The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor remains one of the world’s most capable air superiority fighters, but its pilots do not use the advanced Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS) that has become a defining feature of the newer F-35 Lightning II.
defense
US lawmakers revive the F-35 pitch to Spain after the FCAS collapse, as Madrid weighs Turkey’s KAAN fighter instead.
The difference becomes especially clear when comparing the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and the Boeing B-52H Stratofortress.
Portugal has signed a memorandum of understanding with Lufthansa Group to explore the creation of a new pilot training academy that could support future German Air Force pilot training.
China’s latest air-to-air missile, the PL-16, has drawn global attention as military analysts compare it with the United States’ next-generation AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM).
When discussing the world’s top combat aircraft in 2026, the conversation often centers on fighter jets such as the F-35 Lightning II, F-22 Raptor, or China’s J-20.
The US Air Force’s F-35A recorded the highest full mission-capable rate among all F-35 variants in fiscal 2025, yet only 28.5 percent of the jets could perform all assigned missions at any given time, according to a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report.
Unlike older aircraft that expected close-range dogfights, these next-generation jets are designed to destroy threats from long distances while remaining undetected.
NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center is moving to acquire a Boeing 737-73W from the U.S. Air Force to build a new reduced-gravity testbed aircraft.
France and Germany have officially ended the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), a €100 billion European fighter jet program that was once expected to deliver a sixth-generation combat aircraft for European allies by 2040.