The Aviationist Blog

The KC-135 was used to expand tactical communications across joint and combined forces for contested, multi-domain operations, and is now testing the High Value Airborne Asset Pod. The Air National Guard Air Force Reserve Command Test Center (AATC) has just disclosed that its KC-135 Test Detachment, working alongside the Utah Air National Guard’s 151st Wing, […]

The UK Defense Secretary said the Russian ship pointed lasers at a RAF P-8 Poseidon while on the edge of UK waters off Scotland. The Russian intelligence ship Yantar is currently sailing on the edge of UK waters off the coast of Scotland, monitored by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy. During a […]

Anduril previously said a breakthrough in Omen’s development came through collaboration with Archer Aviation, which develops hybrid-electric VTOL systems. Archer Aviation has announced on Nov. 17, 2025, that it will supply its proprietary hybrid powertrain to third parties, starting with the Omen drone being developed by Anduril and Edge Group. The drone was recently unveiled […]

The 919th Special Operations Wing flew the AC-130A Spectre for 20 years, before transitioning to non-gunship aircraft, and will now operate the new AC-130J. The 919th Special Operations Wing (919th SOW) marked its return to the aircraft gunship role on Oct. 9, 2025, after its constituent 711th Special Operations Squadron (711th SOS) flew its first […]

Of the twelve F-15E Strike Eagles that the 336th FS deployed to Kadena Air Base, six were sent to NSF Diego Garcia for three months in response to tensions in the Middle East. The U.S. Air Force’s 336th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron concluded a six-month deployment with 12 F-15E Strike Eagles at Kadena Air Base, Japan, […]

Announced at the Dubai Air Show, 10 H225M helicopters will join the Royal Moroccan Air Force and begin to replace its ageing Puma fleet in the combat search and rescue role. Joining over 360 H225 and H225M helicopters in service worldwide, Morocco’s ten examples of the aircraft will be fitted with Safran Euroflir 410 electro-optical/infrared […]

The Gen III TacIRST distributed infrared threat‑warning system will equip the F-22 Raptor, with an evaluation planned in 2026. Lockheed Martin has announced the first flight of the latest iteration of its TacIRST sensor, or Gen III TacIRST. The flight was conducted in October by a Rockwell Sabreliner 65 testbed equipped with a pod carrying […]

Two S-70 Firehawk helicopters will enter service with the Czech Police and become the first examples of the type in European skies, with an option remaining open for a third airframe. After securing an order last month for two new Firehawks for the L.A. County Fire Department, Lockheed Martin, through Polish subsidiary PZL Mielec, has […]

Ahead of an expected competition to replace the RAF’s Hawk T2s, Saab, Boeing, and BAE Systems have signed a letter of intent to collaborate on a pilot training system centered on the T-7 Red Hawk. In a press release published on Nov. 18, 2025, the Vice President of Boeing Defense, Space & Security’s Business Development […]

The Sniper NTP integrates a multi-datalink, multi-processor Hybrid Base Station (HBS) with the existing Sniper ATP, turning it into an airborne communications and edge-computing node. Lockheed Martin has unveiled the latest evolution of its proven Sniper targeting pod, called the Sniper Networked Targeting Pod (NTP), whose development was announced last year. By integrating a multi-datalink, […]

A Ukrainian Mirage 2000-5F was shown with six Kh-101 ALCM kill markings in a rare close-up look at the French-supplied jet delivered earlier this year. A Ukrainian Air Force (UKrAF) French-made Mirage 2000-5F has been spotted with kill marks of what resemble Russian Kh-101 (X-101) long-range ALCM (Air-Launched Cruise Missile) in a Nov. 17, 2025, […]

GA-ASI and L3Harris joined forces to demonstrate Crewed-Uncrewed Teaming of an F-22 and MQ-20 using the new BANSHEE datalinks and Pantera radios. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has announced that, in collaboration with Lockheed Martin and L3Harris Technologies, it has conducted a successful Crewed-Uncrewed Teaming demonstration using an F-22 Raptor and an MQ-20 Avenger drone. Although […]

The demo will be conducted at GA-ASI’s Desert Horizon facility in California using a company-owned MQ-9B equipped with AEW&C systems supplied by Saab. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) has announced that it will test the new podded Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) capability for the MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) in collaboration with Saab […]

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Emmanuel Macron together signed a letter of intent that sets out the groundwork for a Ukrainian buy of up to 100 Dassault Rafale jets, more SAMP/T batteries, guided weapons, and UAVs. Standing together at Vélizy-Villacoublay Air Base, near Paris, the respective Presidents of Ukraine and France embraced with a hug after signing […]

The Arexis Electronic Warfare suite will replace the Eurofighter Typhoon’s wingtip pods, part of the fighter’s Defensive Aid Sub-System (DASS). Germany’s Eurofighter EK program moved forward on Nov. 14, 2025, with a new order for one of its main modifications. In fact, Swedish defense major Saab announced a second order from Airbus regarding its Arexis […]

2026 will see two new display pilots join the RAF Red Arrows to replace those who have completed their tour with the team, while 2024’s Red 6 returns to the squadron as Red 10. Two brand new pilots will join the Red Arrows beginning with next year’s display season, while one of the team’s most […]

The Blue Angels’ C-130J will return once again to Marshall Aerospace in the UK to have its center wing box replaced, adding decades to its lifespan. Marshall Aerospace has announced that the U.S. Navy Blue Angels’ C-130J, better known as “Fat Albert,” will return once again to the company’s Cambridge, UK, facilities for maintenance. Specifically, […]

The Dutch and Romanian governments signed the formal handover of the Netherland’s last F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcons to the Romanian Air Force for the symbolic price of €1. The 18 former Dutch F-16s had already been received in the country, flying for the European F-16 Training Center (EFTC) used to train both Romanian and Ukrainian pilots […]

Aviation Week reported on a memo by the head of AFGSC that recommends a shift from current plans for two pilots on the B-21 Raider to a pilot and weapon systems officer (WSO) combination. “Unleashing the Raider’s full potential demands a complex blend of skills: airmanship, weaponeering, electromagnetic spectrum operations, sensor management, real-time battle management […]

A B-52 with test markings was spotted carrying a mysterious payload that resembles the rendering of the AGM-181 LRSO, the Air Force’s next-gen stealth nuclear cruise missile. A U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress has been captured while flying over the Owens Valley, California, with two units of an unidentified weapon under its right wing. The […]