USAF receives seventh E-11 BACN from Bombardier
Bombardier Defense has announced that it has delivered another E-11 Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) to the USAF, growing the number of the airborne communications relay and gateway system aircraft in US military service to seven airframes
RAF Shadows conduct ISTAR operations over Eastern Mediterranean
Two RAF-operated Shadow R2s (ZZ418 and ZZ507) deployed via Naples to RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus, on October 25 to carry out ISR operations over the Eastern Mediterranean
Pentagon confirms USAF MQ-9As are operating over Gaza
The Pentagon Press Secretary, Brig Gen Pat Ryder, recently confirmed that the USAF has been carrying out “unarmed UAV flights over Gaza” since October 7 in support of “hostage recovery efforts”
USAF B-52Hs pay historic visit to South Korea
A routine Bomber Task Force (BTF) mission by a pair of B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers from the USAF’s 2nd Bomb Wing (BW) provided the backdrop for a historic visit by one of the aircraft to South Korea, marking the first time the veteran ‘BUFF’ had landed in the nation for years
USAF's third F-15EX Eagle II takes flight ahead of delivery
Boeing completed the first flight of the third F-15EX Eagle II for the USAF on October 27, some ten weeks after the new fighter was rolled off the assembly line. That day, two sorties were flown from the firm’s facility at St Louis Lambert International Airport in St Louis, Missouri
Turkey's Baykar kicks off Bayraktar TB3 UCAV flight testing
The new Bayraktar TB3 UCAV successfully completed its maiden flight at the Akinci Flight Training and Test Center in the Çorlu district of Tekirdağ, Turkey, on October 27, neatly presaging the nation’s 100th annual Republic Day celebrations
Israel scores F-35's first confirmed cruise missile kill
An Israeli Air Force-operated F-35I Adir (or ‘Mighty One’) has been credited with scoring the type’s first known air-to-air kill against a cruise missile on October 31, probably using an AIM-9X Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missile to achieve this feat
USMC’s first XQ-58A Valkyrie takes flight at Eglin AFB
The first of two XQ-58A Valkyrie UCAVs for the USMC successfully completed its first test flight at Eglin AFB, Florida, on October 2, closely followed by an F-16CM Fighting Falcon (88-0441/ET) from the 40th Flight Test Squadron – a component of the USAF’s 96th Test Wing – that was flying as the ‘chase’ aircraft
Canadian Hornet fleet deemed ‘not credible’ as it suffers instructor shortage
A report by the UK-based RUSI – commissioned by the Canadian Department of National Defence – was leaked to The Globe and Mail newspaper, revealing that its author, Professor Justin Bronk, had assessed that Canada’s CF-188A/B Hornet fighter fleet may be unable to meet its commitments, judging that it was “not credible in a NATO context against many of the higher-end mission sets”
Kadena Air Base welcomes first of several USAF MQ-9As
On October 13, Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, greeted the first of several USAF-operated MQ-9A Reaper unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAVs) that are scheduled to deploy to the base, which is also referred to as the ‘Keystone of the Pacific’