News & Features (Page 17)

Latest in News & Features

Shield AI V-BAT
Drones

MQ-35 V-BAT’s Capabilities Grow, Micro Guided Munitions Coming Next Year

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Apr 8, 2025

200925-N-PL200-0001 PHILIPPINE SEA (Sept. 25, 2020) From left, USNS Sacagawea (T-AKE 2), USS Germantown (LSD 42), USNS John Ericsson (T-AO 194), USS Antietam (CG 54), USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), USS America (LHA 6), USS Shiloh (CG 67), USS New Orleans (LPD 18), and USS Comstock (LSD 45) steam in formation while E/A-18G Growlers, FA-18E Super Hornets and an E-2D Hawkeye from Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5 fly over in support of Valiant Shield 2020. Valiant Shield is a U.S. only, biennial field training exercise (FTX) with a focus on integration of joint training in a blue-water environment among U.S. forces. This training enables real-world proficiency in sustaining joint forces through detecting, locating, tracking and engaging units at sea, in the air, on land and in cyberspace in response to a range of mission areas. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Lauren Chatmas)
China

Navy Is About To Go Big On Massive Joint War Training Across The Pacific

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 8, 2025

Ongoing work on the U.S. Army's Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) tiltrotor is helping the U.S. Navy refine its next-generation Future Vertical Lift-Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) plans.
Drones

Navy MH-60 Seahawk Replacement Will Leverage Army’s Future Vertical Lift Tiltrotor Plans

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 8, 2025

CCAs and super hornet
Drones

Navy Won’t Scramble To Field Loyal Wingman Drones Like The Air Force

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Apr 8, 2025

The U.S. Navy expects its future F/A-XX sixth-generation stealth fighters to offer just a 25 percent increase in range over the existing tactical combat jets in its carrier air wings.
Drones

F/A-XX Will Have Just 25% More Range Than Existing Navy Fighters

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 7, 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,
Israel

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

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 7, 2025

MQ-25 has a lot of potential beyond it's core tanker mission.
Drones

MQ-25 Stingray’s Extreme Range Gives It Massive Potential Far Beyond A Tanker

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Apr 7, 2025

J-36 flies over highway
China

China’s J-36 Tailless Fighter Zips Over Road On Landing Giving Us Our Best Look Yet

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 7, 2025

Anduril has rolled out a new family of modular torpedo-like uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUV) called Copperhead.
Drones

Copperhead Torpedo-Like Underwater Kamikaze Drones Rolled Out By Anduril

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 7, 2025

377th Test and Evaluation Group missile operators conduct mission operations at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., Feb. 18, 2025. The 377 TEG, the nation’s only dedicated intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test organization, oversaw an operational test launch of an Air Force Global Strike Command unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile. Fired at 1 a.m. Pacific Time on Feb. 19, 2025, the missile traveled approximately 4,200 miles at speeds up to 15,000 miles per hour before impacting in the Pacific Ocean.
Bunker Talk

Bunker Talk: Let’s Talk About All The Things We Did And Didn’t Cover This Week

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Apr 4, 2025

Very Close Encounter Between F-35 And Su-35 Caught On Cockpit Camera
Russia

Very Close Encounter Between F-35 And Su-35 Caught On Cockpit Camera

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 4, 2025

B-2 Spirits in Diego garcia.
Yemen

B-2 Stealth Bombers Deployed To Diego Garcia Have Been Striking Targets In Yemen

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Apr 4, 2025

J-50 images out of china of the new stealth fighter prototype
China

China’s ‘J-50’ Tailless Stealth Fighter Seen In New Imagery

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Apr 4, 2025

Four different European defense companies will come together in a joint venture to build a next-generation main battle tank, under the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) initiative.
Germany

New Franco-German Tank Project Takes Shape With Industry Team Confirmed

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 4, 2025

Satellite imagery shows work on the first of Russia's Project 23900 big-deck amphibious assault ships, also known as the Ivan Rogov class, is continuing at a shipyard on the occupied Crimean Peninsula.
Russia

Russia’s New Helicopter Carrier Is Taking Shape In Crimea

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 4, 2025

Ukraine is testing uncrewed ground vehicles (UGV) with fiber optic cables.
Russia

