April 2021 - The Aviationist
F-35| The Aviationist
Russia’s UMPK guidance kits installed on the FAB-series drop bombs now have a new jet powered variant, which can reportedly extend the range up to 200 km. Russia is now using a newer, jet-powered version of its UMPK (Universal Module for Planning and Correction/Unifitsirovannyi Modul Planirovaniya i Korrektsii) kits for the FAB-series of unguided gravity […]| The Aviationist
Organisers of RIAT, the UK’s most famous airshow, have announced that the main theme for next year’s event will be ‘Fighter Meet’, celebrating over a century of air to air combat aircraft. Scheduled for 17th-19th July 2026, the Royal International Air Tattoo, or RIAT, is one of the highlights of the world’s airshow calendar and […]| The Aviationist
The USS Ford, currently deployed to the Mediterranean Sea, has been ordered to sail to the U.S. Southern Command’s Area of Responsibility as tensions keep rising. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell has announced that Secretary Hegseth has ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford and its Carrier Strike Group to the U.S. Southern Command’s Area of […]| The Aviationist
The light attack aircraft went down in a field for unknown reasons minutes after taking off for a training mission. An OA-1K Skyraider II of the U.S. Air| The Aviationist
A brief incursion inside NATO’s airspace occurred on the same day Washington imposed new sanctions on Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil, amid growing tension between the U.S. and Russia. A Russian Su-30 fighter jet and an Il-78 aerial refueling aircraft violated Lithuanian airspace on Oct. 23, 2025, entering approximately 700 meters into the country’s […]| The Aviationist
Both missiles are developed by TÜBİTAK-SAGE, and would arm Turkey’s F-16 and Kaan fighters, the Kizilelma UCAV, and even the JF-17 Thunder Block 3 fighter used by Pakistan and Azerbaijan. Turkey conducted live-fire tests of its Gökdoğan beyond visual-range and Bozdoğan within visual-range AAMs (Air-to-Air Missiles) from an F-16 on Oct. 19, 2025, with both […]| The Aviationist
President Zelenskyy and Swedish PM Ulf Kristersson have signed a deal which clears the way for Ukraine to acquire between 100 and 150 Saab Gripen fighter aircraft. In a joint press conference held in front of a Gripen E aircraft at Saab’s facility in Linkoping, the two leaders announced the mutual signing of a defence […]| The Aviationist
Shield AI has revealed the X-BAT, a vertical take-off stealth jet designed for runway-free operations and powered by the firm’s Hivemind AI pilot. U.S.| The Aviationist
U.S. Strategic Command has begun this year’s edition of the annual nuclear command & control exercise known as Global Thunder. As we mentioned in last month’s article on what is believed to have been a ‘Skymaster exercise’, the annual Exercise Global Thunder was expected to take place, as usual, in October or November 2025. We […]| The Aviationist
Korean Air will purchase four Bombardier Global 6500 business jets, of which two will be modified with L3Harris’ help and the other two will be modified in South Korea. L3Harris announced on Oct. 20, 2025, it has formally received the contract from South Korea for its next AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning and Control) aircraft. The […]| The Aviationist
Germany has already contracted 35 F-35As, and the additional aircraft would take its planned fleet to 50 airframes. Nearly seven months after German media| The Aviationist
The first two of four UH-60M Black Hawks ordered by the Lithuanian Air Force have been delivered following a $213 million order placed in 2020. The Lithuanian Armed Forces released an image via social media on Oct. 19, 2025 showing off two of their new Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters for the first time. Four […]| The Aviationist
The first Gripen E has been delivered to the Skaraborg Wing (F 7), the Swedish Air Force’s Operational Conversion Unit for the type. The first Gripen E of the Swedish Air Force’s has been delivered to the Skaraborg Wing (F 7) at Satenas air base, near Lidköping, on Oct. 20, 2025. The unit is the […]| The Aviationist
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. confirmed it has been selected by the U.S. Navy for the design of its Collaborative Combat Aircraft, which will| The Aviationist
Eight Su-30s and four Jaguars faced six F-35Bs during a carrier defense scenario as part of the HMS Prince of Wales' participation in Exercise Konkan.| The Aviationist
Initially expected to be delivered in 2023, Belgium’s first F-35A is now at Luke AFB, marking the start of the training and the beginning of a new era for| The Aviationist
A German Eurofighter Typhoon has already been painted with special World Cup 2014 markings. The images in this post were taken by photographer Gian Luca| The Aviationist
F-15EX-008 is the first planned to be delivered to the 142nd Fighter Wing of the Oregon Air National Guard. The introduction into operational service of| The Aviationist
Raptor pilots are now testing a new type of flight helmet. The U.S. Air Force is finally testing a new helmet design for fixed wing pilots, developed| The Aviationist
What a cool Special Colored F-15! To celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Oregon Air National Guard, the 173rd Fighter Wing, based at Kingsley Field in| The Aviationist
We get a chance to have another look at the B-21 Raider. On Dec. 2, 2022, the B-21 Raider, U.S. Air Force’s next generation stealth bomber, was finally| The Aviationist
