The Aviationist Blog

Sixteen retired USAF officials joined with the Air & Space Forces Association to issue an open letter to Congress setting out their case opposing U.S. Government military spending plans. Proposals included in the Pentagon’s 2026 budget which would have seen a reduction in the number of F-35s procured, as well as the complete cancellation of […]

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The A-29C will be used both for training as part of the Test Pilot School’s curriculum and experimental testing of mission systems, avionics, sensors and weapons. The A-29C Super Tucanos of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School commenced their training operations at Edwards AFB in California, a press release from the 412th Test Wing […]

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For the first time ever during a display, the RAF Red Arrows will fuel their jets with Sustainable Aviation Fuel at 2025’s Royal International Air Tattoo. The usually diesel-fueled smoke pod will also switch to a biofuel based on vegetable oil. Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) has been trialed by the Royal Air Force since 2020, […]

The post Red Arrows Display at RIAT 2025 Will Use Sustainable Aviation Fuel appeared first on The Aviationist.

The arrival of the F-16s marked a significant step forward in modernizing the 51st Fighter Wing aircraft and strengthening the U.S. Air Force’s regional combat readiness. The 51st Fighter Wing at Osan Air Base, South Korea, recently received upgraded F-16 Fighting Falcons transferred from the 35th Fighter Wing at Misawa Air Base, Japan. The arrival […]

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The ship is the first Zumwalt class to visit Yokosuka since USS Zumwalt’s 2022 visit, which was the first ever port call for the class in the Western Pacific region. USS Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001), the second ship in the distinctive Zumwalt class of stealthy guided missile destroyers, arrived at Fleet Activities Yokosuka on Jul. […]

The post Zumwalt Class Stealth Destroyer USS Michael Monsoor Arrives in Japan appeared first on The Aviationist.

South Korea will shift towards cheaper attack drones to cover the same tank busting roles, consistent with evolving trends in modern warfare. South Korea has now given an official imprimatur to its plans to not proceed with the purchase of 36 additional AH-64E Apache attack helicopters after reports of the rethink pushed by the country’s […]

The post Seoul Scraps Purchase of Additional AH-64E Apache Attack Helicopters appeared first on The Aviationist.

The Republic of Korea Navy will use its new P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft to detect underwater North Korean threats. The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) is now employing operationally its new fleet of six P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, after their arrival in in South Korea last year. According to Yonhap News, officials said […]

The post South Korea’s P-8 Poseidons Are Now Operational appeared first on The Aviationist.

A new ekranoplan, or ground-effect vehicle, design emerging from China was first noted earlier this week. Now a new image offers our first look at the whole airframe. An ekranoplan, derived from the Russian for ‘ground effect’, is a type of vehicle that utilises the aerodynamic concept of ground effect to travel at great speeds, […]

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NAVAIR is planning to acquire Active Expendable Decoys with a 2″x1″x8″ form factor from Leonardo UK, hinting at the system being the BriteCloud 218 countermeasure. The U.S. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) will soon negotiate and award a contract to Leonardo UK for up to 6,000 Active Expendable Decoy (AED) to equip the U.S. Navy’s […]

The post U.S. Navy Set to Procure Up To 6,000 Active Expendable Decoys for F-35s and F/A-18s appeared first on The Aviationist.

Pilots aboard an F-16C Fighting Falcon and an F-15E Strike Eagle each controlled two XQ-58A Valkyrie unmanned aircraft in an air combat training scenario. In a groundbreaking test which has been defined as “a major leap in human-machine teaming,” the U.S. Air Force recently demonstrated the ability to have multiple autonomous collaborative platforms (ACPs) flying […]

The post U.S. Air Force F-16C and F-15E Control Multiple XQ-58 Drones in Groundbreaking Test appeared first on The Aviationist.

