The War Zone. Your daily source for military, defense, and geopolitics coverage.
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
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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 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.
Bunker Talk: Let’s Talk About All The Things We Did And Didn’t Cover This Week
Concrete is the new drywall!
Ukraine Situation Report: Third F-16 Viper Lost
Unlike the two prior crashes, the Ukrainian F-16 pilot in this incident survived.
Long-Range ‘Deep Precision Strike’ Missile To Be Developed By UK And Germany
The weapon, which targets a 2,000km range, is spurred by the Russian threat and could emerge as a ballistic or cruise missile.
Our Best Look Yet At Ukraine’s AIM-9 Sidewinder-Toting Magura-7 Drone Boat
A newly released video offers new views of the Magura-7 and offers more details about its capabilities.
More Latest News
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Pakistani use of PL-15Es against Indian fighters opens up a new vector for intelligence exploitation on one of China’s most threatening missiles.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
The Navy’s future Combatant Craft Medium Mk 2s will gain the ability to launch long-range strikes on their own.
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)
Indian attacks on targets inside Pakistani-controlled territory prompted an immediate reaction, and there are fears of further escalation.
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.
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….
