Air Force greenlights T-7A Red Hawk for production following Milestone C
The T-7A Red Hawk has officially been cleared for production. Following Milestone C approval on April 23, the Air Force is moving forward with a $219 million contract for the first 14 advanced trainer aircraft along with associated spares, support equipment, and training from Boeing Defense, Space & Security. This achievement marks a pivotal moment for the T-7 Advanced Pilot Training Program. It follows a year of focused progress under an “active management” strategy, a collaborative effort between the Air Force, Air Education and Training Command, and Boeing.
Read full articleLatest Military Aviation News
View all news
J-36: Why China’s New ‘Combat Cruiser’ Has 3 Engines, No Tail And The Air Force Is Worried
China’s mysterious Chengdu J-36 sixth-generation combat aircraft is far larger than any traditional fighter—measuring roughly 75 feet long with three engines, no tail, and a 25-foot weapons bay capable of carrying 500-kilometer-range missiles. Analysts call it an “airborne cruiser” designed not to dogfight, but to hunt American tankers, AWACS, and high-value assets across the Pacific—potentially extending China’s combat reach all the way to Guam.
Retired fighter pilot taught Chinese airmen secret US tactics, feds say
A retired Air Force fighter pilot accused of teaching American tactics to Chinese airmen allegedly drove erratically to avoid an FBI tail, kept a fake passport, and deleted messages from foreign pilots to cover his tracks, according to recent filings in federal court. New court documents shed light on how Gerald E. Brown, 65, allegedly intended to retire in China after several years on a $250,000-per-year job teaching Chinese military pilots, prosecutors say, which he also hoped would give him a chance of “going fast again and pulling g’s.”
NATO Jets Scramble Three Times in One Week to Intercept Russian Aircraft Over Baltic Region
NATO fighter jets were scrambled three times over the past week to identify and escort Russian military aircraft flying near the Baltic states, according to LRT on May 4, citing Lithuania’s Ministry of National Defense. The Lithuanian ministry reported that the incidents involved multiple Russian aircraft operating in international airspace but failing to comply with standard aviation safety protocols. These included missing flight plans, lack of communication with air traffic control, and, in some cases, disabled radar transponders.
Ukrainian pilots are breaking from Soviet-era tactics and learning to fly with a Western mindset, trainers say
Business Insider visited a Royal Air Force base where Ukrainian pilots receive early-stage flight training. The course sharpens the pilots' flying skills before they move on to more advanced F-16 training. Among the RAF instructors' tasks is helping the Ukrainians shift from Soviet to Western thinking.
U.S. Military Supports Launch of Project Freedom in Strait of Hormuz
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces will begin supporting Project Freedom, May 4, to restore freedom of navigation for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The mission, directed by the President, will support merchant vessels seeking to freely transit through the essential international trade corridor. A quarter of the world’s oil trade at sea and significant volumes of fuel and fertilizer products are transported through the strait.
More than 50 military aircraft from 9 countries join in southern Greece exercise
More than 50 fighter aircraft and helicopters from several countries and 1,000 personnel are taking part in an annual NATO exercise that started Monday in southern Greece, the Hellenic Air Force said. The NATO Tiger Meet 2026 exercise is centered at Greece’s 116th Combat Wing at Araxos Air Base west of Patras in the Peloponnese region, with the participation of units form Greece, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic.
UAE purchases 10 military aircraft from Brazil as BRICS ties grow
The Brazilian aerospace firm Embraer announced that it was awarded a contract to sell 10 C-390 Millennium aircraft to the UAE’s Tawazun Council for Defense Enablement. The contract additionally entails maintenance and support services that will be developed in collaboration with an unspecified Emirati defense firm. The purchase of the C-390 Millennium planes, which is the first by a Middle Eastern state, will help Emirati forces with cargo and troop transport, airdrop operations, humanitarian assistance and medical evacuation operations, Embraer said in a statement.
The Brilliant New Tech That Solves The F-22 Raptor’s Biggest Wartime Vulnerability
The U.S. Air Force is preparing to install a shoebox-sized navigation system on its F-22 Raptors that will allow the stealth fighters to keep flying even if China or Russia knocks out GPS in wartime. Called EGI-M and built by Northrop Grumman, the new system uses gyroscopes and accelerometers to track aircraft movement without satellite signals—solving one of the most dangerous vulnerabilities in modern American airpower.
China’s New Stealth Drone Has A Wingspan That Rivals The B-2 Spirit Bomber
Newly published satellite imagery shows China testing multiple large stealth flying-wing drones at a secretive military site. The images, taken on March 26, 2026, show two previously identified large stealth drones operating simultaneously at China’s Malan test base in Xinjiang, alongside a third fighter-like unmanned aircraft. The imagery, provided by Planet Labs and published across multiple news outlets, marks the first time both large flying-wing aircraft have been observed together outside their hangars, suggesting a recent increase in testing activity.
