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Northrop Grumman has offer a new and interesting look at its secretive XRQ-73 drone.
U.S. Air Force

Our Best Look Yet At The XRQ-73 Hybrid-Electric Stealthy Flying Wing Drone

A new photo of the XRQ-73 SHEPARD sheds a little more light on the enigmatic drone, which is due to fly this year.

Private aerospace firm Metrea has bought France's entire fleet of KC-135 tanker in a major new bet on contractor aerial refueling services.
KC-135

All Of France’s KC-135 Tankers Bought By Private Aerial Refueling Company Metrea

Metrea now boasts the fifth-largest tanker fleet on Earth as it bets big on new U.S. military and foreign air force opportunities.

There is no official replacement for the F-22 Raptor, says the head of Air Combat Command. That could be another blow to the withering Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program.
F-22

Air Force Now Says It Has No Official F-22 Raptor Replacement

A sixth-generation fighter being developed under the Air Force Next Generation Air Dominance program was supposed to supplant the Raptor but its future is increasingly uncertain.

AIM-9 Shorads system which could be similar to FrankenSAM.
Around The Globe

Ukraine’s FrankenSAM Air Defense Concept Could Be Used To Protect USAF Bases

Rapidly developed to meet an urgent Ukrainian requirement, the FrankenSAM concept is now being eyed for the U.S. military.

The Senate Armed Services Committee has directed the Pentagon to look into the possibility of transferring retired A-10 Warthog ground attack jets to Jordan.
A-10

Surplus A-10 Warthogs Could End Up In The Jordanian Air Force

If Jordan is truly interested in the A-10s it would boost its ground-attack capacity and it could open the door to transfers elsewhere.

The transfer of F-16s from Denmark and The Netherlands to Ukraine is now underway, U.S., Danish and Dutch officials say.
NATO

Transfer Of F-16s To Ukraine Is Now Underway

The expectation is that the fourth-generation fighters, donated by Denmark and the Netherlands, will be operational over the skies of Ukraine this summer.

The latest episode of Jay Leno's Garage features the "Beast" presidential limousine used to transport the President of the United States.
Presidential Transport

What We Just Learned About The “Beast” Presidential Limousine From Jay Leno’s Garage

The Secret Service shared some interesting details about one of the world's most secretive cars with the former Tonight Show host.

Chinese soldiers are taking part in maneuvers in Belarus, adding another new dynamic to the security situation in Eastern Europe, dominated by Russia’s war in Ukraine and the fallout surrounding it. While Belarus has been a staunch ally of Russia it has, more recently, made overtures toward China, with the aim of building closer relations with it, including in the military sphere.
China

Chinese Troops Begin Drills Along Poland’s Border In Belarus

Already a lockstep military ally of Russia, Belarus is now deepening relations with China, including training with PLA troops near NATO borders.

Air Force special operations aviators are now training on AT-802U aircraft ahead of the arrival of their first OA-1K Sky warden light attack planes while questions grow about the program's future.
Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC)

AT-802U Trainers Arrive To Prepare USAF Aviators For A Murky Light Attack Future

The first OA-1K light attack planes are set to be delivered this year as attention shifts away from the operations they were designed for.

A video has emerged showing a Greek warship knocking out a Houthi drone, in one of the latest such incidents in an ongoing campaign that has been waged by the Iranian-backed rebel group since last November, in the wake of the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. In this encounter, the Greek Navy frigate apparently used its 127mm main gun, reinforcing the utility of these weapons against drones, while the drone itself was seen adjusting its flight altitude to make it harder to intercept.
Frigates

Greek Warship Guns-Down Houthi Drone In New Video

The Hydra class frigate used its deck gun and possibly non-kinetic measures to bring down two Houthi drones as hostilities off Yemen's coast continue.

Russia claims Ukraine plotted to steal one of its Tu-22M Backfire bombers.
Tu-22

Ukraine Situation Report: Plot To Steal A Tu-22M3 Backfire Thwarted Russia Claims

Tu-22M Backfire bombers, which have played a key role in Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian cities, have been the target of a previous Ukrainian plot.

A clearer view of how the AIM-174B air-launched version of the SM-6 fits into the US Navy's larger arsenal is emerging.
Air

AIM-174 Missile Brings Navy’s Future Counter-China Air Combat Strategy Into Focus

The air-launched SM-6 will disrupt China's carrier-killing kill chain and pierce open its anti-access bubble.

Ukraine is developing its own air defense missile systems.
Ukrainian Air Force

First Inside Look At Ukraine’s HAWK Air Defense Systems

Ukraine claims it has had particular success using the vintage American system to down Russian one-way attack drones.

The first weapon-ready plutonium pit for the future W81-! nuclear warhead has been produced.
U.S. Air Force

Problem Plagued Sentinel ICBM Program Will Press Ahead Despite Nearly Doubling In Cost

The Sentinel ICBM program's projected price tag has grown more than 80 percent to almost $141 billion and is now years behind schedule.

Ukraine’s unorthodox efforts to develop ways of defeating Russian drones have taken an apparent new turn, with the appearance of a light airplane carrying a sharpshooter to intercept uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs). At this stage, few details about the concept are available, but it’s notable that the aircraft in question — the Ukrainian-made Aeroprakt A-22 ultralight — is a type that we have seen in the past adapted as one-way attack drone, something you can read more about here.
Unmanned

Ultralight Drone Hunting Planes Now In Use In Ukraine

Small, easy to fly, and relatively cheap, the A-22 ultralight is the latest addition to Ukraine’s anti-drone force.

The Department of Energy has recieved two new AW139 helicopters specially configured for nuclear detection missions.
Helicopters

AW139 Nuclear Detection Helicopters Join Department Of Energy Fleet, Replace Bell 412s

The AW139s will create detailed maps of radiation levels from the air which would be critical in a response to a nuclear attack or accident.

A C-130J Super Hercules rests on the flightline under a fireworks display, July 3, 2018, at Yokota Air Base, Japan.
Bunker Talk

Bunker Talk: 4th Of July Edition!

Enjoy the fireworks!

The Pentagon has made a new announcement about the first forward-deployments of Air Force F-35As and F-15EXs to Japan, as well as changes to the Marine Corps' F-35B force in that country.
F-35A

USAF F-35As To Be Based In Japan Replacing Wild Weasel F-16s

The USAF is also moving ahead with plans to forward-deploy F-15EXs to Japan as the Marines make changes to their F-35 units in the country.

Ukraine will receive more than $2 billion in additional air defense interceptors for its Patriot and NASAMS systems.
Surface-To-Air Missile Systems

Ukraine Situation Report: $2.2B In New Air Defense Interceptors Coming From U.S.

The new aid package includes an unspecified number of munitions for Patriot, NASAMS and HAWK air defense systems.

The Navy's Training Air Wing 2 (TAW-2) has hit one million flight hours with the T-45 jet trainer as plans to replace that are have been delayed.
Air

Navy Delays Jet Trainer Replacement As T-45 Wing Hits One Million Flight Hours

A debate about whether the T-45's successor will have to land and take off from aircraft carriers is slowing down the replacement process.