fighters

has just taken the first step to receive up to 150 European Gripen fighters

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The aerial board of the war in Ukraine has just added a new piece. Sweden and Ukraine have subscribed a letter of intent that could lead to the possible export of between 100 and 150 Gripen fighters. There is still no signed agreement, but there is a powerful political signal: Stockholm joins the effort to reinforce the Ukrainian air defense in the long term, with a commitment that combines military cooperation and European technology. Since the beginning of the conflict with RussiaUkraine has tried to reinforce an air force that still depends on a hybrid fleet, made up of Soviet-designed fighters adapted with technology from its allies. The arrival of the first F-16 and Mirage 2000 represented progress, but the number of units remains limited and a good part is destined to the training of pilots in Europe. Modernized MiG-29s continue being the operational core of its fleet. kyiv is looking for more planes, and above all, planes with a future. A starting point, not a contract. The document signed in Linköping does not commit immediate deliveries, but it does set a clear direction. Sweden and Ukraine have agreed to cooperate on the development of air capabilities and explore the possible export of between 100 and 150 Gripen fighters. For Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson it is “a step towards a large-scale agreement” with which Sweden aims to promote the modernization of Ukrainian aviation and strengthen European defense as a whole. From signing to training. Before talking about deliveries, Sweden and Ukraine will launch a military cooperation framework focused on training and knowledge transfer. Kristersson confirmed that the goal is for the first Gripen fighters to be incorporated from 2028, as long as conditions allow. In addition to the eventual export, Stockholm seeks that this collaboration promotes a lasting relationship in defense matters and reinforces interoperability between European forces. Made to fly where others can’t. The Gripen has one advantage that sets it apart: it was designed to operate in difficult conditions, even from improvised roads or runways. Its maintenance is fast and can be carried out with reduced personnel, without highly specialized engineers. In total, kyiv has committed around 85 F-16 fighters from different European countries. The Netherlands contributes 24 units, Denmark 19 and Norway 14 mores, in addition to another 10 destined for spare parts. Belgium has announced the shipment of 30 devices additional. The obstacles that remain to be cleared. The path to a final agreement depends on both political and industrial factors. Sweden must authorize the export of defense material and guarantee that its industry can absorb an order for up to 150 aircraft. At the same time, Ukraine will have to train crews, adapt its infrastructure and secure funds to sustain the operation. For now, the Gripen remains a promise in the planning phase. Images | saab | Volodymyr Zelenskyy In Xataka | Ukraine accelerates the assault on Russia with an unprecedented army of robots: they are aquatic, carry rocket launchers and are lethal if stopped

