Featured in stealthBYJoseph TrevithickSep 13, 2021ShareAir Force Makes Extremely Rare Mention Of Deployment Of RQ-170 Stealth DronesMore than 10 years after the Air Force publicly acknowledged the existence of these stealth drones, information about their exploits remains limited. BYJoseph TrevithickSep 13, 2021ShareBYJoseph TrevithickSep 9, 2021ShareNew Unmanned Loyal Wingman Design Based On Stealthy “Son Of Ares” Jet EmergesThe two secretive Model 401 “Son of Ares” jets may now get offspring of their own, as well as the ability to be optionally manned themselves. BYJoseph TrevithickSep 9, 2021ShareBYTyler RogowaySep 5, 2021ShareMystery Flying Wing Aircraft Photographed Over The Philippines (Updated)The aircraft resembles the one seen in an image taken in California a year ago that is thought to be of the elusive RQ-180 stealth spy aircraft. BYTyler RogowaySep 5, 2021ShareBYJoseph TrevithickAug 13, 2021ShareSkunk Works’ Factory Of The Future Will Use Roaming Robots To Rapidly Assemble Top Secret AircraftSkunk Works’ knack for innovation enters the “digital” age with a factory able to spit out advanced aircraft faster and cheaper than ever before. BYJoseph TrevithickAug 13, 2021ShareBYTyler RogowayAug 10, 2021ShareNew Light Shed On The Once Top Secret Tacit Blue Aircraft By Veteran Program ManagerNorthrop’s “Whale” stealth battlefield surveillance jet was revolutionary. Now we get a better look into the program from someone who was there. BYTyler RogowayAug 10, 2021ShareBYJoseph TrevithickJul 30, 2021ShareChallenge Coin For The Secretive Unit That Still Flies The F-117 Nighthawk EmergesWhile the “Dark Knights” appear to operate the remaining flyable F-117s, very little else is known about the shadowy unit. BYJoseph TrevithickJul 30, 2021ShareBYJoseph TrevithickJul 29, 2021ShareLawmakers Are Skeptical About The Services’ Focus On Next Generation Fighters Over Existing DesignsLegislators have concerns about potentially serious tactical airpower gaps amid a shift in resources to new advanced fighter development projects. BYJoseph TrevithickJul 29, 2021ShareBYTyler RogowayJul 21, 2021ShareF-117 Aggressors Photographed Low Over The Nevada Desert During Red Flag War GamesThe officially retired F-117 Nighthawks are busier than ever playing the role of stealthy bad guys. BYTyler RogowayJul 21, 2021ShareBYJoseph Trevithick and Tyler RogowayJul 6, 2021ShareNew B-21 Raider Stealth Bomber Rendering Released By The Air Force (Updated)New B-21 artwork accompanied the release of an official fact sheet on the bomber. BYJoseph Trevithick and Tyler RogowayJul 6, 2021ShareBYThomas Newdick and Tyler RogowayJun 18, 2021ShareWhy The F-117 Made Its First Flight In Pastel Camouflage 40 Years Ago TodayThe stealth attack jet may be known for its black attire, but the aircraft has flown in a number of schemes over the last four decades. BYThomas Newdick and Tyler RogowayJun 18, 2021ShareBYTyler RogowayJun 8, 2021ShareThese Are The Best Images Yet Of “RAT 55,” The World’s Most Secretive 737The highly modified “RAT 55” bounces around between secretive test bases and is used to collect radar data on stealthy aircraft in-flight. BYTyler RogowayJun 8, 2021ShareBYBrett TingleyJun 4, 2021ShareQuantum Radar Offers No Benefits To The Military Say Pentagon Science AdvisorsA report published by the Defense Science Board casts doubts on claims that quantum radar will greatly bolster the military’s detection capabilities. BYBrett TingleyJun 4, 2021ShareBYTyler RogowayMay 30, 2021ShareStealthy Variant Of China’s Z-20 Black Hawk Clone Emerges In Concept Model FormThis is our first look at China’s own Stealth Hawk-like transport helicopter concept and they would have a leg-up in developing it thanks to Pakistan. BYTyler RogowayMay 30, 2021ShareBYJoseph TrevithickMay 26, 2021SharePlan To Buy 145 B-21 Raider Bombers Gets Endorsement From Biden Air Force NomineeThe Air Force wants to acquire a B-21 fleet that is nearly seven times bigger than its current B-2 stealth bomber force. BYJoseph TrevithickMay 26, 2021ShareBYJoseph Trevithick and Tyler RogowayMay 20, 2021ShareNorthrop Grumman Reveals Its “LongShot” Air-Launched Missile-Toting Drone Concept (Updated)A DARPA program is seeking drone concepts that can help extend the range of friendly aircraft and make them less vulnerable in aerial engagements. BYJoseph Trevithick and Tyler RogowayMay 20, 2021ShareBYJoseph TrevithickMay 7, 2021ShareGlobal Hawk Drones To Be Retired In Favor Of Secretive Penetrating Spy AircraftThe Global Hawks cannot survive in highly contested airspace, so the Air Force is doubling down on surveillance assets that can. BYJoseph TrevithickMay 7, 