Rolls-Royce offers first glimpse of F130 engine in B-52 nacelle as testing begins
Having been selected to provide new turbofans for the USAF’s Boeing B-52H Stratofortress fleet, Rolls-Royce has announced that it has launched F130 engine testing at the firm’s outdoor test facility at the NASA Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, marking the first time the new powerplant has been tested in the strategic bomber’s unique dual-pod engine nacelle configuration
Boeing eyes Australia as potential T-7A Red Hawk customer
Boeing has announced that it stands ready to offer its new T-7A Red Hawk platform – which was developed in partnership with Saab – to Australia, stating that the advanced jet trainer would help “ensure the mission-readiness of the country’s future defence pilots”
208 Sqn Gloster Meteors – Photo-recce in the Middle East
Graham Pitchfork recounts the career of a Meteor pilot and the recce sorties he undertook in the Middle East
AFSOC becomes latest MQ-9B SkyGuardian customer
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc announced on March 6 that it will provide three MQ-9B SkyGuardian RPAS to US Air Force Special Operations Command, making it the first US customer to acquire the type
WW2 Meteor pilot: leading the first Allied jet deployment to Europe
Graham Pitchfork profiles an RAF pilot at the forefront of Meteor operations
RAF Hawk T2s to fly rare weekend sorties
RAF Valley has recently announced there will be Hawk T2 sorties flown on a number of Saturdays
Scampton airfield saved for flying
Council buy-out of famous former RAF station paves way for new civilian future
USAF orders first E-7A AEW&C aircraft from Boeing
Having selected Boeing’s E-7A to replace its ageing fleet of E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control system aircraft last year, the USAF has awarded the US-based aircraft manufacturing giant a contract to begin working on the first two aircraft using a rapid prototyping acquisition pathway
IN PICTURES: Exercise Cobra Warrior - Action from Day One
Exercise Cobra Warrior 23-1 kicked off in typically cold northern English weather, but the action certainly provided such much-needed heat. Check out some of the action shots from the first day of the exercise here
India green lights mass HTT-40 basic trainer acquisition
India’s Union Cabinet has approved the procurement of 70 new-build, turboprop-driven HTT-40s from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd in a bid to mitigate the shortage of basic training aircraft in the Indian Air Force’s fleet
Your source for all the latest Airforce and military aircraft news
As the latest fifth-generation platform, the Lockheed Martin F-35 is in use globally for international partner airforces, from the United States Airforce (USAF) to the RAF and the Australian airforce, the sixth-generation fighters are already on the drawing board.
Find out which airforces are looking at virtual cockpits, networked platforms and piloted aircraft working with drone wingmen for the stealth fighters of the 2030s and discover which airforces are planning to replace their existing fleets with the fighter planes of the future.
Military Aircraft Retirement and Technology Updates
International forces around the world are deploying military aircraft manufactured in France, Russia and America including aircraft from Saab, France’s Dassault Rafale, Russian Mig-29s and the Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon, which it will operate for years to come.
What will also be flying well into the next decade is the USAF’s Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor air superiority fighter. The next decade will also see the USAF’s newest stealth bomber, the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider enter service, while the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress strategic bomber will be in its seventh decade of operational service after refurbishments and restorations. This page is the only place you need to be to find out all the latest news on retirements and new deployments.
Be the first to find out which existing platforms such as France’s Dassault Mirage 2000 light weight jet and the Eurofighter Typhoon are facing the need for wholesale technology updates. The Eurofighter is being upgraded for an electronic warfare role in the 2020s and the USAF is improving some of its Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcons with F-35 fifth generation technology.
From restorations to retirement and procurement, international projects for new networked technologies including piloted and autonomous platforms and the contracts to manufacture them, all of this fast-moving defence aviation news and analysis can be found here.
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Want to find out more about other types of military aircraft? We have dedicated pages for the latest Military Aircraft Shows, Military Fighter Aircraft and all the latest cutting-edge Military Aircraft Technology.
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