The War Zone. Your daily source for military, defense, and geopolitics coverage.
UCAVs
X-BAT Autonomous VTOL ‘Fighter’ Looks Dramatically Different
Development of X-BAT is accelerating, including the use of a thrust vectoring nozzle from an experimental F-16 that was borrowed "Indiana Jones style."
Latest News
Trump Extends Ceasefire Deadline (Updated)
Interdicting the oil tanker M/T Tifani in the Indian Ocean marks a new tactic in the economic war against Iran, one that was foreshadowed just days ago.
USS Spruance Blasting A Ship With Its Deck Gun Is A First In Nearly Four Decades
The Navy hasn’t struck another ship in anger with its deck gun since 1988.
Patriot PAC-3 Missiles To Arm Navy Arleigh Burke Class Destroyers
The Navy has awarded a contract to integrate PAC-3 MSE with the Aegis Combat System and wants to buy 405 of the missiles in Fiscal Year 2027.
MQ-9B SeaGuardian Ready For Teaming With P-8 Poseidon
Branded Content: General Atomics has developed the MQ-9B as an all-round maritime patrol drone and a companion to the P-8.
Northrop Defends Ability To Build F/A-XX 6th Gen Naval Fighters If Selected
The Navy’s top officer said yesterday that an unnamed contractor “really can’t deliver” on F/A-XX “in the timeframe we need it.”
Navy Fires Drone-Frying LOCUST Laser From Supercarrier USS George H.W. Bush
Lasers remain very limited in their range and how fast they can down targets, but they still can be an important layer in a warship’s defenses.
F/A-XX Next Gen Naval Fighter Concept Video Emerges From Northrop Grumman
We see a lot more of Northrop Grumman’s F/A-XX tailless naval fighter concept in the new video, including some interesting features.
F-35s Quarterbacking Drones Seen As Gateway To USMC’s 6th Gen Fighter
Collaborative Combat Aircraft will “bridge” the Marines to a family of new capabilities that could include a new stealth fighter based on F/A-XX.
SNC Gives Details Of Its Clean-Sheet Freedom Trainer Offering To The U.S. Navy
Branded Content: New trainer designed as a “no-compromise” solution that aims to save significant money for U.S. Navy aviator training.
The H-60 Black Hawk Gunship Evolves With New Wings And Weapons
We get a close-up look and tour of the next armed H-60 Black Hawk evolution.
MV-75 Will Be Reconfigurable For Medevac Mission Via Kit, Not Purpose-Built Like HH-60
The Cheyenne II’s speed and range will usher in a major leap in the U.S. Army’s “dustoff” medical evacuation capability.
Cheap Interceptor Drones Proven In Ukraine Protected U.S. Troops Against Iranian Shaheds
The Army’s top official lauded the Merops drone’s performance defending against Iranian long-range kamikaze drones.
F/A-XX Stealth Fighter Selection To Finally Come By August: Navy’s Top Admiral
After being stalled in procurement purgatory, the Navy is set to move forward with its carrier-based 6th generation fighter.
Jet-Powered JDAM Tested From Navy Super Hornet
F/A-18s have trialed the JDAM-LR, a powered evolution of the JDAM that offers a relatively cheap cruise missile-like standoff strike capability.
Spitfire Completes Unique Formation Flights With Royal Air Force
To mark the 90th anniversary of the first flight of the legendary fighter, a Spitfire took to the skies with various frontline British aircraft.
Iran Peace Talks Hanging By A Thread After Tumultuous Weekend Near The Strait (Updated)
Trump said peace talks are on while Iranians say they aren’t after both the U.S. and Iran fired on vessels over the weekend.
Carrier Tracker As of April 20, 2026
Second American carrier strike group enters Central Command area of responsibility, third en route.
Iran Reopens Strait Of Hormuz, U.S. Blockade Continues (Updated)
These moves come as Trump claims the U.S. is helping Iran remove mines from the Strait.
More Latest News
Bunker Talk: Let’s Talk About All The Things We Did And Didn’t Cover This Week
“I shall look forward personally to exterminating you, Mr. Bond.”
Qatari 747-8i Gifted To Trump For Interim Air Force One Is Undergoing Test Flights
The 747 is being rushed into service and the Air Force now says it is expected to be delivered this summer.
U.S. Pursuing Iranian-Linked Ships All Over The World In Addition To Its Blockade (Updated)
The Joint Chiefs Chairman said the U.S. now has a global effort for going after ships related to supporting Iran.
Production Of AH-64 Apache’s New Counter-Drone Cannon Shell Ammunition Ramping-Up
The Army anticipates a five-fold increase in procurement of the XM1225 APEX ammo.
Wolf Pack Modular Mini Cruise Missiles Pitched For Apache, Black Hawk
Already building launched effects vehicles for the Marine Corps, L3Harris now wants to bring these capabilities to U.S. Army rotorcraft.
First Look At What A Night Stalker MV-75 Cheyenne Will Look Like
A new rendering shows an MV-75 with special operations-specific features like a radar, other sensors, and in-flight refueling capability.
Trump Downplays Chinese Concerns Over Iran War’s Impact On Its Oil Supplies (Updated)
The friction between the U.S. and China over disruption in energy shipments the war with Iran has caused remains a major issue.
Germany Is Now Airdropping Its Tiny Wiesel ‘Tankettes’
Already known for its agility and small size, dropping the Wiesel from A400M transports gives Germany’s airborne forces a new way of rapidly placing firepower forward.
CH-47 Chinook Air-Launching Swarms Of Drones Touted As Future Feature
Boeing also identifies growing interest in an optimally crewed version of the Chinook.
Army Names Its New MV-75 Tiltrotor Cheyenne II
First applied to a failed cutting-edge attack helicopter, the Cheyenne name returns for what is perhaps the Army’s most ambitious rotorcraft program yet.
U.S. Army UH-60M Black Hawk Tour And Mission Brief With Its Pilots
Branded Content: The UH-60M is a workhorse of the U.S. Army that can perform many duties, soon to include uncrewed battlefield support.
B-21 Raider Seen From Above For The First Time
A new image of aerial refueling trials gives us our first full overhead look at the B-21 and a glimpse at some very interesting features.
Navy MQ-4C Triton Surveillance Drone Crash In The Middle East Finally Confirmed
The MQ-4C had been flying over the Persian Gulf on April 9 when it suddenly disappeared from online flight tracking sites.
Navy Turns Around Ships Trying To Run Blockade Of Iran (Updated)
Meanwhile, CENTCOM says the blockade is working as communications between Washington and Tehran continue in hopes of more in-person talks.
Air Guard Warns Of Dire Consequences If At Least 72 Fighters Aren’t Bought Annually
Air National Guard leaders have called upon Congress to approve multiyear funding for 72 to 100 new fighters annually.
Angry Kitten Jamming Pod Testing On HC-130J Focuses On Receiving Threat Updates Via Satellite
Being able to rapidly reprogram Angry Kitten pods remotely based on the real-time threat environment would be hugely valuable.
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