2021ShareBYJoseph TrevithickMay 3, 2021ShareDeclassified Docs Offer New Details About A Growing RQ-170 “Wraith” ForceThe Air Force has been flying the stealthy RQ-170 for nearly a decade and a half, but has been very slow to disclose details about them. BYJoseph TrevithickMay 3, 2021ShareBYTyler RogowayApr 29, 2021ShareThe RQ-180 Drone Will Emerge From The Shadows As The Centerpiece Of An Air Combat RevolutionThe Air Force’s secretive, very stealthy, and high-flying drone won’t be just a better spy aircraft, it will be a deeply networked game-changer. BYTyler RogowayApr 29, 2021ShareBYThomas NewdickApr 9, 2021ShareMeet South Korea’s New KF-21 “Hawk” Indigenous FighterDeveloped under an ambitious timeline, the fighter will complement F-35s and older fighters as part of a revamped Republic of Korea Air Force. BYThomas NewdickApr 9, 2021ShareBYTyler RogowayApr 1, 2021ShareThe World’s Most Secretive 737 Just Showed Its Bizarre Self Over The Mojave DesertAmerica’s notoriously shy and increasingly geriatric flying signature measurement testbed aircraft has surfaced once again. BYTyler RogowayApr 1, 2021ShareBYJoseph TrevithickMar 15, 2021ShareF-22 Stealth Fighter Ends Up Nose Down On The Runway At Eglin Air Force Base In FloridaThe pilot did not need to eject, but was taken to an on-base medical facility for an evaluation after the mishap. BYJoseph TrevithickMar 15, 2021ShareBYJamie HunterMar 15, 2021ShareTop British F-35 Pilot On How His Fledgling Team Is Forging Its Own Path ForwardA senior F-35 commander explains the triumphs and tribulations of operating the UK’s first stealth fighter. BYJamie HunterMar 15, 2021ShareBYJoseph Trevithick and Tyler RogowayFeb 10, 2021ShareDARPA Is Developing Aircraft-Launched Missile-Like Drones That Fire Their Own Air-To-Air MissilesThe LongShot program could enable aircraft to engage aerial threats further away, remain less vulnerable while doing so, and much more. BYJoseph Trevithick and Tyler RogowayFeb 10, 2021ShareBYTyler RogowayJan 29, 2021ShareF-117s Cleared To Refuel From All KC-135s As “Retired” Stealth Jets Expand OperationsThe F-117 has been cleared to refuel from the entire KC-135 force again 13 years since its “retirement” and 38 years since its first flight. BYTyler RogowayJan 29, 2021ShareBYJoseph TrevithickJan 16, 2021ShareGeneral Atomics’ Stealthy Avenger Drone Flies With Infrared Search And Track PodThe Legion Pod gives the Avenger a way to spot and track even stealthy aircraft and provides a way to quickly add in other new capabilities. BYJoseph TrevithickJan 16, 2021ShareBYJoseph TrevithickJan 6, 2021ShareFirst Official Rendering Of China’s H-20 Stealth Bomber Emerges In Glitzy Recruiting VideoA new official People’s Liberation Army Air Force recruiting video ends with a large flying-wing type aircraft shrouded in a white sheet. BYJoseph TrevithickJan 6, 2021ShareBYTyler RogowayJan 4, 2021ShareThe B-2 Bomber Looks Positively Alien In These ImagesEven though it was based on 1980s technology, America’s stealth bomber still looks like it is visiting us from another world. BYTyler RogowayJan 4, 2021ShareBYThomas NewdickDec 31, 2020ShareIt’s Official: Pentagon Puts F-35 Full-Rate Production Decision On HoldWith critical test and evaluation work still unfinished, the full-rate production decision will be left to the future Biden administration. BYThomas NewdickDec 31, 2020ShareBYThomas NewdickDec 30, 2020ShareB-2 Bombers Practice Stealth Team Tactics With F-35 Pilot Trainees For The First TimeThe first training event of its kind provided a high-end finale for the F-35A student pilot syllabus. BYThomas NewdickDec 30, 2020ShareBYThomas NewdickDec 10, 2020ShareRussia Is Using Augmented Reality To Produce Its Su-57 FighterIncreasingly high-tech manufacturing methods are being used as the production of the Su-57 Felon ramps up. BYThomas NewdickDec 10, 2020ShareBYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareF-117 Nighthawks Now Appear To Be Flying As Adversaries In Red Flag Aerial War GamesThe F-117 force’s presence over the southwestern U.S. has greatly expanded in recent years. Now it appears to have taken on a formal aggressor role. BYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareBYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareTest Pilot Explains The YF-23 Black Widow’s Awesomely Innovative Flight Control SystemThe YF-23 was an amazing combination of cutting-edge innovations that we are still learning about. Its digital flight control system was no different. BYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareBYJoseph Trevithick and Tyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareThis Is The First Photo Ever Of A Stealthy Black Hawk HelicopterAlmost a decade since we learned of the stealth Black Hawks used in the Bin Laden raid, we have seen no images of them or of their lineage, until now. BYJoseph Trevithick and Tyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareBYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareThe Air Force’s Secret Next Gen Air Dominance Demonstrator Isn’t What You Think It IsLike the future of air combat in general, there are lots of misconceptions about the secret technology demonstrator and the program it belongs to. BYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareBYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareNotoriously Shy RQ-170 Spy Drone Lands At Its Skunk Works BirthplaceIt’s the second time the stealthy flying-wing drone has appeared in broad daylight at Plant 42 in Palmdale, California in the last two months. BYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareBYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareHow This F-117 Ended Up Nesting With An F-15 Alert Jet At Portland Air Guard BaseWe looked into the story behind how an F-117 ended up shoulder-to-shoulder with an F-15 in the NORAD alert facility at Portland International Airport. BYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareBYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareNorthrop Grumman’s Plan To Replace The MQ-9 Reaper With Stealthy Autonomous DronesWe talk to Northrop Grumman Vice President Richard Sullivan about what his company has potentially in store for the Air Force’s MQ-Next tender. BYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareBYJoseph TrevithickNov 10, 2020ShareHere’s Exactly What’s In America’s Massive Advanced Weapons Deal With The UAEThe arms deals, valued at almost $23.4 billion, include F-35s, drones with anti-submarine warfare kits, stealthy cruise missiles, and more. BYJoseph TrevithickNov 10, 2020ShareBYTyler RogowayOct 30, 2020ShareF-117s Photographed Flying Out Of Nellis AFB For The First Time In Over A DecadeThe small flying force of F-117s continues to come out of its secretive bubble and is now operating out of Nellis AFB in Las Vegas. BYTyler RogowayOct 30, 2020ShareBYTyler RogowayOct 27, 2020ShareScaled Composites’ Stealthy Test Jet Now Flying With Possible Laser Weapon ModificationsOne of the Model 401 demonstrators is now outfitted with a peculiar ventral pod that has a huge air intake and its own exhaust. BYTyler RogowayOct 27, 2020ShareBYTyler RogowayOct 22, 2020ShareCheck Out These Close-Up Shots Of F-117s Deployed To MiramarThe jets have fresh radar-absorbent coatings and are adorned with bright tail codes, tail bands, and Nighthawk emblems. BYTyler RogowayOct 22, 2020ShareBYTyler RogowayOct 21, 2020ShareF-117s Make Surprise Visit To Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (Updated)The F-117s have become highly active as of late, but they’ve never staged out of a base like Miramar since their retirement. BYTyler RogowayOct 21, 2020ShareBYJoseph Trevithick and Tyler RogowayOct 15, 2020ShareNavy’s Troubled Stealth Destroyers May Have Radars Replaced Before Ever Sailing On A MissionA cost-cutting effort years ago left the DDG-1000 destroyers with degraded capabilities and a one-off combat system, but that could be changing. BYJoseph Trevithick and Tyler RogowayOct 15, 2020ShareBYTyler RogowayOct 8, 2020ShareF/A-18 Super Hornets Are Flying Middle East Combat Missions With New Infrared Sensor PodThe F/A-18F flew a sortie over the Middle East carrying the pod, which isn’t scheduled to be operational until late 2021. BYTyler RogowayOct 8, 2020ShareBYJoseph TrevithickAug 27, 2020ShareHere’s How The U.S. Could Allay Israeli Concerns Over Selling F-35s To UAEIsrael is presently the only F-35 operator in the Middle East and Israeli officials and politicians have been vocal about keeping it that way. BYJoseph TrevithickAug 27, 2020ShareBYJoseph TrevithickAug 11, 2020ShareB-21 Raider Stealth Bomber Is “Starting To Look Like An Airplane”The Air Force has said that it is aiming for the prototype to take its first flight in December 2021, but that this milestone could be delayed. BYJoseph TrevithickAug 11, 2020ShareBYJoseph Trevithick and Jamie HunterAug 6, 2020ShareStealth Is Put To The Test In Huge Exercise Teaming RQ-170s, F-35s, B-2s With Other JetsThis exercise is also the first confirmation that the Air Force’s top-secret 44th Reconnaissance Squadron flies the reclusive RQ-170 Sentinel. BYJoseph Trevithick and Jamie HunterAug 6, 2020ShareBYTyler RogowayJul 26, 2020ShareRQ-170 Sentinel Stealth Spy Drone Photographed Landing At Plant 42 In Palmdale13 