Rafale, A400M, and Phénix: France Muscles Up Its Strategic Power Projection
A400M, Rafale, and A330 MRTT: France is consolidating an air force capable of shifting rapidly between Europe, its overseas territories, and the Indo-Pacific. In Summary […]
fighter jet
F-16 Block 70/72 Resumes Deliveries After Technical Redesign
Lockheed Martin restarts F-16 deliveries following a redesign and new flight testing, while global demand continues to keep the production line under pressure. Executive Summary […]
Gripen: An Engine Changed in One Hour by Five Conscripts
The Saab JAS 39 Gripen can be refueled and rearmed in a matter of minutes. Its engine can be replaced in the field in less […]
The Su-57D Becomes Russia’s Laboratory for Future Air Combat
Russia is testing the two-seater Su-57D to command drones and prepare for 6th-generation air combat, despite the war and sanctions. Summary The Su-57D marks a […]
FCAS: France Turns to India Following the NGF Breakdown
Following the collapse of the Franco-German NGF, Paris is exploring a FCAS partnership with India. Technology, budgets, sovereignty, and the role of drones: what is […]
The F-35 Is Becoming the Air Standard of NATO’s Northern Flank
From Denmark to Canada, the F-35 is structuring NATO’s northern air defense, at the cost of growing American dependence and expensive MRO. Executive Summary The […]
U.S. CCAs Promise More Mass, but Their Cost Threatens the Concept
With the FQ-42A and FQ-44A, the USAF aims to build affordable combat mass. Yet stealth, autonomy, and survivability are already threatening the cost equation. Executive […]
India Negotiates 114 Rafales, Including 94 Built on Its Soil
Paris proposes 114 Rafales to India, including 94 produced locally, featuring industrial transfers, maintenance, and increasing integration of Indian technology. In summary In early August […]
AI Pilots a Fighter: 27 Autonomous Interceptions with an Infrared Sensor
On August 4, 2026, Skunk Works revealed that the X-62A VISTA executed 27 autonomous interceptions driven by AI using the infrared Legion Pod. A technological […]
France Faces Urgent Choice Between Rafale F4 and Rafale F5
The French Air Force is demanding more Rafales before 2033. The choice between the readily available F4 and the strategic F5 exposes tensions within French […]