Tagged: #air-force

50 stories found

A grey Indian Air Force Su-30MKI fighter jet seen from above flying over farmland and scattered houses

Chinese military aircraft hovered over Sikkim for 20 minutes despite Indian warnings, report says

An unnamed source told Outlook the Indian Air Force tracked the aircraft at 25,000 feet near the Siliguri Corridor on 12 November. The air force has not yet commented.

TaiwanDefence · 1d ago · 3 min read

A grey Indian Air Force Tejas light combat aircraft flying against a blue sky

Indo-Pacific

India's first Tejas Mk1A fighters could reach its air force in January after years of delays

HAL is said to be close to clearing the last radar-linked requirements and expects to hand over 10 jets by March 2027 as engine supplies from GE pick up.

TaiwanDefence · 1d ago · 3 min read

Two grey FA-50 light combat jets fly in formation with two US F-15C fighters above the sea

Indo-Pacific

Malaysia holds to its FA-50M timetable, with four more Korean-built jets due in April 2027

Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin says the air force will have six FA-50M light combat jets before LIMA 2027 and all 18 by March 2028, all based in Kuantan.

TaiwanDefence · 1d ago · 3 min read

A grey twin-engine Su-30MKM fighter jet with Malaysian markings flying above the sea

Indo-Pacific

Malaysia says a BrahMos buy for its Su-30MKM fighters is still only being explored

Defence Minister Khaled Nordin told parliament no decision has been made, as the missile's maker says talks with other South-east Asian buyers are advanced.

TaiwanDefence · 1d ago · 3 min read

Two Indian Air Force Su-30MKI fighters and three Mirage 2000 jets flying in formation against a clear blue sky

Indo-Pacific

Indian Air Force officer passed war plans and drone unit secrets to a suspected Pakistani spy, police say

A Delhi police chargesheet says a serving wing commander shared war-plan pages, secret drone unit details and fighter movements with a suspected Pakistani operative.

TaiwanDefence · 2d ago · 3 min read

A grey twin-boom unmanned aircraft with landing gear down flies against a pale sky

Indo-Pacific

Thai commanders say the Cambodia border war showed they need armed drones, not just spy drones

At a Bangkok drone forum, Thai officers said surveillance drones exposed Cambodian artillery and tanks but left strikes waiting on fighter jets.

TaiwanDefence · 3d ago · 3 min read

Grey Chinese J-16 twin-engine fighter jet in flight against a blue sky

Cross-Strait

China sends 29 military aircraft towards Taiwan, 22 of them across the Strait's median line

Taiwan's defence ministry said 22 of the fighters, tankers, early-warning planes and drones crossed the Strait's median line as warships joined in.

TaiwanDefence · 3d ago · 2 min read

Two grey F-22 stealth fighters taxi on a runway on Tinian with green trees behind them

ANALYSISAnalysis

Why the US Air Force's Marianas airstrip plan, reported on 12 November 2026, hinges on fuel and consent

A plan reported on 12 November 2026 for 6,000-plus flights a year from four Marianas airfields shows dispersal near Guam is mostly a logistics test.

TaiwanDefence · 3d ago · 4 min read

A grey two-seat KF-21 fighter jet with its canopy raised parked on an airfield apron, with ground crew walking nearby and wooded hills behind

Indo-Pacific

South Korea's top general flies in a KF-21 as the fighter's first squadron takes shape

JCS Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung flew a two-seat KF-21 at the 16th Fighter Wing and checked missile early warning, as Seoul fields its homegrown jet.

TaiwanDefence · 4d ago · 2 min read

A blue, white and red T-5 Brave Eagle jet trainer with two crew in the cockpit rolls along a runway beside a grass field

Air Force

Taiwan grounds all 65 Brave Eagle trainers after air force confirms brake failure

The air force told lawmakers a mechanical fault caused the Gangshan runway excursion, the worst of nine brake-related incidents on the jet in three years.

