Fighters(Page 3)

Latest in Fighters

The Pentagon’s proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget fully commits to the U.S. Air Force's F-47 sixth-generation stealth fighter, while effectively shelving the U.S. Navy's plans for a next-generation carrier-based F/A-XX combat jet.
F-35

Pentagon “All In” On Air Force’s F-47, Puts Navy’s F/A-XX On Ice

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jun 27, 2025

F-15EX will have 129 aircraft in its fleet under trump.
F-15

F-15EX Planned Fleet Size Grows To 129 Jets

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Jun 26, 2025

U.K. Royal Air Force F-35B Lightning.
F-35A

Royal Air Force Goes Nuclear With F-35A

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 25, 2025

A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft, assigned to the 100th Air Refueling Wing, refuels a U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II aircraft during exercise RAMSTEIN FLAG 2024 while flying over the coast of Greece, Oct. 4, 2024. RAFL24 demonstrates NATO unity and strength, as Allies across the Euro-Atlantic area train side by side in defensive and offensive air operations scenarios in support of the enduring commitment to shared values and ability to adapt to the emerging environment.
F-35A

U.S. Air Force Fighters Deploy To Reinforce Middle East

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 17, 2025

Israel strikes Iranian F-14 tomcat.
F-14

Iranian F-14 ‘Persian Tomcats’ Obliterated In Israeli Airstrike

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Jun 16, 2025

A Dassaullt Rafale fighter and two Dassault Falcon business jets are on display 21 June 2001 at the 44th Paris-Le Bourget Air show, billed as the biggest ever event of its kind, bringing together 1800 exhibitors from the aviation industry from 43 countries.
Rafale

Rafale Reemerges With Conformal Fuel Tanks

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 12, 2025

More details have emerged about the problems the U.S. Navy is facing with its ill-starred podded Infrared Search And Track System, or IRST, an important capability planned for its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighters. The latest issues to be highlighted come after TWZ previously reported on delays caused by production quality issues with the system and a Pentagon assessment of “significant reliability problems during operational testing,” which emerged earlier this year.
F/A-18E/F

New Details On F/A-18 Super Hornet’s Troubled IRST Pod

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 11, 2025

APKWS rockets were kept from Ukraine to be used to defend US in the Middle East.
F-15

Counter-Drone Weapons Diverted From Ukraine To Middle East Amid Rising Tensions, Hegseth Confirms

By Howard Altman

Posted on Jun 11, 2025

AI JAS-36 gripen tests for long-range air-to-air combat are underway.
Gripen

Saab’s Gripen Tests AI In Long-Range Air-To-Air Engagements

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Jun 11, 2025

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has released photos showing two of its aircraft carriers operating simultaneously for the first time beyond the so-called First Island Chain in the western Pacific.
Flankers

Two Chinese Aircraft Carriers Are Operating Beyond The First Island Chain For The First Time

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 10, 2025

Newly released footage records the unique formation flight over Nevada’s Nellis Air Force Air Base last November, which brought together U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth fighters and Soviet-era MiG-21 and MiG-29 jets. The four-ship took to the skies to mark the passing of Col. Gail Peck (ret.), the former commander of the legendary 4477th Test and Evaluation Squadron “Red Eagles” that conducted highly classified missions using Soviet combat jets in the late 1970s and 1980s.
MiG-29

F-22s Fly Alongside MiGs To Commemorate Founder Of America’s Secret Soviet Fighter Squadron

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 9, 2025

Su-35 shot down in ukraine
F-16

Claims Swirl Around Russian Su-35S Flanker Shootdown

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 9, 2025

A new image appearing to show China’s ‘J-36’ 6th generation tactical jet parked on the ground has emerged online. If legitimate, this would be the best front view of the aircraft to date, notably providing clear proof of the canopy design and further confirmation of a side-by-side seating arrangement.
J-36

This Could Be Our Best View Yet Of China’s J-36 Very Heavy Stealth Tactical Jet

By Joseph Trevithick, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Jun 6, 2025