Following days of heightened tension, Israel launched a large attack against Iran in the early hours of Jun. 13, 2025, targeting leadership, nuclear research, and military sites both in Tehran and beyond. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video statement at around 0100 UTC, in which he said: “Moments ago, Israel launched Operation Rising […]

The post Everything We Know About Operation Rising Lion: Israel’s Attack on Iran appeared first on The Aviationist.

About two dozen German A400Ms will receive missile countermeasure upgrades to enhance survivability during tactical operations. Airbus has secured a contract from the German Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) to equip 23 Luftwaffe A400M Atlas aircraft with Directed Infrared Counter Measures (DIRCM) systems. The upgrade will significantly enhance the […]

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The Italian Air Force celebrated the phase out of the T-339A jet trainer and the phase in of its successor, the T-345A. The Italian Air Force said goodbye to its long-standing Aermacchi MB-339A jet trainer during a ceremony at Lecce-Galatina Air Base on Jun. 12, 2025. The event included both the phase out of the […]

The post Italian Air Force Says Goodbye to MB-339A Jet Trainer After 45 Years appeared first on The Aviationist.

Procurement request documents obtained by Bloomberg show revised figures for F-35 deliveries in 2026, with the USAF receiving only 24 jets rather than 48. Bloomberg reports that the Pentagon seeks to reduce incoming deliveries for all branches of the U.S. military operating the F-35 Lightning II. The U.S. Air Force will receive 24 F-35As, rather […]

The post Breaking: U.S. DoD Cuts F-35 Deliveries By Up To 50% In Latest Budget Documents appeared first on The Aviationist.

The U.S. Air Force has released for the first time a rendering of the new AGM-181A Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) which is set to replace the current AGM-86B ALCM. The U.S. Air Force has released for the first time, on Jun. 9, 2025, a rendering of the new AGM-181A Long-Range Standoff (LRSO), the service’s next-gen stealth […]

The post Meet the AGM-181 LRSO: U.S. Air Force Reveals Next-Gen Nuclear Cruise Missile appeared first on The Aviationist.

Gen. Allvin hinted that the service might resume working on the AGM-183 ARRW hypersonic weapon, after previously stating that it would not be procured. After previously stating that it would not procure the weapon, the U.S. Air Force might have had a change of heart and decided to continue working to procure the AGM-183 Air-Launched […]

The post U.S. Air Force Might Bring Back AGM-183 ARRW in New Budget Proposal appeared first on The Aviationist.

The BALTOPS 25 exercise granted a rare sighting of a Soviet-designed helicopter landing on one of the U.S. Navy’s two Cold War era Blue Ridge class ships. Sailing in the Baltic Sea, the USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) offered its large aft helicopter deck as a facility for Polish military personnel operating the Soviet-designed Mil […]

The post Polish Mi-17 Conducts Deck Landing Qualifications on USS Mount Whitney During BALTOPS 25 appeared first on The Aviationist.

The SR-71 is perhaps the most iconic Cold War spy aircraft, famous for many record-setting flights. Seemingly impervious to loss by enemy defenses, a dozen Blackbirds were lost to accidents. Blackbird Beginnings On July 24, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced at a news conference the existence of a Mach-3 capable reconnaissance aircraft designated the […]

The post A Look at the Dozen SR-71 Blackbird Losses appeared first on The Aviationist.

The B-2 Spirit would be able to employ up to 80 500 lb QUICKSTRIKE weapons, holding at risk multiple targets in a maritime environment. The U.S Air Force and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) announced on Jun. 4, 2025, the test of a “new, more versatile variant of the QUICKSINK maritime weapon,” based on […]

The post USAF Tests 500 lb QUICKSINK Bomb in B-2 Stealth Bomber’s Maritime Strike Test appeared first on The Aviationist.

Footage shared online confirms that Russia has lost another Su-35S. According to some unverified claims, the Flanker was shot down by an F-16. Ukraine’s Air Force says it has shot down a Russian Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker-E fighter jet during a morning operation on June 7, 2025. According to a brief statement shared on the Air […]

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