More from Joseph Trevithick (Page 10)

Updated on Feb 26, 2025

Airborne Radar

China’s Massive WZ-9 Divine Eagle Drone Now Operating From South China Sea Base

By Joseph Trevithick, Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Feb 25, 2025

Aircraft Carrier USS Harry S. Truman Back At Sea After Collision Repairs

Posted on Feb 24, 2025

Su-57

Su-57 Felon’s First Visit To Iran Seen In Satellite Imagery

Posted on Feb 24, 2025

A rare Chinese naval drill with a previously unannounced live-fire component has disrupted air traffic over and around the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand.

Australia

China’s Sudden Live Fire Naval Drills Off Australia Rattle Canberra

Updated on Feb 21, 2025

New Hypersonic Strike-Recon Aircraft Effort Eyeing Prototype Development By 2030

Posted on Feb 20, 2025

A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon flies a presence patrol over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Feb. 11, 2025. As a highly maneuverable and agile platform with a proven record in air-to-air combat and air-to-ground attack, the Fighting Falcon is well-equipped to engage with threats to regional security and deter further aggression in the AOR. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jackson Manske)

F-16

F-16s With Larger Laser-Guided Rocket Loads, Drone Kill Marking Emerge Over Middle East

Posted on Feb 19, 2025

Satellite imagery shows the extent of the massive amount of work that has been done in the past year to restore more than 20 million square feet of runways and other World War II-era infrastructure at historic North Field on the U.S. island of Tinian in the Western Pacific.

Massive WWII B-29 Bomber Base Fully Reclaimed For Future Pacific Fight

Posted on Feb 19, 2025

The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is reportedly flying unarmed MQ-9 Reapers inside Mexican airspace to snoop on drug cartels.

Q-9

CIA MQ-9 Reapers Are Covertly Spying On Mexican Drug Cartels: Reports

Updated on Feb 18, 2025

The U.S. Navy has released a picture of a U.S. Marine Corps AH-1Z Viper Attack helicopter with a previously unseen long-range missile armament.

AH-1

AH-1Z Attack Helicopter’s New Long Range Missile Seen For The First Time

Updated on Feb 17, 2025

Aircraft Carrier USS Harry S. Truman In Greece For Repairs Following Collision

Posted on Feb 17, 2025

U.S. Air Force Gen. Gregory Guillot, the top American military officer overseeing operations in and around North America, has said he would welcome Canadian participation in expanding continental missile defense efforts, including in space.

F/A-18A-D

Canada Joining Iron Dome Missile Defense Plan Would Be Welcome: NORAD Boss

Posted on Feb 14, 2025

Collision Damage To Aircraft Carrier USS Harry S. Truman Seen In Photo

Updated on Feb 14, 2025

A vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft design that recently emerged at the Mojave Air & Space Port in California, which TWZ was first to report on, has been identified. It is a full-scale technology demonstrator (FSTD) belonging to Hyundai subsidiary Supernal.

Future Vertical Lift

Mystery Tiltrotor Aircraft Spotted At Mojave Air And Space Port Identified

Updated on Feb 13, 2025

Aircraft Carrier USS Harry S. Truman Collides With Merchant Ship (Updated)

Posted on Feb 13, 2025

We now have our first look at the containerized Gravehawk surface-to-air missile system, which uses repurposed heat-seeking R-73 air-to-air missiles as interceptors, that the United Kingdom and Denmark have developed for Ukraine.

Surface-To-Air Missile Systems

Containerized SAM System That Fires Soviet Air-To-Air Missiles For Ukraine Breaks Cover

Posted on Feb 12, 2025

Future Vertical Lift

Mystery Tiltrotor Aircraft Emerges

Updated on Feb 12, 2025

KC-46

Tankers Flood Airspace Off The California Coast For China-Focused Air Combat Exercise

Posted on Feb 11, 2025

S-300

Rare Look At S-300V1 Surface-To-Air Missile Systems In Action In Ukraine

Updated on Feb 10, 2025

Indian Naval Collaborative Drone Concept Unveiled

Posted on Feb 10, 2025

Beirut bunker buster CCTV on hezbollah bunker

Israeli Air Force

Unprecedented New View Of BLU-109 Bunker Buster Strike That Killed Hezbollah’s Leadership

By Tyler Rogoway, Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Feb 7, 2025

A video showing testing of the Chinese GL-6 hard-kill active protection system underscores how systems like this to provide a valuable additional layer of defense against uncrewed aerial threats, including highly maneuverable first-person view (FPV) kamikaze drones, something TWZ has previously explored in an in-depth feature.

People's Liberation Army (China)

Chinese Tank’s Active Protection System Seen Intercepting Drone-Fired Rocket Propelled Grenade

Posted on Feb 7, 2025

Iran has finally shown a drone taking off and landing on – in the latter case with the help of arresting gear – the deck of the country's unusual new 'drone carrier,' the Shahid Bagheri. Newly emerged imagery also shows various drones and crewed helicopters on the flight deck, which has a ski jump at the bow end, including the appearance of 'drones' styled after the infamous Qaher 313.

