The Aviationist Blog

Vapor purge testing provides critical information on how long it takes an aircraft operating in areas at risk of chemical attacks to purge hazardous chemical vapor and replace it with toxicologically safe, breathable air. The [...]

The post U.S. Air Force Tests Vapor Purge Times For The B-52 In The Event Of A Chemical Attack appeared first on The Aviationist.

Under Peace Caesar program, the Italian Air Force operated a fleet of F-16A Block 15 ADF (Air Defense Fighter) jets upgraded with the “Falcon Up” and “Falcon 2020” modifications. Here’s their story. On Jan. 20, [...]

The post Italian Vipers: The Story Of The F-16 Fighting Falcon In Italian Air Force Service appeared first on The Aviationist.

A total of 26 MH-139 helicopters are now on order, although it’s not known if the service will complete the 74-helicopter fleet or stop at 36 helicopters as mentioned in the FY25 budget documents. The [...]

The post Amid Uncertainty, U.S. Air Force Orders Additional MH-139 Grey Wolf Helicopters appeared first on The Aviationist.

Aviation spotter and photographer Michał Rokita reached a yet undisclosed spotting point near Tonopah Test Range from where he shot the local-based F-117s and also a mysterious aircraft. Last year we published an article with [...]

The post Spotter Climbs Hill To Shoot F-117s And Get Unprecedented View Of Secretive Tonopah Airport appeared first on The Aviationist.

We get a closer look a the Northrop Grumman Manta Ray UUV prototype during in-water testing off the coast of Southern California. As we have already reported here, on April 8, 2024, Northrop Grumman Corporation [...]

The post DARPA Releases First Images Of Manta Ray Underwater Drone During In-Water Testing appeared first on The Aviationist.

Ukraine is preparing a set of measures to protect the F-16 fighters when they arrive at Ukrainian airfields, including underground bunkers and dispersal. During a national TV broadcast, Ilia Yevlash, Ukrainian Air Force spokeperson, outlined [...]

The post Ukraine Considering Underground Bunkers To Protect F-16s When They Are Delivered appeared first on The Aviationist.

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.