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Russian Telegram channels say a Russian Mi-8 transport helicopter was down by a drone, the first time that has happened.
Helicopters

Ukraine Situation Report: Russians Say Mi-8 Hip Helicopter Was Shot Down By Drone

The Russian Mi-8 loss would be the first known successful drone attack on an airborne helicopter.

Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall has shed some more light on the status of the new sixth-generation stealth combat jet under development as part of the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program. “We’re taking a pause,” Kendall said this morning, before reiterating that while fighter at the heart of the wider NGAD initiative will have a human pilot to start with, an optionally crewed version might be developed too.
NGAD

Air Force Secretary ‘Absolutely Confident’ 6th Gen Crewed Fighter Will Move Forward (Updated)

Secretary Kendall has moved to allay fears about the future of the service’s sixth-generation combat jet as the program takes a brief pause.

Nulcear Warhead inventory released by NNSA
Nuclear

Just How Many Nuclear Weapons Does The U.S. Actually Have?

Newly released nuclear warhead inventory numbers give us an updated idea of the status of America's strategic arsenal.

USAF aircraft flying in formation

Colonel Tasked With Testing Future Of Air Dominance Talks Candidly About Progress And Challenges

We talk in-depth with the 53rd Wing's commander about how his team is racing to turn future air warfare concepts, including Collaborative Combat Aircraft, into reality.

North Korean NLOS missile vehicle in Ukraine
North Korea

North Korean Anti-Tank Missile-Toting Vehicle Appears To Be Operating In Ukraine

The Bulsae-4 would be the first known armored vehicle and short-range anti-tank missile system provided by North Korea to Russia.

Ukrainians F-16s will immediately be able to get more out of stocks Western munitions that have already been deliverd, as well as other benefits.
F-16

F-16s Will Let Ukraine Get More Out Of Western Munitions: USAF’s Top Officer In Europe

USAF Gen. James Hecker says F-16s will give Ukraine key new capabilities in the near and long terms, but that they're not a "golden bullet."

Drone Hunter T Shirt War Zone
News & Features

Commemorate F-15E Strike Eagle’s Historic Drone Hunt With This Galaga-Inspired T-Shirt

Just like any ace Galaga player, F-15E crews had to manage timing, limited missiles, and agility to stop hordes of Iranian kamikaze drones.

New Russian drone in use in Ukraine.
Russian Air Force

New Russian Long-Range Drone Appears In Ukraine

Potentially capable of flying a range of missions, the Gerbera appears to be a Russian-developed complement to the Shahed-136 series.

The US Army and US Navy recently "initiated" a test of a hypersonic weapon system, but the US military won't say whether or not it was a success or failure, or even if there was an actual launch at all.
Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW)

Hypersonic Weapon Just Tested In Florida, Results Unclear

Vague details about a recently "initiated" test comes after the Army scrubbed three planned hypersonic missile launches last year.

The world awaits Israel's response after a deadly Hezbollah rocket attack on a soccer field.
Israel

World Awaits Israel’s Response To Deadly Hezbollah Rocket Attack That Hit Soccer Field

A major effort is underway behind the scenes to keep Israel from launching a major ground operation into Southern Lebanon or hitting civilian infrastructure.

A new type of submarine has appeared in China, featuring X-form rudders for the first time on a crewed Chinese design. Whether the recently spotted submarine is a further iteration of an existing class, or if it’s an entirely new design, it reflects the rapid pace of development in China’s submarine program, which features increasingly advanced and innovative nuclear- and conventionally powered types.
Diesel-Electric Submarines

China’s Latest Submarine Features X-Shaped Stern

With a longer hull and possible vertical launch cells, the new design is further evidence of China’s rapid submarine developments.

