Amid high tensions between Russia and NATO over multiple issues, chief among the possibility of Ukraine’s absorption into the western alliance, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has indicated the possibility that Moscow could open new military facilities in Cuba and Venezuela. “I don’t want to confirm anything, I won’t […]
On January 12th the first Russian Tu-160M2 intercontinental range strategic bomber made its first flight at the Kazan Aviation Plant, marking a major milestone in efforts to modernise the country’s airborne nuclear forces after the decision to relaunch production of the aircraft was announced in 2015. The aircraft reportedly flew […]
First tested in September 2021, North Korea’s Hwasong-8 tactical ballistic missile is set to provide the country with its first hypersonic hypersonic glide vehicle equipped weapon, making it the third country to field such a system only after Russia and China. Hypersonic glide vehicles use conventional boosters to gain altitude, with the Hwasong-8 […]
North Korea has announced that a ballistic missile test on January 11th was of a hypersonic glide vehicle, making it the second such test in less than a week following a launch on January 4th. The South Korean Joints Chiefs of Staff reported that the missile travelled at Mach 10 […]
In the latest of a series of accidents involving its fighter fleet, Taiwan’s air force (officially the Republic of China Air Force) lost contact with an F-16V and its pilot on January 11th which after several hours was assumed to have crashed. The F-16V is the most capable fighter in […]
As part of a broader policy of targeting Russian arms exports and security ties across the world, the United States’ efforts to press India to downgrade its defence ties with Moscow have recently specifically targeted Indian plans to acquire the Russian S-400 long range air defence platform. Aside from threatening the […]
On January 9th Kazakhstan’s acting Internal Affairs minister Yerlan Turgumbayev reported highly organised, skilled and disciplined actions by anti government rioters indicating a great deal of planning and organisation: “Across the board, protesters demonstrated their professional skills. Discipline and orderliness were notable in their actions. In the areas where they […]
On January 6th it was announced that Norway became the world’s first country to field a fighter fleet comprised entirely of fifth generation fighters, with American F-35A jets replacing the last F-16s in its fleet. The completion of the replacement process, which comes under a month after neighbouring Finland placed […]
Following the retirement of its last F-16 Fighting Falcon fourth generation fighters, which was announced on January 6th, Norway became the first country in the world to field a fighter fleet comprised entirely of fifth generation aircraft. The F-16’s replacement, the F-35A, is the only Western fifth generation fighter in […]
The Royal Norwegian Air Force (RoNAF) has retired its last F-16 Fighting Falcon fourth generation fighters as its new generation of F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters take over all combat aviation duties. Norway was the first European country to activate an F-35 squadron, doing so in December 2019, after receiving […]