The Aviationist Blog

By forward basing Mission Planning Cells at Nellis AFB, the 9th Bomb Squadron flew complex strike missions at the Nevada Test and Firing Range from Dyess AFB. At its first participation in Red Flag in three years, B-1B Lancer bombers of the 9th Bomb Squadron (9th BS) “Bats” from Dyess AFB, Texas, flew daily round-trip […]

The post B-1B Lancer Bombers Fly ‘Hybrid’ Strike Sorties During Red Flag Nellis 25-3 appeared first on The Aviationist.

Northrop Grumman released on its website the first official concept art of the F/A-XX, providing a glimpse into its vision of 6th gen naval air power. Northrop Grumman has published on its website an official concept art of the F/A-XX, the next generation fighter jet that would equip the future U.S. Navy carrier air wings. […]

The post Northrop Grumman Releases F/A-XX Official Concept Art appeared first on The Aviationist.

The first three F-35B Lightning IIs have finally been delivered to the Japan Air Self Defense Force. The Japan Air Self Defense Force Article (JASDF) announced the arrival of its first three F-35B Lightning II STOVL (Short Take Off Vertical Landing) jets at Nyutabaru Air Base on Aug. 7, 2025. The Japanese Ministry of Defense […]

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United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur orbital launch vehicle will undertake its first National Security Space Launch (NSSL) mission next week, the rocket type’s third launch overall. The two stage vehicle is scheduled to launch from Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Aug. 12, 2025 carrying the NTS-3 (Navigation Technology […]

The post ULA Vulcan Centaur Rocket to Launch First Military Payload on August 12th appeared first on The Aviationist.

The E-9A supports air-to-air weapon systems evaluation at Tyndall AFB providing range clearance, telemetry support and data relay. The U.S. Air Force’s E-9A Widget firing range safety and surveillance aircraft completed its first strip and paint job in over a decade during a series of scheduled upgrades and maintenance, announced on Jul. 31, 2025 the […]

The post USAF E-9A Widget Range Support Aircraft Receives First Full Repaint in a Decade appeared first on The Aviationist.

An F-15E Strike was flying from Diego Garcia to Kadena when it was discovered that a wheel was missing. A U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle conducted an emergency landing on Aug. 4, 2025, at Kadena Air Base, Japan, after it was discovered that a wheel was missing. In a press release, Kadena’s 18th Wing […]

The post F-15E Strike Eagle Lands With Missing Wheel at Kadena Air Base appeared first on The Aviationist.

Despite the need to modernize, Spain shelves F-35 plans, leaving its Navy without a STOVL replacement. The purchase of F-35 Lightning II aircraft, the fifth-generation American stealth fighter, for the Spanish Armed Forces has been definitively shelved, according to a report published by the Spanish newspaper El País, citing government sources. Preliminary contacts that had […]

The post Spain Drops F-35 Plans, Looks to European Alternatives appeared first on The Aviationist.

Investigators say a hydraulic fitting failure set off the 2022 B-2 incident at Whiteman AFB, ending in a gear collapse, wing fire and $300M repair bill. The U.S. Air Force has released the Accident Investigation Board (AIB) report into the B-2A Spirit mishap at Whiteman AFB on Dec. 10, 2022, providing a detailed, technical reconstruction […]

The post Hydraulic Fitting Failure Led to B-2 Gear Collapse, Wing Fire and $300M Damage at Whiteman AFB in 2022 appeared first on The Aviationist.

The HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group will link up with the Japanese task group of the JS Kaga to practice combined F-35B operations. The UK’s Royal Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) will again cooperate to help prepare the latter for the introduction of the F-35B Lightning II STOVL (Short Take-Off […]

The post Royal Navy and JMSDF to Cooperate on F-35B Lightning II Operations appeared first on The Aviationist.

End of an era as final Jayhawk departs Pensacola, marking shift to all-simulator training for Combat System Officers. The 451st Flying Training Squadron retired their final T-1A Jayhawk to Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona on July 28, 2025. This brings T-1A operations to an end for the 451st FTS and 479th Flying Training Group as training for […]

The post 451st Flying Training Squadron Celebrates T-1A Jayhawk, Final Assigned Jet Retires appeared first on The Aviationist.

