More from Thomas Newdick (Page 5)

The Israeli military said it had struck command centers belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and other domestic security forces responsible for “maintaining the regime’s stability.”
Iran

Israel Strikes Key Iranian Command And Control Sites In Tehran (Updated)

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Jun 23, 2025

A new photo provides our best view so far of the Shenyang J-35, China’s next-generation carrier-based fighter. It’s part of a relative flurry of imagery showing some of China’s latest military aircraft. In sharp contrast to the blurry or heavily edited shots we have become familiar with out of China in the past, these various higher-quality images provide a fascinating snapshot of the breadth of developments taking place right now in China’s military aerospace realm.
People's Liberation Army Air Force (China)

China’s J-35 Naval Stealth Fighter Seen Like Never Before

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 20, 2025

At least one Iranian ballistic missile impacted the port city of Haifa in northern Israel.
Iran

Iranian Ballistic Missiles Hit “Strategic Points” In Israeli Port City Of Haifa (Updated)

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Jun 20, 2025

B-2 bomber
Israeli Air Force

U.S. Decision On Striking Iran To Be Made In “Next Two Weeks” (Updated)

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Jun 19, 2025

Thirteen C-17 aircraft fly over the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia during low-level tactical training Dec. 20, 2005. The C-17s, assigned to the 437th and 315th Airlift Wings at Charleston AFB, demonstrated the Air Force's strategic airdrop capability.
C-17

Boeing In Talks To Restart C-17 Production

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 18, 2025

The Israeli military said on Wednesday that one of its drones had been downed by a surface-to-air missile while operating over Iran, AFP reports. An army statement said the drone “fell in Iran. No injuries were reported and there is no risk of an information breach.”
Iran

Israeli Hermes Drone Shot Down In Iran, Trump Ramps Up Threats To Tehran

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 18, 2025

ONE WAY EFFECTOR represents a trade-off between the need for mass and performance at lower cost to meet the challenges faced by armed forces in a high-intensity context. ONE WAY EFFECTOR is a new attrition proposition based on feedback from the armed forces, particularly from the conflict in Ukraine.
Air

Inspired By Ukraine War, Europe Is Developing Shahed-Style One-Way Attack Drones

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 17, 2025

A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft, assigned to the 100th Air Refueling Wing, refuels a U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II aircraft during exercise RAMSTEIN FLAG 2024 while flying over the coast of Greece, Oct. 4, 2024. RAFL24 demonstrates NATO unity and strength, as Allies across the Euro-Atlantic area train side by side in defensive and offensive air operations scenarios in support of the enduring commitment to shared values and ability to adapt to the emerging environment.
F-35A

U.S. Air Force Fighters Deploy To Reinforce Middle East

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 17, 2025

The latest addition to General Atomics' MQ-9B medium-altitude long-endurance drone family is set to be an airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) configured version.
Q-9

MQ-9B Airborne Early Warning Variant Could Fill Major Aerial Surveillance Gaps

By Thomas Newdick, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Jun 17, 2025

The Israeli military claims it has destroyed one third of Iran’s long-range surface-to-surface missile launchers since the start of the conflict. For now, however, Iran is still launching missile strikes against Israel, with overnight attacks having killed at least eight people, according to Israeli sources.
Iran

One Third Of Iran’s Long-Range Missile Launchers Destroyed, Israel Claims (Updated)

By Thomas Newdick, Howard Altman

Posted on Jun 16, 2025

Iran and Israel continue to trade blows late on Saturday and into Sunday. On the Israeli side, the strikes constitute the latest phase of Operation Rising Lion, a campaign designed to destroy Iran’s nuclear capability and long-range weapons capacity. For its part, Tehran continues to launch barrage of retaliatory missile strikes at Israel, with reportedly killed at least 10 people and injured more than 100 overnight.
Iran

IAF Destroys Iranian Aerial Tanker 1,400 miles From Israel, Farthest Strike Yet (Updated)

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Jun 15, 2025

Israeli officials are warning that the strikes that began to be launched against Iran overnight are just the start phase of a wider operation.
Israeli Air Force

Israel’s Operation To Destroy Iran’s Nuclear Program Enters New Phase (Updated)

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Jun 13, 2025

Israel hand commando teams inside Iran attack air defenses
Air

Israeli Commandos Attacked Iranian Air Defenses With Drones From Inside The Country: Report

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Jun 13, 2025

A Dassaullt Rafale fighter and two Dassault Falcon business jets are on display 21 June 2001 at the 44th Paris-Le Bourget Air show, billed as the biggest ever event of its kind, bringing together 1800 exhibitors from the aviation industry from 43 countries.
Rafale

