Fighters (Page 3)

Latest in Fighters

Boeing's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet production line is one major step closer to shuttering with the completion of the last batch of fuselage sections and vertical tails for those jets by Northrop Grumman.
EA-18G

Last New F/A-18 Aft Fuselages Built As Super Hornet Production End Approaches

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jan 28, 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.
J-20

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

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jan 28, 2026

RF-4C Phantom reconnaissance aircraft from the 152nd Tactical Reconnaissance Group, Reno, Nev., prepare for a mission during Operation Desert Shield.
F-4

Flying F-4 Reconnaissance Phantoms Unarmed And Unafraid In Desert Storm

By James Deboer

Updated on Jan 27, 2026

The Navy is now flying F-35As for test and evaluation purposes.
F-35A

Navy Is Flying Air Force F-35A Joint Strike Fighters

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Jan 27, 2026

NASA’s newest F-15Ds arrived at the Armstrong Flight Research Center late last month.
F-15

Legacy F-15 Eagles Boost NASA Test Fleet

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jan 24, 2026

President Donald Trump has brought up the possibility of changing the designation of the U.S. Air Force's F-47 sixth-generation stealth fighter if the program gets to a point where "I don't like it."
F-47

Possible Change To F-47 6th Generation Fighter’s Designation Raised By Trump

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jan 21, 2026

The House and Senate Appropriations Committees have negotiated a draft defense spending bill that includes nearly $900 million for the U.S. Navy’s F/A-XX next-generation carrier-based combat jet program.
F/A-XX

F/A-XX Naval Fighter Rescued From Purgatory In New Defense Spending Bill

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jan 20, 2026

With much of the world’s attention on the growing rift between the United States, Denmark, and its allies over Greenland, the Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF) became the latest NATO operator to retire the iconic F-16 fighter.
F-16

Denmark Retires F-16 After More Than Four Decades Of Service

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jan 19, 2026

F-15EX from the 142nd fighter wing roars out of pDX in a huge vapor cloud as it climbs at the end of the runway.
F-15

This Is The Greatest F-15EX Photo Yet

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Jan 15, 2026

A newly published video interview with a Ukrainian Air Force fighter pilot sheds more light on the operations of the country’s F-16 fleet in its war with Russia. The interview with the pilot, whose name is not provided, is a rare opportunity to hear about how the Ukrainian Air Force has gone about introducing its first Western fighter jet. The Viper is now heavily engaged on various fronts, combatting cruise missiles and drones, as well as striking ground targets, including in close proximity to friendly troops.
F-16

Ukrainian F-16 Pilot’s Account Of The Challenges Of The Air War

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jan 6, 2026

Pentagon announces $8.6 billion Boeing contract for F-15 jets for Israel
F-15

Israel Rearming Its Eagle Force With The New F-15IA

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 30, 2025

Shenyang J-35
Fighters

Chinese Fighter Jet Exports Set To Grow Significantly

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 24, 2025

Two Russian Flanker series fighter jets have been damaged in an overnight arson attack on the military airfield at Lipetsk in the region of the same name in southwest Russia. According to the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (GUR), the raid was launched by “a representative of the resistance movement in Russia.” If that’s the case, it underscores the varied tactics being used to strike Russian military aircraft on their bases, coming soon after two separate drone attacks on Belbek Air Base in Russian-occupied Crimea.
Su-30

Sabotage Attack On Russian Su-30 Fighters Shown In Video

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 22, 2025

F-35A Joint Strike Fighters from the Vermon Air National Guard's 158th Fighter Wing have arrived in Puerto Rico for Operation Southern Spear.
F-35A

USAF F-35As Have Arrived In The Caribbean

By Howard Altman

Posted on Dec 20, 2025

A U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft appeared near the Venezuelan coast today
F/A-18E/F

E-3 Sentry Joins U.S. Combat Aircraft Tracked Off Venezuelan Coast

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Dec 19, 2025

A top Canadian Air Force general breaks down the role of his nation's future F-35A stealh fighters and the challenges of integrating them into the force and NORAD.
F-35A

Canadian NORAD Commander’s View On Future F-35 Fighter Force

By Howard Altman

Posted on Dec 18, 2025

Austria is buying 12 M-346F Block 20 light combat aircraft from Italian defense contractor Leonardo, as part of an overhaul of its air force, the Luftstreitkräfte. Austria already operates 15 Eurofighter Typhoons, procured under controversial circumstances, but these jets have notably limited capabilities and high operating costs, which has seen previous efforts to offload them.
Typhoon

Austria Buys M-346F Light Fighters

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 17, 2025

Indian Air Force (IAF) SEPECAT Jaguar fighter jets take part in an air refueling exercise during the joint exercise 'Ex Garuda-VII' between IAF and FASF in the air near Jodhpur in India's desert state of Rajasthan on November 9, 2022.
Fighters

