Reuters
• Sergio Goncalves
Airbus plans to submit an unsolicited, financing-backed Eurofighter Typhoon proposal to Portugal in late October or early November, positioning the European fighter against Lockheed Martin’s F-35. Lisbon is seeking to replace 28 upgraded F-16Ms and has yet to select a successor.
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Airbus plans to submit an unsolicited, financing-backed Eurofighter Typhoon proposal to Portugal in late October or early November, positioning the European fighter against Lockheed Martin’s F-35. Lisbon is seeking to replace 28 upgraded F-16Ms and has yet to select a successor.
Germany will send four Eurofighter jets to Lielvārde Air Base in central Latvia for roughly one week from late September to early October 2026. The Luftwaffe deployment, requested by Latvia, will support the protection of Latvian and NATO airspace during the country’s October 3 parliamentary elections.
Germany will send four Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Latvia during the country’s upcoming parliamentary elections amid concerns over Russian and Belarusian drone incursions. Poland has also scrambled fighters after a Russian drone attack near its Ukrainian border, while U.S. F-16s continue NATO missions and modernization in Europe.
Two of 10 planned Turkish air force instructors have begun Eurofighter Typhoon conversion training with the Royal Air Force in the UK. The move marks the start of Turkey’s planned effort to establish an instructor cadre for operating the European fighter aircraft.
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A NATO-intercepted drone entered Lithuanian airspace from neighboring Belarus and was shot down by an Italian Eurofighter F-2000A Typhoon, as Russia’s war against Ukraine intensifies. The incident highlights mounting pressure on NATO’s eastern-flank air defenses and Lithuania’s readiness to respond to aerial threats.
Europe’s future combat-aircraft landscape is taking shape around competing paths: the Franco-German-Spanish FCAS program, the UK-Italy-Japan GCAP effort and continued investment in upgraded Eurofighter Typhoons. A Breaking Defense roundtable examines the options, offering a concise guide to the programs and strategic choices ahead.
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General Atomics is pursuing expanded strike roles for the MQ-9B and its Gambit integration via deals with Kongsberg and MBDA. Meanwhile, Raytheon UK unveiled Red Kite—an affordable sovereign precision munition built on the Stormbreaker airframe. BAE, Boeing and Saab also signed to advance a UK Hawk replacement built around Boeing’s T-7 training system, as Leonardo presses LEO and missile-defense programs alongside an Indonesian M-346F fighter sale.
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Riyadh Air placed orders for 34 additional widebody aircraft on the opening day of the Farnborough International Airshow, scaling commitments with Airbus and Boeing months after launching scheduled passenger service. Separate reporting pegged Boeing’s opening-day tally at nearly 150 orders, with Airbus countering later, while Pratt & Whitney and British Airways secured the first major deals of the day.
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