The Indian Air Force (IAF) held a week-long counter-drone exercise to strengthen its capabilities against low-cost unmanned aerial systems.

The primary goal of the exercise, dubbed “Rotor Clap-III”, was reportedly to assess and refine operational principles to address emerging aerial threats from unmanned systems. The exercise concluded on August 2.

The Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) drill was held at the Pokhran Field Firing Range in the Thar Desert.

The site is best known as the location of India’s nuclear tests in 1974 and 1998, but its vast, sparsely populated expanse near the India-Pakistan border supports secure live-fire practice, helicopter operations, and high-intensity training while closely matching the terrain, climate, and conditions of the western theatre.

The drills were also aimed at improving the IAF’s helicopter fleet’s operational capabilities against threats posed by drones.

#IAF Helicopters undertook, Exercise ROTOR CLAP III themed "Counter-UAS" in Rajasthan.

The exercise brought together helicopter units of the #IndianAirForce to validate operational concepts against emerging aerial threats#ExerciseRotorClapIII #CounterUAS@DefenceMinIndia… pic.twitter.com/8nFwAQGm5T

— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) August 1, 2026

Several IAF helicopter units participated in the exercise, conducting tactical missions such as coordinated actions against both aerial and ground-based threats, soldier insertion, reconnaissance, precision attacks, battlefield support, and casualty evacuation.

The drills evaluated integrated helicopter tactics, procedures, and coordination in simulated combat conditions.

Moreover, the aircrew and operational units had the opportunity to test and validate mission planning, inter-unit coordination, quick response, and cooperative operations in near-war scenarios throughout the exercise. According to reports, special emphasis was placed on ensuring smooth coordination among multiple helicopters in the desert terrain.

Notably, helicopters are increasingly being employed worldwide in counter-UAS roles, especially against slower, low-cost loitering munitions and reconnaissance drones. Russia and Ukraine, for example, routinely use military helicopters for this purpose, whereas Gulf countries have recently started deploying their own choppers to down Iranian drones.

In general, helicopters make good counter-UAS platforms because many of them cruise at speeds similar to those of propeller-driven drones such as the Shahed class, enabling them to close the distance, match altitude, and make repeated engagement passes—advantages not available to fast jets, which are limited to a single high-speed pass.

Typically, helicopters can also operate from dispersed or improvised sites, fly low and slow, and loiter over threat areas. Equipped with thermal or electro-optical sensors and night-vision systems, they are effective at detecting and engaging low-flying drones after dark.

Once the helicopter matches the drone’s path, gunners or automated systems use proximity-fuzed rockets or brief bursts of cannon or machine-gun fire to neutralize a drone.

Therefore, these armed helicopters form one mobile layer alongside ground-based guns, electronic warfare, interceptor drones, and high-end surface-to-air missiles (SAM).

Using helicopters as counter-drone platforms is also cost-effective, given that machine guns, cannons, and rockets are far cheaper per engagement than surface-to-air missiles or fighter sorties. In fact, the US has now integrated its Apache helicopters with APWKS laser rockets to further reduce the cost of hunting drones.

The IAF operates a range of different military choppers—AH-64 Apache, the aging Mi-25 and Mi-35 attack helicopters, the LCH Prachand, Chinook Heavy-lift transport helicopter, the Mi-17 Medium utility helicopter, and the ALH Dhruv

Sources said the exercise reaffirmed the IAF’s commitment to high operational readiness and adaptation to new security challenges. It forms part of India’s broader push to strengthen counter-UAS capabilities at a time when inexpensive small drones, loitering munitions, and sophisticated unmanned systems have upended the cost calculus of conflict and changed the face of conventional warfare that India has participated in.

India’s Counter-Drone Effort Inspired By Op Sindoor

India’s heightened focus on counter-drone measures is driven by global trends, persistent cross-border drone activity, and, most significantly, experience gained during Operation Sindoor in May 2025, which it launched against Pakistan-based terror infrastructure.

Pakistan retaliated almost instantly and employed large numbers of drones as a core element of its response codenamed Operation Bunyan al-Marsus.

Indian official briefings stated that Pakistan launched swarms of drones in major coordinated waves. According to the Government of India’s official press briefing, Pakistan launched 400–500 drones in a coordinated reconnaissance and SIGINT (Signal Intelligence) operation. These were intended to clutter Indian radars, force air-defense systems to expend ammunition and attention, probe for gaps, and mask the presence of a smaller number of more capable surveillance or attack drones.

Pakistan has invested heavily in drone manufacture using indigenous capabilities acquired from allies like Turkey and China, as previously explained in detail by the EurAsian Times. During the conflict, it used Turkish Asisguard Songar, Turkish Yiha-III, Bayraktar TB2 drone, and Chinese drones like the CH-4 and Wing Loong II, to name a few.

India stated that the large majority of incoming drones were neutralized by a combination of kinetic systems (anti-aircraft guns, including the L-70, ZU-23, and Schilka, as well as surface-to-air missiles such as Akash), and non-kinetic measures (spoofing and jamming).

While India has significantly expanded its own inventory of drones, many of which were used successfully and decisively against Pakistani targets during the war, the intensity of drone use by the Pakistani military during the four-day intense conflict has accelerated Indian investment in counter-drone programs and tactics.

For example, counter-drone grids are being incorporated into Mission Sudarshan Chakra, a long-term, AI-enabled, multi-layered national air-defense shield announced last year.

In early July 2026, the Defense Acquisition Council granted Acceptance of Necessity for procurement proposals worth approximately ₹52,000 crore. These include the indigenous Akash Tarang anti-UAV electronic-warfare system for the Army, Very Short-Range Air Defense Systems (V-SHORADS) to bolster low-altitude defense against drones, and jet-powered kamikaze drones, underscoring the priority now attached to both unmanned systems and counter-UAS capabilities

A range of new counter-drone systems developed jointly by public- and private-sector entities are at various stages of testing.

Last year, for instance, India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) unveiled the D4 (Drone Detect, Deter, Destroy) anti-drone system, which is now being deployed along key border areas. This integrated counter-drone solution is designed to detect and neutralize rogue unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with precision.

Earlier this year, the Indian Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced the completion of development trials of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Launched Precision Guided Missile-V3 (ULPGM-V3) in air-to-ground and air-to-air modes. The ULPGM is designed for UAV integration to destroy soft and hard targets, on the ground and in the air.

Similarly, India-based Zen Technologies launched an enhanced variant of its counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) that is already in service with the Indian Armed Forces in May 2026. The new variant of the system reportedly has increased detection and jamming ranges and is integrated with AI for improved threat detection.

These are just a few examples of India’s counter-drone effort.

The armed forces are also conducting dedicated counter-drone exercises based on lessons from Operation Sindoor. In October 2025, for instance, India’s largest drone and counter-drone warfare drill, Exercise Cold Start, was conducted in Madhya Pradesh to evaluate the effectiveness of the existing air defense

Therefore, the recently concluded Rotor Clap-III, focused on the IAF’s helicopter fleet, is another step in preparing for operations on a battlefield increasingly dominated by drones.

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President Donald Trump said the US and Israel had decided to hold off on new strikes on Iran — provided that a deal to end the ongoing conflict is reached quickly.

Meanwhile, a report published by a US-based think tank recently warned that American inventories of key air defense interceptors have fallen sharply, raising the prospect that US and coalition forces may need to accept greater risks in future missile defense operations.

When the US launched Operation Epic Fury in February 2026, President Donald Trump said the hostilities would last only a few days, a deadline that was subsequently moved to a few weeks. However, five months later, there is no end in sight to the war, which has now spilled over into much of West Asia. 

During the war, the US has severely drawn down its air defense interceptors, as documented by the US-based think tank CSIS (Center for Strategic and International Studies). The CSIS report estimates that stockpiles of the Patriot and THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) have been greatly reduced in the ongoing conflict.

Published on July 27, 2026, the report—“Renewed Iran War Would Test Diminished Interceptor Inventories” authored by Mark F. Cancian and Chris H. Park—updates an earlier CSIS assessment released around the ceasefire agreed to by both sides on April 8, 2026.

“The air defense campaign has been largely successful with high—though not perfect—interception rates. While some Iranian attacks got past defenses, causing casualties and extensive base damage, these attacks have been unable to diminish U.S. and coalition operations. This has required extensive use of interceptors, with Patriot inventories now under 1,000 and THAAD inventories at about 250,” states the report.

The previous report had estimated that the US Patriot interceptor inventory shrank by 55%. However, the updated figures suggest the stockpile has further shrunk by an additional 10% since the truce, and that approximately 65% of US Patriots have now been lost since the war began.

The report estimates that Patriot inventories now stand at under 1,000 (the most recent figures place the range at 759–827) and that THAAD inventories stand at about 250 (the latest figures put it at roughly 234–278).

Both systems have been heavily used to defend US bases, Gulf partners, and Israel against Iranian ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and related threats. CSIS apparently draws its estimates from publicly available legislative and Pentagon budget documents, supplemented by open-source data on rounds expended in the Gulf.

“Diminished stockpiles may force the United States and its coalition partners to take more risks with interceptions. There are no good alternatives to Patriot and THAAD for ballistic missile defense. Navy ships, with Standard Missiles that can intercept such threats, generally are too far away,” the report warned.

Notably, an NBC report recently stated that US commanders are choosing not to take down Iranian projectiles that are headed into uninhabited regions of US sites in the vicinity because they do not want to squander their interceptor missiles.

