Crooked Bough News Round-up

— Dozens Killed in Iskander Missile Strike on Ukrainian Training Camp: New Tactics Increase Lethality

 

at 5/21/25 4:37am

<p >A Russian Ground Forces Iskander-M ballistic missile unit was reported to have caused several dozen casualties during a strike on a Ukrainian Army training camp in the disputed Sumy region, killing up to 70 personnel. Commenting on the incident, the Russian Defence Ministry reported: "As a result of the reconnaissance activities of the armed forces of the Russian Federation, a training camp of the 1st separate special forces brigade of the armed forces of Ukraine was discovered in the area of the settlement of Shostka, Sumy Region. The coordinates of the target were transferred to the calculations of the Iskander missile defence system, which launched a missile strike. As a result of the strike, up to 70 Ukrainian servicepeople were killed, including 20 instructors. An ammunition depot and up to 10 pieces of automotive equipment were also destroyed.” Russia’s much larger supplies of tactical ballistic missiles had provided it with a major advantage since the outbreak of full scale hostilities with Ukraine in February 2022, with the intensity of strikes using the Iskander-M system having grown significantly from 2023 as industry was able to significantly <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russia-iskander-multiple-prewar-production" >expand production</a> of 9K720 ballistic missiles. </p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/05/21/article_682de5968dc844_08700662.png" title="Explosion as Iskander-M Strike Kills Around 50 Western Foreign Fighters in July 2024"></p><p >Increased supplies of missiles for Iskander-M systems has allowed Russian units to implement new tactics, with the most prominent being the reported use from November 2023 of <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russia-debuts-double-strike-iskande" >‘double strike’ tactics</a>. These involved the launches of multiple missiles at a designated target, with subsequent followup strikes executed at calculated intervals to catch Ukrainian forces off guard and maximise casualties after Ukrainian personnel congregate at a point of impact. An example of the use of such tactics was the ‘double strike’ on a Ukrainian train in the village of Budy in the disputed Kharkiv region, destroying several railway cars and nearby infrastructure. A pause after the first strike allowed personnel from the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Emergency Service to move into the area to assess the damage, after which a second ballistic missile was launched, killing the head of the Kharkov district department of the State Emergency Service among others.</p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/05/21/article_682de80ea2bf92_02368218.png" title="Ukrainian Patriot System Milliseconds Before Iskander Strike "></p><p > </p><p >Beyond attacks on personnel concentrations, Iskander-M systems have gained particular prominence for their<a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/footage-iskander-ukraine-patriot" > successful use</a> in <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/ukrainian-patriot-losses-iskander" >air defence suppression operations</a> against Ukrainian Patriot missile systems, among other surface to air missile assets, allowing them to serve as force multipliers that significantly <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/ukraine-a2s-thin-loss-patriot-s300" >increase the vulnerability</a> of nearby Ukrainian forces. The systems have also played an important role in efforts by the Russian Defence Ministry to <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russia-personnel-ukraine-strikes" >single out </a>Western active duty personnel and contractors for targeting. The Iskander-M stands out from most competing systems for its missiles use of semi-ballistic depressed trajectories, and their ability to conduct extensive in flight manoeuvres throughout their flight paths. This makes their missiles extremely difficult to detect or track, while also allowing them to use their fins to manoeuvre much better than would be possible on standard ballistic trajectories. Russia’s arsenal of Iskander-M systems has been supplemented from 2024 by supplies of North Korean KN-23 systems which have many similar characteristics, and are thought to have been developed in the 2010s with help from Russian technology transfers. </p>

[Author: editorial@militarywatchmagazine.com (Military Watch Editorial Staff)] [Category: Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Missile and Space]

— Will the Su-57 Find Clients in Southeast Asia? Russia Escalates Efforts to Market its Stealth Fighter

 

at 5/20/25 7:10pm

<p >The Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport has confirmed that it will deploy a Su-57 fighter to participate in the LIMA 2025 international maritime and aerospace exhibition in Malaysia, which has been interpreted by analysts as part of an effort to market the fighter class to Southeast Asian clients. "The aviation component is the exhibition’s main theme. In this segment, the company will feature the latest Russian Su-57E fifth-generation fighter, which will be of interest for both representatives of the Malaysian Royal Air Force and other Southeast Asian countries. Its basic advantage before a small group of rivals is its successful combat experience in a real armed conflict amid the enemy’s use of advanced aerial attack, ai defence and electronic warfare capabilities," the Rosoboronexport press office stated regarding the decision. The deployment will follow the Su-57’s successful participation at the Aero India air exhibition in February, after which it was confirmed that a major <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russian-ambassador-details-terms-su57-deal-considered-india" target="_blank">license production deal</a> for the fighters was <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/license-fifthgen-su57-aeroindia" target="_blank">under consideration</a> to <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/indian-pakistani-clashes-win-su57" >equip the Indian Air Force</a>. </p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/05/21/article_682d369f50bb59_44197112.png" title="Su-57 and F-35 at Aero India 2025"></p><p >Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia have long been considered leading potential clients for the Su-57, which is the only fighter of its generation in production outside China and the United States. With the U.S. imposing <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/trump-pledges-export-f35-stealth-fighters-india-derail-su57" target="_blank">extensive conditions</a> on clients for the F-35, and seriously limiting their autonomy using the aircraft, the fighter is not expected to be a viable option for any of these countries much as it was not for India. Territorial disputes and other maritime tensions with China, meanwhile, are expected to also exclude Chinese fighters from consideration. This leaves the Su-57 as effectively the only near term option for most Southeast Asian states if they are seeking to procure fifth generation fighter aircraft. Vietnam is considered a leading potential client for the aircraft, and currently operates a fighter fleet comprised entirely of Soviet and Russian aircraft, reflecting an overall reliance on Russian supplies across its armed forces. <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/vietnam-a-leading-customer-for-russia-s-fifth-generation-fighter-what-the-pak-fa-could-mean-for-hanoi" >Reports first emerged</a> in mid 2017 from Vietnamese paper Dat Viet that the acquisition of 12-24 Su-57s was being planned from around 2030. <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/vietnam-plans-order-for-russia-s-elite-su-57-fighters-first-stealth-jets-in-southeast-asia" >Further reports to this effect </a>emerged in early January 2019.</p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/05/21/article_682d36c7c63915_46567757.jpeg" title="Royal Malaysian Air Force Su-30MKM Fighter"></p><p >Beyond Vietnam, a $1.14 billion contract signed between Indonesia and Russia in 2018 for the sale of 11 Su-35S fighter aircraft currently remains in force, with  Indonesian Ambassador to Russia Jose Tavares in May 2024 <a href="https://tass.com/defense/1785383" >confirming</a> that Jakarta was waiting for the situation to become “more accommodating” before returning to implementation. This statement raised the possibility that, with the Su-57 now available, Indonesia could instead seek to procure the newer and more capable fighter. The acquisitions of F-35s by neighbouring Singapore and Australia, and deployments of both Chinese and American fifth generation fighters in the region, has made the older Su-35s appear increasingly inadequate to counter potential threats. As Malaysia has continued to bolster strategic ties with Russia, the country has also been considered a possible client for the Su-57, in particular due to the perceived need to counter Singapore’s deployments of F-35 fighters. In 2019 when questioned regarding possible procurements of new Russian fighters, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad stated that Russian proposals were under consideration. The Su-57’s participation at LIMA 2025 is likely to be intended to showcase the fighter’s capabilities both to the Royal Malaysian Air Force, and to other potential clients in the region. </p>

[Author: editorial@militarywatchmagazine.com (Military Watch Editorial Staff)] [Category: Asia-Pacific, Aircraft and Anti-Aircraft]

— The U.S. Air Force Hasn’t Bought F-16s For 20 Years: Will F-35 Deficiencies Force it to Resume?

