Air Force Munitions(Page 2)

Latest in Air Force Munitions

When the U.S. wanted to shift a Patriot battery from the Pacific to the Middle East, it took 73 C-17 flights to do so, highlighting sustainment concerns.
Air

It Took 73 C-17 Loads To Move Patriot Battalion From Pacific To Middle East

By Howard Altman

Posted on Apr 10, 2025

We now have our first look at a new version of the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) 70mm guided rocket with an infrared seeker on top of the existing laser guidance capability.
Air

Infrared Seeker For APKWS Guided 70mm Rockets Unveiled

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 9, 2025

General Atomics has officially unveiled the new Bullseye standoff precision-guided missile that it’s now working with alongside Israeli defense contractor Rafael. The new weapon leverages Rafael’s existing Ice Breaker missile and is being offered to the U.S. military — and allies — at a time when the Pentagon, in particular, is increasingly focused on procuring affordable standoff weapons that can be rapidly produced en masse, for future contingencies, especially in the Indo-Pacific theater,
Air

Bullseye Standoff Weapon Based On Israeli Cruise Missile Unveiled By General Atomics

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 7, 2025

The Black Arrow, also known as the Small Cruise Missile, has completed a guided flight test, from an AC-130J Ghostrider gunships, the weapon’s manufacturer Leidos has confirmed. 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

AC-130J Ghostrider Gunship Launches Black Arrow Small Cruise Missile In New Video

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 5, 2025

There are signs that a new AIM-120E variant of the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) may now be in development.
Air

New AIM-120E Variant Of AMRAAM Air-To-Air Missile Hinted At By USAF

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Apr 1, 2025

Turkey has begun using tablet computers in the cockpits of its F-16s to enable rapid integration of new locally developed weapons. The development has interesting parallels with Ukraine’s use of such devices to allow its Soviet-era jets to employ Western air-to-ground weapons.
Air

Turkish F-16s Are Using Tablets To Control Locally Made Weapons

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Mar 27, 2025

We may have just gotten our first evidence of the GBU-53/B StormBreaker glide bomb, also known as the Small Diameter Bomber II (SDB II), being used in combat. The first operational use of the StormBreaker by the service would be a big deal, with this weapon bringing some significant advances over its predecessor, the GBU-39/B SDB I, especially the ability to hit moving targets.
Air

F/A-18 Super Hornets Now Carrying Stormbreaker Glide Bombs On Combat Missions

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Mar 24, 2025

Ukraine Has Another New SAM System That Fires Soviet R-73 Air-To-Air Missiles
Air

Ukraine Has Another New SAM System That Fires Soviet R-73 Air-To-Air Missiles

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Mar 20, 2025

Laser-Guided Rockets Shown Shooting Down Houthi Drones For First Time
Air

Laser-Guided Rockets Shown Shooting Down Houthi Drones For First Time

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Mar 19, 2025

The U.S. Navy is set to help integrate the AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) onto the F-16 Viper fighter, giving those jets a huge enhancement in anti-ship capability.
Air

F-16 Is Getting Massive Anti-Ship Missile Upgrade

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Mar 18, 2025

Israel has confirmed that its F-35 stealth fighters have flown airstrikes using external ordnance. The F-35’s so-called ‘beast mode,’ featuring heavier loads on underwing pylons, is well known by now, but as far as is known, has not been called upon operationally by any other countries. Meanwhile, Israel’s unique F-35I fleet — locally known as the “Adir” (Hebrew for mighty) — which features various local modifications, has frequently been at the forefront of demonstrating new capabilities.
Air

Israeli F-35s First To Use ‘Beast Mode’ In Combat

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Mar 17, 2025

Improved versions of the Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB) are reportedly among the weapons that will be sent to Ukraine after the United States after Washington decided to resume military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv. The GLSDB had made its combat debut in Ukraine, but had reportedly performed poorly there, especially due to the effects of Russian electronic warfare, and was last used “months ago.”
Land

Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb Headed To Ukraine For Its Second Try At Combat: Report

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Mar 14, 2025

Members of the U.S. Navy's Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 31 (VX-31) contributed to an important increase in live-fire testing of the secretive AIM-260A long-range air-to-air missile last year, it has emerged.
Air