As part of Project Strike Rodeo, an F-15E Strike Eagle was loaded with five AGM-158 JASSMs. The U.S. Air Force continues to work on expanding the F-15E| The Aviationist
The new Eagles will refresh the aging F-15C fleet and will complement the F-35. The Department of the Air Force and Boeing signed a deal worth USD 1.2| The Aviationist
The Belgian Air Force has officially welcomed its first F-35A Lightning II to Florennes Air Base, joining the growing European “wall of F-35s.” Belgium’s| The Aviationist
edit Military Aviation The Initial Aerial Victories of the Axis and Allies in World War II Darrick Leiker March 2, 2025 In the opening hours of World War| The Aviationist
Shock Diamonds and Mach Disks in jet engines exhaust can be particularly evident and fascinating at night. The video below shows RAF Lakenheath's| The Aviationist
An interesting glimpse at the USMC AH-1Z Viper Attack Helicopter with AIM-9/AGM-122 missiles. You didn’t have to be particularly observant to pick out one| The Aviationist
The Russian Navy aircraft has been intercepted by the Belgian Air Force F-16 supporting NATO Baltic Air Policing mission. Four Belgian Air Force F-16AM| The Aviationist
The recent crash of a South Dakota Air National Guard F-16 into a warehouse near March Air Reserve Base highlights once again the risk associated with| The Aviationist
Questions Remain in Stolen Airliner Crash: How Could It Happen? What is The Response? Nearly 17 years after the 9/11 terror attacks the bizarre stolen| The Aviationist
For one week U.S. Air Force's Southern Command undertook a surge of its operations against the trafficking of illicit drugs into the United States, using| The Aviationist
Interesting footage shows a Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-15J using its M61 gun. On Jun. 20, some 24 hours before Japan's military was put on alert for a| The Aviationist
B-2 bomber and F-35s stage an impressive flyover watched by hundreds of thousands online as Trump and Putin meet in Anchorage.A U.S. Air Force B-2A Spirit| The Aviationist
The A-10 Demo Team has just announced their farewell tour 2024. The U.S. Air Force A-10C Thunderbolt II demonstration team is the unit in charge of| The Aviationist
The A-10Cs were refueled and rearmed during Northern Agility 22-1 that demonstrated operations in austere environments under the U.S. Air Force’s Agile| The Aviationist
Wanna know what's behind the trademark BRTTTTT noise of the A-10 Warthog's GAU-8/A Avenger Gatling Gun? Then, watch this. Dubbed Warthog, Hog or| The Aviationist
Interesting video shows PC-9M advanced training and close air support turboprops at work. Something you don't see every day. The Slovenian Air Force| The Aviationist
Whiteman Thunderbolt pilot has spent the equivalent of 250 days flying the A-10 "tankbuster" across the world (including 11 combat deployments.) On Nov.| The Aviationist
The visit of the US President to Israel was supported by several assets and prompted an increase in the surveillance, with many ISR assets active in the| The Aviationist
The 492nd FS OIR (Operation Inherent Resolve) 2020 video includes an interesting low pass over al-Tanf garrison in Syria. In October 2020, the 492nd| The Aviationist
The unusual Sunday exercise saw the participation of F-16s armed with live air-to-air weapons. The U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy performed a joint exercise| The Aviationist
Footage shows the RSAF Tornado IDS as it is shot down by Houthi's surface-to-air missile last night. On Feb. 14, 2020, the Houthi rebels announced they| The Aviationist
Sources Unclear on Specific Weapons and Targets, But Say At Least Two Waves of Attacks Have Been Carried Out As Part Of "Operation Martyr Soleimani". Iran| The Aviationist
The damaged Rafale aircraft landed safely ten minutes later. No casualties were reported on the ground. A Rafale of the Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace| The Aviationist
The quite unlikely Typhoon's "Beast Mode" configuration might hint at a possible “missile/bomb truck” role in support of 5th and 6th gen. fighter| The Aviationist
A loud bang was heard as a French Rafale flew at supersonic speed while responding to a COMLOSS (Communication Loss) event. An almost routine intercept by| The Aviationist
All aircraft will be retrofitted to the new standard while the future F4 upgrade is already in development The French Air Force announced that the| The Aviationist
It's confirmed: overall, three F/A-18E/F jets were given a special livery for the sequel of Top Gun. So far, we have published stories about two specially| The Aviationist
The NGJ-LB system will replace the current, aging AN/ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System (TJS). The NGJ (Next Generation Jammer) is a U.S. Navy program to| The Aviationist
VFA-131 Operation Inherent Resolve Cruise Video includes rare footage of Russian Flanker (and Iranian F-4 Phantom) encountered by the U.S. Navy Hornets.| The Aviationist
The Ukrainian F-16s were among the assets that countered the Russian cruise missiles and one-way attack drones during the latest major attack. The| The Aviationist
Similarly to other weapons, the 250 kg AASM munition is carried by a custom made pylon under the MiG-29's innermost wing attachment point. After images| The Aviationist
First F-16s in Ukrainian Air Force markings break cover. President Volodymyr has announced that Ukraine has taken delivery of its initial batch of F-16| The Aviationist