Unmanned Ground Vehicles Controlled Via Fiber Optic Cables Being Tested By Ukraine

By Howard Altman

Posted on Apr 4, 2025

A top U.S. general testified before Congress that Greenland is hugely important to U.S. national security because it is a key landmass for tracking Russian nuclear submarines.
Northern Europe

Greenland “Absolutely Critical” For Hunting Russian Submarines: Top U.S. General In Europe

By Howard Altman

Posted on Apr 3, 2025

F-47 X-32 rise shirt
News & Features

Rise And Avenge The X-32 With This F-47 Inspired T-Shirt

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Apr 3, 2025

A U.S. Army unit used a combination of radio frequency emitters pumping out false signals and inflatable decoy artillery pieces to lure their opponents into attacking and revealing their positions in an exercise earlier this year.
Drones

Inflatable Decoys Paired With Faked Radio Signals Used To Bait Artillery In Recent Army Exercise

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 3, 2025

B-2 spirits possibly set to strike Iran
Iran

Is The U.S. About To Go To War With Iran?

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Apr 3, 2025

Officials in the Russian border city of Shebekino have installed netting on buildings to protect against Ukrainian drone attacks.
Russia

Anti-Drone Nets Now Being Used To Protect Buildings In Russia

By Howard Altman

Posted on Apr 3, 2025

Colombia’s new fighter will be the Saab Gripen E/F, the country’s president has confirmed. The acquisition of the Swedish-made combat aircraft will finally allow the retirement of the veteran IAI Kfir with the Colombian Air Force. The development is also of major significance for Saab: other than Brazil, which co-produces the Gripen E/F, the company has previously failed to achieve any export sales of the jet.
South America

JAS 39 Gripen E/F Chosen As Colombia’s Next Fighter

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 3, 2025

Submarine Surveillance System That’s Rapidly Deployable, Unpredictable Unveiled By Anduril
News & Features

Submarine Surveillance System That’s Rapidly Deployable, Unpredictable Unveiled By Anduril

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 3, 2025

Israel cratered the T4 air base in Syria to keep Turkey from using it.
Israel

Israel Craters Runway To Keep Turkey From Taking Over Syrian Airfield

By Howard Altman

Posted on Apr 3, 2025

U.S. Soldiers from the 716th Military Police Company, 89th Military Police Brigade, assigned to Joint Task Force - Southern Border, patrol along the southern border near San Diego, California, on March 23, 2025. On March 20, 2025, the Secretary of Defense authorized enhanced detection and monitoring support to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), enabling service members to conduct patrolling on foot or using military tactical vehicles to report suspected illegal activity to CBP.  Under the direction of U.S. Northern Command, JTF-SB aligns efforts to seal the southern border and repel illegal activity and is responsible for full-scale, agile, and multi-domain operations. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Malik Waddy-Fiffee)
U.S. Homeland

OK To Shoot Down Cartel Drones Flying Over Border Sought By NORTHCOM Boss

By Howard Altman

Posted on Apr 2, 2025

The Army wants to increase the magazine depth of its existing Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) and High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launcher vehicles, which can currently fire various 227mm rockets and short-range ballistic missiles.
Procurement

Smaller Rockets To Provide Key Artillery Firepower Boost Sought By Army

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 2, 2025

The U.S. State Department has approved the potential of 20 F-16C/D Block 70/72 fighters to the Philippines, the latest turn in a long-running saga as Manila seeks to revamp its air force. The announcement comes as the United States reinforces military ties with the Southeast Asian country, with a recent visit there by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the deployment of U.S. anti-ship and land-attack missile systems for a military drill.
South China Sea

Sale Of Advanced F-16s To The Philippines Moves Forward Amid Deepening U.S. Ties

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 2, 2025

KURAHOVE, UKRAINE - DECEMBER 19: Ukrainian servicemen of the 33rd brigade operate a Leopard battle tank in the direction of Kurahove, Ukraine as Russia-Ukraine war continues on December 19, 2024. (Photo by Wolfgang Schwan/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Russia

New Russian Offensive In Ukraine Looms

By Howard Altman

Posted on Apr 1, 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.
News & Features

