Browsing category
In a move poised to significantly recalibrate the airpower dynamics of Southeast Asia, Indonesia is reportedly preparing to acquire 42 second-hand Chengdu J-10C multirole fighters from China, while also signalling renewed interest in the long-suspended procurement of Russian Su-35s.
Unverified reports emerging from Indian media outlets and amplified by social media chatter suggest that India may have executed a high-stakes precision strike using cruise missiles on Kirana Hills, a site long suspected to house elements of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons infrastructure.
A recently surfaced image has triggered intense scrutiny among global defence analysts after it allegedly showed China’s fifth-generation stealth fighter, the Chengdu J-20, armed with what appears to be two PL-21 ultra-long-range air-to-air missiles.
In a move that could have far-reaching strategic repercussions across the Indo-Pacific, Japanese electronic warfare (EW) and radar specialists have reportedly become the latest foreign experts granted access by New Delhi to inspect debris from China’s PL-15 beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air missile, recovered in northern India during the recent Pakistan-India air conflict.
Probably impressed with the performance of Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drones and their effective deployment by the Bangladesh Army, there are now reports suggesting that the Bangladesh Navy is considering acquiring these same drones for operational use.
In a clash that may shape future doctrines of air combat, a high-intensity aerial engagement between Pakistani and Indian fighter jets has thrust the Chinese-built J-10C Vigorous Dragon into the global spotlight, with early indications suggesting it may have bested the French-built Rafale in long-range missile combat.
In the high-stakes theatre of modern aerial warfare, South Asia’s two indigenous light fighters—the Pakistan-China co-developed JF-17 Thunder and India’s domestically built HAL Tejas—have emerged as strategic flagships representing distinct national doctrines, industrial trajectories, and geopolitical alignments.
As the spotlight intensifies on China’s J-10C multirole fighter jet, another name increasingly capturing the attention of global defence analysts is the PL-15E, China’s export-variant long-range Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile.
During the recently concluded joint aerial exercise between China and Egypt, a high-ranking Egyptian Air Force commander publicly expressed keen interest in Beijing’s next-generation stealth fighter, the J-35A, underscoring a potential pivot in Cairo’s strategic airpower ambitions.
At present, speculation is mounting within global defence circles that Azerbaijan may have dramatically increased its procurement of JF-17 “Thunder” light multirole fighter aircraft from an initial 16 units to a staggering 40, in a deal reportedly valued at US$4.2 billion (RM18.48 billion).