fighters, tanks and frigates will be bought, but not to the US

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If the question is how the Rearme in Europethe answer right now has taken an unexpected turn. In the summer we count that the old continent had realized that he should start on the roads And that, if necessary, could find a problem derived from industries that compete for the same gears: cars and trains. However, what there were few doubts was that the United States was waiting to start signing contracts. Until a plan B has appeared. The strategic turn of Germany. Yes, Germany has decided to undertake an ambitious rearme program valued in More than 80,000 million of euros, which will mark a deep change in the industrial balance of defense in Europe. According to documents obtained by politicianBerlin plans to sign 154 contracts of great size between September 2025 and December 2026, modernizing all branches of its armed forces. Without American help. However, if the German plan surprises something is because it practically seeks Washington do without. Documents talk about just 8% Of those acquisitions will go to the American industry, in contrast to Germany’s role as one of Washington’s main clients in recent years. If in 2023 Berlin came to buy almost 14,000 million Of dollars in American military material, now he chooses to reinforce the European industrial base. In fact, the largest budgeted item is for the program of F-127 frigatesdesigned by the German TKMS, with an estimated cost of 26,000 million euros. He Eurofighter Tranche 5the vehicles Rheinmetall Boxer, a new wheel destroyer, the modernization of the missile of Taurus cruise or the commitment to national air defense systems Like the Iris-T They complete the portrait of a strategy that prioritizes European industrial autonomy against transatlantic agency. Eurofighter Tranche 5 The transatlantic balance. This reorientation clashes with the Trump wisheswhat after seal an agreement Commercial with Ursula von der Leyen proclaimed that the EU would buy “hundreds of billions” in American weapons. But in Europe decisions are national, not Brussels, and Berlin sends an unequivocal sign that the financial muscle will turn into the continental industry. The purchase Patriot Americans and some complementary missiles will barely reach 6,800 million of euros, while most of the resources will go to European programs, even to problematic projects Like Eurodronethat despite delays and cost overheads receives additional funds. In other words, Germany thus consolidates its role as the locomotive of the European rearme, not only modernizing its army but also marking the way to follow for the whole of the Union. Germany as leader of the rearme. In parallel to his own plan, Berlin has presented to Brussels a proposal of continental scope, collected in a leaked document For the Financial Times. There he claims to become the engine of the European response to the Russian threat, promoting the creation of “collective capacities coalitions”: groups of countries that develop and acquire weapons systems in priority areas such as anti -aircraft defense. Germany claims to be ready to assume leadership and asks that the projects focus especially on protect the eastern flank of the EU, today the most exposed area against Moscow. To achieve this, he proposes that the European Defense Agency become the central coordination and “pairing” platform of needs, with all governments forced to share data to identify deficiencies and avoid duplication. Opening towards Ukraine and tensions. The German plan has a significant political nuance: unlike Paris, which defends a strict European industrial protectionism, Berlin wants these projects are open to Ukraine Already third eligible countries, reinforcing the integration of kyiv into the Western Defense Architecture. It is, therefore, a clear pulse with France, but also a wink to Eastern Europe, which demands an agile and effective rearma Before the Russian threat. At the same time, Germany asks for soften the rules of state and competition aid, so that industries can increase their production production quickly in case of conflict, even with some deregulation that allows responding to a “state of defense” of emergency. The money debate. In the financial field, Berlin frontally rejects the idea of ​​mutualizing European debt, as they demand South countriesand bets on using existing instruments: A loan scheme for 150,000 million euros, a subsidy program of 1.5 billion still in negotiation and the contributions of national budgets. This ensures that each country maintains its own fiscal responsibility while driving common rearmament. The strategic horizon. If you want also, Germany, which until recently was criticized for its lukewarm and Russian energy dependenceit seems to be facing a radical turn that now positions it as the center of gravity of the European rearma. Your internal plan of 83,000 million of euros, together with his aspiration of Lead coordination EU armed, draw a panorama in which Berlin seeks so much to reinforce his Bundeswehr how to forge a continental industrial base that can sustain European defense Without depending of Washington’s fluctuations. The message, a priori, seems clear: while the war in Ukraine extends and Russia remains the main threat, Germany aims to be the country that not only rearms its army, but marks the pattern of the rest of Europe as a whole. Image | US Army Europe, André Gerwing In Xataka | Spain promised to invest 2% of GDP in defense but does not look for soldiers: it needs 96,000 qualified employees In Xataka | The “rearme” in Europe has encountered an obstacle that neither US imagined: Spain

The threat of Russia is no longer drones, they are now combat airplanes violating airspace. And Europe has taken its fighters

