Military aviation

NATO has commenced its annual nuclear exercise, with around 2,000 personnel from eight air bases participating over the next two weeks. The Steadfast Noon exercise will involve 60 aircraft conducting training flights across Western Europe, including fighter jets equipped to carry US nuclear bombs stationed in Europe, long-range bombers, and various surveillance and refueling aircraft.

For the first time, US strategic bomber aircraft have deployed to Romania. Two US Air Force B-52H Stratofortress aircraft have arrived at the Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base in Romania. They'll be undertaking flying missions with NATO Allies and Partners to synchronise capabilities, tactics and procedures.

Aircraft from the United States Air Force (USAF) and the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) conducted aerial refueling drills on June 20.

The Hellenic Air Force participated with 50 flights by F-16 fighter jets with two KC-135s of the 134 Refueling Wing of the USAF based with the 110 HAF Combat Wing at the Larissa military airport.

Slovenian companies have struck deals with the Defence Ministry to supply anti-aircraft turrets for tanks and a drone with chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear surveillance capability. They will also be supported in development of green solutions for the defence sector.

At a time when the Hellenic Air Force is mourning the loss of two pilots in an accident on Monday, a total of 23 Turkish aircraft, 18 of which were armed, carried out 14 violations of Greek airspace and 12 violations of the Athens Flight Information Region (FIR) on Wednesday, authorities said.

The 22 Turkish F-16s and one spy plane flew in formations of four and in pairs. 

Bomb-carrying drones targeted an Iranian defense factory in the central city of Isfahan overnight, authorities said early Sunday, causing some damage at the plant amid heightened regional and international tensions engulfing the Islamic Republic.

Yasin Akdere, the head of the Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKE), has described their new close-in air defense system as "crazy," as the system has the ability to provide the most effective air defense against missiles and other weapon systems.

The United States and the United Kingdom joined Israel on Aug. 1 in alleging Iran carried out a fatal drone strike on an oil tanker off the coast of Oman in the Arabian Sea, putting further pressure on Tehran as it denied being involved in the assault.

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It was a decision made on the basis that Turkey did not back down from procuring the Russian S-400 missiles

The intruder aircraft was identified and intercepted by the Greek Air Force