The Aviationist Blog

U.S. Navy’s Iconic Enterprise Nuclear Carrier Set for Dismantling in Alabama, Freeing Shipyard Space and Cutting Costs by $1 Billion The U.S. Navy has officially signed off on a historic contract that will see the dismantling and disposal of its first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier conducted entirely by the private sector. The $536.7 million deal, awarded […]

The post Navy Awards $536M Contract for First-Ever Commercial Dismantling of Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier appeared first on The Aviationist.

The 144-page SDR falls short of detailing a comprehensive future order of battle, but does offer 62 recommendations which ministers say will be accepted in full. The long awaited Strategic Defence Review (SDR) has been published by the UK Government. The 144-page SDR falls short of detailing a comprehensive future order of battle, but does […]

The post UK Strategic Defence Review: Key Points from an Initial Reading appeared first on The Aviationist.

After one and a half years of preparation, Ukrainian personnel hiding deep inside Russia conducted an unprecedented attack with 117 drones which destroyed multiple bombers. The Security Service of Ukraine conducted an unprecedented attack with First Person View (FPV) drones against air bases deep inside Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy defined this the “most long-range […]

The post Ukraine Executes ‘Longest Range Operation’ Striking Russian Air Bases with FPV Drones appeared first on The Aviationist.

Press reports ahead of UK’s Strategic Defence Review say plans for the RAF could include the procurement of F-35A Lightning II fighters with a mention of delivering nuclear payloads. Since the withdrawal of the last WE.177 nuclear bomb in 1998, the United Kingdom’s nuclear deterrent has been provided exclusively by submarine launched ballistic missiles (SLBM). […]

The post Nuclear Strike Mission Could Return to the RAF After 27-Year Gap appeared first on The Aviationist.

The drone’s use is likely to provoke Ukrainian air defenses and present a dilemma between protecting targets in Odessa and preserving their surface-to-air missile stocks. The escalating war in the Black Sea between Russia and Ukraine saw another innovation on the morning of May 29, 2025, when Ukraine’s General Intelligence Directorate (GUR) said it shot […]

The post Russian Jet Target Drone-Turned-Cruise Missile Shot Down Over Black Sea appeared first on The Aviationist.

The Hungarian Air Force received the first three L-39 Skyfox aircraft out of a total order of 12 signed in 2022, of which four will be in a reconnaissance configuration. On May 30, 2025, the Hungarian Air Force received the first three L-39 Skyfox aircraft out of a total order of 12 signed in 2022. […]

The post Kecskemét Welcomes First Batch of Hungarian L-39 “Skyfox” Trainers appeared first on The Aviationist.

Lt. Col. Alvarez, a B-1B weapons systems officer and commander of the 345th Bomb Squadron, joins a short list of aircrew who have amassed 5,000-plus flying hours in the B-1B. Lt. Col. Eric Alvarez, a weapons systems officer (WSO) and commander of the 345th Bomb Squadron which flies the B-1B Lancer bomber from Texas’ Dyess […]

The post B-1B Lancer WSO Logs 5,000 Hours on Strategic Bomber appeared first on The Aviationist.

A few days after the first images emerged of Strike Eagles carrying four or six LAU-131 pods for drone-hunting missions, U.S. CENTCOM has released a photograph showing the same loadout on an operationally deployed F-15E. The new anti-UAV loadout made of six LAU-131A rocket launchers that we observed on F-15Es involved in tests at Eglin […]

The post CENTCOM Releases Photo of F-15E with Counter-UAV Loadout in the Middle East appeared first on The Aviationist.

Photographer Julian Elnasser spotted the two aircraft over Death Valley earlier this year. The secretive RAT55 NT-43A is thought to be almost exclusively used to test the airborne radar signatures of stealth aircraft. While this is not the first time the two aircraft types have been spotted or reported operating alongside each other, with much […]

The post Rare Sighting: Elusive RAT55 737 Radar Test Aircraft Captured in Flight Alongside B-2 Spirit appeared first on The Aviationist.

With the main European and American airshow seasons rapidly approaching, take a look here for tips on how to hone the art of aviation photography. Modern camera technology has made aviation photography more accessible than ever. Gone are the days when you’d have to ration which aircraft you took pictures of as you’d only brought […]

The post Aviation Photography 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Shooting Aircraft appeared first on The Aviationist.

