Defence & Space

NP Aerospace Expands Civilian Armoured Vehicles Support

British-based NP Aerospace launches their proven through-life support services package into the Civilian Armoured Vehicles market

2025-07-21 | Redakcja | 3 minutes

The Koreans are testing a 130mm gun for the next-generation K3 tank

According to reports, the South Korean company Hyundai Rotem has tested a prototype of a domestically developed 130mm smoothbore gun designed for the…

2025-07-16 | Rafał Muczyński | 3 minutes

Blackout in Spain – A Discussion on Power Security with Experts from Forum Energii

The recent blackout in Spain has brought Poland’s energy security back into the media headlines and public conversation. Given the current…

2025-07-16 | Tadeusz Jakliński | 25 minutes

SIPRI: Nuclear risks grow as new arms race looms

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute published a report entitled SIPRI Yearbook 2025, which, among other things, discusses the issue of…

2025-06-16 | Redakcja | 10 minutes

The Koreans are testing a 130mm gun for the next-generation K3 tank

According to reports, the South Korean company Hyundai Rotem has tested a prototype of a domestically developed 130mm smoothbore gun designed for the…

2025-07-16 | Rafał Muczyński | 3 minutes

Russian Patent for an Assault Tank with a 152mm Howitzer

The Yuri Gagarin State Technical University of Saratov has presented a patent for an assault tank armed with a short-barreled 152mm howitzer.

2025-07-16 | Rafał Muczyński | 3 minutes

Orion: The Force Multiplier that led the IDF to unmatched ground superiority

Orion, developed by Asio Technologies in collaboration with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) technology division and in full operational deployment by the IDF, has…

2025-07-09 | Redakcja | 4 minutes

SKW Cryptographic Security Certificate for Polish Comp@n Radio Set from the WB Group

The WB Group announced that the Comp@n system radio set, developed by its subsidiary Radmor, along with the Cryptographic Document Management…

2025-06-14 | Redakcja | 4 minutes

Wescom Defence to Unveil ATMIS Multispectral Camouflage at DSEI 2025

Wescom Defence, a trusted provider of pyrotechnics, energetics and a wide range of reliable products and systems to global defence forces, will officially…

2025-07-14 | Redakcja | 3 minutes

2nd S.E.A.L Conference under Our media patronage

We are pleased to announce that MILMAG Military Magazine has become the media patron of the second edition of the SE.A.L Conference,…

2025-07-11 | Redakcja | 1 minutes

NP Aerospace Expands Civilian Armoured Vehicles Support

British-based NP Aerospace launches their proven through-life support services package into the Civilian Armoured Vehicles market

2025-07-21 | Redakcja | 3 minutes

The Koreans are testing a 130mm gun for the next-generation K3 tank

According to reports, the South Korean company Hyundai Rotem has tested a prototype of a domestically developed 130mm smoothbore gun designed for the…

2025-07-16 | Rafał Muczyński | 3 minutes

Illegal migration to Europe in the first five months of 2025

The European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) has published statistics on attempted illegal crossings of the EU’s external borders in the…

2025-07-08 | Redakcja | 3 minutes

LOT Polish Airlines Selected for Air Transport and MEDEVAC under the EU’s rescEU Program

LOT Polish Airlines has signed an agreement to provide air transport and MEDEVAC services. As part of the EU’s rescEU instrument under…

2025-07-07 | Redakcja | 4 minutes

The Koreans are testing a 130mm gun for the next-generation K3 tank

According to reports, the South Korean company Hyundai Rotem has tested a prototype of a domestically developed 130mm smoothbore gun designed for the…

2025-07-16 | Rafał Muczyński | 3 minutes

Russian Patent for an Assault Tank with a 152mm Howitzer

The Yuri Gagarin State Technical University of Saratov has presented a patent for an assault tank armed with a short-barreled 152mm howitzer.

2025-07-16 | Rafał Muczyński | 3 minutes

Poland and Armenia strengthen defense and economic cooperation

Secretary of State at the Polish Ministry of National Defence, Paweł Bejda, met with the Deputy Minister of Defence of the…

2025-07-15 | Redakcja | 2 minutes

Illegal migration to Europe in the first five months of 2025

The European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) has published statistics on attempted illegal crossings of the EU’s external borders in the…

2025-07-08 | Redakcja | 3 minutes

ICEYE unveils machine learning-powered Flood Rapid Impact Product to revolutionize response

The Polish-Finnish company ICEYE, a specialist in satellite-powered disaster management solutions, has announced the launch of Flood Rapid Impact (FRI).