Germany plans to buy Joint Strike Missile (JSM) cruise missiles from Norway, to arm its forthcoming fleet of F-35A stealth fighters. While these jets were primarily chosen as launch platforms for U.S.-owned nuclear gravity bombs, under a long-standing NATO agreement, Germany is increasingly viewing the F-35A as part of an expanding conventional long-range strike arsenal.
F-35A

German F-35s Will Be Armed With Stealthy Joint Strike Missiles

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 5, 2025

The U.S. Navy’s F/A-XX sixth-generation combat jet program looks to have hit another setback, with the Pentagon reportedly prioritizing the Air Force’s F-47 stealth fighter, amid concerns about how to run the two efforts simultaneously. Already, the F/A-XX was in limbo, with a U.S. official telling TWZ last month that the future of the program was being reviewed. This came after reports that a contract award for the Navy’s new combat jet could be delayed by as much as three years. Navy officials, meanwhile, continue to stress the importance of the F/A-XX to their future plans.
F/A-18E/F

Pentagon Wants To Shift Funds From Navy F/A-XX To USAF F-47: Report

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 5, 2025

The U.S. Air Force says it has tested a modified 500-pound-class GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition, or JDAM, optimized for use as an anti-ship munition as part of its Quicksink program.
F-15

Smaller Version Of Quicksink Ship-Killing Smart Bomb Tested By USAF

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jun 4, 2025

Royal Navy wants to arm carriers with drones and long-range missiles
F-35B

Royal Navy To Arm Its Carriers With Long-Range Missiles

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 3, 2025

J-36 head-on image.
J-36

China’s J-36 Very Heavy Stealth Tactical Jet Photographed Head-On For First Time

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on May 31, 2025

We now have a picture showing a U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle down-range in the Middle East with an air-to-air loadout that includes six seven-shot 70mm rocket pods, as well as four AIM-9X and four AIM-120 missiles.
F-15

F-15E Armed With Drone Killing Laser-Guided Rockets Appears In Middle East

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on May 30, 2025

Boeing’s F-47 sixth-generation stealth fighter has been pitched to Japan by U.S. President Donald Trump, according to reports. The idea of an export-configured F-47 was brought up by Trump when he announced Boeing’s win in the U.S. Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) manned combat jet initiative. Meanwhile, Japan is apparently also looking at increasing its buy of F-35 fifth-generation stealth fighters, prompted by concerns over the timeline for the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), a sixth-generation combat jet being pursued jointly by Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
F-35

Trump Offers F-47 Sixth-Gen Fighter To Japan: Reports

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 30, 2025

Pilot-optional F-35 Joint Strike Fighters could be coming in the future as Lockheed Martin looks for ways to ensure the jets remain relevant for decades to come.
F-16

What We Just Learned A More Advanced “Ferrari” F-35 Could Include

By Thomas Newdick, Joseph Trevithick

Posted on May 30, 2025

Starfighters international are working to secure F-4s from South Korea for space launch duties.
F-4

F-4 Phantoms Sought By Private Space Launch Company Starfighters International

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on May 28, 2025

Adding APKWS II to the F-15E's arsenal is an unsurprising development that would turn the Strike Eagle into a counter-drone and counter-cruise missile arsenal ship.
F-15

F-15E Spotted Packing Big Laser-Guided Rocket Arsenal Ideal For Drone Hunting

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on May 23, 2025

A front view rendering of PA-Ng, dated 2022.
Rafale

French Navy Offers Sneak Peek Of Its Future Carrier Air Wing

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 22, 2025

The U.S. Air Force is planning to return its F-15E Strike Eagles from RAF Lakenheath in England and consolidate its fleet stateside. Currently, the F-15Es in the United Kingdom are the only permanently forward-deployed examples of the aircraft, which remain the service’s first choice for a wide variety of critical missions around the globe.
F-15

