Defence & Space

Iron Beam with new laser director

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and the Israeli Ministry of Defense unveil new Iron Beam laser director. Company to Showcase Full High-Energy…

2025-06-05 | Redakcja | 5 minutes

The Philippines Ordered 12 FA-50PH Block 20 Aircraft

The Department of National Defense of the Philippines has signed a contract with the South Korean company Korea Aerospace Industries for…

2025-06-04 | Rafał Muczyński | 3 minutes

Karkonosze Program: A Game-Changer for the Polish Air Force’s Tankers?

The Polish Air Force has been requesting the acquisition of aerial refueling tankers for years. The program to procure a multi-role transport…

2025-05-23 | Sławek Zagórski | 5 minutes

Swedish A26 Submarine and Poland’s Orka Program

In early April, Saab organized a visit for representatives of the Polish defense media to the Saab Kockums shipyard, located in Karlskrona…

2025-05-08 | Przemysław Gurgurewicz | 16 minutes

Iron Beam with new laser director

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and the Israeli Ministry of Defense unveil new Iron Beam laser director. Company to Showcase Full High-Energy…

2025-06-05 | Redakcja | 5 minutes

The Philippines Ordered 12 FA-50PH Block 20 Aircraft

The Department of National Defense of the Philippines has signed a contract with the South Korean company Korea Aerospace Industries for…

2025-06-04 | Rafał Muczyński | 3 minutes

Advancing multi-domain EW operations: Rohde & Schwarz unveils latest innovations at AOC Europe

Rohde & Schwarz demonstrates the next generation of SIGINT/EW systems, sensor fusion and signal analysis solutions, designed to meet the evolving…

2025-05-12 | Redakcja | 2 minutes

Iberian Blackout: Is Poland Prepared for a Similar Scenario?

The blackout on the Iberian Peninsula has prompted a few cautious questions about whether Poland is secure in the event of…

2025-05-02 | Krzysztof Zagórski | 6 minutes

IDET & PYROS 2025: KALAN Tracked Amphibious Vehicle as the Successor to the PTS

During the International Fire Fighting Equipment and Services Fair PYROS (held alongside IDET 2025 in Brno), the Czech company New…

2025-05-30 | Rafał Muczyński | 3 minutes

IDET 2025: Patria AMV XP 8×8 with TURRA 30 Turret

At the International Defence and Security Technologies Fair IDET 2025 in the Czech Republic, Finnish company Patria Oyj showcased its…

2025-05-29 | Rafał Muczyński | 4 minutes

Iron Beam with new laser director

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and the Israeli Ministry of Defense unveil new Iron Beam laser director. Company to Showcase Full High-Energy…

2025-06-05 | Redakcja | 5 minutes

The Philippines Ordered 12 FA-50PH Block 20 Aircraft

The Department of National Defense of the Philippines has signed a contract with the South Korean company Korea Aerospace Industries for…

2025-06-04 | Rafał Muczyński | 3 minutes

IDET & PYROS 2025: KALAN Tracked Amphibious Vehicle as the Successor to the PTS

During the International Fire Fighting Equipment and Services Fair PYROS (held alongside IDET 2025 in Brno), the Czech company New…

2025-05-30 | Rafał Muczyński | 3 minutes

Leonardo and Weststar Join Forces to Supply Helicopters to Malaysia

During the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Italian company Leonardo and Malaysian firm Weststar…

2025-05-20 | Redakcja | 4 minutes

Iron Beam with new laser director

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and the Israeli Ministry of Defense unveil new Iron Beam laser director. Company to Showcase Full High-Energy…

2025-06-05 | Redakcja | 5 minutes

The Philippines Ordered 12 FA-50PH Block 20 Aircraft

The Department of National Defense of the Philippines has signed a contract with the South Korean company Korea Aerospace Industries for…

2025-06-04 | Rafał Muczyński | 3 minutes

Polish Minister of Defence Travels to the U.S. for Meeting with Pete Hegseth

A press conference was held at the 1st Airlift Base with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz…

2025-05-26 | Redakcja | 5 minutes

Another Meeting at the Polish Ministry of National Defence with a Delegation from South Korea’s DAPA

Polish Deputy Minister of National Defence Paweł Bejda met with Deputy Minister of South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA),…

2025-05-14 | Redakcja | 1 minutes

Airbus, CNES and VAST reaffirm commitment to strengthening EO capabilities in Vietnam

Airbus Defence and Space, the French Space Agency, and the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology have signed a Declaration of…