 

at 5/20/25 5:54am

<p >Testifying before the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services on May 20, Chief of Staff of the Air Force General David Allvin was questioned regarding the possibility of the service procuring an enhanced new variant of the F-16 fighter. Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference and chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee Senator Thomas Cotton raised the possibility of such procurements, asking: “Focusing on just the next decade, then, our current acquisition options are pretty limited. Would you be able to use newly built U.S.-configured Block 80 F-16s to strengthen our strike fighter fleet, if Congress can find additional funds for such an effort?” Allvin responded: “Looking at what that would be to take that export variant and adapt it to a Block 80, and the time it would take, and where that would fall in the production line, I’d have to get back with you with more details to see if that would be an advisable situation.” “I’d really have to look at what the defence industrial base can do on that, because my sense is that the current Block 70 is really eating up a lot of production lines and production capacity and all the FMS [Foreign Military Sales],” he added. The first<a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/republic-china-air-force-receives-first-f16-block70" target="_blank"> F-16 Block 70/72 fighter </a>was <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/latest-f16-pentagon-no-want" target="_blank">unveiled</a> in November 2022, with the fighter class having been developed exclusively for export. The ageing fourth generation fighter class was modernised with fifth generation level avionics, and uses a superior airframe built with modern composite materials. </p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/05/21/article_682d2fe35634f2_93181829.jpg" title="F-16D Block 70 First Production Fighter"></p><p >The U.S. Air Force ceased procurement of the F-16 in 2005, and previously planned to procure <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/f35-fails-improve-delays-performance-issues-software-deficiencies" target="_blank">F-35A fifth generation fighters</a> to facilitate a phasing out of the fleet. The F-16 is second oldest fighter in the world in its longevity in production, and first entered service in the U.S. Air Force 47 years ago in 1978. Although the design has been enhanced significantly over time, it has still widely been referred to by both U.S. and overseas defence officials as obsolete for high intensity engagements against advanced adversaries. A primary factor that has led the possibility of resumed F-16 procurements to be raised is the major shortcomings that have hindered the F-35 program, in particular its major overruns in both procurement and operational costs which have made acquisitions on the scale previously envisaged wholly unaffordable. While the F-35 was initially intended to have similar operational costs to the F-16, allowing the Air Force to procure close to 1800 of the fighters, the fighter’s lifetime costs are by some estimates close to double those of an F-16. </p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/05/21/article_682d3007417cf5_96551536.jpg" title="F-16 (top) and F-35"></p><p >Aside from the issue of costs, F-35’s maintenance requirements have also resulted in very <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/lawmakers-impatient-f35-55pct-rates" target="_blank">low availability rates</a> within the fleet, while those of the F-16 have been among the highest. A resumption of procurements of ageing fourth generation fighters due to deficiencies with their fifth generation successors would be far from unprecedented. The Air Force previously made the controversial decision to resume procurements of F-15 fighters in 2020, 19 years after it had ceased to do so, after the F-22 designed to succeed the F-15 suffered from<a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/25-f22-maiden-flight-looks-like-failure" target="_blank"> severe deficiencies</a> and cost overruns. Analysts have long speculated that a primary reason the Air Force has avoided resuming F-16 procurements, despite an urgent need for larger numbers of more affordable fighters, is that this could shake international clients’ confidence in the F-35 program, which has otherwise been a major export success. The F-35 and an enhanced F-16 could prove to be highly complementary as a high-low pairing, with F-16s deploying beyond visual range cruise missiles from outside the range of enemy defences, while F-35s are relied on to operate further forward. F-16s could also prove invaluable for engaging less well defended targets in lower intensity war zones, allowing the F-35 fleet to be conserved for engagements with higher end threats. Major shortcomings of the F-16 relative to the F-35 include their lack of stealth capabilities, shorter ranges, much smaller radars, and lack of comparable electronic warfare suites.</p>

[Author: editorial@militarywatchmagazine.com (Military Watch Editorial Staff)] [Category: North America, Western Europe and Oceania, Aircraft and Anti-Aircraft]

— T-90M Down: Ukrainian Forces Destroy Russia’s Most Capable Tank Class in the Donbas

 

at 5/20/25 4:16am

<p >Footage released by Ukrainian Army personnel has confirmed the successful neutralisation of a Russian Army T-90M tank in the disputed Donetsk region, which has been a focal point for hostilities during over 11 years of Russian-Ukrainian hostilities. It remains uncertain how the tank was destroyed, although signs of rust indicate that it may have been abandoned for some time before being encountered by Ukrainian units. The tank was fitted with protective top armour, which began to be integrated onto Russian T-90s from mid-2022 to protect them against drone strikes and top attack munitions. Almost all T-90s have been modified with such top protection, while newly produced vehicles have been delivered with them from the outset. The T-90M is the most capable class of main battle tank currently operated by the Russian Army, and was held back from participating in hostilities in the initial months of high intensity conflict in 2022, with T-72B3 tanks which formed the backbone of the fleet relied on to advance into the Donbas and taking heavy losses in the process. </p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/05/20/article_682c9d44f24a35_74059926.jpg" title="Russian Army T-90M Tank"></p><p >The Russian Army only began to procure T-90M tanks in 2019, with the class <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russian-forces-in-europe-receive-first-units-of-revolutionary-t-90m-breakthrough-tanks" >entering service</a> in April 2020 after <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russia-s-new-t-90m-breakthrough-tank-completes-testing" >testing was completed</a> two months prior. It  represented a revolutionary improvement over prior T-90 variants, with notable features include its use of Relikt explosive reactive armour, the isolation of its ammunition internally, and the integration of the new 2A46M-5 gun and Kalina fire control system providing compatibility with a wide range of new munition types. T-90Ms have been captured by Ukrainian forces in the past, with the capture of one of the vehicles in<a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/ukraine-captures-russia-s-most-capable-battle-tank-in-unprecedented-gain-t-90m-likely-to-be-shipped-to-nato" > September 2022</a> gaining much publicity, while others have been <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/ukraine-captures-t90m-capable" >captured</a> since then. The ability to analyse the vehicles relatively intact is likely to have provided Ukraine and its strategic partners in the Western world  with a better understandings of the strengths of the vehicle and the optimal means of engaging and neutralising it. Russia has similarly <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/footage-captured-leo2a6-study" target="_blank">benefitted</a> from the ability to study captured Western tanks such as the Leopard 2A6 and M1 Abrams. </p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/05/20/article_682c9f01c41761_01036070.jpeg" title="T-90M Tank in the Ukrainian Theatre"></p><p > The Russian Defence Ministry has since the escalation of hostilities on Ukraine invested in modernising its T-90M fleet, with reports in August indicating that the vehicles <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/t90m-arenam-protection-missiles" >were integrating</a> the Arena-M active protection system, which uses protective munitions to intercept and destroy incoming projectiles. In parallel to efforts to expand production of the T-90M, work is currently underway to <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/new-enhanced-russian-t72-first-active-protection-system-ukrainian-frontlines" >modernise</a> older Soviet-built T-72 tanks with comparable levels of armour protection including the Arena-M system, and to bring the new T-14 next generation tank into service after delays approaching a full decade. Plans were also announced in September 2023 to <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/t80-new-variants-production-restart" >restart production</a> of the more costly and much more mobile T-80 tank after a two decade halt, possibly as a heavily enhanced <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/t100-incoming-tank-production" >new variant</a>. The scale of T-90 production remains uncertain, with Russian officials having indicated that plans were underway to manufacture the vehicles at a rate of several hundred per year, although industry’s ability to built the vehicles at such rates remains in question. Although the Soviet Union in the 1980s produced tanks at rates of approximately 4000s per year, including highly complex T-80s, Russian industry had for the two decades preceding the war in Ukraine been producing tanks at much lower rates of well under 200 per year. </p>

[Author: editorial@militarywatchmagazine.com (Military Watch Editorial Staff)] [Category: Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Ground]

— World’s First Flying Aircraft Carrier: China’s Jiu Tian ‘Mothership’ to Begin Flight Testing

 

at 5/19/25 7:56pm

<p >The Chinese Jiu Tian unmanned aircraft, commonly referred as the world’s first ‘drone mothership,’ is expected to make its first flight near the end of June 2025, paving the way to the introduction of the world’s first in an entirely new category of military aircraft. The aircraft was designed with a  long 7,000 kilometre range and at high 15,000 meter operational altitude, and has the capacity to carry 100 small drones which it can launch while airborne. It can alternatively carry a range of other precision guided weapons, possibly cruise missiles. First unveiled at the Zhuhai Airshow in November 2024, the is intended to serve not only as a launch platform for up to 100 drones, but also as a control node for the aircraft after they launch. No comparable aircraft are known to be being developed anywhere in the world. It has been widely likened to a flying aircraft carrier, and if successful it has the potential to be followed into service by much larger drone carriers deploying larger quantities of drones or larger drone classes. Its development has occurred at a time when drone warfare is playing an increasingly central role in modern conflicts, as seen in theatres from Sudan and Yemen to South Lebanon and Ukraine. </p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/05/20/article_682c8ab3531c52_21957580.webp" title="Jiu Tian Unmanned Drone Carrier Aircraft"></p><p >The Jiu Tian’s development follows a broader trend towards China’s drone industry leading the world in introducing entirely new kinds of unmanned aerial vehicles for military use. Other notable examples have included the <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/china-unmanned-bomber-15hour" target="_blank">CH-5 </a>unmanned long range stealth bomber, WZ-9 Divine Eagle which is designed to deploy multiple long range radar from very high altitudes, and the <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/china-hypersonic-drone-ready-korea-taiwan" >WZ-7 surveillance drone</a> which is currently the world’s only air breathing aircraft designed to operate at hypersonic speeds. Other hypersonic drones have since been <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/china-unveils-new-classes-of-hypersonic-drones" >unveiled</a> in the country. Nevertheless, the complexity of using an aircraft like the Jiu Tian as a flying drone carrier will pose unprecedented challenges in development, with China’s strong lead in the quantities of AI research being carried out expected to provide it with unique advantages in operationalising such a system. While concepts for flying aircraft carriers have been explored since the early years of the Cold War, in particular in the United States, the Jiu Tian program poises China to become the first country in the world to field such a system. </p>

