The Aviationist Blog

Military and law enforcement were mobilized to create a safety net during the visit, with a no fly zone around the city, fighters, helicopter, ISR and cUAS assets. On May 13, 2023, Ukrainian President Zelensky [...]

The post Here Are The Forces Deployed To Protect President Zelensky During His Visit To Rome appeared first on The Aviationist.

The MiG-21 LanceR was the longest serving fighter jet in Romanian Air Force. After 61 years of career, the iconic MiG-21 LanceR, the longest-lived fighter aircraft in the history of the Romanian Air Force, successfully [...]

The post Romanian Air Force Retires Its MiG-21 LanceR Jets appeared first on The Aviationist.

The Republic of Singapore Air Force Peace Carvin II detachment turned 30 this year. On Apr. 25, 2023, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF)’s Peace Carvin II (PC II) detachment celebrated 30th years of [...]

The post New Tail Flashes Celebrate 30 Years Of Republic Of Singapore Air Force F-16 Training At Luke AFB appeared first on The Aviationist.

The new standard brings major capability upgrades which pave the way for collaborative air combat. The French Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) announced that the new Rafale F4.1 standard has been qualified and is now [...]

The post Rafale F4.1 Standard Qualified For Fielding appeared first on The Aviationist.

While the latest AH-64E variant will be produced until at least 2028, Boeing is working on a new modernized variant that will complement the new aircraft of the Future Vertical Lift program. Boeing was recently [...]

The post Boeing Contracted To Keep Building More AH-64 Apache Helicopters appeared first on The Aviationist.

F-35I Adir aircraft of the Israeli Air Force have taken part in exercise Red Flag 23-2. Seven F-35I Adir aircraft, belonging to the 140th Golden Eagles (901, 911, 913, 926 and 927) and from the [...]

The post The Israeli F-35I Adir Has Just Completed Its First Red Flag Exercise appeared first on The Aviationist.

The 100th Anniversary of the Italian Air Force provided an opportunity for an update on the Italian participation in the F-35 program. The F-35 is no longer a taboo in Italy. After years of ostracism, [...]

The post Future Base, Expected FOC And More About The Italian F-35 Fleet appeared first on The Aviationist.

Multiple initiatives celebrated the anniversary throughout the country, including a flypast in Rome. On March 28, 2023, the Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force) celebrated the 100th anniversary of its foundation as autonomous and independent armed [...]

The post The Italian Air Force Celebrates Its 100th Anniversary With Impressive Flypast Over Rome appeared first on The Aviationist.

A 1960 Strategic Air Command training video familiarized B-52 crews with the devastating effects of nuclear weapons and how to navigate through a nuclear battlefield. The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) recently declassified [...]

The post Declassified Video Shows How B-52 Crews Would Conduct Nuclear Strikes During Cold War appeared first on The Aviationist.

Two “green” Gulfstreams will be equipped with the Compass Call mission system as part of the Joint Airborne Multi-Mission Multi-Sensor System program. Italy is about to request to the United States government the acquisition of [...]

The post Italy One Step Closer To Convert Two ‘Green’ G-550s to EC-37B Compass Call Configuration appeared first on The Aviationist.

The four MiG-29 Fulcrum jets have been handed over to the Ukrainian Air Force. First four of 13 MiG-29 fighters retired from active service by the Slovak Air Force have be transferred to Ukraine on [...]

The post First Four Slovak MiG-29 Jets Have Been Transferred To Ukraine appeared first on The Aviationist.

Operating from the Finnish airspace, the U.S. ISR (Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance) aircraft can spy on the Russian forces near the border with Finland. Flying as JAKE 11, the Boeing RC-135W Rivet Joint #62-4131 aircraft is [...]

The post U.S. RC-135 Intelligence Gathering Jet Flying Unprecedented Mission Inside Finland’s Airspace appeared first on The Aviationist.

Another AW249 NEES has flown. This one sports the standard olive drab paint scheme used by the Italian Army helicopters. A new Leonardo AW249 NEES (Nuovo Elicottero da Esplorazione e Scorta / New Exploration and Escort [...]

The post Prototype Of AW249 Attack Helicopter In Combat Livery Flies For The First time appeared first on The Aviationist.

The F-16 with the new special-colored tail has flown for the first time from Aviano Air Base. The 510th Fighter Squadron of the 31st Fighter Wing, based at Aviano AB, Italy, has a new flagship [...]

The post F-16 With Special Tail Celebrates 80th Anniversary Of The “Buzzards” appeared first on The Aviationist.

Experts have recently warned that the PLAAF 5th gen fighter, thanks to the espionage efforts, is more advanced than it otherwise would be. But the real question is: has China been able to catch up? [...]

The post Let’s Talk About Reports That China Used Stolen U.S. Military Technology For The J-20 appeared first on The Aviationist.

The ex-Slovak Air Force MiG-29s should be delivered in the next few weeks. Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger announced on Mar. 17, 2023, that the Government of Slovakia has approved the transfer of 13 MiG-29 [...]

The post Slovakia Has Approved The Transfer of 13 MiG-29s to Ukraine appeared first on The Aviationist.

The aircraft will receive an extensive upgrade to the avionic suite, onboard systems and self-protection suite. Leonardo and Armaereo, the Italian Defence Ministry’s Air Force Armament and Airworthiness Directorate, have signed a contract to begin [...]

The post Italy To Upgrade Its C-27J Spartan Tactical Airlifters appeared first on The Aviationist.

The Pentagon released the MQ-9 video showing the Su-27 Flanker making one pass dumping fuel and another pass leading to the collision. As already reported on Mar. 14, 2023, a Russian Su-27 Flanker fighter jet and [...]

The post Here’s The MQ-9 Video Of The Russian Su-27 Intercept Over The Black Sea appeared first on The Aviationist.

The scheduled flyover sent the social media on a frenzy. On Feb. 24, 2023, two B-52 Stratofortress bombers assigned to 5th Bomb Wing from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, carried out a low approach [...]

The post Two B-52s Fly Over Tallinn For Estonia Independence Day appeared first on The Aviationist.

The investigation found that the pilot did not activate two landing assist tools that automatically adjust throttle and maintain the angle of attack, leading to low power approach. A year after a F-35C Lightning II [...]

The post F-35C Mishap On USS Carl Vinson Caused By Pilot Error After ‘Sierra Hotel Break’ appeared first on The Aviationist.