Military Aviation

For close to a half century, Luke Air Force Base near Phoenix, Arizona, was the main training center for U.S. Air Force F-16 pilots. But on Sept. 30, the last Fighting Falcon training mission closed out that history. The Air Force announced this week that the 56th Fighter Wing has now shifted exclusively to flying […]

A Russian Su-35 pilot unleashed his inner Maverick off the coast of Alaska last week and got a predictable reaction from NORAD. “On Sept. 23, 2024, NORAD aircraft flew a safe and disciplined intercept of Russian Military Aircraft in the Alaska ADIZ,” NORAD Commander Gen. Gregory Guillot said in a tweet. “The conduct of one Russian […]

According to a story on the Techno-Science website, a recent Chinese study shows that Starlink satellites could provide a means for detecting stealth aircraft. Stealth technology is devoted to developing aircraft shapes and surfaces that reduce the radar signature and deflect radar beams. But Chinese researchers have reportedly found that aircraft—including stealth aircraft—cause interference in […]

A Japanese F-15 fired a flare in its intercept of a Russian spy plane that Japan claims violated its airspace three times in a sortie off the north coast. The appearance of the IL-38, a Cold War-era long-range patrol aircraft, was part of an escalation of such confrontations on Russia’s frontier in recent weeks. For […]

According to the U.S. Air Force Air Education and Training Command, maintenance-related mishaps have cost taxpayers more than $50 million since 2018. A big reason for the service’s maintenance woes could be antiquated management procedures. Col. Nathan Stuckey is the military deputy program executive officer of the USAF Rapid Sustainment Office. He said that the […]

The overall shortage of U.S. Air Force pilots could mean that recent T-38 pilot-training graduates could find themselves assigned to non-combat roles, such as instructor pilots or flying transports and air-to-air refuelers. Graduates of T-38 training usually go on to fighters or bombers, but the acute shortage means that there aren’t enough pilots available for […]

Canadian Aviator Magazine is reporting that Canadian military search and rescue aircraft are being equipped with devices that can track cellphones carried by pilots and passengers. The equipment used by the Canadian Airborne Sensor for Search and Rescue system detects the cell tower interrogation signals emitted by cellphones. The system has been installed in CC-130H […]

Raytheon Technology Corp. (RTX) has been assessed a $200 million fine for violating export laws involving exchanging information on U.S. combat aircraft with prohibited countries. The laws are associated with the International Traffic in Arm Regulations. According to the U.S. State Department, RTX is guilty of improperly classifying and controlling exports of defense articles, including […]

An Army investigation found an F-35 pilot with no previous experience in the type was at the controls of an Apache attack helicopter when it crashed at a base in Utah last February. According to KUTV, which got a copy of the report, the pilot was a colonel and he had 35 minutes of sim […]

The prototype of the future Loyal Wingman uncrewed fighter flew for the first time last week with test pilot Brian Maisler twisting the knobs. The Scaled Composites Model 437 Vanguard took off from Mojave Air and Space Port in California for the local flight and Maisler didn’t mention any hitches. “Today’s first flight was in […]