F-15E Strike Eagles To Leave England For Good

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 21, 2025

Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. David Allvin today discussed the potential of a new version of the prolific F-16, a so-called Block 80, as a way of increasing the combat mass of the service in the future. While the Air Force doesn’t at this point have a plan to start buying Vipers again, it’s certainly interesting that the topic is up for discussion, especially with the service looking hard at how it will balance its next-generation fighter requirements, while introducing the F-47 crewed stealth fighter and Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones.
F-16

Air Force Chief Responds To Possibility Of Buying New ‘Block 80’ F-16s

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 20, 2025

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Jordan Green, 67th Fighter Generation Squadron crew chief, marshals an F-15E Strike Eagle during an elephant walk at Kadena Air Base, Japan, May 6, 2025. Directly after, the 18th Wing generated real-time sorties to strengthen Kadena’s readiness to defend Japan. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman James Johnson)
F-15

Additional F-15E Strike Eagles Arrive In Diego Garcia

By Howard Altman

Updated on May 19, 2025

F-15s deploy to Diego Garcia to protect B-52s.
F-15

F-15s Deploy To Protect Diego Garcia

By Joseph Trevithick, Tyler Rogoway, Howard Altman

Updated on May 17, 2025

Trump wants a twin engine F-35.
F-35

Trump Wants A Twin-Engine “F-55” Version Of The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 15, 2025

The future of the Navy NGAD crewed aircraft program remains in limbo.
F/A-XX

Fate Of Navy’s F/A-XX Future Fighter Is In Limbo (Updated)

By Howard Altman

Posted on May 14, 2025

F-35 was nearly downed by Houthi air defenses.
F-16

How The Houthis’ Rickety Air Defenses Threaten Even The F-35

By Joseph Trevithick, Tyler Rogoway

Updated on May 14, 2025

F-47 has a range of 1,000+ nautical miles.
F-47

F-47 Now Has An Officially Stated Combat Radius Of 1,000+ Nautical Miles

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on May 14, 2025

A U.S. F-35 stealth fighter had to take evasive action to avoid being hit by a Houthi SAM, a U.S. official told The War Zone.
F-35

F-35 Had To Maneuver To Evade Houthi Surface-To-Air Missile: U.S. Official

By Howard Altman

Posted on May 14, 2025

The air war currently unfolding between India and Pakistan is exceedingly murky, but one aspect that seems almost certain is the use of the Chinese-made PL-15 active-radar-guided air-to-air missile (AAM) by Pakistan. So far, Pakistan claims to have shot down five Indian aircraft and at least one Indian official has reportedly confirmed the crash of three aircraft but cautioned that the reasons were not clear. Unverified imagery suggests that one of the Indian Air Force’s prized Rafale multirole fighters may have been shot down. Regardless, the fighting between the two nuclear-armed states is the most intense for decades, now with the growing risk of the situation spiraling further out of control.
Rafale

China’s PL-15 Air-To-Air Missile Appears To Have Been Used In Combat For The First Time

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on May 7, 2025

Hornet crashed aboard the USS Harry S Truman
F/A-18E/F

Super Hornet Crashes Landing On USS Truman, Its Second F/A-18 Loss In A Week

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on May 7, 2025

Small missile for CCA and fighter aircraft sought by USAF.
F-35

Air Force Looking For Cheap Air-To-Air Missile Half The Size Of AMRAAM

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 5, 2025

Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov told us that Ukraine used drone-boat AIM-9 missiles to down two Russian SU-30 Flankers over the Black Sea.
Su-30

Two Russian Su-30 Flankers Downed By AIM-9s Fired From Drone Boats: Ukrainian Intel Boss

By Howard Altman

Posted on May 4, 2025

F-16 Fighting Falcons sit in the boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. on Jul. 30, 2010. The 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group is converting F-16s into usable manned or drone targets allowing Air Force to train and test new weapons platforms in the process. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Desiree N. Palacios)
F-16

