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Read the latest articles from TWZ (Page 4)

Helicopter take centerstage in Navy sinkex in the pacific.
Indo-Pacific

Helicopters Just Took Center Stage In Rim Of The Pacific Sinking Exercises

Allied rotorcraft employed at least four different missile types against retired warships during the massive Pacific exercise.

Two EA-37B Compass Call electronic warfare jets arrived at RAF Fairford amid a new buildup of U.S. forces as tensions with Iran mount.
U.S. Air Force

EA-37Bs Arrive At RAF Fairford As Iran Threatens To Attack The UK Air Base

RAF Fairford is a major hub for USAF bombers flying missions against Iran and other aircraft transmitting to the Middle East.

Raytheon has called attention to a new domestic order for PAC-2-series interceptors for the Patriot surface-to-air missile system. This is the first time the U.S. military has not bought any new PAC-2s in more than 30 years, according to the company.
MIM-104 Patriot

U.S. Army Is Buying Older PAC-2 Patriot Missiles For The First Time In Decades

PAC-2 GEM-T missiles are not generally as capable as their PAC-3 counterparts, but the Army needs all the Patriots it can get.

Operational and test units are laying the groundwork for F-15EXs to also take on air-to-ground missions.
F-15

Air-To-Ground Capabilities Are Already Creeping Into The F-15EX’s Mission Set

The F-15EX's current job is the same as its F-15C predecessor, strictly air-to-air combat, but that is going to change.

The Houthis have attacked Saudi ships in the Red Sea.
Iran

Houthis Now Attacking Saudi Oil Tankers In Red Sea, Major Energy Supply Implications (Updated)

Just as the war with Iran looks about to fully erupt again, the Houthis are going to put an even tighter squeeze on the world's energy supply.

A Ukrainian F-16 has shot down a Russian fighter jet for the first time, according to the highest-ranking U.S. military officer. If confirmed, it would represent a significant development in the air war over Ukraine.
F-16

Ukrainian F-16 Scored First Air-To-Air Kill Against A Russian Fighter: Top U.S. General

General Dan Caine’s disclosure bolsters reports that a Ukrainian F-16 downed a Russian Su-35S this month.

Farnborough International Airshow, 2026 Combat Air launch Client : BAE Systems Picture date: Tuesday July 21, 2026
Collaborative Combat Aircraft

Brontanax Fighter Drone Is The UK’s Big Leap Into Collaborative Combat Aircraft

BAE Systems just unveiled its stealthy CCA with some intriguing features.

The U.S. Navy is pumping $70 million into the development of a surface-launched version of CoAspire's Rapidly Adaptable Affordable Cruise Missile-Extended Range (RAACM-ER) cruise missile.
Anti-Ship Cruise Missile

Navy Picks RAACM-ER Low-Cost Cruise Missile For Program To Help Arm Allies (Updated)

The CHAOS program aims to give friendly ground forces new, cheaper ways to strike ships and targets on land at extended ranges.

The Navy is looking for a drone-launching mothership for the SOUTHCOM region.
U.S. Navy

Mothership Sought By Navy For Southern Command Operations

The ship will be capable of launching and recovering helicopters, drones and small boats, and acting as a sea base for operations.

BAE Systems is exploring how the Eurofighter Typhoon could control uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) as part of a broader effort to introduce new capabilities for the jet. The company is currently pursuing concepts to integrate CCAs with the Typhoon to expand ‘combat mass’ and better address emerging threat environments. Ultimately, however, the experience gained here will be ported over to the future Tempest combat jet — designed to work closely with drone from the outset.
Collaborative Combat Aircraft

Typhoons Paired With CCA Fighter Drones Armed With Meteor Missiles Eyed By UK

The emerging concepts envision Typhoon commanding loyal wingman drones with help of new radar and next-gen cockpit.

