The Su-30 fuselage assembly line has a capacity for up to 40 units per year although the production to date has remained at under 30 examples

The contract for 60 Su-30SMs for the RuASF is expected to be finalised this year, with a follow-on order for 60 to 70 aircraft planned for delivery between 2017 and 2019.

The Su-30SM is the latest variant of the fighter built by Irkut, which has a firm backlog for two more years of production.

Irkut’s final assembly hall full of Flankers destined for the RuASF.

The dispersal at Tengah Air Base during Hot Shot 2016 with F-16s from three RSAF squadrons. The aircraft nearest to the camera is assigned to 145 Squadron featuring the unit's Hornet mascot on the colourful tail.

Block 52 F-16D 693 of 143 Squadron firing its 20mm 1/161 cannon.

The RSAF does not conduct live bombing in country but uses 25 lb Mk76 practice bombs, seen here on a Block 52+ F-16D.

Armee de I’Air Rafale C carrying two SCALP conventionally armed stand­off missiles and two external fuel tanks.

Despite the gloom, the arrival of Swiss' first 777-300ER captured the attention at Zurich.

The first Swiss Boeing 777-300ER, HB-JNA, photographed during crew training flights at Palma de Mallorca. On the fuselage are decals of hundreds of Swiss employees.

Business class in the Swiss 777-300ER. The airline will use the aircraft on its New York JFK and Montreal services initially, before putting the aircraft on routes to Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Bangkok, San Francisco, and Sao Paulo.

As reported last year, the first Batch 02 JF-17 Thunder fitted with an air refuelling probe was expected to be number 2-29. The aircraft was seen with the probe in late January 2016 and shows some distinct differences from the probe that was fitted to JF-17 09-109 for trials in late 2013. In contrast to the probe used in the trials, which closely resembled the design used on upgraded Pakistan Mirage IIIs and mounted right behind the canopy, the new version is more refined, resembling the J-10A’s probe and mounted under the left cockpit side. JF-17 2-29 also features a spot-light for night-time air refuelling operations.

Three Royal Navy Sea Kings made a farewell tour around Scotland on January 14, 2016 using the radio call sign Broadsword Formation. The flight, comprising two Sea King HU5s from HMS Gannet SAR Flight based at Prestwick and a Sea King HC4 operated by 848 Naval Air Squadron based at Yeovilton, marked the end of Royal Navy helicopter rescue operations in the UK. The Sea Kings are shown at Oban Connell Airport taking a 20-minute rotors-running fuel stop during the type’s farewell flight after 44 years of service at HMS Gannet.

Two Aeronautica Militare Italiana T-346A Masters (MM.55154/61-01 and MM.55155/61-04) arrived at Albacete Air Base, Spain, on January 4, 2016 to participate in the last week of NATO's Tactical Leadership Programme course 2016-1. This was the first time the T-346 had participated in the TLP.

Royal Jordanian Air Force Il-76MF serial number 361 seen arriving at Stansted Airport from Amman on January 21, 2016. This IL-76MF is a stretched version operated under the guise of Jordan International Air Cargo. It wears two separate registrations; its military identity, 361, worn on the fuselage and its civilian identity, JY-JID, still visible on the wings. The aircraft made a second visit to Stansted in mid February. The reason for the visits is unknown.

Royal Air Force No.32 Squadron BAe 146 ZE700 seen at Zurich Airport, Switzerland, on January 21, 2016 with a large hunting horn decal on the tail to mark the 100th birthday of the unit. The aircraft received the decals just prior to flying to Zurich.

The Spanish company Hispanica de Aviacion (HASA) has received three new PZL W-3A Sokols. The helicopters, finished in a distinctive livery, are being operated for the Grupo de Emergencias y Salvamento (GES, Emergency and Rescue Group) of the Canary Islands Government. The three helicopters made the ferry flight from PZL’s factory at Swidnik, Poland, to the Canaries via 11 fuel stops - the trip being made more difficult by severe snow storms in Poland, Germany and France. The three helicopters, registered EC-MJH (c/n 371010), EC-MJI (c/n 371011) and EC- MJJ (c/n 371012), are seen here on January 23, 2016 at Casarrubios del Monte near Madrid during one of the refuelling stops

The first MS-21 fuselage on the IAZ assembly line in Irkutsk. The narrowbody airliner is set to be rolled out in the first half of 2016, with its maiden flight before the end of the year.

Seen on at test flight from the Airbus Helicopters plant in Albacete, Spain, on January 19, 2016 is Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Udara (Indonesian National Defence - Air Force) AS332L2 Super Puma H-3204 (c/n 2565). The aircraft was nearly ready for delivery after a major overhaul; the helicopter arrived in Spain within a container on November 11, 2014.

The first A350-900 for Singapore Airlines takes off from Toulouse on its maiden flight early in February 2016. The aircraft was due to have been handed over to the airline in a matter of weeks.

Strike Fighter Squadron 32 (VFA-32) ‘Swordsmen’ is currently assigned to Carrier Air Wing 3 (CVW-3) and operates CAG-bird F/A-18F Super Hornet BuNo 166661/ACT00. The aircraft’s canopy has the names of Lt Jg Thomas Hudner and Ensign Jesse Brown applied. Hudner and Brown served with Fighter Squadron 32 in 1950 when the F4U Corsair-equipped unit was attached to the USS Leyte (CV-32). Lt Jg Hudner received the first US Navy Medal of Honor awarded in Korea for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while attempting to rescue Ensign Jesse Brown whose plane had been forced down behind enemy lines in the Chosin Reservoir area on December 4, 1950. Ensign Jesse Brown was the first black Naval Aviator, and the first Black American Naval officer to lose his life in combat. Ensign Brown was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Electronic Attack Squadron 130 (VAQ-130) ‘Zappers’ is currently assigned to Carrier Air Wing 3 (CVWS) and operates the EA-18G Growler. The squadron deployed its latest CAG-bird BuNo 168268/AC500 to Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada during the air wing’s recent detachment to the desert base.