[Author: editorial@militarywatchmagazine.com (Military Watch Editorial Staff)] [Category: Asia-Pacific, Aircraft and Anti-Aircraft]

— Su-34 Strike Fighter’s First Export Order: New Desert Camouflage Indicates Algerian Purchase

 

at 5/19/25 5:57pm

<p >Images of a Russian Su-34 strike fighter flying in a new desert brown and yellow colour scheme, which has not been seen in the Russian Armed Forces, has fuelled considerable speculation regarding the possibility that the aircraft may have been built for export. The fighter class has not been exported in the past, but has seen its <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russian-doubled-su34-production" >production scale</a> more than doubled since 2022. Most leading potential foreign clients for the Su-34 have desert climates and paint their fighters in appropriate camouflage schemes, with the Algerian Air Force having long been seen as the most likely client for the aircraft. Unconfirmed reports of planned Algerian orders for the Su-34 have emerged from a number of sources since the mid-2010s, with the country being the largest foreign operator of the class’ immediate predecessor the Su-24M, of which an estimated 36 are currently in service. Algeria is the second largest client for Russian armaments only after India, and has since the beginning of the decade procured<a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/algeria-is-replacing-its-ageing-mig-29s-with-a-new-generation-of-advanced-fighters" target="_blank"> MiG-29M, Su-30MKA</a> and <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/algerian-air-force-first-su35-why-place-orders" target="_blank">Su-35 fighters </a>for its fleet as part of a comprehensive modernisation effort. </p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/05/20/article_682be0a6b0a5a9_28367349.png" title="Su-34 in New Desert Camouflage Scheme"></p><p >Other than Algeria, the Syrian Air Force, the Sudanese Air Force and the Iranian Air Force were all considered possible clients to procure the Su-34 to supplement or replace their Su-24 fleets. The <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/interview-syria-defeat-russia-israel-security">overthrow</a> the Syrian government by Islamist insurgents backed by Turkey and other Western-aligned actors in December 2024, however, has ended this possibility, with the Syrian Air Force having subsequently all but ceased to exist. The Sudanese Air Force remains a potential client, particularly after its Su-24M fleet took losses to drone strikes by Rapid Support Forces paramilitaries, although the country’s ability to finance orders remains uncertain. Although Iranian officials have <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/iran-confirms-order-finalised-su35-fighters" target="_blank">confirmed</a> that orders have been placed for Su-35 air superiority fighters, there have been no indicates that procurement of the Su-34 have been planned to replace its ageing strike fighters. This leaves the Algerian Air Force as by far the most likely client, and after <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/algerian-air-force-first-su35-why-place-orders" >receiving</a> its first Su-35s in March, the service is scheduled to also <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/algeria-confirmed-first-foreign-client-russia-su57-how-many" target="_blank">begin receiving</a> Su-57 fifth generation fighters before the end of the year. The Su-34 the heaviest and longest ranged class of fighter in production anywhere in the world today, and has been highly prized in the Ukrainian theatre for its ability to deliver very large ordinance payloads.</p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/05/20/article_682be0cd8f7135_51563223.JPG" title="Russian Air Force Su-34 Fighter"></p><p >Among the notable armaments used by the Su-34 are the very large FAB-3000 3000 kilogram glide bomb and the ODAB-500 500 kilogram glide bomb, with the latter using special thermobaric warheads <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/footage-su34s-thermobaric-ukrainian-vacuum" >well optimised</a> for neutralising well fortified positions. Commenting on the use of glide bombs, multiple Ukrainian personnel in January 2024 informed the New York Times that new <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/gates-hell-bunker-busting-glide-bombs" >Russian strikes </a>imposed “additional devastating power,” and with 500 kilograms of explosives could thus obliterate their underground bunkers. One serviceman compared the impact of Russian glide bomb strikes to “hell’s gates,” noting that the Russian Air Force “would send them two by two by two, eight in an hour… It sounds like a jet coming down on you.” Procuring the Su-34 would significantly improve Algerian strike and close air support capabilities, with the decision to order the aircraft likely having been influenced by assessments of its performance in the Ukrainian theatre. An export deal may also include the sales of <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/su34m-strike-fighters-batches-capabilities" >specialist variants</a> of the Su-34 that have been developed for electronic warfare or reconnaissance roles. </p>

[Author: editorial@militarywatchmagazine.com (Military Watch Editorial Staff)] [Category: Africa and South America, Aircraft and Anti-Aircraft]

— Can Australia’s Worn Out Old Abrams Tanks Help Ukraine? Maintenance and Survivability Deficiencies Expected

 

at 5/19/25 5:22pm

<p >Following confirmation that the first of 49 former Australian Army M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks had been loaded for shipment to Ukraine, growing questions have been raised regarding the vehicles’ utility for the Ukrainian Army. Plans to deliver the retired tanks were <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/ukrainian-losses-brams-australia-49" >first announced</a> by Canberra in October 2024, with a <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/us-blocking-australia-abrams-ukraine" >lack of authorisation</a> to transfer the American made vehicles to Ukraine have reportedly subsequently delayed deliveries. As the tanks are expected to enter service in the Ukrainian Army sometime in the year’s third quarter, their utility for frontline combat operations has come under growing scrutiny. Speaking to ABC News, one informed American source with inside knowledge of the aid deal warned that the Ukrainian Army would find the vehicles “difficult to sustain.” Unlike newly built Abrams tanks previously transferred by the United States, those send from Australia have already seen decades of service and are considered throughly worn out. The state of the tanks was a primary factor leading the Australian Army to retire them, replacing them with newly built M1A2 Abrams tanks that will have much lower maintenance requirements. </p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/05/20/article_682bcc786eae72_78332693.jpeg" title="Ukrainian Army M1A1 Abrams Tank"></p><p >The Abrams is among the most maintenance intensive tank classes in the world, as not only is it the world’s heaviest in most configurations, but it is also one of just two alongside the <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russia-resumed-production-turbine-t80" target="_blank">Russian T-80</a> which uses a gas-turbine engine. Such engines require significantly more work to sustain, and consume fuel and much higher rates. Ukrainian personnel operating new M1A1 tanks previously made complaints regarding the vulnerability of their electronic components to condensation, among other issues. Aside from maintenance issues, the Abrams’ survivability in the Ukrainian theatre has been increasingly called to question, with one unnamed defence official speaking to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation having stated that on the basis of this issue: “We are starting to doubt if the Ukrainians actually want these vehicles — the tank roof is the weakest point of the Abrams and this is a drone war.” </p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/05/20/article_682bcbc7b7aa31_01150613.webp" title="Ukrainian Army M1A1 Abrams Tank Destroyed Near Avdiivka"></p><p >Abrams tanks were <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/new-footage-shows-ukraine-s-u-s-supplied-abrams-tanks-in-first-combat-images-indicate-possible-combat-loss" >first seen</a> deployed on the frontlines on February 23, with the first loss <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/footage-destruction-abrams-ukraine" >confirmed</a> three days afterwards, followed by a period of intensive losses from late February to mid-April. The vehicles were temporarily <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/ukrainian-army-withdraws-abrams-losses" >withdrawn</a> from the frontlines in April, and continued to take losses after a high rate when subsequently redeployed. Most kills filmed were achieved <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russian-army-takes-out-another-ukrainian-abrams-tank-with-guided-artillery-shot" >by guided artillery</a> or <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/footage-taking-out-abrams-ukraine" >by single use ‘kamikaze’ drones</a>, although one of the tanks was confirmed to have been <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russian-t72b3-abrams-ukraine" >achieved by a Russian T-72B3</a> tank after the two exchanged fire near Avdiivka. The loss of the large majority of the 31 U.S.-supplied tanks previously raised the possibility that the Ukrainian Army could cease to field the vehicles entirely if new deliveries were not made. With the Abrams being far less widely operated in the Western world than the rival German Leopard 2, which has been delivered by countries across NATO, the number of countries able to supply the vehicles remains limited. Australia is the only operator in the Western world with a large supply of export-configured vehicles in reserve. </p>

[Author: editorial@militarywatchmagazine.com (Military Watch Editorial Staff)] [Category: Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Ground]

— How Dangerous is Russia’s Enhanced Su-57M1 Fighter? Enlarged Airframe and AI Upgrades Raise Combat Potential