Rafale Reemerges With Conformal Fuel Tanks

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 12, 2025

More details have emerged about the problems the U.S. Navy is facing with its ill-starred podded Infrared Search And Track System, or IRST, an important capability planned for its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighters. The latest issues to be highlighted come after TWZ previously reported on delays caused by production quality issues with the system and a Pentagon assessment of “significant reliability problems during operational testing,” which emerged earlier this year.
F/A-18E/F

New Details On F/A-18 Super Hornet’s Troubled IRST Pod

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 11, 2025

AI JAS-36 gripen tests for long-range air-to-air combat are underway.
Gripen

Saab’s Gripen Tests AI In Long-Range Air-To-Air Engagements

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Jun 11, 2025

Newly emerged video footage purportedly shows the destruction of a Ukrainian drilling rig in the Black Sea by a supersonic cruise missile launched by a Russian Tu-22M3 Backfire-C bomber.
Anti-Ship Cruise Missile

Russian Cruise Missile Strikes Ukrainian-Controlled Black Sea Drilling Platform

By Thomas Newdick, Howard Altman

Updated on Jun 10, 2025

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has released photos showing two of its aircraft carriers operating simultaneously for the first time beyond the so-called First Island Chain in the western Pacific.
People's Liberation Army Navy (China)

Two Chinese Aircraft Carriers Are Operating Beyond The First Island Chain For The First Time

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 10, 2025

Newly released footage records the unique formation flight over Nevada’s Nellis Air Force Air Base last November, which brought together U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth fighters and Soviet-era MiG-21 and MiG-29 jets. The four-ship took to the skies to mark the passing of Col. Gail Peck (ret.), the former commander of the legendary 4477th Test and Evaluation Squadron “Red Eagles” that conducted highly classified missions using Soviet combat jets in the late 1970s and 1980s.
MiG-29

F-22s Fly Alongside MiGs To Commemorate Founder Of America’s Secret Soviet Fighter Squadron

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 9, 2025

Su-35 shot down in ukraine
F-16

Claims Swirl Around Russian Su-35S Flanker Shootdown

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 9, 2025

The Submarine Dismantling Project (SDP) finally started at Rosyth in December 2016, around 15 years behind schedule.
Air

A Royal Navy Nuclear Submarine Is Being Scrapped For The First Time

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 6, 2025

Germany plans to buy Joint Strike Missile (JSM) cruise missiles from Norway, to arm its forthcoming fleet of F-35A stealth fighters. While these jets were primarily chosen as launch platforms for U.S.-owned nuclear gravity bombs, under a long-standing NATO agreement, Germany is increasingly viewing the F-35A as part of an expanding conventional long-range strike arsenal.
F-35A

German F-35s Will Be Armed With Stealthy Joint Strike Missiles

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 5, 2025

The U.S. Navy’s F/A-XX sixth-generation combat jet program looks to have hit another setback, with the Pentagon reportedly prioritizing the Air Force’s F-47 stealth fighter, amid concerns about how to run the two efforts simultaneously. Already, the F/A-XX was in limbo, with a U.S. official telling TWZ last month that the future of the program was being reviewed. This came after reports that a contract award for the Navy’s new combat jet could be delayed by as much as three years. Navy officials, meanwhile, continue to stress the importance of the F/A-XX to their future plans.
F/A-18E/F

Pentagon Wants To Shift Funds From Navy F/A-XX To USAF F-47: Report

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 5, 2025

New satellite imagery and an official video has revealed more about the scale of destruction and damage inflicted on Russian airfields in Ukraine’s unprecedented covert drone attacks last weekend. Today, the Security Service of Ukraine, or SBU, which carried out the drone attacks, published previously unreleased drone footage showing the attacks underway.
Tu-22

Confirmed Losses Of Russian Aircraft Mount After Ukrainian Drone Assault

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Jun 4, 2025

North Korea looks to be making progress in recovering the second in its Choi Hyun class of frigates, which rolled over and was partially submerged after an incident at its launch ceremony last month.
North Korean Navy

Partially Submerged North Korean Frigate Appears Upright Again In Satellite Image

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Jun 3, 2025

Royal Navy wants to arm carriers with drones and long-range missiles
Royal Navy

Royal Navy To Arm Its Carriers With Long-Range Missiles

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 3, 2025

The future of Russia's bomber fleet after Ukraine's mass drone attack.
Tu-160

What Ukraine’s Unprecedented Drone Attack Means For Russia’s Bomber Force

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Jun 2, 2025

Boeing’s F-47 sixth-generation stealth fighter has been pitched to Japan by U.S. President Donald Trump, according to reports. The idea of an export-configured F-47 was brought up by Trump when he announced Boeing’s win in the U.S. Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) manned combat jet initiative. Meanwhile, Japan is apparently also looking at increasing its buy of F-35 fifth-generation stealth fighters, prompted by concerns over the timeline for the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), a sixth-generation combat jet being pursued jointly by Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
F-35

