The F-22 Raptor Controls an Autonomous Wingman in Flight for the First Time
In early October 2026, an F-22A Raptor pilot commanded an autonomous YFQ-44A Fury in flight - the first airborne control of a Collaborative Combat Aircraft.
Towermilitary aviation
Airbus, Kratos, and the Valkyrie That Launched on Rockets Over European Skies
Airbus and Kratos Defense completed a joint rocket-launched test flight of the XQ-58A Valkyrie in Europe, advancing autonomous combat aviation toward operational reality.
TowerThailand's Queen Suthida flies solo in the Gripen - a royal first for the Thai Air Force
Queen Suthida of Thailand completed her first solo flight in a JAS-39C Gripen on October 8, 2026, becoming the first female Gripen pilot in Thai history.
TowerThe Congressional Research Service Report, Eighty-One Aircraft, and What the Documented Losses Over Iran Tell Us About the Real Cost of Air Power
A Congressional Research Service report documents 81 U.S. military aircraft lost or damaged during operations against Iran, revealing the true material cost of modern air power.
TowerThe L-39 Skyfox Drone Hunter, the Thales Seventy Millimeter Rocket Pod, and the Czech Trainer That Is Becoming One of the Most Serious Counter-UAS Platforms in the Sky
Aero Vodochody and Thales signed an MoU in 2026 to test a laser-guided 70mm rocket pod on the L-39 Skyfox, advancing it as a dedicated counter-drone combat platform.
TowerThe Northrop YFQ-48A Talon Blue, the First Autonomous Combat Aircraft to Complete a Full Flight Profile Without a Human on the Controls, and What the Mojave Desert First Flight Tells Us About Where Military Aviation Is Headed
Northrop's YFQ-48A Talon Blue completed a fully autonomous first flight at Mojave, a milestone in the Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft program.
TowerTaiwan Takes Delivery of Its First F-16C Block Seventy Fighters, and What the Viper's Latest Evolution Actually Means
Taiwan has taken delivery of its first two F-16C Block 70 fighters, marking a milestone in an $8 billion, 66-aircraft deal years in the making.
TowerThe YFQ-48A Talon Blue First Flight and the Rise of the Autonomous Combat Wingman
Northrop Grumman's YFQ-48A Talon Blue completed its first fully autonomous flight at Mojave, marking a milestone in the Air Force's unmanned combat wingman program.
TowerThe Hump, the Air Transport Command's Himalayan Airlift, and the Aluminum Trail That Still Scatters Across the Kachin Hills
How the Air Transport Command flew 650,000 tons of supplies over the Himalayas between 1942 and 1945, and why those missions still shape military aviation today.
TaildraggerAnduril's Barracuda-M and the Open Architecture Standard Reshaping Military Aviation
Anduril's Barracuda-M cruise missile earned WOSA certification from the Air Force Research Laboratory, marking a pivotal shift toward plug-and-play military weapons integration.
TowerThe F-22 Raptor Over Oshkosh and the Untold Story of America's Last Pure Air Superiority Fighter
The F-22 Raptor remains America's only operational 5th-generation air superiority fighter, with just 187 built despite an original requirement for 750.
TowerF-15E Strike Eagles Return From Operation Epic Fury With Drone Kill Markings and Mortal Kombat Nose Art
4th Fighter Wing F-15Es returned from Operation Epic Fury with Mortal Kombat nose art and 45 Shahed drone kill markings painted on their noses.
TowerThe Military L-410 Crash in Kenge, the Czech Turboprop That Serves the World's Hardest Routes, and What African Aviation Tells Us About Our Own Safety Infrastructure
A military Let L-410 Turbolet crash near Kenge, DRC killed all 13 aboard, revealing the safety infrastructure gaps that separate high-oversight aviation systems from the rest.
TowerLieutenant Thomas Selfridge, Fort Myer, and the September Seventeen Crash That Cost Aviation Its First Life in Powered Flight
On September 17, 1908, Lt. Thomas Selfridge became aviation's first powered-flight fatality - and his role in early aviation was far larger than most history books acknowledge.
TaildraggerThe C-Forty, the Boeing 737 MAX, and the Air Force's Bet on Aviation's Most Complicated Comeback Story
The U.S. Air Force will become the Boeing 737 MAX's first military operator, with FY2026 funding approved for a single C-40 acquisition.
TowerThe F135 Engine Core Upgrade, Pratt and Whitney's Risk Reduction Review, and Why the F-35's Power Problem Is Finally Getting Fixed
Pratt & Whitney has completed the Risk Reduction Design Review for the F135 Engine Core Upgrade, a critical milestone in solving the F-35's power and thermal limitations.
TowerUkraine's Jet-Powered Shahed Interceptor Test and the Future of Counter-Drone Aviation
Ukraine has tested a domestically developed interceptor targeting jet-powered Shahed variants - a development with direct implications for how civilian airspace will be defended.
TowerThe DARPA CRANE Program, the X-65, and the Aircraft Designed to Fly Without Moving Control Surfaces
DARPA's CRANE program is building the X-65, a demonstrator jet designed to achieve full three-axis flight control with no external moving surfaces whatsoever.
VectorThe F-117 Nighthawk, Born in Secrecy and Bound for the Smithsonian, and What One Aircraft Changed About Everything That Flew After It
An F-117A Nighthawk is being donated to the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center, opening in October 2026 - the 16th example of the type placed on public display.
TowerAustralia's Long Arm: RAAF Achieves Operational Capability With LRASM and JASSM-ER
The RAAF has achieved Initial Operational Capability with LRASM and JASSM-ER, significantly expanding Australia's long-range strike reach in the Indo-Pacific.
Tower