Air (Page 7)

Updated on Oct 31, 2025

Russia has used its ground-launched 9M729 cruise missile to strike targets in Ukraine multiple times in recent months. This is the conclusion of Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and it also tallies with reports from independent analysts who have been tracking the use of the missile, the original deployment of which led to the United States walking away from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces, or INF, Treaty in 2019.

Air

Russia’s Treaty-Busting Screwdriver Cruise Missile Used Against Ukraine: Officials

Posted on Oct 31, 2025

Flying aboard the M-346 Master jet trainer that could replace the Navy's T-45.

T-45

We Fly Aboard The M-346 That Could Become The Navy’s Next Jet Trainer

By Jamie Hunter

Updated on Oct 30, 2025

For the first time, Sikorsky's optionally-piloted UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter performed parachute drops, hovered on its own while sling loads were attached, and flew a simulated medical evacuation mission at the direction of an untrained individual onboard.

H-60

Pilot-Optional UH-60 Black Hawk Put To The Test In U.S. Military Exercise

Posted on Oct 30, 2025

A recent Northrop Grumman video montage includes a brief clip showing an aircraft fuselage section that does not readily appear to be from any design the company has developed or is otherwise involved in the production of, at least that is publicly known.

Air

Mysterious Fuselage Section Appears In Northrop Grumman Video

Posted on Oct 30, 2025

President Vladimir Putin says that Russia successfully tested one of its Poseidon nuclear-powered, nuclear-tipped, ultra-long-endurance torpedoes yesterday. The Russian leader’s revelation comes just two days after the announcement of a first long-range test for the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile, and is part of a wider pattern of recent nuclear signaling by the Kremlin.

Air

Powered Test Of Poseidon Nuclear Torpedo, Putin Claims

Posted on Oct 29, 2025

After a string of exotic stealthy combat jets, both crewed and uncrewed, the latest new Chinese military aircraft to break cover is somewhat different, but nonetheless interesting. The latest development concerns an advanced jet trainer, but one that clearly has considerable potential as a light combat aircraft, too.

People's Liberation Army Air Force (China)

New Chinese Advanced Training Jet Breaks Cover

Posted on Oct 28, 2025

Second J-36 prototype has major alterations compared to the first.

J-36

China’s Massive J-36 Stealth ‘Fighter’ Gets Major Design Tweaks With Second Prototype

Updated on Oct 28, 2025

Perhaps the most extraordinary-looking aircraft to have taken to the air in many years, the X-59 Quiet Supersonic Technology experimental test aircraft, or QueSST, has made its first flight.

Testbeds

X-59 Supersonic Test Jet Takes To The Air (Updated)

Updated on Oct 28, 2025

NATO member Lithuania today authorized the shooting down of balloons that cross the border from Russia’s ally Belarus, after as many as 66 balloons were spotted by Lithuanian radar overnight. The Lithuanian government has described the balloon incursion as a “hybrid attack” and has closed its border with Belarus — temporarily, to start with.

Air

Lithuania Will Shoot Down Balloons Crossing Border From Belarus After Dozens Detected Overnight

Posted on Oct 27, 2025

F/A-18E/F

“Bad Fuel” May Have Caused Back-To-Back Nimitz Aircraft Crashes: Trump

Posted on Oct 27, 2025

A contract the U.S. Navy recently awarded to defense startup Castelion may point to its pursuit of a new, lower-cost, air-launched hypersonic strike weapon.

Air-Launched Hypersonic Missiles

U.S. Navy Air-Launched Version Of ‘Cheap’ Blackbeard Hypersonic Missile Hinted At

Posted on Oct 27, 2025

Russia has said that it conducted the long-awaited test of its mysterious Burevestnik cruise missile last week, claiming that it flew for 8,700 miles. The missile, claimed to be nuclear-powered, is said to have remained in the air for around 15 hours. For the time being, we don’t know if those statements are factually accurate and, moreover, details about how the missile actually works remain very scarce. However, the claimed test has led to boasts about the missile’s performance from Russian President Vladimir Putin, while his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, called upon Putin to end the war in Ukraine “instead of testing missiles.”

Air

Skyfall Nuclear-Powered Cruise Missile Long-Range Test Claimed By Russia

Posted on Oct 27, 2025

F-35 Proving Itself On The Front Line And Evolving For Future Threats

By Jamie Hunter

Posted on Oct 24, 2025

The U.S. Coast Guard is in line to get a new version of the H-60 helicopter based on the MH-60R Seahawk, which is in service with the U.S. Navy and other armed forces globally.

