An air force buys a fighter once and pays for it for forty years. The purchase price is the smallest part of that, which is why fleet decisions turn on sustainment cost, spares depth and depot throughput more than on any performance figure in the brochure.
This section follows military fixed-wing aviation. Fighters, bombers, transports, trainers, purpose-built early warning and reconnaissance types. Procurement competitions and their outcomes. Upgrade programs, structural life extensions, and retirements that get delayed because the replacement is late.
Delivery counts and mission-capable rates are reported when a service or an auditor publishes them, and left out when nobody has.
USAF F-35A fighters from the Vermont Air National Guard’s 158th Fighter Wing arrived in Puerto Rico on Dec. 20, 2025 for Operation Southern Spear. The jets flew into Roosevelt Roads Naval Station near Ceiba, which now serves as a staging point for
Dec. 20, 2025 marks 36 years since the F-117 Nighthawk’s first combat use during Operation Just Cause in Panama. The sortie stayed quiet at the time, yet it set a pattern that followed the jet into later wars. Central America also sits
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.
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
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
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
China’s CH-7 stealth flying-wing unmanned aircraft has completed a first known flight, according to state media footage released today. The material shows ground checks, takeoff, in-flight shots, and a recovery to the same airfield, placing the long-running program into open flight testing.
HH-60W Jolly Green II rescue helicopters and an HC-130J Combat King II arrived in Puerto Rico. Operation Southern Spear continues to add airlift and recovery support. KC-135 Stratotankers have started operating from the Dominican Republic. KC-46 Pegasus tankers also continue forward activity
The first B-52 fitted with an AESA radar reached Edwards Air Force Base this week after a ferry flight from San Antonio. The aircraft completed the Dec. 8 move under the B-52 Radar Modernization Program, and the test team at Edwards now
According to industry sources, the former Roosevelt Roads Navy base in Puerto Rico remains the leading candidate for the initial stop. The airfield has hosted U.S. aviation detachments linked to the operation since September. Vermont Air National Guard 158th Fighter Wing F-35A