Iranian Navy

Iran’s Wacky Aircraft Carrier Has Entered Service

Posted on Feb 6, 2025

The U.S. Air Force quietly fixed a problem with the integration of the 30,000-pound class GBU-57/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bomb onto the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber last year. As part of the integration work, the service also conducted an important test of a new "smart fuze" for the MOP to help improve the weapon's effectiveness, even when the exact depth and positioning of the buried target are not definitively known.

B-2

Massive Ordnance Penetrator Bunker Buster Grows More Potent

Updated on Feb 6, 2025

New information about serious and potentially dangerous deficiencies with the emergency ejection system on the U.S. Air Force's new T-7A Red Hawk jet trainer has been released.

T-38

New Details About T-7A Red Hawk Jet Trainer Ejection System Woes Emerge

Posted on Feb 5, 2025

RC-135

RC-135 Rivet Joint Surveillance Jet Just Flew Unprecedented Mission Off Mexico

Posted on Feb 4, 2025

The U.S. Marine Corps transition to the VH-92A Patriot as its only helicopter for use in the "Marine One" role shuttling the president, the vice president, their families, and their closest advisors around at home and abroad, is still underway and now we know it won't be done till 2030, at the earliest.

VH-3

VH-92 Patriot Fully Taking Over Marine One Duties Has Slipped To End Of Decade

Updated on Feb 4, 2025

A newly released U.S. Marine Aviation Plan shows the service is now looking at a successor to its MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotors actively enough to give it a name: the Next Generation Assault Support (NGAS) aircraft.

CV-22

Hunt For A MV-22 Osprey Successor For The Marines Has Begun

Posted on Feb 3, 2025

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has banned virtually all helicopter flights around Reagan National Airport and parts of the surrounding Potomac River. This comes in the tragic collision of a U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines CRJ700 airliner above the river on Tuesday night.

UH-60

Nearly All Helicopter Traffic Around Reagan National Airport Has Been Shut Down

Posted on Feb 1, 2025

Cheap Cruise Missile Program Set To Evolve Into Air-To-Air Drone Interceptor

Updated on Jan 31, 2025

UH-60

Mid-Air Collision Shines Light On Doomsday Plans For Nation’s Capital

Posted on Jan 30, 2025

A commercial airliner collided with a Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River.

H-60

Chilling Air Traffic Control Audio From H-60 Collision With CRJ700 Over Potomac River (Updated)

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway, Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Jan 30, 2025

Carrier Air Wing’s Key Priorities To Win In Future Pacific Fight Laid Out By Navy

Posted on Jan 30, 2025

U.S. Air Force F-16 Vipers have been using 70mm laser-guided rockets to down Houthi drones during operations in and around the Red Sea in the past year.

F-16

F-16s Have Been Using Laser-Guided Rockets To Shoot Down Houthi Drones

By Joseph Trevithick, Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Jan 29, 2025

U.S. Homeland

Weaponizing Space Key To Trump’s Iron Dome Missile Defense Shield Vision

Posted on Jan 28, 2025

The U.S. Air Force has dramatically plussed-up contracts with General Electric and Pratt & Whitney, both of which now have a ceiling of $3.5 billion, to continue work on prototype next-generation jet engines.

NGAD

Billions For Next Generation Fighter Jet Engines Greenlit By Air Force

Posted on Jan 28, 2025

Syria

Russian Withdrawal From Prized Syrian Naval Base Now Underway

Posted on Jan 27, 2025

The U.S. Air Force's XQ-67A drone is set to receive modifications and upgrades to demonstrate its ability to perform certain missions as part of a program called Demon Ape.

XQ-67 Getting Overhauled With New Capabilities As Part Of Demon Ape Program

Posted on Jan 24, 2025

F-35 AI-Enabled Drone Controller Capability Successfully Demonstrated

Posted on Jan 23, 2025

F-22

F-22 Raptor To Get Distributed Infrared Search And Track System

Posted on Jan 22, 2025

Cheap Cruise Missile Paired With Affordable Seeker From Ship-Killing Smart Bomb Eyed By USAF

Posted on Jan 22, 2025

The U.S. Army is moving to establish a second production source for barrels for 155mm M777 towed howitzers in response to what it calls "unprecedented demand" from Ukraine.

M777 155mm Howitzter

Ukraine Is Burning Through 155mm M777 Howitzer Barrels So Fast The U.S. Army Can’t Keep Up

Posted on Jan 21, 2025

The U.S. Navy's use of expendable Nulka decoys in combat has highlighted the need to expand the ability of its ships to launch off-board decoying electronic attacks, including ones lasting tens of minutes or more.

Drones

Nulka Combat Use Shows Warships Need Longer-Lasting Electronic Warfare-Enabled Decoys

Posted on Jan 20, 2025

Littoral Combat Ship Can Now Rapidly Shoot Down Aerial Drones With Hellfire Missiles

Posted on Jan 17, 2025

Newly released pictures offer the first real look at the four new large launch tubes for firing Intermediate-Range Conventional Prompt Strike (IRCPS) hypersonic missiles now installed on the U.S. Navy's stealth destroyer USS Zumwalt.

