The Aviationist Blog

A grainy video captured in Algeria appears to show an Su-57 flying overhead, following unconfirmed reports about the country becoming the type’s first export customer, while Russia recently received new upgraded jets. Visuals emerged on Feb. 7, 2026, are claimed to show an Su-57E Felon flying in Algeria, following unconfirmed reports about the country becoming […]

Six F-35A Lightning IIs from the Vermont ANG, previously forward deployed to Puerto Rico, have departed RAF Lakenheath on their way to the Middle East.  The six jets are part of a total of 12 F-35As from the Vermont unit that have been noted making a transit towards the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of […]

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems will integrate a U.S. Marine Corps mission kit into the YFQ-42A for the MUX TACAIR Collaborative Combat Aircraft program. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) announced it has been selected by the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) for the Marine Air-Ground Task Force Uncrewed Expeditionary Tactical Aircraft (MUX TACAIR) Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) […]

Saudi Arabia is attracting industry’s interest at the World Defense Show, with a continued push for the F-35, a proposed F-15 upgrade, and rumors about Kaan and JF-17. The modernization of Saudi Arabia’s military is in the spotlight at the ongoing World Defense Show, which is be held from Feb. 8 to 12, 2026, in […]

The YJ-15 was among the new anti-ship missiles that were revealed during the Sept. 3, 2025, parade in Beijing. China’s YJ-15 supersonic Anti-Ship Cruise Missile (ASCM), that was among four new major ship-killing missiles revealed during the Sep. 3, 2025, parade in Beijing, was possibly spotted for the first time carried by a J-15T carrier-borne […]

A Geran-2 (Shahed 136) attack drone is seen exploding in mid air shortly before an F-16 soars overhead, with the unmistakable sound of an M61 Vulcan cannon heard in the background.  This is at least the second time such a kill has been captured on video, though this new footage – first posted on Telegram […]

Six F-35Bs have been sent to RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus in a move, sources told The Times, intended to better protect base should current tensions in the region break into open conflict.   The six jets left RAF Marham in two batches on Friday Feb. 6, 2026, accompanied by two Voyager refueling aircraft from RAF Brize […]

The long-awaited upgrade improves networked situational awareness but has been fielded on only a handful of Warthogs, with the new antenna nearly indistinguishable from the existing TACAN installation. An unspecified number of U.S. Air Force A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft have been equipped with the Link 16. Indeed, photos taken at bases across the U.S., including […]

Israel’s Elbit Systems has shown a concept of a specialized variant of the C-390 Millenium for ISR and SIGINT at the Singapore Airshow.  Israeli defense company Elbit Systems has revealed at the ongoing Singapore Airshow it is working on an Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) version of the Embraer C/KC-390 Millenium […]

Newly emerged images raise the possibility that China has built another compound helicopter demonstrator, following the S-97 Raider-like aircraft seen in 2025, this time bearing a resemblance to the larger SB>1 Defiant. Months after the first images emerged online, the Chinese clone of the Sikorsky X2 technology appeared again. However, this time the new images […]

The U.S. Navy used one of Boeing’s F-15SA instrumented aircraft to conduct the final test flight of the AGM-84 Harpoon Block II Update at the Point Mugu Sea Range. The U.S. Navy’s Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) announced the successful completion of the third and final planned flight test of the Harpoon Block II Update […]

Eurofighter and NETMA signed a contract for the development, testing, and certification of the Aerodynamic Modification Kit to be installed on the Typhoon. Eurofighter and the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency (NETMA) have announced the signing of a contract for the development, testing, and certification of the Aerodynamic Modification Kit (AMK) to be installed […]

The U.S. Department of Defense has launched a market research project seeking sources for the development of facilities for the Boeing F-47 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.  Posted on behalf of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACE), who oversee many large construction projects for the wider Department of Defense (DoD), the Feb. 2, […]

The Red Wolf Missiles will provide Marine rotary wing platforms with long-range precision strike capability, enabling affordable combat mass for surface strikes in a maritime scenario. L3Harris and Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) announced on Jan. 30, 2026 a major progress in the Precision Attack Strike Munition (PASM) program for the U.S. Marine Corps, with […]

Boeing confirmed that the deal for 24 F-15EX will not proceed, with Indonesia meanwhile signing a Letter of Intent to replace the Hawk with the M-346F Block 20. After some years in a limbo, it appears that Indonesia has abandoned its plan to acquire the F-15EX Eagle II. At the same time, the country has […]

An Iranian Shahed-139 drone was shot down by a U.S. F-35C as it approached the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea. An Iranian drone was shot down by the U.S. military on Feb. 3, 2026, according to a U.S. official cited by Reuters. The unmanned aircraft, a Shahed-139, was flying towards the USS Abraham […]

Lockheed Martin completed the first demo of the Sniper Networked Targeting Pod, validating the new real-time data sharing capability between F-16s and ground stations. Lockheed Martin has completed a multi-aircraft flight demonstration of its new Sniper Networked Targeting Pod (NTP), validating the new capability to exchange targeting data in real-time between two F-16 fighters and […]

Carrying a mystic of almost invincibility and pure terror, the Red Baron’s famous mount was anything but perfect, with several faults limiting it below its anticipated performance. Although built in somewhat limited numbers and in service for a short period of time, the most famous mount of the world’s most famous ace, Germany’s Manfred von […]

South Korea is moving to upgrade the ROKAF’s F-15K Slam Eagle fleet to a configuration similar to the F-15EX Eagle II, significantly enhancing its long-range strike and survivability capabilities. Boeing has been awarded a contract for the upgrade of the Republic of Korea Air Force’s (ROKAF) F-15K Slam Eagle fleet. The development follows the launch […]

A newly released video shows RQ-170 Sentinels at Creech Air Force Base, offering also a rare size comparison with an MQ-9 Reaper and nearby pickup trucks. Less than two weeks after the images and video of the mysterious ‘Dorito-shaped’ aircraft flying late at night near Area 51, Anders Otteson, the famous author of the popular […]