USAF operates RQ-170 stealth drone over Black Sea
Nine flights have been carried out over the Black Sea by USAF-operated Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel low observable (or stealth) unmanned aerial vehicles, according to a batch of secret US military documents posted online
F-22A Raptor pilots test USAF’s next-gen helmet at Eglin AFB
Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor pilots from the 301st FS – a US Air Force Reserve Command unit that is associated with the active-duty 325th Fighter Wing at Tyndall AFB, Florida – have kicked off developmental flight tests for the USAF’s new Next Generation Fixed Wing Helmet at nearby Eglin AFB
Taiwan’s upgraded F-16s finally regain LOROP-EO pod capability
When the Republic of China Air Force’s (ROCAF’s) fleet of F-16A/B Block 20s were upgraded to the F-16V, the latest and most advanced configuration of the Fighting Falcon to date, it was discovered that the AN/VDS-5 Long Range Oblique Photography Electro-Optical (LOROP-EO) reconnaissance pod was not compatible with the newly modified aircraft
Final ex-RAF Sentinel R1 departs Waddington
The fifth and final ex-RAF Raytheon Sentinel R1 battlefield surveillance aircraft departed RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, UK, on March 21 – almost two years after the platform was withdrawn from operational service and sold as second-hand assets to an unconfirmed US end customer
USAF retires first A-10C to the boneyard, with more set to follow
After the US Congress relented in its stance on blocking the USAF’s long-standing desire to axe its fleet of A-10C Thunderbolt II close air support aircraft last year, the air arm retired the first of 21 ‘Warthogs’ that it was authorised to divest under the FY23 National Defense Authorization Act on April 5
How does the RAF train its modern-day Lancaster pilots?
Take a deep dive into the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s syllabus for converting current RAF aviators onto the classic Avro bomber
USAF deploys more F-35As and F-15Es to Kadena Air Base
F-35A Lightning IIs from the 355th Fighter Squadron (FS) 'Fightin' Falcons' at Eielson Air Force Base (AFB), Alaska, and F-15E Strike Eagles assigned to the 336th FS 'Rocketeers' at Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina, have arrived at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, to further ensure the USAF's continued fighter presence in the region while the base's resident F-15C/D Eagles are returned to the continental US.
What it was like to be an RAF Jaguar squadron boss
Key Aero’s Dino Carrara interviewed Air Vice-Marshal Bob Judson (ret.) about his involvement with the SEPECAT Jaguar. In this final part he reflects on his time as the officer commanding (OC) of a frontline Jaguar squadron
RAF pilot reveals strengths and weaknesses of the SEPECAT Jaguar
Key.Aero’s Dino Carrara interviewed Air Vice-Marshal Bob Judson (ret.) about his time on the SEPECAT Jaguar. In this part of the interview he details what it was like to fly and how the aircraft evolved
USAF deploys AC-130Js, MQ-9As to the Philippines
Aircraft from the 27th Special Operations Wing (SOW), based at Cannon AFB in New Mexico, will be supporting the Philippine-led Exercise Balikatan throughout April
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.
Related Airforce Topics
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.
Subscribe to Key.Aero
Become a part of our aviation community and subscribe to Key.Aero now. You can get all the aviation information you'll ever need, whenever you want, with access to all the latest aviation updates, news, events and more.