This alleged tactic, if true, marks a shift from previous air and missile defense procedures in the region, such as when a US-manned Patriot detachment protected a mostly evacuated Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar from a barrage of Iranian ballistic missiles in response to Operation Midnight Hammer in June 2025.

Despite a dearth in air defense interceptors, the US has vowed to hit Iran very hard, a move that will almost certainly trigger Iranian retaliation and further cause depletion in Patriot and THAAD interceptors. The situation may become dire, given that the production of these missiles takes woefully long—Lockheed delivered just about 600 interceptors in 2025, and only 96  THAAD interceptors are manufactured per year. 

The United States is therefore consuming its most valuable air-defense munitions far faster than industry can replace them. Some analysts have suggested that depleting offensive and defensive stockpiles contributed to the Trump administration’s decision to accept a ceasefire, including the latest one where the U.S. and Israel agreed to hold off on new strikes on Iran.

Other reports indicate Trump may have changed the offensive plans after talking with Saudi Arabia and after Iran also spoke to Riyadh, besides Pakistan and Turkey.

Trump insisted the US was still “locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” but added that Tehran and other Middle Eastern countries had asked him to hold off on fresh strikes. “Based on this request, I have agreed, for the future benefit of the WORLD and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran, to cancel the attack, subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

Meanwhile, Strategists also warn that the shortages create near- to medium-term risks for U.S. readiness in other theaters, particularly a potential conflict with China in the western Pacific.  “Expended munitions create a near- to medium-term risk for U.S. readiness to fight a war against China in the western Pacific,” the report stated.

In the near term, Washington is unlikely to spare Patriots for Ukraine, which continues to face intense Russian attacks and has repeatedly requested additional interceptors. Russia has been exploiting the vacuum in air defense coverage to strike Kyiv with lethal ballistic and hypersonic missiles, as the EurAsian Times reported.

Pentagon Boosting Interceptor Production

Noteworthy steps have been taken in 2026 to rapidly expand production of Patriot (primarily PAC-3 MSE) and THAAD interceptors.

These efforts use a new “Acquisition Transformation Strategy” approach that emphasizes multi-year framework agreements, undefinitized contract actions (UCAs), long-term demand signals, and parallel investments in facilities, the workforce, and bottleneck components.

For instance, the US Army awarded Lockheed Martin a contract on July 29 worth up to $58.6 billion to produce Patriot interceptor missiles.

This comes after the US awarded Lockheed Martin a $4.7 billion contract in April 2026 to accelerate the production of the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptors. The agreement stipulated that the annual output of PAC-3 MSE interceptors would be increased from nearly 600 to 2,000 units.

The Army states that the latest contract establishes a multiyear procurement strategy for the interceptors from fiscal 2026 through 2032 by converting a prior one-year deal awarded in April into a seven-year draft agreement.

The Pentagon Munitions Acceleration Council (MAC) also reportedly signed an emergency procurement agreement with key vendors to boost production.

Meanwhile, Lockheed has stated that it is investing $8–9 billion through 2030 across more than 20 sites in the United States.

Additionally, the US has agreed to grant Ukraine a license to produce Patriot interceptors, making it the latest European country to manufacture these prized munitions, alongside Germany, Romania, and Poland.

Not just that, Lockheed Martin announced the introduction of the PAC-3 Adapted Capability Effector (PAC-3 ACE), a low-cost interceptor built to defeat a wide range of threats for less than half the cost of a PAC-3 MSE.

As for THAAD, the Pentagon signed a framework with Lockheed Martin to quadruple annual production from 96 to 400 interceptors.

The framework was intended to lead to a formal contract award (subject to congressional appropriations). This was later executed in June 2026 with an undefinitized contract action (UCA) valued at up to $35 billion to increase manufacturing through 2030. 

The Pentagon, in collaboration with L3Harris and Lockheed Martin, announced two historic seven-year framework agreements earlier this week to increase production capacity for critical components of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) and the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptors.

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Lt. Col. William Henry Rankin was a decorated US Marine Corps fighter pilot who flew combat missions in World War II and the Korean War. His greatest ordeal, however, came in peacetime.

On July 26, 1959, he ejected from an F-8 Crusader straight into a massive thunderstorm. And he lived to tell the tale.

The Vought F-8 Crusader was a single-engine, supersonic, carrier-based air-superiority fighter designed for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Known as the “Last of the Gunfighters,” it was the final American fighter built with guns as its primary armament at a time when missiles were rapidly taking over. The aircraft entered service in 1957.

In May 1957, Rankin took command of Marine Fighter Squadron 122 (VMF-122). The following year, it became the first Marine squadron to operate the F-8 Crusader.

In 1959, he catapulted to fame for surviving what seemed like an impossible incident with the Crusader.

The Story Of Rankin’s Riding A Thunderstorm

On the afternoon of July 26, 1959, Rankin led a two-ship flight with wingman Lt. Herbert Nolan from Naval Air Station South Weymouth, Massachusetts, back to Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina.

During the flight, the pilots encountered a large cumulonimbus thunderstorm.

Typically, thunderstorms pose severe threats to fighter jets, including extreme turbulence, powerful updrafts and downdrafts, hail, lightning, icing, and torrential rain. So, fighter pilots are trained to climb above the storm to prevent damage to their aircraft.

The F-8 Crusader’s strong climb performance and high service ceiling of about 50,000 feet made this a practical choice for Rankin on that fateful day.

Rankin climbed his F-8 fighter jet to 47,000 feet at a speed of Mach 0.82 over a massive cumulonimbus cloud that peaked at about 45,000 feet.

While on this quest, he suddenly heard a loud, unprecedented bump and rumble from the aircraft’s engine. He instantly knew something was wrong with his jet. 

The engine immediately stopped producing power, a bit of bad news that was delivered to Rankin by a bright fire warning light.

Acting swiftly to arrest the threat, Rankin immediately pulled the lever to deploy auxiliary power, but instead of saving his jet, it snapped in his hand.

At this point, Lt. Col Rankin knew he had to eject, which was a formidable challenge without a pressure suit at that altitude.

As soon as he ejected and touched what is believed to be -58 to -60 degree air, his body started to fail. The veteran fighter pilot who had braved enemies in the wars he fought through his career was now struggling for survival—he suffered frostbite, the decompression caused his stomach to bloat, and he started to bleed from his mouth, nose, and ears. The only respite, at least initially, was that he had an emergency oxygen supply. 

The chances of survival were grim, something Rankin was fully aware of.

“I was convinced I would not survive; no human could”, Rankin later wrote in his book “The Man Who Rode the Thunder”. 

“The pain of ‘explosive’ decompression was unbearable,” he recalled in his book, which has been widely read by aviation enthusiasts globally. “I could feel my abdomen distending, stretching, stretching, stretching, until I thought it would burst. My eyes felt as though they were being ripped from their sockets, my head as if it were splitting into several parts, my ears bursting inside, and throughout my entire body, there were severe cramps.”

However, he also bravely emphasizes, “I was terrified, but not petrified. It’s a brave distinction of terms.”

After roughly five minutes of free fall, Rankin realized his parachute had not opened. The system was designed to deploy automatically at about 10,000 feet via a barometric switch, allowing the pilot to reach denser, breathable air before the canopy opened. The already disoriented pilot began to worry that the parachute’s auto-deployment system may have been broken, causing his only chance at survival to fail.

Unfortunately, though, he was now in for a completely different kind of challenge.

As he was passing through a massive thunderstorm with zero visibility, the parachute opened prematurely as the violent pressure fluctuations, updrafts, and turbulence inside the cumulonimbus cloud “fooled” the barometric sensor.

Once under the open canopy of the parachute, Rankin was far more vulnerable to the storm’s powerful vertical currents. The long descent increased the risk of his death from cold or asphyxiation. Additionally, it meant that he was dangerously caught in the up-and-down draft of the storm system, which buffeted the pilot thousands of feet into the air before dragging him back down. And that’s exactly what happened.

Ten minutes into the ordeal, he began vomiting from the violent spinning and pounding even as lightning flashed around him—later described as blue blades several feet thick.

The rain was so dense that he repeatedly inhaled or swallowed water with every breath and had to hold his breath to avoid choking. “Gasping for air, swollen, bleeding, and battered by hail, it was as though I were under a swimming pool, and I had held my breath several times,” wrote Rankin.

For Rankin, this was akin to “drowning in the sky.”

For about forty minutes, he was battered by hail, nearly drowned by torrential rain, and subjected to lightning and extreme turbulence.

“I didn’t hear the thunder, I felt it,” Rankin wrote in his book.

Thankfully, the storm’s intensity eventually decreased, allowing the pilot to finally avoid its drafts. Then, the rain that had threatened to drown him gave way to a comforting summer shower, and the air got substantially warmer.

Soon, he approached the forests of North Carolina’s backcountry, got entangled in a tree, cut away from it, and landed on the ground.

Battered, frostbitten, bleeding, rain-soaked, and covered in vomit, he stumbled through the woods using a search pattern until he found a country road. “Lying on my left side. I simply could not believe that I was on the earth—that I had survived,” he later wrote.

Several cars passed before a motorist stopped, drove him to a nearby country store, and allowed him to call for an ambulance. He collapsed while waiting and was taken to a hospital in Ahoskie, North Carolina. Rankin spent several weeks recovering but sustained no permanent long-term injuries from the forty-minute ordeal and soon returned to duty.

Rankin gained widespread recognition for his iconic and unbelievable battle with the thunderstorm after he returned to active service. 

