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We now have our first look at an actual prototype of General Atomics' YFQ-42A 'fighter drone.' U.S. Air Force

Our First Look At The YFQ-42 ‘Fighter Drone’ Collaborative Combat Aircraft

General Atomics’ YFQ-42A and Anduril’s YFQ-44A, the two initial CCA designs for the Air Force, are set to fly for the first time later this year.

Latest News

Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. David Allvin today discussed the potential of a new version of the prolific F-16, a so-called Block 80, as a way of increasing the combat mass of the service in the future. While the Air Force doesn’t at this point have a plan to start buying Vipers again, it’s certainly interesting that the topic is up for discussion, especially with the service looking hard at how it will balance its next-generation fighter requirements, while introducing the F-47 crewed stealth fighter and Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones.
U.S. Air Force

Air Force Chief Responds To Possibility Of Buying New ‘Block 80’ F-16s

The Air Force is still facing an aging fighter fleet and its top officer said loyal wingman drones won’t solve the problem alone.

The U.S. Air Force is now actively exploring what it would take to turn an already heavily-modified 747-8i airliner from Qatar into a platform that can meet extremely stringent requirements to serve in the Air Force One role.
Air Force One

Plans To Modify Qatari 747 Into Air Force One Now Being Drawn Up By USAF

The USAF is moving forward with coming up with requirements for turning the secondhand 747 into an aircraft able to securely carry the president.

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Jordan Green, 67th Fighter Generation Squadron crew chief, marshals an F-15E Strike Eagle during an elephant walk at Kadena Air Base, Japan, May 6, 2025. Directly after, the 18th Wing generated real-time sorties to strengthen Kadena’s readiness to defend Japan. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman James Johnson)
U.S. Air Force

Additional F-15E Strike Eagles Arrive In Diego Garcia

The multi-role fighters were sent to protect the island stronghold and its B-52 guests amid evolving threats.

MOSCOW, RUSSIA - MAY 14 (RUSSIA OUT) Russian President Vladimir Putin enters the hall during a Russian-Malaysian bilateral meeting at the Grand Kremlin Palace, May 14, 2025 in Moscow, Russia. Prime Minister of Malaysia arrived in Moscow for 4-day official visit to Russia. (Photo by Contributor/Getty Images)
Ukraine

Trump Tries To Spur Sputtering Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks With Flurry Of Calls

While there is a renewed optimism after the U.S. and Russian leaders spoke, Russian statements have not matched actions so far during Trump’s attempt at detente.

Russia has followed Ukraine’s lead in adapting the propeller-driven Yak-52 primary training aircraft as an ad-hoc drone-killer. The Yak-52B2 includes a sensor turret to help detect long-range one-way attack drones and has a shotgun mounted under the wing for shooting them down. While it appears that Ukrainian Yak-52s have had some success in the counter-drone role, the appearance of the Yak-52B2 provides more evidence of the pressure that Ukrainian drone strikes are placing on Russia’s traditional air defenses.
Russia

Russia Testing Shotgun-Armed Yak-52 Trainer Aircraft To Down Ukrainian Drones

WWI-style air combat tactics applied to the drone problem have been proven by Ukraine and are now being adopted in Russia, but using shotguns is questionable.

The first production example of the new B61-13 nuclear bomb has been completed roughly a year ahead of schedule, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
U.S. Air Force

Far More Powerful B61-13 Guided Nuclear Bomb Variant Joins U.S. Stockpile

U.S. officials say adding the B61-13 bomb to America’s nuclear arsenal is key to holding certain underground and large area targets at risk.

F-15s deploy to Diego Garcia to protect B-52s.
F-15

F-15s Deploy To Protect Diego Garcia

The F-15s are providing protection for the island base, which is currently hosting B-52s, amid rapidly developing threats from Iran and its proxies.

NANTWICH, ENGLAND - MAY 24: A general view outside of the former RAF Hack Green secret nuclear bunker on May 24, 2023 in Nantwich, England. Hack Green played a central role in the defence of Britain for almost sixty years. It was chosen during WW2 to protect the land between Birmingham and Liverpool from hostile attack and as a location for the new RADAR equipment. The bunker went on to be used for shelter and protection during the Cold War. As relations between East and West thawed many of the UK's nuclear bunkers were sold off. The Secret Bunker is now privately owned by the Siebert family and is run as a museum trust. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Bunker Talk

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

Concrete is the new drywall!

F-16 from Ukrainian Air Force.
Ukraine

Ukraine Situation Report: Third F-16 Viper Lost

Unlike the two prior crashes, the Ukrainian F-16 pilot in this incident survived.

More Latest News

F-35 was nearly downed by Houthi air defenses.

How The Houthis’ Rickety Air Defenses Threaten Even The F-35

Highly mobile Houthi SAM systems and ones that use passive infrared sensors present a vexing problem for even advanced U.S. combat aircraft.

F-47 has a range of 1,000+ nautical miles.