The US Air Force says a program to explore low cost 'air vehicle' concepts that could be turned into cruise missiles or used for other purposes is as much about shaking up industrial base and supply chain status quos.
U.S. Air Force

Shaking Up U.S. Industrial Base Key To ‘Cheap’ Cruise Missile Program

The USAF is looking beyond traditional munitions makers to bolster its stocks and help keep supplies flowing, especially in a high-end fight.

Three German Eurofighter EF2000s have completed a record-breaking endurance flight for the multirole fighter. Remaining in the air for a total of 10 hours 31 minutes, the trio of combat aircraft flew from Japan to Hawaii today, supported by aerial refueling tankers that included KC-135 Stratotankers operated by private aerospace firm Metrea, a contractor-owned and operated aerial refueling business that recently acquired of 14 KC-135s from the French Air and Space Force.
KC-135

German Eurofighters Make Record-Breaking Flight With Help From Private Aerial Refueling Company

Three of the German fighters were airborne for more than 10 hours during a flight between Japan and Hawaii with the help of Metrea aerial refueling company.

A 1950s civil defense shelter
Bunker Talk

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

Talk amongst yourselves.

NATO has selected AIrbus, Leonardo and Lockheed Martin Sikorsky to provide concept studies for the Next Generation Rotor Craft.
Helicopters

NATO Selects Three Companies For Next-Generation Rotorcraft Concept Study

Airbus Helicopters, Lockheed Martin Sikorsky, and Leonardo are now on contract to help NATO pick a new helicopter.

A new picture offering the best look to date at a Ukrainian MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter armed with GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs has disclosed the use of a special pylon with a mysterious feature in front.
MiG-29

First Look At Mystery Weapon Pylon Ukrainian MiG-29s Use To Carry Small Diameter Bombs

A picture has emerged of an SDB-armed Ukrainian MiG-29 with a previously unseen pylon with an interesting feature.

The U.S. Air Force is planning to retire its remaining RQ-4 Global Hawk high-altitude, long-endurance drones by the end of the 2027 Fiscal Year. The service says it has become clear that the RQ-4s would be overly vulnerable in any future conflict against a peer or near-peer adversary, but it’s not clear what aircraft (or other assets) might fill the resulting capability gap. This only adds to the growing evidence that a top-secret, high-flying, stealth spy drone, commonly referred to as the RQ-180, or variants or derivatives thereof, is getting close to entering service, if it isn’t already being employed operationally on some level.
RQ-4

Air Force Chief Hints At Existence Of Clandestine Spy Aircraft

The statement from Secretary Frank Kendall again suggests that the Air Force has advanced airborne reconnaissance capabilities waiting in the wings.

Lockheed Martin has unveiled a new version of its Sniper targeting pod with added networking capabilities primarily designed to enable new connectivity between fourth-generation fighters and stealthy F-35s, but which also offers the ability to create localized 'kill webs' with various assets in the air and on the ground.
F-16

Networked Sniper Pod Will Let 4th-Generation Fighters Create ‘Kill Webs’ With F-35s

The new Sniper pod will let F-35s provide targeting data to ground-based missiles and create an active link with 4th-generation fighters.

Russia is gaining ground in its effort to capture the key logistics hub of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast.
Around The Globe

Ukraine Situation Report: Russia Advancing Toward Key Logistics Hub

The Donetsk Oblast city of Pokrovsk, a bulwark against a Ukrainian collapse in the region, is a main target of Russian forces.

Greece has made good on its promise to buy F-35 stealth fighters, confirming today that it will buy an initial batch of 20 of the aircraft at a cost of around $3.5 billion. The decision is an important step in the modernization of the Hellenic Air Force, which has recently inducted other new combat aircraft types, while plans to retire older jets have also been unveiled. The move also has a particular resonance in terms of Greece’s tense relations with regional rival Turkey, which was booted out of the F-35 program, after buying Russian-made S-400 air defense systems.
F-35A

Greece Buying F-35s Widens Qualitative Gap With Turkey

F-35s will fly alongside Rafales and F-16s in a modernized Hellenic Air Force.