The U.S. Air Force inducted its first fourth generation combat aircraft, the F-15 Eagle heavyweight fighter into service in 1976, providing a very signifiant improvement over the prior Vietnam War era generation where the F-4E Phantom had represented the service’s heaviest and most widely used fighter. The F-15’s performance was […]
Since the outbreak of war in Ukraine on February 24, Russia has deployed a range of combat aircraft for roles ranging from provision of close air support to precision strikes and suppression of enemy air defences. The country’s two most capable and newest fighters the Su-34 strike platform and Su-35 […]
Amid ongoing hostilities between Russia and Ukraine, Poland has consistently taken among the most hardline positions in the Western world against Moscow and been a leading provider of support to Ukraine’s armed forces. On April 4 Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki stated that there was little room for dialogue with […]
Amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula, and following threats from Seoul of a possible pre-emptive attack on North Korea, Pyongyang warned on March 5 that any such strike could be met with the use of tactical nuclear weapons against South Korean military targets. Deputy Department Director of the Publicity […]
Following the publication of images on April 3 allegedly showing a Russian Air Force Su-35S shot down by Ukrainian air defences, reports have emerged that a Soviet S-125 medium range surface to air missile system was responsible. The Su-35 is the most costly fighter in Russia Air Force service fielded […]
On April 3 multiple images emerged appearing to show the wreckage of a Russian Air Force Su-35S heavyweight fighter in Ukraine, a class of fighter which as been operating very extensively in Ukrainian airspace for over five weeks from bases in both Russia itself and in neighbouring Belarus. The fate […]
On March 31 the government of Mali announced that it had received two helicopter gunships from Russia, which would be used to support ongoing counterinsurgency efforts against Islamist militant groups in its desert regions. Defence Minister Sadio Camara received the helicopters on March 30 in the country’s capital Bamako as […]
Amid ongoing hostilities between Russia and Ukraine, over six weeks after they began on February 24, the Czech Republic has joined a number of Western countries in announcing planned donations of Soviet era equipment to the Ukrainian Military. While peace talks between Moscow and Kiev made unprecedented progress in the […]
The F-16 Fighting Falcon entered service in the United States Air Force in 1978, and other than the F-15 Eagle which is two years older it remains the oldest fighter in the world that is still in production today. The Falcon has seen more airframes produced than any other fourth […]
Cinema and popular media more generally have often significantly influenced public perceptions of both international politics and military affairs, with few examples being more profound than the 1986 blockbuster Top Gun. The film was produced in cooperation with the U.S. Navy, which benefitted considerably from its popularity to boost recruiting. […]