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First it was a swarm of Russian drones entering Poland’s airspace. NATO He responded with fire. That first order of Moscow has had its continuation last Friday, when three Russian fighters did the same In Estonia. NATO response was overwhelmed again. However, threat and tension, far from lesseing, has increased a few hours ago About the Baltic Sea. Russian incursion in Estonia. As we said, the recent cross of three fighters MIG-31 Foxhound Russians in Estonia’s airspace All alarms In Eastern Europe and has tested the immediate response capacity of NATO. The intrusion, occurred on The island of Vaindloo In the Gulf of Finland, it was carried out without flight plans, with transponders off and without communication with the Sonian air control services, which makes it an act deliberately provocative. Given this, the new Eastern Sentry operationwith the takeoff of Italian F-35 fighters of the Baltic Air Police Detachment, to which devices were added Swedes Jas 39 flu and Finnish fighters to intercept and monitor intruders. The episode It is not isolated: It continues at the entrance of 19 Russian drones in Poland and Romania the previous week, of which several were demolished by Polish and Dutch forces, and others crashed into Polish territory. These incidents demonstrate a Russian pressure pattern that seeks to test the limits of the alliance. Reactions. The political response was swift. Estonia Foreign Minister He described the incursion of “unprecedented provocation” and demanded rapid measures of political and economic pressure. Prime Minister Estonia communicated directly with NATO general secretary, Mark Rutte, who reiterated the solidarity of the organization and the need for reinforce deterrence In the region. In addition, Estonia announced that he will convene for the first time in his 34 years as a member of the United Nations an emergency meeting of the Security Council. European diplomacy, in the voice of Kaja Kallas, He condemned the act As a “dangerous provocation” and stressed that it was already the third violation of community airspace in a few days, promising more support for the defense of the Baltic states. In parallel, voices in Lithuania They suggested that the alliance should be willing to demolish intruder planes, remembering the Turkish 2015 precedentwhen a Russian Su-24 was killed on the border with Syria. A Russian Mig 31 The legal framework. Given the situation, Estonia considers invoke article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which forces allies to joint consultations provided that one of them feels threatened their safety, such as Poland already did After the intrusion of Russian drones. The activation of this mechanism reflects the severity with which the threat is perceived and the need to show cohesion against Moscow. The Eastern Sentry operation, launched days before, initially provides rapid reaction fighters and an anti -aircraft, with the perspective of extending from The Arctic to the Black Sea to cover the entire eastern flank of the alliance against drones, missiles and airplanes. General Alexus Grynkewich, Supreme Commander Allied in Europe, He stressed that this new frame will allow a more flexible and focused defense where it is required. A Russian IL-20m German interception. A few hours ago the tension It has increased. The output of Two German Eurofighter From the Rostock-Laage base to intercept a Russian IL-20M recognition plane on the Baltic Sea, it has placed the region again in the center of the climb between Moscow and NATO. Again, the Russian apparatus flew with the transposeor off, without responding to contact calls, an increasingly common pattern in incursions that are interpreted as acts of deliberate provocation. The incident came just days after the incursion of the three Russian Mig-31 fighters. The strategic pulse of Moscow. For Poland and Baltic states, incidents are not isolated, but part of a sequence of calculated steps of harassment. Just a few days ago and as we count, Warsaw denounced Lat the fall of 19 Russian drones In its territory, and its Foreign Minister described the Kremlin strategy as a series of incremental provocations, always on the edge, but without reaching the open conflict. The discovery of remains of a lure drone in a Polish forest reinforces the sensation constant trial of NATO defenses. Meanwhile, the Kremlin He denies responsibility and accuses the West, in particular to the United Kingdom, to lead an alleged “warmongering field” that prevents progress in the resolution of the war in Ukraine. The fissures of the West. One of the most disturbing elements in this context is the perception that the United States could be reducing its commitment in the defense of the eastern flank. Bloomberg cited Kremlin sources according to which Putin would have concluded, after his summit with Donald Trump in Alaska, that Washington will not significantly reinforce kyiv’s military capacity, which encourages Moscow to intensify its attacks to force Ukrainian capitulation. In parallel, The Guardian told that reports that the White House plans to reduce security assistance to Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, despite being countries directly exposed to Russian pressure. Trump’s statement, stating that he would defend Europe but without deepening details, adds strategic ambiguity at a time of high voltage. Climbing risk. Baltic and Central European leaders agree that the situation is dangerously approaching A breakdown. The president of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, warned that, although Russia strives to clearly exceed red lines, erratic logic and incompetence at different levels of the Russian system could lead to a real clash, whose responsibility would fall on the Kremlin. From Prague, President Czech Peta Pavel He claimed an answer Firm and united from NATO, remembering that giving in to the aggression would be equivalent to “turning your back on evil.” The shadow of a greater conflict plans on the northeast European: each new air incursion or drone attack increases the probabilities of a calculation error that precipitates a direct confrontation. Ukraine and a way. Under this climate of growing hostility, President Zelensky declaredbefore traveling to the UN, who would be willing to meet with Putin, even with Trump, to explore A political exit. … Read more

