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

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

"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room!"

Fiber optic drone
Unmanned

FBI Wants To Add Fiber Optic Drones To Its Arsenal

Fiber-optic-controlled drones, ubiquitous on the battlefield in Ukraine, could be headed to the FBI's armory.

The U.S. Air Force says it estimates a fleet of Next Generation Airlift (NGAL) aircraft will be flying operational missions by the 2040-2041 timeframe.
C-17

C-17 Will Fly Until 80 Years Old Under New USAF Airlifter Strategy

Some C-17s could be 80 years old by the time the full transition to a new Next Generation Airlift aircraft is complete.

German soldiers board a subway train during subterranean training in Berlin.
Armies

Soldiers Take To Berlin’s Subway Tunnels To Train For Defending The City From Below

In a measure of the changing European security landscape, German soldiers have been conducting urban warfare training in the capital city.

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - NOVEMBER 21: Smoke rises after an Indian fighter jet crashed into a field while performing a demonstration flight during the Dubai Airshow in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on November 21, 2025.
Indian Air Force

Fatal Crash Of India’s Tejas Light Fighter Mars Dubai Airshow

The Indian jet was executing a low-level maneuver when it plunged into the ground and erupted in a fireball.

U.S. tactical aircraft flying near Venezuela is part of a pressure campaign aimed at that nation's embattled leader, Nicolas Maduro
RC-135

RC-135 Accompanied By Fighters Off Venezuela Testing Maduro’s Air Defenses: U.S. Official

The flights are part of a massive U.S. military presence in the Caribbean aimed at putting maximum pressure on Venezuela's Maduro.

Each of the U.S. Air Force's Special Operations Command's (AFSOC) new OA-1K Skyraider II light attack aircraft has a somewhat unexpected feature in its cockpit.
Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC)

OA-1K Skyraider II Has Off-The-Shelf Rifle Sight Mounted In Its Cockpit

EOTech holographic sights are mounted on the special operations light attack plane's dash for a reason you might not expect.

The Navy's USNS Salvor is on scene to try and find two aircraft that crashed off the USS Nimitz last month.
USS Nimitz (CVN-68)

Navy Salvage Ship Trying To Fish Crashed Super Hornet And Seahawk Out Of South China Sea

USNS Salvor is on the scene in the tense South China Sea to recover both aircraft that crashed on the same night while flying from the Nimitz.

‘Crew One,’ a three-man weapons load team, completes the first full external loadout with live munitions for the F-35A Lightening II May 3, 2019, at Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates. F-35A Lightning IIs assigned to the 4th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron were configured in a full external live loadout of six GBU-49 small glide munitions and two AIM-9x Sidewinder missiles to execute an operation in Southwest Asia.
F-35A

Impact Of Selling F-35s To Saudi Arabia On The Region

In a major policy shift, the Trump administration wants to sell F-35s to Saudi Arabia, but there are still hurdles ahead and concerns to satisfy.

Russian officials claim that a prototype of the Sukhoi Su-75 Checkmate fighter could be in flight testing by early next year.
Fighters

Russia Insists Su-75 Checkmate Fighter Will Fly Next Year

Russia claims Su-75 development, including an uncrewed variant concept, has continued since its unveiling in 2021 despite the war in Ukraine.

The Utah Air National Guard demonstrated new capabilities that expand the KC-135 aerial refueling tanker's ability to also act as an airborne communications and data-sharing node during major exercises in the Pacific earlier this year.
KC-135

KC-135 Refueling Pods Have Been Converted Into Flying Communication Nodes

More connectivity increases the KC-135's survivability, and opens doors to controlling drones and providing force-multiplying networking for other aircraft.

Cartridge cases cover the ground during a shooting drill at the 102nd Samar Wolves Battalion of Ukraine's 108th Territorial Defence Brigade in Ukraine, on November 10, 2025. (Photo by Dmytro Smolienko/Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Russia

As Ukraine Loses More Ground, U.S. Army Leaders In Kyiv To Spur Peace Talks

The visit of the high-ranking officials come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky faces increasing pressure at home and abroad.

A Russian general is in Venezuela with about 120 troops training and advising Venezuelans according to Ukrainian intelligence.
Russia

Russian General In Venezuela Leading Advisory Mission: Ukraine’s Intel Chief

The long-standing Russian mission in Venezuela is not directly related to the ongoing U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean.

Russia’s Sukhoi Su-57 Felon is benefiting from lessons learned in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, according to the head of the country's state-run defense conglomerate Rostec.
Su-57

Su-57 With New Upgrade Options, Russia Claims First Foreign Delivery Has Already Occurred

The latest on the Su-57E as Russia pitches the aircraft hard in Dubai looking for a major export breakthrough.

The Yantar, a notorious Russian spy ship, directed lasers at the crews of U.K. Royal Air Force aircraft in waters off the north of Scotland, the British government said today.
Royal Navy

Russian Spy Ship Targets Royal Air Force Jets With Laser

The undersea espionage and salvage ship Yantar’s increasing presence off the U.K. is concerning, but directing lasers at British aircraft is a new development.

Key Trump nominee blasts BIden decision to allow Ukraine to use ATACMS in Russia.
Russia

Ukraine’s Claimed ATACMS Strike In Russia Signals Major Shift In U.S. Policy (Updated)

After a long hiatus, Ukraine says it used ATACMS missiles to strike inside Russia, which points to loosening restrictions and the possibility of more missiles.

WARSAW, POLAND - NOVEMBER 17: (----EDITORIAL USE ONLY - MANDATORY CREDIT - THE CHANCELLERY OF THE PRIME MINISTER OF POLAND (KPRM) /X ACCOUNT/ HANDOUT' - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS----) Poland Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski inspect the damaged railway tracks on the Warsaw-Lublin route in Poland on November 17, 2025. Damage caused overnight on the intercity Warsaw-Lublin rail line near the village of Mika was an act of sabotage, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk posted on US social media company X on Monday.
NATO

Polish Rail Sabotage Blamed On Russia

Poland says the incidents are the latest in Russia's expanding hybrid warfare campaign against NATO countries in Europe.

Russia is increasingly using a new Iranian Shahed drone against Ukrainian troops.
Unmanned

Russia Now Using Iranian Shahed-107 Drones To Strike Beyond The Front Lines

The Shahed-107 could fill a major capability gap for Russia, reaching over medium distances to attack Ukrainian forces in areas that were previously considered safer.

Images show that a large tiltrotor drone called the R6000, being developed by United Aircraft in China, has now entered flight testing.
Future Vertical Lift

China’s Large R6000 Uncrewed Tiltrotor Is Now In Flight Testing

China's United Aircraft is presenting the R6000 as well-suited for civilian tasks, but there is obvious military potential for the design.

Boeing, Saab, and BAE Systems have teamed up to offer the T-7A Red Hawk advanced jet trainer to the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force. With a plan to build the jets in the United Kingdom, the partnership aims to deliver a successor to the Royal Air Force’s current fleet of BAE Systems Hawks from 2030.
T-7

T-7 Red Hawk Jet Trainer Offer To United Kingdom Includes Local Assembly

The Royal Air Force needs a replacement for its Hawk T1s, flown by the Red Arrows aerobatic team, and its Hawks T2s, used for advanced training.