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Aircraft

News, explainers, and analysis about military aircraft.

Latest in Aircraft

The commander of the Blue Angels said Thursday that a low pass over a Pensacola, Florida, beach was "unsafe."
Fighter Aircraft

Blue Angels commander calls beach flyover ‘unsafe’

By Matt White

Posted 7 Hours Ago

U.S. Army Spc. Parker Gamble, an infantryman assigned to 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, operates a DJI Mavic 3 during a live-fire exercise in Selija, Latvia, April 29, 2026. During the exercise, squads deployed drones to conduct reconnaissance as teams bounded forward to attack different simulated objectives. At the same time, a Titan V3 counter-unmanned aircraft system was used to detect and jam enemy drones, providing aerial support from a distance. The training prepares Soldiers for modern battlefields by integrating new technology and refining strategies to counter diverse scenarios, strengthening warfighting capability and readiness to deter threats along NATO’s eastern flank. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Gabriel Martinez)
Drones

The Pentagon says drones are not a ‘silver bullet’ in its new handbook on fighting them

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Jul 13, 2026

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Calvin Burke, a Manalapan, New Jersey native, intelligence specialist with 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, controls a Skydio X2 Drone during a squad ambush as part of The 7th Marine Regiment Infantry Rifle Squad Competition at Range 410, Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California, Dec. 18, 2024. The 7th Marine Regiment Infantry Rifle Squad Competition assesses tactical proficiency and determines the Regiment's most capable squad under simulated combat conditions. Designed to evaluate tactics, techniques, and procedures, the event also promotes professional growth and camaraderie through healthy competition. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Enge You)
Drones

Marines open units on East and West Coast to focus on drone warfare

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Jul 9, 2026

Cmdr. Gabriel Edwards, was identified by the Navy as the missing Sailor following a helicopter’s emergency landing in the Arabian Sea, July 1. Edwards was the commanding officer of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 5 and had been selected for promotion to captain.
Helicopters

Navy identifies sailor lost in helicopter crash as squadron commander

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Jul 7, 2026

Image: WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 3: The U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron F-16 Thunderbirds perform as part of the nation's 250th anniversary celebration on July 3, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
Aircraft

Dozens of jets, bombers and helicopters will fly over DC today

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Jul 4, 2026

A mission crew boards a U.S. Air Force EA-37B Compass Call at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Dec. 7, 2025. Teams from the USAF and the Royal Australian Air Force trained together on an EA-37B in preparation for the RAAF receiving its own version of a Gulfstream-based special mission support aircraft. (U.S. Air Force courtesy photo)
Aircraft

Why the Air Force is turning this business jet into a weapon

By David Roza

Posted on Jul 2, 2026

Airman Jenna Paz, assigned to the ’Nightdippers” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 5, directs an MH-60S Sea Hawk while conducting a vertical replenishment with with Supply-class fast combat support ship USNS Arctic (T-AOE 8) aboard Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) in the Indian Ocean, April 19, 2026. The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations to support the warfighting effectiveness, lethality and readiness of U.S. Naval Forces Europe Africa, and defend U.S., Allied and partner interests in the region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Lucas Krug)
Helicopters

Search underway for missing crew member after helicopter crashes in Arabian Sea

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Jul 1, 2026

Doomsday Plane Insignia
Bombers

Air Force brings World War II tail insignia out of retirement for ‘Doomsday Plane’

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Jul 1, 2026

A U.S. Air Force RQ-4B Global Hawk Block 40 assigned to the 4th Reconnaissance Squadron taxis on the runway at Yokota Air Base, Japan, May 27, 2026. The mission of the 4 RS is to support U.S. intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance priorities, operational plans and contingency operations throughout the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jacob Wood) 
Drones

Air Force relocates recon drone squadron to Japan

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Jun 20, 2026

Marines of 1st Platoon, Combat Logistics Company 115 return to the safety of Camp Fallujah the morning of May 24, 2006.
Drones

Ukraine is shredding Russian supply lines. The US should pay attention

By Kyle Gunn

Posted on Jun 18, 2026

U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground recently tested the GRIZZLY vertical launcher for use with the AGM-179 Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM), following on previous institutional knowledge testing the launcher’s use with the Hellfire missile.
Drones

The Army’s latest anti-drone tool fires missiles from a cargo container

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Jun 7, 2026

An artist's rendering of the F-47, a planned sixth-generation combat aircraft for the U.S. Air Force.
Fighter Aircraft

What is China’s government saying about the F-47?

By David Roza

Posted on Jun 4, 2026

Harriers Sundown
Fighter Aircraft

A final public flight for the Marine Corps’ legendary Harrier jet

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Jun 2, 2026

A Grasshopper autonomous aerial resupply vehicle arrives at a landing zone during Exercise Trojan Footprint 26 near Krivolak, North Macedonia, May 18, 2026. Trojan Footprint is a key biennial training event, focused on posturing Allies to deter aggression and defend regional security through joint and multinational cooperation. The Grasshopper system is an aerial platform designed to expand long-range, low-cost, precision sustainment in contested environments. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Capt. Christopher Booker)
Drones

Green Berets tested glider drones for supply drops during a massive special operations exercise

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on May 26, 2026

A US marine from Regimental Combat Team-8 walks between accommodation tents at Forward Operating Base Delaram in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan on April 4, 2011. Around 140,000 foreign troops are deployed in Afghanistan within the UN-mandated, NATO-led, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and the US-led coalition Operation Enduring Freedom, which overthrew the Taliban in late 2001. AFP PHOTO/Peter PARKS (Photo credit should read PETER PARKS/AFP via Getty Images)
Drones

Drones could mean the end of sprawling bases seen during Iraq and Afghanistan Wars

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on May 19, 2026

An OA-1K Skyraider II comes in for a landing on a dirt path July 10 on the Eglin Air Force Base, Florida range. The new Air Force Special Operations Command aircraft continues developmental testing with the 96th Test Wing and the U.S. Special Operations Command at Eglin. (Courtesy image)
Aircraft

Air Force now has 18 of its new Skyraider II ‘Swiss Army Knife’ aircraft, official says

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on May 19, 2026