2025-07-15 | Redakcja | 5 minutes

LYOFOOD Pierogi Become First Polish Dish Eaten in Space

Yesterday, during a live broadcast from the International Space Station, our astronaut Dr. Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, together with Axiom-4 mission commander Peggy…

2025-07-07 | Rafał Muczyński | 3 minutes
Shooting

Galvion’s Caiman Helmets from Gdańsk

Two weeks have passed since the memorable Monday, June 23, of this year. The emotions have settled, and the long…

2025-07-10 | Dariusz Borkowski | 10 minutes

CZ Shooting Team athletes take home 13 medals from the CZ Extreme Euro Open

Sport shooters representing Ceska zbrojovka brought back six gold, four silver, and three bronze medals from Hodonice, along with four…

2025-07-04 | Redakcja | 4 minutes

Upgraded Z8i Scope from SWAROVSKI OPTIK

Swarovski Optik, the Austrian optics manufacturer with nearly 80 years of tradition, has unveiled an upgraded version of its Z8i…

2025-07-03 | Mariusz Piwowar | 3 minutes

Streamlight introduces the SL-SideSaddle

Streamlight, Inc., a leading provider of high-performance lighting tools, announces the SL-SideSaddle series, a new hands-free lighting solution built for outdoor adventure…

2025-07-01 | Redakcja | 3 minutes

Galvion’s Caiman Helmets from Gdańsk

Two weeks have passed since the memorable Monday, June 23, of this year. The emotions have settled, and the long…

2025-07-10 | Dariusz Borkowski | 10 minutes

Helikon-Tex presents: tailor-made kits for shooters

As the shooting season gains momentum, Helikon-Tex has decided to help shooters choose the essential gear and accessories tailored to the specific type…

2025-07-01 | Mariusz Piwowar | 4 minutes

Galvion’s Caiman Helmets from Gdańsk

Two weeks have passed since the memorable Monday, June 23, of this year. The emotions have settled, and the long…

2025-07-10 | Dariusz Borkowski | 10 minutes

CZ Shooting Team athletes take home 13 medals from the CZ Extreme Euro Open

Sport shooters representing Ceska zbrojovka brought back six gold, four silver, and three bronze medals from Hodonice, along with four…

2025-07-04 | Redakcja | 4 minutes

CZ Introduces the New CZ P-10 C PORTED Model

CZ P-10 C PORTED – a compact pistol with tamed recoil thanks to an integrated compensator.

2025-07-02 | Redakcja | 3 minutes

Meprolight MMX3 and MMX4 – Lightweight Magnifiers with Quality Optics

The Mepro MMX3 and MMX4, a new line of compact magnifiers from the Israeli manufacturer. How do they perform in practice and how…

2025-06-27 | Krzysztof Ptak | 8 minutes

Paris Air Show 2025: Bayraktar TB3 Debuts

The 55th edition of the International Paris Air and Space Show, held in the French capital, provided an opportunity for Baykar…

2025-06-19 | Radosław Niesobski | 3 minutes

Setting Up a Shooting Belt: An Example with Clawgear

To assist with shooting training and beyond, various belts and gear configurations have been developed and customized to suit individual needs. It’s…

2024-11-28 | Łukasz Kołodziejski | 14 minutes

Over 100% increase in gun permits in Poland in 2024

The Polish Police have released statistical data on firearm permits issued in 2024. An increasing number of Poles now hold a permit, with…

2025-02-20 | Michał Ihnatów | 5 minutes

Firearms In Poland 2023: Number of permits continues to grow

The National Police Headquarters has released statistics regarding the number of firearm permits and firearms themselves in the hands of Poles.…

2024-02-17 | Michał Ihnatów | 5 minutes

5 Best Value ATN Rifle Scopes Under €1500

ATN is a leading manufacturer of daytime optics, smart night vision, and thermal vision technology. The innovative features and ergonomic designs…

2022-11-11 | Redakcja | 9 minutes

MILMAG Visits Grand Power

Grand Power is a Slovak manufacturer of the acknowledged good quality firearms. Take part in our guided tour with English subtitles.

2022-05-23 | Redakcja | 1 minutes

Meprolight MMX3 and MMX4 – Lightweight Magnifiers with Quality Optics

The Mepro MMX3 and MMX4, a new line of compact magnifiers from the Israeli manufacturer. How do they perform in practice and how…

2025-06-27 | Krzysztof Ptak | 8 minutes

Streamlight TLR-7 HL-X – a Bayonet of Light for Your Weapon

The devil’s not so scary once you shine a light on him—and he’s certainly easier to neutralize in the spotlight. A weapon-mounted flashlight is practically…

2025-06-09 | Anna Mielczarek | 6 minutes

EOTECH Holographic Sight – History, Technology, Practice

The holographic sight is a device known for nearly 30 years and used by professionals around the world. A favorite sight of many…

2024-09-02 | Michał Gaweł | 12 minutes

The first Ukrainian F-16 multi-role aircraft revealed?

The Voice of America in Ukrainian published an interview with a Ukrainian pilot codenamed Phantom, and for the first time, one of the alleged Ukrainian multi-role aircraft Lockheed Martin F-16AM Fighting Falcon was presented.