F-47 Now Has An Officially Stated Combat Radius Of 1,000+ Nautical Miles

We have gotten our first official basic specifications for the Air Force’s Next Generation F-47 fighter and its accompanying drones.

A U.S. F-35 stealth fighter had to take evasive action to avoid being hit by a Houthi SAM, a U.S. official told The War Zone.

F-35 Had To Maneuver To Evade Houthi Surface-To-Air Missile: U.S. Official

The incident took place during Operation Rough Rider, the enhanced bombing campaign against the Houthis launched by Trump on March 15.

U.S. President Donald Trump again justified accepting a gifted 747-8 from Qatar to serve as a temporary Air Force One, but can it meet safety and security requirements?

Turning Qatar’s Gifted 747 Into Air Force One Will Be Anything But Free

Trump rightly said only “a stupid person” would turn down the free Qatari jet, but transforming it into Air Force One for a few years of service doesn’t appear realistic.

Ukraine’s military intelligence service has released details of a new Russian cruise missile, the S8000 Banderol, which it claims makes extensive use of components sourced from foreign manufacturers, including in the United States. Unusually, the missile was apparently developed for launch from drones and has reportedly already been used in combat in the war in Ukraine.

New Small Russian Cruise Missile Captured By Ukrainian Intelligence

Lightweight, low cost, and reportedly full of foreign components, Russia’s Banderol cruise missile has emerged on the battlefield in Ukraine.

BRDY MILITARY BASE, CZECH REPUBLIC - MARCH 28: A part of the abandoned bunker complex that formerly belonged to the Soviet military on the Brdy reservation near Mirosov on March 28, 2007 near Plzen, Czech Republic. The site which was visited by US experts, may become the new location of an American radar installation that will be used for the pupose of anti-missile defense. (Photo by Kurt Vinion/Getty Images)

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

That’s not snow pal…

Chinese-Made PL-15 Air-To-Air Missile Components Came Down Intact Inside India

Chinese-Made PL-15 Air-To-Air Missile Components Came Down Intact Inside India

Pakistani use of PL-15Es against Indian fighters opens up a new vector for intelligence exploitation on one of China’s most threatening missiles.

The U.S. Army has incorporated special operations-specific requirements into the design of its Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) tiltrotor, which has led to an unspecified increase in gross weight.

Army’s Future Tiltrotor Gets Heavier So It Can Rapidly Convert Into Special Ops Variant

Turning UH-60s into Night Stalker MH-60s is a complicated process, and the hope is to avoid that with the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft.

Satellite imagery indicates that there are now 10 U.S. heavy bombers – six stealthy B-2s and four B-52s – on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.

B-52s Join B-2s On Diego Garcia,10 Bombers Now At Indian Ocean Island

This is the most bombers seen at Diego Garcia for many years, but it’s very likely that at least some of the B-2s will rotate back home soon.

Pakistan claims it downed more than two dozen Israeli-made Harop drones as the conflict with India intensifies.

Israeli-Made Harop Attack Drones Launched By India By The Dozens, Pakistan Claims

Evidence points to the potential use of long-range loitering munitions by India to attack air defenses in Pakistan.

Red Cat drone interview.

We Talk About The U.S. Army’s New Black Widow Short-Range Recon Drone With Red Cat

As the U.S. military works to catch-up to major unmanned warfare trends on the battlefield, companies like Red Cat are stepping in.

L3Harris Sky Warden test aircraft for the OA-1K Skyraider II program for the Air Force Special Operations Command.

OA-1K Skyraider II Walk-Around Tour With Its Test Pilot

We get an up-close look at L3Harris’ Sky Warden, which is based on the AT-802 Air Tractor and is branded Skyraider II by the Air Force.

Stealthy Special Operations Speedboats Are Getting Kamikaze Drone Launchers

Stealthy Special Operations Speedboats Are Getting Kamikaze Drone Launchers

The Navy’s future Combatant Craft Medium Mk 2s will gain the ability to launch long-range strikes on their own.

Hornet crashed aboard the USS Harry S Truman

Super Hornet Crashes Landing On USS Truman, Its Second F/A-18 Loss In A Week

USS Harry S. Truman has been striking the Houthis, with the other F/A-18 rolling off the deck during an attack on the ship by the rebels last week.

India Strikes, Pakistan Responds, Claims Of Aircraft Losses Mount (Updated)

India Strikes, Pakistan Responds, Claims Of Aircraft Losses Mount (Updated)

Indian attacks on targets inside Pakistani-controlled territory prompted an immediate reaction, and there are fears of further escalation.

The Black Arrow, which is intended to carry a range of different payloads and not just a kinetic warhead, arrives at a time when the Pentagon is looking at harnessing the potential of lower-cost weapons that can be readily produced at scale to meet the likely demands of future conflicts.

AC-130 Gunship-Launched Black Arrow Small Cruise Missile Has A 400-Mile Range

Leidos is looking at also making the Black Arrow available for ground and sea-based launch platforms, from HIMARS to warships.

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