Air Power

A military avgeek X-ing for military avgeeks

[Air Power @RealAirPower1]

I don't know what will eventually replace the A-10, but I do know it won't be the A-29 Super Tucano. The USAF has officially retired its remaining three A-29s to the Boneyard, just two years after reassigning them to support flight evaluation work at Edwards. It’s a quiet, anti-climactic end for an aircraft acquired to pioneer low-cost light attack and counter-insurgency capabilities. The Super Tucano has found customers around the world, but its career in the USAF turned out to be rather short.

[Air Power @RealAirPower1]

Did you know that under a Cold War contingency plan codenamed "Downshift-02", F-117s were assigned to strike the Soviet General Secretary's private dacha? Yes, the plan apparently involved sending a stealth fighter to hit someone's holiday home! Talk about taking the war right up to the boss's doorstep 😄

[Air Power @RealAirPower1]

@Yatharth_fgjk I had to write something. Plus its Pakistani J-10, photographed by a Pakistani photographer (I believe). Honestly, I mostly do it for the photos, and if I’m into them, I’ll write a caption.

[Air Power @RealAirPower1]

The Chengdu J-10C burst into the global limelight in May 2025, when it helped Pakistan shoot down Indian jets in a headline-grabbing BVR engagement. But what it did for China is something money can't easily buy: a real-world showcase of its fighter, AESA radar and of course ultra-long-range PL-15 AAM, all in one engagement. It put Beijing firmly in the global spotlight and gave China's fighter export ambitions a serious boost!

[Air Power @RealAirPower1]

@Yatharth_fgjk I liked the photo 😀

[Air Power @RealAirPower1]

Europe has its own F-35 factory! Italy's Cameri plant is a final assembly and checkout facility that builds F-35s for Italy and other European customers. It has already produced Poland's first F-35, and Swiss jets will be assembled there too. Honestly, this matters almost as much as the jet itself. Local assembly means local jobs, local maintenance and less dependence on a single factory in Texas.

[Air Power @RealAirPower1]

Indonesia has become Rafale's first operator in Southeast Asia! Jakarta signed for 42 jets in a deal worth roughly $8.1 billion, comprising 26 single-seaters and 16 two-seaters. The first deliveries arrived in early 2026. It's a big shift for a region that has traditionally relied on Russian and American aircraft. Dassault is also pitching the Rafale to the Philippines and Malaysia. I feel buying French is as much about supplier independence as it is about capability. So, who's next?

[Air Power @RealAirPower1]

@Aviation_Intel Looks familiar 🤭

[Air Power @RealAirPower1]

@laks513 Uff

[Air Power @RealAirPower1]

Let's start a trend! Post the most Soviet thing you've recently seen on the Internet. I will go first...

A humongous Typhoon-class submarine under construction inside a humongous assembly hall at the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk (Circa 1982).

[Air Power @RealAirPower1]

@benreuter_IMINT 🥰

[Air Power @RealAirPower1]

@AL5J_ Ohhhhhhhhh

[Air Power @RealAirPower1]

@Island_Thought Yes... why not!

[Air Power @RealAirPower1]

@PASU_MATRIX 🥰

[Air Power @RealAirPower1]

@theAlphaCheck Yup

[Air Power @RealAirPower1]

@hshshsussyhyeg8 Look 😎

[Air Power @RealAirPower1]

A Brazilian transport plane is quietly beating the C-130 and A400M in their own game! Embraer's twin-jet transport has to-date attracted 11 customers across Europe, Asia and South America. From NATO air forces replacing ageing C-130s to South Korea becoming the aircraft's first customer in Asia, the C-390 is building a very, very impressive export portfolio. 1/3

[Air Power @RealAirPower1]

The C-390 is a great example of what happens when a new design arrives in a market full of ageing transport fleets. It gives air forces a modern alternative without having to move up to something as large and expensive as the A400M. It may not grab headlines like a new fighter, but strategic and tactical airlift is the backbone of any and all military operations. And Embraer is clearly onto something here. Is the Herky-Bird era finally coming to an end? 3/3

[Air Power @RealAirPower1]

So, what's behind the interest? The C-390 is a modern twin-engine jet transport designed to take over many of the missions currently flown by ageing C-130s. It offers a maximum payload of 26 tonnes, a top speed of around 470 knots and the ability to operate from semi-paved runways. Recent estimates put its price between $145 million and $170 million per aircraft; it isn't cheap, but customers are lining up. 2/3

[Air Power @RealAirPower1]

@MACFROSTlE Is that Yuri Gagarin?

[Air Power @RealAirPower1]

@JCAFC1 Classic