Air-To-Air

Latest in Air-To-Air

Kuwait F/A-18 shoot down up for debate.

AIM-9 Sidewinder

Kuwaiti F/A-18’s Triple Friendly Fire Shootdown Gets Stranger By The Day

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Mar 6, 2026

The U.S. Air Force has given us our first look at one of Anduril's YFQ-44 Fury ‘fighter drone’ prototypes carrying an inert AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM).

Anduril’s Fury Collaborative Combat Aircraft Is Now Flying With AIM-120 AMRAAM

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Feb 24, 2026

The U.S. Navy is exploring options for a new long-range anti-radiation missile designed to home in on radars to help neutralize enemy air defense networks.

Hunt For “AWACS Killer” Anti-Radiation Missile Kicked-Off By Navy

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Feb 20, 2026

General Atomics' air-launched LongShort drone has made new progress toward its first flight with the completion of various tests on the ground, including a demonstration of its weapons release capabilities.

X-68A LongShot Air-To-Air Missile-Carrying Drone Moves Closer To F-15 Launch

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Feb 17, 2026

Earlier this week, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense confirmed that the Meteor was one of the weapons under discussion for the next Swedish security aid package for Ukraine. Also on the agenda were the Gripen E and undisclosed air defense systems, Saab radars, electronic warfare systems, and drones, including long-range one-way attack drones. The announcement came after talks between the Ukrainian Minister of Defense Mykhailo Fedorov and his Swedish counterpart, Paul Jonsson.

Meteor Long-Range Air-To-Air Missile In The Works For Ukraine, But There’s A Catch

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Feb 4, 2026

One of the most enigmatic weapons in the arsenal of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), the PL-17 very long-range air-to-air missile, appears to have been shown for the first time at close quarters.

China’s Massive PL-17 Air-To-Air Missile Seen Up Close

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jan 28, 2026

Celebrations for the 80th anniversary of the Korean People’s Air Force (KPAF) provided an apparent first look at three new types of air-launched weapon, intended to arm the KPAF’s Su-25 Frogfoot ground-attack aircraft, and potentially others. The event also yielded a better look at the country’s ‘copycat’ drones, the Saetbyol-4 and Saetbyol-9 that are almost exact visual copies of the U.S.-made RQ-4 Global Hawk and MQ-9 Reaper, respectively.

Analyzing North Korea’s New Air-Launched Guided Weapons

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 2, 2025

Russia has fielded a new version of the Shahed-136 kamikaze drone armed with a single R-60 air-to-air missile.

Russian Shahed-136 Kamikaze Drones Now Armed With Air-To-Air Missiles

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Dec 1, 2025

Turkish industry and media alike have heralded the recent live-fire test in which a Kizilelma uncrewed combat air vehicle (UCAV) used a Turkish-made air-to-air missile to destroy a target drone. Turkey claims the test marks the first occasion a UCAV has launched a radar-guided air-to-air missile. But, while undoubtedly impressive, there are unanswered questions about how the engagement actually played out, especially to what degree the UCAV was being controlled by crewed fighter jets.

Turkey’s Fighter-Like Kizilelma Drone Shot Down Aerial Target With Radar-Guided Missile

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 1, 2025

Israel's stocks of AIM-9M Sidewinder air-to-air missiles are now more effective against long-range kamikaze drones like Iran's Shahed-136, thanks to changes to their seekers, according to a new report.

AIM-9 Sidewinder

Israel Modified AIM-9M Sidewinder Missile Seekers To Better Target Drones: Report

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Nov 15, 2025

The U.S. Air Force has put out a new call for concepts for a future anti-air missile that costs no more than $500,000 and that could be built at a rate of at least 1,000 per year.

USAF’s New Low-Cost Anti-Air Missile Program Aims For $500K Target Price

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 10, 2025

The Association of the U.S. Army’s (AUSA) main annual symposium has seen some notable appearances by autonomous launchers, underscoring the service’s growing interest in this class of system. On show at the event were a new Family of Multi-Mission Autonomous Vehicles (FMAV) from Oshkosh Defense, as well as Raytheon’s DeepFires. Between them, these platforms can be armed with a wide variety of offensive and defensive weapons, also including Tomahawk cruise missiles and Patriot surface-to-air missiles.

AIM-9 Sidewinder

Autonomous Launchers Make Impact As Army Requirements Grow

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Oct 15, 2025

USAF eyes large flying wing arsenal ship.

Flying Wing Arsenal Plane Packed With Air-To-Air Missiles Eyed By USAF: Report

By Thomas Newdick, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Sep 29, 2025

Poland Investigating Whether Its F-16’s AIM-120 Missile Destroyed A Home

By Howard Altman

Updated on Sep 17, 2025

A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor has achieved what is, according to missile manufacturer Raytheon, the longest known AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) shot. Exactly how far away the fighter was from its target when it fired the radar-guided is unclear, but the milestone points both to the continued development of the AMRAAM’s capabilities as well as the growing focus, across the U.S. military, on extended-range air-to-air missiles to keep pace with developments in China and Russia.

F-22 Raptor Scores “Longest Known” AIM-120 AMRAAM Shot

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Sep 16, 2025

The turboprop-powered Zlin Z-137 Agro Turbo is seen swooping low over a Ukrainian cornfield, very much its traditional operating environment. In this case, however, it sports a single R-73 air-to-air missile under each wing. The agricultural plane also appears to have received a military-style dull gray overall paint scheme, with white identification stripes on the rear fuselage to reduce the risk of ‘friendly fire.’ Details of the date and location of the video are not immediately available.

Crop Duster Armed With Air-To-Air Missiles Appears In Ukraine

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Aug 8, 2025