Platforms & Systems Archives - DEFENSE-AEROSPACE

U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Bryan Giraldo

Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets Tracked Flying Deep Inside the Gulf of Venezuela During 40 Minute Orbits

Online flight tracking data showed two U.S. Navy F A 18 Super Hornets fly into the center of the Gulf of Venezuela on Tuesday. They held tight orbits over the water for about 40 minutes. The callsigns shown on the public feed

December 9, 2025

Aircraft

Russia’s An-22 Heavy Transport Crashes Near Ivanovo During Test Flight

A Russian Air Force Antonov An-22 heavy transport crashed in the Ivanovo region on December 9, 2025. Russian investigators said everyone on board died. The loss likely removes the last flying An-22 from Russian service. The type already flew rarely and recent

December 9, 2025

Naval Systems

Crashed USS Nimitz Super Hornet and Seahawk Recovered From South China Sea

The U.S. Navy recovered an MH-60R Seahawk and an F/A-18F Super Hornet from the South China Sea on Dec. 5. The aircraft came from USS Nimitz. Both crashed on Oct. 26, about 30 minutes apart. The Navy said recovery teams lifted them

December 9, 2025

A second B-21 Raider, the nation’s sixth-generation stealth bomber, joins flight testing at Edwards Air Force Base (Courtesy photo).

Aircraft

Air Force Reviews B-21 Crew Structure for Long Missions and Advanced Automation Integration

On 15 August, Gen. Thomas Bussiere, then commander of Air Force Global Strike Command, signed a memo that laid out his preferred B-21 crew mix. He argued that the Raider’s two-seat cockpit should usually carry one pilot and one weapon systems officer,

November 4, 2025

Naval Systems

Naval and Air Movements in Caribbean After Hurricane Melissa Landfall

Hurricane Melissa reached Category 5 strength near Jamaica and forced U.S. Navy units operating across the Caribbean to shift routes and stand clear of the forecast track. Defense officials confirm afloat and aviation elements executed storm-avoidance plans during mission tasking. “Despite these

October 27, 2025

Photo by Airman 1st Class Elijah Strickland

Aircraft

F-35 Proving Frontline Value as TR-3, Block 4 Upgrades and Vectis Teaming Advance

Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 542 closed its first long F-35B combat tour in October with 1,099 sorties and 4,736 flight hours. NORAD pushed a mixed F-35 and F-16 package to Pituffik Space Base in Greenland from Oct. 7–11 to validate an Arctic

October 24, 2025

U.S. Air Force photo by Tech Sgt. Aaron Thomasson

Aircraft

Gripen E Joins the Swedish Air Force as First Operational Jets Enter Service at Såtenäs

The first operational Gripen E fighters are now in Swedish Air Force service at F 7 Skaraborg Wing in Såtenäs. The formal introduction took place on Oct 20, 2025. The first two airframes carry registrations 609 and 610. Defense officials confirm the

October 21, 2025

Photo courtesy of the Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

Aircraft

General Atomics Gambit 6 Adds Strike Power to the Gambit Combat Drone Family

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has added a dedicated strike version to its Gambit series of autonomous combat drones, unveiling Gambit 6 at the International Fighter Conference in Rome on 4 November 2025. The new variant brings a strongly air-to-surface focused configuration to

November 5, 2025

Space Systems

How Inversion Space’s Arc Could Deliver Military Cargo From Orbit in One Hour

Los Angeles-based startup Inversion Space is developing an orbital cargo-drop system for military use. Its Arc orbital supply capsule is intended to send roughly 500 pounds of cargo from low Earth orbit to almost any point on the globe in about an

November 6, 2025

U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Alejandra Vega

Aircraft

HMS Prince of Wales Sets UK Record With 24 F-35Bs in Mediterranean Carrier Operations

HMS Prince of Wales has completed her Mediterranean work-up with 24 British F-35B Lightning II jets embarked, the largest number of the type yet fielded on a single ship and the biggest fifth-generation carrier air wing assembled by the United Kingdom. The

November 7, 2025