F-16s Pulled From U.S. Boneyard Are Being Delivered To Ukraine For Spare Parts

By Thomas Newdick, Howard Altman

Posted on May 1, 2025

An F-15EX Eagle II aircraft assigned to 53rd Wing, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida taxis towards the runway prior to take off at Nellis Air Force, Nevada, Oct. 21, 2021. The aircraft are at Nellis AFB to conduct Integrated Test and Evaluation along with F-15C aircraft from the 123rd Fighter Squadron, Portland Air National Guard Base, Oregon. (U.S. Air Force photo by William R. Lewis)
F-15

F-15EX To Replace Michigan Air National Guard A-10s

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Apr 29, 2025

Tactical airpower, and specifically the F-15E Strike Eagle and F-15EX Eagle II, are big beneficiaries of recently proposed legislation put forward by the Republican leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees.
F-15

F-15 Eagles Win Big In Supersized Defense Spending Bill

By Thomas Newdick, Tyler Rogoway, Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 28, 2025

U.S. carrier-based F-35C Joint Strike Fighters have been shooting down Houthi drones in the course of recent operations over and around the Red Sea, in addition to striking targets in Yemen, according to a U.S. official.
F-35C

F-35C Naval Joint Strike Fighters Have Been Shooting Down Houthi Drones

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 25, 2025

We now have more clarity on the U.S. Air Force’s plans for its second tranche of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones, known as Increment 2. This includes the likelihood of a lower-cost CCA Increment 2 as well as the drone’s integration with assets in addition to fighters, including the B-21 stealth bomber and E-7 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft.
NGAD

Air Force’s Next Batch Of Collaborative Combat Drones Could Be Less ‘Exquisite,’ Cheaper

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 24, 2025

The U.S. Air Force is firmly of the view that its new F-47 6th generation stealth fighters are key to "how we win" in future fights, according to the service's top general in charge of force structure planning.
F-47

F-47 6th Generation Fighter Future Force Size Questions Emerge

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 24, 2025

New Views Of China’s Next Generation Fighters
J-20

New Views Of China’s Next Generation Fighters

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 24, 2025

French Air and Space Force Rafale fighters from a nuclear-strike-tasked unit are among the aircraft taking part in a power-projection exercise including operations over Sweden, which joined NATO a little over a year ago. The latest edition of the Pégase (Pegasus) drill comes as European NATO members look at bolstering their nuclear deterrence capabilities independent of the United States, with France very much at the center of these discussions. Notably, the maneuvers are being also accompanied by an exercise in which French military aircraft were rapidly dispersed to alternative airfields, something that would be required in a large-scale conflict with Russia.
Rafale

French Rafale Fighters Project Power Forward To Sweden

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 23, 2025

A U.S. F-35 stealth fighter had to take evasive action to avoid being hit by a Houthi SAM, a U.S. official told The War Zone.
F-22

Giving F-35 “NASCAR Upgrade” Can Deliver 80% Of F-47 Capabilities At Half Cost: Lockheed

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Apr 22, 2025

J-10C Egypt
MiG-29

China Deploys J-10 Fighters To Egypt

By Howard Altman

Updated on Apr 21, 2025

Imagery has emerged of a very rarely seen EA-18G Growler loadout involving four examples of the AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM), during ongoing operations against Houthi targets in Yemen. While we know very little about Houthi air defenses, and their associated radars and sensors, the imagery underscores the continued threat that these present.
EA-18G

EA-18G Bristles With Rare Four Anti-Radiation Missile Loadout On Yemen Mission

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 21, 2025

J-50 tailless fighter's canopy seen for first time.
J-XDS

Canopy Seen Clearly On China’s Next Gen Tailless Stealth Fighter For First Time

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Apr 16, 2025

Iniochos 2025 will involve a large number of HAF assets, such as fighters, Air Defence Systems, helicopters, transport and training aircraft. Additionally, Hellenic Army and Navy assets and personnel will contribute significantly to the creation of complex and realistic scenarios across the exercise areas which spread over the Greek mainland and sea.
Fighters

This Greek Air Combat Exercise Was A Low-Level Fighter Flying Paradise

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 15, 2025

The first two American F-35A Lightning II fighter jets land in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands, on May 23, 2016. The F-35 program is an international effort where the United States works with eight other partner nations, including the Netherlands, to design and develop the F-35.
F-35A

