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Air (Page 2)

Latest in Air

A plot to use drone to attack the UFC fight in Washington has been disclosed.
Unmanned

Alleged Plot On White House UFC Fight Puts Drone Threat In The Spotlight

By Howard Altman

Posted on Jun 16, 2026

B-52 Involved In Tragic Crash Was Heading Out On Radar Test Sortie
B-52

B-52 Involved In Tragic Crash Was Heading Out On Radar Test Sortie

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jun 16, 2026

New footage confirms the R6000 uncrewed tiltrotor has moved into a new and more demanding phase of flight testing.
Air Forces

China’s Big R6000 Tiltrotor Drone Has Entered Full Flight Testing

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 16, 2026

B-52 Bomber Crashes At Edwards Air Force Base In California (Updated)
B-52

B-52 Bomber Crashes At Edwards Air Force Base In California (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Jun 15, 2026

The U.S. military wants to see if it can enhance the capabilities of the 2,000-pound-class Joint Direct Attack Munition-Extended Range (JDAM-ER) precision-guided bomb as a bunker-busting munition.
Bunker Busters

Bunker Busters With Winged JDAM-ER Kits Could Allow For Near Horizontal Strikes On Fortified Targets

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jun 15, 2026

A-10 warthog has had its life extended but actually supporting it to its out of service date is a different reality.
A-10

A Disciplined Case For The A-10 The Air Force Won’t Make

By Paul "Gu$" Garcia

Posted on Jun 15, 2026

Russia's Defence Ministry said the Tu-22M3 crashed while making an approach to land in the Irkutsk Region during what it described as a routine training flight.
Tu-22

Russian Tu-22M3 Swing-Wing Bomber Seen Plunging Into The Ground

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 15, 2026

A-10C Thunderbolt II close-support jets with kill marking were seen at RAF Lakenheath.
A-10

A-10 Warthogs Arrive In England Festooned With Nose Art And Mission Markings From Epic Fury

By Howard Altman

Posted on Jun 13, 2026

Boeing has decided not to pursue a bid for the U.S. Navy's Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS) competition.
T-45

Boeing Drops Out Of Navy’s T-45 Jet Trainer Replacement Competition

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jun 12, 2026

A screencap from an Airbus video showing a notional future fighter working with remote-carrier-type drones.
Fighters

Germany And Spain Launch ‘Team Gen 6’ After Europe’s Next-Gen Fighter Effort Collapses

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 12, 2026

Members of Congress are again moving to block the U.S. Air Force from retiring all of its U-2S Dragon Lady spy planes. This time, legislators also want to compel the service to "fully restore" a quartet of the iconic aircraft through depot maintenance.
U-2

Four U-2S Spy Planes Would Be Restored In Bill That Would Save The Dragon Lady Fleet

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jun 12, 2026

Boeing’s 757 Flying Test Bed was recently spotted carrying a stealthy underwing infrared sensor pod under its fuselage.
F-22

F-22’s ‘Catfish’ 757 Testbed Spotted Carrying Raptor’s New Infrared Sensor Pod

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jun 11, 2026

Boeing “Encouraged” By C-17 Production Restart Discussions
C-17

Boeing “Encouraged” By C-17 Production Restart Discussions

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jun 11, 2026

A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon taxis on the flightline at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The F-16 is carrying a Family of Affordable Mass Munition – Lugged weapon as part of a rapid test series performed by the 96th Test Wing and 53rd Wing.
F-16

Kongsberg Bets On High-Low Cruise Missile Mix With JSM And Rusty Dagger

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 11, 2026

Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat Block 3.
MQ-28

Boeing’s New Larger Ghost Bat Can Carry AIM-120 AMRAAMs Internally

By TWZ

Posted on Jun 10, 2026

There's an unusual twist here with the specific plane that NASA is now eyeing: it currently belongs to the U.S. Air Force and is part of a "classified military program." There is a strong possibility that the aircraft in question is a mysterious 737 that the service acquired in 2020, and that has been the subject of much speculation as to its purpose ever since.
U.S. Air Force

Is This Secretive Air Force 737 About To Become NASA’s Next ‘Vomit Comet’? (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jun 10, 2026

Cobra 600 drone with IRIS-T missile at ILA Berlin 2026.
Air

Germany’s Cobra 600 Is A Jet Powered Interceptor Drone That Slings An IRIS-T Missile

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 10, 2026

Trump says the apache that crashed into the sea of Oman was shot down.
AH-64

AH-64 Apache Shot Down By Iran, U.S. Will Retaliate: Trump (Updated)

By Howard Altman

Updated on Jun 9, 2026

An officer with the First Corps Azov offers unique insights into the unit's mid-range drone attack campaign against Russian logistics.
Unmanned