Having survived a 40-minute thunderstorm in the air, he lived for 50 more years before passing away at 89 in 2009.

Nevertheless, Lt. Col Rankin is still remembered—nearly 70 years after the incident—as the only man who defeated a thunderstorm.

• Contact the author at sakshi.tiwari13 (at) outlook.com
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Turkey has startled the world with its rapid rise in military technology, particularly in drone warfare. However, it is now charging full steam ahead with the development and testing of the KAAN combat aircraft, a move that will place it in the elite group of nations with stealth fighters

Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) recently released a video of KAAN’s new prototype performing powered taxi testing, suggesting that the first flight may be imminent. The video, posted on X, shows the aircraft moving on its own, verifying the functionality of the engine, brakes, steering, and flight control systems prior to flight clearance.

The new prototype, known as P1, is based on the original P0, which flew for the first time in February 2024, as EurAsian Times reported at the time.

However, the P1 is considered a more mature aircraft that will be crucial to the fighter development and testing campaign. The P0 prototype was constructed to confirm the aircraft’s fundamental flight characteristics, flight control system, and core platform. The P1, by contrast, incorporates a more advanced systems architecture and is intended to carry the bulk of performance, avionics, and mission-systems validation.

Notably, a second prototype, P2, remains in parallel production and integration, with the goal of having both aircraft flying by the end of 2026 to accelerate the test campaign through concurrent work.

#KAAN pic.twitter.com/wWXXweP4af

— Türk Havacılık Uzay Sanayii (@TUSAS_TR) July 31, 2026

TAI CEO Mehmet Demiroğlu earlier stated e that the company hopes to see KAAN airborne within a few months and aims to have the second aircraft flying by year-end. “We hope to see KAAN in the sky within a few months. We also aim to fly the second aircraft by the end of the year. Our goal is to have two KAANs flying one after the other, or side by side, at year-end,” Demiroglu said at the Farnborough Airshow in the UK last month

Turkey plans three pre-production prototypes followed by series production of 250 aircraft. A deal was reportedly signed last month for 20 units of the original Block 10 KAAN

Notably, the P1 symbolizes the Kaan program’s evolution from a technology demonstrator into a developmental test fleet. It demonstrates that the program is proceeding at a speed to match the aspirational schedule of delivering the jets to the Turkish Air Force by 2028.

In addition to accelerated development and testing, the KAAN received another big boost last month when the US cleared for export the General Electric-made F110 engines initially destined to power the plane, removing a major roadblock in the program. Simultaneously, TAI is advancing work on the indigenous TF35000, which will power the aircraft in the long run, as EurAsian Times reported earlier.

The induction of the KAAN fighter will transform the Turkish Air Force, which has been operating aging F-16s since Ankara’s removal from the F-35 program in 2019 over its purchase of Russia’s S-400. The expulsion pushed Turkey to develop its own advanced fighter, aiming to achieve technological sovereignty and reduce dependence on the US.

More significantly, KAAN is Turkey’s most ambitious defense project in decades, positioning the country among the select group of nations that have independently designed and built a fifth-generation stealth aircraft. This progress aligns with Ankara’s broader emergence as a major defense producer and innovator, most notably in drones.

Turkey seems to be overtly prioritizing stealth, as evidenced by the development of KAAN. The KAAN is a twin-engine, single-seat stealth fighter featuring internal weapons bays, low-observable shape, and composite materials that improve stealth by lowering weight and radar signature.  Furthermore, it carries a range of weapons internally, including air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions, such as indigenous Gökdoğan (BVR) and Bozdoğan (WVR) missiles, to bolster lethality while preserving stealth.

Alongside the manned fighter, Turkey continues advancing stealth unmanned systems.  This includes the Anka-3, the first flying-wing, deep-strike drone developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries. According to reports, this stealthy unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) is currently advancing toward serial production, with design upgrades to intakes, exhausts, antennas, and other components.

More importantly, Turkey’s list of unmanned stealth aircraft prominently features the Kizilelma, an unmanned fighter jet expected to conduct a wide range of military operations.

The Bayraktar Kızılelma incorporates low-observable design features. It is routinely described by Baykar and Turkish defense officials as a low-RCS (radar cross-section) unmanned fighter. In fact, the Kizilelma recently conducted a weapons-firing test that further added to its stealth characteristics.

Stealthy Kizilelma Fired From Internal Weapons Bay

Last month, Kizilelma successfully conducted its first live-fire tests from its internal weapons bay, achieving direct hits. The test was reportedly conducted at the Corlu Flight Training and Test Center in the northwestern province of Tekirdag, using the production model with tail number S2 and Roketsan’s TEBER-82 munition and TOLUN munitions. 

Baykar hailed the test as a historic milestone that confirms the jet’s ability to attack with precision while maintaining a low radar signature.

It is worth mentioning that external weapons, pylons, and the cavities they create dramatically increase an aircraft’s RCS. In fact, even a well-shaped low-observable airframe loses much of its stealth advantage once munitions are hung outside.

By successfully firing precision-guided munitions from the internal bay on the serial prototype, Kızılelma demonstrated that it can carry and release weapons without compromising its clean, low-RCS airframe, conduct stand-in or penetrating attacks in contested airspace while remaining harder to detect, and maintain higher speed and better aerodynamic efficiency.

“Thanks to its internal weapons bay, Kizilelma will be able to penetrate deep into hostile territory and strike using indigenous munitions while maintaining a low radar signature,” Baykar said, adding that internal carriage allows it to function “more effectively in areas with dense air defense coverage.

#KIZILELMA

TEBER-82 & TOLUN-P Munition Firing Test from the Internal Weapons Bay

Bull’s Eye#Baykar @Roketsan @Aselsan#NationalTechnologyInitiative pic.twitter.com/hw6ukagjGU

— BAYKAR (@BaykarTech) July 30, 2026

The Kizilelma is a stealthy multi-role unmanned platform designed for air-to-air combat, air-to-ground strikes, ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance), close air support (CAS), missile strikes, suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD), and destruction of enemy air defenses (DEAD), among other things.

“Bayraktar Kizilelma made its first flight in 2022. Since then, intensive flight activities have continued. Serial production was completed last year, and our goal this year is to place Kizilelma into service for Türkiye,” Bayraktar said at SAHA 2026.

The platform integrates Artificial Intelligence and can be operated out of aircraft carriers, according to the manufacturer, although those capabilities are still being refined. Moreover, it can fly alongside KAAN in a manned-unmanned teaming configuration (MUMT), adding what is referred to as “affordable mass” and substantially reducing the risk to manned fighters in contested environments,

If the current trajectory holds, KAAN and stealthy unmanned platforms will strengthen Turkish airpower and advance Ankara’s goal of self-reliance.

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For the first time, an Indian Air Force (IAF) Dassault Rafale fighter aircraft was refueled by a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Airbus KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) taking part in Exercise “Pitch Black” 2026.

The refueling of the Indian Rafale—making their debut at “Exercise Pitch Black”—was conducted during the second week of the exercise, which began on 20 July and runs through August 7, 2026. The jets that refueled mid-air have been identified as a single-seat Rafale EH and a twin-seat Rafale DH, as noted by Janes.

According to the Australian Department of Defense, the KC-30A, operating from RAAF Base Darwin, refueled 14 fighter aircraft from partner nations during a five-hour sortie over Australia’s Northern Territory. Meanwhile, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) highlighted the mission on X with video footage that also showed RAAF Super Hornets, Republic of Korea Air Force F-15Ks, and German Eurofighter Typhoons being refueled mid-air.

Flight Lieutenant Sara Whitehead, commander of the KC-30A, said, “The first to visit the aerial bowser were two IAF Rafales, completing fuel transfers by wing-mounted hose-and-drogue before returning to their missions.”

Before this, the RAAF KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transports refueled IAF Su-30MKIs during Exercise Pitch Black 2018 for the first time.

A RAAF KC-30A delivered fuel to Indian Rafales @IAF_MCC, RAAF Super Hornets, Republic of Korea Air Force F-15Ks @ROK_MND and German Eurofighter Typhoons @Team_Luftwaffe, demonstrating seamless multinational interoperability at #PitchBlack26. pic.twitter.com/5u7F4U29bs

— Royal Australian Air Force (@AusAirForce) July 28, 2026

Notably, the latest refueling event was the visible execution of an agreement signed by Australia and India in November 2024, enabling RAAF KC-30As to refuel aircraft of the Indian Armed Forces. It is, however, noteworthy that the KC-30s refueled the IAF’s most advanced fighter jet, which has now become the cornerstone of its air power.

Interestingly, the Rafales arrived in Australia a little over a year after the May 2025 India–Pakistan crisis, in which Indian fighters engaged Chinese-origin Pakistani aircraft, and at a time when India is advancing plans for the acquisition of 114 additional Rafales.

This is not the first time that a refueling aircraft of a partner nation has refueled Indian Rafales. Earlier, for instance, the first IAF Rafales were mid-air refueled by French Air Force Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft during their ferry flight from Merignac (Bordeaux), France, to Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE.

Separately, the UAE Air Force Airbus MRTT tankers provided in-flight refueling for several subsequent ferry flights of IAF Rafales from France to India, enabling non-stop flights.

Having said that, the latest long-range deployment to Australia tested the Rafale’s strategic reach and ability to sustain operations far from home bases.

The Indo-Pacific is a vast theater where combat aircraft need extended range and endurance. Therefore, this kind of mutual support strengthens collective readiness, deterrence, and the ability to sustain operations far from home bases — goals repeatedly highlighted in India–Australia statements about a “free and open Indo-Pacific.”