Dutch F-35s Provide Targeting For Rocket Artillery

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 11, 2025

Satellite imagery has confirmed the presence of the Su-35 Flanker-M multirole fighter in Algerian service, indicating that at least some of these aircraft have been transferred to the country, a new customer for the type. The Su-35 is almost certainly from a batch of aircraft originally built for Egypt, but never delivered, and then repeatedly connected with a sale to Iran. Algeria had also previously been reported as the first export customer for the Su-57 Felon next-generation fighter, as you can read about here.
Flankers

Su-35s Once Expected To Arm Iran Are Now In Algeria

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 9, 2025

CCAs and super hornet
NGAD

Navy Won’t Scramble To Field Loyal Wingman Drones Like The Air Force

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Apr 8, 2025

The U.S. Navy expects its future F/A-XX sixth-generation stealth fighters to offer just a 25 percent increase in range over the existing tactical combat jets in its carrier air wings.
F-35C

F/A-XX Will Have Just 25% More Range Than Existing Navy Fighters

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 7, 2025

J-36 flies over highway
J-36

China’s J-36 Tailless Fighter Zips Over Road On Landing Giving Us Our Best Look Yet

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 7, 2025

Very Close Encounter Between F-35 And Su-35 Caught On Cockpit Camera
F-35A

Very Close Encounter Between F-35 And Su-35 Caught On Cockpit Camera

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 4, 2025

J-50 images out of china of the new stealth fighter prototype
J-XDS

China’s ‘J-50’ Tailless Stealth Fighter Seen In New Imagery

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Apr 4, 2025

F-47 X-32 rise shirt
F-47

Rise And Avenge The X-32 With This F-47 Inspired T-Shirt

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Apr 3, 2025

Colombia’s new fighter will be the Saab Gripen E/F, the country’s president has confirmed. The acquisition of the Swedish-made combat aircraft will finally allow the retirement of the veteran IAI Kfir with the Colombian Air Force. The development is also of major significance for Saab: other than Brazil, which co-produces the Gripen E/F, the company has previously failed to achieve any export sales of the jet.
Gripen

JAS 39 Gripen E/F Chosen As Colombia’s Next Fighter

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 3, 2025

The U.S. State Department has approved the potential of 20 F-16C/D Block 70/72 fighters to the Philippines, the latest turn in a long-running saga as Manila seeks to revamp its air force. The announcement comes as the United States reinforces military ties with the Southeast Asian country, with a recent visit there by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the deployment of U.S. anti-ship and land-attack missile systems for a military drill.
F-16

Sale Of Advanced F-16s To The Philippines Moves Forward Amid Deepening U.S. Ties

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 2, 2025

The U.S. Air Force’s F-47 sixth-generation stealth fighter may just be “Increment 1” of a family of Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) combat jet designs. This is the opinion of former Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Andrew Hunter. It echoes something that was previously hinted at, namely the possibility that the Air Force might consider fielding two distinct versions of the NGAD fighter component.
F-47

F-47 Fighter Program Could See Multiple Versions Built In Increments

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 1, 2025

Retired Marine Col. Charles Del Pizzo told a South Carolina newspaper his version of events that led to his F-35B crashing nearly 12 minutes after he ejected.
F-35B

Sacked Marine Pilot Whose F-35B Flew Without Him After Ejecting Gives His Side Of The Story

By Howard Altman

Posted on Mar 31, 2025

Significant parts of the veil of secrecy over the origins of Boeing's F-47 sixth-generation stealth fighter, and the decisions and tradeoffs made along the way, have now been pulled back.
F-47

Major F-47 Revelations Were Just Dropped By Former Air Force Secretary

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Mar 28, 2025

If Northrop Grumman wins the F/A-XX context what cat name will they give their naval fighter.
F/A-XX

What Cat Name Should Northrop Grumman Give Its Fighter If It Wins The Navy’s F/A-XX Competition?

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Mar 27, 2025