Interesting footage of China’s new J-35 and upgraded J-15T fighters, plus KJ-600 AEW&C aircraft practicing arrested landings and catapult launches from the Type 003 aircraft carrier Fujian: youtu.be/YlSwXhB_7EE?...

(Reuters) - Poland flatly rejected on Friday a suggestion by U.S. President Donald Trump that drone incursions into its airspace could have been a mistake, describing them as "a deliberate Russian attack". @reuters.com www.reuters.com/business/aer...

Second B-21 Raider Stealth Bomber Has Flown (Updated) www.twz.com/air/second-b...

Large Stealth Flying Wing Aircraft Photographed Over China www.twz.com/air/large-st...

@davidhambling.bsky.social 😉

New episode just posted:

Why Drones Can’t Replace Traditional Firepower My @GeopolDecanted discussion with @justin-br0nk.bsky.social about his recent provocative @rusi.bsky.social piece on this topic. We also discuss efficacy of Ukrainian F-16s, Operation SpiderWeb and much more. Watch 👇 youtu.be/ykLIH2kY1U8

Just published via RUSI... I suspect this one may generate some strong opinions but I think it's an important set of factors for military planners especially in the Land domain to engage with: NATO Should Not Replace Traditional Firepower with ‘Drones’ www.rusi.org/explore-our-...

Great news. Better late than never! www.twz.com/air/biggest-...

'The seismic shifts in US politics since President Trump returned to the White House have made far greater European defence autonomy an obvious necessity' writes @justin-br0nk.bsky.social in the latest RUSI Commentary.

When it comes to the results of Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russia, one of the most asked questions is why Ukrainian drone strikes cause damage that often appears insufficient. The answer lies largely in engineering trade-offs: the balance between range and payload. Thread 🧵:

Ukrainian F-16s Get Specialized Vehicles For Operating Constantly On The Move www.twz.com/air/ukrainia...

Belgian F-35 Fleet Will Reach 45 Jets, Expanding Existing Order by 11 Belgium will shore up its commitment to the F-35 with a follow-on order for more jets and for cruise missiles to arm them, while also seeking an expanded role in the European FCAS. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/07/21/b...

"I Fought in Ukraine and Here’s Why FPV Drones Kind of Suck" @warontherocks.bsky.social h/t @rikefranke.bsky.social warontherocks.com/2025/06/i-fo...

Sweden buys nine batteries of IRIS-T SLM as air defence for its brigades (including the battle group on Gotland). Sounds like two batteries for each of the four brigades (including the motorised Mälardalen brigade) and a single battery for Gotland.

Notes from the just concluded Pentagon briefing including the chairman joint chiefs and Pete Hegseth.

First satellite images of Fordow Nuclear Facility are coming out. Posted by Twitter account of opensourcecentre.org

A dozen MOPs on Fordow nuclear site, alone- 2 bunker busters on Natanz www.nytimes.com/live/2025/06...

Latest RC is out. I join @justin-br0nk.bsky.social and Guy Plopsky to talk about the Israeli vs Russian air campaign. Why one succeed and the other failed. How can these different wars be usefully compared? What are observations or lessons learned. @WarOnTheRocks warontherocks.com/episode/ther...

The fact of the matter is, that while places like Ramstein obviously benefit the Alliance, their primary role, certainly for the last three decades, had been to project American military power across swathes of Eurasia & Africa if a POTUS deems such necessary.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it has identified additional signs of direct impacts on the underground enrichment halls at Iran’s Natanz facility, based on continued analysis of high-resolution satellite imagery collected after Israeli attacks on Friday.

New episode just posted (featuring @justin-br0nk.bsky.social):

Good morning. With the addition of 4 tankers out of New Jersey, there are now at least 32 tankers observed in the overnight group. A considerable portion went to Morón Air Base in Spain, with others on to UK, Germany, Italy and 1 to Estonia. A few pressed on to CENTCOM AOR.

Notable that many of the F-15s and F-16s in #IAF footage - supposedly from last night - are carrying 2000lb GBU-31(V)1 JDAMs. Suggests Israel has established sufficient control of the air to operate non-stealth aircraft directly over Iranian targets without relying on standoff weapons like Rampage

New episode just posted (featuring @justin-br0nk.bsky.social):

The Russians constructed protective shelters for their fighter jets at the Kursk Khalino Air Base. t.me/DniproOffici...

In the latest RUSI Commentary, @justin-br0nk.bsky.social provides analysis of recent aerial clashes between India and Pakistan, and the potential for drawing inaccurate conclusions about the air capabilities of China and the West if these events are not carefully examined.