TaiwanDefence · 4d ago · 2 min read

A Philippine Air Force officer in camouflage looks at a phone held by a New Zealand soldier at a table marked White Cell during a cyber exercise

Indo-Pacific

Philippine military investigates claimed hack of air force personnel records

The AFP says it has not confirmed any breach after a dark web post claimed files from a Philippine Air Force personnel system were stolen.

TaiwanDefence · 5d ago · 3 min read

A white, blue and red twin-engine jet trainer with a tall tail fin parked on an apron under a blue sky with white clouds

Air Force

Taiwan Brave Eagle jet trainer runs off Gangshan runway after brake failure

A T-5 trainer burst a tyre and damaged its landing gear on landing at the air force academy base, the second trainer mishap there in under a week.

TaiwanDefence · 5d ago · 2 min read

Grey tailless flying-wing drone model with open weapon bay doors on display inside an exhibition hall

Cross-Strait

China shows the GJ-11 stealth drone's internal weapon bay in new state TV footage

CCTV aired close-up video of the GJ-11, now codenamed Xuanlong, ahead of the PLA Air Force anniversary, giving a first view of its belly weapon bay.

TaiwanDefence · 6d ago · 3 min read

A Philippine Air Force UH-1 Huey helicopter lifting off from a grass field at Clark Air Base

Indo-Pacific

Philippine Air Force retires its last six UH-1H Hueys as Black Hawks take over

The Philippine Air Force decommissioned its final six UH-1H helicopters in Cebu on 5 November, ending 57 years of Huey service as S-70i Black Hawks assume the role.

TaiwanDefence · 8 Nov 2026 · 3 min read

An F-22 stealth fighter taxis on an island airfield lined with trees as a US airman watches in the foreground

Indo-Pacific

US Air Force plans more than 6,000 yearly training flights from Saipan, Tinian and Rota airfields

The Air Force wants four Northern Mariana Islands airfields near Guam for dispersed-operations training, with public meetings set for later this month.

TaiwanDefence · 7 Nov 2026 · 3 min read

Taiwanese Tien Kung III surface-to-air missile launcher trailer with box launchers raised on a parade ground

Air Force

Taiwan's air defence missile chief Liu Hsiao-tang to retire as succession race opens

The lieutenant general who runs Taiwan's Patriot, Tien Kung and Hsiung Sheng missile force leaves at the end of November, and the defence ministry has yet to name a successor.

TaiwanDefence · 7 Nov 2026 · 3 min read

A grey camouflaged Pakistan Air Force JF-17 Thunder fighter parked on an airfield apron under a cloudy sky

Indo-Pacific

Pakistan test-fires Fa'az, its first home-built air-to-air missile, from a JF-17 fighter

The infrared-guided missile could ease the Pakistan Air Force's reliance on Chinese PL-15 and US AMRAAM weapons, though one analyst suspects a Chinese-supplied seeker.

TaiwanDefence · 6 Nov 2026 · 3 min read

A grey Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft flying over a blue ocean

Industry

US Navy orders more Poseidon upgrade kits for American and Australian sub hunters

A US$119.7 million award buys nine more Increment 3 Block 2 retrofit kits for P-8A patrol aircraft, seven for the US Navy and two for the Royal Australian Air Force.

TaiwanDefence · 6 Nov 2026 · 3 min read

A large grey Chinese tanker aircraft trails a refuelling hose toward a J-16 fighter jet flying behind it over the sea

Cross-Strait

Chinese jets cross the Taiwan Strait median line in Beijing's second combat readiness patrol in a week

Taiwan's defence ministry tracked 14 Chinese aircraft sorties, 12 of them across the median line, as four Chinese coast guard ships entered Kinmen's restricted waters.

TaiwanDefence · 4 Nov 2026 · 3 min read

A Chinese H-6 bomber flying alongside a J-16 fighter jet over the sea

Cross-Strait

China sends 49 military aircraft around Taiwan in one day, most of them off the southwest

Taiwan's defence ministry tracked 49 Chinese sorties, six warships and six other state vessels in 24 hours, most of them massed southwest of the island.