2025-05-26 | Redakcja | 2 minutes

ICEYE and IHI start cooperation to develop SAR satellite constellation in Japan

The Polish-Finnish company ICEYE and the Japanese IHI Corporation are beginning cooperation in the construction of a constellation of up to 24…

2025-05-22 | Redakcja | 3 minutes
Shooting

MSBS GROT BULLPUP conversion now available

Fabryka Broni “Łucznik” Radom is introducing long-awaited conversion kits for the MSBS GROT S16 FB-M1 and S10 FB-M1 semi-automatic rifles,…

2025-06-02 | Michał Ihnatów | 3 minutes

IDET 2025: Grand Power Showcases M4M1 Carbines for the Slovak Armed Forces

At the International Defence and Security Technologies Fair IDET 2023 in the Czech Republic, Grand Power — a Slovak firearms manufacturer — showcased…

2025-05-28 | Michał Ihnatów | 4 minutes

MSBS GROT BULLPUP conversion now available

Fabryka Broni “Łucznik” Radom is introducing long-awaited conversion kits for the MSBS GROT S16 FB-M1 and S10 FB-M1 semi-automatic rifles,…

2025-06-02 | Michał Ihnatów | 3 minutes

Streamlight introduces the TLR-8 HL-X and TLR-8 HL-X sub

Streamlight introduces the TLR-8 HL-X flashlight with an integrated laser sight, producing a beam with up to 1,000 lumens of power, offering…

2025-03-18 | Michał Ihnatów | 3 minutes

Protective Rescuer Vest – BC Arms Archangel

The Archangel Rescuer Vest is the result of a collaboration between Polish companies Currahee and BC Arms. It was created in…

2025-05-16 | Mariusz Rams | 6 minutes

Direct Action Spitfire Plate Carrier – Part 1: Testing the Carrier

Nowadays, the market offers a wide range of options in the gear and load-bearing equipment category. One of the most basic…

2025-05-08 | Michał Gaweł | 14 minutes

Enforce Tac 2025 starts on February 24th

Enforce Tac is an international trade fair aimed at law enforcement officers, experts from government agencies, and representatives of the…

2025-01-30 | Michał Ihnatów | 4 minutes

POLSECURE: Holsters HPE Poland offer for uniformed services

At the 3rd International Police and Public Security Fair POLSECURE 2024 in Kielce, Holsters HPE Poland presented its offer for…

2024-05-01 | Redakcja | 2 minutes

MSBS GROT BULLPUP conversion now available

Fabryka Broni “Łucznik” Radom is introducing long-awaited conversion kits for the MSBS GROT S16 FB-M1 and S10 FB-M1 semi-automatic rifles,…

2025-06-02 | Michał Ihnatów | 3 minutes

IDET 2025: Grand Power Showcases M4M1 Carbines for the Slovak Armed Forces

At the International Defence and Security Technologies Fair IDET 2023 in the Czech Republic, Grand Power — a Slovak firearms manufacturer — showcased…

2025-05-28 | Michał Ihnatów | 4 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

Weapon light: a practical tool for everyday service. How to choose?

In the world of armed forces, where every second can determine the outcome of an operation, precision and effectiveness are…

2024-08-29 | Redakcja | 7 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…

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…

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 | 8 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

Protective Rescuer Vest – BC Arms Archangel

The Archangel Rescuer Vest is the result of a collaboration between Polish companies Currahee and BC Arms. It was created in…

2025-05-16 | Mariusz Rams | 6 minutes

Direct Action Spitfire Plate Carrier – Part 1: Testing the Carrier

Nowadays, the market offers a wide range of options in the gear and load-bearing equipment category. One of the most basic…

2025-05-08 | Michał Gaweł | 14 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

Ukraine has lost its first F-16

As reported by The Wall Street Journal, on Monday, a Ukrainian Lockheed Martin F-16 multirole aircraft crashed.

On Thursday, August 29, 2024, the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal, citing a U.S. administration official, reported that on Monday, August 26, a Ukrainian Lockheed Martin F-16 multirole aircraft crashed.

Photo: Ukrainian Air Force

According to preliminary reports, this was not a shootdown by the Russians or the result of friendly fire, but a pilot error. The Ukrainian Air Force and the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense have not confirmed this information.