In 2015, the US revealed the meeting of two fighters with an “unknown object”. China has just presented it to the world

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At the end of 2017 the New York Times launched One of that news that is remembered for what it could mean. A secret program of the Pentagon was revealed that was dedicated to investigating the threats raised by possible UFOs. And among all the information, the star news: the encounter of an unidentified object with two combat fighters (with video included). The origin of those strangers in the sky has never been confirmed. Until China has announced something. The echo of the “gimbal”. As we said, that object video called as “gimbal”, captured by A F/A-18 From the US Navy, he unleashed a global debate on inexplicable aerial phenomena and technologies beyond known military capacities. Today, almost a decade later, China, through the Zhengzhou University of Aeronautics, has presented A tracing of what we saw in those images, an experimental take -off and vertical landing drone (Vtol) whose design, surprisingly, reminds that of that mysterious artifact: a fuselage With elliptical wing in closed ring -shaped, reinforced by vertical stabilizers and four rotors located at the binding points. One of the Chinese Experimental Drones in Test Flight in Zhengzhou, Henan Province The Chinese revolution in Vtol. At first glance it seems A flying spindle more than a conventional aircraft or quadcopter. However, in that unorthodox form an engineering is hidden that combines the best of multi -reliable and fixed -wing systems: maneuvering capacity and vertical support to operate from ships, irregular land or even aquatic surfaces, and at the same time aerodynamic efficiency in horizontal flight, thanks to a wing whose slope of support curve overcomes In more than 100% to that of a straight wing. Radical aerodynamics. Beijing researchers have that the annular wing channels high pressure flows and delays the loss, which allows stable to fly At low speeds or high attack angles, key conditions for military recognition missions in complex environments. The horizontal stabilizer mounted at the ends avoids internal turbulence and improves control. Plus: Tunnel tests and test flights confirmed that the device maintains the adhered flow even in extreme conditionsvalidating computational models that predicted a leap in benefits. A close look at DRON VTOL Chino Purposes. Its robust modular structure allows, on paper, integrate Optical sensors, thermal cameras, rescue equipment or supply capsules, which makes it a multipurpose platform for both military missions (battlefield supervision, maritime surveillance) and For civil applications (Environmental analysis, rescue in difficult access areas, light emergency transport). Limitations and margin of improvement. The great challenge is still The aerodynamic draginherent to the geometry of the closed wing. In that sense, researchers They have underlined that work to refine the profile to reduce pressure resistance and optimize the support/resistance ratio. Plus: They seek to perfect control algorithms to minimize unnecessary corrections that generate induced drag, and also study “more stylized variants designed to operate from war ships”, which would multiply its strategic value in naval operations. Of speculation to the battlefield. Thus, what for much of the world was A ufological unknowns A decade ago, China has now translated it into a tangible system, the result of the convergence of academic research and, of course, military pressure to reach the next generation of drones. If in the cold war the boldest experiments were on paper, today engineering (and China goes in the top positions) manages to validate designs that were just a few years ago as pure fantasy. The similarity with the “gimbal” is casual or intentional, but the truth is that the drone opens a different aerodynamic languageone in which the borders between science fiction and military development are blurred. Image | Handout, Pentagon, Zhengzhou University of Aeronautics In Xataka | The Pentagon confirms the truth and shows for the first time three “secret” videos of alleged UFOs that had leaked In Xataka | The Pentagon has just published the study on the material found in 1947 from an alleged “extraterrestrial” ship

They are not fighters, they are planes of the Slovakia government. The day an Airbus A319 and a Fokker 100 stole the show