years after it was first spotted, the RQ-170 still lives a secretive life. So, returning to its place of birth in broad daylight is a bit shocking. BYTyler RogowayJul 26, 2020ShareBYJoseph TrevithickJul 22, 2020ShareNavy Eyes ‘Hard-Kill’ Defenses For Transport, Tanker, and Possibly Unmanned Escort PlanesThe service is looking for a system that launches interceptors at incoming missiles and could end up on more than half a dozen types of aircraft. BYJoseph TrevithickJul 22, 2020ShareBYJamie HunterJul 10, 2020ShareApproval Of Mega F-35 Sale For Japan Is A Huge Step Towards Its Aircraft Carrier AmbitionsJapan would become the second-largest Lightning II operator in the world if it bought all 105 jets in the proposed deal. BYJamie HunterJul 10, 2020ShareBYJoseph TrevithickJul 5, 2020ShareThe U.S. Coast Guard May Be Flying a Unique Stealthy Spy PlaneThe service’s Manned Covert Surveillance Aircraft project has connections to decades of secretive work on “quiet aircraft.” BYJoseph TrevithickJul 5, 2020ShareBYJoseph TrevithickJul 5, 2020ShareIsrael Is Getting A Single F-35 Test Jet Unlike Any OtherThe Israeli Air Force’s special testbed will only make the country’s Joint Strike Fighter fleet more unique. BYJoseph TrevithickJul 5, 2020ShareBYTyler RogowayJul 5, 2020ShareExclusive: Uniquely Configured RQ-170 Stealth Spy Drone Appears At Vandenberg AFBIt’s the first photographic evidence that the famous but still extremely shy Sentinel has a presence at the Air Force’s premier missile test and rocket-launch facility. BYTyler RogowayJul 5, 2020ShareBYTyler RogowayJul 3, 2020ShareThe Mysterious Case Of The F-117 Nighthawk’s Flip-Down Radar LocatorsThe F-117 had extendable antenna farms that could detect and possibly locate enemy radar emitters—or did it? BYTyler RogowayJul 3, 2020ShareBYTyler RogowayJul 3, 2020ShareThe Air Force Desperately Needs A Stealth TankerFielding a stealthy tanker would go a long way to remedy the USAF’s near-sighted practice of betting heavily on relatively short-ranged stealth fighters, but it won’t be cheap. BYTyler RogowayJul 3, 2020ShareBYTyler RogowayJul 3, 2020ShareWhy the B-2 Stealth Bomber Was Used to Strike ISIS Camps in LibyaAmerica’s most valuable stealth combat aircraft might have seemed like an odd choice to bomb a target whose air defenses were neutered in 2011. It wasn’t. BYTyler RogowayJul 3, 2020ShareBYTyler RogowayJul 3, 2020ShareReagan Invited Thatcher To Join The Top Secret F-117 ProgramThe UK Ministry Of Defense was invited to join the highly elite stealth combat aircraft club far earlier than anyone previously realized. BYTyler RogowayJul 3, 2020ShareBYTyler RogowayJul 2, 2020ShareM80 Stiletto Is The Pentagon’s Stealthy Little Experimental Ship That CouldFor a decade the ‘M-hulled’ Stiletto has been the surrogate for new maritime combat technologies and concepts. BYTyler RogowayJul 2, 2020ShareBYTyler RogowayJul 2, 2020ShareThe Navy’s New Stealth Destroyer Has Watered Down Capabilities, Questionable FutureThe awesome-looking DDG-1000 Zumwalt class has been the victim of fluctuating Navy priorities and near-sighted cost-cutting—and even the tiny, three-ship fleet might be doomed. BYTyler RogowayJul 2, 2020ShareBYJoseph TrevithickJun 23, 2020ShareF-22 Raptors Could Become Aggressors Under Air Force’s Radical New Training PlanF-22s, which are in notoriously short supply, could perform other duties, including playing the bad guy, if new pilots needed fewer training sorties. BYJoseph TrevithickJun 23, 2020ShareBYTyler RogowayJun 19, 2020ShareNo, The F-117 Never Had Air-To-Air Capability, But One Did Get A RadarThe “Black Jet” never got the ability to shoot down other aircraft, but not due to a lack of creativity on behalf of the Skunk Works team. BYTyler RogowayJun 19, 2020ShareBYTyler RogowayJun 19, 2020ShareStealthy ‘Son Of Ares’ Mystery Jet Appears With Odd Markings And NASA F-15 EscortThe intriguing test flights have continued with new aircraft types joining a trio of Scaled Composites’ aircraft high over the Mojave Desert. BYTyler RogowayJun 19, 2020ShareBYTyler RogowayJun 19, 2020ShareStealthy ‘Son Of Ares’ Jet Seen Covered In Mirrors During Mysterious Test FlightsThe alien-looking aircraft and its twin are being used for intriguing trials involving a number of other aircraft high above the Mojave Desert. BYTyler RogowayJun 19, 2020ShareBYTyler RogowayJun 17, 2020ShareThe Stealthy F-117 Nighthawk Could Have Executed Nuclear Strikes Against The Soviet UnionThe F-117 was built with the ability to deliver nuclear bombs and the Air Force didn’t forget that during the last years of the Cold War. BYTyler RogowayJun 17, 2020Share12345
