Re: Jets & Planes but no UAV's here.
 

Portugal has apparently backed out from a potential F-35 buy per news on Twitter -- breaking in the last hour -- nothing had been officially signed up to this point, so there are no cancellation costs.

Re: Jets & Planes but no UAV's here.
 

They are NOT likely to be the only ones.

Portugal's dropping out will now mean everyone else's cost for their F-35 fighters for a single fighter has just increased by millions of dollars more considering the cost of each is in the 90 million dollars per unit price point.

The GAO and DOGE "Boss" Elon Musk have been pointing out that with all the groundings (+Crashes), production delays, technical delays, at least three different engine replacements etc. etc. have made not so much a "rabbit hole" as to be instead several "rabbit holes" all at the same time.

Our Maintenace costs alone for the "fleet" we have now will be at least 2 TRILLION Dollars.

With Musks feelings about F-35 (Google it.) and with further countries possibly still to drop out it won't take long for DOGE too go HMmm!?!. They are already looking at the DOD.

We await the outcome.

This is a good article that's up to date thus far on the situation. The video is worth a look as well on the differences of each F-35.
https://reason.com/2025/03/17/allies...st-2-trillion/

And who won the "Battle in the West"? Though redacted there's enough there to surmise it was the A-10 even though no Forward Observers from the USA, USAF or USMC were allowed to be there for the full competition or not at all. That for another time.

Regards,
Pat
:capt:

Re: Jets & Planes but no UAV's here.
 

The following is a very difficult maneuver at best given the size of the plane and that it is propeller driven as well.

The maneuver is called a "120-Degree Wingover" also the "stroboscopic effect" (Wagon Wheel) of the props are fairly interesting as well.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/techn...7371478d&ei=34

Pump up the volume!!

Something a little different for a change. Enjoy!

Regards,
Pat
:capt:

Re: Jets & Planes but no UAV's here.
 

Poland has officially retired their Su-22s after about 40 years of service.

Re: Jets & Planes but no UAV's here.
 

Just d'like to add something about lasts Su-22M4 (Fighter-bomber) or rather (Frontline bomber) in soviet designation in Poland Summer 1984- September 2025

Last Flight in movie from local tv
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUbFooidegg

Here photo of Su-22M4 in last camo used since 2012

https://zbiam.pl/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Su-22.jpg

Here Su-22UM3K trainer in special camo new and old together

https://cdn.defence24.pl/2025/09/11/...mNa8M.cmev.jpg

And here in old camo used since the beginning in Poland

https://www.magnum-x.pl/files/2018/L...2018/Su-22.jpg

https://zbiam-pl.translate.goog/arty..._x_tr_pto=wapp
https://defence24-pl.translate.goog/..._x_tr_pto=wapp

Re: Jets & Planes but no UAV's here.
 

India has retired their MiG-21 fleet.

https://apnews.com/article/india-air...c6d636fae30b77

Re: Jets & Planes but no UAV's here.
 

Strangely enough the Indian OOB does not have MiG-21's beyond a decade ago-----Dec 2015
My notes from that time are LONG GONE but seeminly someone passed on info before WinSPMBT Version 10.0 was released that Indian MiG-21's were OOS Dec 2015

Dec 2015 MAY have been a partial retirement of older airframes as this retirement only involved 2 squadrons.
I have extended the end dates of the COIN MiG-21bison to 9/125

Re: Jets & Planes but no UAV's here.
 

From googling around:

1.) it appears that from 2017 to 2024, four MiG-21 squadrons were phased out.

2.) The original MiG-21FL (Type 77) was retired in December 2013 while the remaining MiG-21Ms (Type 88) "were scheduled" to be retired by 2015.

Googling EVEN further and compiling everything from multiple sources gets this rough list of Indian MiG-21 variants:

MiG-21F-13 (Type 74) -- 8 delivered, served from October 1963 to ??. Had NR-30 cannon with 80 rounds.

MiG-21PF (Type 76) - 6 delivered. No gun; relied entirely on missiles.

MiG-21FL (Type 77) -- Designed by MiG in the Soviet Union to Indian requirements, first 54 built in USSR, last 196 in India. Introduced GP-9 gunpod with GSh-23 cannon and 200 rounds, which displaced the 490-litre drop tank, cutting endurance. Typically, only six to eight squadron aircraft flew “gun-fitted,” while the rest carried drop tanks. In service 1965 - December 2013.

MiG-21M (Type 88). Redesign of MiG-21FL to carry GSh-23L internally with 200 rounds as well as an actual purpose built gyroscopic sight. 158 built in India, served 1973-2015.

MiG-21MF (Type 96) - Indian built MiG-21M fitted with more powerful engine. May have retired around 2015. NOT the same as MiG-21MF (izdeliye 96) built in USSR. Crazy, i know right.

MiG-21 Bis (Type 75) Internal GSh-23L with 250 rounds. First 75 delivered in 1977 as kits from USSR; by 1984, 220~ more built in India. Unknown when the last pure Bis was retired; but likely between 2017-2024.

MiG 21 Bison - 120~ remanufactured MiG-21 Bis with modern avonics, etc. Internal GSh-23L with 250 rds. Last two squadrons retired Sep 26, 2025.