Trump Offers F-47 Sixth-Gen Fighter To Japan: Reports

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 30, 2025

Pilot-optional F-35 Joint Strike Fighters could be coming in the future as Lockheed Martin looks for ways to ensure the jets remain relevant for decades to come.
F-16

What We Just Learned A More Advanced “Ferrari” F-35 Could Include

By Thomas Newdick, Joseph Trevithick

Posted on May 30, 2025

Israel has used a new air defense laser to shoot down Hezbollah drones in the current conflict in the Middle East, it has been confirmed. What is described as an adapted version of the Iron Beam system made its combat debut last October and the definitive version should be fielded by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later this year, joining an already formidable, layered air defense network.
Lasers

Israel’s Iron Beam Laser Air Defense System Has Downed Enemy Drones

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 29, 2025

Saab of Sweden is pitching its GlobalEye multi-sensor surveillance plane to Canada, which is searching for a new airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) capability. While the GlobalEye will face stiff competition from the Boeing E-7 Wedgetail, which had been selected by the U.S. Air Force and NATO, among others, the Swedish solution will be combined with a Canadian-made Bombardier Global 6000/6500 airframe.
E-7

Saab GlobalEye Set To Challenge Boeing E-7 As Canada’s New Radar Plane

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 28, 2025

Announced today, the Quarterhorse Mk 1 first took to the air last week at Edwards Air Force Base, California, when it “achieved stable flight and landed smoothly,” according to the company. “Mk 1's flight validated our rapid, iterative approach to airplane development and advanced our mission to radically accelerate aviation,” Hermeus added.
Drones

First Flight For Quarterhorse Prototype That Aims To Lead To A Reusable Hypersonic Jet

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 28, 2025

Aircraft like the KJ-3000 help Chinese forces extend and support anti-access and area denial bubbles, including around the mainland, Taiwan, and the hotly contested South China Sea, as well as project power further afield.
Airborne Radar

China’s New KJ-3000 Airborne Early Warning Radar Jet Seen In Detail In New Image

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 27, 2025

The Aerial Armored Reconnaissance Vehicle (AARV), which was a two-seat scout. It was envisaged as a successor to the U.S. Army’s Hughes OH-6 Cayuse and Bell OH-58 Kiowa. These had been procured under the Light Observation Helicopter (LOH) program and saw extensive use in Vietnam.
Helicopters

These Heavily Armored Helicopters Were Pitched To The Army During The Cold War

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 24, 2025

North Korea sunken destroyer
Air

Aftermath Of Disastrous North Korean Frigate Launch Seen In Satellite Image (Updated)

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on May 23, 2025

A front view rendering of PA-Ng, dated 2022.
UCAVs

French Navy Offers Sneak Peek Of Its Future Carrier Air Wing

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 22, 2025

Russia is introducing new nuclear-tipped air-to-air missiles as part of an overall expansion of its nuclear forces, according to an assessment from the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency, or DIA. While nuclear-armed air-to-air missiles were part of the Soviet Union’s armory during the Cold War, their current status within the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS), is little-known, which makes the disclosure from this U.S. intelligence agency all the more intriguing.
Russian Air Force

Russia Fielding New Nuclear-Armed Air-To-Air Missiles: U.S. Intel

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 21, 2025

The U.S. Air Force is planning to return its F-15E Strike Eagles from RAF Lakenheath in England and consolidate its fleet stateside. Currently, the F-15Es in the United Kingdom are the only permanently forward-deployed examples of the aircraft, which remain the service’s first choice for a wide variety of critical missions around the globe.
F-15

F-15E Strike Eagles To Leave England For Good

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 21, 2025

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.
F-16

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

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 20, 2025

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.
Russian Air Force

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

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 19, 2025

MBDA missile concept
Air Force Munitions

Long-Range ‘Deep Precision Strike’ Missile To Be Developed By UK And Germany

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 16, 2025

As the dust settles, for now, on the latest clashes between India and Pakistan, it’s clear that the nations’ respective air forces played a very active role in the fighting. At this stage, details of what happened are still extremely hard to come by, with seemingly endless claims and counterclaims, especially around possible shootdowns, and very little in the way of verifiable facts about how the air-to-air engagements played out. However, many observers are already pointing to the potentially significant impact of the Pakistan Air Force’s Chinese-made Chengdu J-10C multirole fighters, as well as their vaunted PL-15 air-to-air missiles.
Indian Air Force

