Tag: military aviation

Boeing KC-46 Performs First Flight Test Using New Vision System

Breaking Defense reports, “Boeing has flown a new vision system on the company’s troubled KC-46 Pegasus air refueler for the first time, the firm’s defense chief revealed today, a key step toward resolving an issue that has plagued the platform for years. Speaking during a roundtable with reporters ahead of the Dubai Airshow, Steve Parker also disputed that cost increases influenced the US Air Force’s decision to ditch Boeing’s E-7 Wedgetail.”
Full Story (Breaking Defense)

US Air Force Chief Says F-47 is Being Built and Will Make First Flight in 2028

Defense News reports, “The Air Force’s first F-47 fighter is now being built by Boeing, and the advanced jet is expected to have its initial flight in 2028, Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin said Monday. Allvin, speaking at the Air and Space Forces’ Air, Space and Cyber Conference, said that Boeing’s team worked quickly to start manufacturing the sixth-generation fighter after their selection was announced in March.”
Full Story (Defense News)

US Army Apache Helicopters Show Counter-UAS Capabilities

Aerotime reports the US Army demonstrated the AH-64E Apache’s ability to detect, track, and defeat drone threats, underscoring its value as a mobile counter-UAS platform. “The tests, conducted with the South Carolina Army National Guard, involved the Army’s Program Manager Apache, Program Manager Tactical Aviation and Ground Munitions, and the team responsible for the helicopter’s 30mm proximity-fused ammunition.”
Full Story (Aerotime)

Industry Experts Chart the Future of AI and Autonomy in Military Aviation

FROM THE INSTITUTE
The future of air power lies in the seamless collaboration between humans and machines, according to a panel of thought leaders from the Canadian Department of National Defence, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and leading defense firms Anduril, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Ribbit who discussed “Injecting Intelligence in Military Programs” at AIAA AVIATION Forum last month in Las Vegas.
Full Story (Aerospace America)

Reliable Robotics Teams Up with USAF for Autonomous Flight

Aerotime reports, “Reliable Robotics, a US startup specializing in autonomous flight systems, announced on July 29, 2025, that it has started work with the United States Air Force (USAF) on the development of so-called Autonomous Collaborative Platforms (ACP). This project, which is taking place under the aegis of a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA), aims to leverage the technology Reliable Robotics has developed for commercial aviation and apply it to the military domain.”
Full Story (Aerotime)

U.S. Air Force Set to Add Drone Launchers to KC-135 Tankers

The War Zone reports, “The U.S. Air Force has developed a means to launch small drones from its KC-135 aerial refueling tankers, and is now looking at adding that capability to the fleet. The service says the tankers could send out uncrewed aerial systems to help defend themselves from incoming threats and just provide useful additional situational awareness, as well as to potentially perform other missions in the future.”
Full Story (The War Zone)

UK to Acquire F-35s Capable of Carrying Tactical Nuclear Weapons

Reuters reports, “The British government said on Tuesday that it would purchase a dozen F-35A fighter jets capable of firing tactical nuclear weapons in what it described as the biggest expansion of its nuclear deterrent in a generation. The purchase of the Lockheed Martin jets would allow Britain’s air force to carry nuclear weapons for the first time since the end of the Cold War, Downing Street said.”
Full Story (Reuters)