News & Features(Page 2)

Latest in News & Features

Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR), released a new video on Thursday offering new views of its Magura-7 sea drones.
Sea

Our Best Look Yet At Ukraine’s AIM-9 Sidewinder-Toting Magura-7 Drone Boat

By Howard Altman

Posted on May 15, 2025

The U.S. Army's Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) tiltrotors will be designated MV-75s, the service announced today at the Army Aviation Association of America's annual Mission Solutions Summit.
Air

MV-75 Official Designation Given To Future U.S. Army Tiltrotor Assault Aircraft (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on May 14, 2025

The future of the Navy NGAD crewed aircraft program remains in limbo.
Air

Fate Of Navy’s F/A-XX Future Fighter Is In Limbo (Updated)

By Howard Altman

Posted on May 14, 2025

F-35 was nearly downed by Houthi air defenses.
Air

How The Houthis’ Rickety Air Defenses Threaten Even The F-35

By Joseph Trevithick, Tyler Rogoway

Updated on May 14, 2025

F-47 has a range of 1,000+ nautical miles.
Air

F-47 Now Has An Officially Stated Combat Radius Of 1,000+ Nautical Miles

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on May 14, 2025

A U.S. F-35 stealth fighter had to take evasive action to avoid being hit by a Houthi SAM, a U.S. official told The War Zone.
Air

F-35 Had To Maneuver To Evade Houthi Surface-To-Air Missile: U.S. Official

By Howard Altman

Posted on May 14, 2025

Russia is taking a page out of Ukraine's play book and creating Naval drone regiments
Sea

Ukraine Situation Report: Russian Navy Creating New Drone Regiments In Wake Of Enemy Successes

By Howard Altman

Posted on May 13, 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

General Atomics Long shot drone.
Air

Air-Launched ‘Fighter Drone’ Collaborative Combat Aircraft Being Eyed By Air Force

By Joseph Trevithick

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.
Air

Claims Swirl As India And Pakistan Assess Results Of Latest Conflict

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on May 13, 2025

U.S. President Donald Trump again justified accepting a gifted 747-8 from Qatar to serve as a temporary Air Force One, but can it meet safety and security requirements?
Air

Turning Qatar’s Gifted 747 Into Air Force One Will Be Anything But Free

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on May 12, 2025

TOPSHOT - An employee handles 155 mm caliber shells after the manufacturing process at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant (SCAAP) in Scranton, Pennsylvania on April 16, 2024. In brick buildings that are more than a century old, nearly in the heart of Joe Biden's Rust Belt hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, dated machinery churns artillery for modern conflicts, especially the war in Ukraine. The Scranton Army Ammunition Plant (SCAAP) is making steel tubes for 155 mm caliber shells, which are crucial to Kyiv's efforts to face down Moscow's invasion. (Photo by Charly TRIBALLEAU / AFP) (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)
Land

Shell Game: Inside The Worldwide TNT Shortage

By Howard Altman

Updated on May 12, 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.
Air

New Small Russian Cruise Missile Captured By Ukrainian Intelligence

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on May 12, 2025

BRDY MILITARY BASE, CZECH REPUBLIC - MARCH 28: A part of the abandoned bunker complex that formerly belonged to the Soviet military on the Brdy reservation near Mirosov on March 28, 2007 near Plzen, Czech Republic. The site which was visited by US experts, may become the new location of an American radar installation that will be used for the pupose of anti-missile defense. (Photo by Kurt Vinion/Getty Images)
News & Features

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

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on May 10, 2025

Chinese-Made PL-15 Air-To-Air Missile Components Came Down Intact Inside India
Air

Chinese-Made PL-15 Air-To-Air Missile Components Came Down Intact Inside India

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on May 9, 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.
Air

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

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 9, 2025

Two new drone designs, Apollo and Athena, are in development at Kratos with a particular focus on collaborative operations with other crewed and uncrewed aircraft, and an eye toward sales in Europe.
Air

Two Secretive Loyal Wingman Drones Aimed At European Market In Development From Kratos

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on May 9, 2025

AV introduced its new Kraken3 uncrewed surface vessel at the SOF Week conference in Tampa
Sea

New Drone Boat Unveiled At Special Operations Conference In Afterglow Of Ukrainian Success

By Howard Altman

Posted on May 9, 2025

Satellite imagery indicates that there are now 10 U.S. heavy bombers – six stealthy B-2s and four B-52s – on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.
Air

