RAF opens competition to replace Hawk trainer as Red Arrows face 2030 deadline
UK begins market consultation for a new advanced jet trainer after years of delays and the collapse of domestic contender Aeralis
Air Data News•Ricardo Meier9 AugRoyal Air Force — page 3
Organization · 82 articlesCoverage, page 3
page 3 of 4Air Data News•Ricardo Meier9 Aug
Red Arrows cancel UK airshows as weather prevents return from Canada
The Royal Air Force Aerobatic. Team (RAFAT), The Red Arrows, have been forced to cancel their appearance at several UK airshows after adverse weather has prevented them returning to the UK from Canada. The Reds were due to return to their home base at RAF Waddington last week but weather [read more]
UK Aviation News•Nick Harding9 Aug
Red Arrows cancel upcoming UK displays due to troubles returning from US tour
The Royal Air Force’s (RAF) Red Arrows aerobatic display team has canceled a series of upcoming appearances after…
AeroTime•Ian Molyneaux9 Aug
UK Releases RFI for New Jet Trainer and Red Arrows Aircraft
A request for information (RFI) has been released to gather industry responses ahead of the replacement of the Hawk T1 and Hawk T2 in Royal Air Force service. With the planned early retirement of the Hawk T2 and the 2030 sundown of the Red Arrows’ Hawk T1 confirmed in the recently released Defence Investment Plan […]
The Aviationist•Kai Greet8 Aug
£10 Million Each: Why Virgin Atlantic Is Poaching Britain's Rarest Pilots
The RAF faces stiff competition to keep its aircrew on the flight deck.
KC-135 Damaged In Fatal Mid Air Collision Transits Home with Donor Tail
The surviving KC-135R Stratotanker from the incident over Iraq in March which saw another Stratotanker lost with six fatalities has been repaired with a replacement vertical stabilizer taken from another aircraft. Captured at RAF Mildenhall, UK during its transit back towards the United States from forward deployment in Israel, the aircraft was visibly displaying two […]
The Aviationist•Kai Greet2 Aug
Why The US Air Force Just Sent A Third Of Its B-1B Fleet To 1 British Airbase
England's RAF Fairford has been the primary strategic bomber air base used to conduct missions over Iran in 2026.
How The F-35 Stacks Up Against The Eurofighter Typhoon In 2026
How the RAF and Italy prove the F-35 and Eurofighter Typhoon are rivals on paper but partners in 2026’s networked battlespace.
14 Year Old Boy Linked to Hoax Phone Call Causing QRA Intercept of Qatari Airliner
Greater Manchester Police are investigating a hoax bomb threat made against a Qatar Airways Boeing 777, which led to an emergency response by Royal Air Force Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) Typhoon FGR4s. The police force confirmed on Jul. 25, 2026, that an investigation into a bomb threat made against a Qatar Airways Boeing 777 en […]
The Aviationist•Kai Greet25 JulA
RAF Typhoons escort Qatar Airways Boeing 777 after in-flight concern over UK airspace
Two Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon jets were scrambled from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire after a Qatar Airways Boeing 777-300ER registered A7-BAJ operating a flight from Doha to Manchester Airport prompted concerns from civil authorities. The aircraft, operating as flight QR23, was intercepted after entering UK airspace, with the RAF confirming that a Quick Reaction […]
Aviation24.be•André Orban25 Jul
Qatar Airways Boeing 777 Intercepted By RAF Typhoons After Failing To Respond To ATC
An apparently unresponsive Qatar Airways flight caused concern for UK authorities.
New RAF H-47ER Chinooks Revealed Sporting 160th SOAR Style Black Paint Scheme
Images released by Boeing of the Royal Air Force’s next batch of Chinook helicopters confirm long-standing reports of their similarity to the U.S. MH-47G variant. The new-build Chinooks will supplant some of the oldest examples currently in RAF service, some of which date back to the early 1980s. The H-47ER specification Chinooks are the first […]
The Aviationist•Kai Greet22 Jul
Raytheon UK Unveils Red Kite, a New Sovereign Precision Weapon Designed to Boost RAF Stockpiles
Raytheon UK has introduced the new Red Kite munition, described as the company’s first sovereign precision weapon fully designed and digitally engineered in the United Kingdom. Raytheon UK has unveiled, during the second day of Farnborough International Airshow 2026, a new precision air-launched munition called Red Kite. The weapon is described as the company’s “first […]
The Aviationist•Stefano D'Urso21 Jul
The UK Just Bought 12 F-35As Because Its 48 F-35Bs Can't Carry This Nuclear Weapon
Why the new stealth fighter marks the RAF's return to strategic deterrence.
RAF ‘Looking At’ Requirement for Boom-Equipped Tankers
A Royal Air Force official at the Global Air and Space Chiefs’ Conference 2026 has confirmed that the planned GCAP fighter will be designed for boom refueling, meaning it will not be compatible from the outset with the RAF’s hose and drogue refueling system. Gareth Jennings, Aviation Desk Editor for Janes, quotes an unnamed official […]
The Aviationist•Kai Greet16 Jul
Why Virgin Atlantic Is Targeting The 40 RAF Pilots Keeping Britain's F-35 Fleet Flyable
Virgin Atlantic has campaigned to entice former RAF fast jet pilots to fly for them on long-haul transatlantic routes.
Will Storm Fighter suffer the same fate as Mosquito?
The UK MoD has unveiled its latest drone wingman concept for the RAF, dubbed Storm Fighter, at the Global Air and Space Chiefs' Conference.
Langley F-22s Return Home from Operation Epic Fury Deployment
Deployed to Israel since February, F-22 Raptors from the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley AFB transited towards home with an unusual stopover at RAF Fairford over the weekend. Twelve 1st FW Raptors in total are thought to be part of the package heading home. Ten jets made it to RAF Fairford on Jul. 10, 2026, […]
The Aviationist•Kai Greet14 Jul
Indian Air Force Received Nine Retired RAF Jaguars
India for the last few years has been importing retired British, French and Omani Jaguars along with separate components to supply spares to its existing fleet. The Indian Air Force (IAF), the only remaining operator of the Anglo-French SEPECAT Jaguar strike aircraft, has received nine retired Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft since the beginning of […]
The Aviationist•Parth Satam9 Jul
New VC-25B Bridge Air Force One Visits RAF Mildenhall
After taking President Trump to Ankara for the NATO summit, the new VC-25B Bridge aircraft called into RAF Mildenhall to allow deployed U.S. personnel a special chance to view and tour the aircraft. The visit was officially confirmed by President Trump on the Truth Social platform, where he also suggested that him and his entourage […]
The Aviationist•Kai Greet8 Jul