China’s J-10C Fighter: Separating Myth From Reality

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 15, 2025

Trump wants a twin engine F-35.
F-35

Trump Wants A Twin-Engine “F-55” Version Of The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 15, 2025

Ukraine has, apparently for the first time, released a video showing its use of the Soviet-era S-200 (SA-5 Gammon) long-range surface-to-air missile, a weapon that was apparently reinstated to service only after the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022.
Air

Our Best Look At Ukraine’s Reactivated S-200 Long-Range Surface-To-Air Missiles In Action

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on May 13, 2025

Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt General Rajiv Ghai with Air Marshal AK Bharti, Vice Admiral AN Pramod during a press conference on 'Operation Sindoor' at National Media Centre, on May 12, 2025 in New Delhi, India. Senior officers from the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force addressed the nation, revealing details of Operation Sindoor, a coordinated military strike carried out on May 7 targeting terror bases in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Punjab province. Officers confirmed that over 100 terrorists were killed during the operation. The strikes were launched in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people.
Indian Air Force

Claims Swirl As India And Pakistan Assess Results Of Latest Conflict

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on May 13, 2025

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.
Russian Air Force

New Small Russian Cruise Missile Captured By Ukrainian Intelligence

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on May 12, 2025

The U.S. Air Force’s new Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones are being developed around fundamentally different understandings of maintenance, logistics, and sustainment, with a heavier focus on commercial-off-the-shelf components, than the service’s existing crewed and uncrewed platforms.
Loyal Wingman

USAF Wants Collaborative Aircraft Fleet To Stress Parts Commonality For Forward Operations

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 9, 2025

Reports of the air war that’s been taking place between India and Pakistan in recent days suggest what may well be the most intense series of aerial engagements for decades. While it’s still very hard to obtain confirmed details of this combat, which some sources state has involved more than a hundred fighters simultaneously, we do, at least, know what kinds of air-to-air missiles (AAMs) are available to the Indian and Pakistan Air Forces.
Indian Air Force

The Air-To-Air Missiles That Equip India And Pakistan’s Fighters

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 8, 2025

The air war currently unfolding between India and Pakistan is exceedingly murky, but one aspect that seems almost certain is the use of the Chinese-made PL-15 active-radar-guided air-to-air missile (AAM) by Pakistan. So far, Pakistan claims to have shot down five Indian aircraft and at least one Indian official has reportedly confirmed the crash of three aircraft but cautioned that the reasons were not clear. Unverified imagery suggests that one of the Indian Air Force’s prized Rafale multirole fighters may have been shot down. Regardless, the fighting between the two nuclear-armed states is the most intense for decades, now with the growing risk of the situation spiraling further out of control.
Rafale

China’s PL-15 Air-To-Air Missile Appears To Have Been Used In Combat For The First Time

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on May 7, 2025

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.
Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC)

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

By Thomas Newdick, Howard Altman

Posted on May 6, 2025

Raytheon has begun test flights of its compact PhantomStrike radar, which features an active electronically scanned array (AESA) and gallium nitride (GaN) technology. Most significantly, the manufacturer claims that PhantomStrike — which has already been ordered by Poland — brings all the benefits of an AESA antenna at a much lower price point than other radars in its class.
Loyal Wingman

PhantomStrike Low-Cost Lightweight AESA Radar Flies For First Time

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 6, 2025

Small missile for CCA and fighter aircraft sought by USAF.
F-35

Air Force Looking For Cheap Air-To-Air Missile Half The Size Of AMRAAM

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 5, 2025

The planned live-fire sinking of a decommissioned warship at the Balikatan exercise in the Philippines was struck a blow after the ship in question sunk before navies had a chance to pummel it with weapons. The World War II-era corvette BRP Miguel Malvar (PS-19) was being positioned at the start of the exercise, which continued regardless, including other live-fire events.
Sea

Ship Sinks Just Before Being Pummeled With Weapons In Pacific Exercise

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on May 5, 2025

Procurement of the MQ-1C Gray Eagle for the U.S. Army may end, with the drone being among the platforms that the service could lose under a wide-ranging force-structure overhaul. The development comes as the drone’s manufacturer continues to develop modernized versions of the Gray Eagle, as well as add new equipment and capabilities.
Air

Stop Buying MQ-1C Gray Eagle Drones Army’s Top Leadership Decrees

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 2, 2025

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 07: U.S. President Donald Trump (R) speaks alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a model of Air Force One on the table, during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on April 7, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Trump is meeting with Netanyahu to discuss ongoing efforts to release Israeli hostages from Gaza and newly imposed U.S. tariffs. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Air Force One

Is An ‘Interim’ Air Force One Replacement Even Feasible?

