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British Air Force officer and commander-in-chief Sir Arthur 'Bomber' Harris (left), of Bomber Command RAF, with Wing Commander Reynolds and Flight Lieutenant Sismore in the bunker at Bomber Command, 10th July 1943. Original Publication : Picture Post - 1473 - The Man Who Picks The Target For Tonight - pub. 1943 (Photo by Leonard McCombe/Picture Post/Getty Images)
Bunker Talk

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

Talk amongst yourselves!

The curious North Korean Type 73 machine gun is getting new attention as a result of the Hermit Kingdom's expanding support for Russia's war in Ukraine, which now includes the deployment of thousands of troops.
Around The Globe

North Korea’s Wacky Type 73 Machine Guns May Be Entering The Fight In Ukraine

North Korea's Type 73s are a unique mashup of Soviet and Czech machine gun designs that are rare to see outside of the Hermit Kingdom

In major policy shift, Biden administration is allowing U.S. contractors to work in Ukraine fixing and maintaining donated weapons.
F-16

U.S. Contractors Will Be Allowed To Fix F-16s, Patriots In Ukraine: Report

Allowing U.S. personnel to work on donated equipment in Ukraine represents a major policy shift by the outgoing Biden administration.

Russia's new S-70 flying wing uncrewed aerial vehicle (UCAV) contained dozens of foreign components, according to Ukraine.
Russia

Russia’s S-70 Hunter Flying Wing Drone Downed In Ukraine Packed With Western Components

The discovery of dozens of Western components on the S-70 highlights the challenges of keeping these items out of Russian hands.

China’s mysterious CH-7 stealthy flying-wing drone seems to have reappeared, although with a notably different look to it and a very impressive size.
UCAVs

China’s Stealth CH-7 Long-Endurance Drone Emerges

The large flying-wing CH-7 drone has gone through several iterations but is reportedly due to complete its development imminently.

The U.S. Navy recently used a drone control system now being installed on all its supercarriers to operate an actual uncrewed aircraft, a General Atomics Avenger, for the first time.
Avenger

MQ-20 Avenger First Drone Flown Using Navy’s Carrier-Based Control System

The MQ-20 stood in as a surrogate for the Navy's future MQ-25 Stingray and other drones that will operate from its carriers' decks.

What a new Trump administration could mean for Ukraine.
Eastern Europe

What Trump’s Election Could Mean For The War In Ukraine

Ukraine faces pitfalls and opportunities under a new Trump administration.

Another long-serving U.S. military aircraft has completed its final operational deployment, with the return of the U.S. Navy’s EP-3E Aries II surveillance platform from the 5th Fleet area of operations. The countdown to the spy plane’s final retirement is now on, which will see its vital intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) mission handed over fully to the MQ-4C Triton high-altitude, long-endurance drone.
MQ-4C

EP-3E Aries II Spy Plane Has Flown Its Last Operational Mission

Current tensions in the Middle East prolonged the final deployment of the EP-3E Aries II intelligence-gathering aircraft.

Massive Chinese Anti-Drone High-Power Microwave Weapon Emerges
Counter-Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (C-UAS)

Massive Chinese Anti-Drone High-Power Microwave Weapon Emerges

China's directed energy counter-drone efforts are building steam with multiple high-power microwave systems featured at this year's Zhuhai Airshow.

Israel will buy 25 F-15IA fighters, marking the first new Eagles that the country has acquired since November 1995, when it ordered F-15I Ra’am jets. This summer, Israel had been given U.S. approval to by as many as 50 F-15IAs, as well as upgrade its F-15Is. Whether more F-15s or upgrades are added, the current wars in the Middle East mean that further acquisitions of combat aircraft are likely.
F-15

Israel Executes Long Awaited Buy Of F-15IA Advanced Eagle Fighters

After a break of almost three decades, Israel has ordered more F-15s, which will spearhead its air force alongside F-35 stealth fighters.

Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works advanced projects division has put forward a new vision for a stealthy pilot-optional aerial refueling tanker.
U.S. Air Force

Skunk Works’ Latest Stealthy Tanker Concept Revealed

The USAF is firming up requirements for a stealthy tanker to fit with its Next Generation Air Dominance ecosystem, which could change dramatically due to cost.

Ukraine struck a Russian Caspian Sea military port for the first time.
Russia

Ukraine Hits Caspian Sea Port For The First Time

The military port is home to the Russian Navy's Caspian Sea Flotilla, several military units and is along routes Iran uses to ship weapons.

A new large jet-powered Chinese armed drone said to have a 10-ton maximum takeoff weight, or a mockup thereof, has emerged, and the design looks to be at least configurable to be a swarm mothership.
Swarms

New Heavyweight Chinese Jet Drone Looks To Be A Swarm Mothership

The jet-powered Jiu Tian, which has its own surveillance and attack capabilities, is another intriguing addition to China's rapidly expanding stable of drones.

J-15T fighter jet arrives in Zhuhai ahead of the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, or Airshow China 2024, on November 6, 2024 in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province of China. The 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition will be held in Zhuhai from November 12 to 17.
Flankers

China’s J-15T Enhanced Carrier-Based Flanker Officially Unveiled

Boasting advanced avionics, Chinese-made engines, and catapult launch compatibility, the J-15T will serve aboard all of China’s aircraft carriers.

The future outlook for the U.S. Air Force's top modernization efforts is even more uncertain after the service's civilian boss openly questioned the affordability of buying any combination of new stealth 'fighters,' advanced aerial refueling tankers, and highly autonomous drones.
NGAD

Crisis Brewing Over Air Force’s Future Air Dominance Plans Which It Cannot Afford

There is worrisome uncertainty about the Air Force's ability to pay for next-gen fighters, stealth tankers, and drones.

A U.S. Navy F/A-18F and F-35, both assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 9, fly over the Point Mugu Sea Range in Southern California with a U.S. Air Force F-15 during Gray Flag 2024 on Sept. 24, 2024. Gray Flag is an annual large-force test event that brings the joint force together to test and evaluate multi-domain systems in a maritime environment, ensuring our nation’s warfighters are equipped with effective, interoperable systems that will help them deter aggression, protect our nation’s prosperity and security, and return home safely to their families. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Cmdr. Kory Hughs)
F/A-18E/F

Navy Posts Its First AIM-174 Missile-Armed F/A-18F Super Hornet ‘Glamour Shots’

The F/A-18F was carrying a very heavy air-to-air loadout during a Gray Flag exercise mission over Southern California.

China’s J-35A Stealth Fighter Officially Breaks Cover
People's Liberation Army Air Force (China)

China’s J-35A Stealth Fighter Officially Breaks Cover

The J-35A's development has been a meandering one but now it's clear China's Air Force has interest and export possibilities are significant.

European cargo aircraft targeted in suspected Russian plot.
Air

Suspected Russian Airplane Sabotage Plot Sparks Call For NATO Action

Camouflaged incendiary devices were allegedly shipped via air courier services by Russian operatives.

Full Retirement Of Ticonderoga Cruisers On Hold, Trio To Remain In Service Into 2029
U.S. Navy

Full Retirement Of Ticonderoga Cruisers On Hold, Trio To Remain In Service Into 2029

The Navy has backtracked on plans to decommission the last of its Ticonderoga class cruisers by 2027, but their reprieve will be short.

The arrival of two Su-57 Felon prototypes for the upcoming Airshow China has provided a good look at details of the next-generation fighter, although the most interesting has been a first up-close view of its small wing-root weapons bays. At TWZ we have previous examined this feature as well as the air-to-air missiles that are understood to be accommodated in the bays. While long known about, the weapons bays had long remained something of a mystery.
Su-57

We Finally Get A Clear Look At The Su-57 Felon’s Side Weapons Bays

A clear view of the Su-57’s wing-root bays was seen for the first time after one of the jets arrived by An-124 at Airshow China in Zhuhai.