Secretive AIM-260 Air-To-Air Missile Live-Fire Testing Surged Last Year With Navy Help

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Mar 10, 2025

U.S. Army AH-64 Apaches Armed With Israeli Spike Missiles Now Flying in Iraq
Air

U.S. Army AH-64 Apaches Armed With Israeli Spike Missiles Now Flying in Iraq

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Mar 7, 2025

Lockheed Martin has revealed more about its Common Multi-Mission Truck (CMMT, pronounced ‘comet’), a revised design based on its Speed Racer air vehicle, a missile-shaped uncrewed system you can read more about here. The CMMT is now said to be a family of systems, intended to yield low-cost air vehicles designed for a wide range of missions.
Air

Lockheed’s Low-Cost Cruise Missile ‘Truck’ Is Now In Testing

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Mar 5, 2025

A novel type of jet propulsion, a rotating detonation engine (RDE), has been successfully tested by Pratt & Whitney. The development is highly significant for the U.S. military, with RDE technology at the center of the project called Gambit, which aims to provide a propulsion system for a mass-producible, low-cost, high-supersonic, long-range weapon for air-to-ground strike.
Air

Rotating Detonation Engine For Future High-Performance Missiles Successfully Tested

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Mar 4, 2025

AGM114R9X seen in action for the first time
Air

Bladed ‘Ginsu’ Hellfire Missile Seen In Action For First Time

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Mar 1, 2025

Meteor Missile F-35B testing
Air

F-35B Has Flown With Meteor Long-Range Air-To-Air Missile

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Feb 28, 2025

Raytheon has revealed that’s working on a ground-launched version of its StormBreaker glide bomb, previously available only in air-launched form. The new development of the weapon should provide a follow-on to the Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB), which made its combat debut in Ukraine, but which has reportedly performed poorly, including due to heavy Russian jamming.
Air

Ground-Launched And Powered Air-Launched Versions Of StormBreaker Glide Bomb Are In Development

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Feb 26, 2025

The U.S. Air Force has confirmed that a recently released rendering from the AIM-260A does indeed reflect the actual design of what is also known as the Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM).
Air

This Is What The Classified AIM-260 Missile Actually Looks Like, Air Force Confirms

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Feb 26, 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)
Air

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

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Feb 19, 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.
Air

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

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Feb 17, 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.
Land

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

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Feb 12, 2025

The first General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons received by Ukraine fly on the Day of Ukrainian Air Force on August 4, 2024 in Unspecified, Ukraine. At the event for the Day of Ukrainian Air Force with the participation of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi, the first General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons received by Ukraine were demonstrated.
Air

New Shots Of Ukrainian F-16s Shine Light On Combat Missions

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Feb 12, 2025

New imagery has appeared showing the Chinese J-20 stealth fighter carrying external air-to-air missiles, mirroring the so-called ‘beast mode’ that we’ve seen on U.S. fifth-generation fighters.
Air

China’s J-20 Fighter Is Now Flying In ‘Beast Mode’

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Feb 10, 2025

Beirut bunker buster CCTV on hezbollah bunker
Air

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

By Tyler Rogoway, Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Feb 7, 2025

The F-15EX, the Air Force’s newest fighter aircraft, arrives to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida March 11. The aircraft will be the first Air Force aircraft to be tested and fielded from beginning to end through combined developmental and operational tests. The 40th Flight Test Squadron and the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron personnel are responsible for testing the aircraft.
Air

F-15EX Nails Pentagon Test Campaign, Survivability Concerns Remain

By Thomas Newdick

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.
Air

Massive Ordnance Penetrator Bunker Buster Grows More Potent

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Feb 6, 2025

APKWS infrared seeker in the works.
Air

Infrared Seeker For APKWS Guided Rockets Is In The Works

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Feb 4, 2025

While the 1950s was a time of truly unusual and fast-paced innovation in military aerospace, one of the more bizarre projects was for a nuclear-armed, liquid-fueled development of the Sidewinder air-to-air missile.
Air

The Navy Nearly Built A Nuclear Armed “Super Sidewinder” Air-To-Air Missile

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Feb 1, 2025

A relatively low-cost cruise missile that the U.S. Air Force is now developing could transform into an air-launched counter-drone weapon.
Air

