Lockheed Martin announces plans to test sonic boom-less supersonic plane within 3 years

Lockheed Martin announces plans to test sonic boom-less supersonic plane within 3 years

Once the habitat of the legendary Concorde commercial jet, the realm of supersonic flight has been relegated primarily to military aircraft for years now, but Lockheed Martin aims to change all that thanks to funding from NASA and their new X-59 program. The premise behind the X-59, also known as the Quiet Supersonic Technology (QueSST) […]

UK’s Royal Navy doubles its order of F-35s

UK’s Royal Navy doubles its order of F-35s

The Royal Navy has announced its intentions to double its F-35B fleet. Complying with the Royal Navy’s request, the British government agreed to purchase an additional 17 F-35B aircraft. The additional jets are expected to enter the Royal Navy’s arsenal between 2020 and 2022. The current fleet of the 16 F-35Bs are based in the […]

Hacking the F-35: Turning the fighter’s biggest strength into its biggest weakness

Hacking the F-35: Turning the fighter’s biggest strength into its biggest weakness

For years now, the F-35 has been compared to the wide variety of aircraft it is eventually expected to replace. Everything from the close-air-support legend A-10 Thunderbolt to the fastest fighter in the U.S. stable F-15 has had the F-35 laid down alongside it in an effort to spot strengths and weaknesses. Because the F-35 […]

The F-35 achieves another success: UK to double F-35B fleet

The F-35 achieves another success: UK to double F-35B fleet

In other good news for the F-35 program, the Royal Navy has announced its intentions to double its F-35B fleet. Complying with the Royal Navy’s request, the British government agreed to purchase an additional 17 F-35B aircraft. The additional jets are expected to enter the Royal Navy’s arsenal between 2020 and 2022. The current fleet of the […]

Hacking the F-35: Turning the fighter’s biggest strength into its biggest weakness

Hacking the F-35: Turning the fighter’s biggest strength into its biggest weakness

For years now, the F-35 has been compared to the wide variety of aircraft it is eventually expected to replace. Everything from the close-air-support legend A-10 Thunderbolt to the fastest fighter in the U.S. stable F-15 has had the F-35 laid down alongside it in an effort to spot strengths and weaknesses. Because the F-35 was […]

Watch: The UK Navy invented a new way to land F-35s with heavy payloads on their carriers

Watch: The UK Navy invented a new way to land F-35s with heavy payloads on their carriers

The United States isn’t the only nation that’s looking to develop ways to extend the range and combat capabilities of carrier-based fighters. The UK’s Royal Navy may not boast a carrier fleet as massive or widespread as America’s, but its new flagship, the HMS Queen Elizabeth, is already working on ways to increase the capabilities […]

China’s F-22 rip off is still plagued by engine troubles

China’s F-22 rip off is still plagued by engine troubles

China’s long-touted Chengdu J-20, claimed to be the nation’s first fully functional fifth generation fighter platform, is neither fully functional nor is it technically a fifth-generation fighter — despite already being entered into service in China’s People’s Liberation Army. Fighter generations are not determined by a formal committee; generational labels are more like industry shorthand […]

China’s newest drone appears to be just another copy of American tech

China’s newest drone appears to be just another copy of American tech

China’s aviation advancements are on full display this week at the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition and Airshow in Zhuhai, but for those who are well versed in U.S. military aircraft, the event may feel eerily familiar… almost as though you’ve seen all this before. China’s J-20 and J-31 programs, both considered fifth-generation fighters […]

Watch: DARPA’s new helicopters can fly themselves into and out of the fight

Watch: DARPA’s new helicopters can fly themselves into and out of the fight

Autonomous aircraft, though all but unheard of just a few short decades ago, have changed the face of warfare as we know it. From reconnaissance and intelligence gathering missions to complex strikes against ground targets and even a recent successful air-to-air engagement in a training environment, it’s become clear: the skies over battlespaces of the […]

Watch: DARPA’s new helicopters can fly themselves into and out of the fight

Watch: DARPA’s new helicopters can fly themselves into and out of the fight

Autonomous aircraft, though all but unheard of just a few short decades ago, have changed the face of warfare as we know it. From reconnaissance and intelligence gathering missions to complex strikes against ground targets and even a recent successful air-to-air engagement in a training environment, it’s become clear: the skies over battlespaces of the […]

At last, some good news for the F-35

At last, some good news for the F-35

Brussels, Belgium — The Belgian government has announced its intention to purchase the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) to replace its ageing F-16 fleet. The Belgian Air Force intends to replace its current fleet of 58 F-16s with 34 F-35As by 2023. The F-35 beat the Eurofighter Typhoon to win the contract. The sale will […]

The Pic of the Day: Lockheed Martin’s vision for a reusable lunar lander

The Pic of the Day: Lockheed Martin’s vision for a reusable lunar lander

Per Lockheed Martin’s press release: Lockheed Martin’s concept for a crewed lunar lander is a single stage, fully reusable system that incorporates many of Orion’s flight-proven technologies and systems. The lander would accommodate a crew of four and 2000 lbs. of payload on the surface for up to two weeks while returning to the Gateway […]