Inside Ukraine’s AI-Enabled Drone Campaign Targeting Russian Logistics Deep Behind The Lines

By Howard Altman

Posted on Jun 9, 2026

Representing the next evolution in Airbus’ UCCA roadmap towards a scalable family of uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft, the 1:1 model on display features a wingspan of 10 m and a length of 13 m. Optimised for multi-domain missions, the UCCA's capabilities include air-to-surface strikes using precision-guided munitions, air-to-air defence with long and medium-range anti-aircraft missiles, and electronic warfare for suppressing enemy air defences and offensive counter-air using non-kinetic jamming. Ravenstorm will be available in the early 2030s.
Collaborative Combat Aircraft

Ravenstorm At The Center Of Airbus’s New Combat Drone Portfolio

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 9, 2026

AH-64 went down into the gulf of Oman with drone boat recovering the crew.
AH-64

AH-64 Apache Crew Rescued By Drone Boat After Going Down Near Strait Of Hormuz (Updated)

By Howard Altman, Joseph Trevithick, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Jun 9, 2026

The U.S. Air Force has confirmed that the so-called VC-25B Bridge aircraft is now wearing its new red, white, and blue livery and undergoing final preparations for its official delivery.
Air Force One

VC-25B Air Force One “Bridge” Aircraft Now Wears Trump’s Preferred Red, White, and Blue Paint Job

By Joseph Trevithick, Howard Altman

Posted on Jun 9, 2026

Germany and France have failed to reconcile competing military requirements, bringing Europe’s flagship fighter jet program to an abrupt end.
French Air Force

Franco-German Future Fighter Effort Collapses Over Irreconcilable Differences

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 8, 2026

A U.S. Air Force KC-135 tanker appeared in the United Kingdom this weekend with a new large antenna on top of the rear of the fuselage.
KC-135

KC-135 Tanker Spotted With New Satellite Communications Antenna

By Joseph Trevithick, Howard Altman

Posted on Jun 8, 2026

U-145 helicopter drone.
Helicopters

Airbus Unveils U145 Uncrewed Cargo Helicopter

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 8, 2026

The French Air and Space Force confirmed that its Rafales, currently deployed in neighboring Lithuania, were scrambled in response to the drone incursion. The drone was identified before one of the fighters shot it down over an uninhabited area.
Rafale

Video Captures Rafale Fighter’s Drone Kill Over Baltic

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 8, 2026

F-47 Patch
F-47

F-47’s Exotic Shape Was Hiding In Plain Sight On A Unit Patch

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Jun 7, 2026

A-10 weapons school pilot gives walk around tour of jet and the cockpit.
A-10

A-10 Cockpit And Walk-Around Tour With A Warthog Weapons Instructor

By Jamie Hunter

Posted on Jun 7, 2026

MH-5
H-53

Confessions Of A Navy MH-53E Sea Dragon Minehunter Pilot

By Howard Altman

Updated on Jun 5, 2026

A thermal image purportedly showing a previously unseen advanced aircraft design shows some interesting similarities to a "Christmas Tree" fighter design concept crafted decades ago by Darold Cummings, one of the top minds behind Northrop's YF-23 Black Widow.
F-47

Area 51 Mystery Aircraft Prompts Interest In “Christmas Tree” Stealth Fighter Concept

By Joseph Trevithick, Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Jun 5, 2026

Faced with mounting losses fighting Iran, the Air Force is bying unused Reapers from General Atomics.
Q-9

USAF Scrambling To Buy What Few MQ-9 Reapers It Can Find After Epic Fury Losses

By Howard Altman, Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jun 5, 2026

An A-10C Thunderbolt II assigned to the 74th Fighter Squadron flies with its new refueling probe at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, May 19, 2026. The A-10 successfully refueled from an HC-130J Combat King II assigned to the 71st Rescue Squadron, demonstrating the new system’s effectiveness.
A-10

Congress Throws A-10 Warthog Another Lifeline

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 5, 2026

Modularity is a key area of interest as the U.S. Air Force formulates its latest set of requirements for a successor to the MQ-9 Reaper, according to Gen. John Lamontagne, the service's Vice Chief of Staff.
Q-9

USAF Wants “MQ-9 Next” Reaper Replacement To Be Modular, Cheap

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jun 4, 2026

Mystery aircraft spotted over groom lake.
F-47

Is This A Glimpse Of The Aircraft That Gave Birth To The F-47?

