Kyiv said the French fighter, one of six in its air force, was performing a flight mission but was not shot down by Russian fire.

Photographer Javier Alonso de Medina Salguero captured the jaw-dropping moment a seagull smashed through the windshield of an $85 million fighter jet at a Spanish airshow at the San Javier Air

The pilot safely ejected from the aircraft and is now in stable condition, according to Ukraine's Air Force. A special commission has been appointed to investigate the incident.

French warplane maker Dassault Aviation raised questions over the future of a Franco-German-Spanish fighter jet project on Tuesday in a growing feud with Europe's Airbus over control of the futuristic program that combines traditional warplanes with automated drones.

NORAD said the exercise demonstrated its ability to conduct operations to ensure the defense of North America.

Western observers believe that North Korea still flies the Shenyang J-5 fighter jet, which is a version of the MiG-15 that first flew in 1956.

The head of French warplane maker Dassault Aviation called for clearer leadership and organisation of the SCAF/FCAS fighter programme and raised the possibility of leaving the Franco-German-Spanish project if an agreement could not be reached.

The British F-35B fighter jet, which made an emergency landing in India over a month ago, has returned to service following extensive maintenance. A UK engineering team completed repairs, and the aircraft has now flown to Darwin,