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USAF B-1B Lancers Conduct ‘Precision Strike and Interdiction’ Drills with U.S. and South Korean Jets The training validated the two nations’ combined ability to conduct strikes, operate together and ensure the combat readiness in the Indo-Pacific theater. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/24/u...

submitted 25 minutes ago • 0 comments

Estonian Independence Day Marked With B-52, F-35, and F/A-18 Flypast Estonia celebrated its national Independence Day on Feb. 24, 2025, joined by forces from a number of NATO allies who help reinforce the nation against Russian threats. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/24/e...

submitted 33 minutes ago • 0 comments

Dissecting the Interception of American Airlines Flight AA292 by Italian Air Force Eurofighters We attempt to answer all the questions about AA292, which was intercepted and escorted to landing by two Italian Eurofighters following a bomb threat. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/24/a...

submitted 47 minutes ago • 0 comments

We Got Up Close with Sikorsky’s S-97 Raider The Aviationist was among the outlets invited to attend a demonstration event of the X2 technology at the Sikorsky Development Flight Center. Here's how it went. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/24/s...

submitted 2 hours ago • 0 comments

Israeli Fighters Conduct Flyover Over Funeral of Hezbollah’s Leader Hassan Nasrallah In an extremely unconventional show of force, the Israeli Air Force conducted a fighter flyover over Hassan Nasrallah’s funeral. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/24/i...

submitted 4 hours ago • 1 comment

USAF’s TOC-L Tactical Comms System Shines as F-35Cs and F-22s Roar During Sentry Aloha For the first time Battle Management Operators relayed data aboard a KC-135 and rapidly deployable Tactical Operations Center-Lite airspace control system. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/23/e...

submitted 12 hours ago • 0 comments

View from the cockpit

submitted 1 day ago • 2 comments

Here are some great photos of American Airlines flight AA292 being escorted by two Italian Eurofighters over Rome on its way to the diversion airport Rome Fiumicino, we received from a friend. #aa292

submitted 1 day ago • 1 comment

American Airlines flight AA292 from New York to Delhi is diverting to Rome following a bomb threat. Italian Air Force Eurofighters scrambled to escort the B787 to Rome-Fiumicino airport. Filmed from home with my phone hence quality is not great.

submitted 1 day ago • 3 comments

Pratt & Whitney Awarded $1.5 Billion Contract to Support the F-22’s Engine Pratt & Whitney secured a three-year contract to sustain the F119 engines which power the U.S. Air Force's F-22 fleet. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/22/p...

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NAVAIR Releases 'New' Rendering of Secretive AIM-260 JATM The external shape of the AIM-260 seems to be the same we already saw in 2022. It remains to be seen whether it's just a notional design or the external shape of the real weapon. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/23/n...

submitted 1 day ago • 1 comment

Pratt & Whitney and General Electric Complete Detailed Design Review for Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion P&W and GE successfully passed the Detailed Design Review of their offerings for the U.S. Air Force’s next generation NGAP engine. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/22/n...

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Sandia National Laboratories Confirm B61-12’s Production Completion and Switch to Sustainment Sandia will produce spare components until 2026, while the National Nuclear Security Administration is now looking at the development of the B61-13. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/22/b...

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NORAD Releases Photos of U.S. F-35s Intercepting Russian Tu-95s and Armed Su-35s Off Alaska The Russian "package," which included armed Su-35 Flanker-E fighters, was intercepted on two consecutive days in international airspace west of Alaska. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/22/p...

submitted 2 days ago • 3 comments

Initial Operating Capability Declared for Australia’s UH-60M Black Hawks Fifteen months after the Black Hawks entered service to replace the troubled MRH-90 Taipan, the Australian Army declared initial operating capability (IOC) with the Sikorsky UH-60M. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/21/i...

submitted 3 days ago • 0 comments

California Air National Guard’s 129th Rescue Wing Begins Transition to the HH-60W The 129th RQW, located at Moffett ANG Base, Mountain View, has now received the first two new HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters to replace its current HH-60G Pave Hawks. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/21/c...