By Thomas Newdick, Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Jun 4, 2026

PERSIAN GULF - APRIL 4 : A U.S. Marine Harrier jet lands on the flight deck of the U.S.S. Bon Homme Richard April 4, 2003 in the Persian Gulf. Harrier jets from the Bon Homme Richard continue to carry out bombing missions in support of the U.S.-led in Iraq. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Harrier

The Hidden History of America’s Harrier Jump Jets

By Michael Pryce

Posted on Jun 3, 2026

A Marine AV-8B Harrier takes off from amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa (LHA 1) just before sunset. Tarawa, along with embarked 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, is on a scheduled deployment to the Western Pacific in support of maritime security operations and the Global War on Terrorism.
Harrier

The USMC’s AV-8B Harrier Has Flown Off Into The Sunset

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 3, 2026

U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has confirmed that it has no plans for a direct replacement for the U-28A Draco, which is primarily used for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR).
Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC)

Any Plans For Direct U-28 Draco Special Ops Surveillance Plane Replacement Abandoned

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jun 2, 2026

Newly emerged footage appears to show the French-supplied fighters executing a strike profile associated with Hammer precision-guided bombs.
Ukrainian Air Force

Are Ukrainian Mirage 2000s Now Flying Air-To-Ground Strike Missions?

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jun 2, 2026

The U.S. Air Force is already moving to lay the groundwork for the fielding of the replacement for its GBU-57/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bunker buster bomb.
U.S. Air Force

Next Generation Penetrator Bomb Slated To Replace MOP Has Been Designated GBU-76

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jun 2, 2026

The primary mission of the MQ-1 Predator is interdiction and conducting armed reconnaissance against critical, perishable targets. When the MQ-1 is not actively pursuing its primary mission, it provides reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition in support of the Joint Forces commander.
Q-1

Is The U.S. Flying MQ-1 Predator Drones Again?

By Joseph Trevithick, Howard Altman

Posted on Jun 1, 2026

Standoff Jamming (SOJ) platforms are high-value assets that suppress adversary air defence radars, disrupt command and control cycles, and interfere with communications by conducting deception and noise jamming from long ranges without entering hostile airspace. By doing so, they create corridors through which friendly air forces can penetrate enemy airspace. The effective employment of these platforms has become an undeniable reality of modern warfare, acting as a force multiplier and generating powerful asymmetric effects.
Turkish Air Force

Turkey’s Secretive Electronic Warfare Jet Appears In New Imagery

By Thomas Newdick, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Jun 1, 2026

Boeing is now conducting test flights of its MQ-28 Ghost Bat drone out over the Pacific from the U.S. Navy's base in Point Mugu, California.
MQ-28

MQ-28 Ghost Bat Now Flying Over The Pacific From U.S. Navy Base

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on May 28, 2026

A recent video out of Russia once again highlights the drastic efforts being taken to provide Moscow with additional air defense coverage against the threat of long-range Ukrainian drones. While we have seen examples of the Pantsir short-range air defense system installed on buildings in Moscow before now, the footage shows the counter-drone-optimized SMD-E variant being lifted on top of a skyscraper by helicopter.
Russian Air Force

New Counter-Drone Optimized Pantsir Air Defense System Being Deployed Atop Skyscrapers In Moscow

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 28, 2026

The use of high-altitude balloons is becoming ever-more routine for U.S. Army units in the Pacific.

Army Wants More Sensor-Laden Surveillance Balloons Over The Pacific

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on May 28, 2026

It will take years to replace several advanced weapons systems used in the Iran war, according to a new report.
U.S. Air Force

Severity Of America’s Depleted Advanced Weapons Stockpiles Detailed In New Report

By Howard Altman

Posted on May 28, 2026

A timeline has been provided a timeline for the arrival of Saab Gripen fighters in Ukraine, with the first jets to be delivered early next year. Significantly, as well as getting another modern Western combat jet, Ukraine expects to receive highly capable Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced.
Gripen

Ukrainian Gripen Fighters To Arrive In 2027, Long-Range Meteor Missiles Claimed To Be Included

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 28, 2026

Concept artwork of the NGF future fighter. Dassault Aviation
Fighters

Airbus Looks To Sweden’s Saab As Europe’s Sixth-Gen Fighter Plans Unravel

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 27, 2026

Navy Super Hornet adversary F/A-18E
F/A-18E/F

F/A-18 Super Hornets Eyed To Replace Navy’s Remaining F-5 Adversaries

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 27, 2026

Israeli troops are turning to fishing nets for protection against Hezbollah FPV drones.
Unmanned

Israeli Troops Turn To Fishing Nets For Protection Against Hezbollah FPV Drones

By Howard Altman

Posted on May 27, 2026

The cost to connect each of the U.S. military's Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS) one-way attack drones to SpaceX's Starshield communications network is approximately $25,000 a month, according to a new report.
Airborne Communications

Cost To Link LUCAS Kamikaze Drones To Starlink Highlights Pentagon’s Ever-Growing Dependence On SpaceX

By Joseph Trevithick, Howard Altman

Posted on May 27, 2026

Another battle-damaged KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling jet arrived at RAF Mildenhall.
KC-135

