Giovanni de Briganti, Author at DEFENSE-AEROSPACE

U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Kregg York

How Canada Plans to Integrate F-35 Fighters Into NORAD and Arctic Air Defense Operations

Defense officials confirm Canada’s senior operational air commander for NORAD integration continues detailed planning for the arrival of F-35A fighters, even as Ottawa reviews the broader fighter buy. Maj. Gen. Chris McKenna said the first tranche of aircraft is already paid for.

December 18, 2025

Russia-Ukraine War

Ukrainian Drone Strike Targets MiG-31 Foxhound and Air Defense Systems at Belbek Air Base in Crimea

Ukrainian security officials reported that long-range drones reached Belbek Air Base near Sevastopol in Crimea. The Security Service of Ukraine said the strike hit a MiG-31 and several air-defense assets. Russian-installed officials in Sevastopol said defenses repelled the raid and reported no

December 18, 2025

Air & Missile Defense Systems

U.S. Army Plans First Sentinel A4 Radar Deployment to Defend Washington’s National Capital Region

Defense officials confirm the Army will field its first full Sentinel A4 deployment around Washington, D.C. The radar is the AN/MPQ-64A4 variant. It targets low-altitude threats, with emphasis on cruise missiles and drones. The plan surfaced during a Redstone Arsenal event near

December 17, 2025

Contracts & Deals

Austria Orders 12 Leonardo M-346F Block 20 Light Fighters to Strengthen Air Policing and Pilot Training

Austria signed the deal for 12 Leonardo M-346F Block 20 aircraft on Dec. 17, 2025, according to official statements. Leonardo said the jets will arrive in a light fighter configuration. The package includes simulators, spares, and six years of support after the

December 17, 2025

U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jade M. Caldwell

Aircraft

First Images Of China’s Y-30 Turboprop Transport Reveal A New PLA Tactical Airlift Platform

Footage circulating on Dec. 16, 2025 shows a new Chinese four turboprop transport aircraft in flight testing. The designation stays unofficial, with Y-30 and Y-15 both in use among watchers. The airlifter appears sized between the Y-9 and the larger Y-20, with

December 16, 2025

Contracts & Deals

USAF Acquires Lufthansa 747-8 Aircraft To Support VC-25B Air Force One Training Fleet

The U.S. Air Force has confirmed it is buying two Boeing 747-8 passenger jets from Lufthansa. The service says the aircraft will backstop training and spare parts for the incoming 747-8 presidential fleet. The purchase runs alongside a revised VC-25B delivery target

December 16, 2025

U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. James Cason

Civil-Military Aviation & Cooperation

Additional KC-135 Tankers Arrive In The Caribbean As U.S. Air Operations Intensify Around Venezuela

Photographs and flight-tracking posts over the past two days point to a larger U.S. Air Force KC-135 presence at Las Américas International Airport in the Dominican Republic. The tanker staging coincided with steady C-17 traffic into Puerto Rico and an additional cargo

December 16, 2025

Author: Press Service of the Western Military District

Naval Systems

New Satellite Images Reveal Damage At Novorossiysk After Ukrainian Underwater Drone Attack

Commercial satellite images taken on Dec. 16, 2025 show blast damage to a pier inside Russia’s Novorossiysk naval port, close to a moored Project 636.3 submarine. Ukraine’s Security Service says an uncrewed underwater vehicle carried out the strike a day earlier. Russia’s

December 16, 2025

Aircraft

Luxury Boeing 737-8 BBJ With DHS Seal Appears In Washington Before Overseas Flight

Photos taken in Washington over the weekend show a Boeing 737-8 Boeing Business Jet with “United States of America” on the fuselage and a Department of Homeland Security seal visible inside the cabin. The aircraft, registered N471US, left the Washington area soon

December 16, 2025

Aircraft

India Turns to Oman’s Retired Jaguars to Keep Its Aging Strike Fleet Flying

India is moving to pull retired Jaguar airframes out of Oman for parts. The Indian Air Force wants to keep six Jaguar squadrons viable while new fighter buys keep slipping right. The plan extends a fleet that still fills strike and maritime

December 15, 2025

Giovanni de Briganti

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