B-52s Join B-2s On Diego Garcia,10 Bombers Now At Indian Ocean Island

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on May 8, 2025

Pakistan claims it downed more than two dozen Israeli-made Harop drones as the conflict with India intensifies.
Air

Israeli-Made Harop Attack Drones Launched By India By The Dozens, Pakistan Claims

By Howard Altman

Updated on May 8, 2025

Red Cat drone interview.
News & Features

We Talk About The U.S. Army’s New Black Widow Short-Range Recon Drone With Red Cat

By Jamie Hunter, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on May 8, 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.
Air

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

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 8, 2025

A U.S. Air Force AC-130J Ghostrider flies over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Jan. 31, 2025. Designed for close air support, air interdiction and armed reconnaissance, the AC-130J provides CENTCOM forces an expeditionary, direct-fire platform with 30mm and 105mm cannons. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Gerald R. Willis)
Air

Harpoon Anti-Ship Missile-Armed AC-130J Gunships Could Be On The Horizon

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on May 8, 2025

Stealthy Special Operations Speedboats Are Getting Kamikaze Drone Launchers
Air

Stealthy Special Operations Speedboats Are Getting Kamikaze Drone Launchers

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on May 7, 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.
Air

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

Hornet crashed aboard the USS Harry S Truman
Air

Super Hornet Crashes Landing On USS Truman, Its Second F/A-18 Loss In A Week

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on May 7, 2025

India Strikes, Pakistan Responds, Claims Of Aircraft Losses Mount (Updated)
News & Features

India Strikes, Pakistan Responds, Claims Of Aircraft Losses Mount (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on May 6, 2025

AeroVironment has rolled out a new long-range loitering one-way attack drone called Red Dragon that the company designed to operate with very "limited user interaction."
Air

Red Dragon Highly-Autonomous One-Way Attack Drone Unveiled

By Joseph Trevithick, 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.
Air

PhantomStrike Low-Cost Lightweight AESA Radar Flies For First Time

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 6, 2025

Can The OA-1K Skyraider II Actually Be Useful In A Pacific Fight?
Air

Can The OA-1K Skyraider II Actually Be Useful In A Pacific Fight?

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on May 6, 2025

A CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft assigned to the 20th Special Operations Squadron approaches the air-refueling receptacle of an MC-130 Commando II during a night flight at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, Sept. 12, 2024. The Osprey is a tiltrotor aircraft that combines a helicopter's vertical takeoff, hover, and vertical landing qualities with the long-range, fuel efficiency, and speed characteristics of a turboprop aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Gracelyn Hess)
News & Features

Electronic Warfare Lessons From Ukraine Informing Air Force Special Operations Future

By Howard Altman

Updated on May 5, 2025

XQ-58 rocket launch from its rail launcher system.
Air

Kratos Close To “A Couple” Final Versions Of XQ-58 Valkyrie For The Marines

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on May 5, 2025

Small missile for CCA and fighter aircraft sought by USAF.
Air

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

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on May 5, 2025

AIM-9 Sidewinder-Armed Ukrainian Drone Boat: What We Know
Sea

AIM-9 Sidewinder-Armed Ukrainian Drone Boat: What We Know

By Joseph Trevithick

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

Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov told us that Ukraine used drone-boat AIM-9 missiles to down two Russian SU-30 Flankers over the Black Sea.
News & Features

Two Russian Su-30 Flankers Downed By AIM-9s Fired From Drone Boats: Ukrainian Intel Boss

By Howard Altman

Posted on May 4, 2025

The Marines are investigating the use of the REGENT Viceroy sea glider to deliver troops, cargo and perform other functions in contested areas.
Sea

Seaglider Aims To Deliver Small Groups Of Marines Low Over The Waves

By Howard Altman

Posted on May 3, 2025

NANTWICH, ENGLAND - MAY 24: The nuclear strike mapping room view inside the former RAF Hack Green secret nuclear bunker on May 24, 2023 in Nantwich, England. Hack Green played a central role in the defence of Britain for almost sixty years. It was chosen during WW2 to protect the land between Birmingham and Liverpool from hostile attack and as a location for the new RADAR equipment. The bunker went on to be used for shelter and protection during the Cold War. As relations between East and West thawed many of the UK's nuclear bunkers were sold off. The Secret Bunker is now privately owned by the Siebert family and is run as a museum trust. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
News & Features

