More from Joseph Trevithick (Page 6)

KC-135 AI Copilot testing
KC-135

KC-135 Tanker With Artificial Intelligence Copilot Set To Fly Next Year

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 12, 2024

Chinese Hypersonic Boost-Glide Vehicle Concept That Launches Its Own Weapons Emerges
Land-Based Conventional Hypersonic Weapons

Chinese Hypersonic Boost-Glide Vehicle Concept That Launches Its Own Weapons Emerges

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 11, 2024

Clearer views of a new Chinese trimaran uncrewed surface vessel (USV) have emerged, highlighting a number of interesting low-observable (stealthy) and other features.
China

China’s New Stealthy Trimaran Drone Ship: Our Best Look Yet (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Nov 9, 2024

The curious North Korean Type 73 machine gun is getting new attention as a result of the Hermit Kingdom's expanding support for Russia's war in Ukraine, which now includes the deployment of thousands of troops.
Around The Globe

North Korea’s Wacky Type 73 Machine Guns May Be Entering The Fight In Ukraine

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 9, 2024

The U.S. Navy recently used a drone control system now being installed on all its supercarriers to operate an actual uncrewed aircraft, a General Atomics Avenger, for the first time.
Avenger

MQ-20 Avenger First Drone Flown Using Navy’s Carrier-Based Control System

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 8, 2024

Massive Chinese Anti-Drone High-Power Microwave Weapon Emerges
Counter-Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (C-UAS)

Massive Chinese Anti-Drone High-Power Microwave Weapon Emerges

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 7, 2024

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

Skunk Works’ Latest Stealthy Tanker Concept Revealed

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 7, 2024

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.
Swarms

New Heavyweight Chinese Jet Drone Looks To Be A Swarm Mothership

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 6, 2024

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.
NGAD

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

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 6, 2024

Full Retirement Of Ticonderoga Cruisers On Hold, Trio To Remain In Service Into 2029
U.S. Navy

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

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 5, 2024

President Donald Trump's administration reportedly considered employing a secret Central Intelligence Agency system capable of "covertly (and nonviolently)" disabling ships, including very large ones, in some way, against Venezuela oil tankers.
South America

CIA Has Secret “Nonviolent” Way To Disable Large Ships: Report

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 4, 2024

The Army has racked up 170 kills with Coyote counter-drone interceptors in operational deployments globally.
U.S. Army

Army Coyote Drone Hunting Drones Have Scored 170 Combat Kills

By Joseph Trevithick, By Howard Altman

Posted on Nov 1, 2024

Lasers, Microwaves, Missiles, Guns Not On The Table For Domestic Drone Defense
Counter-Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (C-UAS)

Lasers, Microwaves, Missiles, Guns Not On The Table For Domestic Drone Defense

By Joseph Trevithick, By Howard Altman, By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Oct 31, 2024

The U.S. Navy plans to keep all 12 of its Flight I Arleigh Burke class destroyers in service beyond their originally 35-year expected service life.
U.S. Navy

Oldest Arleigh Burke Destroyers Get Reprieve, Service Extended Into 2030s

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 31, 2024

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) has released a rare picture of an F-16I fighter armed with four Rampage missiles, an adaptation of a ground-launched precision-guided artillery rocket.
F-16

Israeli F-16I Shown Loaded-Up With Four Rampage Stand-Off Missiles (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 30, 2024

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.
Anti-Tank Missiles

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

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 29, 2024

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.
People's Liberation Army Navy (China)

New Chinese Mystery Flattop Emerges

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 29, 2024

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.
HH-60

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

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 28, 2024

F-35 IDF
Around The Globe

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

By Howard Altman, By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Oct 26, 2024

B-21 Taking On Some Of NGAD Fighter’s Missions On The Table Air Force Says
Loyal Wingman

B-21 Taking On Some Of NGAD Fighter’s Missions On The Table Air Force Says

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 26, 2024

We have now gotten our first look at the Ghost Shark extra-large autonomous undersea vehicle (XL-AUV) underwater thanks to the Autonomous Warrior 2024 maritime autonomous capabilities demonstration in Australia.
Royal Australian Navy