With the first Warthog sent to the Boneyard, Idaho ANG enters a new chapter while honoring three decades of A-10 Thunderbolt II heritage. The 124th Fighter Wing of the Idaho Air National Guard has officially started divesting its A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft, with the first jet departing Gowen Field, Idaho, on May 27, 2025. The […]

The post First A-10 Departs Idaho as 124th Fighter Wing Begins Warthog Divestment appeared first on The Aviationist.

The KJ-3000 is based on the Y-20 strategic airlifter, and its development is consistent with the Chinese doctrine to have a varied fleet of airborne radars. Within five months of the first grainy visuals of China’s newest and largest Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft, the KJ-3000, performing its maiden flight on Dec. 27, […]

The post China’s KJ-3000 AEW&C Aircraft Captured in Clearest Image Yet appeared first on The Aviationist.

The outlines of what could be internal weapons stores and other electronic accessories are clearly seen in the latest picture of the J-XDS. The clearest and sharpest image yet of China’s J-XDS next generation aircraft, developed by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC), emerged on May 28, 2025, showing its underside in great detail. Another image, […]

The post China’s J-XDS’ Underside and Weapons Bays Seen in Clearest Image Yet appeared first on The Aviationist.

The groundbreaking test saw Norwegian soldiers take control of two GBU-53 glide bombs released by two F-15Es and direct them towards the target. The Norwegian Armed Forces disclosed a recent military cooperation test with the U.S. Air Force, which involved two F-15E Strike Eagles, based at RAF Lakenheath, dropping GBU-53 glide bombs. The test, conducted […]

The post Norway Takes Control of U.S. Network-Enabled GBU-53s Launched by F-15Es During Test appeared first on The Aviationist.

Around 120 personnel and six Gripens from the Blekinge Air Flotilla arrived in southeastern Poland, near the border with Ukraine, as part of a NATO mission. The Swedish Air Force (Flygvapnet) announced the deployment of six more JAS39 Gripen C fighters from the Blekinge Air Flotilla to northern Poland’s Malbork Air Base on May 26, […]

The post Six More Swedish Gripens Arrive in Poland to Support Key Logistical Hub for Ukraine appeared first on The Aviationist.

The high-speed uncrewed test aircraft performed its first flight at Edwards AFB, just a year after the launch of the development. Hermeus, a U.S. company aiming to develop hypersonic aircraft quickly and cost-effectively, flew for the first time its uncrewed Quarterhorse Mk 1 test aircraft last week, said the company on May 27, 2025. The […]

The post Hermeus’ Uncrewed Quarterhorse Mk 1 Test Aircraft Flies for the First Time appeared first on The Aviationist.

Royal Netherlands Air Force F-35A Lightning II fighter jets are taking part in the Baana 25 exercise underway in Finland. The Royal Netherlands Air Force joined this year’s edition of the Baana highway exercise in Finland, deploying a number of F-35A Lightning II jets. The 5th generation aircraft are taking part to highway operations alongside […]

The post Dutch F-35s Conduct Highway Operations with Finnish F/A-18s appeared first on The Aviationist.

Looking more like a killer than a speedster, the large twin-engine jet built to sweep skies clear of enemy MiGs and deliver large payloads of bombs would also record many “firsts.” Overachiever from the Beginning Out of a requirement for an all-weather fleet defense interceptor, McDonnell Douglas developed the XF4H-1 twin-engine two-seat test aircraft. In […]

The post Fantastic Phantom: the Records set by the McDonnell Douglas F-4 appeared first on The Aviationist.

Less than a year after the first deliveries, the RNLAF completed the transfer of the last of the 24 F-16s promised to Ukraine, which will reach the country after a stop in Belgium. The Netherlands’ Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans revealed in the Dutch talk show WNL op Zondag on May 25, 2025, that the country […]

The post Netherlands Completes Delivery of 24 F-16s to Ukraine appeared first on The Aviationist.

A seven-ship dissimilar formation with B-2A, B-1B, B-52H, F-22A, F-15C, F-16C and A-10C showcased the Air Force’s capabilities at the Air and Sea Show in Miami Beach. In a ceremonial flypast during the Hyundai Air and Sea Show in Miami Beach, Florida, on May 24, 2025, the U.S. Air Force unveiled a first-of-its-kind ‘tri-bomber/fighter dissimilar […]

The post USAF Showcases Airpower with Dissimilar Bomber-Fighter ‘Freedom Formation’ appeared first on The Aviationist.