The Aviationist Blog

Internal disagreements at the Pentagon over future direction of the AEW role could lead to the E-7 Wedgetail becoming a victim of the 2026 budget, sources tell Aviation Week. Elements inside the U.S. Department of Defense, as reported by Aviation Week, favor a dramatic shift in focus from aircraft to satellites for the U.S. military’s […]

The post E-7A Wedgetail Order Under Threat in New Department of Defense Budget appeared first on The Aviationist.

The USAF Chief of Staff posted a graphic featuring the Boeing F-47 stating the aircraft will be in service in the 2025-2029 timeframe with 185+ units planned. Chief of Staff General David Allvin shared the graphic on X/Twitter on May. 13, 2025, commenting that the U.S. Air Force “will continue to be the world’s best […]

The post U.S. Air Force Chief Teases Boeing F-47 Performance and Possible In-Service Date appeared first on The Aviationist.

The turbine-powered variant offers ten times the range of the original Grasshopper autonomous glider at a fraction of the cost of the manned platforms. DZYNE Technologies, the company that developed the Grasshopper autonomous glider meant to deliver cargo in contested environments, successfully tested a turbine-powered Long-Range Grasshopper with “10 times” the range of the original […]

The post Turbine-Powered ‘Long-Range Grasshopper’ Autonomous Cargo Delivery System Tested by DZYNE appeared first on The Aviationist.

The aircraft is the first of 42 F-35B Lightning IIs that will be delivered to the Japan Air Self Defense Force. The Japanese F-35B BX-1 successfully completed its first test flight from Lockheed Martin Facility at NAS Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, on May 12, 2025. Our friends and contributors Gherardo and Victoria Fontana caught […]

The post Exclusive: First Japanese F-35B Makes Maiden Flight appeared first on The Aviationist.

U.S. officials speaking to The New York Times said Houthi rebels ‘nearly struck’ U.S. F-16s and an F-35 within the first 30 days of Operation Rough Rider. A month into Operation Rough Rider, an intensified campaign of airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, President Trump wanted to see results. Targeting Houthi air defence sites and […]

The post Houthi Air Defenses Nearly Hit U.S. F-35s and F-16s appeared first on The Aviationist.

U.S. Navy and Marine Corps RF-8A Crusaders played an important, often forgotten, high-speed low-level and dangerous recon role during a time the world was on the brink. Backyard Threat On Oct. 14, 1962, United States Air Force Major Richard Heyser flew a Lockheed U-2 belonging to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from Edwards Air Force […]

The post The Overlooked Role of the Vought RF-8A and VFP-62 in the Cuban Missile Crisis appeared first on The Aviationist.

The completion of the Flight Performance Handling & Qualification testing is a key milestone in proving the jet’s airworthiness with consistent performance for the full flight envelope. Sierra Nevada Corporation’s (SNC)’s RAPCON-X aerial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (A-ISR) aircraft successfully completed its initial Flight Performance Handling & Qualification flight testing, the company announced on May […]

The post SNC’s RAPCON-X Completes Initial Flight Testing appeared first on The Aviationist.

Having previously broken cover in frontline videos from Ukraine, the UK-developed ASRAAM-based air defense system has now been shown off to the press and public for the first time. Colloquially called ‘FrankenSAM’ within the armed forces, the Raven integrates a launcher system for the AIM-132 Advanced Short-Range Air to Air Missile (ASRAAM) – the UK’s […]

The post Raven Air Defense System Developed for Ukraine Officially Revealed appeared first on The Aviationist.

We had the unique opportunity to interview the pilot of the E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) aircraft during its first airshow appearance at the recent Seymour Johnson Air Force Base Open House. The airshow at Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina, is high on the list of many airshow enthusiasts, when planning their yearly schedule […]

The post Secretive E-11A BACN Aircraft Makes First Airshow Appearance at Seymour Johnson AFB appeared first on The Aviationist.

Turkish Aerospace Industries will exhibit a full-size model of its Hurjet trainer in Spanish Air Force markings at the Feindef 2025 exhibition. Few months after Spain and Turkey signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to procure the Turkish Aerospace Industries’ (TAI) Hurjet, the Turkish manufacturer is set to showcase full-size model of the aircraft in […]

The post First Look at the Full-Size Model of the Hurjet in Spanish Air Force Markings appeared first on The Aviationist.