submitted 3 days ago • 1 comment

First In-orbit Photo Taken By Secretive Boeing X-37B Spacecraft Officially Released The photo, taken during the X-37B’s seventh mission, shows Earth from highly elliptical orbit. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/21/x...

submitted 3 days ago • 1 comment

Royal New Zealand Air Force Seasprite Helicopter Tests ‘Penguin’ Anti-Ship Missile for the First Time The RNZAF has test fired the Penguin Mk2 Mod 7 anti-ship missile (AShM) for the first time since it was first adopted a decade ago. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/20/r...

submitted 4 days ago • 1 comment

The U.S. Navy Has Fired the Commander of USS Harry S. Truman The commanding officer of USS Truman aircraft carrier was fired after the collision with a merchant vessel off Egypt. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/20/u...

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French Navy Rafales and U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets Perform Cross-Deck Operations During Exercise Pacific Steller The drills saw USS Carl C. Vinson, FNS Charles De Gaulle and JS Kaga involved in a Multi-Large Deck Event near the Philippine Sea. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/20/p...

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Multinational Exercise Spears of Victory 2025 in Saudi Arabia Concludes Spears of Victory 2025 saw the involvement of 15 nations aiming to strengthen military partnerships, facilitate the exchange of expertise and enhance combat readiness. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/19/s...

submitted 5 days ago • 2 comments

Deployed B-52s Drop Live Weapons During Force Projection Exercise to the Middle East Two B-52 bombers, deployed on BTF 25-2 to RAF Fairford, UK, performed a 24-hour flight through Europe and the Middle East, joining with allied aircraft along the way. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/19/b...

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JSDF Orders 17 CH-47 Block IIs as Part of Helicopter Fleet Modernization The Japan Self-Defense Forces have placed an order for 17 CH-47JA Block II Chinooks (Extended Range) transport helicopters. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/19/j...

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Newly Emerged Photos Show F-35C’s Mirror-Like Coating with Damaged Tiles After Intensive Testing The photos, dating back to November 2022, show the second “chrome” F-35C with its peculiar mirror-like coating degraded during testing. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/19/f...

submitted 5 days ago • 1 comment

The Last Martin JRM Mars Flying Boat Flew for the Final Time The last Martin JRM Mars flying boat, Philippine Mars, retired after a career of almost 80 years. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/18/l...

submitted 6 days ago • 0 comments

U.S. Army Deploys ATHENA-R ISR Jet to South Korea The ATHENA-R will be part of a key four-month operational assessment to assess the readiness of the aircraft and possible fixes, as well as supporting the US long-standing commitment to South Korea. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/18/u...

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Italy Has Already Ordered 17 AW249 Helicopters as Testing Progresses According to Italian government’s documents, a prototype and three pre-production AW249s are currently being tested, while the initial order has been now increased to 17 helicopters. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/17/i...

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Damaged USS Harry S. Truman Arrives at Souda Bay for Repairs Following its collision with merchant vessel Besiktas-M, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman has sailed to Naval Support Activity Souda Bay, Crete, for repairs. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/17/d...

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Baykar Signs Deal with Indonesia for TB3, Akinci Drones and Production Facility Baykar struck a deal with Indonesia to provide 60 Bayraktar TB3 and nine Akinci UCAVs, in addition to a joint venture with Republikorp to build a drone factory in Indonesia. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/17/b...

submitted 7 days ago • 0 comments

Ukrainian F-16s Are Now Flying Strike Missions with GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs A Ukrainian F-16 armed with eight GBU-39 SDBs confirms that the Vipers are also being employed in the air-to-ground role. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/17/u...

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USMC AH-1Z Viper Fires New Missile in Long-Range Precision Fire Capability Test The launch of the new LRPF weapon was conducted by way of a wireless application via a Marine Air-Ground Tablet (MAGTAB) in November 2024 at Yuma Proving Ground. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/16/u...

submitted 8 days ago • 1 comment

NAWCAD Expands KC-130T Hercules’ Refueling Envelope with EA-18G Growler and CH-53K King Stallion The U.S. Navy launched an effort to regain the air refueling capability across its fleet and allow the C/KC-130T to refuel a growing number of platforms. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/15/n...

