Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works advanced projects division has put forward a new vision for a stealthy pilot-optional aerial refueling tanker. Air

Skunk Works’ Latest Stealthy Tanker Concept Revealed

The USAF is firming up requirements for a stealthy tanker to fit with its Next Generation Air Dominance ecosystem, which could change dramatically due to cost.

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Ukraine struck a Russian Caspian Sea military port for the first time.

Ukraine Hits Caspian Sea Port For The First Time

The military port is home to the Russian Navy's Caspian Sea Flotilla, several military units and is along routes Iran uses to ship weapons.

A new large jet-powered Chinese armed drone said to have a 10-ton maximum takeoff weight, or a mockup thereof, has emerged, and the design looks to be at least configurable to be a swarm mothership.

New Heavyweight Chinese Jet Drone Looks To Be A Swarm Mothership

The jet-powered Jiu Tian, which has its own surveillance and attack capabilities, is another intriguing addition to China's rapidly expanding stable of drones.

J-15T fighter jet arrives in Zhuhai ahead of the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, or Airshow China 2024, on November 6, 2024 in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province of China. The 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition will be held in Zhuhai from November 12 to 17.

China’s J-15T Enhanced Carrier-Based Flanker Officially Unveiled

Boasting advanced avionics, Chinese-made engines, and catapult launch compatibility, the J-15T will serve aboard all of China’s aircraft carriers.

The future outlook for the U.S. Air Force's top modernization efforts is even more uncertain after the service's civilian boss openly questioned the affordability of buying any combination of new stealth 'fighters,' advanced aerial refueling tankers, and highly autonomous drones.

Crisis Brewing Over Air Force’s Future Air Dominance Plans Which It Cannot Afford

There is worrisome uncertainty about the Air Force's ability to pay for next-gen fighters, stealth tankers, and drones.

A U.S. Navy F/A-18F and F-35, both assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 9, fly over the Point Mugu Sea Range in Southern California with a U.S. Air Force F-15 during Gray Flag 2024 on Sept. 24, 2024. Gray Flag is an annual large-force test event that brings the joint force together to test and evaluate multi-domain systems in a maritime environment, ensuring our nation’s warfighters are equipped with effective, interoperable systems that will help them deter aggression, protect our nation’s prosperity and security, and return home safely to their families. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Cmdr. Kory Hughs)

Navy Posts Its First AIM-174 Missile-Armed F/A-18F Super Hornet ‘Glamour Shots’

The F/A-18F was carrying a very heavy air-to-air loadout during a Gray Flag exercise mission over Southern California.

China’s J-35A Stealth Fighter Officially Breaks Cover

China’s J-35A Stealth Fighter Officially Breaks Cover

The J-35A's development has been a meandering one but now it's clear China's Air Force has interest and export possibilities are significant.

European cargo aircraft targeted in suspected Russian plot.

Suspected Russian Airplane Sabotage Plot Sparks Call For NATO Action

Camouflaged incendiary devices were allegedly shipped via air courier services by Russian operatives.

Full Retirement Of Ticonderoga Cruisers On Hold, Trio To Remain In Service Into 2029

Full Retirement Of Ticonderoga Cruisers On Hold, Trio To Remain In Service Into 2029

The Navy has backtracked on plans to decommission the last of its Ticonderoga class cruisers by 2027, but their reprieve will be short.

The arrival of two Su-57 Felon prototypes for the upcoming Airshow China has provided a good look at details of the next-generation fighter, although the most interesting has been a first up-close view of its small wing-root weapons bays. At TWZ we have previous examined this feature as well as the air-to-air missiles that are understood to be accommodated in the bays. While long known about, the weapons bays had long remained something of a mystery.

We Finally Get A Clear Look At The Su-57 Felon’s Side Weapons Bays

A clear view of the Su-57’s wing-root bays was seen for the first time after one of the jets arrived by An-124 at Airshow China in Zhuhai.

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Russia has launched a record number of Shahed drones at Ukraine.

Russia Firing Record Number Of Shahed-136s At Ukraine

Ukraine Situation Report: The massive spike in Shahed-136 use comes as Russia pauses the employment of its most capable long-range missiles.

Four soldiers in a captured German dugout

Bunker Talk: Let’s Talk About All The Things We Did And Didn’t Cover This Week

It's that time again, folks.

Ukraine's defenses in the east are buckling against intense Russian pressure.

Ukrainian Defenses In The East Are Buckling, Russian Advance Is Accelerating

Ukraine continues to lose ground in Donetsk as Russian forces grind their way through defenses.

NK Troops Ukraine

North Korea Gaining Modern Combat Experience Fighting Ukraine Is A Big Problem

If thousands of North Korean troops fight Ukraine, the Hermit Kingdom will gain the extremely valuable modern combat experience it badly lacks.

