Read the latest articles from The War Zone (Page 19)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is in a risky spot as he meets with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.
Russia

Zelensky In Risky Spot As He Meets With Trump In White House (Updated)

The Ukrainian president faces tough choices about whether to swap land for a shot at peace.

An apparently previously unknown tiltrotor aircraft has appeared in China and is already undergoing flight testing. While the program remains mysterious, it’s further evidence of growing Chinese interest in this class of aircraft. Although previous such Chinese projects have typically been pitched for civilian missions, tiltrotors have clear military applications as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) continues to expand its reach across the Indo-Pacific region.
V-22

China’s First Crewed Tiltrotor Aircraft Is Flying

The design has clear military applications, but successfully developing a practical aircraft in this class is far from easy.

New views of Chinese ‘loyal wingman’ type drones, or at least mockups thereof, that are set to make their debut at a major upcoming military parade have emerged.
Unmanned

Glimpses Of China’s New Air Combat Drones Emerge Ahead Of Massive Military Parade

Stealthy new autonomous drones are among a slew of new capabilities China is set to showcase at its huge upcoming military parade.

1960s INTERIOR OF MANNED SPACECRAFT CENTER CONTROL ROOM HOUSTON TEXAS USA (Photo by H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock/Getty Images)
Bunker Talk

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

Crazy times man.

A former top government insider opens up about the role of foreign adversaries in U.S. base drone incursions.
Unmanned

FAA Insider Opens Up About Drone Incursions Over Military Bases

A former top official at the FAA, Pentagon and White House discusses how adversaries are using drones to spy on our sensitive installations.

The meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is now underway.
Russia

Trump-Putin Summit In Alaska Is Underway (Updated)

The high-stakes meeting at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson takes place as the American president calls for a ceasefire while threatening new sanctions.

A pair of B-2 bombers touched down at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska yesterday, and more may now be headed in the same direction.
B-2

B-2 Bombers Arrive At Alaskan Airbase Putin Will Land At (Updated)

A B-2 flanked by F-35s performed a flyover just as Trump and Putin walked the red carpet after shaking hands.

Ukraine has carried out an audacious drone strike on the Caspian Sea port of Olya, in Russia’s Astrakhan region, hitting one cargo vessel that Kyiv says was being used to transport arms from Iran. U.K.-based maritime security firm Ambrey confirmed to TWZ that this is the first time that a direct attack of this kind had been made on Olya and that it had resulted in one ship sunk. It also appears to be the first time that Ukraine has successfully targeted any kind of vessel in the Caspian Sea area.
Air

Ukraine Sinks Russian Cargo Ship In Caspian Sea

For the first time, Ukraine has extended its drone strikes to ships carrying Iranian weapons across the Caspian Sea.

A surge in Russian use of ballistic missiles with enhanced maneuvering capabilities has cut into the effectiveness of Ukraine's Patriot surface-to-air missile systems, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has confirmed.
MIM-104 Patriot

Ukraine’s Patriots Now Struggling To Intercept Enhanced Russian Ballistic Missiles

U.S. intel confirms that improvements to Russia's ballistic missiles are proving to be a major challenge for the Patriot air defense system.

The U.K. Royal Air Force F-35B stealth jet that was forced to make an emergency diversion to Japan last week is still there, the U.K. Ministry of Defense has told TWZ.
F-35B

UK F-35B Still Stranded In Japan Is Awaiting Spare Parts

The F-35B is the second from the carrier HMS Prince of Wales to make a high-profile diversion to an airport during its current Indo-Pacific cruise.

Taiwan's armed forces have developed a launch system for AGM-114 Hellfire missiles concealed inside what otherwise looks to be a civilian truck.
Taiwan

Hellfire Missile Launcher Disguised As Civilian Truck Breaks Cover In Taiwan

Concealed launchers offer new flexibility for Taiwan, which currently only fires Hellfires from helicopters, especially when it comes to shore defense.

Taiwan is testing a new external electronic countermeasures pod, reportedly due to be integrated on its F-CK-1 Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF). The multirole combat aircraft has undergone a comprehensive upgrade in recent years, but until now has not had anything approaching a comprehensive electronic warfare self-protection capability. This requirement is now even more urgent, as the threat from the China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) continues to grow.
C-130

Electronic Warfare Pod For Taiwan’s F-CK-1 Fighter Is In Testing

A self-protection jamming pod should provide the F-CK-1 Indigenous Defense Fighter with a boost in survivability as China’s electronic warfare capacity explodes.

A backseat passenger on an Air National Guard F-15 accidentally ejected while on the ground.
F-15

F-15 Ride-Along Passenger Accidentally Ejects While On The Ground (Updated)

A wild video shows the aftermath of the ejection, with what appears to be the passenger crawling alongside the runway.

Our Best Look At DARPA’s Defiant Uncrewed Surface Ship
U.S. Navy

Our Best Look At DARPA’s Defiant Uncrewed Surface Ship

The USX-1 Defiant is getting closer to embarking on a key long-endurance cruise that could have important ramifications for the U.S. Navy.

A Customs and Border Protection MQ-9 flew deep into Mexico today.
Unmanned

U.S. MQ-9 Drone Just Flew A Mission Deep Into Mexico

The flight of the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Guardian drone comes as the Trump administration is ramping up its campaign against Mexican drug cartels.

The Polish Ministry of Defense has signed a $3.8 billion contract to upgrade the country's 48 F-16C/D Block 52+ Viper fighters to the F-16V configuration.
F-16

Poland’s F-16s Are About To Become Much More Potent

The upgrade will keep Poland's F-16s, already among the most capable in Europe, relevant and better suited for operating with F-35s.

South Korea is looking to develop a new air-launched ballistic missile, joining a group of nations that are looking to introduce this capability, or which already have systems of this kind in operational service. If successful, the program would likely see the weapon fielded on South Korea’s locally developed KF-21 fighter jet, which you can read more about here.
Air-Launched Ballistic Missiles

South Korea Has An Air-Launched Ballistic Missile Program

South Korea is also working on an air-launched standoff weapon designed for attacking enemy power grids.

A small U.S. Army quadcopter carrying a Claymore mine recently knocked down another small uncrewed aerial system in a test.
Unmanned

Claymore Mine-Armed Drone Tested by U.S. Army

Drones toting Claymore mines could help defend against low-end uncrewed aerial threats and be used against ground targets.

Russian forces have made their deepest advance into Donbas in a year.
Russia

Russia Punches Through Ukrainian Lines In Deepest Advance In A Year

Russia's advance in the east has resulted in Ukraine shifting some of its most experienced troops there in an attempt to blunt it.

Last week, it was reported that German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall is awaiting a billion-dollar order from the German Armed Forces for its Skyranger anti-aircraft gun. During a recent earnings call, the firm’s CEO, Armin Papperger said that he expected Skyranger contracts from the German military worth between $7-9 billion to be signed this year. The systems would be delivered by 2035.
Counter-Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (C-UAS)

Germany To Bet Big On Skyranger Gun System To Address Growing Drone Threat

The 35mm cannon with programmable ammo mounted on an 8x8 armored fighting vehicle gives Germany an efficient hard-kill point defense solution.