India Can’t Give Up Its Jaguar Strike Aircraft

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 15, 2025

An F-35A from Hill Air Force Base Utah, takes off during the evaluation in Switzerland in 2019.
F-35A

Swiss Poised To Slash F-35 Order As Costs Mount

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 12, 2025

U.S. Air Force HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters, assigned to the 943d Rescue Group, conduct helicopter air-to-air refueling with an HC-130J Combat King II aircraft,
F-35A

Combat Rescue Aircraft, Tankers Arrive In Caribbean As U.S. Military Buildup Accelerates

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Dec 12, 2025

F-35A Lighting Joint Strike Fighters from the 158th Fighter Wing are headed to take part in Operation Southern Spear.
F-35A

F-35A Joint Strike Fighters Deploying To Caribbean (Updated)

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Dec 11, 2025

A contingent of six U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler electronic warfare jets, roughly a full squadron, is now forward-deployed at the former Naval Station Roosevelt Roads in Puerto Rico.
EA-18G

EA-18G Growlers Deploying To Puerto Rico An Indicator Of What’s To Come (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Dec 10, 2025

MiG-29 of the Polish Air Force take part in a NATO Air Force military drill on October 12, 2022 in Lask, Poland.
MiG-29

Poland’s Last MiG-29 Fulcrums Being Lined Up For Transfer To Ukraine

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 10, 2025

Japan and South Korea scrambled jets to respond to a joint Russian-Chinese bomber patrol.
Fighters

Joint Chinese-Russian Bomber Patrol Sends Japanese, South Korean Fighters Scrambling

By Howard Altman

Posted on Dec 9, 2025

Online flight tracking data shows that a pair of U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets flew right into the center of the Gulf of Venezuela earlier today, and stayed there for some 40 minutes.
EA-18G

F/A-18 Super Hornets Were Just Tracked Flying Deep Inside The Gulf Of Venezuela (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Dec 9, 2025

The U.S. Navy has recovered an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter and an F/A-18F Super Hornet from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz that crashed within half an hour of each other in the South China Sea on Oct. 26.
F/A-18E/F

Navy Recovers Crashed Super Hornet, Seahawk From Bottom Of South China Sea

By Howard Altman

Posted on Dec 9, 2025

The House Armed Services Committee has advanced a new draft of the annual defense policy bill that includes full funding for the U.S. Navy’s F/A-XX next-generation carrier-based combat jet program.
F/A-XX

In Limbo F/A-XX Naval Fighter Gets ‘Full Funding’ Nod From Congress, But There’s A Catch (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Dec 8, 2025

A Royal Thai Air Force F-16 touches down during Exercise Thai Boomerang 2015.
F-16

Thai F-16s Bomb Targets Along Disputed Cambodian Border

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 8, 2025

Ticonderoga class firing SM-2
F/A-18E/F

How USS Gettysburg Ended Up Shooting Down A Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet

By Howard Altman

Updated on Dec 5, 2025

In an apparent first since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a Russian MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter has been destroyed, in a drone strike, according to Ukrainian reports.
MiG-29

First Russian MiG-29 Claimed Destroyed In Ukraine, But That May Not Be The Whole Story

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 4, 2025

The Navy released findings of investigation into four mishaps aboard the USS Truman supercarrier
F/A-18E/F

F/A-18 Super Hornet Shot Down By Navy Cruiser Investigation Findings Released (Updated)

By Howard Altman

Posted on Dec 4, 2025

A Thunderbirds F-16C FIghting Falcon crashed in California, the pilot survived.
F-16

Thunderbirds F-16C Fighting Falcon Crashes in California

By Howard Altman

Posted on Dec 3, 2025

A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker offloads fuel to a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet, assigned to the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, April 8, 2025. The KC-135 Stratotanker is the backbone of U.S. Air Forces Central's global reach aerial refueling capability and delivers critical support to joint and coalition aircraft in order to guarantee war-winning airpower throughout the CENTCOM AOR.
F/A-18E/F

Super Hornet Seen With Rare SLAM-ER Missile Loadout On Yemen Mission

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 3, 2025

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.
MiG-29

Analyzing North Korea’s New Air-Launched Guided Weapons

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 2, 2025

J-36 shows its new thrust vector nozzles
J-36

China’s J-36 Tailless Stealth Jet’s New Thrust Vectoring Nozzles Seen From Behind

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Nov 24, 2025

F-35B UK issues
F-35A

United Kingdom’s F-35 Program Slammed For Cost-Saving Blunders

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Nov 24, 2025

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - NOVEMBER 21: Smoke rises after an Indian fighter jet crashed into a field while performing a demonstration flight during the Dubai Airshow in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on November 21, 2025.
Fighters