 

at 5/19/25 5:46am

<p >The<a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russia-leading-fighter-fourth-phase" > Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Plant</a> in the Russian Far East is preparing to transition from production of the baseline Su-57 fighter, to the enhanced Su-57M1 variant, according to reports from multiple Russian sources. The facility is currently producing both the Su-57 and the older Su-35. The expansion of the scale of Su-35 production was <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russia-expanding-su35-fighter-production-scale-two-reasons-why" >confirmed</a> in the final week of March, while the production scale of the Su-57 has been gradually expanded since 2020, wiht <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/facilities-expanded-su57-fighter-production" >new facilities opened</a> in August 2024 specifically to facilitate it. New details of the Su-57M1’s design features were recently unveiled by the state owned United Aircraft Corporation, with among the most notable being the widening of the airframe to provide greater aerodynamic lift and improved stability at supersonic speeds. This was reported by Russian sources to be intended to better facilitate <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/super-cruiser-su57-mach-2-nonafterburner" target="_blank">sustained supersonic flight</a> without the use of afterburners. Changes to the airframe are likely to have been influenced by the need to better capitalise on the much improved flight performance potential that will be facilitated by the fighter’s new <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/first-look-stealth-optimised-al51f-1-powering-russia-su-57m" target="_blank">AL-51F engines</a>, which will be the first clean sheet fighter engine design Russia brings into service in over 40 years. The engine is significantly superior to the AL-41F-1, a derivative of the Soviet era AL-31F, which has powered the baseline Su-57s entering service since 2020.</p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/05/18/article_6829aabca80267_44860292.webp" title="Su-57 Prototype with AL-51F-1 Flat Nozzle Engine"></p><p >The Su-57M1 will use a flatter fuselage and internal weapon bays to further improve stealth capabilities. The aircraft will also integrate a new radar, which may bolster stealth capabilities by reducing its radar signature. The Su-57 was previously the only Russian fighter class to integrate an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar in its nose cone, with a transition to a new generation of such radars potentially providing major improvements to situational awareness. It remains uncertain whether only the Su-57’s  nose mounted primary radar will be replaced, or whether its four smaller additional radars dispersed across its airframe will also be updated. Alongside a revised airframe design and a new primary sensor, the Su-57’s avionics have also been modernised, with AI-assisted onboard systems facilitating much faster system initialisation with a single-button press. This has streamlined pre-flight checks and mission readiness.</p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/05/18/article_6829aa97bee6a6_38060880.jpg" title="u-57 Production at the Komsomolsk on Amur Aircraft Plant"></p><p >It remains uncertain when the Su-57M1 is scheduled enter production, and whether the class is intended to enter service in 2025. The AL-51F engine’s development has suffered from considerable delays, which has been a primary factor delaying the service entry of the Su-57M1. This has in turn allowed more technologies to be developed for the aircraft preceding its entry into service. With Algeria having been <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/algeria-confirmed-first-foreign-client-russia-su57-how-many">confirmed</a> in February to have already placed orders for the Su-57, and to be scheduled to receive its first fighters before the end of the year, it remains uncertain whether the country will receive the baseline Su-57 or the enhanced Su-57M1. While there is a possibility that the country’s fleet will be split between the two variants, this would complicate maintenance and likely would not be favoured. The possibility of clients interested in procuring the Su-57 delaying their orders until the new Su-57M1 variant enters production has also been raised, with a major benefit of the integration of the AL-51F engine being a significant reduction to maintenance requirements and operational costs. </p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/05/18/article_6829ac3eb74361_17937429.jpeg" title="Su-57 Fighter Upon Delivery to the Russian Air Force in November 2024"></p><p >The Su-57M1 is expected to integrate a range of new armaments and subsystems, including a throughly refined and serially produced variant of the R-77M long range air-to-air missile. The missile class is intended to narrow the performance gap with the American AIM-260 and Chinese PL-15. A new helmet-mounted targeting system for the fighter was <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russia-su57-cutting-edge-helmet" target="_blank">unveiled</a> in December 2024, and projects critical information directly onto the visor, including flight and targeting data much as the helmets on the American F-35 and Chinese J-20 fighters do. In developing upgrades for the Su-57, Russia has had the unique benefit among producers of fifth generation fighters of gaining feedback from its deployment in high intensity combat. The aircraft has been employed for  <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russian-su57-suppress-ukrainian-air-defence" >air defence suppression</a>, <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/british-sources-su57-r37m-shoot-down-ukrainians" >air to air combat</a>, and <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/su57-stealth-drone-nato-hands" >operations in </a>heavily defended enemy airspace in the Ukrainian theatre. The possibility of large scale foreign orders for the Su-57, in particular from India, combined with the greater appeal which the enhanced new variant will have for the Russian Defence Ministry, between them have significant potential to facilitate further major increases in the aircraft’s production scale.  </p>

[Author: editorial@militarywatchmagazine.com (Military Watch Editorial Staff)] [Category: Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Aircraft and Anti-Aircraft]

— North Korean Attack Helicopter Units Are Now Training For Drone Defence: Reflecting Lessons From Ukraine

 

at 5/18/25 7:55pm

<p >The Korean People’s Army Air Force has updated air defence training for its MD500 lightweight attack helicopter crews, simulating drone attacks which the rotary wing aircraft were tasked with shooting down. New exercises focused on neutralising low-flying slow-moving drones using  small arms installed inside the helicopters’ cockpits. These classes of drones have widely been use for reconnaissance and precision strike missions in the Russian-Ukrainian War, where North Korean forces are <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russia-details-nkorea-role-repelling-kursk" target="_blank">actively deployed</a> to support the Russian war effort. The exercise follows an unprecedented <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/drone-propaganda-nkorea-air-defence" >deployment</a> of South Korean drones in October to drop propaganda leaflets deep inside North Korean airspace, which the foreign ministry in Pyongyang referred to as a  “political and military provocation that could lead to armed conflict.” </p><p >Although North Korea’s air defence network is among the densest in the world, and has been modernised with <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/north-korea-test-firing-s400-similar-air-defence" target="_blank">advanced equipment</a> such as the Pyongae-6 long range surface-to-air missile system, small low speed drones have posed new challenges as seen on both sides of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. The low cost of these kinds of drones has made shootdowns with surface-to-air missiles far from cost effective, while their low radar cross sections have also posed difficulties, making shootdowns by gun from the air favourable in many cases. The Korean People’s Army is expected to field new ground-based systems with advanced anti-drone capabilities, with the use of attack helicopters potentially being a stopgap measure until these are developed. North Korea’s attack helicopter fleet notably suffers from significant limitations compared to the advanced capabilities of the country’s ground forces, with speculation having grown that the country could soon procure advanced Russian attack helicopters such as the Mi-28 to modernise its fleet.</p><p ></p><p ></p>

[Author: editorial@militarywatchmagazine.com (Military Watch Editorial Staff)] [Category: Asia-Pacific, Aircraft and Anti-Aircraft]

— The West’s Heaviest and Oldest Fighter: Why is Boeing Expanding F-15EX Production?

 

at 5/18/25 5:57am

<p >American aerospace giant Boeing has confirmed plans to intensify production of F-15EX fighter aircraft, with the intention of achieving a steady delivery rate of two aircraft per month by the end of 2026, allowing it to delivery two dozen fighters per year to the U.S. Air Force. Production of the next 90 aircraft is currently planned, with the firm reporting that efficiency and quality control could help to facilitate increased output. “Factory performance has been improving in recent months, with rework and traveled work rates decreasing month over month, enhancing workflow productivity and supporting factory stabilisation,” Boeing’s director of F-15 manufacturing and safety, Tom Altamuro, stated to this effect. Senior officers in the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard have for years called for increased acquisitions of the F-15EX, which is currently by far the heaviest and longest ranged fighter class in production anywhere in the Western world. Although lacking the advanced stealth capabilities of the more widely procured F-35, and having higher operational costs and maintenance needs, the F-15EX benefits from carriage of a significantly more powerful radar, a far superior flight performance, and the ability to carry several times as much ordinance in standard configuration. </p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/05/19/article_682a79fc32f4d3_84583726.webp" title="F-15EX Carrying 12 AIM-120 Missiles During Pre-Flight Checks"></p><p >Speaking regarding the procurement of the F-15EX, Commander of the U.S. Air National Guard Lieutenant General Michael Loh in 2022 <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/more-f15ex-needed-ageing-fleet" >stressed</a> that the new F-15 was not “a 1970s-technology aircraft,” highlighting its fifth generation level avionics including its open mission system architecture, Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System electronic warfare suite and the AN/APG-82 AESA radar. The F-15 first flew over <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/f15-half-century-since-first-flight" >50 years ago in 1972</a>, and has served in the U.S. Air Force for half a century, making it the oldest fighter class in production in the world today. Orders have continued to be placed for so long largely due to the <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/25-f22-maiden-flight-looks-like-failure" >failure of the F-22</a> fifth generation fighter program to provide a viable successor, with the F-22 having otherwise been expected to replace the F-15 in production and to phase it out of service entirely. The need for F-15EX fighters has become increasingly urgent as the Air Force has been forced to retire <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/last-f15s-leave-frontline-45yrs" target="_blank">Cold War era F-15C/D</a> airframes, which have aged decades past their intended service lives because they were not replaced by F-22s. With newer F-15E fighters procured in the 1980s and 1990s also expected to begin to be phased out, the need for more F-15EX fighters will only further grow. </p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/05/19/article_682a7a25068b25_00187818.jpg" title="F-15C/D Fighters Operating From Kadena Air Force Base - Fighters Which Will Be Replaced By the F-15EX"></p><p >A production rate of 24 fighters per year will still leave procurement of F-15EX aircraft below the rates Russia has achieved for its own heaviest fighter the Su-34, which saw <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russian-doubled-su34-production" target="_blank">production doubled</a> since the escalation of the Russian-Ukrainian War in 2022 to approximately 30 fighters per year. Production will also remain well below that of China’s own heavyweight fourth generation fighter the J-16, which is considered the closest foreign equivalent to the F-15EX in terms of its role and capabilities. Alongside the U.S. Air Force, a derivative of the F-15EX, the F-15IA, is also set to be delivered to the Israeli Air Force, with the approval of the <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/approving-massive-f15-sale-israel-urgent" >sale of up to 50</a> of the fighters having been announced by the U.S. State Department on August 14. This will allow the service to phase out its long since obsolete F-15A/B and F-15C/D fighters procured during the Cold War, complementing its orders for 75 F-35As. It remains uncertain whether any further clients will order the F-15EX, with the Polish Defence Ministry having reportedly <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/poland-f15ex-strike-nuclear" >shown an interest</a> in placing orders. </p><p >Boeing’s expansion of F-15EX production occurs at a time when the firm is preparing to close its only other fighter production line for the F-18E/F carrier based fighter in 2027. The firm is expected to increasingly focus attentions on development of a new fighter, the F-47, which will provide the Air Force with its first sixth generation combat jet. </p>