On Friday, February 9th, the Voice of America in Ukrainian published an interview with a Ukrainian pilot with the codename Phantom, and for the first time, one of the alleged Ukrainian multi-role aircraft Lockheed Martin F-16AM Fighting Falcon was presented.

Photo: Voice Of America in Ukrainian

Journalist Maria Prus conducted an interview with a Ukrainian pilot known as Phantom. As he stated, the training process, which lasts an average of six months, is undergone not only by pilots but also ground personnel, especially mechanics, who will be responsible for servicing the aircraft and maintaining their operational readiness for combat missions, as well as technical support units.

As for the schedule, according to the plan, it takes about 6 months to train one pilot or a group of pilots. But there are nuances, and they are primarily related not to our personnel, but to the administrative work of our partners, their own bureaucracy, and it takes time. Therefore, it has affected the preparation time. But it is proceeding according to plan, said Phantom.

Phantom noted that Ukrainian pilots found it difficult to grasp the knowledge at the initial stage of training because the F-16 is a next-generation aircraft compared to what the Ukrainian Air Force currently has, especially in terms of complex onboard systems.

We haven’t dealt with this before; our training is somewhat different, and our aircraft are much simpler than the F-16, the pilot said. He also provided the editorial team with the first photograph of the aircraft in Ukrainian livery (which, however, raises doubts). Currently, it is said to be located outside of Ukraine. It was previously confirmed that a Ukrainian pilot with the callsign Moonfish is also undergoing training on the F-16.

What do Phantom and other Ukrainian pilots think about the F-16?

Our pilots are very impressed. This aircraft simply exceeded our expectations. Even with the amount of information we received during training, we already see great prospects and a significant insight into how this aircraft will help our air force enhance the capabilities of our combat aviation. And you can imagine that there is information that we have not yet explored, we have not learned everything about what else this aircraft is capable of, Phantom said in the interview.

What do American and Western instructors think about Ukrainian pilots?

The initial impression of our guys was that they were motivated, their eyes were lit up. One instructor even said that he sees how we want to start training faster and faster. Overall, the impressions and feedback we receive from the instructors are very positive. Thanks to the experience of instructors from other countries, they can already make comparisons. They say that Ukrainian pilots are very strong; they see the experience gained during air battles over Ukraine after the full-scale invasion began, and it is precisely these skills that they will try to improve on the F-16 aircraft.

Earlier, it was reported that the US National Guard still has enough financial resources to complete the training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 aircraft, despite the fact that the US Department of Defense is not receiving funds from new military assistance packages, as it have been blocked by the US Senate. This was reported by the commander of the US National Guard, General Dan Hokanson.

Interestingly, when asked by the journalist whether Western retired pilots would fight on Ukraine’s side, Phantom replied that the Ukrainian command had conducted analyses in this regard and concluded that there is no urgent need for foreign pilots in Ukrainian skies.

Regarding the question of whether the ground infrastructure in Ukraine is ready to accommodate the F-16, the pilot enigmatically responded that there are currently certain difficulties and nuances, but the infrastructure will be ready in due time.

On August 20, 2023, the authorities of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Denmark declared their readiness to transfer aircraft, 42 and 19 units respectively. Meanwhile, on August 24, 2023, Norwegian media reported a possible similar step by the authorities in Oslo – it is said to involve 6-12 or 5-10 aircraft, but this has not been confirmed yet. Belgium is also set to transfer its aircraft after 2025.

In November 2023, the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Norway transferred their multi-role F-16AM/BM aircraft to the European F-16 Training Centre (EFTC) in Romania, which is used for training Ukrainian and Romanian pilots.

On December 22, 2023, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, informed on social media about a phone conversation he had with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. He informed Ukrainian partners about preparations for the transfer of the first batch of 18 F-16AM/BM aircraft. Then, on February 5 of this year, Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren announced that another 6 aircraft are being prepared for transfer – thus, increasing the Dutch contribution to 24 planes.

The coalition for training Ukrainians on the F-16 consists of 11 countries: the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Portugal, Poland, and Romania.

It is worth adding that on November 14, 2023, the U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Dr. William A. LaPlante, reported that repairs and technical servicing of future Ukrainian F-16 aircraft will take place in Europe, primarily in Poland.

UPDATE

Analysis of the photograph determined its geolocation. The photo was taken at the Skrydstrup Air Base in the Danish region of Southern Jutland, and the aircraft is a Danish one.

However, using the online digital photo analysis tool FotoForensics, manipulation of Ukrainian markings was also demonstrated – the golden trident on the tail and the yellow-blue identification roundel on the fuselage. While the photograph of the aircraft itself may be a manipulation for media interview purposes, the fact that F-16s (including this one) soon will reach the hands of the Ukrainian Air Force is undeniable.

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