The IAF Rafale’s debut in Pitch Black comes at a time when India and Australia are strengthening their defense ties. For the ongoing drills, the IAF sent at least four Rafales, two Boeing C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft, one Ilyushin Il-78 Midas aerial refueling aircraft, and an estimated 120 troops to RAAF Base Darwin.

The IAF Rafales were expected to fly alongside the F-35 stealth fighters during these keenly watched multinational drills.

Fielding Rafales for the first time in 2026 and successfully receiving Australian tanker support underscores deepening air-power cooperation. It complements other engagements, including maritime patrol aircraft interactions and joint exercises, and signals growing ability to operate together in coalition settings.

India-Australia Strengthen Defense Ties 

Earlier this week, Australian High Commissioner Philip Green stated that India has become a “top-tier” security partner for Australia, noting that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent trip to Melbourne has strengthened security ties.

India and Australia have developed one of the fastest-growing defense partnerships in the Indo-Pacific, based on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership signed in 2020. This core framework is apparently built on shared democratic values, economic ties, and a common vision of a free, open, peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific

After this, the two sides signed the Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement to provide reciprocal logistical support and facilitate more complex exercises and deployments. Subsequently, New Delhi and Canberra inked the Air-to-Air Refueling Arrangement in 2024.

The defense ties received a further boost this month as Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed the Joint Declaration on Defense and Security Cooperation during the third Annual Leaders’ Summit in Melbourne. It renews and expands the 2009 framework, committing the two sides to deeper strategic consultations, more complex exercises, faster interoperability and information sharing, expanded aircraft deployments from each other’s territories, and greater personnel exchanges.

Not just that, the two sides agreed on a Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap focused on operational coordination, information sharing, and capability development in the maritime domain—the area of greatest geographic and strategic overlap.

Beyond Bilateral defense frameworks, India and Australia are bound by a host of institutional mechanisms, such as the QUAD, which also includes the US and Japan.

Meanwhile, the military cooperation spans all three services and has grown in frequency and complexity. In addition to Air Force-focused Pitch Black, India and Australia have participated in naval exercises such as Exercise Malabar, AUSINDEX, Milan, and Kakadu.

Additionally, the two sides have participated in AustraHind, an exercise that brings together the armies of the two countries, which now appears to be expanding to include amphibious or littoral elements.

India has also reportedly participated in Talisman Saber, hosted by Australia in 2025, and is looking forward to an enhanced role planned for the 2027 edition.

In his latest interview, Green also highlighted the value of common platforms such as the Boeing P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, bolstering interoperability.

A key driver of this close defense partnership is the shared concern about regional stability, freedom of navigation, and the rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific. Although maritime security has been the strongest pillar of alignment amid shared threats and China’s rapid expansion in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, the defense industrial collaboration is expanding through trade missions, industry roundtables, and efforts to build resilient supply chains and co-develop capabilities.

The Rafale’s debut in Pitch Black and the refueling exhibit the strength of ties between the two states.

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Japan has become the latest entrant to the exclusive club of countries that possess the Tomahawk cruise missile.

Japan’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced on July 30 that the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) had test-fired a Tomahawk land-attack cruise missile from one of its warships, the Aegis guided-missile destroyer JS Chokai (DDG-176), for the first time.

The test was conducted on June 29 in the Pacific Ocean with US Navy’s support. It followed the March 2026 announcement by the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency that Chokai had completed the necessary upgrades to fire long-range standoff missiles.

With the launch, Japan became the third nation (apart from the United States) to fire a Tomahawk from a surface combatant—after Australia and the Netherlands—and the fourth overall, following the United Kingdom, which has launched the missile only from submarines. The successful test marks a major step in Tokyo’s effort to field a credible long-range conventional strike capability.

The MoD verified that the missile reached its intended target and that the ship and crew successfully carried out the launch sequence. It did, however, conceal certain information, such as the precise location in the Pacific, the number of missiles fired, the range attained, the target’s specifics, and the missile variant used.

Historic moment as JS Chokai becomes the first JMSDF warship to live-fire a Tomahawk Land Attack Missile. We can expect a torrent of state media commentaries from you-know-who proclaiming the impending end of the world with Japan’s remilitarism. https://t.co/zXXalHYluW pic.twitter.com/wT1rHAP2V7

— Collin Koh (@CollinSLKoh) July 30, 2026

Chokai is expected to return to Japan around September 2026, indicating that the Tomahawk capability will be deployed in the volatile Indo-Pacific region.

Japan plans to equip all eight of its Aegis destroyers—two Kongō-class, two Atago-class, and two Maya-class— with Tomahawks. Modifications will be carried out gradually on ships based at Yokosuka and Sasebo.

Additionally, Japan is also building two Aegis System Equipped Vessels (ASEVs), due to enter service in fiscal years 2027 and 2028, respectively. Officials have stated that these ships will not have Tomahawk launch capability upon entry into service, though they are designed for future integration.

Tomahawk forms a central part of Japan’s effort to develop “standoff defense capabilities” in response to a more demanding regional security environment vis-à-vis China, which is widely seen as a potential aggressor amid unprecedented military expansion.

Moreover, it aligns with Japan’s 2022 National Security Strategy, which officially recognized “counterstrike capabilities” as a self-defense measure.

Japanese officials consider the Tomahawk as a deterrent: by holding an aggressor’s launch sites and supporting infrastructure at risk, Japan aims to make any attack on it far more costly and less likely to succeed.

Having said that, the Tomahawk missile is viewed by experts as an interim solution adopted by Japan until indigenously developed options, such as the Type 12 and other long-range missiles, are ready for induction.

Defense By Offense: Japan’s Tomahawks are Here

Japan’s test-firing of Tomahawk has formally heralded the country’s transition from a purely defensive posture to one that includes credible long-range counterstrike stand-off capabilities. This aligns with Japan’s push to strengthen its long-range strike capabilities to deter China, which has steadily expanded its military presence in the East China Sea. 

Tokyo regards China’s rapid buildup of missile forces and naval power, together with its assertive actions around the Senkaku Islands (administered by Japan but claimed by China and Taiwan), as Japan’s greatest strategic challenge. Moreover, the Japanese leadership fears that the country could get dragged into a China-Taiwan conflict triggered by the PLA’s invasion of Taiwan, due to its geographic proximity.

Speaking at a news conference earlier, Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi exclaimed that the new capability would be “of great significance for reducing the possibility of an armed attack on Japan itself,” potentially referring to regional rivals such as China. “To defend against incoming missiles while preventing further armed attacks, Japan must possess the capability to launch an effective counter-attack – a counterstrike capability. Long-range missiles can be used for this counterstrike capability.”

The Tomahawk cruise missile is primarily designed to strike high-value, heavily defended land targets, such as command centers, airfields, and critical infrastructure.

With a range of approximately 1,600 kilometers, Tomahawks launched from the western Pacific or waters around Japan can cover all of North Korea and reach deep into eastern China, as well as parts of Russia’s Far East. This essentially gives Japan the ability to strike missile launch sites, air bases, command-and-control nodes, logistics hubs, and amphibious staging areas from outside an adversary’s defensive envelope.

Unlike fixed land-based platforms, sea-based launch platforms are mobile, making missiles more difficult to preempt. The Tomahawk features in-flight retargeting via data links, enabling more adaptive responses during a potential conflict.

With the integration of Tomahawk, Japan can impose costs on the aggressor’s rear-area infrastructure rather than solely defending against the first wave of missiles or ships. This supports “deterrence by denial”, making invasion or sustained attack harder, and “deterrence by punishment”, threatening meaningful retaliation—both of which were earlier missing from the Japanese military’s inventory and philosophy.

Tomahawks will operate alongside ground-launched systems such as upgraded Type 12 missiles and Hyper Velocity Gliding Projectiles, as well as air-launched weapons including the Joint Strike Missile carried by F-35s.

Together, these systems will form a layered, distributed long-range fires network that complicates adversary planning and raises the cost of aggression.

Fielding the Tomahawk will deepen interoperability with the United States while reducing Japan’s exclusive reliance on US forces for deep-strike missions, thereby enhancing Tokyo’s self-reliance as a security actor, which it has been desperately seeking for some time.

China is likely to be wary of Japan’s possession of Tomahawk, particularly since the missile has already proved its efficacy in combat multiple times, most recently in the Iran war. Previous reports suggested that the US military fired over 850 Tomahawk missiles, a number that may have swollen by now as hostilities continue

Beijing has consistently opposed Japan’s defense buildup as provocative and had strongly criticized the deployment of the Mid-Range Capability system in Japan, which can also launch Tomahawks, earlier this year.

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A Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet crashed during a combat mission chasing aerial targets launched by Russia, marking the fifth loss of the US-origin aircraft. Interestingly, the crash occurred after a Ukrainian Fighting Falcon allegedly scored a historic first air-to-air kill against a Russian Su-35.

On July 29, the Ukrainian Air Force lost contact with an F-16 Fighting Falcon jet while it was performing a combat mission to intercept Russian aerial targets on the frontline, the service announced in a statement posted on Telegram. “According to preliminary data, an emergency situation occurred on board the aircraft, and the pilot was forced to eject.”

“The pilot is currently safe. He was successfully evacuated and taken to a medical facility for examination and diagnostic tests,” the service noted.

The exact cause of the crash and the nature of the emergency are unclear, but experts are purportedly examining the crash site to determine the cause. 