[Author: editorial@militarywatchmagazine.com (Military Watch Editorial Staff)] [Category: North America, Western Europe and Oceania, Aircraft and Anti-Aircraft]

— Russia Launched Largest Ever Drone Attack on Ukraine: Shahed 136 Used For Widespread Low Cost Strikes

 

at 5/18/25 2:50am

<p >On May 17 the Russian Armed Forces launched their largest drone attack to date against Ukrainian and allied targets. 273 single use Shahed 136 single drones and decoys were launched, of which approximately 60 are estimated by Ukrainian sources to have reached their targets. The Vasilkov Airfield southwest of the Ukrainian capital Kiev was among the confirmed targets hit, although the extent of the damage remains unknown. At an estimated cost of approximately $35-40,000 per aircraft, and considerably less for decoys, the total attack cost under $10 million to launch. The scale of the attack which Russia could launch for such a modest cost highlighted the considerable value of the Shahed 136. This cost is approximately equivalent to that of six 9K720 ballistic missiles from the <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/iskander-successes-strike-artillery" target="_blank">Iskander-M system</a>, depending on exchange rates. The low cost drones are significantly easier to intercept and carrying much smaller payloads, but are also well suited to overwhelming their targets and engaging multiple low cost targets. The attack occurred days after a statement by U.S. President Donald Trump praising the Shahed 136 class for its speed and lethality, and calling for the United States to develop a similarly low cost drone class domestically. </p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/05/18/article_6829db13b88150_18399412.jpg" title="Truck Destroyed in Russian Drone Strike on May 17"></p><p >The Shahed 136 was developed in Iran in the 2010s, and began to be utilised by the Russian Armed Forces against Ukrainian targets in September 2022. The drone has been produced under license in Russia under the designation Geran-2. When introduced, the aircraft <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/iran-s-shahed-136-drone-has-become-russia-s-primary-aircraft-for-striking-ukrainian-positions-unprecedented-attacks-near-odessa" >played a major role</a> in swaying the balance of power in the Ukrainian theatre, providing a much more <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/fateh110-missile-perfect-ukraine" >affordable and usable asset</a> for strike missions. This has contrasted with North Korea’s provision of larger and higher payload ballistic missiles to Russia. Arms supplies by the two states have thus been highly complementary, although supplies by Iran have been <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russia-details-nkorea-role-repelling-kursk" target="_blank">dwarfed by those</a> from North Korea. The impact of drone deliveries was such that senior aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Mikhail Podolyak, in November 2022 <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/zelensky-aide-wants-attack-iran" >called for an attack</a> on Iran specifically to retaliate for its <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/iranian-resupply-russia-thousands-drones" >drone supplies to Russia</a>. </p><p >Iran in 2024 <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/iran-4000km-strategic-game-changer" target="_blank">unveiled</a> a much longer ranged class of single use drone, the Shahed 136B, which has a larger airframe and much expanded 4000 kilometre range. Although this drone class has little utility for Russia to engage targets in Ukraine, it remains uncertain whether the Russian Defence Ministry has an interest in procuring it to be able to threaten targets deep within the territories of NATO member states. Employment in Ukraine has made the Shahed 136 by far the most prominent product of Iran’s defence sector, reflecting both the strength of its drone industry and the limitations of most other areas of its arms industry.</p>

[Author: editorial@militarywatchmagazine.com (Military Watch Editorial Staff)] [Category: Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Aircraft and Anti-Aircraft, Battlefield]

— Foreign Combatants Playing Key Role in Major Donbas Battles Against Russia - Reports

 

at 5/17/25 7:37pm

<p >Multiple Russian sources have reported that during major clashes at the the village of Volnoye Pole in the south of the disputed Donetsk region, foreign fighters were found to have played a major role in hostilities alongside Ukrainian Army units. The deputy commander of the assault company of the 57th Separate Guards motorised rifle brigade of the Vostok group of forces, identified only by his call sign Karachai, stated regarding the engagements: "During radio interceptions, we heard different languages. There were a lot of different languages. There are many different nationalities, thats for sure," he stated. After Russian forces captured the settlement on May 16, the uniforms of fallen non-Ukrainian personnel were found to have foreign stripes and chevrons. The report on the participation foreign fighters in hostilities represents part of a broader trend towards third parties playing major roles in bolstering the Ukrainian war effort with personnel contributions. These forces have generally been split into three categories, including <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/georgian-legion-examine-militia-ukraine" >ideological volunteer units</a> such as the Georgian Legion and Polish Volunteer Corps, more <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/contractors-kursk-polish-french-details" >professional contractor</a> organisations such as the American Forward Observations Group, and active duty personnel such as the <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/royal-marines-fighting-russia-months" >British Royal Marines</a>. The participation of all three kinds of foreign fighters on significant scales has been confirmed repeatedly and by multiple sources since early-mid 2022. </p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/05/18/article_68299dee60a978_98892611.png" title="American Forward Observations Group Personnel in Kursk"></p><p >Multiple reports from Western source have confirmed the operations of Western personnel in the Ukrainian theatre, with British Deputy Chief of Defence Staff Royal Marines Lieutenant General Robert Magowan having revealed in December 2022 that the Royal Marines had been carrying out high risk operations alongside Ukrainian government forces from April that year. A year later in December 2023 Polish journalist Zbigniew Parafianowicz revealed that he had been provided details by Polish officials on the operations of British forces “Uniformed. With weapons” in the theatre, and played important roles in tracking the positions of Russian artillery. Parafianowicz further revealed that Polish special forces had been in the theatre from the war’s very first stages. Regarding efforts by Western militaries to provide deniability for their operations, a Polish officer informed him: “we worked out a formula for our presence in Ukraine … we were simply sent on paid leave. Politicians pretended not to see this.”  Two months later German Chancellor Olaf Scholtz confirmed that British special forces in Ukraine were providing vital support to facilitating launches of Storm Shadow cruise missiles against Russian targets. Subsequently in May 2024 the head of the U.S. Special Operations Command General Bryan Fenton <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/specialforces-details-british-ops-ukraine">stated</a> that the Pentagon had been learning about the ongoing war “mostly through the eyes of our UK special operations partners,” who he stated had been testing new approaches to modern warfare in the theatre. </p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/05/18/article_68299d0e9604e0_83758499.jpg" title="Polish Volunteer Corps Personnel in Ukraine" ></p><p >Although Western contractors and active duty personnel have in most cases sought to conceal their presences, they have on some occasions publicised participation in the war effort. Contractors operating under the American Forward Observations Group, for one, published an image confirming their presence in the Russian Kursk region as part of a Ukrainian incursion in late 2024. The Russian Armed Forces have consistently singled out Western personnel in the Ukrainian theatre in multiple strikes as part of their ongoing war effort, with a notable example being a<a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/strike-ukraine-french-contractors-africa" > strike on the headquarters</a> of European contractors, predominantly of French origin, on January 16, 2024, which  caused at least 80 casualties 60 or more of which were killed. Russian state media reported that these personnel were “highly trained specialists who work on specific weapons systems too complex for the average Ukrainian conscripts,” which “put some of the most lethal and long-range weapons in the Ukrainian arsenal out of service until more specialists are found” to replace them. Western personnel have also been singled out for targeting far from their bases, with a notable example being an Iskander-M <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/retribution-iskander-missile-georgian-legion-losses" >missile strike</a> against Georgian Legion foreign fighters near the frontlines in late April 2023, killing up to 60 personnel and seriously wounding over two dozen more.</p>