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

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on May 3, 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

Marine AH-1Z Attack Helicopter’s Mystery Missiles Identified
Air

Marine AH-1Z Attack Helicopter’s Mystery Missiles Identified

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on May 1, 2025

The U.S. Air Force and Anduril have offered what appears to be the first look at a "production representative" example of the YFQ-44A drone, also known as Fury.
Air

Our First Look At The YFQ-44A ‘Fighter Drone’ Collaborative Combat Aircraft

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on May 1, 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)
Air

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

Future versions of the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) short-range ballistic missile for the U.S. Army could carry Coyote drones or Hatchet miniature glide bombs, according to Lockheed Martin.
Land

PrSM Ballistic Missiles Loaded With Coyote Drones, Hatchet Mini Smart Bombs Eyed By Army

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on May 1, 2025

Making Sure Wingman Drones Don’t Hit Their Crewed Companions Still A Challenge Marines Say
Air

Making Sure Wingman Drones Don’t Hit Their Crewed Companions Still A Challenge Marines Say

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 30, 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.
News & Features

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

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 30, 2025

Lumberjack strike munition from Northrop Grumman
Air

Lumberjack Jet-Powered One-Way Attack Munition Can Drop Its Own Precision Bomblets (Updated)

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated 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.
Land

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

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 29, 2025

Aurora Flight Sciences has provided new details about the demonstrator design it is working on for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Liberty Lifter X-plane program.
Air

Liberty Lifter Ekranoplan Demonstrator Aims To Lift C-130-Sized Payloads

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 29, 2025

USS Harry Truman Was Evading Houthi Attack When F/A-18 Super Hornet Rolled Off Its Deck
News & Features

USS Harry Truman Was Evading Houthi Attack When F/A-18 Super Hornet Rolled Off Its Deck

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated 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.
Air

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

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 28, 2025

North Korea Frigate
Air

North Korea’s New Frigate Has Ballistic Missile Launchers

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Apr 27, 2025

Abandoned bunker on an abandoned soviet military ground in the forests of Brandenburg State, Germany. Rumors say, that this bunkers was also a storage for nuclear missiles.
News & Features

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

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Apr 25, 2025

U.S. carrier-based F-35C Joint Strike Fighters have been shooting down Houthi drones in the course of recent operations over and around the Red Sea, in addition to striking targets in Yemen, according to a U.S. official.
Air

F-35C Naval Joint Strike Fighters Have Been Shooting Down Houthi Drones

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 25, 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.
Air

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.
Air

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

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 24, 2025

India and Pakistan are inching toward a conflict in the wake of a deadly terror attack in Kashmir.
News & Features

India-Pakistan Tensions On Verge Of Erupting After Deadly Terror Attack

By Howard Altman

Posted on Apr 24, 2025

The U.S. Air Force is firmly of the view that its new F-47 6th generation stealth fighters are key to "how we win" in future fights, according to the service's top general in charge of force structure planning.
Air

F-47 6th Generation Fighter Future Force Size Questions Emerge

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 24, 2025

New Views Of China’s Next Generation Fighters
Air

New Views Of China’s Next Generation Fighters

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 24, 2025

Conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have put a huge strain on global TNT and propellant supplies.
News & Features

Ukraine Situation Report: U.S. Peace Plan Stumbles After Tumultuous Day

By Howard Altman

Posted on Apr 23, 2025

What actually are the Houthis' air defense capabilities? That's a clear question with at best a murky answer, but here is what we know.
News & Features

What Air Defenses Do The Houthis In Yemen Actually Have?

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 23, 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.
Air

French Rafale Fighters Project Power Forward To Sweden

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 23, 2025

An AFRICOM airstrike on a boat smuggling advanced arms to al-Shabaab highlights the new authorities given to commanders.
Air

Rapid Strike On Smuggling Ship Off Africa Highlights Increased Authorities Given To Commanders

By Howard Altman

Posted on Apr 22, 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.
Land

Extremely Rare Ukrainian Heavy Infantry Fighting Vehicle Appears On Battlefield

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Apr 22, 2025

A U.S. F-35 stealth fighter had to take evasive action to avoid being hit by a Houthi SAM, a U.S. official told The War Zone.
Air

Giving F-35 “NASCAR Upgrade” Can Deliver 80% Of F-47 Capabilities At Half Cost: Lockheed

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Apr 22, 2025