TaiwanDefence · 4 Nov 2026 · 3 min read

President Lai Ching-te shaking hands with an air force officer in a blue uniform beneath a portrait of Sun Yat-sen

Cross-Strait

Lai promotes five generals and tells them to make drones the eyes of Taiwan's military

An air force officer moves up to a three-star post at the Air Combat Command as the president ties unmanned systems to logistics, readiness and care for troops.

TaiwanDefence · 29 Oct 2026 · 3 min read

Air Force

Ten C-130Js would retire Taiwan's oldest Hercules as the US starts work on the request

Military sources say Washington has begun processing Taiwan's request for 10 new transports, with the case due by next May and funding from 2028.

TaiwanDefence · 29 Oct 2026 · 3 min read

Air Force

Taiwan has two of its six MS-110 spy pods for F-16s, with the rest due by December

The air force says the remaining four US-made reconnaissance pods will arrive by year-end, giving its F-16s all-weather imagery that can be sent to the ground in real time.

TaiwanDefence · 27 Oct 2026 · 3 min read

Airmen in flight suits and camouflage uniforms stand beneath a B-52 bomber wing as an instructor points to a long white missile mounted on a pylon

Industry

US Air Force puts ARRW, its first hypersonic missile, into production with a $694 million order

Lockheed Martin will build the B-52-launched boost-glide weapon, tested from Guam in 2024, three years after the service said it would buy none.

TaiwanDefence · 27 Oct 2026 · 3 min read

Indo-Pacific

Malaysia's first two FA-50M light combat jets are due on Friday, defence minister says

Khaled Nordin told parliament the South Korean-built jets will be based at Kuantan and Labuan, the first of 18 aircraft due by March 2028.

TaiwanDefence · 26 Oct 2026 · 2 min read

Indian and US soldiers stand on a tarmac operating small drones, one hovering beside them

Indo-Pacific

India clears 2.12 trillion rupees of arms buys led by drones, air defence and helicopters

The Defence Acquisition Council gave in-principle approval to Army, Navy and Air Force purchases, with about 82 per cent to be sourced from Indian industry.

TaiwanDefence · 26 Oct 2026 · 2 min read

Rows of US Air Force security forces airmen in camouflage uniforms stand in formation outdoors at Kadena Air Base

Indo-Pacific

US Air Force starts turning BYD cars away from Kadena as its ban on the Chinese brand takes effect

The 18th Wing says vehicles from the Chinese carmaker, which the Pentagon lists as a Chinese military company, pose an unacceptable risk at the Okinawa base.

TaiwanDefence · 26 Oct 2026 · 3 min read

A grey four-engine Taiwanese air force C-130H transport aircraft taxiing on an airfield

Army

Taiwan air force C-130s fly stranded travellers home from Kinmen and Matsu after Typhoon Champi

Military transports joined airline extra flights on Sunday to clear standby queues of more than 1,000 people left on the outlying islands by the storm.

TaiwanDefence · 25 Oct 2026 · 2 min read

A grey Indian Air Force Su-30MKI fighter with its canopy open and yellow boarding ladders as a crew member climbs up on a sunny flight line

Indo-Pacific

India's outgoing air chief says theatre commands must not split fighter fleets by region

Air Chief Marshal AP Singh wants a phased, India-specific joint command structure and says the air force is watching the Indo-Pacific closely.

TaiwanDefence · 25 Oct 2026 · 3 min read

A grey twin-engine stealth fighter jet with canard foreplanes flies against a pale sky

Cross-Strait

J-20 design institute researchers propose radar arrays built into drone wings

A Chengdu design institute study describes wing-embedded radars on rolling drones that would share early-warning work, but it does not show any hardware or flight test.

TaiwanDefence · 25 Oct 2026 · 3 min read

A grey four-engine Chinese military turboprop aircraft landing with its wheels down

Indo-Pacific

Chinese and Russian spy planes draw Japanese fighter scrambles on four straight days

Japan's Joint Staff says three Chinese Y-9 flights and two Russian IL-20 missions approached Japan over four days while the Keen Sword exercise was under way.

