Breaking Defense reports, “The Air Force today announced a new agreement with Northrop Grumman to ‘ramp’ production of the in-development B-21 Raider, using $4.5 billion in reconciliation funding to help deliver the bomber by 2027.”
Full Story (Breaking Defense)
Tag: Aeronautics
General Atomics Names YFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft ‘Dark Merlin’
Aviation Week reports, “General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) announced Feb. 23 that its collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) has a name: the Dark Merlin. The GA-ASI YFQ-42A is one of two CCAs being developed for the U.S. Air Force’s first increment of its program, along with the Anduril YFA-44A. After first flights in 2025, both of the prototypes now await a potential production award in 2026.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Video
The YFQ-42A drone by General Atomics
(Techno Thunder; YouTube)
Boeing Lands Historic 737 MAX Order from Vietnam Airlines
Aviation News Daily reports, “Vietnam Airlines has officially signed a landmark agreement to purchase 50 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, marking the flag carrier’s first-ever commitment to Boeing’s single-aisle family. This massive investment aims to catalyze the airline’s domestic and regional expansion as travel demand in Southeast Asia reaches record heights. The deal was finalized on February 18, 2026.”
Full Story (Aviation News Daily)
General Atomics’ LongShot Air Combat Drone Officially Named X-68A
Aviation Week reports, “An air-launched missile-carrying uncrewed aircraft developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems for DARPA’s LongShot project has been designated the X-68A ahead of flight tests expected by year-end. The LongShot is designed to be carried by fighters and bombers, or as a palletized munition on airlifters, and launched to fly ahead and engage targets with its own internally carried air-to-air missiles. The goal is to increase launch platform survivability and extend combat reach.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
New Legislation Aims to Expedite FAA Type Certification for eVTOLs
Flying Magazine reports, “A bipartisan bill introduced Friday in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives would require the FAA to ‘streamline’ its type certification process for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis and other advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft. That could include the use of standards agreed upon by the developers themselves to prove the aircraft are fit to carry passengers.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
Video
Wisk Aero’s Generation 6 aircraft
Wisk Aero | YouTube
FAA Chief Says Canada Nears Certification of Long-Delayed Gulfstream Jets
Flying Magazine reports, “Regulators in Canada are close to completing their certification of some long-delayed Gulfstream business jets, the head of the FAA said Tuesday. ‘I think we’ve resolved the issues with Canada,’ FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford told reporters in Washington, D.C., according to Reuters.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
Lockheed Martin C-130J Deliveries Suspended Pending Tech Fix
Breaking Defense reports, “Deliveries of Lockheed Martin-built C-130J aircraft to the US Air Force have been halted due to a problem with integrating a new communications upgrade, according to the service.”
Full Story (Breaking Defense)
Prime Air Drone Falls in Residential Area During Texas Test Operations
Aerotime reports, “An Amazon Prime Air delivery drone made contact with an apartment building in Richardson, Texas, before breaking apart and crashing to the ground, according to local authorities and shown in video recorded by a nearby resident. The incident occurred on February 4, 2026, in a residential area where Amazon has been conducting limited drone delivery operations.”
Full Story (Aerotime)
Marine Corps Unveils First NDAA-Approved 3D-Printed UAS
Defense News reports, “The U.S. Marine Corps has pioneered a 3D-printed first-person view drone that is easy to assemble, ready for field use and conforms to national security standards. Sgt. Henry David Volpe, an automotive technician with the 2nd Marine Logistics Group, used his interest in engineering and robotics to help develop HANX, the Marine Corps’ first unmanned aircraft system built from 3D-printed parts to be approved by the National Defense Authorization Act, service officials announced last month.”
Full Story (Defense News)
Boeing Unveils 787 Upgrades Aimed at Range and Capacity Gains
Simple Flying reports, “American plane-maker Boeing will improve the already hugely successful 787 Dreamliner, with increased cargo capacity and/or longer range for the 787-9 and 787-10 variants. This announcement, as reported by Reuters, was shared by a senior executive at Boeing on Wednesday at the Singapore Airshow.”
Full Story (Simple Flying)