HH-60

Coast Guard Will Get A New MH-60 Variant To Replace MH-65 Helicopters

Posted on Oct 24, 2025

An OA-1K, like the one seen in the picture at the top of this story, crashed today.

Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC)

Air Force’s Crop Duster Converted Into Attack Plane Crash Lands In Field (Updated)

Posted on Oct 23, 2025

B-1

B-1 Bombers Fly Off Venezuela’s Coast

Posted on Oct 23, 2025

We may well have seen the first evidence of a Russian glide bomb kit combined with a motor, providing these notorious weapons with a significant boost in range. The latest version of the weapon is reportedly designated UMPK-PD, in which the P suffix very likely denotes Dalniaya, for long range, and looks set to be another serious challenge for Ukraine’s air defenses.

Russian Air Force

Russia Is Now Launching Jet-Powered Glide Bombs At Ukraine

Posted on Oct 23, 2025

Gripen

Huge Gripen Fighter Order Letter Of Intent Signed By Ukraine

Posted on Oct 22, 2025

Germany is offering Canada to join its Type 212CD submarine program, alongside Norway, as part of a broader defense cooperation that would more closely align Berlin and Ottawa. Canada badly needs a replacement for its aging and troublesome Victoria class diesel-electric submarines, and, in turn, Germany is looking to procure potentially significant numbers of special-mission aircraft from Canada’s Bombardier.

Air

Submarine Partnership Pitched By Germany And Norway To Canada

Posted on Oct 22, 2025

General Atomics recently showed what it says is a rendering of an MQ-20 Avenger drone armed with a laser directed energy weapon.

MQ-20 Avenger Depicted With Laser Weapon In Its Nose A Sign Of What’s To Come

Posted on Oct 22, 2025

Gripen

Gripen E Fighter Officially Joins The Swedish Air Force

Posted on Oct 21, 2025

Shield AI has unveiled X-BAT, a stealthy jet-powered 'autonomous fighter' designed to take off vertically and land the same way, tail first, after completing its mission.

Loyal Wingman

The Rise Of X-BAT

By Tyler Rogoway, Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 21, 2025

Singapore today launched the first of its drone motherships, or Multi-Role Combat Vessels (MRCV). The largest and most complex ship in the Republic of Singapore Navy, the Victory is the first of a planned six of these vessels. These will replace the existing Victory class missile corvettes (MCV), which entered service in 1989, and will form the cornerstone of its fleet modernization effort.

Singapore Launches Its Biggest And Most Capable Warship Ever

Posted on Oct 21, 2025

M-346 jet trainer that's vying to become the Navy's T-45C replacement

T-45

Walk-Around Tour Of Beechcraft’s M-346 That’s Vying To Become The Navy’s Next Jet Trainer

By Tyler Rogoway, Jamie Hunter

Posted on Oct 21, 2025

The Swedish Defense Materiel Administration (FMV) recently awarded Saab with the contract, worth around $276 million and covering the period from 2025 to 2027. As well as the FMV, Saab will work with the Swedish Armed Forces, the Swedish Defense Research Agency, GKN Aerospace, and other industry partners.

Gripen

Sweden Pushes Ahead With Future Fighter Program

Updated on Oct 20, 2025

With a steady drumbeat of reports raising the prospect of some kind of U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, it’s worth looking at what is potentially one of its most threatening weapons: the Russian-made Kh-31 air-to-surface missile. Known to NATO as the AS-17 Krypton, the ramjet-powered missile is available in both anti-radiation and anti-ship versions, with the ship-killer being the most relevant in this context.

Flankers

Venezuela’s Supersonic Anti-Ship Missiles Are A Real Threat To American Warships

Posted on Oct 20, 2025

Lockheed Martin has received a new full-rate production contract, valued at $233 million, for Block II IRST21 infrared search and track sensors to go into pods for U.S. Navy and U.S. Air National Guard fighters.

F/A-18E/F

Troubled Infrared Pod For Navy Super Hornets Gets New Vote Of Confidence

Posted on Oct 20, 2025

UCAVs

China’s Huge ‘GJ-X’ Stealth Drone Appears To Have Been Spotted In The Air For The First Time

Posted on Oct 19, 2025

A Russian strategic nuclear forces (SNF) officer inspects a launching tube in the launching center of intercontinental ballistic missiles 20 March 1992 in Drovjanaja, near Cita, in Siberia. The strategic nuclear forces of the Russian Federation consist of ground intercontinental ballistic missiles (IBM) stationary, and also mobile, earth and railway variants of basing, sea and aviation strategic nuclear arms.

