Indo-Pacific

Latest in Indo-Pacific

The latest Chinese military aircraft to appear in flight test is a tactical transport aircraft, known, unofficially for now, as the Y-30. Not perhaps as headline-grabbing as China’s string of new crewed and uncrewed combat aircraft designs, the transport is nonetheless highly significant, reflecting the People’s Liberation Army’s growing ambitions to be able to conduct out-of-area operations.

China’s ‘Y-30’ Turboprop Airlifter Spotted For The First Time

By Thomas Newdick

Posted Yesterday

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.

India Can’t Give Up Its Jaguar Strike Aircraft

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 15, 2025

We have got what could be our first look at China’s CH-7 stealthy flying-wing drone in flight. While it’s far from the biggest Chinese drone of this configuration, it’s still of impressive size and, as we have noted in the past, appears to be tailored for intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance (ISR), as well as strike missions as an uncrewed combat aerial vehicle (UCAV).

China’s Stealthy CH-7 Flying Wing Drone Has Flown

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 15, 2025

China's heavyweight jet-powered Jiutian drone, said to have a maximum takeoff weight of around 17.6 tons (16 metric tons), has flown.

China’s High-Flying Swarm Mothership Drone Has Flown

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Dec 11, 2025

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

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

By Howard Altman

Posted on Dec 9, 2025

An AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile is launched from an MQ-28A Ghost Bat during Trial Kareela at RAAF Base Woomera, South Australia.

MQ-28 Ghost Bat Has Fired An AIM-120 AMRAAM Missile

By Thomas Newdick

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.

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

By Howard Altman

Posted on Dec 9, 2025

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

Thai F-16s Bomb Targets Along Disputed Cambodian Border

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 8, 2025

A Royal Australian Army Tiger helicopter performs during the Australian International Airshow at the Avalon Airfield near Lara southwest of Melbourne on February 24, 2015. Some 180,000 patrons were expected through the gates over the duration of the event.

Australia’s Unwanted Tiger Attack Helicopters May Go To Ukraine: Reports

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 4, 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.

Analyzing North Korea’s New Air-Launched Guided Weapons

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 2, 2025

SBX has no radome in Pearl Harbor.

The Massive SBX-1 Looks Straight Out Of Star Wars Without Its Dome

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Nov 28, 2025

Japan's plans to place SAMS on an island near Taiwan has China outraged.

Japan’s Plan To Put SAMs On Strategic Island 70 Miles From Taiwan Could Be Just The Beginning

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Nov 26, 2025

J-36 shows its new thrust vector nozzles

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

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Nov 24, 2025

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

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

By Howard Altman

Posted on Nov 20, 2025

Images show that a large tiltrotor drone called the R6000, being developed by United Aircraft in China, has now entered flight testing.

China’s Large R6000 Uncrewed Tiltrotor Is Now In Flight Testing

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 18, 2025

China's first super-sized Type 076 amphibious assault ship, the Sichuan, has left port for its first sea trials.

China’s Type 076 Supersized Amphibious Assault Ship Heads To Sea On Its Maiden Voyage

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 14, 2025