United States (US)
USAF welcomes first T-7A Red Hawk at Edwards AFB
The USAF’s first T-7A Red Hawk arrived at Edwards AFB in California on November 8, marking a milestone that formally kicks off the air arm’s developmental flight test programme for the new advanced jet trainer
Location selected for Slovak F-16 pilot training
Slovak Air Force pilots will train to fly the F-16C/D Block 70 Fighting Falcon with the Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing at Morris Air National Guard Base in Tucson, the USAF announced on November 15
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
Boeing completes ‘hat trick’ of USAF KC-46A deliveries
Boeing Defense has recently delivered a further three KC-46A Pegasus tankers to the USAF from the firm’s production facility at King County International Airport (otherwise known as Boeing Field) in Seattle, Washington
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
USAF’s 9th ERS swaps Dragons at Fairford
Two U-2S Dragon Lady high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft assigned to the 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron – a component of the USAF’s 9th Reconnaissance Wing – arrived at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, UK, on November 3 for the unit’s biannual rotation to and from RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus, and Beale AFB, California
Omega KDC-10 tanker refuels deployed USAF F-16Cs in new first
The USAF recently conducted the first commercial air-to-air refuelling of F-16C Fighting Falcon fighters while supporting a deployment in the Indo-Pacific theatre
US border agency begins to scale back AEW-configured Orion fleet
The US Customs and Border Protection agency’s Air and Marine Operations branch has started scaling back its P-3B operations and has retired at least two of its radar-equipped Orions
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