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As the dust settles, for now, on the latest clashes between India and Pakistan, it’s clear that the nations’ respective air forces played a very active role in the fighting. At this stage, details of what happened are still extremely hard to come by, with seemingly endless claims and counterclaims, especially around possible shootdowns, and very little in the way of verifiable facts about how the air-to-air engagements played out. However, many observers are already pointing to the potentially significant impact of the Pakistan Air Force’s Chinese-made Chengdu J-10C multirole fighters, as well as their vaunted PL-15 air-to-air missiles. India

China’s J-10C Fighter: Separating Myth From Reality

China’s J-10C is in the spotlight after claims of Pakistani air-to-air kills against their Indian counterparts, but just how capable is it?

Latest News

Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR), released a new video on Thursday offering new views of its Magura-7 sea drones.
Russia

Our Best Look Yet At Ukraine’s AIM-9 Sidewinder-Toting Magura-7 Drone Boat

A newly released video offers new views of the Magura-7 and offers more details about its capabilities.

Trump wants a twin engine F-35.
U.S. Air Force

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

Trump lamented ugly stealth aircraft and also discussed another “super upgrade” for the F-35 and one for the F-22, while elaborating on his F-55 concept.

The U.S. Army's Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) tiltrotors will be designated MV-75s, the service announced today at the Army Aviation Association of America's annual Mission Solutions Summit.
FLRAA

MV-75 Official Designation Given To Future U.S. Army Tiltrotor Assault Aircraft (Updated)

The Army is now pushing to speed up delivery of its baseline MV-75s, with special operations versions also on the horizon.

The future of the Navy NGAD crewed aircraft program remains in limbo.
NGAD

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

Major delays could be on the horizon for the F/A-XX stealth fighter, which the Navy wants to replace its aging Super Hornets and Growlers.

F-35 was nearly downed by Houthi air defenses.
Red Sea

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

Highly mobile Houthi SAM systems and ones that use passive infrared sensors present a vexing problem for even advanced U.S. combat aircraft.

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

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

We have gotten our first official basic specifications for the Air Force’s Next Generation F-47 fighter and its accompanying drones.

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.
Yemen

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

The incident took place during Operation Rough Rider, the enhanced bombing campaign against the Houthis launched by Trump on March 15.

Russia is taking a page out of Ukraine's play book and creating Naval drone regiments
Ukraine

Ukraine Situation Report: Russian Navy Creating New Drone Regiments In Wake Of Enemy Successes

The Russian Navy is applying lessons learned from Ukraine’s multi-pronged drone campaigns to reinvent parts of its own force.

Ukraine has, apparently for the first time, released a video showing its use of the Soviet-era S-200 (SA-5 Gammon) long-range surface-to-air missile, a weapon that was apparently reinstated to service only after the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022.
Russia

Our Best Look At Ukraine’s Reactivated S-200 Long-Range Surface-To-Air Missiles In Action

Ukraine’s shadowy SA-5 Gammon surface-to-air missile systems have been connected with some high-profile Russian aircraft shootdowns.

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BRDY MILITARY BASE, CZECH REPUBLIC - MARCH 28: A part of the abandoned bunker complex that formerly belonged to the Soviet military on the Brdy reservation near Mirosov on March 28, 2007 near Plzen, Czech Republic. The site which was visited by US experts, may become the new location of an American radar installation that will be used for the pupose of anti-missile defense. (Photo by Kurt Vinion/Getty Images)

Bunker Talk: Let’s Talk About All The Things We Did And Didn’t Cover This Week

That’s not snow pal…

Chinese-Made PL-15 Air-To-Air Missile Components Came Down Intact Inside India

Chinese-Made PL-15 Air-To-Air Missile Components Came Down Intact Inside India

Pakistani use of PL-15Es against Indian fighters opens up a new vector for intelligence exploitation on one of China’s most threatening missiles.

Satellite imagery indicates that there are now 10 U.S. heavy bombers – six stealthy B-2s and four B-52s – on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.

B-52s Join B-2s On Diego Garcia,10 Bombers Now At Indian Ocean Island

This is the most bombers seen at Diego Garcia for many years, but it’s very likely that at least some of the B-2s will rotate back home soon.

Pakistan claims it downed more than two dozen Israeli-made Harop drones as the conflict with India intensifies.

Israeli-Made Harop Attack Drones Launched By India By The Dozens, Pakistan Claims

Evidence points to the potential use of long-range loitering munitions by India to attack air defenses in Pakistan.

L3Harris Sky Warden test aircraft for the OA-1K Skyraider II program for the Air Force Special Operations Command.

OA-1K Skyraider II Walk-Around Tour With Its Test Pilot

We get an up-close look at L3Harris’ Sky Warden, which is based on the AT-802 Air Tractor and is branded Skyraider II by the Air Force.

