Ukrainian Air Force

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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.
Ukrainian Air Force

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

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Nov 17, 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.
Ukrainian Air Force

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

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Nov 4, 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.
Ukrainian Air Force

Huge Gripen Fighter Order Letter Of Intent Signed By Ukraine

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Oct 22, 2025

Evidence has emerged that Ukraine has topped up its hard-worked fleet of MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters from a somewhat surprising source: Azerbaijan. While the number of aircraft involved is not considerable, any addition to the MiG-29 fleet will be welcome for the Ukrainian Air Force, which has also received Fulcrums donated by Poland and Slovakia and which has suffered steady attrition since Russia’s full-scale invasion began.
Ukrainian Air Force

Ukraine Now Flying Former Azerbaijani MiG-29 Fulcrum

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Sep 4, 2025

First Look At Ukraine’s New Glide Bomb On A MiG-29
Ukrainian Air Force

First Look At Ukraine’s New Glide Bomb On A MiG-29

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Sep 2, 2025

Yak52 drone hunters
Ukrainian Air Force

This Is How Ukrainian Yak-52 Crews Hunt Russian Drones

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Aug 30, 2025

Washington has approved the transfer of thousands of Extended Range Attack Munitions (ERAM) to Ukraine, which will provide the country with a powerful new and relatively low-cost standoff strike capability, it has been reported. However, it’s unclear whether Kyiv will be able to use the new air-launched weapon to strike targets deep within Russia, with unnamed U.S. officials telling the Wall Street Journal that these are off-limits, at least for the U.S.-donated Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS).
Ukrainian Air Force

Ukraine Will Receive First Of Thousands Of New U.S. Made Standoff Missiles In The Coming Weeks

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Aug 25, 2025

Newly published footage shows an ADM-160 Miniature Air Launched Decoy (MALD) fitted to a Ukrainian Air Force Su-27 Flanker fighter. The video confirms that the store is used by both this and Ukraine’s MiG-29 Fulcrum jets and also that it is carried on the same specially adapted underwing pylon that is used for various Western-supplied guided munitions.
Ukrainian Air Force

Ukraine Shows Off ADM-160 Miniature Air Launched Decoy On Su-27

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Aug 22, 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.
Ukrainian Air Force

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

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Aug 8, 2025

Russia appears to be using a new type of air-to-air missile in its war in Ukraine. Evidence is mounting that the R-77M — a significantly upgraded version of the R-77 beyond-visual-range missile known to NATO as the AA-12 Adder — is not only operational but being employed in combat. The arrival of the new weapon presents another major challenge for the Ukrainian Air Force, as well as other potential adversaries.
Ukrainian Air Force

Signs Russia’s Using New R-77M Air-To-Air Missile In Ukraine

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jul 25, 2025

A Ukrainian Mirage 2000 fighter has crashed, the first loss of one of these French-donated jets.
Ukrainian Air Force

Ukraine Marks First Loss Of Mirage 2000 Fighter

By Howard Altman

Updated on Jul 22, 2025

Su-35 shot down in ukraine
Ukrainian Air Force

Claims Swirl Around Russian Su-35S Flanker Shootdown

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 9, 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)
Ukrainian Air Force

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 apparent Ukrainian drone attack targeted Russia’s Engels-2 Air Base in the Saratov region 300 miles from the Ukrainian border, according to available imagery. At this stage it’s unclear whether any Russian aircraft were damaged in the incident, although there are indications that the primary target was a weapons storage area. Long-range bombers flying from the base regularly attack Ukraine and the airfield, and other like it, have long been high-priority targets for Kyiv.
Ukrainian Air Force

Massive Explosion Rocks Key Bomber Base Deep Inside Russia

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Mar 20, 2025

Our Best Look At Ukraine’s ‘FrankenBuk’ Air Defense System
Ukrainian Air Force

Our Best Look At Ukraine’s ‘FrankenBuk’ Air Defense System

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Mar 18, 2025

A Russian SU-27 Flanker aircraft banks away with a RAF Typhoon in the background. RAF Typhoons were scrambled on Tuesday 17 June 2014 to intercept multiple Russian aircraft as part of NATO’s ongoing mission to police Baltic airspace. The Typhoon aircraft, from 3 (Fighter) Squadron, were launched after four separate groups of aircraft were detected by NATO air defences in international airspace near to the Baltic States. Once airborne, the British jets identified the aircraft as a Russian Tupolev Tu22 ‘Backfire’ bomber, four Sukhoi Su27 ‘Flanker’ fighters, one Beriev A50 ‘Mainstay’ early warning aircraft and an Antonov An26 ‘Curl’ transport aircraft who appeared to be carrying out a variety of routine training. The Russian aircraft were monitored by the RAF Typhoons and escorted on their way. The Typhoon pilots involved in the operation were Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) Mark Long of 29 (Reserve) Squadron (the Typhoon operational training unit) and a French Air Force exchange pilot Commandant Marc-antoine Gerrard who is currently attached to 1(Fighter) Squadron.
Ukrainian Air Force

This Is What A Peacekeeping Air Policing Mission Over Ukraine Could Look Like

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Feb 20, 2025