By Thomas Newdick, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on May 2, 2025

F-16 Fighting Falcons sit in the boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. on Jul. 30, 2010. The 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group is converting F-16s into usable manned or drone targets allowing Air Force to train and test new weapons platforms in the process. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Desiree N. Palacios)
F-16

F-16s Pulled From U.S. Boneyard Are Being Delivered To Ukraine For Spare Parts

By Thomas Newdick, Howard Altman

Posted on May 1, 2025

Imagery has emerged showing North Korea’s heavily armed new frigate, the Choi Hyon, firing a variety of weapons from its huge array of vertical launch system (VLS) cells. The missiles seen appear to include a previously unknown air defense missile and a possible new supersonic cruise missile.
North Korea

North Korea’s New Frigate Tests Its Weapons Days After Commissioning

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 30, 2025

The U.S. Marine Corps has received an Expeditionary Directed Energy Counter-Swarm (ExDECS) weapon in order to facilitate experimentation with the use of high-power microwave (HPM) technology in the increasingly volatile low altitude air defense (LAAD) role. This kind of counter-drone system is increasingly seen as a critical layer in force protection and urgently needed to enhance current and future ground-based air defense (GBAD) capabilities.
Counter-Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (C-UAS)

Marines Get Their First High Power Microwave Weapon For Taking On Drone Swarms

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 29, 2025

Tactical airpower, and specifically the F-15E Strike Eagle and F-15EX Eagle II, are big beneficiaries of recently proposed legislation put forward by the Republican leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees.
F-15

F-15 Eagles Win Big In Supersized Defense Spending Bill

By Thomas Newdick, Tyler Rogoway, Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 28, 2025

The U.K. Royal Air Force officer in charge of defining requirements for the Tempest future fighter says the program’s top priority is a large payload — roughly twice that of the F-35A stealth fighter. The same officer is eyeing “really extreme range” for the new aircraft, with potentially enough internal fuel to fly across the Atlantic without refueling. These requirements provide some more idea about the size and capabilities of the sixth-generation stealth fighter and also parallel similar concerns that have driven the development of the U.S. Air Force’s Boeing F-47 under the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) initiative.
Royal Air Force

Tempest Future Fighter Aims For “Really Extreme Range,” Twice F-35 Payload

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 28, 2025

Wreckage of a GBU-53/B StormBreaker glide bomb, also known as the Small Diameter Bomb II (SDB II), has appeared in Yemen. The weapon, which was only recently confirmed as being used in combat, offers some notably advanced capabilities, especially over the GBU-39/B SDB I, and the technological risk of the remains of the still relatively intact weapon falling into an adversary’s hands are not insignificant.
Small Diameter Bomb (SDB)/Stormbreaker

StormBreaker Advanced Glide Bomb Lands In Yemen Largely Intact

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 25, 2025

We now have more clarity on the U.S. Air Force’s plans for its second tranche of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones, known as Increment 2. This includes the likelihood of a lower-cost CCA Increment 2 as well as the drone’s integration with assets in addition to fighters, including the B-21 stealth bomber and E-7 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft.
NGAD

Air Force’s Next Batch Of Collaborative Combat Drones Could Be Less ‘Exquisite,’ Cheaper

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 24, 2025

French Air and Space Force Rafale fighters from a nuclear-strike-tasked unit are among the aircraft taking part in a power-projection exercise including operations over Sweden, which joined NATO a little over a year ago. The latest edition of the Pégase (Pegasus) drill comes as European NATO members look at bolstering their nuclear deterrence capabilities independent of the United States, with France very much at the center of these discussions. Notably, the maneuvers are being also accompanied by an exercise in which French military aircraft were rapidly dispersed to alternative airfields, something that would be required in a large-scale conflict with Russia.
Rafale

French Rafale Fighters Project Power Forward To Sweden

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 23, 2025

An example of the Ukrainian BMP-55 heavy infantry fighting vehicle, a radically reworked T-55 tank converted to transport soldiers across the battlefield, has appeared somewhere in Ukraine. While it’s unclear when or where the imagery was taken, this seems to be the first time a BMP-55 has been sighted in an apparently operational context, with suggestions that only one example of these vehicles was ever completed making its appearance all the more remarkable.
Ukrainian Army

Extremely Rare Ukrainian Heavy Infantry Fighting Vehicle Appears On Battlefield

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 22, 2025