Military Aviation

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 […]

In a deal that has been more than a decade in the making, France and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have signed a $19.2 billion contract, defined as the largest ever for the export of French combat aviation products. It consists of 80 Dassault Rafale combat aircraft ($15.8 billion), as well as munitions ($2.3 billion) […]

Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency says it will lodge a diplomatic protest after a U.S. “spy plane” (possibly a Bombardier Challenger) allegedly forced two aircraft to deviate over the Black Sea. Although the aviation agency didn’t single out which NATO nation caused the alleged incident, the Russian Foreign Ministry was less subtle. “The actions of […]

Honeywell announced this week that it has started testing on its next-generation T55-GA-714C engine for Chinook helicopters as part of a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Army. According to Honeywell, the CRADA program and test campaign will take place over a two-year period to “validate the benefits and ease of integration […]

Boeing has announced that it will be building six additional MH-47G Block II Chinook heavy-lift helicopters for the U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command. The aircraft are part of a contract valued at $246.48 million. According to Boeing, they will be the first to include the new Active Parallel Actuator Subsystem (APAS), which is designed […]