[Author: editorial@militarywatchmagazine.com (Military Watch Editorial Staff)] [Category: Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Ground, Battlefield]

— Ukraine Loses Third F-16 During Engagement with Russian Forces

 

at 5/17/25 5:26am

<p >The Ukrainian Armed Forces have confirmed the combat loss of a third <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/biden-hits-major-missile-upgrade-ukraine-f16">F-16 fourth generation fighter</a>, which was destroyed on May 16 during an engagement with Russian targets thought to be drones or cruise missiles. The pilot was rescued and taken to hospital following the incident, making him the first Ukrainian F-16 pilot to survive the destruction of his aircraft. Ukraine’s F-16s have operated far behind the frontlines to avoid engagements with Russian fighters, interceptors or ground based air defence systems, with the aircraft lacking the modern sensors or data links needed to remain survivable against such targets. Against subsonic missiles and drones, however, the fighters have repeatedly proven capable for basic air defence duties. The Ukrainian Air Force was <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/conflicting-reports-ukraine-first-f16-loss">confirmed </a>on August 26 to have lost its first F-16 under unclear circumstances just 25 days after deliveries began. On April 12 it was confirmed that a second F-16 had been shot down by Russian air defences, with a very long range 40N6 surface-to-air missile thought to have been used to engage the aircraft deep inside Ukrainian controlled airspace. </p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/05/18/article_6829381fc07203_07932941.webp" title="Ukrainian Air Force F-16"></p><p >The cause of the latest loss of an F-16 remains unknown, with some sources speculating that the fighter may have lost control when intercepting targets or crashed into one of the drones it was targeting. Ukrainian reports that the F-16 was engaging targets using its cannon, rather than missiles, indicates that this may be a possibility. A second shootdown by Russian aircraft also remains a not insignificant possibility. Ukraine has been pledged 80 flightworthy F-16s as aid, including 30 from Belgium 24 from the Netherlands, 19 from Denmark, and 12 from Norway. Additional non-flightworthy airframes have been pledged by Norway and the United States and are intended to be cannibalised for spare parts. All F-16s pledged are early Cold War era variants, and have been flown for decades, which has significantly raised their maintenance needs and operational costs. The age of the fighters means their avionics are also considered long since obsolete, placing them at an <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/ukrainian-f16s-game-changer-russia">overwhelming </a>disadvantage against modern Russian frontline fighters. </p><p >In March Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yuri Ignat provided insight into the capabilities of the service’s F-16s, stating that they were incapable of engaging Russian <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/su35-dud-ten-years-expect">Su-35 ‘4+ generation’ fighters</a>. “The modifications that Ukraine has cannot compete one-on-one in an air battle. We need a comprehensive approach as the [Russian] Su-35 is a relatively new jet… This includes ground-based air defence, electronic warfare systems, and ideally, an airborne radar. Also crucial are onboard radars for our aircraft and air-to-air missiles,” he observed.</p>

[Author: editorial@militarywatchmagazine.com (Military Watch Editorial Staff)] [Category: Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Aircraft and Anti-Aircraft]

— Fighter Fleet Revolution: North Korean Air Force Gets First Modern Air-to-Air Missiles

 

at 5/16/25 7:50pm

<p >The Korean People’s Army Air Force has for the first time received active radar guided air-to-air missiles, with these seen integrated onto a MiG-29 squadron and test fired. The service’s MiG-29s, which were procured from the Soviet Union in the 1980s and subsequently produced under licence domestically in the 1990s, previously equipped only with relatively obsolete R-27 semi-active guided missiles for beyond visual range air-to-air combat. Although cutting edge when introduced in the early 1980s, Cold War era variants of the R-27 are considered several generations behind the most capable modern missiles such as the Chinese PL-15 or American AIM-260. North Korea’s new air-to-air missile class appears to benefit from active radar guidance, and closely resembles modern missile classes in service abroad such as the PL-15. The missile class was first unveiled at the National Defence Development Exhibition <a href="https://youtu.be/yrEGqIPtl7s?t=2092">Self Defence 2021</a> in October 2021, and could potentially be integrated onto the country’s <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/nkorea-last-major-mig23-operator-how-capable">MiG-23ML</a> and MiG-21bis fighters alongside its MiG-29s. The sophistication of North Korea’s surface-to-air missile classes, as demonstrated by tests of systems such as the <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/north-korea-test-firing-s400-similar-air-defence" target="_blank">Pyongae-6</a>, provide an important indication that many of the technologies needed for an advanced long range air-to-air missile class are already at mature stages. </p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/05/17/article_6828b08c51e427_17118875.jpeg" title="North Korean Leadership with MiG-29, Su-25 and New Missile"></p><p >The ageing sensors on North Korea’s existing fighters has raised the possibility that the new missile class is intended to use targeting data from the country’s much more advanced ground based air defence radars and from its large <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/nkorea-new-aewc-flying-radar-fighter-fleet-plans">AEW&C ‘flying radar’ aircraft</a> that was completed earlier in 2025. The integration of a new class of air-to-air missile into service is particularly significant as the possibility has grown that North Korea will procure more fighter aircraft from Russia, with modernised MiG-29s and possibly Su-57 fifth generation fighters though to be among the most likely to be transferred. The commissioning of fighters with modern electronically scanned array radars would allow the fleet to make fuller use of new long range radar guided missile classes. Modernised MiG-29s can not only benefit from newly developed more efficient RD-33 series 3 engines and expanded fuel carrying capacities, but also glass cockpits, and either the widely used Zhuk-ME PESA radar or the newer Zhuk-A/AM AESA radar. These upgrades make them far more suitable for beyond visual range combat in the 2020s. Enhanced MiG-29s also integrate helmet mounted sights, which could allow them to make effective use of North Korea’s new short range air-to-air missile class, which was also unveiled in October 2021. </p>

[Author: editorial@militarywatchmagazine.com (Military Watch Editorial Staff)] [Category: Asia-Pacific, Aircraft and Anti-Aircraft]

— Russian Su-35 Fighter Repels NATO Effort to Seize Tanker at Sea

 

at 5/16/25 1:19am

<p >A Russian Aerospace Forces Su-35 fighter was  involved in a close encounter with a Polish Air Force fighter plane, as well as with Estonian naval vessels, after the aircraft was dispatched to protect the tanker Jaguar in the Baltic Sea. The involvement of fighters from other NATO member states has been reported but was not confirmed. The Jaguar was reported to have been in neutral waters en-route to Primorsk in the Leningrad Region, before encountering an Estonian warship and helicopter supported by an allied fighter plane. The Russian crew reported threats to land Estonian personnel on the ship if they did not change course, as part of an effort to seize the vessel. These efforts reportedly quickly subsided after the Su-35 arrived in the area. The Jaguar was able to anchor near Gogland Island in the eastern Baltic Sea. Estonian sources have since claimed that the Su-35 and the ship were both operating within their country’s territory. </p><p >NATO member states have in the past made <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/freedom-of-navigation-why-is-america-seizing-civilian-tankers-in-international-waters" target="_blank">multiple efforts</a> to <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russian-naval-drills-practice-guarding-oil-tankers-from-western-pirating-concerns-rise-over-free-navigation" target="_blank">target the civilian shipping</a> of Russia, North Korea, Iran and Venezuela, with the possibility of similar actions being taken against the much larger Chinese merchant fleet having also been <a href="https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2020/april/unleash-privateers" target="_blank">raised</a> repeatedly by Western sources. Calls for such action against Russian ships grew considerably in the Western world following the escalation of the Russian-Ukrainian War into full scale hostilities in February 2022.</p>

[Author: editorial@militarywatchmagazine.com (Military Watch Editorial Staff)] [Category: Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Aircraft and Anti-Aircraft]

— U.S. Navy’s Urgently Needed Sixth Generation Fighter Sees Continued Delays to Award Contract

