Gold Canopy: The Conductive Film That Hides a Fighter Cockpit
The cockpit is the problem. To a radar it is a cavity full of complex shapes: the ejection seat, the instrument panel and the pilot’s helmet, which alone can form a sizeable return. A transparent conductor on the canopy, vapour-deposited gold or indium tin oxide (ITO) in most published accounts, presents the radar with a controlled shape instead and deflects the incoming waves away from it.
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Lapland Air Wing Receives First Finnish F-35A Fighter
Finland has marked the arrival of its first two Lockheed Martin F-35A fighters in-country, following their touchdown at the Lapland Air Wing base at Rovaniemi in the north of the country on September 18. The inaugural pair of jets form part of a 64-strong order, worth around $9.4 billion in total, placed with the U.S. manufacturer in 2021.
First new F-16V fighter jets arrive in Taiwan to bolster defenses against China
The first two of a batch of 66 new F-16V Block 70 fighter jets ordered in 2019 arrived in Taiwan on Friday after months of delays, helping to strengthen an air force that has to scramble almost daily to shadow China's military.
3,800-mph hypersonic Blackbeard missile tested by US Navy aboard fighter jet
The US Navy has completed a flight test of Castelion’s Blackbeard hypersonic strike missile aboard an F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, marking a step toward a long-range weapon for carrier-based fighters. The test took place at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland.
Ukraine Will Receive At Least Three More F-16s This Year. Is It Enough?
In addition to the new F-16s, the Ukrainian government has requested additional 20mm ordnance for their cannons—which is far cheaper for anti-drone operations than advanced missiles.
SWEDISH FIGHTERS ASSUME NSATU MISSION IN POLAND
The contribution from Blekinge Wing (F 17) of the Swedish Air Force will support NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU), helping safeguard NATO airspace in southeastern Poland, used for military and civilian assistance to Ukraine. Protecting this facility helps sustain the flow of support for Ukraine’s defence.
Boeing’s F/A-XX win: turning the corner on a difficult decade?
In a reversal of fortune, Boeing has secured not only the US Air Force but also the US Navy’s next-generation crewed combat aircraft programme. Alongside the F-47 for the air force, Boeing has been picked by the Pentagon for the navy’s F/A-XX strike fighter requirement.
France Has Begun Training Ukrainian Rafale Pilots
France has begun preparations to train Ukrainian pilots to fly Rafale fighter jets. This was announced by Benjamin Haddad, France’s Minister Delegate for European Affairs, in an interview with franceinfo.
China Opens Air Force Training Centre in Laos at Ban Keun Airport
The stated mission is modest: to help Laos strengthen the training of its air force pilots. Both facilities are jointly maintained and operated by the two militaries, the ministry said, and they are not directed against any third party.
Meet the X-BAT: Full specs on the new AI-piloted fighter jet to be built in Washington state
Shield AI’s new X-BAT autonomous fighter jet is designed to bypass that infrastructure entirely, utilizing a vertical takeoff mechanism and a mobile launch trailer that can operate from highways, remote outposts or standard cargo ships.