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

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Apr 1, 2025

China’s KD-21 air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM), a shadowy weapon that is widely seen as part of the country’s rapidly developing anti-shipping armory, appears to now be in operational service. The missile, carried by the H-6K bomber, made its public debut at Airshow China in Zhuhai in November 2022, but until now had not been confirmed as being carried by aircraft assigned to frontline unit.
China

China’s KD-21 Air-Launched Ballistic Missile Appears To Be Operational

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 1, 2025

The U.S. Air Force has used B-2 Spirit stealth bombers against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Iran

B-2 Spirits Amassed On Diego Garcia Underscore Hardened Aircraft Shelter Debate

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 1, 2025

Puma Helicopter Retires From UK Service After More Than 50 Years
United Kingdom

Puma Helicopter Retires From UK Service After More Than 50 Years

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Apr 1, 2025

C-32 in Greenville without its paint.
U.S. Homeland

C-32A ‘Air Force 2’ Jet Like You’ve Never Seen One Before

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Mar 31, 2025

Bunker 42 situé à plus de 60 mètres de profondeur en plein centre-ville, ancien centre stratégique de commandement et de communication militaire transformé en musée de la Guerre Froide, 23 mars 2016, Moscou. (Photo by Francois LOCHON/Gamma-Rapho via Getty
Bunker Talk

Bunker Talk: Let’s Talk About All The Things We Did And Didn’t Cover This Week

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Mar 29, 2025

Tensions between Israel and Turkey around mounting over air bases in Syria.
Israel

Israel-Turkey Tensions Mounting Over Air Bases In Syria

By Howard Altman

Posted on Mar 28, 2025

Roadrunner and coyote deployed on US Destroyer
Drones

Coyote, Roadrunner Loitering Drone Interceptors To Arm U.S. Navy Destroyers

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Mar 28, 2025

The use of Signal to communicate details about a looming airstrike against the Houthis raised questions about why officials didn't use goverment systems.
Yemen

Signal For Secure Comms: Convenience Over Security Without The Record-Keeping

By Howard Altman

Posted on Mar 28, 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.
Turkey

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

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Mar 27, 2025

The U.S. Army has formally given the designation ME-11B to its forthcoming High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES) intelligence-gathering aircraft.
Drones

ME-11B Official Designation Of Army’s New Intelligence Gathering Business Jets

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Mar 27, 2025

North Korea's shadowy airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, based on a Russian Il-76 Candid cargo aircraft, has flown.
North Korea

First North Korean Airborne Early Warning Jet Flies, Kim Shows Off Interior

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Mar 26, 2025

Airbus has unveiled LOAD, a new anti-drone drone concept — an adapted target drone that will be armed with air-to-air guided missiles, expressly designed to shoot down other uncrewed aerial vehicles. In recent years we’ve seen a proliferation of single-use drones with explosive warheads that are designed to bring down other uncrewed aerial vehicles. However, a reusable anti-drone drone, armed with its own missiles, appears to be something of a novelty.
Europe

Micro Missile-Slinging Drone-Killing Drone Concept Revealed By Airbus

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Mar 26, 2025

The U.S. Air Force office responsible for the B-52 Radar Modernization Program (RMP) is asking for new information about options for derivatives of off-the-shelf multi-mode radars that could go into the bombers.
News & Features

B-52 Radar Upgrade Alternatives Info Sought By Air Force

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Mar 26, 2025

Iran showed off its latest underground missile city.
Iran

Iran Shows Off Underground ‘Missile City’

By Howard Altman

Posted on Mar 25, 2025

A significant force of B-2 Spirit stealth bombers looks to be currently wending its way to the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia.
Iran

Signs U.S. Massing B-2 Spirit Bombers In Diego Garcia (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick, Howard Altman

Posted on Mar 25, 2025

Taiwan has revealed a new drone boat, or uncrewed surface vessel (USV), the Endeavor Manta, said to be the first of its kind for the Republic of China Navy (ROCN).
Taiwan

Taiwan’s Endeavor Manta Drone Boat Breaks Cover

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Mar 25, 2025

The U.S. Air Force's selection of Boeing's F-47 as the winner of its Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) combat jet competition raises new questions about plans for new stealthy aerial refueling tankers.
Drones

