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A Harrier from the VMA-223 “Bulldogs,” the last built for the USMC, was demilitarized and transported to the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola. Another event marked the bittersweet retirement of the AV-8B Harrier II Vertical/Short Take-Off Landing (V/STOL) jet that took place in June 2026. The last Harrier bu
From October, visitors to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles Airport will be treated to the sight of a Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk, the U.S. Air Force’s legendary stealth attack jet. The donation of an F-117A Nighthawk aircraft, the sixteenth example of a YF-
Michigan ANG pilot Tom Froling was airborne on a routine training mission when America came under attack. Hours later, his squadron was loading live missiles and ammunition for combat air patrols over the United States. We spoke with him 25 years later about that day and what followed. “It was surrealistic. In all my t
The Oregon ANG’s 142nd Wing deployed to Nellis AFB for three weeks in support of the U.S. Air Force’s Weapons Instructor Course (WIC), dropping live bombs from operational F-15EXs for the first time. Operational F-15EX Eagle II fighter jets assigned to the Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Wing have dropped live bombs
New official visuals show RAAF F/A-18F Super Hornets releasing AGM-158B JASSM-ERs and a P-8A Poseidon striking a target ship with an AGM-158C LRASM during live-fire tests in 2025 and 2026. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has achieved an Initial Operational Capability (IOC) for the AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Mi
The Swedish and Dutch defense ministers signed a Letter of Intent for the GlobalEye AEW&C aircraft, with a formal contract yet to be signed. The Netherlands will acquire a Saab GlobalEye Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft, giving the country its first national airborne surveillance and command capabili
The German Air Force’s first F-35A Lightning II conducted its maiden flight from Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth facilities, ahead of the official rollout later this month. Germany’s F-35 Lightning II program achieved a new milestone with the maiden flight of the country’s first F-35A on Sept. 8, 2026. The aircraft flew f
One of Japan’s three RQ-4B Global Hawks crashed in the Sea of Japan off the coast of Tottori Prefecture. One of the Japan Air Self Defense Force’s (JASDF) three RQ-4B Global Hawks has crashed in the Sea of Japan on Sep. 15, 2026. The airframe in question, 23-6003, took off from Misawa Air Base at […]
The U.S. Navy has awarded Boeing a contract for the Lot 1 of the Low-Rate Initial Production of the MQ-25 Stingray unmanned tanker, which includes three aircraft. The U.S. Navy has awarded Boeing the contract for the Lot 1 of the MQ-25A Stingray’s Low-Rate Initial Production. The Fixed Price Incentive contract, valued
Skunk Works is moving ahead with four additional Vectis vehicles as the company accelerates development of its Group 5 collaborative combat aircraft toward a planned first flight in 2027. Lockheed Martin is significantly expanding its Vectis Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, with the Skunk Works division now
Newly declassified footage aired by ’60 Minutes’ offers a closer look at the complex rescue of the F-15E crew shot down over Iran, including the previously reported C-295W and a deliberately blurred Little Bird whose appearance raises new questions about what the Pentagon still wants to keep hidden. U.S. news and featu
An odd incident unfolded on Sep. 12, 2026 when Cessna 560XLS+ D-CJMK operated by VistaJet landed at the U.S.-operated RAF Fairford instead of Cotswold Airport (Kemble), just 11 miles to the west. Immediately after the aircraft touched down an emergency response by the base’s security forces was triggered. RAF Fairford
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