Some reports swirling on social media claimed that the F-16 had been shot down by Russia, but the claims could not be corroborated.

An F-16 fighter jet operated by the Ukrainian Air Force crashed while performing a combat mission near the frontlines on July 29, the Ukrainian side informed.

According to avaliable information, an unspecified "emergency situation" occured on board the plane, forcing the pilot… pic.twitter.com/o6110OfjWa

— Status-6 (War & Military News) (@Archer83Able) July 29, 2026

Ukraine has received dozens of F-16 AM/BM aircraft from NATO allies. These jets are used primarily for air defense against missiles and drones, though they have increasingly been employed in more offensive and integrated missions.

In fact, the latest crash surprisingly comes just days after General Dan Caine, Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed that one of these jets downed a Russian jet.

“I want to highlight the incredible work that the Ukrainian industrial base is doing. It ranges from their surface-to-air capabilities to their air-to-air capabilities. I’ll note that recently we had the first air-to-air kill where a Ukrainian F-16 shot down a Russian fighter,”  Air Force General Dan Caine, Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Caine did not identify the type of Russian aircraft, but the experts posited that the timing and context point strongly to the Russian Su-35 claimed to have been downed by the Ukrainian Air Force on the eastern front on July 8, 2026. In fact, footage of the burning wreckage of an alleged Su-35 was also posted to social media at the time.

U.S. General John “Dan” Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff:

“Recently we had the first air-to-air kill where a Ukrainian F-16 shot down a Russian fighter.”

This almost certainly refers to the July 8, 2026 shootdown of a Russian Su-35 on the eastern front. https://t.co/nuoqscFLAB pic.twitter.com/eXr6pOSMhU

— Special Kherson Cat (@bayraktar_1love) July 21, 2026

The Ukrainians hailed the kill as historic, given that their F-16 fighters are older-generation aircraft, whereas Russia’s Su-35 is a cutting-edge 4.5th-generation jet with thrust-vectoring engines, powerful radar, and long-range missiles.

According to several OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence) reports, the kill was part of a well-planned ambush that included a Patriot surface-to-air missile system and three F-16s.

According to these claims, one Ukrainian F-16 flew low as bait, simulating an attack to lure a Russian Su-35 into a vulnerable position, while two others provided cover from a higher altitude. Meanwhile, a nearby Patriot system illuminated the target with its radar, aiding the engagement by exploiting gaps in the Su-35’s awareness. 

Subsequently, the Russian pilot flew into the trap and was shot down, most likely by an AIM-120 AMRAAM launched from an F-16.

The purported shootdown suggested that Ukrainian pilots and planners are now conducting more complex, offensive, and integrated operations. In fact, experts went so far as to say that if these tactics are sustained, the Ukrainian forces would be able to gradually erode Russia’s long-standing advantage in contested airspace along the front, forcing Russian aircraft to fly higher, farther back, or with greater caution.

The latest crash, however, underscores that F-16s remain heavily committed to intercepting Russian drone and missile swarms.

The loss is a setback for Ukraine, which has received only a limited number of F-16s so far and has already lost 5 to crashes.

Ukrainian F-16 Losses: Setback For Ukraine

The first F-16 crash occurred just weeks after Ukraine received the first aircraft in August 2024, and claimed the life of the pilot. Even though the tragic incident was first thought to be the result of a technical issue or pilot error, later reports raised the potential of friendly fire from a Ukrainian Patriot missile defense system.

The second crash of an F-16 occurred in April 2025, killing the pilot again. Initially, several theories, including that of an air-to-air combat between Russia and Ukraine, as well as friendly fire, were floated. However, Russia put all speculations to rest by announcing that the F-16 was shot down by an air defense system.

The third crash was reported to have occurred on May 16, 2025, when the F-16 in question was repelling a Russian aerial attack. At the time, reports stated that the pilot destroyed three Russian aerial targets and was using an aircraft cannon to attack a fourth when an unknown emergency occurred, and the Air Force lost contact with the pilot.

The Air Force said the pilot steered the plane away from the settlement it was flying over and successfully ejected, after which he was rescued.

The fourth crash came merely a month after this, on June 29, 2025. The aircraft was damaged, entered a spin, lost control, and crashed during a large Russian aerial attack. The pilot did everything he could and flew the jet away from the settlement, but did not have time to eject.

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A senior official from the Indian Ministry of Defense (MoD) has indicated that New Delhi is not currently planning to buy new Sukhois. The statement comes as Moscow has been aggressively pushing to export its Su-57 fighter jets to the IAF

In a recent interview with Moneycontrol, Defense Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh stated that India has no plans to acquire a “new version of the Sukhois.”

“No, we have not thought about Sukhois. If you are asking about the new version of the Sukhois, the answer is no. But we are actively considering upgrading the existing Sukhois… It is a success story. It is a very important platform with the induction of BrahMos missiles, and we hope to further upgrade and improve it,” Singh said when asked whether there are any plans to buy a fifth-generation aircraft outside of the AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft), India’s own indigenous fifth-generation fighter program.

While he did not name either aircraft, the remarks have been widely interpreted as referring to Russia’s Su-57 fifth-generation fighter. In fact, the statement marks a clearer official signal against a near-term Su-57 acquisition, in contrast to previous signals.

In April 2026, for instance, Chairman and Managing Director of the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Dr. D.K. Sunil, said, “A committee of Russians has also studied and said that roughly 50% of the facilities can be used for producing this aircraft, but some new investments will be required.” Thus, hinting that, while India was neither committing to nor rejecting the offer, it was merely in a pre-decision, information-gathering phase.

Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force (IAF) chief, Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, indicated last year that the service might have to opt for an off-the-shelf purchase of a fifth-generation stealth aircraft.

“As far as the Su-57 is concerned, I just want to say that we have to weigh all the options, and we in the defense ministry and the Indian Air Force have a very set process for the induction of any weapon system, and that process will be followed. So what comes will depend on what meets the requirement and what is best for us,” he stated.

Singh’s latest comments also align with the IAF’s upgrade program for the Su-30MKI fleet aimed at modernizing avionics, sensors, and other systems while increasing domestic content.

“We are processing an upgrade program for the existing Su-30 MKI fleet. This will be the first time an indigenous upgrade of any fleet is being planned,” the IAF chief told Prakash Nanda, the Chairman of the Editorial Board of the EurAsian Times.

India’s Su-57 Conundrum

Russia first publicly offered the Su-57E export variant to India at Aero India in February 2025. This was followed by a “golden deal” that included the supply of off-the-shelf aircraft, the production of the Su-57 in India, and assistance in developing India’s fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).

Later, the Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport expanded it to include the use of existing Su-30MKI infrastructure to facilitate local manufacturing of the Su-57E in India, as previously reported by the EurAsian Times.

In June 2026, Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly renewed the pitch, citing the former FGFA (Fifth-Generation Fighter Aircraft) collaboration between the two allies and calling it the world’s best fifth-generation aircraft. Additionally, he stated that Russia was ready to work with India “without any issues or limitations.”

Notably, India and Russia had earlier collaborated on the Fifth-Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) program under a 2007 agreement. However, India later withdrew from the program, amid shortfalls in stealth performance, engine capability, insufficient access to design data and source code, and concerns that the aircraft did not fully meet the Indian Air Force’s requirements for independent upgradeability and maintenance, as explained in a detailed EurAsian Times report you can read here.

Ex-Rafale Pilot Who Praised China’s J-10C & JF-17 Fighter Jets Now Under Investigation for Beijing Ties

In fact, doubts about the aircraft’s stealth characteristics and the extent to which Moscow would be willing to part with technology persist to this day, and are believed to be one of the reasons why India has been reluctant to acquire the Su-57.

Moreover, critics have expressed skepticism that the purchase or joint production of the Russian fighter may divert attention from India’s AMCA fifth-generation fighter program and put the indigenous aircraft on the back burner, as has happened in the past.

However, the situation has become increasingly complex, as AMCA appears to be farther away than initially anticipated. Defense observers and veterans predict the first flight may slip to 2032, as private manufacturers may not meet tight deadlines.

This would leave the IAF with a major stealth gap vis-à-vis the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), which has two operational fifth-generation fighters, the J-20 and the J-35. In fact, it has expanded its J-20 inventory to 500 fighters, according to recent reports.

Not just that, China has been testing two different sixth-generation prototypes: the J-36 and the J-50, both of which are regularly spotted in flight, suggesting that development is taking place at an unprecedented pace. In fact, Beijing may be ready to induct a sixth-generation fighter by the time India inducts its first AMCA.

The situation can become overly dangerous if Pakistan acquires the Chinese J-35A stealth fighters, as consistently noted by media reports.

Staring at a dwindling squadron strength, the IAF is currently inching closer to signing a deal for 114 Rafale fighter jets, 94 of which will be produced locally.

F-16 Crashes in Ukraine: Days After “Historic” Su-35 Shootdown, Ukraine Loses Its Fifth Fighting Falcon

While this acquisition will help add the numbers needed for a large-scale two-front war, it will not arrest the growing technological gap between India and its adversaries.

Some veterans have argued that a limited off-the-shelf purchase of Su-57s could serve as an interim measure, provided it does not divert resources or attention from the AMCA.

“The 114 Rafales will address the quantitative requirement but not the qualitative enhancement requirement. That leaves only the Su-57 as the only available near-term option, though it is not perfect,” the IAF veteran and ex-Vice Chief of IAF, Air Marshal Anil Khosla, earlier told the EurAsian Times. “A deal for a limited number may be considered, provided it advances the AMCA program rather than curtails it.”