TaiwanDefence · 24 Oct 2026 · 3 min read

A row of small single-engine Philippine Air Force propeller aircraft parked on a runway

Indo-Pacific

Four Philippine Air Force pilots die as two SF-260 trainers go down at Fernando Air Base

The air force says both trainers came down inside the Lipa base during a training flight and it has grounded every SF-260 while investigators look for the cause.

TaiwanDefence · 24 Oct 2026 · 2 min read

A small single-engine propeller trainer aircraft with a bubble canopy and Philippine Air Force markings parked on a concrete apron

Indo-Pacific

Two Philippine Air Force SF-260 trainers involved in an incident during a training flight at Lipa

The air force says response teams secured the site at Fernando Air Base in Batangas but has not said whether anyone was hurt, five months after a fatal SF-260 crash.

TaiwanDefence · 24 Oct 2026 · 2 min read

A white two-seat jet trainer with red and blue stripes parked on a wet air base apron as visitors with umbrellas look on

Industry

Paraguay's air force to receive 15 retired Taiwanese AT-3 jet trainers

Paraguayan air force sources say the retired AT-3s will arrive from mid-2027 and restore a jet combat capability the country has lacked since 2003.

TaiwanDefence · 23 Oct 2026 · 3 min read

A grey four-propeller Chinese military aircraft with a large disc-shaped radar dome on its back flies against a blue sky

Cross-Strait

Satellite images show four KJ-3000 radar jets at China's Xian aircraft plant

Imagery from 5 October shows four of the PLA's new Y-20-based early warning jets at Xian-Yanliang, a sign analysts say the type may be nearing serial production.

TaiwanDefence · 23 Oct 2026 · 3 min read

A dark grey twin-seat KF-21 fighter jet with South Korean markings climbs against a clear blue sky with its landing gear doors open

Indo-Pacific

South Korea's air force shows its first production KF-21 as the Sacheon Airshow courts foreign buyers

The air force displayed its first production KF-21 at the Sacheon Airshow, which opened on 22 October with a new defence trade fair and foreign air force delegations.

TaiwanDefence · 23 Oct 2026 · 3 min read

A grey-blue Indonesian Air Force F-16 fighter jet with its landing gear down flying low past trees

Indo-Pacific

Indonesian F-16s and Super Tucanos land on an East Java toll road in an alternative runway test

Indonesia's air force closed a stretch of the Pasuruan-Probolinggo toll road to test whether fighters can fly from it if air bases are put out of use.

TaiwanDefence · 22 Oct 2026 · 3 min read

A large red airport crash rescue fire truck with a roof-mounted water cannon parked on an air base apron

Industry

Taiwan's air force orders 18 US-built fire trucks to replace ageing airfield crash tenders

A NT$997 million contract awarded after a failed first tender will bring 18 new 3,000-gallon airfield fire trucks to air force bases by May 2028.

TaiwanDefence · 22 Oct 2026 · 3 min read

A grey drone model with a red nose and red-tipped wings sits on its landing gear inside a large white exhibition hall

Indo-Pacific

India's air force hands industry its drone roadmap covering 16 types of unmanned aircraft

The Indian Air Force briefed about 100 drone makers in New Delhi on what unmanned and autonomous systems it wants, pressing for home-grown engines, software and navigation.

TaiwanDefence · 22 Oct 2026 · 2 min read

A grey drone with a V-shaped tail flies above and behind a grey F-16 fighter jet against a pale sky

Indo-Pacific

South Korean and US air force chiefs sign pact to work together on drone wingmen

The letter of intent on autonomous collaborative platforms aims to make future Korean and American manned-unmanned air forces work as one from the design stage.