BYJoseph TrevithickSep 13, 2021ShareAir Force Makes Extremely Rare Mention Of Deployment Of RQ-170 Stealth DronesMore than 10 years after the Air Force publicly acknowledged the existence of these stealth drones, information about their exploits remains limited. BYJoseph TrevithickSep 13, 2021Share
BYJoseph TrevithickSep 9, 2021ShareNew Unmanned Loyal Wingman Design Based On Stealthy “Son Of Ares” Jet EmergesThe two secretive Model 401 “Son of Ares” jets may now get offspring of their own, as well as the ability to be optionally manned themselves. BYJoseph TrevithickSep 9, 2021Share
BYTyler RogowaySep 5, 2021ShareMystery Flying Wing Aircraft Photographed Over The Philippines (Updated)The aircraft resembles the one seen in an image taken in California a year ago that is thought to be of the elusive RQ-180 stealth spy aircraft. BYTyler RogowaySep 5, 2021Share
BYJoseph TrevithickAug 13, 2021ShareSkunk Works’ Factory Of The Future Will Use Roaming Robots To Rapidly Assemble Top Secret AircraftSkunk Works’ knack for innovation enters the “digital” age with a factory able to spit out advanced aircraft faster and cheaper than ever before. BYJoseph TrevithickAug 13, 2021Share
BYTyler RogowayAug 10, 2021ShareNew Light Shed On The Once Top Secret Tacit Blue Aircraft By Veteran Program ManagerNorthrop’s “Whale” stealth battlefield surveillance jet was revolutionary. Now we get a better look into the program from someone who was there. BYTyler RogowayAug 10, 2021Share
BYJoseph TrevithickJul 30, 2021ShareChallenge Coin For The Secretive Unit That Still Flies The F-117 Nighthawk EmergesWhile the “Dark Knights” appear to operate the remaining flyable F-117s, very little else is known about the shadowy unit. BYJoseph TrevithickJul 30, 2021Share
BYJoseph TrevithickJul 29, 2021ShareLawmakers Are Skeptical About The Services’ Focus On Next Generation Fighters Over Existing DesignsLegislators have concerns about potentially serious tactical airpower gaps amid a shift in resources to new advanced fighter development projects. BYJoseph TrevithickJul 29, 2021Share
BYTyler RogowayJul 21, 2021ShareF-117 Aggressors Photographed Low Over The Nevada Desert During Red Flag War GamesThe officially retired F-117 Nighthawks are busier than ever playing the role of stealthy bad guys. BYTyler RogowayJul 21, 2021Share
BYJoseph Trevithick and Tyler RogowayJul 6, 2021ShareNew B-21 Raider Stealth Bomber Rendering Released By The Air Force (Updated)New B-21 artwork accompanied the release of an official fact sheet on the bomber. BYJoseph Trevithick and Tyler RogowayJul 6, 2021Share
BYThomas Newdick and Tyler RogowayJun 18, 2021ShareWhy The F-117 Made Its First Flight In Pastel Camouflage 40 Years Ago TodayThe stealth attack jet may be known for its black attire, but the aircraft has flown in a number of schemes over the last four decades. BYThomas Newdick and Tyler RogowayJun 18, 2021Share
BYTyler RogowayJun 8, 2021ShareThese Are The Best Images Yet Of “RAT 55,” The World’s Most Secretive 737The highly modified “RAT 55” bounces around between secretive test bases and is used to collect radar data on stealthy aircraft in-flight. BYTyler RogowayJun 8, 2021Share
BYBrett TingleyJun 4, 2021ShareQuantum Radar Offers No Benefits To The Military Say Pentagon Science AdvisorsA report published by the Defense Science Board casts doubts on claims that quantum radar will greatly bolster the military’s detection capabilities. BYBrett TingleyJun 4, 2021Share
BYTyler RogowayMay 30, 2021ShareStealthy Variant Of China’s Z-20 Black Hawk Clone Emerges In Concept Model FormThis is our first look at China’s own Stealth Hawk-like transport helicopter concept and they would have a leg-up in developing it thanks to Pakistan. BYTyler RogowayMay 30, 2021Share
BYJoseph TrevithickMay 26, 2021SharePlan To Buy 145 B-21 Raider Bombers Gets Endorsement From Biden Air Force NomineeThe Air Force wants to acquire a B-21 fleet that is nearly seven times bigger than its current B-2 stealth bomber force. BYJoseph TrevithickMay 26, 2021Share
BYJoseph Trevithick and Tyler RogowayMay 20, 2021ShareNorthrop Grumman Reveals Its “LongShot” Air-Launched Missile-Toting Drone Concept (Updated)A DARPA program is seeking drone concepts that can help extend the range of friendly aircraft and make them less vulnerable in aerial engagements. BYJoseph Trevithick and Tyler RogowayMay 20, 2021Share
BYJoseph TrevithickMay 7, 2021ShareGlobal Hawk Drones To Be Retired In Favor Of Secretive Penetrating Spy AircraftThe Global Hawks cannot survive in highly contested airspace, so the Air Force is doubling down on surveillance assets that can. BYJoseph TrevithickMay 7, 2021Share