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

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Jan 31, 2025

U.S. Navy officials have laid out several priorities they say are key to ensuring the service's carrier air wings will be able to succeed in future conflicts, especially a high-end fight in the Pacific.
Sea

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

By Joseph Trevithick

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.
Air

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

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

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

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jan 22, 2025

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

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

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jan 17, 2025

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

New Air-Launched Cruise Missile Teased By General Atomics

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jan 15, 2025

The new Tempest configuration, this time with Japan Air Self-Defense Force markings.
Air

UK Emphasizes Need To Arm Tempest Stealth Fighter With Larger, Longer Range Air-To-Air Missiles

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jan 14, 2025

Chinese SAM Launch
Air

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

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).
Air

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

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Jan 9, 2025

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

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

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jan 7, 2025

The U.S. Navy is now officially using "Murder Hornet" to refer to F/A-18E/F fighters armed with five AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) and four AIM-9X Sidewinder.
Air

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

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jan 6, 2025

IDF raid on Iran underground missile base in Syria
Air

Inside Israel’s Commando Raid On Iran’s Underground Missile Factory In Syria

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jan 3, 2025

For the first time, Ukraine has released official video showing its Su-25 Frogfoot ground-attack jets employing French-supplied Hammer rocket-boosted precision-guided munitions.
Air

Ukraine’s Su-25s Seen Launching Hammer Rocket-Boosted Bombs For The First Time

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jan 2, 2025

Ukrainian USV Mi-8 Hip R-73 missile kill Black Sea
Sea

Ukraine Claims Its Drone Boat Shot Down A Russian Mi-8 Helicopter With A Surface-To-Air Missile

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 31, 2024

Israeli has launched airstrikes on multiple targets in Yemen, including the capital of Sana’a, in response to an overnight missile launch from Yemen toward Israel. The Israeli raids come after an uptick in attacks against Israel by the Yemen-based Houthi militant group, including two in the past week.
Air

Israeli Air Force Strikes Yemen With Popeye And Rampage Standoff Missiles

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 19, 2024

A new targeted strike involving the use of the secretive AGM-114R9X Hellfire missile, which features an array of pop-out sword-like blades rather than a traditional high-explosive warhead, looks to have occurred in northwestern Syria.
Air

Secretive Bladed AGM-114R9X Hellfire Missile Looks To Have Reemerged In New Syria Strike

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Dec 17, 2024

A recently released video from the cockpit of a Ukrainian Air Force Su-27 Flanker provides an unprecedented close-quarters view of the fighter lobbing GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs (SDB) toward a Russian target.
Air

Cockpit Video Of Ukrainian Su-27 Lobbing GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 13, 2024

We have gotten our best look at a Ukrainian 9K33 Osa (SA-8 Gecko) mobile short-range air defense system (SHORADS) armed with the Soviet-era R-73 (AA-11 Archer) infrared-guided air-to-air missile. While other such systems have typically integrated Western missile armament on existing Ukrainian ground-based air defense systems — known as ‘FrankenSAMs’ — this one is notable for combining a Soviet-era SHORADS vehicle with Soviet-era missiles.
Land

Ukraine’s SA-8 Gecko ‘FrankenSAM’ Adapted To Fire Air-To-Air Missiles Seen In New Detail

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 12, 2024

he U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy could soon be tasked with exploring whether extending the range of existing AIM-120 and AIM-9 air-to-air missiles is one path to help right-size stocks of those weapons.
Air

Extended Range AIM-120s, AIM-9s Eyed To Meet Future Air-to-Air Missile Demands

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Dec 11, 2024

A U.S. Air Force F-16C Viper fighter has conducted the first release of a test version of the Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW) missile.
Air

Stand-In Attack Missile Released From Fighter For First Time In USAF Test

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Dec 2, 2024

The U.S. military risks going into a potential major fight with China with insufficient stocks of Patriot surface-to-air interceptors and other key munitions due to obligations in the Middle East and Ukraine, the top officer in the Pacific has warned.
Air

