The Aviationist Blog

Developing Story: Local News Updating Reports of “Jet Crash”. Reports that an “F-16” has crashed in the White Sands area near Holloman AFB in New Mexico have surfaced in local news media. A report by [...]

The post F-16 Crashes In White Sands Area Near Holloman AFB, New Mexico – Reports appeared first on The Aviationist.

Republic of Korea Air Force Phantoms made their last public appearance at the 2024 Suwon Space Challenge event. On April 27, 2024, the Republic of Korea Air Force’s (ROKAF) F-4E made their last public appearance. [...]

The post Pharewell Phantom: ROKAF F-4E’s Last Public Appearance Before Retirement appeared first on The Aviationist.

With the acquisition of their first anti-radiation weapon, both countries are improving their capability to perform Suppression/Destruction of Enemy Air Defense missions. The U.S. State Department has approved the possible Foreign Military Sale to the [...]

The post Netherlands And Poland Will Get The AGM-88G AARGM-ER appeared first on The Aviationist.

The low-visibility checkerboard (the Polish equivalent of a roundel) will replace the traditional white-red one on the Polish Air Force F-35 jets. According to a news piece published by Interia.pl on Apr. 28, 2024, Polish [...]

The post Polish F-35s To Use Low Visibility Checkerboard appeared first on The Aviationist.

The MXU-1072/A 5th generation travel pod is carried inside the F-35A Lightning II’s weapons bays. A travel pod is usually an external fuel tank or canister, that has been adapted with an external door and [...]

The post New Advanced Travel Pod Designed For the F-35A Delivered To Eielson AFB appeared first on The Aviationist.

UK’s Secretary of Defence unveiled that Italy, along with France and the UK, has supplied Storm Shadow/SCALP EG cruise missiles to Kyiv, and urged Germany to provide Taurus missiles. This is the first time Italy [...]

The post UK Secretary of Defence Reveals Italian Supply of Storm Shadow Missiles to Ukraine appeared first on The Aviationist.

In an engagement reminiscent of WWII dogfights, a Ukrainian training aircraft reportedly shot down a Russian drone. On Apr. 27, 2024, a Ukrainian Yak-52 training aircraft, shot down a Russian Orlan-10 drone over Odessa, according [...]

The post Ukrainian Yak-52 Equipped With Machine Gun Shoots Down Russian UAV – Reports appeared first on The Aviationist.

The drone strafed targets on the ground during a live fire event earlier this month. General Atomics announced the successful testing of the Mojave Unmanned Aircraft System, equipped with M134 7.62 miniguns, which destroyed static [...]

The post General Atomics Mojave UAS Tested With Minugun Pods appeared first on The Aviationist.

The new commercial derivative aircraft will replace the 1970s’ E-4B Nightwatch in the National Emergency Airborne Command Post role. Sierra Nevada Corporation has been awarded a contract, worth more than USD 13 billion, for the [...]

The post Sierra Nevada Corporation Will Build E-4B ‘Doomsday’ Plane Replacement appeared first on The Aviationist.

AFRL announced that its new XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station successfully accomplished its first flight. USAF’s Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) announced that on Feb. 28, 2024, its new XQ-67A accomplished its first flight. Developed by [...]

The post USAF’s XQ-67A Drone Makes First Flight appeared first on The Aviationist.

The German detachment involves almost 100 officers and soldiers from the Tatktischen Luftwaffengeschwader 74 (Tactical Air Squadron), and it is commanded by Oberstleutnant (Lt. Col.) Swen Jacob. The German Air Force deployed five Eurofighter jets [...]

The post Luftwaffe Deploys Eurofighters to Latvia for Baltic Air Policing appeared first on The Aviationist.

Historic aircraft and buildings of the National Museum of the Air Force were extensively damaged by a tornado that hit Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Images shared online by the 88th Air Base Wing, show the [...]

The post Tornado Damages Air Force Museum’s Buildings And Aircraft At Wright-Patterson AFB appeared first on The Aviationist.

RSAF announced after the Singapore Airshow that it will acquire eight F-35As On Feb.28, 2024, the Ministry of Defence of Singapore (MINDEF) announced that it will acquire an additional eight F-35As along with its previous [...]

The post Singapore Plans To Buy Eight F-35As Along With Twelve F-35Bs appeared first on The Aviationist.

The test experimented innovative wingtips and morphing winglets capable of changing shape during flight. Leonardo concluded at Torino-Caselle airport the Regional Integrated Aircraft Demonstration Platform campaign with its C-27J Flying Test Bed, a technological demonstration [...]

The post Leonardo C-27J Flying Testbed Tests Innovative Solutions For Clean Sky 2 Programme appeared first on The Aviationist.

Two bombers deployed from Ellsworth Air Force Base to Luleå-Kallax Air Base, where they will integrate with the Swedish Armed Forces, NATO Allies and other international partners. Two U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancers assigned to [...]

The post U.S. B-1B Bombers Arrive In Sweden For Bomber Task Force 24-2 appeared first on The Aviationist.

The Ukrainian Air Force has reportedly shot down another Russian A-50U over the Sea of Azov. On Feb. 23, 2024, “as a result of a joint operation of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry [...]

The post Ukraine Says It Has Shot Down Another Russian A-50U Mainstay appeared first on The Aviationist.

Vladimir Putin took a 30-minute ride in a modernized Tu-160M supersonic bomber as part of the crew yesterday. Russian President Vladimir Putin flew in a Tu-160M strategic bomber on Feb. 22, 2024. A 30-minute sortie [...]

The post Putin Flies Aboard Modernized Tu-160M Strategic Bomber appeared first on The Aviationist.

The AB-212 (HH-212) Twin Huey helicopter made its last flight today ending a 40-year career in the Italian Air Force. The last HH-212 (as the AB-212 is designated in accordance with the Italian MOD Mission [...]

The post The Italian Air Force Bids Farewell To The AB-212 Helicopter appeared first on The Aviationist.

The weapons will equip the Italian F-35 fleet, with the AIM-120C-8 possibly being a temporary solution until the Meteor BVRAAM is integrated on the 5th gen aircraft. After the U.S. Department of Defense published in [...]

The post US Approves GBU-53 And AIM-120C-8 Foreign Military Sale To Italy appeared first on The Aviationist.

Formerly known as TF-X, Kaan will replace the F-16 in the 2030s. In the early morning of Feb.21, 2024, a little less than a year from its rollout, the prototype of the TF Kaan National [...]

The post Turkish Kaan National Combat Aircraft Flies For The First Time appeared first on The Aviationist.