New from me for RUSI today… some reflections on the key questions that will determine the actually lessons from the India-Pakistan aerial clashes: www.rusi.org/explore-our-...

Something some of us have been banging on about for years now. HAS construction/renovation is a must for NATO air forces in Europe to mitigate (not eliminate) short range massed UAS attacks like Ukraine just carried out in stunning fashion against the VKS LRA force.

⚡️ The special operation "Web", as a result of which the SBU hit 41 Russian strategic aircraft, was prepared for more than a year and a half. This operation was extremely complex from a logistical point of view. The SBU first transported FPV drones to Russia, and later - mobile wooden houses.

The unprecedented aspect of the attack is that the drones appear to have been launched from trucks inside Russia – and the drivers reportedly had no idea what they were transporting. Maskirovka is a game both sides can play. 2/2

SBU officials now say this was a coordinate attack on four Russian airfields: Belaya, Dyagilevo, Olenya and Ivanovo.

One really should stress how difficult these losses are to replace. There hasn't been a new-built Tu-95 since 1992, nor a Tu-22M since 1993. Of the Tu-22 there are a number of aircraft in various stages of storage, so activating some is likely possible. For the Tu-95, there isn't much of a reserve.

👀🚘 Trucks from which Ukrainian FPV drones were launched against Russian airbases. 💥 After the final FPV drone launch, a self-destruct mechanism activated.

More drone footage

Seems we currently are evaluating the results of something that will rank very high on the list of spectacular unconventional operations, regardless of era.

🚁👀 Some of the footage, taken by accident, could previously only be seen in films — for example, this moment with a Ukrainian Mi-24 launch Hydra-70. Video by UTAC team.

Good news!

If the new plan to withdraw the 492nd and 494th Fighter Squadrons back to CONUS goes ahead, it will be a very significant reduction of US firepower in Europe Their ~50 F-15Es carry some of the heaviest, most varied weapon loads, best sensors and most proficient, experienced crews in the USAF…

It’s genuinely worth watching this stuff once in a while if you work in defence and security, or govt policy circles. It’s clearly raving madness but it’s what Russian people are being conditioned with every day, and have been being so for years now.

A pleasure to have contributed to this excellent piece by @combatair.bsky.social and the team at TWZ on the J-10CE/PL-15E in the recent India-Pakistan clashes: t.co/N2vi6AkJx4

V interesting slide posted by Gen Allvin (USAF Chief of Staff) on X just now: Very aggressive purported in-service dates for F-47 and CCAs (likely stretching the term 'operational'), and apparent confirmation of long assumed 1000NMi+ combat radius for F-47 and interesting 700NMi+ target for CCAs...

The International Civil Aviation Organization finds Russia was responsible for shooting down MH17. The ICAO Council will consider what form of reparation is required in the coming weeks. www.government.nl/latest/news/...

We now have: - NYT citing an Indian official on three downed planes - Reuters citing local gov't sources on three crashed jets, pilots in hospital - The Hindu citing an Indian gov't official saying at least three crashed jets These would represent heavy losses for the Indian air force.

🧵Geolocations of ALL sites that the Indian Army has claimed to have hit in Pakistan and Kashmir. 1. Masjid Syedna Bilal/Hazrat Bilal 34.385846°N 73.456974°E It appears to have been a direct hit, according to after-strike ground photos. google.com/maps/place/3...

Looking like India lost a Rafale fighter to Pakistani long-range missile. Video capture from Bathinda, India seems to be of SNECMA M88 turbofan.

Yes, exactly! Making the ‘loyal wingman’/CCA/Tier 2-3 ACP promises work in reality as a practical, certifiable, integrated component of the joint force that can be deployed and sustained at scale is much harder than most seem to assume.

Passionate about airpower? Interested in how it fits into UK and NATO defence policy? Want to research and write on the topic for one of the world’s best think tanks? Check out this opening for a part time Research Analyst in the MilSci team: royalunitedservicesinstitute.peoplehr.net/Pages/JobBoa...

🚨🧵New RUSI report, 'Rebalancing European Joint Fires to Deter Russia' by @justin-br0nk.bsky.social and Dr Jack Watling is out now!

China’s KD-21 Air-Launched Ballistic Missile Appears To Be Operational The KD-21 is now being carried by frontline People’s Liberation Army Air Force H-6K bombers. Story: www.twz.com/air/chinas-k...