Earlier, however, the mayor of Lutsk, Ihor Polischuk, reported on his social media channels (Facebook and Telegram) that on Monday, Lieutenant Colonel Oleksiy Serhiyovych Mes (callsign Moonfish), a pilot of a MiG-29 from the 204th Tactical Aviation Brigade, was killed during a combat mission. He was also one of the first Ukrainians trained on the F-16 (together with Major Andriy Pilshchykov, aka Juice, they were ambassadors for the delivery of F-16s to Ukraine; Juice died in a MiG-29 crash on August 26, 2023). However, the information later disappeared from social media, but it had already been shared by many Ukrainian and international media outlets.

It’s worth noting that on Monday, there was a massive air and missile attack by the Russians, and the involvement of Ukrainian F-16s in air defense operations was confirmed on Tuesday by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Among the targets was the Kolomyia airport in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, near the border with Romania.

Unfortunately, analysts confirmed the presence of F-16 aircraft at that location after a visit to the base by the Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, General Mykola Oleshchuk, based on publicly available photos and video on his Telegram channel on August 25, just one day before the attack. Russian sources claimed that the aircraft had been relocated there from the base in Starokostiantyniv in the Khmelnytskyi region.

Also on Monday, it was reported that the 68th Electronic Warfare Squadron of the USAF collaborated with Danish and Norwegian partners to enhance the combat capabilities and battlefield survivability of Ukrainian F-16AM/BM aircraft.

If the crash was indeed the result of pilot error, it could be the outcome of a too short and accelerated training course that Ukrainians were forced into due to the conditions of the ongoing full-scale war. The training was shortened to 8-9 months, whereas the full training cycle during peacetime according to NATO standards is 18 months. By the end of September this year, the Americans planned to train a total of only 12 pilots.

The delivery of the first F-16s to Ukraine was reported on July 31st of this year (unofficially, 6 units from the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with more expected from Denmark, although according to some analysts, the aircraft presented are actually Danish).

So far, Ukraine has received commitments from four countries to deliver a total of 95 F-16s: 19 from Denmark, 24 from the Netherlands, 22 from Norway, and 30 from Belgium. Greece may soon join them, with reports suggesting that it plans to provide 32 aircraft.

The aircraft were also expected to receive American-made missiles and other advanced weaponry. Among these are medium-range AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, short-range AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles, and AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missiles, which had previously been integrated into Ukrainian MiG-29 and Su-27 aircraft and have been used in combat operations since August 2022 (although HARM missiles have not yet been observed on the officially presented aircraft as of August 4).

Update

The Air Command West of the Ukrainian Air Force confirmed on its Facebook profile the downing of an F-16 and the death of the pilot:

Oleksiy Mes, a pilot of the Ukrainian Air Force, died defending our country.

He heroically fought his last battle in the air. On August 26, during the defense against a massive Russian missile strike, Oleksiy destroyed three cruise missiles and one attack drone.

Oleksiy saved Ukrainians from deadly Russian missiles. Unfortunately, at the cost of his own life.

Oleksiy Mes was a strong and dedicated warrior, a highly skilled pilot, a leader on the ground and in the sky, a good friend, a loving son, father, husband, and a patriot of his country.

On August 29, he was bid farewell by fellow pilots, commanders and subordinates, friends and colleagues, and hundreds of ordinary Ukrainians.

A pair of MiG-29 fighters paid tribute from the sky to the fallen pilot. Oleksiy’s comrades-in-arms performed the flyover above the procession. By order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant Colonel Oleksiy Mes was posthumously awarded the military rank of Colonel.

We lost a reliable friend and a strong warrior. But we have NOT lost our strength, will, and desire to fight, to battle, and to win. In our just cause, we will avenge the enemy for everything and everyone.

Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the Heroes!

The Ukrainian Air Force posted:

“Oleksii Mes’, a pilot of the Ukrainian Air Force, heroically fought his last battle in the skies.”

“On August 26, during a massive russian missile and air strike, Oleksii shot down three cruise missiles and one strike UAV. He saved countless Ukrainians from deadly russian missiles, tragically at the cost of his own life.”

“We will never forget you.”

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed the loss of an F-16:

Ukrainian Armed Forces’ F-16 aircraft were deployed alongside missile air defense units to repel a missile attack by the Russian Federation on Ukrainian territory.

During the air battle, the F-16s demonstrated high effectiveness, shooting down four enemy cruise missiles with their air-to-air weaponry.

While approaching the next target, contact was lost with one of the aircraft. It was later revealed that the plane crashed, and the pilot was killed.

A special commission from the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has been established to determine the causes of the accident and is working at the crash site.

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