Just three days after the first images of a new twin seat variant of China’s J-20 heavyweight fifth generation fighter were leaked, the first images of a second new fifth generation fighter unknown designation emerged. The new aircraft appears to be based on the FC-31 prototype which first flew in in October […]
Iran has carried out a rare well publicised exercise demonstrating the capabilities of its MiG-29 fighter jets, which were acquired from the Soviet Union in the early 1990s and represent the most modern combat jets in its fleet. The Iranian Air Force currently fields two MiG-29 squadrons, all comprised of […]
China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force’s long speculated induction of a twin seat variant of its J-20 fighter jet has finally been confirmed by new leaked footage, with the prototype reportedly carrying out taxing tests and having yet to make its first flight. The J-20 entered service in 2017 as the […]
Since the mid 1980s the possibility of Iran developing a nuclear weapons capability has been a significant concern in the Western world, and one which has only grown with time as the country’s economy and defence sector have modernised and as it acquired a growing number of potentially nuclear capable […]
During the Cold War the United States and Soviet Union both developed a number of combat and reconnaissance aircraft capable of operating at extreme speeds. Of those which entered service, the most notable where the Soviet MiG-25 which had interceptor, reconnaissance, strike and SEAD variants, its successor the MiG-31 which […]
The British Royal Navy today fields two sizeable 65,000 ton Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers, which entered service in December 2017 and December 2019, making the country’s carrier fleet larger and more capable than it has been since the early years of the Cold War. While the Navy fielded a sizeable fleet during the Second […]
The Algerian Air Force has long been a leading client for high-performance Russian and Soviet combat jets, with the country’s fleet considered to be the most capable in Africa and the Arab world. The country has invested particularly heavily in aerial warfare and air defence over the past decade, after […]
Following multiple reports from 2018 from sources in Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence Production that the acquisition Chinese HQ-9B (FD-2000) surface to air missile systems was under consideration, the delivery of the first units has been confirmed. The HQ-9P, which is thought to be an export variant of the HQ-9B tailored […]
Following its eviction from the F-35 fighter program the future of the Turkish Air Force has long been in question, with the country holding talks with Russia to acquire Su-35 jets and having shown a strong interest in the newer Su-57. Turkey’s ability or willingness to integrate modern Russian fighters, […]
Russia’s Su-57 next generation fighter saw its its first combat deployment in February 2018, when the aircraft were briefly dispatched to Syria to test their capabilities under combat conditions for the very first time. The aircraft deployed were notably prototypes rather than serial production fighters, and had only a very limited initial operating capability, although […]