According to the Heritage Foundation's Index of U.S. Military Strength in 2024, at the close of FY 2023, the Air Force’s inventory included 1,432 active-duty fighters, of which 886 were designated combat-coded.

Key Points and Summary – An unclassified Air Force plan says the service needs 1,558 combat-coded fighters by 2035—about a 22% jump from the projected 1,271 in FY26—to meet the administration’s defense guidance.

The Gripen, manufactured by Swedish aerospace and defense giant Saab, is widely regarded as an ideal fighter jet for Ukraine. The jet is designed to operate from austere airstrips, requires minimal maintenance, and was built to fight and survive against Russian-style threats.

The Times examined weapons sales documents from a Russian arms supplier and interviewed dozens of officials from Vietnam, the United States and other countries in the region.

According to the report, NATO command is considering the possibility of shooting down Russian fighter jets. The NATO Chief of Forces in Europe, Alexus Grinkevich, proposed creating a unified air defense system to eliminate “national excuses,” meaning the restrictions some member states impose on the use of their military equipment.

Three armed Russian MiG-31 jets entered Estonian territory, prompting U.N. Security Council emergency meeting and U.S. commitment to NATO Article 5 defense.

New NATO member Sweden has said it is willing to sell Ukraine up to 150 of its most advanced fighter jets, the first offer from a member of the alliance to supply significant numbers of jets to Kyiv,

Japan said it scrambled jets on Friday to monitor Russian warplanes, including strategic bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons, which had flown along the edge of Japanese airspace up its coast.

India's Russian-built MiG-21s flew for the final time Friday, marking the end of an era for the country's first supersonic fighter jet -- lauded for its valour but tarnished by a legacy of some 400 crashes.