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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.
F-35C

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

F-35Cs are also striking targets in Yemen, with their stealth being of unique importance as the Houthi air defense threat comes into the spotlight.

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.
Small Diameter Bomb (SDB)/Stormbreaker

StormBreaker Advanced Glide Bomb Lands In Yemen Largely Intact

The cutting-edge StormBreaker was only recently confirmed as being used in combat and could be of major intelligence value to an adversary.

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.
NGAD

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

The Air Force also confirms it is looking at teaming CCAs with platforms other than fighters, including the B-21 stealth bomber and E-7 radar plane.

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

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

The two nuclear-armed nations last fought in 2019, with tit-for-tat airstrikes following another terror attack in Kashmir.

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.
F-47

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

How many F-47s the Air Force thinks it needs is an open question amid a changing vision of what achieving air superiority will entail.

New Views Of China’s Next Generation Fighters
J-20

New Views Of China’s Next Generation Fighters

We are seeing increasingly detailed imagery of Beijing's two new stealth fighter designs as other potential curious fighter-like objects have emerged out of China.

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

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

Top U.S. diplomats pulled out of a peace conference today as Trump scolded Zelensky, and Vance made it clear that Ukraine will need to accept Russia's seizure of its land.

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.
Red Sea

What Air Defenses Do The Houthis In Yemen Actually Have?

The loss of nearly 20 MQ-9 Reapers, increasing use of standoff munitions, and the deployment of B-2 bombers point to the Houthis' air defenses being a real problem.

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.
Rafale

French Rafale Fighters Project Power Forward To Sweden

For the first time, France is deploying Rafales, including nuclear-capable ones, on maneuvers in Sweden, while practicing the rapid dispersal of fighters on its own territory.

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

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

Giving military leaders in the field more agency to make critical decisions is an initiative of the new Trump administration.

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.
Ukrainian Army

Extremely Rare Ukrainian Heavy Infantry Fighting Vehicle Appears On Battlefield

This may well be the only example of a BMP-55 heavy infantry fighting vehicle, based on a T-55 tank, to have been completed.

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.
F-22

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

Lockheed doubles down on the Joint Strike Fighter after its F-47 loss with plans to inject 6th generation capabilities into the F-35's 'chassis.'

Northrop Grumman has blamed higher manufacturing costs for its B-21 Raider stealth bomber for a 49 percent drop in first-quarter profit. This is not the first financial hit for the B-21, with the manufacturer having disclosed a loss of nearly $1.2 billion on the program early last year. The latest news comes as U.S. Air Force officials state a need for 145 of the stealth bombers to cope with increasing threats to U.S. security.
B-21

Rising B-21 Raider Stealth Bomber Costs Hit Northrop Grumman

The firm says that the losses are front-loaded and the B-21 will be profitable once production hits high gear.

J-10C Egypt
MiG-29

China Deploys J-10 Fighters To Egypt

The air combat exercises between Egypt and China serve multiple purposes, but Beijing's eye on Africa is highlighted by the drills.

Naval Strike Missile launch from NMESIS
Air

USMC Anti-Ship Missile Deployment To Highly Strategic Luzon Strait Is Unprecedented

From the Batanes Islands, Naval Strike Missiles would be able to engage any surface vessel transiting the channel between Taiwan and the Philippines.

Imagery has emerged of a very rarely seen EA-18G Growler loadout involving four examples of the AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM), during ongoing operations against Houthi targets in Yemen. While we know very little about Houthi air defenses, and their associated radars and sensors, the imagery underscores the continued threat that these present.
EA-18G

EA-18G Bristles With Rare Four Anti-Radiation Missile Loadout On Yemen Mission

A Growler electronic attack jet packing four AGM-88 anti-radiation missiles launched on a mission as Houthi air defenses remain a problem.

The Fenden home showing panels from the control unit used fire missiles. The missile silo was transformed into a private home.(Photo by Najlah Feanny/Corbis via Getty Images)
Air

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

Close the door, you are letting the radioactive dust in!

U.S. Soldiers from the 2nd Platoon, Alpha Company, 1/163rd Combined Arms Battalion, , make an M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicles operationally ready in northeast Syria on Feb. 1, 2022. The BFVs provide increased force protection for Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve and their partner forces as they continue to ensure the enduring defeat of Daesh. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. William Gore)
Syria

U.S. Troop Drawdown In Syria Officially Announced By Pentagon

The notice confirms our previous reporting that the U.S. troop levels in Syria will drop by about half.

The MQ-1C Gray Eagle Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) addresses the need for a long-endurance, armed (up to four HELLFIRE missiles), UAS that offers greater range, altitude, and payload flexibility.
Q-1

MQ-1C Gray Eagle Is Shooting Down Drones With Hellfire Missiles In Tests

Using the MQ-1C as a drone-hunter is a new development, and there are plans for new kinetic and laser weapons for the Gray Eagle.

Post strike image of US attack on Houthi fuel port.
Air-To-Ground

Destruction From U.S. Attack On Houthi Port Shown In Satellite Imagery

A key fuel transfer facility on the Red Sea has been wiped out by U.S. airpower, as shown in new satellite imagery.