Our First Look At The Ghost Shark Uncrewed Submarine Underwater

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 25, 2024

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.
Assault Rifles

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

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 25, 2024

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

B-21 Raider Fleet Size Under Review

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 24, 2024

The U.S. Navy is asking for new ideas about how to increase the unrefueled range of its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighters and EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft.
EA-18G

New Ways To Stretch F/A-18 Super Hornet’s Range Sought By Navy

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 23, 2024

The existence of a top-secret Israeli drone, referred to as RA-01 and used for covert missions, has emerged from an unauthorized disclosure of U.S. intelligence documents which have now been posted all over social media.
UCAVs

The Existence Of Israel’s Secret Stealth Drone Should Come As No Surprise

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 22, 2024

The U.S. Army is looking to give its still-in-development anti-tank guided 155mm artillery shells the ability to 'collaborate' with each other to help find their targets and otherwise be more effective.
Armies

Army Wants Its New Tank-Busting 155mm Artillery Shells To Work Cooperatively To Find Their Targets

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 18, 2024

The secretive Phoenix Ghost kamikaze drone developed by the U.S. Air Force to support Ukraine in its ongoing fight against Russia, has finally emerged from the shadows.
Switchblade

Secretive Phoenix Ghost Kamikaze Drones Rushed To Ukraine Finally Come Out Of The Shadows

By Thomas Newdick, By Rachel S. Cohen, By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 17, 2024

The U.S. Army's Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) tiltrotor is shaping up to be significantly different from the V-280 Valor from which it is derived, from its drive train to its fuselage design to the configuration of the seats inside the main cabin.
FLRAA

Army’s Future Vertical Lift Tiltrotor Will Differ Significantly From V-280 Valor It’s Based On

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 16, 2024

The U.S. Army is already interested in scaling down its new Typhon ground-based missile system, if possible, to help make it easier to deploy and operate.
U.S. Army

Army Looking To Shrink Typhon Missile System After Lessons Learned From First Deployment

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 15, 2024

U.S. President Donald Trump derided Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's offer to buy 10 Patriot air defense systems.
MIM-104 Patriot

New Patriot Missile Interceptor Axed By Army

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Oct 15, 2024

A new miniature electronic warfare jammer that is small and relatively low-cost enough to be a payload on loyal wingman-type drones and even expandable loitering munitions has hit the market from defense contractor Leonardo.
Airborne Electronic Warfare

BriteStorm Miniature Electronic Warfare System Can Allow Small Drones To Create Big Ghost Formations

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 14, 2024

Experimental Fly-By-Wire UH-60M Black Hawk To Become Autonomy Testbed
UH-60

Experimental Fly-By-Wire UH-60M Black Hawk To Become Autonomy Testbed

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 14, 2024

A new counter-drone focused variant of the 8x8 Stryker light armored vehicle armed with a laser directed energy weapon, laser-guided 70mm rockets, a 30mm automatic cannon, radars and other sensors has broken cover.
FIM-92 Stinger

Counter-Drone Stryker Armored Vehicle Armed With Lasers, Rockets, Guns Unveiled

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 11, 2024

Search For Barrett .50 Caliber Sniper Rifle Replacement Halted By SOCOM
Sniper Rifles

Search For Barrett .50 Caliber Sniper Rifle Replacement Halted By SOCOM

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 11, 2024

The US Air Force's Chief Scientist reportedly described the AGM-183A missile as the service's "most mature" hypersonic weapon, prompting new questions about whether that program's future.
ARRW

ARRW Hypersonic Missile Program Gets New Funding Despite Signs Of Cancellation

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 10, 2024

One of America's secretive X-37Bs is set to perform a series of maneuvers called aerobraking that will significantly change its orbit, which is said to be a first-of-its-kind event for the mini-space shuttle.
Anti-Satellite Capabilities

Secretive X-37B Spaceplane To Use Aerobraking Maneuvers To Rapidly Change Orbit

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 10, 2024

Orphaned A-29 Super Tucano Attack Planes Join USAF Test Pilot School Fleet
Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC)

Orphaned A-29 Super Tucano Attack Planes Join USAF Test Pilot School Fleet

By Thomas Newdick, By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 9, 2024

