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Aviation Week • Ella Nethersole

Jazeera Airways opens temporary Dammam base, starts scheduled flights March 26 to run Kuwait–Saudi airlift

Kuwait low-cost carrier Jazeera Airways will open a temporary operational base at King Fahd International in Dammam and begin scheduled flights from March 26, 2026. The move is part of a dual-airport airlift to move passengers and cargo to/from Kuwait via Saudi territory while regional airspace remains constrained.

2026-03-26T13:05:29.518969-07:00

Reuters

China deploys jets-turned-attack drones to six bases near Taiwan Strait, Mitchell report

2026-03-26T23:10:59.801657-07:00

Associated Press

Siblings indicted after improvised explosive device found outside MacDill AFB gate

2026-03-26T10:20:17.049557-07:00

FlightGlobal

NATO defence spending tops $1.4T as all military-capable members hit 2% GDP target; non‑US contributions surge 20%

2026-03-26T11:45:40.652764-07:00

News Timeline

Reuters

China deploys jets-turned-attack drones to six bases near Taiwan Strait, Mitchell report A Mitchell Institute report says China has stationed obsolete supersonic fighters converted into one-way attack drones at six air bases close to the Taiwan Strait. The deployments repurpose legacy airframes into attritable strike assets positioned directly opposite Taiwan.

2026-03-26T23:10:59.801657-07:00

China deploys jets-turned-attack drones to six bases near Taiwan Strait, Mitchell report

The War Zone

KC-135 Veteran: 'Epic Fury' Is Straining Tanker Readiness, Maintainers and Aircrews Retired Col. Troy Pananon, a former KC‑135 commander, warns Operation Epic Fury's sustained high‑tempo sorties are straining Stratotanker availability, maintenance teams and aircrews, degrading readiness across the tanker fleet and creating sustainment and crew‑fatigue risks for prolonged refuelling operations.

2026-03-26T13:18:14.918603-07:00

KC-135 Veteran: 'Epic Fury' Is Straining Tanker Readiness, Maintainers and Aircrews

Aviation Week

Jazeera Airways opens temporary Dammam base, starts scheduled flights March 26 to run Kuwait–Saudi airlift Kuwait low-cost carrier Jazeera Airways will open a temporary operational base at King Fahd International in Dammam and begin scheduled flights from March 26, 2026. The move is part of a dual-airport airlift to move passengers and cargo to/from Kuwait via Saudi territory while regional airspace remains constrained.

2026-03-26T13:05:29.518969-07:00

Jazeera Airways opens temporary Dammam base, starts scheduled flights March 26 to run Kuwait–Saudi airlift

AeroTime

Russian aviation blogger Pavel Koshkin’s ultralight reportedly shot down after being mistaken for a drone Media outlets report Russian aviation blogger Pavel Koshkin’s ultralight aircraft was reportedly shot down by Russian air-defence forces after being mistaken for an unmanned aerial vehicle, and Koshkin may have been killed. Details remain unconfirmed as authorities and independent sources seek verification.

2026-03-26T12:50:36.306461-07:00

Russian aviation blogger Pavel Koshkin’s ultralight reportedly shot down after being mistaken for a drone

FlightGlobal

NATO defence spending tops $1.4T as all military-capable members hit 2% GDP target; non‑US contributions surge 20% NATO's Secretary General Annual Report, released 26 March, shows alliance members spent more than $1.4 trillion on defence last year and, for the first time, all military-capable NATO nations across its 32 members met the 2% of GDP baseline. Non‑US contributions rose about 20%.

2026-03-26T11:45:40.652764-07:00

NATO defence spending tops $1.4T as all military-capable members hit 2% GDP target; non‑US contributions surge 20%

The War Zone

U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet narrowly evades suspected Iranian MANPADS near coast Video circulating in late March 2026 appears to show a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet narrowly avoiding a missile strike while operating near the Iranian coast; the Pentagon denies the jet was downed. The incident highlights the persistent MANPADS threat to low‑altitude strike and patrol missions in the region.

2026-03-26T10:58:12.993117-07:00

U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet narrowly evades suspected Iranian MANPADS near coast

Associated Press

Siblings indicted after improvised explosive device found outside MacDill AFB gate Federal prosecutors have indicted a brother and sister after an alleged improvised explosive device was found March 16 outside the visitors’ center gate at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, prompting a shelter-in-place and an FBI investigation. The pair now face federal explosives and related charges as authorities continue evidence-gathering.

2026-03-26T10:20:17.049557-07:00

Siblings indicted after improvised explosive device found outside MacDill AFB gate

FlightGlobal

TerraDrone forms Terra Defense, opens US subsidiary to enter military UAS market TerraDrone, a Tokyo-based civil UAS manufacturer, announced on 23 March the creation of a US subsidiary named Terra Defense to pursue military contracts. The company cited an "increasingly unstable" geopolitical environment and the rapid militarisation of drones as the rationale for the shift.

2026-03-26T09:56:03.316533-07:00

TerraDrone forms Terra Defense, opens US subsidiary to enter military UAS market

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Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact News

Jazeera Airways opens temporary Dammam base, starts scheduled flights March 26 to run Kuwait–Saudi airlift

China deploys jets-turned-attack drones to six bases near Taiwan Strait, Mitchell report

Siblings indicted after improvised explosive device found outside MacDill AFB gate

NATO defence spending tops $1.4T as all military-capable members hit 2% GDP target; non‑US contributions surge 20%

News Timeline