First Look At Stealth Destroyer’s Hypersonic Missile Launchers

Posted on Jan 16, 2025

General Atomics has offered a look at a new air-to-surface missile it is developing.

Air-To-Ground

New Air-Launched Cruise Missile Teased By General Atomics

Posted on Jan 15, 2025

An image has appeared showing a Chinese commercial roll-on/roll-off (RO/RO) ferry linked to a temporary pier via a barge with jack-up supports. This follows the emergence of satellite imagery showing multiple similar, but different jack-up barges in various stages of construction at a shipyard in southeastern China.

People's Liberation Army Navy (China)

Chinese Barge Usable For Potential Taiwan Beach Landings Seen In Action In New Image

Posted on Jan 15, 2025

Air Force Predicts Enemy Anti-Air Missiles With 1,000-Mile Range By 2050

By Thomas Newdick, Tyler Rogoway, Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jan 14, 2025

A greater focus on long range strike capabilities is among the alternatives the U.S. Air Force is considering to a costly new crewed sixth-generation stealth combat jet as part of its Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) family of systems. A lower-cost design focused primarily on acting as a 'quarterback' for Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones is also still on the table.

$20 Billion Price Tag To Complete Development Of USAF’s Next Generation Fighter (Updated)

Posted on Jan 13, 2025

The second tranche of U.S. Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones could be between 20 to 30 percent more expensive per airframe than those in the first batch.

Second Batch Of Air Force CCA Drones Could Be 20 To 30 Percent Pricier Than The First

Posted on Jan 10, 2025

The U.S. Navy's Ohio class guided missile submarine USS Michigan made notable use of uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUV) in the course of operations between October 2022 and January 2024 it has emerged. During that time, the boat and its crew completed at least three secretive "national security" missions, as well as ones involving special operations forces, "in hostile and challenging environments."

Ohio Class (SSGN variant)

Ohio Class Guided Missile Submarine Deployed Underwater Drones On Award Winning Secret Missions

Posted on Jan 9, 2025

The arsenals of the U.S. Air Force's F-15E Strike Eagle and F-15EX Eagle II combat jets look set to grow with the addition of stealthy AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASM).

F-15

Stealthy AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles To Arm F-15EX, F-15E

Updated on Jan 9, 2025

A new independent report says that U.S. airbases have been left worryingly vulnerable, especially in the Indo-Pacific region, by a lack of investment in new hardened aircraft shelters, or even unhardened ones.

Lack Of Hardened Aircraft Shelters Leaves U.S. Airbases Vulnerable To China New Report Warns

Posted on Jan 8, 2025

More new variants of the B61 nuclear gravity bomb could be on the horizon for the U.S. military.

Bunker Busters

Hints At More B61 Nuclear Bomb Variants In The U.S. Military’s Future

Posted on Jan 7, 2025

A recent satellite image shows what looks to be yet another fighter-esque airframe or test article at Shenyang's main plant in the city of the same name in China.

UCAVs

Tailless Fighter-Like Airframe Appears At Chinese Jet Manufacturer Shenyang’s Main Plant

Posted on Jan 7, 2025

F/A-18E/F

Murder Hornet Nickname For F/A-18s Equipped With Nine Air-To-Air Missiles Now Official

Posted on Jan 6, 2025

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has reportedly acquired a version of the 6.8x51mm M250 light machine gun that Sig Sauer developed for the U.S. Army, but chambered to fire the NATO-standard 7.62x51mm round.

Machine Guns

Israel Buys 7.62x51mm Version Of U.S. Army’s New Sig Sauer M250 Light Machine Gun: Report

Posted on Jan 3, 2025

Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs)

Chinese Underwater Sea Glider Drone Caught By Fisherman In The Philippines

Posted on Jan 2, 2025

The U.S. Air Force sent at least 39 A-10s to the boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona this year, more than double the number of Warthogs it sent into mothballs in 2023.

A-10

39 A-10 Warthogs Went To The Boneyard This Year, More Than Double Over Prior Year

Posted on Dec 31, 2024

Russian Air Force

Signs Russian Fighter Jets Still At Syrian Base, Top Rebel Leader Pushes Back On Total Exit For Moscow

Posted on Dec 30, 2024

Pictures have emerged of what looks to be the first known example of a new Chinese airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft based on the four-engine Y-20 cargo plane commonly referred to as the KJ-3000.

Airborne Radar

China’s New Domestically Developed Y-20 Airborne Early Warning Jet Spotted

Posted on Dec 27, 2024

China has held a launch ceremony for its first super-sized Type 076 amphibious assault ship, now named Sichuan, but the vessel does not look to have gone into the water yet. Chinese Internet capture via X

People's Liberation Army Navy (China)

China’s Monster Type 076 Amphibious Assault Ship Seen Like Never Before At Launch Ceremony

Posted on Dec 27, 2024

Russian forces have begun using improvised counter-drone buggies each armed with a weapon made up of 24 barrels that fire shotgun-like ammunition, as well as six AK-series infantry rifles on a single mount.

Counter-Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (C-UAS)

Anti-Drone Weapon With 24 Barrels Firing Buckshot-Like Rounds Emerges On Russian Buggies