U.S. Air Force officials at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia are looking at installing anti-drone nets to help protect F-22 Raptor stealth fighters on the flightline.
F-22

Protective Nets To Shield F-22s Eyed For Airbase Swarmed By Mystery Drones

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Oct 9, 2024

Aurora Flight Sciences has released new renderings of an uncrewed fan-in-wing vertical take-off-and-landing capable demonstrator aircraft it is currently working on, as well as of a revised vision for a scaled-up stealthy cargo aircraft based on the same technology.
C-130

New Vision For Lift Fan Aircraft Family Grows From Special Operations X-Plane Program

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 9, 2024

Israeli defense contractor Rafael says it has developed a new version of its combat-proven Trophy active protection system (APS) that is better able to defeat top-down attacks including drones.
Armored Vehicles

Trophy Armored Vehicle Protection System Gains New Ability To Defeat Drones

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 8, 2024

Iran looks to have fielded a Chinese laser directed energy weapon capable of 'dazzling' drones or even destroying them in certain circumstances.
Counter-Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (C-UAS)

Chinese Laser Anti-Drone System Spotted In Iran

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 8, 2024

Israel marks the first anniversary of Hamas' infamous terrorist attacks last year, which touched off what the country's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has now described as a "war of resurrection."
Iran

Israel Expands Ground Operation In Lebanon As World Braces For Retaliation Against Iran

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 7, 2024

Mysterious M60 Machine Gun Contract Awarded By U.S. Army
Machine Guns

Mysterious M60 Machine Gun Contract Awarded By U.S. Army

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Sep 30, 2024

U-28 retirement
Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC)

Plans To Axe Special Operations Surveillance Planes Come Under The Microscope

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Sep 27, 2024

Imagery said to show the aftermath of a highly targeted air strike on a car in Lebanon has prompted questions about whether a previously unknown miniature munition designed to produce extremely little collateral damage may have been employed.
Air-To-Ground

Was A Mini “Sword Bomb” Just Used To Strike A Car In Lebanon?

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Sep 27, 2024

The U.S. Marine Corps says it has demonstrated new capabilities for operating future drones with high degrees of autonomy in expeditionary operations with another test flight of one of its stealthy XQ-58 Valkyries.
XQ-58

Third Marine XQ-58 Valkyrie Flight Test Uses Link 16 For Control

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Sep 26, 2024

For the first time in more than four decades, China has fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) out in the Western Pacific, ostensibly for training purposes.
ICBMs

First Chinese ICBM Test Into The Pacific In Decades Is A Big Deal (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Sep 25, 2024

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is looking to explore concepts for a new drone capable of lugging around up to 70,000 pounds of cargo, roughly twice what the U.S. Marine Corps' CH-53K King Stallion helicopter can lift.
CH-53K

Search For Cargo Drone That Can Lift Twice As Much As A CH-53K King Stallion Kicks Off

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Sep 25, 2024

Canadian authorities have released an image of an unidentified object that was shot down over the country's Yukon Territory by a U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth fighter in February 2023.
F-22

First Look At Mystery Object Shot Down Over Canada By F-22 Raptor Last Year

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Sep 25, 2024

The U.S. Air Force is interested in adding an active electronically-scanned array (AESA) radar to its X-62A test jet. The radar is part of larger plans to acquire a new modular sensor suite for the uniquely modified F-16 specifically to help expand its ability to support advanced autonomy developments.
Loyal Wingman

New Radar Sought To Help X-62A Test Jet Take Next Leap In Autonomy Testing

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Sep 24, 2024

Plans to slash F-16 aggressors at Nellis Air Force Base highlight broader questions about the future of the Air Force Viper fleets.
F-16

Aggressor F-16 Fleet Set To Be Slashed By Air Force

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Sep 23, 2024

Collins Aerospace has put forward a vision for what a high-end air combat engagement between the U.S. and Chinese armed forces, with the American side employing crewed fighters and Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drone wingmen, could look like in the future.
Loyal Wingman

What American Fighters And Their Drone Wingmen Fighting Chinese Jets Might Look Like

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Sep 20, 2024

The U.S. Air Force says the once-secretive Off-Board Sensing Station (OBSS) drone program has been fully folded into the service's Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) effort. General Atomics has already disclosed that its current CCA design is derived from the XQ-67 drone it developed for OBSS.
Loyal Wingman

