The Aviationist Blog

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.

Typhoons from the RAF 29 Squadron and all Italian Air Force’s units worked together to compare, develop and achieve a Hot Refueling capability. The Italian Air Force has recently announced that its F-2000 Typhoon units trained together with Typhoons from the Royal Air Force’s 29 Squadron, based at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, to test a […]

The post Italian and British Typhoons Train Together for Hot Refueling Operations appeared first on The Aviationist.

After the initial IOT&E testing, the MH-139A Grey Wolf took part for the first time in the exercise focused on the safe and secure transport of nuclear weapons and materials. The U.S. Air Force’s new MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter recently participated for the first time in the Nuclear Convoy Course (NCC), a crucial weeklong exercise […]

The post USAF’s MH-139A Grey Wolf Participates in First Nuclear Convoy Course appeared first on The Aviationist.

The exercise focused on maritime operations to reflect the growing need for MQ-9 capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region, said the Air Force. The recent Exercise Reaper Smoke, held late in April at March Air Reserve Base in California, saw U.S. Air Force Reserve and California Air National Guard – whose 163rd Attack Wing hosted the […]

The post USAF MQ-9 Reapers Prepare for Maritime Operations in the Indo-Pacific with Exercise Reaper Smoke appeared first on The Aviationist.

At least two Strike Eagles have been employed in the tests, equipped with four or six LAU-131 pods which would allow to carry up to 42 rockets during drone-hunting missions. Some images recently surfaced online show U.S. Air Force (USAF) F-15E Strike Eagles based at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, flying with a variety of […]

The post New Photos of F-15Es Testing Laser-Guided APKWS Rockets at Eglin AFB appeared first on The Aviationist.

The RAF said that FPV drones have proven their ‘effectiveness in recent conflicts’, reflecting the service’s vision of a future land war in Europe. In an exercise marking the increasing tactical importance of First-Person View (FPV) drones, the Royal Air Force (RAF) announced on May 10, 2025 the completion of a trial deployment of one […]

The post RAF Flies FPV Quadcopter Drone from CH-47 Chinook in ‘Hornet’s Nest’ Trial appeared first on The Aviationist.