The Aviationist Blog

Originally intended for long-range heavy bomber escort missions over Japan during World War Two, the F-82 arrived in service too late but did see action in the next war in Korea. First Blood from the Last of Her Kind On Jun. 25, 1950, a peaceful Sunday was suddenly interrupted when 90,000 North Korean troops stormed […]

The post The North American F-82 Twin Mustang: A Forgotten Fighter of the Forgotten War appeared first on The Aviationist.

The unusual design integrates radar arrays in its booms, as well as satellite communication, which would allow the PLA to create a networked mesh of manned and unmanned AEW assets, offering redundancy and flexibility. A video has emerged of China’s unorthodox Wuzhen-9 (or WZ-9) “Divine Eagle” unmanned aircraft, which has been described in social media […]

The post First Visuals of China’s WZ-9 Divine Eagle AEW Drone Surface Online appeared first on The Aviationist.

The Austrian MoD is currently negotiating the procurement contract with the Italian government, with the 12 aircraft being eyed for both training and air defense roles. Austria has decided to acquire the Leonardo M-346FA, the light fighter variant of the M-346 Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT). Citing military sources, the Austrian newspaper Krone said a letter […]

The post Austria Announces Acquisition of M-346FA appeared first on The Aviationist.

Let’s have a look at the markings sported by the final six F-15E Strike Eagles of the 492nd Fighter Squadron, which have just returned from their deployment to the Middle East. The final six F-15E Strike Eagle jets belonging to the 492nd Fighter Squadron “Madhatters” of the 48th Fighter Wing, deployed to the CENTCOM AOR […]

The post Nicknames, Nose Art, and Bomb Markings of the Final 492nd FS F-15Es Returning from the Middle East appeared first on The Aviationist.

The RAF Typhoons, which were returning from the Advanced Tactical Leadership Course in the UAE, made a stop in Turkey for a ‘detailed inspection’ in the presence of top Turkish and British defense officials. The diplomatic push of the United Kingdom and Germany for Turkey to acquire the Eurofighter Typhoon is now moving from words […]

The post RAF Typhoons Visit Turkey’s Mürted Air Base as Ankara Pushes to Acquire the Fighters appeared first on The Aviationist.

Two years after the first Eagles returned to the United States, the last F-15C is now ready to leave Kadena Air Base in Japan, where the type was stationed since 1979. The United States Air Force’s 18th Wing is about to complete the divestment of its F-15C/D Eagle fleet, with the last airframe ready to […]

The post The Last U.S. Air Force F-15C Prepares to Leave Kadena appeared first on The Aviationist.

The U.S. Navy announced it awarded the contract to Northrop Grumman to conduct mission-systems integration for the E-130J that will replace the E-6B in the TACAMO mission. Northrop Grumman has been selected as the prime contractor for the E-130J NC3 (Nuclear Command, Control and Communications) aircraft which will perform the US Navy’s TACAMO (Take Charge […]

The post Northrop Grumman Selected to Develop TACAMO System for the E-130J appeared first on The Aviationist.

Recently released images show J-15s of one of the brigades attached to the Naval Aviation University practicing launch and recovery operations at an unspecified coastal base where a flight deck with jet blast deflectors and arresting wires has been set up. Sometime between late November and early December 2024, a brigade with China’s Naval Aviation […]

The post PLAN’s Naval Aviation University Performs J-15 Flight Training on Simulated Carrier Deck appeared first on The Aviationist.

Named Tryzub after the golden trident used as a national symbol of Ukraine, Colonel Vadym Sukharevskyi states that the new weapon has a range of over two kilometers. Colonel Vadym Sukharevskyi, Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, made an interesting revelation on Dec. 16, 2024 at a European Defense Industry […]

The post Ukrainian Commander Claims to Have Operational Laser Anti-Aircraft Weapon appeared first on The Aviationist.

The three nations made important steps forward this year, establishing equal work sharing, locations and coordination of the different areas of GCAP, with the objective of cutting in half timeline and costs. As recently reported, the three national industry leads participating to the Global Combat Aircraft Programme (GCAP), BAE Systems, Leonardo and Japan Aircraft Industrial […]

The post 2024 Fundamental for GCAP, Working to Make 2035 Goal a Reality, Says Leonardo appeared first on The Aviationist.