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Trump Offers India the F-35A Lightning II as it Faces the Su-57 Felon at Aero India 2025 In a surprise announcement, Trump offered India the opportunity to buy the F-35. The offer coincided with the jet’s first encounter with the “Felon” at an airshow. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/15/t...

submitted 9 days ago • 3 comments

U.S. Navy Releases Image of Damage to USS Harry S. Truman After Collision at Sea The U.S. Navy has released a photo captured in the aftermath of the collision with the merchant vessel Besiktas-M, showing damage to an observation platform. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/14/u...

submitted 10 days ago • 1 comment

No matter the cause of a military mishap, it’s almost guaranteed that the blame game will split into two predictable "directions": one pointing fingers at Trump, the other at DEI initiatives. It’s as if facts and context no longer matter: everything is filtered through political lenses.

submitted 11 days ago • 2 comments

USS Harry S. Truman Collides With Merchant Vessel Off Egypt The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman collided with the merchant vessel Besiktas-M near Port Said, Egypt, in the Mediterranean Sea. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/13/u...

submitted 11 days ago • 37 comments

Royal Air Force Protector RG1 Completes Further Flight Testing Following the type’s first UK flight in November 2023, unmanned Protector RG1s, the UK designation for MQ-9B, are now conducting regular flights from their Lincolnshire base. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/13/r...

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B-52 Stratofortresses Begin Bomber Task Force 25-2 Deployment at RAF Fairford Two U.S. Air Force B-52 strategic bombers from Minot Air Force Base touched down in the UK on Feb. 11, 2025 to kick off the Bomber Task Force 25-2 deployment. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/13/b...

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First Pictures of UK Developed R-73 Compatible Gravehawk Surface to Air Missile System for Ukraine The Gravehawk is a containerised surface to air missile (SAM) system designed and produced within a 12 month period. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/13/g...

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Exclusive photos of the EA-18G Growler that crashed in San Diego this morning.

submitted 12 days ago • 17 comments

Breaking: EA-18G Growler Crashes In San Diego Bay A U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler crashed in San Diego Bay. According to the first reports, the crew members ejected safely. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/12/b...

submitted 12 days ago • 3 comments

USAF’s 8th Fighter Wing F-16s Execute First Agile Combat Employment in South Korea Beverly Pack 25-1 tested the Wolf Pack’s ability to deploy Airmen, equipment, and aircraft to a simulated forward operating base (FOB) at Gwangju Air Base. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/12/8...

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Airbus Contracted to Build 'Oberon' ISR Satellite Pair for UK Ministry of Defence A £127 million contract will see Airbus design and construct two synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites in the UK ready for launch in 2027. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/11/a...

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Two Dozen F-22 Raptors Take Part In 'Elephant Walk' At Langley AFB The Elephant Walk featured 24 F-22s and six T-38s of the 1st Fighter Wing. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/11/t...

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China's J-20 Stealth Fighter Spotted Flying In 'Beast Mode' A newly surfaced image shows the Chinese J-20 stealth fighter carrying eight external air-to-air missiles, a configuration commonly referred to as "beast mode". Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/11/j...

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USAF Puts MH-139A Grey Wolf Through Nuclear Missile Base Guarding Drills in Initial Operational Tests The rigorous testing process saw the MH-139A helicopters responding to a simulated threat with a full tactical response force loadout and onboard weapons. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/10/m...

submitted 14 days ago • 0 comments

‘Tornado 2 Tempest’ Aircraft Recycling Project Begins Parts from former RAF Tornado GR4 aircraft have been ground down and converted into 3D printable material for use in the Tempest 6th gen fighter jet. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/10/t...

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U.S. Approves Massive $7 Billion Arms Sale to Israel Israel got the go-ahead to buy, among the others, over 2,100 GBU-39 SDBs and 3,000 AGM-114 Hellfire missiles. Story: theaviationist.com/2025/02/09/u...

submitted 15 days ago • 0 comments