Others emphasize viewing large-scale commitment to a foreign fifth-generation platform as carrying industrial, sustainment, and strategic risks.

For example, IAF veteran, Air Marshal Anil Chopra, told EurAsian Times: “India should focus on producing the Rafale locally, advance work on AMCA and its variants, accelerate production of the indigenous Tejas fighters, and buy about 40 Su-57 fighters off-the-shelf from Russia as an interim solution instead of getting into local production.

Earlier this year, the Indian MoD informed the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defense of its interest in joining a sixth-generation fighter. India has two options: join the UK-Japan-Italy GCAP program or team up with France for their potential 6th-gen aircraft.

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The U.S. Air Force (USAF) conducted an Agile Combat Employment exercise with its two Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), moving these uncrewed systems into a realistic operational environment and advancing their induction in service.

USAF’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft Experimental Operations Unit (EOU)—established to accelerate Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) concepts and expedite induction of these CCAs—conducted the Agile Combat Employment exercise at Creech Air Force Base, a facility that reportedly hosts MQ-9A Reapers and RQ-170 Sentinel drones.

The USAF’s CCA program envisions deploying a significant number of modular, reasonably priced, and operationally useful unmanned aircraft that can fly alongside manned aircraft to add “affordable mass” in contested environments. These aircraft, also known as “loyal wingman drones,” are designed to enhance air superiority by serving as force multipliers.

Increment 1 of the USAF’s CCA program centers on the General Atomics YFQ-42A (also referred to as Dark Merlin) and the Anduril YFQ-44A Fury. Both aircraft were deployed to Creech for the exercise, as seen in the images released by Nellis Air Force Base.

“Air superiority in today’s increasingly contested environments requires the rapid fielding of affordable mass,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach was quoted as saying in the official statement, as he emphasized the strategic driver for the platform.

“CCAs are essential to this effort. By integrating uncrewed systems to fly alongside our Airmen, we extend reach and increase lethality,” the USAF top boss added.

The objective was to move the CCA out of traditional sterile test settings and into the hands of warfighters in a more realistic environment, and to develop the fundamental strategies, methods, and processes for specifying how these unmanned aircraft could be incorporated into the force in the future.

“We are focused on operating CCA outside of a traditional test environment so we can continue to learn, inform, and rapidly iterate,” Lt. Col. Matthew Jensen, Experimental Operations Unit commander, stated.

The EOU “generated multiple sorties demonstrating reliability and extended range; integrated with manned platforms in the local airspace to project power across distributed battlefields; and simulated scenarios that will inform future requirements for the platform,” according to the official statement.

The service has emphasized Agile Combat Employment (ACE) in recent years as a response to anti-access/area-denial capabilities fielded by near-peer adversaries, such as China and Russia. ACE prioritizes the ability to rapidly disperse aircraft across a network of smaller airfields to reduce vulnerability.

Both CCAs simulated distributed or dispersed operations consistent with ACE principles, with an emphasis on operating from different locations and on validating a reduced logistical footprint suitable for remote or forward-deployed sites.

“Operating CCA across different locations is a significant learning objective in itself, challenging teams to adapt and operate with the agility required in a contested environment,” the statement noted. Throughout the exercise, operators worked to integrate advanced autonomous capabilities, a key step toward achieving the program’s vision of effective human-machine teaming.”

Posting the link to the official announcement of the ACE exercise on X, General Wilsbach, who has been a proponent of integrating attritable platforms in combat, wrote, “Next step in CCA development!” on the social media site X.

US CCA Effort In Full Swing 

The CCA program is a component of the broader “affordable mass” concept, which focuses on acquiring low-cost platforms—such as drones—to overpower the adversary in combat.

For instance, the CCA drones the USAF is developing are estimated to cost between US$25 million and US$35 million each, which is one-third the cost of an F-35 Lightning II aircraft, which ranges from US$80 million to US$115 million, depending on the variant.

The idea is that using low-cost, attritable drones to support expensive, manned aircraft will increase the manned platform’s survivability and mission success, especially when confronting near-peer adversaries such as China and Russia in a contested environment.

According to earlier reports, these CCAs will mostly function as airborne “missile trucks” during their initial deployment, flying in formation with crewed jets to provide extra firepower. However, discussions are currently underway to broaden its mission to encompass electronic warfare, intelligence collection, surveillance, reconnaissance, and, eventually, fully autonomous operations.

The USAF had previously stated that it would build at least 1,000 CCA to fly alongside sixth-generation F-47 and fifth-generation fighters such as the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II. These drones will bolster combat capability by supporting crewed aircraft by carrying extra air-to-air munitions, extending sensor coverage, and executing missions that would otherwise put human pilots at risk.

Last month, the Department of the Air Force awarded engineering, manufacturing, and development (EMD) and production contracts to both General Atomics for the YFQ-42A prototype and Anduril for the YFQ-44A Fury prototype. Both drones accentuate stealth, internal weapons bays, semi-autonomous air-to-air roles, and affordable mass production.

These contracts cover the first three production lots and support the procurement of over 150 combat-capable CCAs by the end of the decade.

Separately, the US Air Force’s Pacific commander, Gen. Kevin Schneider, commander of PACAF, said he was “impressed” with the Royal Australian Air Force’s MQ-28 Ghost Bat collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) program and indicated that as the current test partnership matures, the next step could involve examining how US operators could control the MQ-28s, as recently reported by the EurAsian Times.

Notably, the ACE exercise comes days after the Department of the Air Force conducted live-fire testing of a YFQ-44A CCA, firing an AIM-120 weapon at a digital target in secluded airspace over the Mojave Desert. “This live-fire test is an important next step in the development of Collaborative Combat Aircraft,” said Gen. Ken Wilsbach at the time. “We’re one step closer to delivering capabilities to the warfighter,” he added.

This suggests that the USAF’s CCA program is proceeding at breakneck speed as the US prepares for a potential military showdown with China in the Indo-Pacific.

The USAF is already refining plans for Increment 2 of the CCA program, which will launch a new generation of drones with enhanced capabilities. These next-generation CCAs are expected to be more sophisticated and possibly more costly, even though their exact mission profiles and technological developments remain unknown.

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An undisclosed Middle Eastern state has placed an order for SAAB’s GlobalEye AEW&CS (Airborne Early Warning & Command System) aircraft.

Saab received a SEK 10.1 billion order for two GlobalEye aircraft from a Middle Eastern country, with deliveries planned for 2030, the manufacturer said in an official statement on July 27.

“Due to the nature of the industry, circumstances concerning the customer and national security interests, no further information regarding this order or the customer will be provided,” it emphasized in the statement.

The GlobalEye system incorporates Saab’s Erieye Extended Range radar, which is mounted on the fuselage of the Bombardier Global 6000 long-range business jet. It is a multi-role, multi-domain system that provides simultaneous long-range surveillance of air, sea, and land targets from a single platform, according to Saab, the manufacturer. 

“This order underscores our commitment to providing customers with mission-proven, multi-domain AEW&C capability. The increasing international interest in GlobalEye reflects its effectiveness and reliability in modern air defense operations,” Micael Johansson, President and CEO of Saab, was quoted as saying in the statement.

The undisclosed buyer becomes the second Middle Eastern operator of the GlobalEye after the United Arab Emirates, which already fields a fleet of five aircraft. Given the UAE’s usual transparency regarding follow-on purchases, the new order has been widely assessed as coming from a different customer in the region.

Military watchers and enthusiasts were quick to speculate that the buyer may be based in the Gulf region, which has been persistently attacked by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the latest US-Iran war. In fact, some believe the purchase may have been influenced by the UAE’s use of the platform during the Iran war.

Although the UAE has not publicly confirmed deploying its GlobalEye, it is likely that the aircraft was used for airborne early warning and surveillance at the height of the conflict to detect Iranian drones and missiles and give its defenses more reaction time. 

Typically, AEW&C platforms supply a recognized air picture and cue interceptors—roles in which ground-based radars alone are limited against low-flying or saturation threats, such as one-way attack drones. Australia, for example, deployed its E-7 Wedgetail to the Gulf region in March 2026 during the height of the conflict, for the same role.

The UAE GlobalEyes may have presumptuously operated as airborne nodes feeding real-time tracks to air defense systems such as THAAD and Patriot, as well as to fighter aircraft. This may have supported the UAE’s reported high interception rates, spanning hundreds of ballistic missiles and over 2,000 drones.

Additionally, previous reports indicated the UAE conducted its own airstrikes against Iranian targets in coordination with the US and Israel. In that case, the GlobalEye could have provided ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) or targeting support, though there is no public evidence to confirm that at this point.

Although the identity of the latest GlobalEye customer is concealed, we know that Saab had offered the aircraft to Saudi Arabia and Qatar last year, both of which have been repeatedly attacked by Tehran’s forces. Saudi Arabia, for one, already operates the Saab 2000 AEW and has been looking to upgrade its early warning fleet. Some sources, however, believe that Kuwait could be the new customer, particularly after the harrowing war.

Either way, the order adds to what has already been a strong year commercially for Saab. Earlier this month, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced that the alliance would begin formal negotiations with the company for up to 10 GlobalEye aircraft to replace its fleet of 14 Boeing E-3A Sentry AWACS aircraft.

Ukraine Just Punched a Hole in Iran & Russia’s Secret Caspian Highway — Tehran Vows Consequences

Before that, Sweden, France, and Canada had signed deals to acquire the early-warning aircraft, as previously reported by EurAsian Times. Additionally, Saab has simultaneously ended a decade-long drought in Gripen fighter sales. Thailand and Colombia ordered the aircraft last year, while Ukraine recently signed a deal for 20 Gripen-E/F jets.