Conflicts ‘Eating Into’ Critical Munitions Stockpiles Needed For China Fight, Top U.S. Officer In Pacific Warns

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 20, 2024

SPEAR 3 air-to-surface mini cruise missile.
Air

UK’s New SPEAR 3 Mini Cruise Missile Succeeds In First End-To-End Test

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Nov 18, 2024

Flight testing of the U.S. Air Force's Stand-In Attack Weapon (SiAW) missile is now set to begin following the delivery of an initial test article.
Air

First Stand-In Attack Missile Delivered To USAF

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 18, 2024

F-15E Drone hunting Iranian attack
Air

F-15E Pilot Recounts Having To Switch To Guns After Missiles Ran Dry During Iranian Drone Barrage

By Howard Altman

Posted on Nov 15, 2024

The U.S. Air Force is accelerating work on low-cost air vehicles that could evolve into relatively cheap cruise missiles, and plans to scale up production of selected designs, with the help of the Pentagon's Replicator initiative.
Air

‘Cheap’ Cruise Missile Program To Speed Up With Replicator Initiative Help

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 15, 2024

France will have sent Ukraine 600 Hammer bombs by the end of the year.
Air

Ukraine Will Have Received 600 French Hammer Bombs By End Of Year

By Howard Altman

Posted on Nov 13, 2024

Visitors view a model of the aviation industry J-35A stealth fighter jet at the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Expo in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, China, on November 10, 2024.
Air

New Version Of Chinese PL-15 Air-To-Air Missile Tailored For Stealth Fighters Revealed

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Nov 11, 2024

A U.S. Navy F/A-18F and F-35, both assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 9, fly over the Point Mugu Sea Range in Southern California with a U.S. Air Force F-15 during Gray Flag 2024 on Sept. 24, 2024. Gray Flag is an annual large-force test event that brings the joint force together to test and evaluate multi-domain systems in a maritime environment, ensuring our nation’s warfighters are equipped with effective, interoperable systems that will help them deter aggression, protect our nation’s prosperity and security, and return home safely to their families. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Cmdr. Kory Hughs)
Air

Navy Posts Its First AIM-174 Missile-Armed F/A-18F Super Hornet ‘Glamour Shots’

By Howard Altman

Updated on Nov 6, 2024

The arrival of two Su-57 Felon prototypes for the upcoming Airshow China has provided a good look at details of the next-generation fighter, although the most interesting has been a first up-close view of its small wing-root weapons bays. At TWZ we have previous examined this feature as well as the air-to-air missiles that are understood to be accommodated in the bays. While long known about, the weapons bays had long remained something of a mystery.
Air

We Finally Get A Clear Look At The Su-57 Felon’s Side Weapons Bays

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Nov 5, 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.
Air

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

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 30, 2024

Taiwan is lining up to become the next customer for the combat-proven National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System or NASAMS air defense system, after the United States approved its sale to the country.
Air

Battle-Proven NASAMS Air Defense Systems Approved For Taiwan

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Oct 30, 2024

A TAURUS (Target Adaptive Unitary and dispensor Robotic Ubiquity System) KEPD 350 air-launched cruise missile, is on display during the press presentation at the International Aerospace Exhibition (ILA) in Schoenefeld, near Berlin, on June 3, 2024. The Aerospace Exhibition on aerospace industry, including aviation, space and defence, takes place at Schoenefeld Airport near Berlin and runs from June 5 to 9, 2024.
Air

Germany Plans To Buy Advanced New Taurus Cruise Missiles: Report

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Oct 25, 2024

Poland has taken the next step in the modernization of its air force, with U.S. approval given for a major upgrade of its fleet of F-16 fighters. The program will bring the jets to the F-16V standard and also suggests new weapons may be introduced, too. The Viper Midlife Upgrade is announced as Poland awaits F-35 stealth fighters and considers buying F-15EX multirole fighters, while making significant investments in its armed forces across the board, to meet the threat from Russia.
Air

Poland’s F-16s Cleared For Major Upgrades

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Oct 24, 2024

Mirage 2000 for ukraine
News & Features

French Mirage 2000s Destined For Ukraine Will Fly With Storm Shadow, MICA Missiles

By Howard Altman

Posted on Oct 23, 2024