The Aviationist Blog

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 […]

During a recent mission, Spanish Air Force F-18M Hornets intercepted a Russian Naval Aviation Su-30SM2 carrying an unusual loadout for operations over the Baltic region. On Jan. 28, 2026, the Spanish Ministry of Defense released details about an interesting mission carried out by Spanish Air Force EF-18M (or F-18M) aircraft deployed to Šiauliai, Lithuania, in […]

The Type 076 is moving rapidly towards becoming the first ship with an EMALS catapult to operate combat drones, with the GJ-21 possibly being prepared for testing. China’s Type 076 Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) was recently spotted with a fully covered collaborative combat aircraft/unmanned combat  aerial vehicle (CCA/UCAV) in visuals that appeared on Jan. 31, […]

The first production representative MQ-25 taxied under its own power at Boeing’s facilities, following a series of rigorous ground trials over several months. Boeing and the U.S. Navy’s Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) announced on Jan. 30, 2026, that the production representative prototype of the MQ-25 Stingray unmanned refueling tanker has started taxi trials at […]

A Wildcat helicopter conducted simulated Martlet missile strikes on moving targets at the National Drone Hub, Predannack, using live data provided by Puma and Providence UAVs.  The trials, involving a Wildcat from 815 Naval Air Squadron (NAS), uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) from 700X NAS at nearby RNAS Culdrose, and support from 847 NAS and industry […]

USAF F-35As deployed to Puerto Rico for the attack on Venezuela might now be part of what Trump called a ‘massive armada’ moving towards Iran. In recent days, a series of U.S. military movements have drawn heightened attention across the Middle East. These developments have coincided with ongoing regional tensions following domestic unrest in Iran […]