Air

Soviets Tested ICBM Silo Defense System That Showered Incoming Warheads With Clouds Of Metal Darts

Posted on Oct 17, 2025

The U.S. Army is in the very early stages of formulating a vision for fleets of advanced and highly autonomous drones in a similar vein to the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) that the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Navy are now developing.

Loyal Wingman

U.S. Army’s Vision For Loyal Wingman Drones To Fly With Its Helicopters Is Taking Shape

Posted on Oct 17, 2025

XQ-58

Ragnarok Mini-Cruise Missile With Big Range Targets $150K Price Tag (Updated)

Posted on Oct 16, 2025

Iranian-made Shahed-136 'Kamikaze' drone flies over the sky of Kermanshah, Iran on March 7, 2024. Iran fired over 100 drones and ballistic missiles on Saturday, April 13, 2024, in retaliation to an attack on a building attached to the country's consular annex in Damascus that killed the guards, and two generals of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on April 01, 2024. Iran has blamed Israel for the attack on April 5, 2024 in Tehran.

Air

Army “Absolutely Needs” Drones Like Russia’s Shahed-136: 25th Infantry Division Commander

By Thomas Newdick, Howard Altman

Updated on Oct 16, 2025

Not every lesson in Ukraine is applicable to U.S. Army aviation a top general told us.

Helicopters

The Lessons U.S. Army Aviation Is Learning From The War In Ukraine

Posted on Oct 16, 2025

A trio of U.S. Air Force B-52 bombers was tracked flying orbits in international airspace off the coast of Venezuela earlier today.

B-52

B-52 Bombers Just Flew For Hours Off Venezuela’s Coast (Updated)

Posted on Oct 15, 2025

C-32

C-32A Carrying Hegseth Makes Emergency Landing In England After Rapid Descent

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Oct 15, 2025

Mojave from General Atomics which will evolve into the Gray Eagle STOL

Mojave Drone Walk-Around Tour

By The War Zone staff

Posted on Oct 15, 2025

The Association of the U.S. Army’s (AUSA) main annual symposium has seen some notable appearances by autonomous launchers, underscoring the service’s growing interest in this class of system. On show at the event were a new Family of Multi-Mission Autonomous Vehicles (FMAV) from Oshkosh Defense, as well as Raytheon’s DeepFires. Between them, these platforms can be armed with a wide variety of offensive and defensive weapons, also including Tomahawk cruise missiles and Patriot surface-to-air missiles.

AIM-9 Sidewinder

Autonomous Launchers Make Impact As Army Requirements Grow

Posted on Oct 15, 2025

The U.S. Army's elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR), better known as the Night Stalkers, has been exploring ways to ensure it can operate in more heavily defended airspace in the future.

Helicopters

How The Night Stalkers Are Planning To Survive In Future High-End Fights

Posted on Oct 15, 2025

UH-60

UH-60 U-Hawk Drone Walk-Around Tour

By Jamie Hunter, Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Oct 14, 2025

U.S. Army Sgt. Hunter Moody, a drone operator assigned to Bravo Company, 2nd Infantry Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, in support of Task Force Pegasus, raises his drone at the Nursipalu Training Area near Camp Taara, Estonia, Nov. 13, 2024. Drone operations are an essential component of modern tactics. Task Force Pegasus’ mission is to engage in multinational training and exercises across the continent, strengthening interoperability with NATO allies and regional security partners, which provides competent and ready forces to V Corps, America’s forward-deployed corps in Europe. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Rose Di Trolio)

U.S. Army General In Europe Admits “We’re Behind” On Drones

Updated on Oct 14, 2025

The next stage in the evolution of the Gray Eagle Short Takeoff and Landing (GE STOL) drone sees General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) team up with South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace, for co-development and co-production of the uncrewed aircraft system, with work set to begin immediately. A demonstrator for the medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) drone has already operated from a South Korean assault ship, but the new partnership will see production of the Gray Eagle STOL for all customers taking place in South Korea.

Q-1

General Atomics’ Gray Eagle STOL Drone Will Be Made In Korea

Posted on Oct 14, 2025

AeroVironment has unveiled a new member of its Switchblade family of loitering munitions, the Switchblade 400.