Fatal Crash Of India’s Tejas Light Fighter Mars Dubai Airshow

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Nov 21, 2025

U.S. tactical aircraft flying near Venezuela is part of a pressure campaign aimed at that nation's embattled leader, Nicolas Maduro
F/A-18E/F

RC-135 Accompanied By Fighters Off Venezuela Testing Maduro’s Air Defenses: U.S. Official

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Nov 21, 2025

The Navy's USNS Salvor is on scene to try and find two aircraft that crashed off the USS Nimitz last month.
F/A-18E/F

Navy Salvage Ship Trying To Fish Crashed Super Hornet And Seahawk Out Of South China Sea

By Howard Altman

Posted on Nov 20, 2025

‘Crew One,’ a three-man weapons load team, completes the first full external loadout with live munitions for the F-35A Lightening II May 3, 2019, at Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates. F-35A Lightning IIs assigned to the 4th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron were configured in a full external live loadout of six GBU-49 small glide munitions and two AIM-9x Sidewinder missiles to execute an operation in Southwest Asia.
F-35A

Impact Of Selling F-35s To Saudi Arabia On The Region

By Thomas Newdick, Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Nov 20, 2025

Russian officials claim that a prototype of the Sukhoi Su-75 Checkmate fighter could be in flight testing by early next year.
Fighters

Russia Insists Su-75 Checkmate Fighter Will Fly Next Year

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 20, 2025

Russia’s Sukhoi Su-57 Felon is benefiting from lessons learned in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, according to the head of the country's state-run defense conglomerate Rostec.
Su-57

Su-57 With New Upgrade Options, Russia Claims First Foreign Delivery Has Already Occurred

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 19, 2025

In its latest efforts to modernize its air force, Ukraine has signed a letter of intent to buy up to 100 Dassault Rafale multirole fighters from France over the next 10 years. Today’s agreement comes less than a month after Sweden and Ukraine unveiled a plan to export as many as 150 Gripen E fighters to Kyiv. While the Rafale is the most advanced combat aircraft so far included in Ukraine’s defense plans, there remain huge questions about whether the acquisition of one of these aircraft types, let alone two, is really feasible, especially in such numbers.
Rafale

Ukraine’s Questionable Plan To Buy Up To 100 Rafale Fighters

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Nov 17, 2025

An MQ-20 Avenger drone flew a mock mission at the direction of a pilot in an F-22 Raptor during a demonstration earlier this year, General Atomics has disclosed.
F-22

F-22 Pilot Controls MQ-20 Drone From The Cockpit In Mock Combat Mission

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 17, 2025

With the first example of Boeing’s F-47 sixth-generation stealth fighter for the U.S. Air Force now in production, a company official has highlighted how its prototyping effort allowed the program to move forward at a rapid pace. Winning the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program was “humbling,” said Steve Parker, president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space and Security. He added that the fact the F-47 is now in production is testament to “the maturity of our design and pedigree coming off the prototype.”
F-22

F-47 Program’s Accelerated Pace Made Possible By NGAD X-Plane Efforts

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Nov 17, 2025

French authorities have provided the first real look at the latest version of the Air-Sol Moyenne Portee (ASMP; or Medium-Range Air-to-Surface) ramjet-powered, nuclear-armed cruise missile.
Rafale

France’s New Nuclear-Armed Supersonic Cruise Missile Seen Clearly For The First Time

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 13, 2025

Imagery has been published providing a rare look inside the weapons bays of one of the prototypes of Russia’s Su-57 Felon new-generation fighter. While internal weapons carriage is a key design feature of the Sukhoi jet, the main weapons bays, at least, haven’t been seen in such detail, with weapons loaded. The footage comes as Moscow embarks on another export drive for the Su-57, which has reportedly so far only been ordered by Algeria.
Su-57

Su-57 Felon Brandishes Its Loaded Weapons Bays For The First Time

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Nov 10, 2025

China's growing weapons programs puts pressure on intelligence community.
J-XDS

Can U.S. Intel Keep Up With China’s Tsunami Of Weapons Developments?