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On the left, the Airbus A319. To the right, the Fokker 100. The two official planes of Slovakia They fly the track at a very low altitude, almost touching the ground, as if the air were an extension of the platform itself. From land, dozens of cameras and mobiles point to heaven, trying to capture a maneuver that seems unrepeatable. Both are part of the government squad managed by the Ministry of Interior. Although they are usually known as “presidential planes”, the truth is that they are available to the President of the Republic, Prime Minister and the President of Parliament, among other high positions. They are also used in repatriation flights, humanitarian missions or institutional representation tasks. An exhibition that broke molds The show took place in 2021and what was seen on that track is not, much less, usual. It is not common for presidential fleet planes –more associated with Diplomatic transport that to acrobatics – participate in aerial exhibitions with this level of expertise. That is why the scene is so striking: a display of technique and coordination with airplanes that, in theory, should move away from the spotlights. It is easy to distinguish the Fokker Airbus, even for the not expert eye. The first, more robust, carries its engines under the wings. The second, on the other hand, has them mounted at the rear of the fuselage, just on the sides of the tail. There are also notable differences on tail surfaces: the Airbus opts for the classic vertical rudder and horizontal stabilizers, while the Fokker wears a configuration in T, with the stabilizer mounted on drift. Two different aircraft, two different choreographies … but perfectly synchronized. As seen in the spectacular video PUblized by the perinakx channel videosboth take off In closed, parallel and elegant training. In the middle of the track, one of the airplanes continues to rise gently, while the Airbus begins a turn to the right that leaves the blue fuselage that is cut against the sky. From the ground, the image is imposing: the red engines, the blue fuselage with stylized wings painted on it and eyes that observe as if the plane was aware. Fokker 100 of the Slovakia government Later, in another video cut, we see them again in action. This time flying separately, but always very close to the ground. The Airbus stars in the most daring maneuver: it approaches the track as if it were going to land, it first supports the rear wheels and, almost imperceptibly, also the front train. It runs a few meters, lifts the nose with decision, inclines the plane slightly to the right and takes off again. All in seconds. All with a softness that makes the weight of the plane seem oblivious to gravity. Airbus A319 of the Slovakia government This air demonstration charges even more value if one takes into account that the Slovak fleet is in the process of renewal. How Pravda points outthe government plans to withdraw the Fokker 100, second -hand acquired in 2016, which already had 25 years of use. Today they are the last of its kind operating in Europe. Although they keep flying – and giving a sound that falls in love with aviation fans – maintenance is increasingly complex and expensive. The plan is to replace them with new more efficient and versatile aircraft before the end of its useful life comes. Airbus A319 of the Slovakia government The protagonist Airbus of this flight is part of the generational relief. It was acquired in 2017 for 34.9 million eurosreplacing the veteran Tupolev Tu-154m presidential. It has a medical configuration and ability to move up to six people on a stretcher. Before joining the Slovak fleet, this same plane had served the former French president Jacques Chirac. They are maneuvers that are not seen on commercial flights. They are maneuvers that require surgical precision and absolute trust. And, above all, in the other pilot. Because this was not a training flight or any exhibition: it was a declaration of intentions. The result was hypnotic, both for those who witnessed him live, and for those who see him from home. Images | Perinakx videos In Xataka | The C929 wants to be the great leap of China in commercial aviation. For now, your heart remains in Western hands