 

at 5/15/25 9:15pm

<p >The Pentagon, White House, and U.S. Congress were reported on May 14 to still be reviewing the U.S. Navy’s <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/lockheed-sixth-generation-fighter-design-rejected-navy">F/A-XX sixth generation fighter </a>program. Considerable delays to a decision to award contracts for development have threatened to force significant changes to the program, at a time when the need for a more capable carrier based fighter class has been perceived with growing urgency. “A decision hasn’t been made yet. That decision is still being determined by [the Pentagon] and service leaders, with conversations among Congress as well. It’s a big program. Obviously these things don’t get settled on by one individual. Leaders are making a decision on whether to invest. It’s all part of the process,” an informed source reported. “While the Navy wants to move forward with awarding a contract, some Pentagon officials are seeking to delay the program by up to three years,” three sources with knowledge of the program informed Reuters, with “concerns about engineering and production capacity” remaining an outstanding issue. Although the Navy was reported on March 25, to be set to announce a contract award for the fighter program’s engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase “this week,” this has yet to materialise almost two months later. </p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/05/16/article_6826e6e6436f12_54402783.jpeg" title="Sixth Generation Fighter Concept Art (Lockheed Martin)"></p><p >Unlike the U.S. Air Force and the Marine Corps which have invested heavily in procuring the respective F-35A and F-35B fifth generation fighters, the U.S. Navy has made only very limited investments in procuring its own variant of the aircraft the F-35C. As a result the vast majority of the service’s fighter fleet is reliant on <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/navy-f18e-jordan-destroy-drones">fourth generation F-18s</a>, which makes the F/A-XX program particularly vital for the service. China’s <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/chinese-sixth-generation-cut-pentagon-demand-f35s-lockheed">unveiling</a> of flight prototypes of two separate sixth generation fighters in December 2024, both of which have been <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/china-sixth-generation-heavyweight-fighter-fourth-flight">intensively flight tested </a>since then, has further increased the perceived need to quickly bring the F/A-XX into the EMD phase. Delaying the award of a contract by three years, Reuters noted, “would effectively cancel the program as it is currently defined… because contracts and pricing would expire during that time making a new competition almost inevitable.” The U.S. Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter, which was in March revealed to be intended to produce a fighter designated the F-47, saw the primary contract to develop the aircraft announced on March to have been <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/boeing-selected-develop-f47-sixth-generation-fighter-turning-point" target="_blank">awarded to Boeing</a>. There has been considerable speculation that an inability to finance the development of two separate sixth generation programs could lead to the Navy being pressed to accept a derivative of the F-47 rather than an entirely separate clean sheet new aircraft. </p>

[Author: editorial@militarywatchmagazine.com (Military Watch Editorial Staff)] [Category: North America, Western Europe and Oceania, Aircraft and Anti-Aircraft]

— Trump Calls For Development of Twin Engine F-35 Variant

 

at 5/15/25 4:05am

<p >Speaking from Qatar on May 15, U.S. President Donald Trump announced his intention to initiate the development of a twin-engine derivative of the F-35 fifth generation fighter. “We’re doing an upgrade, a simple upgrade, but we’re also doing an F-55. I’m going to call it an F-55, and that’s going to be a substantial upgrade, but it’s going to be also with two engines because the F-35 has a single engine. I don’t like single engines,” he stated. The president specifically highlighted the safety advantage that two engines provided. Should development proceed, it would represent the third fifth generation fighter program initiated in the United States or anywhere in the Western world, and could provide the U.S. Air Force and Navy with a heavier and longer ranged counterpart to the F-35. The F-35 was initially intended to be developed as part of a high-low combination with the F-22, although <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/25-f22-maiden-flight-looks-like-failure" target="_blank">serious shortcomings </a>with the latter program prevented it from effectively providing such support to the F-35 fleet. </p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/05/16/article_68269dffce5339_08137889.jpeg" title="Chinese J-20 Twin Engine Stealth Fighter" ></p><p >A larger twin engine fifth generation fighter could potentially bridge key performance gaps with China’s own <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/how-many-j20-stealth-fighter-will-china-build-top-expert-predicts-over-1000" target="_blank">top fifth generation fighter </a>the J-20, which is a heavyweight twin engine aircraft with over double the combat radius of the F-35. Investment in developing such an aircraft, however, could divert funding away from the U.S. Air Force and Navy’s respective <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/boeing-selected-develop-f47-sixth-generation-fighter-turning-point" target="_blank">F-47</a> and <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/lockheed-sixth-generation-fighter-design-rejected-navy" target="_blank">F/A-XX sixth generation fighter</a> programs, which are also intended to develop twin engine long range aircraft. The F-35’s limited range and relatively small radar size are considered major deficiencies in the Pacific theatre in particular, ensuring a very high reliance on tanker support for aerial refuelling which imposes significant additional cost and vulnerabilities. The aircraft’s flight performance is also among the most limited of any 21st century fighter, ensuring that rival fighters such as the Chinese J-16 and J-20 can operate from much higher altitudes and at much greater speeds while retaining far superior manoeuvrability. A twin engine fifth generation fighter would likely perform much better in all these parameters, while generating significantly more energy for subsystems including the radar and potentially in future directed energy weapons as well. As the United States and China both prepare to move their fighter fleets into the sixth generation eras, the development of a new fifth generation fighter would represent a highly unusual decision should Washington proceed to finance such a program.</p>

[Author: editorial@militarywatchmagazine.com (Military Watch Editorial Staff)] [Category: North America, Western Europe and Oceania, Aircraft and Anti-Aircraft]

— PM Modi Elaborates on S-400 Missile System’s Importance For India’s Air Defence: Why They Matter Now More Than Ever

 

at 5/13/25 5:04am

<p >Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 13 praised the performance of the country’s Russian-supplied <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russia-compromised-legally-resell-s400" target="_blank">S-400 long range air defence</a> systems, stating that a combination of advanced technology and capable personnel had helped the Indian Armed Forces hold their own against Pakistani forces in <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/pakistani-j10c-shot-down-indian-rafale" target="_blank">recent clashes</a>. “Platforms like the S-400 have given unprecedented strength to the country,” the prime minister stated in an address to Army personnel while standing in front of an S-400 system, adding: “A strong security shield has become the identity of India.” The S-400 is one of two high profile weapons systems procured by the Indian Air Force over the past decade, alongside French Rafale fighters. Where India has ordered ten full battalions’ worth of S-400s, however, allowing them to form the backbone of the country’s ground based air defence network, orders for the Rafale were cut to just 36 fighters from a prior planned 126, limiting their importance in the air force. The prime minister’s singling out of the S-400 for praise follows a major <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/indian-air-force-faces-pr-crisis-240-million-rafale-destroyed" target="_blank">public relations fallout </a>for the Indian Air Force after the loss of at least one Rafale fighter in engagements with the Pakistan Air Force. A reported one to three Rafales were shot down in engagements with Pakistan’s Chinese-supplied J-10C fighters, with the procurement of the French jets having long been controversial due to their performance limitations and immense cost of $240 million per aircraft. </p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/05/14/article_6823ec824fee61_06781155.jpeg" title="Surface-to-Air Missile Batteries From S-400 System"></p><p >The inability of Indian fighters to match the performance of the J-10C, and Pakistan’s expected procurement of the much more capable J-35 fifth generation fighter from China before 2030, have been cause for serious concern in India, and are expected to lead the S-400 to be perceived with renewed importance. The S-400 was developed in the 2000s with a major focus on the ability to counter enemy stealth aircraft. The use of multiple networked radars operating in complementary bandwidths provides the capability to engage them at longer ranges. The Indian Air Force will in 2025 receive its last of ten S-400 battalions,  completing a $5.43 billion dollar order placed in October 2018 intended to revolutionise the service’s surface-to-air capabilities. India was previously <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/india-last-two-s400-2024-producing-time" >expected to receive</a> its last two regiments’ worth of S-400s <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/five-battalions-in-six-years-india-to-recoeve-all-five-s-400-battalions-by-2025-rostec-ceo" >in 2024</a>, with Moscow and Delhi reported to have reached an agreement to delay deliveries due to urgent Russian requirements to activate more systems in its own air force amid an ongoing war with Ukraine and its <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/cia-stealth-network-ukraine-proxy-war-russia" >Western allies</a>. Preceding the outbreak of full scale hostilities in Ukraine, Russia had <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/india-to-request-russia-speed-up-delivery-of-s-400-missile-systems" >accelerated deliveries</a> of S-400s in response to requests from Delhi. The Indian Defence Ministry is currently considering making <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/indian-4billion-purchase-ussian-long-range-radars" target="_blank">procurements</a> of other Russian air defence equipment, including signing a contract valued at over $4 billion for Russian Voronezh-DM long range radar systems.</p>

[Author: editorial@militarywatchmagazine.com (Military Watch Editorial Staff)] [Category: South Asia, Aircraft and Anti-Aircraft]

