British and Norwegian F-35 fighters escorted a US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress over the High North during Exercise Global Thunder 27 on October 24.
Defence aircraft
The US Air Force has moved its AGM-183A ARRW hypersonic missile into production under a $694 million Lockheed Martin contract, reviving a programme that faced repeated test failures and funding uncertainty.
Switzerland has accepted major reforms to its defence procurement process after a parliamentary review questioned the handling of its F-35A fighter purchase.
Russia is upgrading factories and restoring supplier networks to support Tu-160M strategic bomber production.
The global race for sixth-generation fighter aircraft is moving beyond the traditional pursuit of speed, manoeuvrability and stealth.
Germany is examining whether to join the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) after opening exploratory discussions with the United Kingdom over participation in the sixth-generation fighter project.
A Russian Tu-95 strategic bomber crashed during a training flight near the village of Krasnoyarovo in the Far Eastern Amur region on September 29, killing six of the seven crew members aboard.
India’s Rafale deal faces challenges as 30–40% of fighter value lies in software, yet source code access remains restricted.
The Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), a joint sixth-generation fighter jet initiative involving the United Kingdom, Japan, and Italy, is facing uncertainty due to delays in British defense funding commitments.
The United States intelligence community has assessed that China is not planning to invade Taiwan in 2027, easing immediate concerns over a potential military conflict in East Asia.