The U.S. Army pushed back the start of work on a new integrated active protection system (APS) and autoloader for its planned next-generation iteration of the M1 Abrams tank, or M1E3, into the current fiscal year.

Next-Gen M1 Abrams Tank’s Active Protection System, Autoloader Development Off To Delayed Start

The Army's vision for a substantially redesigned next-generation iteration of the M1 Abrams tank is slowly taking shape.

An example of an entirely new class of Chinese vessel with a large open flight deck has emerged at a shipyard in the southeastern end of the country.

New Chinese Mystery Flattop Emerges

The vessel, which appears to have been built very quickly, has features in line with an amphibious assault ship or small carrier.

A Russian-made, S-300 missile system drives in front of the officials' stand during a military parade marking the annual Iranian National Army Day in Tehran, on April 18, 2019. - Iran's President Hassan Rouhani called on Middle East states on April 18 to "drive back Zionism", in an Army Day tirade against the Islamic republic's archfoe Israel. Speaking flanked by top general as troops paraded in a show of might, Rouhani also sought to reassure the region that the weaponry on display was for defensive purposes and not a threat.

Israeli Strikes Knocked Out All Of Iran’s S-300 Air Defense Systems: Officials

The apparent destruction of the last three Iranian S-300s would pave the way for expanded Israeli airstrikes.

A total of 44 U.S. Army helicopters suffered various degrees of damage during a burst of extreme weather at Fort Carson in Colorado earlier this year.

Dozens Of AH-64, UH-60, and CH-47 Helicopters Were Damaged In Storm At Colorado Army Base

The Army has sought tens of millions of dollars to help pay for repairs of helicopters damaged at Fort Carson earlier this year.

IAF strikes Iran

Israel’s Reprisal Strike Carefully Calculated, Unclear If Jets Ever Flew Over Iran

The operation was a balancing act of risk mitigation and deterrence that aimed to weaken Iran's offensive and defensive capabilities.

F-35 IDF

Israel’s Retaliation Strikes On Iran Have Begun (Updated)

The response to a massive Iranian missile barrage on October 1st is now underway.

Civil protection expert Anatolii Koboziev shows around the bomb shelter of the Uzhhorod Vodokanal Communal Enterprise, Uzhhorod, Zakarpattia Region, western Ukraine, February 2, 2022. Serhii Hudak/ Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images.

Bunker Talk: Let’s Talk About All The Things We Did And Didn’t Cover This Week

Sit back, relax, discuss!

A TAURUS (Target Adaptive Unitary and dispensor Robotic Ubiquity System) KEPD 350 air-launched cruise missile, is on display during the press presentation at the International Aerospace Exhibition (ILA) in Schoenefeld, near Berlin, on June 3, 2024. The Aerospace Exhibition on aerospace industry, including aviation, space and defence, takes place at Schoenefeld Airport near Berlin and runs from June 5 to 9, 2024.

Germany Plans To Buy Advanced New Taurus Cruise Missiles: Report

Germany is seeking 600 examples of the new version of Taurus amid a resurgence of interest in conventional long-range strike in Europe.

A new report says the Russians provided targeting data to the Houthis to aid their attacks on Red Sea shipping.

Russians Helped Houthis Target International Shipping: Report

The Houthis' anti-shipping campaign diverted a lot of attention from Russia's war in Ukraine.

The U.S. Marines are testing a heavily automated targeting system that helps physically point standard infantry rifles in the direction of the target as a new option to help shoot down drones.

Marines Testing Counter-Drone Rifle Aiming System With Automatically Moving Stock

Automated targeting systems that can go on any rifle could help with the push to make every Marine a counter-drone defender.

U.S. pushed back against claim Israel will delay its retaliation strike over leaked documents.

U.S. Pushes Back On Claim Israel Delaying Iran Attack Over Document Leak

Israel has vowed to retaliate strongly against Iran for Iran's ballistic missile barrage and there are no firm signals it intends to back off.

The expected size of the U.S. Air Force's B-21 Raider fleet could change as part of an ongoing force structure review, according to the bomber's manufacturer Northrop Grumman.

B-21 Raider Fleet Size Under Review

The Air Force's official plan has been to buy 100 B-21 Raiders, but that could now be set to change, according to Northrop Grumman.

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The War Zone — also known by the shorthand TWZ — has become an essential resource for the defense industry, the national security community, and the interested public at large since it was launched in 2016.

 

From its early beginnings to the present day, TWZ’s purpose remains the same.

 

The site stands at the nexus of military technology, strategy, and foreign policy. As a full-spectrum defense news and analysis website, TWZ covers the air, sea, land, space, and cyber domains of warfare, with an infusion of geopolitical context and technological analysis to offer readers deeper, yet easy-to-consume, insights than what they will find anywhere else….

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