Dassault Rafale (click for cutaway view) Will Dassault's fighter become a fashionably late fighter platform that builds on its parent company's past successes - or just "the late Rafale"? It all began as a 1985 break-away from the multinational consortium that went on...
NG To Integrate Data Links Into Marine Corps Super Hornet | Tehran Received SU-35s | Lockheed and RAF Conduct 1st F-35 Data-Sharing With Non-US System
Americas In an effort to attract US customers, Anduril Industries recently showcased the capabilities of its Dive Extra-Large Autonomous Undersea Vehicle (XL-AUV) off the coast of California. The autonomous submarine reportedly completed a 100-hour single voyage — the...
Eurofighter’s Future: Tranche 3, and Beyond
Italian Eurofighters (click to view full) The multi-national Eurofighter Typhoon has been described as the aerodynamic apotheosis of lessons learned from the twin engine "teen series" fighters that began with the F-14 and F-15, continued with the emergence of the...
The JAS-39 Gripen: Sweden’s 4+ Generation Wild Card
South African JAS-39D (click to view full) As a neutral country with a long history of providing for its own defense against all comers, Sweden also has a long tradition of building excellent high-performance fighters with a distinctive look. From the long-serving...
Snakes and Rotors: The H-1 Helicopter Program
UH-1Y and AH-1Z by Neville Dawson The US Marines' helicopter force is aging at all levels, from banana-shaped CH-46 Sea Knight transports that are far older than their pilots, to the 1980s-era UH-1N Hueys and AH-1W Cobra attack helicopters that make up the Corps'...
Up to $11.9B for B-52H Maintenance & Modernization
B-52H: flyin' low, dyin' slow... (click to view full) Officially, it's the B-52H Stratofortress. Unofficially, it's the BUFF (Big Ugly Fat F--cker). Either way, this subsonic heavy bomber remains the mainstay of the U.S. strategic fleet after more than 50 years of...
Nothing but Netz: Used F-16s for Romania
MiG-21 'Lancer' (click to view full) The MiG-21 is reaching the end of its service life, but it can still be effective for a little while. India's refurbished MiG-21 'Bisons' combined Russian, Indian and Israeli technology to excellent effect in the COPE India 2004...
SpaceX Launches Six Hypersonic, Ballistic Tracking Space Sensors | AMRAAMs and SDB-IIs Sales Approved For Italy | Norinco Revealed New Howitzer
Americas SpaceX launched six US missile-detection satellites to low-Earth orbit on Wednesday. They include two Missile Defense Agency Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS) satellites and the final four Space Development Agency (SDA) Tranche 0 Tracking...
The C-130J: New Hercules & Old Bottlenecks
RAAF C-130J-30, flares (click to view full) The C-130 Hercules remains one of the longest-running aerospace manufacturing programs of all time. Since 1956, over 40 models and variants have served as the tactical airlift backbone for over 50 nations. The C-130J looks...
Eurofighter’s Future: Tranche 3, and Beyond
Italian Eurofighters (click to view full) The multi-national Eurofighter Typhoon has been described as the aerodynamic apotheosis of lessons learned from the twin engine "teen series" fighters that began with the F-14 and F-15, continued with the emergence of the...