BYJoseph TrevithickMay 3, 2021ShareDeclassified Docs Offer New Details About A Growing RQ-170 “Wraith” ForceThe Air Force has been flying the stealthy RQ-170 for nearly a decade and a half, but has been very slow to disclose details about them. BYJoseph TrevithickMay 3, 2021Share
BYTyler RogowayApr 29, 2021ShareThe RQ-180 Drone Will Emerge From The Shadows As The Centerpiece Of An Air Combat RevolutionThe Air Force’s secretive, very stealthy, and high-flying drone won’t be just a better spy aircraft, it will be a deeply networked game-changer. BYTyler RogowayApr 29, 2021Share
BYThomas NewdickApr 9, 2021ShareMeet South Korea’s New KF-21 “Hawk” Indigenous FighterDeveloped under an ambitious timeline, the fighter will complement F-35s and older fighters as part of a revamped Republic of Korea Air Force. BYThomas NewdickApr 9, 2021Share
BYTyler RogowayApr 1, 2021ShareThe World’s Most Secretive 737 Just Showed Its Bizarre Self Over The Mojave DesertAmerica’s notoriously shy and increasingly geriatric flying signature measurement testbed aircraft has surfaced once again. BYTyler RogowayApr 1, 2021Share
BYJoseph TrevithickMar 15, 2021ShareF-22 Stealth Fighter Ends Up Nose Down On The Runway At Eglin Air Force Base In FloridaThe pilot did not need to eject, but was taken to an on-base medical facility for an evaluation after the mishap. BYJoseph TrevithickMar 15, 2021Share
BYJamie HunterMar 15, 2021ShareTop British F-35 Pilot On How His Fledgling Team Is Forging Its Own Path ForwardA senior F-35 commander explains the triumphs and tribulations of operating the UK’s first stealth fighter. BYJamie HunterMar 15, 2021Share
BYJoseph Trevithick and Tyler RogowayFeb 10, 2021ShareDARPA Is Developing Aircraft-Launched Missile-Like Drones That Fire Their Own Air-To-Air MissilesThe LongShot program could enable aircraft to engage aerial threats further away, remain less vulnerable while doing so, and much more. BYJoseph Trevithick and Tyler RogowayFeb 10, 2021Share
BYTyler RogowayJan 29, 2021ShareF-117s Cleared To Refuel From All KC-135s As “Retired” Stealth Jets Expand OperationsThe F-117 has been cleared to refuel from the entire KC-135 force again 13 years since its “retirement” and 38 years since its first flight. BYTyler RogowayJan 29, 2021Share
BYJoseph TrevithickJan 16, 2021ShareGeneral Atomics’ Stealthy Avenger Drone Flies With Infrared Search And Track PodThe Legion Pod gives the Avenger a way to spot and track even stealthy aircraft and provides a way to quickly add in other new capabilities. BYJoseph TrevithickJan 16, 2021Share
BYJoseph TrevithickJan 6, 2021ShareFirst Official Rendering Of China’s H-20 Stealth Bomber Emerges In Glitzy Recruiting VideoA new official People’s Liberation Army Air Force recruiting video ends with a large flying-wing type aircraft shrouded in a white sheet. BYJoseph TrevithickJan 6, 2021Share
BYTyler RogowayJan 4, 2021ShareThe B-2 Bomber Looks Positively Alien In These ImagesEven though it was based on 1980s technology, America’s stealth bomber still looks like it is visiting us from another world. BYTyler RogowayJan 4, 2021Share
BYThomas NewdickDec 31, 2020ShareIt’s Official: Pentagon Puts F-35 Full-Rate Production Decision On HoldWith critical test and evaluation work still unfinished, the full-rate production decision will be left to the future Biden administration. BYThomas NewdickDec 31, 2020Share
BYThomas NewdickDec 30, 2020ShareB-2 Bombers Practice Stealth Team Tactics With F-35 Pilot Trainees For The First TimeThe first training event of its kind provided a high-end finale for the F-35A student pilot syllabus. BYThomas NewdickDec 30, 2020Share
BYThomas NewdickDec 10, 2020ShareRussia Is Using Augmented Reality To Produce Its Su-57 FighterIncreasingly high-tech manufacturing methods are being used as the production of the Su-57 Felon ramps up. BYThomas NewdickDec 10, 2020Share
BYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareF-117 Nighthawks Now Appear To Be Flying As Adversaries In Red Flag Aerial War GamesThe F-117 force’s presence over the southwestern U.S. has greatly expanded in recent years. Now it appears to have taken on a formal aggressor role. BYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020Share
BYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareTest Pilot Explains The YF-23 Black Widow’s Awesomely Innovative Flight Control SystemThe YF-23 was an amazing combination of cutting-edge innovations that we are still learning about. Its digital flight control system was no different. BYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020Share