The first six of a dozen U.S. Air Force F-15Es have returned to their homebase at RAF Lakenheath, once again sporting unique nicknames and some interesting markings. On Dec. 17, 2024, the first six of 12 F-15E Strike Eagle jets, belonging to the 492nd Fighter Squadron/48th Fighter Wing, returned to RAF Lakenheath, UK, after a […]

The post 492nd FS F-15E Strike Eagles Return From Middle East With New Nose Arts And Bomb Markings appeared first on The Aviationist.

Finnish, Swedish, and Dutch fighter aircraft were scrambled on Tuesday Dec. 17, 2024 to identify and monitor Russian aircraft over the Baltic Sea, which turned out to be carrying inert supersonic cruise missiles. The first intercept was made by F/A-18 Hornets from the Finnish Air Force, which were met by Dutch F-35A Lightning IIs deployed […]

The post NATO Fighters Intercept Two Russian Tu-22M3 ‘Backfires’ Carrying Long-Range Supersonic Cruise Missiles appeared first on The Aviationist.

The $451 million contract will support the upgrade of 68 JASDF F-15Js as part of the Japan Super Interceptor program, introducing some capabilities currently being fielded on the U.S. Air Force F-15EX Eagle II. The U.S. DoD (Department of Defense) announced on Dec. 10, 2024, that the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center awarded Boeing […]

The post Boeing Awarded Contract To Support the F-15 Japan Super Interceptor Program appeared first on The Aviationist.

Argentina and Denmark sealed a $300 million contract in April for 24 second-hand F-16 jets. The Fuerza Aérea Argentina has been without a supersonic fighter since 2015, following the retirement of its last Dassault Mirage IIIs. Argentina’s first F-16B, purchased from Denmark, landed in the country on Dec. 16, 2024, after being transported disassembled inside […]

The post Argentina Receives First Ex-Danish F-16B, Flown Disassembled in KC-130H appeared first on The Aviationist.

The VAQ-133 “Wizards” have completed the first ALQ-249 Next Generation Jammer Deployment. On Dec. 14, 2024, Electronic Attack Squadron 133 (VAQ-133), assigned to Carrier Air Wing Nine (CVW) 9, returned to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, from its five-month deployment to the Middle East and Eastern Pacific aboard USS Abraham Lincoln. A total of 153 […]

The post VAQ-133 EA-18Gs Become First In The Navy To Tactically Employ the Next Generation Jammer appeared first on The Aviationist.

The Eurofighter Consortium has awarded BAE Systems a contract worth £133 million to further develop its Striker II Helmet Mounted Display (HMD). BAE Systems announced on Dec. 11, 2024, that it has been awarded a new £133 million contract to further develop its Striker II Helmet Mounted-Display (HMD).  Under this new contract, awarded by the […]

The post BAE Systems Awarded Contract for Eurofighter’s Striker II Helmet Mounted Display appeared first on The Aviationist.

The fifth and final EMD aircraft will now join the test fleet assigned to the T-7 Integrated Test Force and continue to validate the Red Hawk’s capabilities ahead of the Milestone C and the LRIP contract expected in 2025. The final Engineering Manufacturing Development (EMD) T-7A Red Hawk flew for the first time from Boeing’s […]

The post Final Boeing T-7A Red Hawk Engineering Manufacturing Development Jet Flies for the First Time appeared first on The Aviationist.

BAE Systems, Leonardo and JAIEC reached an agreement to form a new company under a business joint venture for the GCAP, building on the trilateral cooperation started in 2022. The three national industry leads participating to the Global Combat Aircraft Programme (GCAP), BAE Systems, Leonardo and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co (JAIEC), have reached an […]

The post UK, Italy and Japan Reach Landmark Agreement for GCAP Program appeared first on The Aviationist.

A newly released cockpit video gives a first-person view of the U.S. F-35s as they operated from a highway strip during the Baana24 exercise in Finland last month. A new cockpit video offers an exclusive look at the operations carried out during Exercise Baana 24, in which two U.S. Air Force F-35As landed for the […]

The post A Close-Up Look at the F-35’s Highway Operations during the Baana 24 Exercise appeared first on The Aviationist.

Italy’s Defence Minister condemns Israeli attack on UNIFIL bases as “Intolerable” and “Not an Accident”. Italy issued a formal protest to Israel on Thursday after attacks targeted the headquarters of the UNIFIL mission in Lebanon and two Italian bases. In response, Defense Minister Guido Crosetto summoned the Israeli ambassador to address the situation. According to […]

The post Israel Repeatedly Fired on UNIFIL HQ in Southern Lebanon, Injuring Peacekeepers appeared first on The Aviationist.