Saab’s GlobalEye AWACS 

“GlobalEye is an advanced multi-domain AEW&C solution with an array of active and passive sensors that provide long-range detection and identification of objects in the air, at sea, and over land. By providing real-time information to units in air forces, armies, and navies, GlobalEye enhances situational awareness of surrounding areas and enables early threat detection,” states the manufacturer.

Notably, the GlobalEye offers real-time air, sea, and land surveillance over a range of 350 nautical miles (about 650 kilometers) by combining Saab’s Erieye Extended Range (ER) radar, marine surveillance radar, and a multi-domain Command and Control (C2) system.

The GlobalEye “combines excellent flight performance with low maintenance costs” and can remain airborne for over 11 hours, according to the manufacturer.

Although it is classified as an AEW&C by Saab, the GlobalEye can also conduct land and sea surveillance thanks to the FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared) Systems Safire electro-optical system and the Leonardo Seaspray 7500E radar mounted in pods beneath the fuselage.

The system can also detect small targets, such as drones, and provide ground-moving target indication (GMTI), which is critical in modern combat, especially in the Middle East, where an exponential rise in the use of cheap, one-way attack drones has been witnessed. Moreover, the GlobalEye is particularly good at detecting low-observable and stealthy threats, including drones and ballistic and hypersonic missiles, even in complex environments with significant clutter and electronic jamming.

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The GlobalEye can gather, process, and disseminate data to all authorities and available resources, including airborne forces. Additionally, it makes it easier to share information effectively between platforms.

It can even manage and guide other assets, like fighters, and tell them when and where to take action—a critical requirement in modern, networked combat.

As for Saab, the development of the GlobalEye has allowed Saab to re-enter the global AEW market, building on the success of its previous Erieye-equipped regional airliners, the Saab 340, 2000, and Embraer 145.

Securing yet another sale of the GlobalEye is likely to further solidify the Swedish manufacturer as a trusted player in the market.

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Impressed by the Australian MQ-28 Ghost Bat’s performance during the recent Valiant Shield military exercise, the US Air Force’s Pacific commander said the service is “threaded in tight” with the Ghost Bat’s work and signaled that closer operational control between the two air forces.

The unmanned MQ-28 aircraft flew in formation with a US Air Force F-15EX Eagle II and participated in agile combat employment operations, as EurAsian Times reported at the time. It also reportedly operated alongside other platforms, including F-35.

The exercise tested human-machine teaming in realistic scenarios that included defensive and offensive counter-air missions.

Ahead of the drills, the Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) said the deployment would assess the MQ-28’s potential as a force multiplier, extending the reach, awareness, and survivability of crewed aircraft in contested environments. However, we could not determine during the course of the exercise if the Ghost Bat received any direct command from any of those manned platforms it flew with during the test. 

Speaking at a webinar hosted by the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies on July 27, Gen. Kevin Schneider, commander of PACAF, said he was “impressed” with the Royal Australian Air Force’s collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) program.

“Grateful that we were able to incorporate some of this in Valiant Shield, or to be a part of it. I’d say most of the interaction in Valiant Shield was within our test community,” Schneider said about the MQ-28’s participation in the exercise. “The experimental operations squadron that we have looking at US Air Force CCA platforms was really threaded in tight with what the Australians were doing. So the cross flow of information within the test and development effort is really strong,” he added.

Notably, most of this interaction involved the US Air Force’s Experimental Operations Unit (EOU) at Nellis Air Force Base, which develops CCA concepts of operations, tactics, techniques, and procedures.

The MQ-28 is not formally part of the US Air Force’s own CCA program. The Increment 1 of the USAF’s CCA program is proceeding with the General Atomics FQ-42 and Anduril FQ-44. The service has, however, used at least one Ghost Bat for advanced autonomy testing in the past, and lessons from Valiant Shield are said to be informing broader CCA thinking.

For now, the MQ-28 is not part of the USAF’s CCA plans. So, the key question is: how does the USAF plan on exploiting the Australian platform?

Schneider indicated that as the current test partnership matures, the next step could involve examining how US operators could control the MQ-28s.

“As that continues to play out and evolve, then we can start looking at operator-to-operator, between the RAAF and the PACAF and USAF, to look at command and control architectures, authorities, and exactly how we would use this,” General Schneider said at the webinar. “I’m really impressed with how that program, the Ghost Bat program, is going, and what it sets as an example for others that are going down this road with CCAs.”

Simply put, a US pilot or controller could directly command an Australian MQ-28 Ghost Bat during real missions, bolstering interoperability and interchangeability in combat.

When asked about the MQ-28’s potential participation in the USAF CCA plans in the future, Schneider said, “I absolutely do see value and opportunity. There’s discussion about what are the specific use cases and how we would employ them. But I would say the better people to pose those questions to are probably sitting in the Pentagon and sitting in Headquarters A5/7 right now.”

At the same webinar, however, General Schneider indicated that the US military may not deploy CCAs in the Pacific or elsewhere for a few years.

“I am somewhat trapped in the present and the here and now,” Schneider stated when asked how PACAF is laying the groundwork for the incorporation of the next-generation drones into its forces. “My sight picture is from today to about three to five years in the future. And where CCAs are sitting right now in terms of their development, that’s kind of the edge of my radar scope. But Headquarters Air Force is thinking long and hard about this, and especially as they look at future design for the US Air Force.”

Nevertheless, the comments come as a direct endorsement for the Ghost Bat at a time when Boeing is pushing to secure new export orders for the drone, and has proposed setting up new production facilities in more countries as part of that effort.

“I think we’d rather have many smaller factories building them, localized for countries to meet their own local needs, than having one mega factory,” Glen Ferguson, MQ-28 global program director, said during a press briefing last week. 

What Do We Know About The MQ-28 Ghost Bat?

The MQ-28 is a stealthy, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven drone designed for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), electronic warfare (EW), and strike roles. It has a range of about 3,700 kilometers and an endurance of over 10 hours, and is harder to detect due to its low radar cross-section. 

The MQ-28 can conduct ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) operations, gathering real-time data and interfering with enemy communications, radar, and defense systems. At the same time, however, it can also deliver precise strikes against enemy targets or serve as decoys to attract enemy fire and aid the defense of manned aircraft. 

Earlier, the Ghost Bat successfully completed a live-fire demonstration, firing an AIM-120 AMRAAM missile at an uncrewed target drone.

The MQ-28’s integrated artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous capabilities enable it to fly autonomously and adapt to changing combat conditions, unlike conventional drones that require constant pilot “remote control,” as previously explained by the EurAsian Times.

Teaming up with crewed fighters, like any other CCA, the MQ-28 could extend the sensor envelope for early threat detection and carry electronic warfare payloads on contested battlefields. 

Furthermore, it significantly reduces the risk to expensive manned platforms and functions as a force multiplier in aerial combat. MQ-28-like CCA drones could assume higher-risk roles, such as penetrating deeper into contested areas, drawing fire, or lingering in threat zones, allowing the crew of manned jets to remain safer in combat.

The Block 1 and Block 2 variants of the drone have completed more than 150 test flights in Australia and the US, making the Ghost Bat one of the most mature CCA technologies in the world. Last month, the upgraded MQ-28, the Block 3, was unveiled with 25% larger wings and internal armament bays that make it stealthier.

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Although Russia scaled back its 2026 Navy Day celebrations amid Ukrainian threats, it projected an optimistic outlook by confirming plans for the imminent launch of the Perm-class nuclear submarine armed with hypersonic Zircon missiles, and announcing substantial progress on the nuclear-capable Poseidon unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV).

Russia scaled down the main St. Petersburg naval parade for the second consecutive year, citing security concerns over Ukrainian long-range drones. Instead, President Vladimir Putin marked the day at Navy headquarters in St. Petersburg, praising the Navy’s contribution to the war in Ukraine and the strengthening of the naval leg of the nuclear triad.

As visuals of the event surfaced online, Ukraine-based military bloggers and pro-Ukraine OSINT analysts pointed to a submarine painted on the wall visible in the video, while mocking the absence of actual warships from the parade.

“The cameraman is probably in Kolyma by now,” netizens joked, referring to Soviet-era labor camps.

Meanwhile, the Navy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Alexander Moiseyev, presented a status report on the induction of new vessels into service. Moiseyev reported to President Vladimir Putin that 20 ships, vessels, and boats had already been commissioned in 2026, with plans for another 21 by the end of this year.

The most noteworthy of these upcoming inductions is that of the Perm-class nuclear submarine armed with the Zircon (or Tsirkon) hypersonic missile.

Russian Navy Chief Moiseyev reports to Putin:

First nuclear-powered submarine capable of carrying Zircon nuke-capable hypersonic missiles — to be commissioned by end of year.

21 more vessels to be commissioned before year-end. pic.twitter.com/OlDLUMIQva

— Sputnik India (@Sputnik_India) July 26, 2026

Perm is the fifth boat in the Yasen-M series. The keel for its construction was laid in 2016, and the submarine was launched in March 2025 in a ceremony attended remotely by Putin.

Designed by the Malakhit Design Bureau and built at Sevmash, it features a partial double-hull configuration, a rubber coating to reduce its acoustic signature, modern navigation, communication, and hydroacoustic systems, high-precision weapons, and robotic equipment. The mast housing of the Perm submarine includes a rescue chamber capable of holding the entire crew. During the launch ceremony, Putin described it as the first multipurpose submarine equipped to carry Tsirkon hypersonic cruise missiles.

