F-35 Lightning II

Sep- 2026 -

24 September

Air

No 3 Squadron Joint Strike fighters A35-09 and A35-11 taxi out for a night sortie from RAAF Base Williamtown. *** Local Caption *** Two F-35A Joint Strike Fighter aircraft from No. 3 Squadron conducted night flying at RAAF Base Williamtown as part of pilot familiarisation training.

US-Bound Australian F-35 Parts End Up in China After Shipping Mishap

Chinese authorities have taken possession of F-35 Lightning II combat aircraft components after a shipment was rerouted to Hong Kong during transit from Australia.

21 September

Europe

Christine Casimiro

Lockheed Martin Rolls Out Germany’s First F-35A Lightning II

Germany’s first of 35 F-35A Lightning II fighters has been presented to the German government at Lockheed Martin’s facility in Fort Worth, Texas.

18 September

Air

An F-35A, in flight above the Mojave Desert in California, January 6, 2023. A developmental test team from the 461st Flight Test Squadron conducted the first flight of an F-35 in the Technology Refresh 3 (TR-3) configuration at Edwards Air Force Base, California. The 50-minute flight, which took the jet to 35,000 feet at speeds just shy of the speed of sound above the desert, marked the start of an extensive flight test campaign. TR-3 provides the computational horsepower to support modernized Block 4 capabilities. The F-35 Joint Program Office is the Department of Defense's focal point for the 5th-generation strike aircraft for the Navy, Air Force, Marines, and our allies. The F-35 is the premier multi-mission, 5th-generation weapon system. Its ability to collect, analyze and share data is a force multiplier that enhances all assets in the battle space: with stealth technology, advanced sensors, weapons capacity, and range. The F-35 has been operational since July 2015 and is the most lethal, survivable, and interoperable fighter aircraft ever built.

Rojoef Manuel

US Greenlights $24.3B Sale of F-35 Jets to Saudi Arabia

The US State Department has approved a foreign military sale to Saudi Arabia of 48 F-35 Lightning II combat aircraft and ancillary equipment valued at up to $24.3 billion.

7 September

Air

Rojoef Manuel

Patria Completes Finland’s First Locally Built F-35 Jet Engine

Patria has completed assembly of the initial F135 propulsion system that will power the Finnish Air Force’s F-35 Lightning II, marking a key milestone in the military’s fifth-generation combat aircraft program.

Aug- 2026 -

11 August

Air

Bea Castañeda

EA-18G Growler: The Electronic Warfare Fighter Clearing the Way

No aircraft dominates the electromagnetic spectrum like the Growler. This guide explains how it jams radars, disrupts communications, and enables air superiority on the modern battlefield.

8 August

Air

Bea Castañeda

Dassault Rafale: France’s Independent Answer to Modern Air Power

Once developed primarily for France's armed forces, the Dassault Rafale has become one of the world's most sought-after fighter aircraft. This guide explains its design, capabilities, and expanding global operator base.

3 August

Air

Inder Singh Bisht

Pratt & Whitney Awarded $1.3B F-35 Engine Support Contract

Pratt & Whitney has secured a nearly $1.3-billion contract to supply spare parts and support equipment for F135 engines.

Jul- 2026 -

21 July

Arms

Bea Castañeda

S-400 Triumf: Inside Russia’s Long-Range Air Defense Shield

Learn how the Russian S-400 Triumf's long-range sensors and multi-tiered interceptors work together to make it one of the most formidable air defense systems in service today.

13 July

Technology

Bea Castañeda

AESA Radar Explained: How Active Electronically Scanned Arrays Changed Modern Warfare

This guide breaks down how AESA radar's electronic beam-steering delivers faster, harder-to-jam detection and multi-target tracking, and why that edge is redefining survivability across modern fighter fleets and layered air defense networks.

7 July

Arms

A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon carries a developmental test version of Norway’s Joint Strike Missile to its release point above the Utah Test and Training Range west of Salt Lake City.

Bea Castañeda

Joint Strike Missile: The Stealth Weapon Built for Modern Air Combat

Stealthy, versatile, and increasingly in demand: here's how the Joint Strike Missile went from a niche anti-ship concept to a cornerstone of allied precision-strike arsenals.

Trends Shaping the Defense World

JOIN 100,000+ FOR DEFENSE NEWS, TRENDS & INSIGHTS