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Nov 7, 2025

The U.K. Royal Navy flagship, HMS Prince of Wales, is now carrying 24 F-35B fighters — the largest number to go aboard either of the U.K’s two aircraft carriers. This is a significant achievement for the British F-35 force, which has long faced questions about the feasibility of deploying a meaningful number of the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) jets at sea — without U.S. Marine Corps aircraft making up the numbers.
F-35B

British Carrier Hosts Largest Number Of F-35Bs On A Ship Ever

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Nov 7, 2025

An Italian Air Force F-35 Lighting II arrives at an undisclosed location within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, June 30, 2024. The F-35A is an agile, versatile, high-performance, 9g capable multirole fighter that combines stealth, sensor fusion and unprecedented situational awareness. The ITAF stopped in CENTCOM as a part of Operation Indo-Pacific Jump (IPJ) 2024.
F-35A

F-35 Sale To Saudi Arabia Being Mulled By Trump Admin: Report

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Nov 5, 2025

A group of men run on the tarmac during the opening ceremony of the European F-16 Training Center at the 86th Romanian Military Airbase in Fetesti, Romania, on November 13, 2023.
F-16

Romania Just ‘Bought’ 18 F-16s For One Euro

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Nov 4, 2025

We now have the first known commercial satellite imagery of the two Chinese sixth-generation stealth fighter designs that emerged nearly a year ago.
Fighters

China’s New Tailless Stealth Fighters Both Appear At Secretive Test Base

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Nov 4, 2025

Second J-36 prototype has major alterations compared to the first.
J-36

China’s Massive J-36 Stealth ‘Fighter’ Gets Major Design Tweaks With Second Prototype

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Oct 28, 2025

Nimitz hornet and seakhawk crash
F/A-18E/F

“Bad Fuel” May Have Caused Back-To-Back Nimitz Aircraft Crashes: Trump

By Howard Altman

Posted on Oct 27, 2025

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (R) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky walk past a Gripen fighter jet after they delivered a joint press conference in Linkoping, Sweden, on October 22, 2025, after talks on Russia's ongoing of aggression against Ukraine and the countries' deepening defense cooperation. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on october 22 that Sweden and Ukraine had signed a letter of intent to develop air capabilities, which could see Ukraine buy up to 150 Gripen fighter jets.
Gripen

Huge Gripen Fighter Order Letter Of Intent Signed By Ukraine

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Oct 22, 2025

jAS 39 E
Gripen

Gripen E Fighter Officially Joins The Swedish Air Force

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Oct 21, 2025

The Swedish Defense Materiel Administration (FMV) recently awarded Saab with the contract, worth around $276 million and covering the period from 2025 to 2027. As well as the FMV, Saab will work with the Swedish Armed Forces, the Swedish Defense Research Agency, GKN Aerospace, and other industry partners.
Gripen

Sweden Pushes Ahead With Future Fighter Program

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Oct 20, 2025

With a steady drumbeat of reports raising the prospect of some kind of U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, it’s worth looking at what is potentially one of its most threatening weapons: the Russian-made Kh-31 air-to-surface missile. Known to NATO as the AS-17 Krypton, the ramjet-powered missile is available in both anti-radiation and anti-ship versions, with the ship-killer being the most relevant in this context.
Flankers

Venezuela’s Supersonic Anti-Ship Missiles Are A Real Threat To American Warships

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Oct 20, 2025

Lockheed Martin has received a new full-rate production contract, valued at $233 million, for Block II IRST21 infrared search and track sensors to go into pods for U.S. Navy and U.S. Air National Guard fighters.
F/A-18E/F

Troubled Infrared Pod For Navy Super Hornets Gets New Vote Of Confidence

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 20, 2025

Two U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning IIs, assigned to the F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team, fly in formation prior to conducting air-to-air refueling over Utah, July 1, 2025. The F-35A Lightning II is the Air Force’s most advanced multirole fighter, capable of conducting both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.
F-35A

Time Is Running Out For Canada’s Fighter Decision

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Oct 8, 2025

The U.S. Department of Defense may finally be ready to choose which company will develop and build the U.S. Navy’s F/A-XX next-generation carrier-based fighter. A report from Reuters today states that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth personally gave the green light for the selection last Friday. However, this is not the first time that there have been reports that this decision was imminent, as you can read about here.
F/A-XX

Navy F/A-XX Stealth Fighter Selection Imminent: Reports

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Oct 7, 2025

A U.S. Marine Corps plane captain assigned to the Marine Fighter Attach Squadron 225 (VMFA-225) signals to a pilot in a F35B Lightning II as it taxis on the flightline after landing in the U.S. Southern Command Area of Responsibility, Sept. 13, 2025. U.S. military forces are deployed to the Caribbean in support of the U.S. Southern Command mission, Department of War-directed operations, and the president’s priorities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Katelynn Jackson)
F-35B

F-35s Deployed To Puerto Rico Showcased In First Official Images (Updated)

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Oct 2, 2025

A design of a patch for the F-47 System Management Office (SMO) that has been circulating on social media was indeed created by members of that organization, but is still being refined and hasn't been formalized, the Air Force has confirmed.
F-47

F-47 ‘Phoenix’ Patch Authentic, Still A Work In Progress, U.S. Air Force Confirms

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Sep 30, 2025

USAF eyes large flying wing arsenal ship.
F-47

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

By Thomas Newdick, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Sep 29, 2025