Zircon is a sea-launched hypersonic missile that Russia claims can reach Mach 8–9 and has a range of 500–1,000 km. It is intended for both anti-ship and land-attack roles

Zircon’s high speed is designed to compress defender reaction times and complicate interception compared with conventional subsonic or supersonic cruise missiles. Analysts believe that since kinetic energy is the best predictor of lethality against large surface targets, the missile’s extraordinary speed would make it a great attack vector against larger warships, such as an adversary’s aircraft carrier groups

Russian officials state that the hypersonic missile’s kinetic energy on impact will enable Russia to attack hardened, deep, and ground targets.

The missile has been used to launch devastating strikes on Ukraine on several occasions. In fact, Boris Obnosov, CEO of Tactical Missiles Corporation, earlier said in an interview with Rossiya-24 television that the missile can defeat nearly all air defense systems.

Speaking at the Navy Day event, Putin said ongoing work is improving its accuracy, noting that “its latest combat use shows that it is becoming increasingly accurate” and that few countries field comparable weapons. Additionally, he boasted that few countries in the world possess weapons like Zircon.

Experts believe the combination of the Perm submarine and the Zircon missile could prove lethal. Equipping a quiet nuclear attack submarine with Zircon would allow relatively close approaches to high-value targets, such as aircraft-carrier groups, major surface combatants, or coastal infrastructure. The launch of hypersonic missiles would, thus, leave defenders little warning and time to react.

The Perm submarine will carry a mixed load of Zircon, Oniks, and Kalibr missiles, as well as torpedoes, enabling it to switch between anti-ship, land-attack, and anti-submarine roles.

The induction of a modern Yasen-M boat would strengthen the multipurpose nuclear attack submarine force, support sea denial and power projection objectives, and complement the strategic ballistic-missile submarine force that forms part of the nuclear triad. Moreover, it would be akin to a shot in the arm for the overall combat posture, especially as Russia’s Black Sea Fleet (BSF) has been hammered by Ukraine in the ongoing war, signaling vulnerability of the Russian naval forces.

Separately, Putin announced another weapon system expected to take Russia’s underwater combat capability to another level: the Poseidon is nearing completion.

Poseidon Nearing Completion

Putin announced that the Poseidon nuclear-powered unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) is in its final stage of development.

“As for the Poseidon we have been talking a lot about, this uncrewed underwater vehicle is at the final stage,” he said at a meeting with Russian Navy servicemen, as reported by TASS News Agency. “We are about to complete [the work on it] and put it on combat alert.”

The statement follows his October 2025 claim of a successful test in which the vehicle’s nuclear power plant was activated after launch from a submarine, as reported by EurAsian Times at the time.

During the launch, the Russian President claimed there was “no way to intercept” the drone torpedo, which could travel faster than conventional submarines and reach any continent in the world. “It is unlikely that anything similar will appear in the near future,” he noted, adding that no country could match Poseidon’s speed and diving depth.

Specific details about Poseidon remain shrouded in secrecy. However,  open-source reports indicate it can carry a nuclear warhead of up to two megatons, uses nuclear propulsion for long range and endurance, and may be deployed from specialized motherships such as the Belgorod or the purpose-built Khabarovsk-class boats under construction.

Notably, the Poseidon torpedo can be remotely steered to its targets, functioning like a drone once released from the submarine.

Poseidon can reportedly operate at depths of more than 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) and travel at speeds of up to 70 knots while remaining undetectable. Russian commentators have noted that its torpedoes can produce radioactive tsunamis up to 1,000 feet high, in veiled threats issued to the West amid tensions stirred by the invasion of Ukraine.

Despite dismissing these threats as a gross exaggeration, military analysts have acknowledged that Poseidon torpedoes could seriously target coastal cities, ports, naval bases, and high-value maritime infrastructure of hostile states. In fact, experts believe that it is merely a new weapon meant to enforce Russia’s nuclear triad.

“Poseidon is a doomsday weapon. It is a post-apocalypse weapon. Most importantly, it is a nuclear weapon. As such, it can serve only as a deterrent. It has no combat value. It cannot be used in wars. It can only prevent wars,” Vijainder K. Thakur, an Indian Air Force veteran and military expert, earlier told EurAsian Times.

The development of Poseidon is believed to be a hedge against advances in NATO missile defense systems and to add redundancy to the sea-based leg of the nuclear triad. Poseidon’s main potential contribution is to Russia’s strategic nuclear posture at sea, providing a hard-to-counter second-strike option and complicating adversary planning.

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Israel is reportedly examining the acquisition of the US P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol and anti-submarine aircraft amid concerns over regional naval threats, particularly from Turkey.

The Israeli Defense establishment is considering purchasing a maritime patrol and multirole aircraft designed primarily to detect submarines, the Jerusalem Post reported, citing a source in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

The P-8 is a militarized derivative of the Boeing 737-800, primarily used for maritime patrol, anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare, and intelligence, Surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), among other roles.

Officials maintain that the IDF possesses a high level of existing ASW capability and operates a unique, advanced strategic intelligence and surveillance aircraft, named Oron, capable of supporting missions involving several branches and agencies, including the Air Force, Military Intelligence, the Navy, and the Defense Ministry.

The addition of P-8 aircraft to the IDF inventory would allow Israel to deploy dedicated long-range endurance and specialized submarine-hunting sensors or weapons to large maritime areas that existing platforms cover less optimally.

However, the source stated that the IDF would have to pay a hefty price for the aircraft.

It is believed that even buying a small number of P-8 Poseidon aircraft is considered extremely expensive for the IDF due to sky-high unit costs and the already stretched Israeli wartime defense budget. Some recent Foreign Military Sales (FMS) packages and US Navy figures show the real price tag is far higher than in older deals—the P-8 has a flyaway cost of roughly $328.5 million per aircraft, according to the US Navy’s FY2027 budget request.

The source indicated that the only realistic path forward would likely require the purchase to be embedded in a broader diplomatic or strategic agreement with the United States.

If Israel presses ahead with the purchase—which seems unlikely at this stage amid budget constraints—it will become the 12th operator of the P-8, after the US, the UK, Australia, India, Norway, New Zealand, South Korea, Germany, Canada, Singapore, and Denmark.

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The report states that the purchase is reportedly being considered due to concerns over Turkey’s expanding naval and submarine capabilities in the Eastern Mediterranean.

While Israel continues to view Iran and its regional proxies—Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis—as its primary adversaries, relations with Turkey are at their lowest in decades, marked by mutual accusations, suspended trade, and intensifying strategic competition.

“There could be direct contact with the Turkish army at sea,” Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli warned in a press conference. “This is not an impossible scenario; it could happen as early as tomorrow morning.”

P-8 Could Keep A Vigil Against Turkish Navy 

Derived from the civilian Boeing 737-800 airliner, the P-8 is a versatile maritime patrol aircraft capable of performing roles like anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, and search-and-rescue missions.

“The P-8 has the proven capability to effectively conduct overland ISR and battle space command and control (C2) of land forces using its advanced mission system, data link, and electro-optical/infrared sensor suite,” states the manufacturer, Boeing.

The P-8 is designed precisely for the missions Israel is concerned about. It has a maximum range of about 7,500 kilometers and an endurance of 10 hours, allowing the aircraft to conduct long-range patrols, which could be expanded with aerial refueling support.

This would enable it to monitor chokepoints and patrol lanes for extended periods, which would be useful if Israel wants to monitor the approaches to the Eastern Mediterranean.

The aircraft carries a long-range X-band radar capable of detecting maritime targets at hundreds of kilometers, sophisticated electronic warfare systems, and high-resolution electro-optical and infrared sensors. Its AN/APY-10 multi-mode radar provides synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and inverse SAR (ISAR) modes for surface search, periscope detection, and imaging, as previously explained by the EurAsian Times.

More importantly, the P-8 is equipped with a magnetic anomaly detector and an acoustic system that can deploy and process large numbers of active and passive sonobuoys, capabilities particularly relevant against Turkey’s growing fleet of quiet submarines.

In terms of weaponry, the P-8A is equipped with air-to-surface missiles for precision targeting of maritime threats and torpedoes for anti-submarine operations. With its High-Altitude Anti-Submarine Warfare Weapon Capability (HAAWC), the P-8A can engage submarines quickly and accurately without being exposed to low altitudes by deploying MK-54 torpedoes as glide bombs from as high as 30,000 feet.

Notably, the P-8 Poseidon features secure data and functions as a networked sensor platform that can share real-time data with Israeli ships, aircraft, and command centers. This will allow the IDF to facilitate inter-service coordination and, if at all, expand cooperation with regional partners such as Greece and Cyprus.

Against submarines, the P-8 would expand Israel’s capacity to detect, localize, and track quiet diesel and air-independent-propulsion boats across wide areas—something difficult to sustain continuously with surface ships or shorter-range aircraft alone. Meanwhile, against surface forces, its radar, optical, and electronic sensors would improve tracking of combatants and amphibious groups while providing early warning and targeting data.

The platform would raise the risks and costs of adversarial naval activity in Israeli waters or near Israeli energy infrastructure, serving both as a practical operational tool and as a deterrent. It would, in fact, complement rather than replace Israel’s existing capabilities.

Additionally, it would allow Israel to enhance interoperability with other aircraft operators and bolster cooperation with the US in the West Asian region.

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