Family of the crew at the return of the EC 2/4 Mirage 2000Ns at BA125 Istres on February 1, 2016.

On January 29, 2016, the Tactical Leadership Programme Flying Course 2016-1 at Albacete Air Base, Spain remembered the 11 airmen lost in the tragic accident of a Hellenic Air Force F-16 a year ago. Three days earlier, two Mirage 2000Ds participating in the course from BA133 Nancy-Ochey were painted with nine white stars and the motto ‘26.01.2015' on their tails in order to remember the nine Nancy airmen lost in the fatal crash.

The X-2 ShinShin at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industry plant at Komaki, Japan, during the roll-out ceremony on January 28, 2016.

Strike Fighter Squadron 192 (VFA-192) ‘Golden Dragons' is currently assigned to Carrier Air Wing 9 (CVW-9) and operates CAG-bird F/A-18E Super Hornet BuNo 165782/NE300. The blue and gold colour scheme features the squadron’s abbreviated motto SSHWFGD on the tip of the tail and on the centre line drop tank. The unabbreviated motto is Super Sh*t Hot World Famous Golden Dragons.

Alaska Airlines has unveiled its first major rebrand for a quarter of a century. The carrier s distinctive new livery introduces a revised colour palette, a refreshed wordmark and a reworked version of the Eskimo face on the tail. The first aircraft to receive the new colours is Boeing 737-800 N563AS (c/n 35180), pictured inside the hangar on the livery’s unveiling, which features Aviation Partners Boeing Split Scimitar Winglets.

KC-767A MM.62228/14-03 transfers fuel to F-35A Lightning II MM.7332/32-01 during one of seven air refuelling brackets undertaken during 11 hours of flying between Cameri Air Base, Italy and Naval Air Station Patuxent River on February 5, 2016.

Luftforsvaret Bell 412SP 144 returns to Knook Camp following a high-altitude, low-opening parachute jump conducted from 12,000ft over SPTA just minutes before. The four Norwegian helicopters were assigned to 339 and 720 Squadrons based at Bardufoss and Rygge respectively. They primarily operated at night throughout the exercise.

F-35A Lightning II MM.7332/32-01 in the pre-contact position behind KC-767A MM.62228/14-03 during the second leg of its historic trans-Atlantic flight to Naval Air Station Patuxent River on February 5, 2016.

Aeronautica Militare Italiana F-35A Lightning II, MM.7332/32-01 (c/n AL-01) touches down on runway 06 at Naval Air Station Patuxent River on February 5, 2016. This was the first time an F-35 assembled overseas had landed in the United States.

Officers from the Aeronautica Militare Italiana F-35 program office with Major Gianmarco, the pilot who flew the F-35 Lightning II across the Atlantic Ocean for the first time.

Amid rough conditions in the German Bight area of the North Sea, a HTM Offshore H145 undertakes a trial of operating from offshore platforms.

29 января 2016г. в Рентоне (шт. Вашингтон) взлетел новый среднемагистральный пассажирский самолет Boeing 737 MAX 8, оснащенный новейшими двигателями CFM International LEAP-1B, усовершенствованными законцовками крыла Advanced Technology и рядом новых бортовых систем. Ожидается, что Boeing 737 MAX 8 будет потреблять на 20% меньше топлива, чем первые модели Boeing 737 NG (Next Generation), а также иметь сниженные на 8% эксплуатационные расходы на одного пассажира по сравнению с Airbus A320neo. Первая поставка запланирована на третий квартал 2017 г. в американскую компанию Southwest Airlines
The first Boeing 737 MAX, N8701Q (c/n 42554), named Spirit of Renton, climbed to 25,000ft during its first flight, with its route taking it to the west of Seattle.

The initial test flight, which started here at Renton Field and ended at nearby Boeing Field, lasted two hours and 47 minutes.

Boeing is targeting the first 737 MAX delivery to Southwest Airlines for the third quarter of 2017.

A mock-up of the Yak-152 with the undercarriage retracted. The high-performance piston-engine trainer is set to make its maiden flight in the first half of 2016.

Lufthansa putting its first A320neo into service on a rainy morning on flight LH100 from Frankfurt to Munich was a low-key affair. The neo's PW1100G-JMs are the major external difference from A320ceos.

Lufthansa became the A320neo’s launch customer after Qatar Airways refused to accept its first aircraft, reportedly due to shortcomings of the new PW1100G-JM engines.

Lufthansa’s A320neos have 180 seats, 12 more than the carrier's current A320s.

The first Airbus A321neo completed its maiden flight from Hamburg, Germany, on February 9. 2016, marking another milestone in the A320neo family programme. The aircraft, registered D-AVXB (msn 6839), completed a five-hour, 29-minute flight during which tests were performed on the engine speed variation and systems behaviour and to validate the flight envelope. The aircraft will perform a partial flight test programme in the coming months to validate the impact on handling qualities, performance and systems. The first A321neo will be delivered at the end of 2016.