The Aviationist Blog

The French government is acquiring two Saab GlobalEye platforms, with an option for two more, to maintain a credible and deterrent airborne radar capability. Saab announced on Dec. 30, 2025, that it has been formally contracted by the French Direction Générale de l’Armement (Directorate General of Armaments – DGA) for the procurement of two GlobalEye […]

China’s PLA launched “Justice Mission 2025” snap drills around Taiwan, combining blockade simulations, live-fire drills, and strategic messaging aimed at Taipei and Washington. China has launched a large-scale, snap military exercise around Taiwan, dubbed “Justice Mission 2025,” on Dec. 29, 2025. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) deployed air, naval, rocket, and coast guard forces in […]

Spain signed a €2.4 billion contract to acquire Turkish Aerospace Industries’ Hürjets, with Airbus leading the work on the new Integrated Training System. The Spanish government has signed the contract for acquiring Türkiye’s Hürjet advanced jet trainer, made by the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), for the Ejército del Aire y del Espacio (Spanish Air and […]

The UK’s Ministry of Defence has unveiled an image gallery showcasing some of their best photographs from the past year. Let’s take a look at some of our favorites. 2025 saw a number of high profile deployments of UK military forces both close to home and across the globe, including the eight month long voyage […]

At least nine MQ-9s are deployed to Puerto Rico’s Rafael Hernández Airport, each carrying between six and ten AGM-114 Hellfire missiles. U.S. Air Force MQ-9A Reapers deployed to Puerto Rico’s Rafael Hernández Airport in support of counter-narcotics operations in the Caribbean are now routinely flying with up to ten AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-ground missiles each. Photos […]

The first capabilities will be activated in the next six months, with the full system in place within two years, defence minister Cezary Tomczyk told the UK’s Guardian newspaper. Fortifications along Poland’s borders with Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad will be upgraded over the next two years with new air defence systems designed […]

South Korea is working on the introduction of an air-to-ground capability for the KF-21 Boramae, as well as a new air-to-air missile and a new domestically-developed engine. South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) released on Dec. 23, 2025, a video of air-to-ground weapons’ drop trials with the indigenous KF-21 Boramae. The videos shows multiple […]

The YJ-21E spotted on the J-10C is a smaller variant of the larger YJ-21/KD-21 predominantly spotted on the H-6K bomber, specifically designed for fighter jets and drones. China’s J-10C fighter has emerged in a recent photograph with what observers have identified as the ‘E’ variant of the YJ-21 Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile (AShBM), the YJ-21E. Describing […]

The U.S. Navy is acquiring and undisclosed number of BriteCloud Active Expendable Decoys specifically for the F-35 Lightning II. The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) has awarded Leonardo UK a contract to supply the U.S. Navy with an undisclosed number of BriteCloud decoys, designated by the military as AN/ALQ-260(V) Anti-Missile Countermeasure. The development follows report […]

The supposed third J-36 prototype emerged exactly a year after the first one was spotted in December 2024. Chinese military aviation observers observed what they believe to be a third prototype of the J-36 next-generation aircraft, after photos and videos of it flying overhead emerged on the afternoon of Dec. 25, 2025. They have also […]

The new contract covers the Post-Critical Design Review phase of the B-52 Commercial Engine Replacement Program, which will replace the TF33 engines with the new F130s. The U.S. Department of War awarded on Dec. 23, 2025 a $2.04 billion task order to Boeing Defense Systems to continue the work on the B-52 Commercial Engine Replacement […]

The 50 year old nuclear-powered aircraft carrier returned to Bremerton, Washington on Dec. 16, 2025 after its final scheduled deployment. USS Nimitz (CVN-68), the oldest commissioned aircraft carrier in the world, is scheduled to be officially decommissioned in May 2026 – 51 years after entering service. After post-deployment maintenance at Naval Base Kitsap, Bremerton, the […]

Rare Il-38N ASW aircraft reportedly destroyed as Kyiv targets high-value enablers behind the front line. Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has released footage showing a drone strike against a Russian Navy Ilyushin Il-38N anti-submarine warfare aircraft at Yeysk Air Base, in southern Russia. According to Ukrainian officials, the attack was carried out earlier this month and […]

The three Royal Navy F-35Bs will be put through an extensive inspection of airframe and substructure for any corrosive damage, following which those parts will be removed, repaired and reinstalled. For the first time, the U.S. Navy’s Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE) at Jacksonville, Florida, hosted three Royal Navy F-35B Lightning IIs which will undergo […]

The Taurus NEO is an enhanced variant of the German-Swedish Taurus KEPD 350 air-launched cruise missile. Setting the stage for the development and future production of the German-Swedish Taurus KEPD 350 Air-Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM), Germany’s Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) signed a contract for “preparing a serial production […]

Switzerland, after approving a US$7.5 billion expenditure for its next generation of fighter aircraft, is being forced to cut back its planned order of 36 F-35A Lightning IIs in order to remain within budget. The decision to procure the F-35A Lightning II over competition from the Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Rafale, and the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super […]

The contract signed by Leonardo with the Italian Directorate of Aeronautical Armaments and Airworthiness confirms Austria will get the new M-346F Block 20 variant. Leonardo has announced it signed a contract with the Italian Directorate of Aeronautical Armaments and Airworthiness for the Austrian Air Force’s M-346 order. The company has now confirmed that Austria, which […]

The U.S. Navy is continuing the work to extend the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet’s service life to 10,000 flight hours, with the latest contract covering up to 60 aircraft. The U.S. Navy has awarded Boeing a new contract, worth $930.77 million, to continue the work on the Super Hornet Service Life Modification (SLM) program. As part […]

The U.S. Air Force now expects to take delivery of its first new Presidential jet in mid-2028, replacing the VC-25As that have served since 1990. In a statement released to Aviation Week following the announcement of a $15.5 million contract modification related to the VC-25B program, a U.S. Air Force spokesperson said “These costs are […]

A new update to the Undergraduate Jet Training System’s RFI mentions the requirement for a 216-aircraft fleet, blaming the government shutdown for the RFP’s delay. The U.S. Navy has set a requirement for 216 aircraft to replace the T-45 Goshawk fleet as part of the Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS). The requirement was mentioned in […]