— Russian Air Force Receives New Su-35 Fighters Amid Production Scale Expansion

 

at 5/12/25 7:25pm

<p >The Russian state run United Aircraft Corporation was confirmed in May 12 to have  supplied a new batch of <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/su35-headbutting-f16-alaska" target="_blank">Su-35 fighter aircraft </a>to the Russian Defence Ministry for service in the Russian Aerospace Forces, following significant efforts to expand the scale of the aircraft’s production. "The United Aircraft Corporation has delivered another batch of new multifunctional Su-35S fighter jets to the Russian Defence Ministry. The 4++ generation aircraft have run the gamut of tests by the manufacturer, have been tested in various working modes, and have performed a flight to the base aerodrome," the corporation’s press service reported. The corporation’s Director General Vadim Badekha stated that production has met its targets and the aircraft had been delivered on schedule, stressing that it remained “aware of the importance of implementing the state defence order in full and on time." "Concurrently, work is underway to boost production capacity and commission new industrial infrastructure to support future plans to ensure the country’s defence capability. New batches of the Su-35S, Su-34, and Su-57 are being produced," he added. The Su-35 is a <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/su35-vs-su27-ten-top-improvements" >close derivative</a> of the Soviet Su-27 Flanker air superiority fighter, and has been comprehensively modernised with new engines, sensors, avionics, weaponry and a high composite airframe with a reduced radar cross section and lower maintenance needs. </p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/05/13/article_6822c9f347eaa1_87166891.jpg" title="Russian Aerospace Forces Su-35 Fighters"></p><p >The first batch of Su-35s delivered in 2025 were handed over to the Russian Aerospace Forces in the first week of March, with a further batch having been <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/satellite-footage-confirms-su35-algerian-base" >delivered</a> to the Algerian Air Force as confirmed by satellite images in April. Algeria is the first new country to receive Su-35s in almost a decade, since deliveries of 24 fighters to China began in November 2015. In a major turning point for the Su-35 program, General Director Badekha in March revealed that plans were underway to accelerate production of the aircraft, with officials at the United Arms Corporation observing that the firm was investing in workforce training and infrastructure modernisation to eliminate bottlenecks and sustain higher production rates. The Su-35 was previously expected to be phased out of production in the early 2030s, with wartime plans to expand the Russian fighter fleet, and the anticipation of greater export orders, both thought to have <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russia-expanding-su35-fighter-production-scale-two-reasons-why" >influenced the decision</a> to instead increase production. Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps General Ali Shadmani in January <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/iran-confirms-order-finalised-su35-fighters" >confirmed</a> that his country had placed orders for the Su-35, with the country expected to procure the aircraft on a large scale and potentially field 64 or more to replace the ageing fleet of F-4D/E jets. Other countries such as Indonesia and North Korea have also been speculated to potentially procure the aircraft, with the former having an order for 11 fighters still suspended, while the latter has seen Russian defence cooperation restrictions with it relaxed significantly over the past year. </p>

[Author: editorial@militarywatchmagazine.com (Military Watch Editorial Staff)] [Category: Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Aircraft and Anti-Aircraft]

— Polish Army Receives New Batch of Enhanced American Abrams Tanks

 

at 5/12/25 3:51am

<p >The Polish Army has received a second batch of M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams main battle tanks, with the delivery of 19 new vehicles bringing the total fleet up to 47 of a total of 250 tanks. The tanks were ordered in April 2022 under a $4.8 billion contract. This followed a prior order for 116 older M1A1 tanks from the United States, which although less sophisticated have almost identical maintenance requirements to the M1A2 ensuring high levels of interoperability. The final batch of M1A1 Abrams tanks consisting of 47 vehicles was <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/delivery-116-m1a1-poland-major-war" >delivered in July 2024</a>, just 13 months after the first tanks arrived in the country on June 28, 2023. Compared to the M1A1, the M1A2 SEPv3 benefits from thicker turret and hull front armour, is easier to maintain, and boasts an increased power generation and distribution capacity and superior network centric warfare capabilities. The vehicle is also compatible with the new M829A4 kinetic energy anti-tank round. The Abrams had been in service in the U.S. Army for 45 years since 1980, and remains one of just two tank classes in production in the Western world today alongside the German Leopard 2. The tank has continued to be incrementally modernised, with the M1A2 SEPv3 representing one of the most capable variants. </p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/05/12/article_6821fd2ad9b807_05748025.jpg" title="M1A2 Abrams Tanks Delivered to the Polish Army"></p><p >Despite many formidable performance characteristics, the Abrams has been widely assessed to performed poorly in its first ever conflict with a peer level adversary when operated by the Ukrainian Army against Russian forces. Its performance has been <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/dissatisfied-abrams-losses-technical-issues">reflected on poorly </a>by Ukrainian crews, who have complained of technical issues including vulnerability of electronic components to condensation, as well as the tank’s demonstrated vulnerability in combat. <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/new-footage-shows-ukraine-s-u-s-supplied-abrams-tanks-in-first-combat-images-indicate-possible-combat-loss" >In February 2024</a> the tanks saw their first engagements with Russian forces, taking heavy losses including to drones, anti tank missiles and the <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russian-t72b3-abrams-ukraine" >guns of T-72 tanks</a>. The Ukrainian Army <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/ukrainian-army-withdraws-abrams-losses" >withdrew</a> the tanks from frontline positions in the final week of April 2024, with personal lamenting that the lack sufficient armour for modern battlefields. Vice Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Christopher Grady subsequently indicating that they had not been effective. </p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/05/12/article_6821fd4ce21143_31139182.webp" title="Abrams Tank Destroyed Near Avdiivka"></p><p >The Polish Army is one of very few in the world procuring more than one class  of main battle tank simultaneously, and alongside the 336 Abrams tanks it has ordered, the planned procurement of approximately <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/poland-1000-k2-russia-obsolete" >1000  K2 tanks </a>from South Korea are expected to make up the backbone of the fleet for decades into the future. The first 180 Korean tanks were ordered in July 2022, with deliveries beginning in December that year. The emergence of an <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/skorea-poland-stuck-impasse-k2-tank-sales" >impasse</a> in negotiations for the second batch of 180 tanks with South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem in April 2025, however, has raised the possibility that K2 procurements will be delayed or scaled down. Large scale procurements of the K2 and the Abrams in parallel has allowed  Poland to supply its prior inventories German Leopard 2 and Soviet  T-72 and PT-71 tanks to Ukraine in significant numbers, with a new batch of modernised T-72 having been <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/ukraine-receives-large-batch-t72-tanks-poland" >supplied</a> in early March 2025 bringing the estimated total supply to over 300. </p>

[Author: editorial@militarywatchmagazine.com (Military Watch Editorial Staff)] [Category: Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Ground]

— A Higher Yield Nuclear Bomb For the F-35 Stealth Fighter: U.S. Preparing to Produce B61-13

 

at 5/11/25 7:44pm

<p >Production of the U.S. Armed Forces’ latest class of tactical nuclear bomb, the B61-13, is scheduled to begin in June 2025, with the program intended to provide a new much higher yield class of modern nuclear weapon for the country’s combat aviation assets including its <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/f35-program-cost-2trillion" target="_blank">F-35 stealth fighters</a>. The U.S. Armed Forces announced plans to develop the new bomb on October 27, 2023, with the Pentagon announcing at the time: "The B61-13 would take advantage of the current, established production capabilities supporting the B61-12, and would include the modern safety, security, and accuracy features of the B61-12.” The new bomb  has a maximum yield of approximately 360 kilotons compared to a maximum yield of around 50 kilotons on the widely used B61-12 bomb and a yield of just 15 kilotons on the Little Boy bomb used to destroy the Japanese city of Hiroshima in 1945. A Pentagon report summarised at the time that the new bomb was intended to “provide the President with additional options against certain harder and large-area military targets.” National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) acting head Teresa Robbins informed Congress on May 7 that the bomb “strengthens deterrence and assurance by providing the President with additional options against certain harder and large-area military targets.” </p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/05/12/article_6821c37dc799f1_64114996.gif" title="B61-12 Bomb"></p><p >Rising tensions with leading adversaries benefitting from heavily fortified military sites has led to greater importance being attributed to an the ability to launch higher yield tactical nuclear attacks. North Korea in particular has been a leader in proliferating fortification technologies and provided hardening for Iranian and Hezbollah facilities. The B61-13’s entry into production is particularly significant due to its planned compatibility with the F-35, which other than a <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/usaf-b2-accident-fleet-19" target="_blank">small fleet of under 20</a> B-2 bombers, is the only stealth aircraft in the Western world capable of launching nuclear attacks. With the U.S. Armed Forces expected to field close to 2000 F-35s, the ability to launch very high yield nuclear attacks using any of these operating from bases and warships across the world presents adversaries with a particularly significant nuclear threat. The issue of the F-35’s nuclear capabilities has been particularly sensitive for Russia, with <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/f35-bomb-one-fighter-310000-russians" >assessments</a> in November 2023 having concluded that the new <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/f35-larger-nuclear-penetrate-targets" >B61-13 tactical nuclear bomb</a> would allow a single F-35 to kill up to approximately 360,000 inhabitants of major Russian cities in a single strike.  </p>

[Author: editorial@militarywatchmagazine.com (Military Watch Editorial Staff)] [Category: North America, Western Europe and Oceania, Aircraft and Anti-Aircraft]

As of 5/21/25 10:38am. Last new 5/21/25 9:59am.