Tank-Busting Switchblade 400 Joins AeroVironment’s Family Of Kamikaze Drones

Posted on Oct 14, 2025

A U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II flies a presence patrol over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Feb. 26, 2025. The U.S. Air Force is globally postured to protect and defend the freedom of coalition allies and regional partners within the CENTCOM AOR to maintain peace and stability.

A-10

A-10 Warthog Appears To Have Become A Drone Killer

Posted on Oct 13, 2025

Russia Is Using Modified Shahed-136s To Strike Dynamic Targets Near The Front Lines

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Oct 13, 2025

Boeing CxR collaborative tiltrotor drone.

AH-64

Boeing Launches New Family Of Tiltrotor Combat Drones

Posted on Oct 13, 2025

H-60

UH-60 Black Hawk Cargo Drone With Clamshell Nose Breaks Cover (Updated)

Posted on Oct 13, 2025

UCAVs

China’s Stealth Sharp Sword Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles Deployed To Operational Airbase

Posted on Oct 10, 2025

Northrop Grumman has been doing detailed design work that lays a path to air-launching its Lumberjack loitering one-way attack drone from Kratos' stealthy XQ-58 Valkyrie uncrewed aircraft.

Loitering Munitions

Lumberjack Jet-Powered Modular Munition Eyed As Armament For XQ-58 Valkyrie Drones

Posted on Oct 9, 2025

AH-64

Entire Family Of VAMPIRE Counter-Drone Systems Unveiled

Posted on Oct 9, 2025

Germany's leader is pushing for permission to shoot down threatening drones.

German Cabinet Approves Law To Shoot Down Threatening Drones

Posted on Oct 8, 2025

C-130

C-130H Eight-Bladed NP2000 Prop Upgrade Plans Cut Short By USAF

Posted on Oct 8, 2025

F-35A

Time Is Running Out For Canada’s Fighter Decision

Posted on Oct 8, 2025

A Ukrainian drone hit the cooling tower of the Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant in Russia, the latest in a series of incidents at nuclear plants in the region.

Russian Nuke Plant Latest To Suffer War-Inflicted Damage

Posted on Oct 7, 2025

F/A-XX

Navy F/A-XX Stealth Fighter Selection Imminent: Reports

Posted on Oct 7, 2025

An employee holds a miniature of a 70mm rocket during a visit to the Thales production site in Herstal, on October, 3 2025. The company has also inaugurated a new ammunition production line at this site. Production has increased fivefold in recent years to meet the needs of the armed forces. (Photo by VIRGINIE LEFOUR / Belga / AFP) / Belgium OUT (Photo by VIRGINIE LEFOUR/Belga/AFP via Getty Images)

Laser Guided Rockets

Thales Anti-Drone Rockets Now Being Used In Ukraine

Posted on Oct 7, 2025

U.S. Air Force

Mysterious Aircraft Crash Near Area 51 Just Got Weirder

Posted on Oct 7, 2025

The Ukrainian city of Kramastorsk was hit by a fiber-optic-controlled FPV drone for ther first time.

Russian Fiber-Optic Drones Are Now Reaching Into Ukrainian Cities Deep Behind The Lines

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Oct 6, 2025

Sikorsky has announced a whole family of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) drones, all using a tail-sitting design powered by twin proprotors. While the company has previously showcased and tested this ‘rotor blown wing’ configuration, the new Nomad family includes much larger aircraft, all the way up to a size broadly equivalent to the S-70 Black Hawk medium-lift helicopter and intended for a variety of naval and land-based missions.

Air

Sikorsky Unveils Nomad Family Of Scalable VTOL Drones

Posted on Oct 6, 2025

A company in China recently unveiled a containerized system it says is capable of quickly launching and recovering thousands of small quadcopter-type drones at the touch of a button.

Swarms

China’s New ‘Drone Light Show In A Box’ Massive Swarm Launcher Speaks To Evolving Threats

By Joseph Trevithick, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Oct 3, 2025

A Venezuelan Army truck carrying Russian missile launchers takes part in a military parade during celebrations for the Independence Day, in Caracas on July 5, 2025. (

Air

Status Of Venezuela’s Air Defense Capabilities

Posted on Oct 3, 2025

CBP says it has information about a "credible threat" that drones might attack agents during ongoing immigration protests.

“Credible Threat” Of Drone Attacks Prompted Massive Chicago Airspace Restrictions, CBP Claims

Updated on Oct 3, 2025

Ukrainian officials are in Washington this week to hammer out details of a potential $50 billion drone deal.

Ukraine Deep In Talks To Sell U.S. Millions Of Drones