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 […]

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 […]

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 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

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

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

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

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 […]