An F-4AUP Phantom of the Hellenic Air Force crashed during a flying display part of Athens Flying Week. There are no signs of the pilots ejecting. On Sept. 5, 2026, an Hellenic Air Force F-4 Phantom crashed at Tanagra Air Base, near Athens. Videos shared online show the aircraft impacting the ground and exploding into […]
The Aviationist•David Cenciotti5 Sept
Now back on its own wheels ready for the next phase of restoration, the Bristol Type 170 Freighter, built in Britain but now the only surviving example in the whole of Europe, is due to eventually take pride of place in Aerospace Bristol’s new outdoor exhibit area. Aerospace Bristol, a rapidly growing aviation museum founded […]
The Aviationist•Kai Greet4 Sept
The first eight of a dozen Vermont Air National Guard F-35As are returning home from their combat deployment in the CENTCOM area of operations. Split into two flights, the first eight F-35A jets of the Green Mountain Boys of the Vermont Air National Guard 158th Fighter Wing/134th Fighter Squadron, arrived in the UK on their […]
The Aviationist•David Cenciotti4 Sept
The company says the first pod was assembled using production systems, as Viper Shield orders grow to 233 units across eight allied nations. According to a statement released on Sept. 3, 2026, L3Harris Technologies has assembled its first podded Viper Shield electronic warfare system using production-standard hardware. This is a significant step forward for the […]
The Aviationist•David Cenciotti4 Sept
The IOC for the Grey Wolf comes as the U.S. prepares to transition to the Sentinel ICBM from the legacy Minuteman III, where the helicopter’s improved performance and mission systems are better suited for the nuclear security role. The U.S. Air Force MH-139 Grey Wolf helicopter, meant to replace the UH-1N Huey in the missile-field […]
The Aviationist•Parth Satam3 Sept
The U.S. Air Force’s EC-130H has conducted its last ever flight, marking the end to an illustrious career spanning more than four decades. On September 2, 2026, EC-130H reg. 73-1590 departed Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, under the callsign VOLT01, for what was scheduled to be the final flight of the type. The aircraft took […]
The Aviationist•Rin Sakurai3 Sept
In a response to an MP’s written question, Defence minister Luke Pollard said that the RAF’s existing aerial refueling force will be complemented by the development of a boom refueling capability. The news comes following our previous article, which reported on rumors from anonymous officials that a boom refueling option was being ‘looked at’. Confirmation […]
The Aviationist•Kai Greet3 Sept
The carrier’s first full port stop of the deployment comes after 286 days at sea and nearly seven months of combat operations, with the ship visibly showing the effects of its prolonged time in the harsh marine environment. USS Abraham Lincoln arrived at Laem Chabang, Thailand, early on Sept. 2, 2026, for what the U.S. […]
The Aviationist•David Cenciotti2 Sept
Explosive-laden drones, including one which hit, but failed to detonate, a Ukrainian Antonov transport aircraft at Leipzig Airport in early August have been publicly identified by German officials as part of a Russian hybrid warfare campaign. Germany’s Foreign and Interior Ministers spoke publicly in Berlin on Sep. 1, 2026, to publicly announce new measures the […]
The Aviationist•Kai Greet1 Sept
Held on Aug 26, Rescue Flag 26-1 brought together forces from the USAF, USMC, JMSDF, and JASDF for a comprehensive simulated casualty exercise. A USAF CV-22B Osprey joined a JMSDF (Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force) US-2 amphibious aircraft for the first time during the Rescue Flag series of exercises. The two aircraft, alongside several others operated by […]
The Aviationist•Rin Sakurai1 Sept
During the recent Project Convergence Capstone 6, an H-60M Black Hawk crew employed an Altius-700 Air-Launched Effect to autonomously find the target, pass data across the formation, and strike. As explained by Sikorsky in an interview at Farnborugh International Airshow last month, a major focus of Armed Black Hawk’s development is on air-launched effects (A-LE): […]
The Aviationist•David Cenciotti1 Sept
During EoC 2025, the PLA Air Force YY-20A tanker refueled Egyptian Air Force MiG-29s, marking an enhancement in cross-platform interoperability. A Chinese YY-20A Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) refueled an Egyptian Air Force (EAF) Rafale fighter during the ongoing Eagles of Civilization 2026 air drills, the latest official images released by both militaries show. During last […]
The Aviationist•Parth Satam1 Sept
The final Jayhawk has departed Vance for Davis-Monthan, closing more than three decades of T-1A operations and bringing an end to the 3rd Flying Training Squadron’s latest chapter. Monday, Aug. 31, 2026, marked the official close of a chapter in U.S. Air Force training history that may never be equaled when it comes to safe […]
The Aviationist•Greg L. Davis31 Aug
The first Hürjet jet trainer destined to the Turkish Air Force, part of a first batch of 12 aircraft, flew for the first time on Aug. 30, 2026. The first production-representative Hürjet jet trainer aircraft destined to the Turkish Air Force (Türk Hava Kuvvetleri – THK) made its maiden flight on Aug. 30, 2026, announced […]
The Aviationist•Parth Satam31 Aug
A new budget document released by the Japanese Ministry of Defense includes a reference to the ASM-3 as both an anti-ship and an anti-air missile, hinting at an additional role for the newly developed supersonic munition. The ASM-3 is Japan’s latest indigenous anti-ship missile, designed to replace the ASM-1 and ASM-2 missiles carried most notably […]
The Aviationist•Kai Greet31 Aug
Weeks after the first photographs emerged, Uzbek J-10CE fighters have now been officially shown on national television. Uzbekistan’s acquisition of the Chinese J-10CE fighter jets was finally confirmed on Aug. 28, 2026, when the aircraft appeared in a two-hour feature broadcast by state television channel O’zbekiston 24 Telekanali on the occasion of the 35th Independence […]
The Aviationist•Parth Satam30 Aug
The South Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has sought detailed industry proposals for a sixth generation jet. South Korea set the ball rolling for its future next-generation jet, with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) inviting companies to submit their conceptual designs, industrial and technological roadmaps. The RFP […]
The Aviationist•Parth Satam29 Aug
The Gripen F, the twin-seater variant of the Gripen E, conducted its first flight from Saab’s airfield in Linköping. Saab has announced the successful first flight of the Gripen F, the twin-seater variant of the Gripen E fighter jet, on Aug. 28, 2026. The aircraft took off at 09:40 local time from Saab’s airfield in […]
The Aviationist•Stefano D'Urso28 Aug
The reported phase out follows years of availability and maintainability problems with Sweden’s NH90 fleet and a decision to expand its UH-60M Black Hawk fleet. Less than a decade after taking delivery of its full fleet of 18 NH90 helicopters, Sweden will begin phasing out nine of its NH90 TTHs (Tactical Transport Helicopters) from 2027, […]
The Aviationist•Parth Satam27 Aug
The exercise marks the first deployment of Chinese J-16 fighters to Africa and sees them training against Egyptian Rafales and MiG-29M2s. Building on the 2025 edition of the Egyptian-Chinese Eagles of Civilization drills, this year’s exercise sees People Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) J-16s training with Egyptian Air Force (EAF) Rafale and MiG-29M2 fighters. The […]
The Aviationist•Parth Satam26 Aug