TaiwanDefence · 22 Oct 2026 · 3 min read

A grey F-22 stealth fighter in the foreground and an F-35 stealth fighter behind it flying over a coastline

Indo-Pacific

US Air Force tells Congress it needs 1,509 combat fighters by 2035, two in five of them F-35s

A new fighter force structure report lowers last year's 2035 goal and accepts medium risk, while funding and factory output decide whether the fleet can grow.

TaiwanDefence · 21 Oct 2026 · 3 min read

A light truck carrying a four-missile air defence launcher parked on an air base apron

ANALYSISAnalysis

Taiwan's new NT$3.1bn missile upkeep deal shows how much it still leans on ageing air defences

A maintenance contract reported on 20 October 2026 and a life extension for the 20-year-old Antelope show Taiwan paying to bridge the gap until NASAMS arrives.

TaiwanDefence · 21 Oct 2026 · 4 min read

A large four-engine grey tanker aircraft trailing two refuelling hoses flies beside four fighter jets against a blue sky

Indo-Pacific

China's air force shows its Y-20B heavy transport fitted to work as an aerial refuelling tanker

A PLA Daily photo and state media reports point to a dual-role Y-20B that can swap between cargo and tanker work with removable pods, suggesting it is now in service.

TaiwanDefence · 20 Oct 2026 · 3 min read

Grey Taiwanese F-CK-1C Ching-kuo fighter jet with landing gear down on approach against a pale sky

Cross-Strait

Taiwan says the counter-drone system at Ching Chuan Kang air base will be working by the end of October

Defence minister Wellington Koo told lawmakers the system had not yet been accepted when a drone shut the base for 32 minutes and diverted eight fighters.

TaiwanDefence · 20 Oct 2026 · 2 min read

A tall grey office tower housing the Taiwan High Court criminal division stands beside older low-rise buildings on a Taipei street under a clear sky

Cross-Strait

Taiwan indicts four as two former service members are accused of selling military secrets to China

Prosecutors say a military police officer and an air force soldier passed classified files to China for about NT$1.8 million, with crypto used to move the money.

TaiwanDefence · 19 Oct 2026 · 3 min read

A grey Chinese J-20 stealth fighter climbing steeply against an overcast sky with vapour trailing from its wingtips

Industry

China's J-20 stealth fighter maker says modular tooling cuts its set-up costs by a fifth

Chengdu Aircraft says reusable assembly modules trim tooling costs about 20% and lead times 25%, a claim tied to faster fighter output that no one has audited.

TaiwanDefence · 18 Oct 2026 · 3 min read

A grey Chinese H-6K bomber with red star markings flying against an overcast sky

Cross-Strait

Chinese state TV airs H-6K bombers with YJ-21 hypersonic anti-ship missiles under their wings

Taiwanese reporting says the footage shows the missile settling into an air-launched role, while a retired general argues Taiwan's air defences can still intercept it.

TaiwanDefence · 18 Oct 2026 · 3 min read

Bottom view of a Taiwan air force F-16 fighter flying over Hualien

Cross-Strait

Taiwan air force and navy scramble as nine PLA aircraft and six warships operate around the island

Five aircraft crossed the median line in the day to 6 a.m. on 17 October as Taipei answered with CAP fighters, navy ships and coastal missile systems.

TaiwanDefence · 18 Oct 2026 · 2 min read

Helmeted reservists in camouflage kneel with rifles behind barbed wire on grass while officials and officers watch from under a tent

Air Force

Taiwan air force keeps a reservist call-up on election day, telling 311 to vote before reporting

A venue clash left an Air Force guard battalion's reserve training starting on 28 November, Taiwan's local election day, so reservists may report until 8 pm.

TaiwanDefence · 17 Oct 2026 · 2 min read

A grey twin-tailed fighter jet with landing gear down touches down on a runway

Indo-Pacific

Japan's fighter scrambles jump by two-thirds as Chinese and Russian flights surge

The Air Self-Defense Force launched jets 442 times in the six months to September, with Chinese aircraft behind 285 of them and the southwestern islands nearest Taiwan still the busiest front.

TaiwanDefence · 17 Oct 2026 · 3 min read