Military Aviation

Bell announced on Wednesday that it has completed its first Nacelle Improvements Modification on a CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor for the U.S. Air Force. Part of an ongoing Bell-Boeing upgrade program, the modifications include improvements to wiring components within the nacelles and a change to the nacelle structure designed to reduce maintenance time and costs while […]

A decorated career officer, tireless volunteer and famed member of the Tuskegee Airmen, Brigadier General Charles McGee died in his sleep at home overnight Jan. 16 at the age of 102. “The day we all have dreaded has arrived and we are sad to report that our mentor, hero, and inspiration has passed,” the Commemorative […]

The first Tupolev Tu-160M ​​supersonic strategic bomber to be manufactured in more than 25 years successfully completed its initial flight on Wednesday. The flight, which launched from the airfield at Tupolev’s Kazan Aviation Plant in Kazan, Russia, lasted about 30 minutes. According to the company, maneuvers were preformed to check the stability and controllability of […]

The U.S. Navy has awarded a contract to AgustaWestland Philadelphia (Leonardo) for 36 TH-73A helicopters, according to an announcement from the company. The order is the third batch of TH-73A trainers purchased for the Navy’s Advanced Helicopter Training System (AHTS), which will be used to train student aviators from the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and […]

NATO announced this week that, of some 370 total missions flown by its combat aircraft in 2021, 290 involved “response to the activities of Russian aircraft.” Most of those were warplanes operating in northwest Europe that “were flying too close to the airspace of member countries.” Most of the intercepts played out in the Baltic […]

The French Armament General Directorate (DGA) has signed a contract with Airbus Helicopters for the development and procurement of the new H160M Guépard helicopter. The agreement covers the development of multiple prototypes along with an initial fleet of 30 aircraft. The French Ministry for the Armed Forces is expected to order 169 H160Ms in total […]

Boeing’s MQ-25 Stingray unmanned aerial refueler has successfully completed its first sea tests with the U.S Navy aboard the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) aircraft carrier. The tests were also the first conducted on a carrier for the MQ-25 and covered deck handling maneuvers including taxiing on the deck, connecting to the catapult, clearing […]

The Air Force has tested a system that could eventually allow it to instantly convert any of hundreds of its cargo aircraft into strategic attack platforms. On Dec. 16 a C-130J Commando II special forces aircraft dropped a live cruise missile out the back that went on to destroy a target in the Gulf of […]

As the U.S.’s traditional adversaries flex their territorial muscles, there are more public announcements about new secret programs and the analysts at Forbes believe a drone-carrying B-21 stealthbomber is a possibility. At a recent defense forum, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall fessed up that two new development programs will show up in the next budget, […]

The government of Finland has chosen Lockheed Martin’s 5th Generation F-35 Lightning II multi-role fighter jet to replace its current fleet of F/A-18 Hornets. The package selected includes 64 F-35A fighters and a weapons package along with sustainment and training solutions through 2030. The procurement contract is valued at around $9.48 billion. “We are honored […]