Reuters
A Spanish F-18 operating under NATO command shot down a drone after Romanian surveillance systems detected it entering the country’s airspace from Moldova near the Ukrainian border. The incident marks Romania’s fourth reported drone shootdown of 2026, following years of repeated Russian drone incursions.
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A Spanish F-18 operating under NATO command shot down a drone after Romanian surveillance systems detected it entering the country’s airspace from Moldova near the Ukrainian border. The incident marks Romania’s fourth reported drone shootdown of 2026, following years of repeated Russian drone incursions.
A Turkish Air Force F-16 crashed Wednesday during a routine training flight in Yalova province, northwest of Istanbul, according to Türkiye’s Ministry of National Defence. The pilot ejected and survived, while an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the accident.
NORAD intercepted two general-aviation aircraft that entered temporary flight-restricted airspace over Bedminster, N.J., while President Donald Trump attended a LIV Golf championship at his nearby club. F-16s escorted both aircraft out of the restricted area, according to reports.
The U.S. Air Force is searching for ways to address supply-chain bottlenecks in the engines supporting Boeing’s F-15EX and Lockheed Martin’s F-16 fighter programs. The effort underscores manufacturing constraints affecting two key tactical-aircraft platforms and the service’s ability to sustain production.
The U.S. Air Force is seeking information on alternative engine suppliers for Boeing’s F-15EX and Lockheed Martin’s F-16, potentially challenging the long-standing reliance on Pratt & Whitney and GE Aerospace. Combined annual U.S. and international demand for the fighters could reach 180 aircraft, increasing the stakes for future propulsion competition.
The Department of War is considering alternative engine suppliers for the F-15EX and F-16, a move that could disrupt the long-running engine duopoly supporting two key U.S. Air Force fighter types. The request signals potential competitive and industrial-base implications for both programs.
Ukraine may be able to use its F-16 fleet to target Russian ballistic-missile launchers within weeks, but the effort depends on Washington authorizing or enabling a specific capability. The potential mission would expand the aircraft’s role beyond conventional air operations into counter-launcher missions.
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Ukraine says its F-16s have destroyed more than 2,500 one-way attack drones, but repeated interceptions are wearing down the small fleet. The EU has disbursed €3.47 billion ($4 billion) to fund additional drones, air-defence missiles and Swedish-made Gripen fighter jets, amid renewed Russian missile and drone attacks that killed nine, including children. NATO is also investigating a reported Russian missile hit into Polish airspace.
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