Macron has announced plans to supply Mirage 2000-5 fighters to Ukraine and facilitate the training of Ukrainian fighter pilots in France. An unspecified| The Aviationist
A clip shows for the first time that Ukrainian Air Force Su-27s have integrated the French AASM Hammer bomb already spotted on the MiG-29s. A few weeks| The Aviationist
The new standard brings major capability upgrades which pave the way for collaborative air combat. The French Directorate General of Armaments (DGA)| The Aviationist
Ultra-low level maneuvering is one of the tactics needed to dodge IR-guided MANPADS (Man Portable Air Defense Systems). The video that you can find in| The Aviationist
It's not the first time a C-17 flies in the "Jedi Transition" but it's always a pleasure to see the airlifter maneuvering through the Canyon. “Star Wars| The Aviationist
More than 30 Douglas C-47 Skytrain and Dakota will retrace their flights from Britain to the original D-Day Drop Zones in Normandy, France. Two thirds| The Aviationist
Before deploying to the Baltic region, two A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft flew over the beaches of Normandy, France, as part of the commemoration ceremonies| The Aviationist
Airlifter, Gunship, Spy Plane, VIP Transport and More: It’s Important to Understand the C-47. It is a bit bumpy despite calm weather. She skids back and| The Aviationist
Modern, modular, and NATO-ready, the AW149 is emerging as Europe’s next generation medium multirole helicopter built for the modern battlefield. Building| The Aviationist
The new fuel tanks are part of a package of upgrades announced in 2022. Two years after the upgrades were announced, we might have the first glimpse of| The Aviationist
The USS Carney, Al-Tanf garrison and Al Asad airbase have been busy defending multiple attacks in the past few days. This last week was quite busy for| The Aviationist
The Meteor long range air-to-air missile will be used alongside the MICA EM, which is also radar-guided. The French Air and Space Force declared the| The Aviationist
USS John Finn Shoots Down ICBM Outside of Atmosphere with Missile Shot. The U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS John Finn (DDG-113) became the| The Aviationist
The aircraft is the last of 322 single-seat F/A-18Es and 286 two-seater F/A-18Fs. On April 17, 2020, the U.S. Navy took delivery of its final Boeing| The Aviationist
Are you able to ID the pod carried by these two "Vipers" flying at low altitude through the Jedi Transition recently? Few days ago we have published the| The Aviationist
The Ukrainian Su-25s started using the French-made AASM Hammer guided bombs in June 2024, as the stocks of Soviet-made unguided munitions were depleted| The Aviationist
The new F4-1 standard will upgrade the Rafale capabilities introduced with the F3-R standard, as well as adding some new important ones. The French| The Aviationist
Markings Continue in Homage of The Greatest Generation in the Greatest Invasion. As special commemorative events in Normandy, France and around the world| The Aviationist
Developed in the late 1960s to protect US Navy Carrier Battle Groups (CVBG) from the raids conducted by the Soviet bombers armed with long-range cruise| The Aviationist
USAF, Navy and Marines Struck Back at Qaddafi’s Libya for Terrorist Bombing. Their swing-wings straining to lift a heavy bomb load, the afterburner| The Aviationist
The milestone comes with the delivery of the first two operational aircraft to the Oregon Air National Guard. The new F-15EX Eagle II has finally reached| The Aviationist
To commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the Portuguese Air Force an Air Show was held at Base Aerea 11 in Beja, Portugal. About 50,000 people attended the| The Aviationist
The first German P-8A Poseidon has received the complete German Navy livery and is expected to be delivered by August 2025, starting the replacement of| The Aviationist
The Maritime Electronic Warfare System Integrated Capability (MEWSIC) will be integrated onto Type 26 and Type 31 frigates, Type 45 destroyers, and the| The Aviationist
The IRST Block II enhances ‘situational awareness by supplementing air-to-air detection and track capabilities, and autonomously or in combination with| The Aviationist
The questionable F-313 Qaher, presented in 2013 as "Iran's first stealth jet", reappears in drone form. On Feb. 1, 2013, Iran unveiled its so-called| The Aviationist
The U.S. Navy is continuing to test the new AIM-174B missile, derived from the SM-6, aboard the Super Hornet, with a VX-9 jet carrying four AIM-174s,| The Aviationist
The air-launched SM-6, designated AIM-174B, is significantly larger than the AIM-120 AMRAAM missile. As reported in detail recently, F/A-18E/F Super| The Aviationist
The two missiles sport the designation XAIM-174B (or NAIM-174B) and were carried by Super Hornets belonging to the VFA-2 and VFA-192 taking part in RIMPAC| The Aviationist
Originally developed as a surface-to-air missile, the Standard Missile 6 has been now installed, once again, on a Super Hornet. The reasons remain unknown| The Aviationist
The U.S. Navy delivered to Boeing the first Block II aircraft that will be upgraded to the new Block III configuration. With a short video clip released| The Aviationist
While Japan is in the process of massively up-gunning itself with other U.S. weapons, the SM-6 represents a specific strategic capability against| The Aviationist
Less than a year after the transfer was announced, the French Defense Minister announced the delivery of the first Mirage 2000 aircraft to Ukraine, flown| The Aviationist
