navy, has recently been enhanced with a significant capability upgrade, making it the first carrier-based aircraft to deploy the SDB-II, also known as the StormBreaker. This 250-pound precision-strike weapon is designed to handle adverse weather conditions and dynamic targeting scenarios, thanks to its tri-mode seeker that integrates infrared, millimeter wave radar, and GPS/INS systems. |
4/14/2024 Iran launches aerial attack on Israel in major escalation  Iran has launched dozens of aerial drones and missiles at Israel, marking a widely anticipated reprisal attack. It is the first such direct clash between the two enemies, who have been engaged in a years-long shadow war, with Iran using proxy forces. The Israeli military said Israel and other countries had intercepted hundreds of cruise missiles and drones, mostly outside Israeli airspace. |
4/13/2024 First KC-390 Military Transport Aircraft Lands in Kecskemét for Testing  From April 12, the KC-390 Millennium military transport aircraft manufactured for the Hungarian Defense Forces will stay at the Kecskemét (central Hungary) airbase for three weeks, Minister of Defense Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky informed MTI on Thursday. According to the statement, the Minister said that the testing schedule, which began after the aircraft’s first take-off on February 8, 2024, has entered its final phase, with ground and air tests being carried out in the final stages of the pro |