All their missiles, fighters and bombs need a mineral that China has vetoed them

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The news took place in April. So, the Chinese government He formalized his answer To tariffs approved by the United States adding to its list of export restrictions a series of metals that went unnoticed for the general public. However, when the United States and Europe have been made numbers To replenish their arsenal sent to Ukraine and the East, they have encountered a problem of difficult solution. Them A component is missing essential. And only China has it. The mastery of the samario. Yes, China has exposed a critical vulnerability in the Western Military Supply chain by imposing severe controls to export Samarioa strange metal for the manufacture of heat -resistant magnets used exclusively in military applications. These magnets, fundamental in components As missile engines, smart bombs and combat fighters, they are irreplaceable due to their ability to withstand extreme temperatures without losing magnetic strength. Since China produces the entire samarium of the world, and has stopped its export under a new licensing system claiming national security motifs, the United States and its European allies now face the real possibility of Not being able to replenish Its advanced armament reserves, especially and as we said, after its intensive deployment in Ukraine and East. Announced dependence. Had the New York Times That the agency of China is not new: since the 70s, the Western Armed Forces trusted a French plant that closed in 1994, unable to compete with the cheap and environmentally lax production of the Chinese city of Baotou, in the interior Mongolia. Despite decades of dispersed warnings and efforts, such as Mine reopening From Mountain Pass in California after the Chinese embargo on Japan in 2010, the United States never developed a viable production of samarium. Leaf, reactivated in 2014broke the following year for Chinese competition. MP Materials, its new owner, relaunched operations in 2018 and received pentagon funds to process samarium, but never installed The necessary equipment for lack of customers willing to cover high costs of the reduced market. Meanwhile, another project backed with federal funds (a Lynas plant in Texas) was never built after regulatory problems In Malaysia. The lost link. And here comes one of the keys to understanding the “problem” of these nations. The largest samarium user in the United States is … Lockheed Martinwhich uses around 23 kg for each F-35 plane. The new Chinese regulations not only stop the direct flow of samarium, but also requires based licenses In the final consumerwhich blocks indirect exports to military contractors. Although China has granted permits for certain magnets destined for the automotive industry (such as those used by disposses or terbio in brakes and addresses) has not given signs of releasing Samario’s supply, given its limited civil application. This hardening coincides with Chinese sanctions to US contractors linked to Weapons sales to Taiwanwhich reinforces the use of samario as a geopolitical pressure tool. An X-35A JSF performing flight tests at the Edwards Air Base in California Other critical applications. A few weeks ago Japan Times summed up Very well what rare metals consisted of and how they influenced the different industries. The seven metals restricted by China (Terbio, Itrio, Disposio, Gadolinio, Luthacio, Samario and Scandio) fulfill crucial functions in both civil and military industries, from the generation of clean energy to the advanced defense. The Terbiofor example, it provides thermal resistance to the magnets used in submarines and aircraft, but it is one of the most scarce elements even within the rare earth deposits themselves. The ititriumvital in treatments against cancer and superconductors, it has historically been extracted in the United States but must still be processed abroad. Disposioresistant to heat and key in the energy transition, is essential for magazine turbine and electric cars magnets, and also for nuclear reactor control bars. The majority of the supply of these three metals goes to Japan, South Korea and, to a lesser extent, to the United States. The nuclear spectrum. For its part, The gadolinio It is widely used in magnetic resonances due to its magnetic properties, but also appears in nuclear reactors and electronic components. The Luthaciodenser than other elements of this list, acts as a catalyst in oil refineries, while the samario, as we said, protagonist in recent blockages, forms magnets that resist extreme temperatures and that are essential in combat planes, turbines and advanced guide systems. Finally, The Scandioof marginal production for half a century, it has applications in military aviation, bicycles and tracers to detect leaks in pipelines, thanks to its resistance and radioactive properties. As We have counted other times, the lack of infrastructure to separate and process these materials in the United States or Europe aggravates their structural dependence on China, which already supplies More than 90% of American imports. Asterisk. Interestingly, China has not included in this round to the neodymium and the praseodimiumtwo of the rare metals most used in the manufacture of permanent magnet motors, essential for electric vehicles and wind turbines. These two elements are still produced in the Mountain Pass mine, in California. Even so, American production barely reaches a fraction of global demand, and China’s dependence is still critical. A strategic urgency. In short, in a context in which the United States and its allies try to accelerate the replacement of reduced arsenals and ensure deterrence, The bottleneck From the samario he highlights the risks of having subcontracted for decades the strategic inputs to China. The commercial conversations In London they seek to reactivate the flow of these metals, but the expectations that Beijing reversed their new licensing system are rather scarce. Meanwhile, the United States and Pentagon face the dilemma of how to reconstitute a national supply chain for an essential resource whose production, for its cost and limited scale, has proven to be commercially unfeasible No sustained subsidies and long -term political commitment. The samario, invisible to the general public, thus becomes a symbol of a new era of technological and military rivalry, where industrial sovereignty is again a … Read more

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