Another Battle Damaged KC-135 Tanker Seen Passing Through RAF Mildenhall

By Howard Altman

Posted on May 26, 2026

Less than a year after we got our first proper look at China’s wing-in-ground effect (WIG) craft, dubbed the ‘Bohai Sea Monster,’ the aircraft has appeared again, with evidence that it has a combat role, likely including launching weapons. We can also confirm that, contrary to some earlier assessments, the craft is powered by four turboprop engines, rather than turbofans. The possibility of propeller engines is something that we had raised in previous coverage.
Air

China’s “Bohai Sea Monster” Reappears With Apparent Weapons Hardpoints

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 25, 2026

The U.S. Air Force plans to send a new version of the glider-like Unmanned Long-endurance Tactical Reconnaissance Aircraft (ULTRA) drone with a turbocharged engine to the Middle East for an operational evaluation.
U.S. Air Force

USAF’s New Turbocharged ULTRA Surveillance Drones Are Heading To The Middle East

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on May 25, 2026

On the 80th anniversary of the first flight of the de Havilland Canada Chipmunk basic trainer, an aircraft that generations of British military pilots learned to fly, it’s worth recalling perhaps the most unusual episodes of its career. Between 1956 and 1989, a handful of these propeller-driven trainers kept watch on Warsaw Pact forces in the divided and heavily fortified city of Berlin — a front line of the Cold War.
Royal Air Force

The Tiny Chipmunk Trainer Was The Cold War’s Most Unlikely Spyplane

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 24, 2026

The U.S. military has finally released video footage said to show an Air National Guard F-16 shooting down an unidentified object over Lake Huron back in 2023.
F-16

We Finally See The Mysterious Object Shot Down By F-16s Over Lake Huron

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on May 22, 2026

A U.S. Air Force A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft approaches an HC-130J Combat King II aircraft for aerial refueling in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, May 9, 2026.
A-10

A-10 Warthog’s New Aerial Refueling Probe Is Now Operational In The Middle East

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 22, 2026

Two MH-47G Chinook helicopters assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), refuel mid-air during Arctic Edge 24 over the Arctic Ocean, Mar. 9, 2024. During AE24, more than 400 joint and allied Special Operators trained in extreme cold conditions to sharpen SOF readiness across unique specialties like long range fires and movements, special reconnaissance, rapid resupply, personnel recovery, and medical care in the austere Arctic environment. AE24 is a NORAD and U.S. Northern Command-led homeland defense exercise demonstrating the U.S. military’s capabilities in extreme cold weather, joint force readiness, and U.S. military commitment to mutual strategic security interests in the Arctic region.
MH-47

Night Stalker MH-47 Chinooks May Get Aerial Refueling Tanker Role

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 21, 2026

Shield AI, the defense-tech company building state-of-the-art autonomy software and aircraft, today announced that the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (OUSW R&E) has selected Shield AI to integrate its Hivemind autonomy software onto the Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS), a new class of low-cost, one-way attack drones often referred to as kamikaze drones designed to operate in large numbers.
Air

U.S. Military’s Shahed-136 Kamikaze Drone Clone Is Getting Hivemind Swarming Capability

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on May 21, 2026

Plans for a new tranche of upgrades for U.S. Army special operations MH-60M Black Hawk helicopters are heavily tied to continued progress, or lack thereof, on an improved engine.
160th SOAR "Nightstalkers"

New Engines Key To Night Stalker MH-60M Black Hawk Upgrade Plans

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on May 21, 2026

An Eurofighter (back) and a Taurus are seen during the Defence Summit 2026 at Airbus Defence and Space GmbH in Manching, Bavaria, southern Germany, on May 20, 2026.
Typhoon

Germany Unveils Latest Tranche 4 Eurofighter

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 20, 2026

U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is in the early stages of the search for a replacement for the C-146 Wolfhound cargo plane.
Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC)

Hunt For C-146 Wolfhound Special Ops Transport Plane Replacement Underway

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on May 20, 2026

U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is moving to demonstrate a new, fully integrated extended-range strike capability for the AC-130J Ghostrider gunship.
AC-130

AC-130J Gunship With Mini Cruise Missiles Paired With AESA Radar To Undergo Tests

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on May 19, 2026

Su57 two seat model seen in first official images during its first flight.
Su-57

Russia’s New Two-Seat Su-57 Felon Takes Its First Flight

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 19, 2026

DZYNE Technologies has shared new details about its recently unveiled lower-cost Blitz drone and the accompanying containerized BlitzBox launch system.
Unmanned

BlitzBox Packs 100 Weaponized Drones Into An Unassuming Container

By Joseph Trevithick, Howard Altman

Posted on May 19, 2026