7th EAS pushes tactical boundaries in Exercise Bamboo Eagle 25-1

The 7th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron (EAS) recently concluded its participation in Exercise Bamboo Eagle 25-1. This exercise, a crucial certification event ahead of the squadron’s upcoming deployment, has not only validated but also refined the 7th EAS’s tactical capabilities in dynamic and contested environments.

A U.S. Air Force KC-46 Pegasus assigned to the 305th Air Mobility Wing refuels a C-17 Globemaster III assigned to the 7th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron during Bamboo Eagle 25-1 over the Pacific Ocean west of Sacramento, California, Feb. 14, 2025. Throughout Bamboo Eagle, the 7th EAS engaged in semi-prepared runway operations, low altitude air refueling training, integrated combat turn training, night flying operations, specialized fueling operations and other critical pre-deployment practice. (U.S. Air Force courtesy photo)

Continue reading “7th EAS pushes tactical boundaries in Exercise Bamboo Eagle 25-1”

Chinese PLA Navy helicopter and Philippine C-208 engage in tense encounter over Scarborough Shoal

Amidst the ongoing tensions in the South China Sea, a recent aerial encounter has raised concerns about safety and escalating disputes in the region. A Chinese military helicopter engaged with a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) aircraft over Scarborough Shoal, which the Philippines called Panatag Shoal and Huangyan Dao by the Chinese. The incident, witnessed by journalists onboard the Philippine aircraft, highlights the close proximity and assertive actions of the Chinese military.


Continue reading “Chinese PLA Navy helicopter and Philippine C-208 engage in tense encounter over Scarborough Shoal”

Greece’s Mirage fleet faces uncertain future

The Hellenic Air Force is facing a perplexing situation regarding its Mirage 2000-5 fleet. Despite efforts to find a buyer, the prospect of selling these delta-winged fighters remains elusive, casting a shadow over their future within Greece’s evolving air power strategy.

HAF Mirage 2000-5B
Jerry Gunner from Lincoln, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Continue reading “Greece’s Mirage fleet faces uncertain future”

Asian Aerospace 1996: The untold story of a Taiwan-French fighter familiarization exchange in Singapore

A former Republic of China Air Force (RoCAF) pilot, identified as Huang Yang Te in a recent interview, has revealed details of an unusual exchange that saw him fly a French Air Force Mirage 2000B during the 1996 Asian Aerospace airshow in Singapore. The pilot, a former F-16 instructor and also an instructor in the Fighter Weapon School, detailed his unexpected opportunity to fly the French delta-wing fighter, which was serving as a back-up to the Rafale prototype demonstrator that was flying at the show.


Continue reading “Asian Aerospace 1996: The untold story of a Taiwan-French fighter familiarization exchange in Singapore”

U.K. MoD bolsters ISR capabilities with Airbus Oberon satellite contract

The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded Airbus a significant contract to design and build two advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites, named Oberon, marking a crucial step in the nation’s pursuit of enhanced space-based Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. The Oberon system, slated for launch in 2027, promises to deliver day-and-night, all-weather surveillance capabilities.


Image: Airbus
Continue reading “U.K. MoD bolsters ISR capabilities with Airbus Oberon satellite contract”