The Aviationist Blog

The new contract covers the Post-Critical Design Review phase of the B-52 Commercial Engine Replacement Program, which will replace the TF33 engines with the new F130s. The U.S. Department of War awarded on Dec. 23, 2025 a $2.04 billion task order to Boeing Defense Systems to continue the work on the B-52 Commercial Engine Replacement […]

The 50 year old nuclear-powered aircraft carrier returned to Bremerton, Washington on Dec. 16, 2025 after its final scheduled deployment. USS Nimitz (CVN-68), the oldest commissioned aircraft carrier in the world, is scheduled to be officially decommissioned in May 2026 – 51 years after entering service. After post-deployment maintenance at Naval Base Kitsap, Bremerton, the […]

Rare Il-38N ASW aircraft reportedly destroyed as Kyiv targets high-value enablers behind the front line. Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has released footage showing a drone strike against a Russian Navy Ilyushin Il-38N anti-submarine warfare aircraft at Yeysk Air Base, in southern Russia. According to Ukrainian officials, the attack was carried out earlier this month and […]

The three Royal Navy F-35Bs will be put through an extensive inspection of airframe and substructure for any corrosive damage, following which those parts will be removed, repaired and reinstalled. For the first time, the U.S. Navy’s Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE) at Jacksonville, Florida, hosted three Royal Navy F-35B Lightning IIs which will undergo […]

The Taurus NEO is an enhanced variant of the German-Swedish Taurus KEPD 350 air-launched cruise missile. Setting the stage for the development and future production of the German-Swedish Taurus KEPD 350 Air-Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM), Germany’s Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) signed a contract for “preparing a serial production […]

Switzerland, after approving a US$7.5 billion expenditure for its next generation of fighter aircraft, is being forced to cut back its planned order of 36 F-35A Lightning IIs in order to remain within budget. The decision to procure the F-35A Lightning II over competition from the Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Rafale, and the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super […]

The contract signed by Leonardo with the Italian Directorate of Aeronautical Armaments and Airworthiness confirms Austria will get the new M-346F Block 20 variant. Leonardo has announced it signed a contract with the Italian Directorate of Aeronautical Armaments and Airworthiness for the Austrian Air Force’s M-346 order. The company has now confirmed that Austria, which […]

The U.S. Navy is continuing the work to extend the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet’s service life to 10,000 flight hours, with the latest contract covering up to 60 aircraft. The U.S. Navy has awarded Boeing a new contract, worth $930.77 million, to continue the work on the Super Hornet Service Life Modification (SLM) program. As part […]

The U.S. Air Force now expects to take delivery of its first new Presidential jet in mid-2028, replacing the VC-25As that have served since 1990. In a statement released to Aviation Week following the announcement of a $15.5 million contract modification related to the VC-25B program, a U.S. Air Force spokesperson said “These costs are […]

A new update to the Undergraduate Jet Training System’s RFI mentions the requirement for a 216-aircraft fleet, blaming the government shutdown for the RFP’s delay. The U.S. Navy has set a requirement for 216 aircraft to replace the T-45 Goshawk fleet as part of the Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS). The requirement was mentioned in […]

U.S. Ambassador Tom Barrack voiced hope for progress on F-35 talks, but Turkish officials said there are no new developments regarding the S-400 air defence system. In a recent post on X, U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye Tom Barrack stated his hope that “talks will yield a breakthrough in the coming months” that meet the security […]

China’s new turboprop-powered medium airlifter built by Xi’an Aircraft Corporation, dubbed Y-30, has flown for the first time. A long-rumored medium-class airlifter was seen flying for the first time at the XAC airfield (Xi’an Aircraft Corporation) in the city of Xi’an in Central China. Low-quality images that have started to circulate online show an aircraft […]

On Dec. 15, 2010, sixteen Harriers took off from RAF Cottesmore for a farewell formation flight marking the end to 41 years of British Harrier operations. Originally scheduled to remain in service until 2018 or beyond, ideally overlapping with the introduction of the F-35B Lightning II, budget cuts instituted by the 2010 Strategic Defence and […]

Official descriptions suggest the CH-7 has an ISTAR role, which would allow it to send back data on enemy vessels in the western Pacific and guide long-range maritime strike missiles. China’s CH-7 flying-wing high-altitude surveillance drone conducted its maiden flight from a facility in northwestern China, Chinese reports said, marking the beginning of its flight […]

Experiencing a total eclipse for 74 minutes, passengers of Concorde 001 followed the path of totality as it crossed Africa in 1973, setting a record for the longest-ever total eclipse observation. Experiencing a total eclipse for 74 minutes, passengers of Concorde 001 moving at Mach 2 followed the path of totality as it crossed the […]

Long-running mechanical, faulty metallic alloys in the Prop-Rotor Gear Box and lack of synergy between the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps have compounded the V-22 Osprey’s troubles. Faulty parts, inconsistent communication of safety and hazard risks from the Joint Program Office, and poor coordination between the U.S. Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force, […]

The legacy ISR fleet of RC-12X Guardrail, MC-12S EMARSS and the EO-5C ARL-M turboprops will be replaced by the jet-powered High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES). The U.S. Army has completed the divestment of its three A-ISR (Aerial-Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) aircraft types, including the RC-12X Guardrail, MC-12S EMARSS-M (Enhanced Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and […]

The NDAA freezes E-3, F-15E and A-10 retirements, accelerates F/A-XX and F-47 oversight, and demands a concrete plan for post-E-6B nuclear command-and-control. The Fiscal Year 2026 U.S. National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) advanced another step toward becoming law this week after the House approved the measure in a 312–112 vote. The nearly $900 billion defense […]

Just over a year after the first inert drop of the new Stand-in Attack Weapon, or SiAW, Northrop Grumman announced on Dec. 11 that another separation test had been completed from an F-16 Fighting Falcon. The inert weapon was dropped as part of ongoing testing to validate the SiAW’s flight safety and aerodynamic performance ahead […]

In early December, USAF F-35A Lightning IIs and F-16 Fighting Falcons took part in agile airpower exercises across the Baltic states and in Romania. Two F-16s from the U.S. Air Force’s 31st Fighter Wing (FW), based at Aviano Air Base, Italy, launched on Dec. 3, 2025 and flew to Câmpia Turzii Air Base, Romania – […]