F-47 Fighter Reveal Draws New Attention To USAF Stealth Tanker Plans

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Mar 24, 2025

Ukraine claims it destroyed two Ka-52 Hockum attack helicopters and two Mi-8 Hip transport helicopters in a missile attack in Belgorod.
Russia

Ukraine Launched HIMARS Attack On Russian Helicopters In Belgorod

By Howard Altman

Posted on Mar 24, 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.
Red Sea

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

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Mar 24, 2025

F-47 X-plane demonstrators
Skunk Works

F-47 Was Born Out Of Secret X-Planes Built By Both Boeing And Lockheed

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Mar 23, 2025

F-47 NGAD from Boeing.
Procurement

Boeing Wins F-47 Next Generation Air Dominance Fighter Contract (Updated)

By Thomas Newdick, Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Mar 22, 2025

10th July 1943: British Air Force officer Sir Arthur 'Bomber' Harris, commander-in-chief of Bomber Command RAF, emerging from the bunker at Bomber Command after conferring with other RAF chiefs. Original Publication: Picture Post - 1473 - The Man Who Picks The Target For Tonight - pub. 1943 (Photo by Leonard McCombe/Picture Post/Getty Images)
Bunker Talk

Bunker Talk: Let’s Talk About All The Things We Did And Didn’t Cover This Week

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Mar 21, 2025

The U.S. Secret Service is looking at replacing its 7.62x51mm M110 designated marksman rifles with a new gun chambered to fire the 6.5mm Creedmoor round.
Secret Service

Secret Service Eyes New 6.5mm Semi-Automatic Sniper Rifle

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Mar 21, 2025

Ammo dump destroyed in Russia at Engles Air Base.
Russia

Russian Bomber Base Suffered Major Damage To Munitions Area In Ukrainian Drone Attack

By Howard Altman

Posted on Mar 21, 2025

New space-based interceptors called for in President Donald Trump's Golden Dome missile defense initiative are all about addressing threats as quickly and as far away from the U.S. homeland as possible, according to U.S. Space Force's top officer.
U.S. Homeland

Putting Missile Interceptors In Space Critical To Defending U.S. Citizens: Space Force Boss

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Mar 20, 2025

F-35 Hill AFB
United Kingdom

F-35s From Hill AFB Arrive In England

By Howard Altman

Updated on Mar 20, 2025

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

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

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Mar 20, 2025

Kratos has revealed that it is working on a new drone capable of flying at hypersonic speeds, typically defined as anything above Mach 5.
Drones

Kratos Has A Hypersonic Drone In The Works

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Mar 20, 2025

The European Union has created a new initiative to increase defense spending and boost local arms production.
Russia

New European Union Plan To Boost Local Arms Production Would Freeze U.S. Out Of Billions

By Howard Altman

Updated on Mar 20, 2025

An apparent Ukrainian drone attack targeted Russia’s Engels-2 Air Base in the Saratov region 300 miles from the Ukrainian border, according to available imagery. At this stage it’s unclear whether any Russian aircraft were damaged in the incident, although there are indications that the primary target was a weapons storage area. Long-range bombers flying from the base regularly attack Ukraine and the airfield, and other like it, have long been high-priority targets for Kyiv.
Russia

Massive Explosion Rocks Key Bomber Base Deep Inside Russia

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Mar 20, 2025

Canada Looks To Close Critical Arctic Radar Gaps With Australia’s Help
Australia

Canada Looks To Close Critical Arctic Radar Gaps With Australia’s Help

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Mar 19, 2025

Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR) used drone boats to launch FPV drones against Russian radar systems in Crimea.
Russia

Ukraine Launches FPV Drone Attack On Russia’s Air Defenses In Crimea

By Howard Altman

Posted on Mar 19, 2025

Ukraine armored vehicle in belgorod.
Russia

Russia Confirms Ongoing Ukrainian Assault On Belgorod Region

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Mar 19, 2025

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

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

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Mar 19, 2025

The U.S. Army has released a picture of a Bradley fighting vehicle using its BGM-71 TOW anti-tank guided missile launcher to fire something else referred to simply as the "670," which appears to be previously unseen.
Drones

Mysterious Weapon Fired From Bradley Fighting Vehicle During Exercise

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Mar 19, 2025