Photographs of a previously unseen Chinese stealthy platform have surfaced online. Some photos are taken from distance, but other frames are shot straight up from below with the aircraft flying above. And, provided they are genuine, they’re clear enough: China has flown yet another tailless aircraft. If you’ve been following our coverage of the J-36 […]

The post China’s Third Tailless Next-Generation Aircraft Emerges appeared first on The Aviationist.

A hard landing at Ramstein Air Base in 2020 damaged a C-130J’s  structural integrity, which led to it becoming the first of the type to receive a wing replacement in the field. A C-130J Super Hercules flew again with a new pair of wings on Jul. 26, 2025, after being grounded for five years at […]

The post Damaged C-130J Flies Again Five Years After Hard Landing appeared first on The Aviationist.

The new paint scheme of Top Aces’ F-16 mimics that of the Russian Su-57 “Felon” fighter jet. On Aug. 4, 2025, one of Top Aces’ former Israeli Air Force F-16A Netz aircraft was spotted flying for the first time with an eye-catching new adversary paint scheme. The livery is clearly inspired by the Russian Su-57 […]

The post Top Aces F-16 Makes First Flight in Su-57 ‘Felon’-Inspired Livery appeared first on The Aviationist.

The 12 million flight hours milestone cements the F/A-18 and EA-18G fleet’s status as one of the most enduring families of aircraft in modern naval aviation. The U.S. Navy has announced on Aug. 1, 2025, that the F/A-18 and EA-18G aircraft fleet has surpassed 12 million flight hours since the introduction in the 1980s. This […]

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Two U-2 pilots, including a Wisconsin native, share rare insights on the legendary spy plane’s enduring legacy and relevance in today’s battlespace. EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2025 drew a record-breaking crowd of 704,000 aviation enthusiasts, according to the Experimental Aircraft Association, making it the largest event in the show’s history, eclipsing the previous record of 686,000, […]

The post Dragon Lady at Oshkosh: Exclusive U-2 Pilot Interviews Mark 70th Anniversary and Historic Homecoming appeared first on The Aviationist.

U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II aircraft from the USS America have cross-decked onto the Royal Navy’s HMS Prince of Wales ahead of Exercise Talisman Sabre. Currently sailing in waters near Australia while preparing for the beginning of Exercise Talisman Sabre, due to kick off on Jul. 13, 2025, HMS Prince of Wales (R09) hosted […]

The post USMC F-35Bs Fly From HMS Prince of Wales off Australian Coast appeared first on The Aviationist.

Maj. Gen. Nowak flew in the KF-21’s backseat during a visit to KAI’s facilities, followed a day later by Col. Rigonald who became the first Indonesian pilot to test the jet. The Polish Air Force’s chief, Maj. Gen. Iereneusz Nowak, and an Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) test pilot, Col. Ferrel Rigonald, flew for the […]

The post Polish Air Force Chief and Indonesian Test Pilot Fly on KF-21 Boramae appeared first on The Aviationist.

After more than five decades of advanced jet training, the 50th FTS is inactivated and its legacy absorbed into a new ‘super-squadron’ at Columbus AFB. The 50th Flying Training Squadron, known as the ‘Strikin’ Snakes,’ was inactivated in a formal ceremony at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi, on July 2, 2025. The inactivation is one […]

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The B-1B Lancer bomber will be able to use up to six Load Adaptable Modular pylons under the fuselage to carry heavy standoff munitions and hypersonic weapons. The U.S. Air Force has awarded Boeing a contract to procure the new Load Adaptable Modular (LAM) pylons for the B-1B Lancer bomber. The new pylons will allow […]

The post Boeing Secures Contract to Equip B-1B Bomber with New Pylons appeared first on The Aviationist.

As global tensions rise, the Netherlands turns to commercial aviation to reinforce its F-35 pilot pool. A new agreement between KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and the Dutch Ministry of Defense will allow airline pilots to serve as reserve F-35 pilots in the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF). This marks a pretty interesting initiative that could blur […]

The post KLM Pilots To Fly The F-35 As Reservists In New Military-Civilian Partnership appeared first on The Aviationist.