Read the latest articles from The War Zone (Page 51)

Tensions between Israel and Turkey around mounting over air bases in Syria.
Israel

Israel-Turkey Tensions Mounting Over Air Bases In Syria

The souring relationship between Turkey and Israel could get much worse as Ankara eyes taking control of bases in Syria.

Roadrunner and coyote deployed on US Destroyer
U.S. Navy

Coyote, Roadrunner Loitering Drone Interceptors To Arm U.S. Navy Destroyers

Coyote and Roadrunner interceptor drones will give Arleigh Burke class destroyers a better option for taking down lower-end unmanned aircraft.

The use of Signal to communicate details about a looming airstrike against the Houthis raised questions about why officials didn't use goverment systems.
Yemen

Signal For Secure Comms: Convenience Over Security Without The Record-Keeping

We talked to experts about what secure communications options key decision makers have and why Signal is an attractive but highly problematic solution.

If Northrop Grumman wins the F/A-XX context what cat name will they give their naval fighter.
F/A-XX

What Cat Name Should Northrop Grumman Give Its Fighter If It Wins The Navy’s F/A-XX Competition?

Not since the F-14 Tomcat has their been a 'Grumman cat,' but that could soon change.

Turkey has begun using tablet computers in the cockpits of its F-16s to enable rapid integration of new locally developed weapons. The development has interesting parallels with Ukraine’s use of such devices to allow its Soviet-era jets to employ Western air-to-ground weapons.
F-16

Turkish F-16s Are Using Tablets To Control Locally Made Weapons

Tablets are an increasingly popular way of fast-tracking the integration of new capabilities on a variety of aerial platforms.

X-36 was an early progenitor that lead to the F-47.
F-47

Reflections Of The F-47: Looking Back At The X-36

The tailless X-36 demonstrator was one of several test planes and studies that likely paved the way for the F-47 sixth-generation stealth fighter.

The U.S. Army has formally given the designation ME-11B to its forthcoming High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES) intelligence-gathering aircraft.
E-11

ME-11B Official Designation Of Army’s New Intelligence Gathering Business Jets

The sensor-packed ME-11Bs will fly faster, farther, and higher than the Army's current turboprop intel aircraft and could also launch drones.

North Korea's shadowy airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, based on a Russian Il-76 Candid cargo aircraft, has flown.
A-50/A-100

First North Korean Airborne Early Warning Jet Flies, Kim Shows Off Interior

North Korea's radar plane, based on an Il-76 cargo jet, has been taking shape for more than a year.

Airbus has unveiled LOAD, a new anti-drone drone concept — an adapted target drone that will be armed with air-to-air guided missiles, expressly designed to shoot down other uncrewed aerial vehicles. In recent years we’ve seen a proliferation of single-use drones with explosive warheads that are designed to bring down other uncrewed aerial vehicles. However, a reusable anti-drone drone, armed with its own missiles, appears to be something of a novelty.
Unmanned

Micro Missile-Slinging Drone-Killing Drone Concept Revealed By Airbus

The Airbus Low-Cost Air Defense or LOAD concept takes an existing target drone and adds small air-to-air missiles to bring down enemy UAVs.

The U.S. Air Force office responsible for the B-52 Radar Modernization Program (RMP) is asking for new information about options for derivatives of off-the-shelf multi-mode radars that could go into the bombers.
B-52

B-52 Radar Upgrade Alternatives Info Sought By Air Force

The USAF says that an existing B-52 radar modernization plan remains unchanged despite delays, but it is clearly also looking at other options.

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency has simulated a successful intercept of a mock advanced hypersonic missile by a Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) as it works up to attempt the real thing.
Air

SM-6 Missile Closer To Proving Hypersonic Weapon Intercept Capability After Aegis Destroyer Test

The SM-6 is the U.S. military's most immediate option for tackling growing threats posed by advanced maneuvering hypersonic weapons.

Iran showed off its latest underground missile city.
Iran

Iran Shows Off Underground ‘Missile City’

The facility holds some of Iran's most advanced weapons, but there appears to be a glaring vulnerability in how it is constructed.

A significant force of B-2 Spirit stealth bombers looks to be currently wending its way to the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia.
B-2

Signs U.S. Massing B-2 Spirit Bombers In Diego Garcia (Updated)

The U.S. is flowing in airpower to the Indian Ocean outpost as threats to Iran escalate and the bombing campaign against the Houthis grinds on.

Taiwan has revealed a new drone boat, or uncrewed surface vessel (USV), the Endeavor Manta, said to be the first of its kind for the Republic of China Navy (ROCN).
Republic Of China Navy (Taiwan)

Taiwan’s Endeavor Manta Drone Boat Breaks Cover

Taiwan has not moved as fast as some may have expected to build an uncrewed surface vessel force, but that appears to be changing.

The future of the Navy NGAD crewed aircraft program remains in limbo.
F/A-18E/F

Navy F/A-XX Stealth Fighter Selection This Week: Report

The Navy is reportedly set to follow the Air Force’s lead and name the company chosen to develop and build its carrier-based sixth-generation fighter.

The U.S. Air Force's selection of Boeing's F-47 as the winner of its Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) combat jet competition raises new questions about plans for new stealthy aerial refueling tankers.
KC-10

F-47 Fighter Reveal Draws New Attention To USAF Stealth Tanker Plans

Proceeding with the F-47 will impact tanker needs and there have been questions about whether the USAF can even afford to buy both aircraft.

The puzzling canards on the F-47 could be an indicator of what the aircraft's design goals are.
F-47

What The F-47’s Canards Say About The Rest Of Its Design

The most surprising feature on the F-47 Next Generation fighter are canard foreplanes that aren't conducive to extreme degrees of stealth.

Ukraine claims it destroyed two Ka-52 Hockum attack helicopters and two Mi-8 Hip transport helicopters in a missile attack in Belgorod.
Mi8/Mi-17

Ukraine Launched HIMARS Attack On Russian Helicopters In Belgorod

Ukrainian special operations forces state they called in the rocket artillery strike after spotting the helicopters at a forward arming and refueling point.

We may have just gotten our first evidence of the GBU-53/B StormBreaker glide bomb, also known as the Small Diameter Bomber II (SDB II), being used in combat. The first operational use of the StormBreaker by the service would be a big deal, with this weapon bringing some significant advances over its predecessor, the GBU-39/B SDB I, especially the ability to hit moving targets.
F/A-18E/F

F/A-18 Super Hornets Now Carrying Stormbreaker Glide Bombs On Combat Missions

Imagery shows Navy F/A-18E/Fs equipped with GBU-53/B Stormbreakers being launched on missions against Houthi militants in Yemen.

F-47 X-plane demonstrators
F-47

F-47 Was Born Out Of Secret X-Planes Built By Both Boeing And Lockheed

Each firm built a demonstrator jet, one flying in 2019 and the other in 2022, that logged hundreds of hours, resulting in major program risk reduction.