Collaborative Combat Aircraft Program ‘Ingesting’ Modular Chassis Concept Pioneered By XQ-67 Drone

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Sep 20, 2024

The U.S. Air Force's top special operations officer says AC-130J Ghostriders will continue being armed with 105mm howitzers for the foreseeable future despite the gunships evolving to as focus shifts to preparing for high-end fights.
AC-130

AC-130J Ghostrider Gunships Will Keep Their 105mm Howitzers, For Now

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Sep 19, 2024

The U.S. Air Force and Northrop Grumman have expanded testing of the B-21 thanks to two ground test articles, which are being used to evaluate the bomber's core construction and the time it takes before certain parts break. The tempo of flight testing of the initial pre-production Raider is also growing, with the jet now sometimes taking to the skies twice a week.
B-21

B-21 Ground Test Airframes Join Flying Pre-Production Raider

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Sep 19, 2024

The U.S. Air Force has released new video footage of its first pre-production B-21 Raider stealth bomber undergoing flight testing.
B-21

New Look At B-21 Raider Stealth Bomber Flight Testing Released

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Sep 18, 2024

The U.S. Air Force is pushing ahead with experimentation that could lead to the transformation of KC-135 tankers into optionally crewed aircraft, as well as the development of other autonomous aerial refueling capabilities. U.S. military interest in autonomous airlifters, an area where China has been notably surging forward in the past few years, is also growing.
KC-135

Work Toward KC-135 Tankers That Fly Themselves, Uncrewed Cargo Aircraft Pressing Ahead

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Sep 18, 2024

Lockheed Martin's losing entry in the first increment of the U.S. Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drone program was a very stealthy design, the head of the famed Skunk Works advanced projects division has disclosed. The company is now expecting future CCA increments to revolve around proposals that might lean closer to not just being lower-cost, but maybe even expendable, to support a concept of operations that requires tolerance for very high losses.
Loyal Wingman

Skunk Works’ Losing Loyal Wingman Drone Was Very Stealthy “Gold Plated” Design

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Sep 18, 2024

The U.S. Air Force has no plans to acquire stealthy uncrewed combat air vehicles (UCAV) capable of operating with very high degrees of autonomy independently of crewed aircraft, at least in the near term publicly, despite surging Chinese developments in this domain.
UCAVs

No Flying Wing UCAVs Being Developed By U.S. Air Force While China Surges Ahead

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Sep 17, 2024

The U.S. Air Force's still evolving requirements for a next-generation aerial refueling 'system of systems' will directly impact the service's reassessment of plans for a new sixth-generation stealth 'fighter.' The Next-Generation Air-Refueling System (NGAS) effort will also inform work on a second tranche of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones.
Loyal Wingman

Future Stealth Tanker Plans Tied To NGAD 6th Generation Fighter’s Fate

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Sep 16, 2024

Russia putting tires on top of bombers and other aircraft was about confusing seekers with image-matching capability on incoming munitions, a senior U.S. military technologist has confirmed.
Air-To-Ground

Russia Covering Aircraft With Tires Is About Confusing Image-Matching Missile Seekers U.S. Military Confirms

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Sep 13, 2024

What appears to be one of the first looks at members of the German armed forces with new 5.56x45mm Heckler & Koch HK416 A8 rifles, also known as G95A1s, has come from an unexpected source: the U.S. Army. With help from the U.S. Army, the Germans have been stress-testing the guns in very hot and humid conditions at a facility in Panama and in the Arizona desert.
Around The Globe

Germany’s New HK416 Service Rifles Appear At Panama Test Site

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Sep 13, 2024

Israel raid
Iran

Israeli Commando Raid In Syria Sends A Message To Iran That Its Underground Bases Are Not Untouchable

By Howard Altman, By Tyler Rogoway, By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Sep 13, 2024

The U.S. Marine Corps legacy F/A-18C/D Hornets are getting a major boost in stand-off strike capability in the form of AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) cruise missiles
F/A-18A-D

Marine Legacy F/A-18 Hornets Getting Major Firepower Boost With JASSM Cruise Missiles

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Sep 12, 2024