BYJoseph Trevithick and Tyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareThis Is The First Photo Ever Of A Stealthy Black Hawk HelicopterAlmost a decade since we learned of the stealth Black Hawks used in the Bin Laden raid, we have seen no images of them or of their lineage, until now. BYJoseph Trevithick and Tyler RogowayNov 27, 2020Share
BYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareThe Air Force’s Secret Next Gen Air Dominance Demonstrator Isn’t What You Think It IsLike the future of air combat in general, there are lots of misconceptions about the secret technology demonstrator and the program it belongs to. BYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020Share
BYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareNotoriously Shy RQ-170 Spy Drone Lands At Its Skunk Works BirthplaceIt’s the second time the stealthy flying-wing drone has appeared in broad daylight at Plant 42 in Palmdale, California in the last two months. BYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020Share
BYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareHow This F-117 Ended Up Nesting With An F-15 Alert Jet At Portland Air Guard BaseWe looked into the story behind how an F-117 ended up shoulder-to-shoulder with an F-15 in the NORAD alert facility at Portland International Airport. BYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020Share
BYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020ShareNorthrop Grumman’s Plan To Replace The MQ-9 Reaper With Stealthy Autonomous DronesWe talk to Northrop Grumman Vice President Richard Sullivan about what his company has potentially in store for the Air Force’s MQ-Next tender. BYTyler RogowayNov 27, 2020Share
BYJoseph TrevithickNov 10, 2020ShareHere’s Exactly What’s In America’s Massive Advanced Weapons Deal With The UAEThe arms deals, valued at almost $23.4 billion, include F-35s, drones with anti-submarine warfare kits, stealthy cruise missiles, and more. BYJoseph TrevithickNov 10, 2020Share
BYTyler RogowayOct 30, 2020ShareF-117s Photographed Flying Out Of Nellis AFB For The First Time In Over A DecadeThe small flying force of F-117s continues to come out of its secretive bubble and is now operating out of Nellis AFB in Las Vegas. BYTyler RogowayOct 30, 2020Share
BYTyler RogowayOct 27, 2020ShareScaled Composites’ Stealthy Test Jet Now Flying With Possible Laser Weapon ModificationsOne of the Model 401 demonstrators is now outfitted with a peculiar ventral pod that has a huge air intake and its own exhaust. BYTyler RogowayOct 27, 2020Share
BYTyler RogowayOct 22, 2020ShareCheck Out These Close-Up Shots Of F-117s Deployed To MiramarThe jets have fresh radar-absorbent coatings and are adorned with bright tail codes, tail bands, and Nighthawk emblems. BYTyler RogowayOct 22, 2020Share
BYTyler RogowayOct 21, 2020ShareF-117s Make Surprise Visit To Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (Updated)The F-117s have become highly active as of late, but they’ve never staged out of a base like Miramar since their retirement. BYTyler RogowayOct 21, 2020Share
BYJoseph Trevithick and Tyler RogowayOct 15, 2020ShareNavy’s Troubled Stealth Destroyers May Have Radars Replaced Before Ever Sailing On A MissionA cost-cutting effort years ago left the DDG-1000 destroyers with degraded capabilities and a one-off combat system, but that could be changing. BYJoseph Trevithick and Tyler RogowayOct 15, 2020Share
BYTyler RogowayOct 8, 2020ShareF/A-18 Super Hornets Are Flying Middle East Combat Missions With New Infrared Sensor PodThe F/A-18F flew a sortie over the Middle East carrying the pod, which isn’t scheduled to be operational until late 2021. BYTyler RogowayOct 8, 2020Share
BYJoseph TrevithickAug 27, 2020ShareHere’s How The U.S. Could Allay Israeli Concerns Over Selling F-35s To UAEIsrael is presently the only F-35 operator in the Middle East and Israeli officials and politicians have been vocal about keeping it that way. BYJoseph TrevithickAug 27, 2020Share
BYJoseph TrevithickAug 11, 2020ShareB-21 Raider Stealth Bomber Is “Starting To Look Like An Airplane”The Air Force has said that it is aiming for the prototype to take its first flight in December 2021, but that this milestone could be delayed. BYJoseph TrevithickAug 11, 2020Share
BYJoseph Trevithick and Jamie HunterAug 6, 2020ShareStealth Is Put To The Test In Huge Exercise Teaming RQ-170s, F-35s, B-2s With Other JetsThis exercise is also the first confirmation that the Air Force’s top-secret 44th Reconnaissance Squadron flies the reclusive RQ-170 Sentinel. BYJoseph Trevithick and Jamie HunterAug 6, 2020Share