Research and data obtained during the testing of these and other experimental aircraft would lead to today’s B-2 Spirit bomber and beyond. Project MX-140 and the N-9 American concerns that Great Britain might fall to Axis forces in World War Two, and therefore eliminating the possibility of launching bombing missions into occupied Europe from British […]

The post The Flying Wings of Jack Northrop that Led to the B-2 Spirit – Part Two appeared first on The Aviationist.

The U.S. Air Force announced the start of the ground testing of the YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A, and selected Beale AFB to host a CCA Aircraft Readiness Unit. The U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin announced that the service has started the ground testing of the YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A production representative test vehicles […]

The post YFQ-44A Test Vehicle Breaks Cover As USAF Starts Ground Testing of Collaborative Combat Aircraft appeared first on The Aviationist.

As the U.S. continues its combat operations, the UK Ministry of Defence announced on Apr. 30, 2025 that RAF Typhoons conducted new airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. These airstrikes are the first announced combat operations undertaken by the UK against the Houthis since January, and the first since the inauguration of President Trump. RAF […]

The post RAF Typhoons Joined U.S. Forces in Joint Attack on Houthi Drone Factory appeared first on The Aviationist.

The three nations certified the KC-46 to refuel the RAAF E-7, and USAF and RAF also benefit from this as they prepare to field their own Wedgetails. The U.S., British and Australian air forces achieved a significant milestone by certifying the U.S. Air Force’s KC-46A Pegasus to refuel the RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) E-7A […]

The post KC-46 Pegasus Cleared to Refuel E-7A Wedgetail in Trilateral Agreement with US, Australia and UK appeared first on The Aviationist.

German Tornado Fires AARGM During Low-Level Test Flight Over California Desert. On Apr. 3, 2025, aviation photographers Jarod Hamilton and Ian Recchio captured a rare moment near the China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station, California, when a German Air Force Tornado fired an AGM-88E AARGM (Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile) over the Mojave Desert. The two […]

The post Photographers Capture Stunning Images of German Tornado Firing AARGM Missile Over China Lake Ranges appeared first on The Aviationist.

The new Light Utility Helicopter will replace the aging AB206, AB205, AB212 and AB412 helicopters, performing roles such as utility transport, MEDEVAC and CASEVAC. As part of its ongoing modernization effort, the Italian Army has received the first UH-169D Light Utility Helicopter (LUH). The delivery comes five years after the service received the first AW169 […]

The post Italian Army Receives First UH-169D Light Utility Helicopter appeared first on The Aviationist.

“Very soon we will replace the A-10 with 21 new F-15EX Eagle II fighter jets, the best in world,” President Trump announced during visit to Selfridge ANGB in Michigan. U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Mt. Clemens, Michigan, will be home to a new Boeing F-15EX Eagle II […]

The post Trump Announces New Boeing F-15EX Unit and KC-46 Squadron for Selfridge ANGB appeared first on The Aviationist.

The photos show two VX-9 F-35Cs with the mirror-like coating during testing at Naval Base Ventura County Point Mugu in 2022. The U.S. Navy has released photos of two F-35Cs flying with a distinctive mirror-like coating, captured during operations at Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC) Point Mugu, California. However, there are discrepancies regarding the date […]

The post U.S. Navy Releases Previously Unseen Photos of Mirror-like Coating on F-35Cs appeared first on The Aviationist.

A Black Hawk helicopter due to make a community relations visit to Standley Lake High School arrived slightly later than planned after the crew accidentally landed at the wrong school. Staff and students at Pomona High School, Colorado, were moved inside from the school field as the unexpected helicopter approached to land. School Principal Patrick […]

The post U.S. Army Black Hawk Lands at the Wrong School appeared first on The Aviationist.

The Rafale M acquisition meets the immediate capability needs for the Indian Navy’s aircraft carrier until India’s indigenous Twin-Engine Deck-Based Fighter is fielded. India signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) with France for the acquisition of 26 carrier-capable Dassault Rafale Marine fighters for the Indian Navy’s (IN) aircraft carrier on Apr. 28, 2025. The signing was […]

The post India Signs Contract for 26 Dassault Rafale M Fighters appeared first on The Aviationist.