A Russian Su-33 conducting operations off the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean Sea crashed on Saturday, the second mishap within a month. The jet crashed after attempting to land following a sortie in Syria. The pilot ejected and was recovered safely, according to Russian state-owned TASS news agency. In November, a MiG-29 crashed as it returned to the carrier after launching for a sortie. The carrier deployed to the Mediterranean as part of Russia’s continuing mission to support Syrian President Bashar al Assad.
In a new 2026 appropriations bill released Jan. 20, Congress included an extra $900 million to save the E-7 airborne early warning and control aircraft from cancelation, an additional $500 million for the F-47 Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter to address “emerging” needs, and $401 million to make up for “economic factors” in…

