Military Aviation

The military-modified Boeing 737 carrying U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinkin experienced what officials described as a critical oxygen leak, just before its scheduled departure for Washington from the global summit in Davos, Switzerland. Blinken and his party were forced to take another aircraft home from Zurich. A State Department spokesperson told reporters the aircraft […]

A 22-year-old Air Force officer who may become an Air Force pilot has become the first active duty member to win the Miss America pageant. 2nd Lt. Madison Marsh, Miss Colorado, earned the national title Sunday in Orlando and drew heavily on her private pilot training and four years at the Air Force Academy in […]

The Ukrainian air force says it shot down two high-value Russian aircraft earlier this week and now controls the airspace over the southeastern area of the country. On X, the military said it had taken out an A-50 long-range detection and control aircraft worth $330 million and an Il-22 aerial control center worth about $250 […]

The U.S. Air Force “paused” all flights of its fleet of B-1B Lancer bombers at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota until at least Jan. 19 as the investigation continues into the landing accident on Jan. 5. All four crew members ejected safely. According to a report in the Air Force Times, B-1Bs operating […]

Under the auspices of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), four companies are now designing prototypes of an experimental vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) military aircraft. As reported today (Dec. 28) in Defense News, the contestants’ final design, prototyping, building and demonstration of the vehicles is expected by early 2027 as part of […]

The U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff four-star Gen. David Allvin has seven words of advice for today’s airmen: “Don’t take your foot off the gas.” As reported in Air Force Times, Allvin explained that he believes current Air Force personnel stand at a tipping point in history—a contrast between how wars were fought in […]

The Eurasian Times is reporting that China has developed “shape shifting” technology that allows its cruise missiles to switch between being stealthy and appearing to radar as the size of an airliner. The publication says Chinese researchers have created an inexpensive retractable umbrella-like device that radically changes the radar signature of the missiles at will. […]

While it’s not clear how the actual air war is going, the war of words between the Ukrainian and Russian air forces would suggest each other’s aircraft are dropping like flies. Last week, the Ukrainians said they shot down three Russian Su-34 Fullback attack aircraft that were getting ready to drop guided bombs on Ukrainian […]

Bob Pardo, the fighter pilot behind one of the best known—and for decades officially least recognized—aviation exploits of the Vietnam war died in a hospital in College Station, Texas, from lung cancer complications in early December. He was 89. According to the Washington Post obituary, Pardo and his wingman both took ground fire in their […]

Canada continued a buying spree of new military aircraft on Tuesday with the announcement it’s acquiring 11 MQ-9 Reaper drones and all the associated gear from General Atomics for about $2 billion. The Reapers will be armed and will be used in military operations and to patrol the far reaches of Canada’s North, an important […]