BYTyler RogowayJul 26, 2020ShareRQ-170 Sentinel Stealth Spy Drone Photographed Landing At Plant 42 In Palmdale13 years after it was first spotted, the RQ-170 still lives a secretive life. So, returning to its place of birth in broad daylight is a bit shocking. BYTyler RogowayJul 26, 2020Share
BYJoseph TrevithickJul 22, 2020ShareNavy Eyes ‘Hard-Kill’ Defenses For Transport, Tanker, and Possibly Unmanned Escort PlanesThe service is looking for a system that launches interceptors at incoming missiles and could end up on more than half a dozen types of aircraft. BYJoseph TrevithickJul 22, 2020Share
BYJamie HunterJul 10, 2020ShareApproval Of Mega F-35 Sale For Japan Is A Huge Step Towards Its Aircraft Carrier AmbitionsJapan would become the second-largest Lightning II operator in the world if it bought all 105 jets in the proposed deal. BYJamie HunterJul 10, 2020Share
BYJoseph TrevithickJul 5, 2020ShareThe U.S. Coast Guard May Be Flying a Unique Stealthy Spy PlaneThe service’s Manned Covert Surveillance Aircraft project has connections to decades of secretive work on “quiet aircraft.” BYJoseph TrevithickJul 5, 2020Share
BYJoseph TrevithickJul 5, 2020ShareIsrael Is Getting A Single F-35 Test Jet Unlike Any OtherThe Israeli Air Force’s special testbed will only make the country’s Joint Strike Fighter fleet more unique. BYJoseph TrevithickJul 5, 2020Share
BYTyler RogowayJul 5, 2020ShareExclusive: Uniquely Configured RQ-170 Stealth Spy Drone Appears At Vandenberg AFBIt’s the first photographic evidence that the famous but still extremely shy Sentinel has a presence at the Air Force’s premier missile test and rocket-launch facility. BYTyler RogowayJul 5, 2020Share
BYTyler RogowayJul 3, 2020ShareThe Mysterious Case Of The F-117 Nighthawk’s Flip-Down Radar LocatorsThe F-117 had extendable antenna farms that could detect and possibly locate enemy radar emitters—or did it? BYTyler RogowayJul 3, 2020Share
BYTyler RogowayJul 3, 2020ShareThe Air Force Desperately Needs A Stealth TankerFielding a stealthy tanker would go a long way to remedy the USAF’s near-sighted practice of betting heavily on relatively short-ranged stealth fighters, but it won’t be cheap. BYTyler RogowayJul 3, 2020Share
BYTyler RogowayJul 3, 2020ShareWhy the B-2 Stealth Bomber Was Used to Strike ISIS Camps in LibyaAmerica’s most valuable stealth combat aircraft might have seemed like an odd choice to bomb a target whose air defenses were neutered in 2011. It wasn’t. BYTyler RogowayJul 3, 2020Share
BYTyler RogowayJul 3, 2020ShareReagan Invited Thatcher To Join The Top Secret F-117 ProgramThe UK Ministry Of Defense was invited to join the highly elite stealth combat aircraft club far earlier than anyone previously realized. BYTyler RogowayJul 3, 2020Share
BYTyler RogowayJul 2, 2020ShareM80 Stiletto Is The Pentagon’s Stealthy Little Experimental Ship That CouldFor a decade the ‘M-hulled’ Stiletto has been the surrogate for new maritime combat technologies and concepts. BYTyler RogowayJul 2, 2020Share
BYTyler RogowayJul 2, 2020ShareThe Navy’s New Stealth Destroyer Has Watered Down Capabilities, Questionable FutureThe awesome-looking DDG-1000 Zumwalt class has been the victim of fluctuating Navy priorities and near-sighted cost-cutting—and even the tiny, three-ship fleet might be doomed. BYTyler RogowayJul 2, 2020Share
BYJoseph TrevithickJun 23, 2020ShareF-22 Raptors Could Become Aggressors Under Air Force’s Radical New Training PlanF-22s, which are in notoriously short supply, could perform other duties, including playing the bad guy, if new pilots needed fewer training sorties. BYJoseph TrevithickJun 23, 2020Share
BYTyler RogowayJun 19, 2020ShareNo, The F-117 Never Had Air-To-Air Capability, But One Did Get A RadarThe “Black Jet” never got the ability to shoot down other aircraft, but not due to a lack of creativity on behalf of the Skunk Works team. BYTyler RogowayJun 19, 2020Share
BYTyler RogowayJun 19, 2020ShareStealthy ‘Son Of Ares’ Mystery Jet Appears With Odd Markings And NASA F-15 EscortThe intriguing test flights have continued with new aircraft types joining a trio of Scaled Composites’ aircraft high over the Mojave Desert. BYTyler RogowayJun 19, 2020Share
BYTyler RogowayJun 19, 2020ShareStealthy ‘Son Of Ares’ Jet Seen Covered In Mirrors During Mysterious Test FlightsThe alien-looking aircraft and its twin are being used for intriguing trials involving a number of other aircraft high above the Mojave Desert. BYTyler RogowayJun 19, 2020Share
BYTyler RogowayJun 17, 2020ShareThe Stealthy F-117 Nighthawk Could Have Executed Nuclear Strikes Against The Soviet UnionThe F-117 was built with the ability to deliver nuclear bombs and the Air Force didn’t forget that during the last years of the Cold War. BYTyler RogowayJun 17, 2020Share