The Pentagon is seeking $21 billion to replenish the stocks of weapons used during the Iran war.
Iran

Munitions Expenditures In Iran War Take Center Stage At Senate Hearing (Updated)

The Pentagon wants $21B to replace the weapons it already has used as alarm bells ring about sustaining the conflict with available munitions going forward.

The scheduled launch of the first MRV spacecraft today is a very important milestone all around, and one that might open the door to a very different kind of 'armed' space-based capability.
Anti-Satellite Capabilities

Could This New Northrop Spacecraft Use Its Robotic Arms To Attack Enemy Satellites?

The Mission Robotic Vehicle's job is maintaining and refueling satellites in orbit, but it also opens the door to a different kind of 'armed' capability.

Anduril's YFQ-44A heads to creech for CCA ACE testing.
Collaborative Combat Aircraft

Fury Loyal Wingman Arrives At Creech AFB For Agile Combat Deployment Trials

Both of the USAF's CCAs, the YFQ-44 Fury and YFQ-42 Dark Merlin, are to be put through their paces at Creech AFB in Southern Nevada.

A new hybrid-electric heavy-lift cargo drone has been unveiled by the defense arm of U.S. company Beta Technologies.
Helicopters

MV250 Hybrid-Electric VTOL Combat Cargo Drone Unveiled

The new uncrewed platform is designed to move cargo, deploy air-launched effects, and support dispersed military operations.

TWZ’s weekly carrier tracker monitoring America’s flattop fleet, including deployed Carrier Strike Groups (CSG) and Amphibious Ready Groups (ARG), using publicly available open-source information.
Carrier Tracker

Where Are The Aircraft Carriers: July 20, 2026

The U.S. conducted a weekend wave of strikes against Iran and announced a new round today, while the reinstated blockade of Iranian ports approaches the one-week mark.

X-Bow Systems, a company that made its name making solid rocket motors and small space-launch vehicles, has unveiled a new low-cost drone interceptor, named Buckler. The interceptor promises supersonic speed and a unit cost of less than $100,000.
U.S. Army

X-Bow Unveils Sub-$100K Buckler Supersonic Drone Interceptor

The company says its surface-to-air missile can defeat Shahed-like drones at a fraction of the cost of many missiles in current service.

Bad El Mandeb Strait
Iran

Houthi Blockade On Saudi Red Sea Oil Transits Threatens To Widen War, Strangle Energy Supply (Updated)

If the Houthis start attacking ships near the Bab El-Mandeb Strait, it could peel-off U.S. resources from the Iran operation and exacerbate oil shortages.

The U.S. Air Force's new VC-25B Bridge aircraft will receive additional upgrades that will result in its capabilities being "maxed out," according to President Donald Trump.
POTUS

New VC-25B Air Force One Will Be Pulled From Service To Be “Maxed Out” With Upgrades

Trump said the ex-Qatari 747 is going to be upgraded soon when asked about the lack of defensive countermeasures on the new jet.

Lockheed Martin has unveiled the PAC-3 Adapted Capability Effector (ACE), a lower-cost interceptor for the Patriot surface-to-air missile system. By leveraging the existing PAC-3 fire-control architecture and Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS), the company says the new interceptor will cost less than half as much as the in-production PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) while providing a rapidly fielded, high-volume option for defeating aircraft, cruise missiles, and shorter-range ballistic missile threats.
MIM-104 Patriot

PAC-3 Adapted Capability Effector Is Lockheed’s New Low-Cost Patriot Interceptor

PAC-3 ACE is around half the price of a current PAC-3 MSE and still has the ability to engage short-range ballistic missiles.

Anduril has revealed a new hybrid-electric-powered tiltrotor combat drone called Thunder, which it has developed in partnership with Archer Aviation.
Drones

Anduril Brings The Thunder With Autonomous Tiltrotor Attack Drone Concept

Thunder is designed to fly deep into hostile airspace at low altitude as a highly autonomous wingman for AH-64 Apaches and MV-75 Cheyennes.