The Black Arrow, which is intended to carry a range of different payloads and not just a kinetic warhead, arrives at a time when the Pentagon is looking at harnessing the potential of lower-cost weapons that can be readily produced at scale to meet the likely demands of future conflicts.

AC-130 Gunship-Launched Black Arrow Small Cruise Missile Has A 400-Mile Range

Leidos is looking at also making the Black Arrow available for ground and sea-based launch platforms, from HIMARS to warships.

Raytheon has begun test flights of its compact PhantomStrike radar, which features an active electronically scanned array (AESA) and gallium nitride (GaN) technology. Most significantly, the manufacturer claims that PhantomStrike — which has already been ordered by Poland — brings all the benefits of an AESA antenna at a much lower price point than other radars in its class.

PhantomStrike Low-Cost Lightweight AESA Radar Flies For First Time

The air-cooled AESA is a major contender to equip fighter-like loyal wingman drones, along with other air, land and sea platforms.

Can The OA-1K Skyraider II Actually Be Useful In A Pacific Fight?

Can The OA-1K Skyraider II Actually Be Useful In A Pacific Fight?

The USAF thinks air-launched drones, standoff weapons, and its ability to fly from remote locations may give the OA-1K relevance in high-end combat.

A CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft assigned to the 20th Special Operations Squadron approaches the air-refueling receptacle of an MC-130 Commando II during a night flight at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, Sept. 12, 2024. The Osprey is a tiltrotor aircraft that combines a helicopter's vertical takeoff, hover, and vertical landing qualities with the long-range, fuel efficiency, and speed characteristics of a turboprop aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Gracelyn Hess)

Electronic Warfare Lessons From Ukraine Informing Air Force Special Operations Future

Observations from Ukraine about rapidly adapting platforms and systems to changing battlefield realities is also driving major change in AFSOC.

Small missile for CCA and fighter aircraft sought by USAF.

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

The Air Force is eyeing a pint-sized, extended-range, low-cost missile to arm Collaborative Combat Aircraft and crewed fighters.

AIM-9 Sidewinder-Armed Ukrainian Drone Boat: What We Know

AIM-9 Sidewinder-Armed Ukrainian Drone Boat: What We Know

The legacy AIM-9 is a highly-proven and available weapon that has a ship-launched past, but doing so from Ukraine’s drone boats presents interesting challenges.

The planned live-fire sinking of a decommissioned warship at the Balikatan exercise in the Philippines was struck a blow after the ship in question sunk before navies had a chance to pummel it with weapons. The World War II-era corvette BRP Miguel Malvar (PS-19) was being positioned at the start of the exercise, which continued regardless, including other live-fire events.

Ship Sinks Just Before Being Pummeled With Weapons In Pacific Exercise

Built in World War II, the decommissioned Philippine Navy corvette sank just hours before it was due to be sacrificed in a U.S.-Filipino sinking exercise.

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.

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

The event marks the first time drone boats downed fighters and the first successful use of AIM-9 missiles to take down any aircraft via drone boat.

The Marines are investigating the use of the REGENT Viceroy sea glider to deliver troops, cargo and perform other functions in contested areas.

Seaglider Aims To Deliver Small Groups Of Marines Low Over The Waves

Eyeing a future fight in the Pacific, the USMC is seeking craft that can swiftly and efficiently move small loads of troops and materiel to austere locales.

NANTWICH, ENGLAND - MAY 24: The nuclear strike mapping room view inside the former RAF Hack Green secret nuclear bunker on May 24, 2023 in Nantwich, England. Hack Green played a central role in the defence of Britain for almost sixty years. It was chosen during WW2 to protect the land between Birmingham and Liverpool from hostile attack and as a location for the new RADAR equipment. The bunker went on to be used for shelter and protection during the Cold War. As relations between East and West thawed many of the UK's nuclear bunkers were sold off. The Secret Bunker is now privately owned by the Siebert family and is run as a museum trust. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Bunker Talk: Let’s Talk About All The Things We Did And Didn’t Cover This Week

We are running out of light bulbs.

A US Army soldier with an XM7 rifle.

Army Captain Slams New XM7 Rifle As “Unfit,” Sig Sauer Says Otherwise (Updated)

The infantry officer and Expeditionary Warfare School student presented his findings, which lambasted the new rifle for its ergonomics, weight, and durability.

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The War Zone — also known by the shorthand TWZ — has become an essential resource for the defense industry, the national security community, and the interested public at large since it was launched in 2016.

 

From its early beginnings to the present day, TWZ’s purpose remains the same.

 

The site stands at the nexus of military technology, strategy, and foreign policy. As a full-spectrum defense news and analysis website, TWZ covers the air, sea, land, space, and cyber domains of warfare, with an infusion of geopolitical context and technological analysis to offer readers deeper, yet easy-to-consume, insights than what they will find anywhere else….

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