Lockheed Martin has announced the successful completion of flight testing for the Digital Receiver Exciter Recorder (DREXR) upgrade developed for the U.S. Navy’s E-2D Advanced Hawkeye. Conducted in partnership with Northrop Grumman, the milestone represents another step in the ongoing modernisation of one of the Navy’s most important airborne command-and-control platforms. The program is intended to keep the aircraft effective against rapidly evolving threats while ensuring i

Embraer has concluded a major international demonstration campaign for its KC-390 Millennium, with the aircraft visiting 11 countries, flying more than 47,000 nautical miles, and completing 54 flights over more than 70 days. The tour ended after the aircraft’s participation at FIDAE, one of Latin America’s leading aerospace exhibitions, before returning to Embraer’s defence headquarters in Gavião Peixoto. According to the manufacturer, the campaign achieved full mission compl

Few missions in aviation history have combined daring, innovation and strategic impact quite like the Doolittle Raid of April 18, 1942. Conducted only months after the devastating Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, the raid marked the first American air strike against the Japanese home islands and provided a much-needed boost to Allied morale during one of the darkest periods of World War II. The operation, officially led by James H. Doolittle, demonstrated the growing adaptab

Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), part of the Rostec state conglomerate, has delivered another batch of new-build Su-35S multirole fighters to the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS), reinforcing one of the service’s key frontline combat aircraft fleets. The delivery was announced on 17 April and marks the latest in a continuing series of transfers intended to sustain operational readiness and modernise Russia’s tactical aviation inventory. According to official statemen

Bell Textron has released initial operational data from its Nacelle Improvement (NI) Programme for the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey, reporting reductions in maintenance requirements and improved readiness rates among modified U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) CV-22 aircraft. The company said the upgraded nacelle system has now accumulated more than 10,000 flight hours, providing an early indication of how the changes are performing in active service conditions. Bel

The Portuguese Air Force has taken a significant step in modernising its pilot training pipeline with the selection of the Tecnam P-Mentor as the cornerstone of its new Elementary Flight Training (EFT) capability. The programme, awarded by the Portuguese Ministry of National Defence, will see seven aircraft delivered alongside a comprehensive training and support package. The contract has been awarded through Spanish aviation services provider World Aviation S.L. in partnersh

The recent US rescue of two downed Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle crew members over Iran will likely be remembered not simply as a successful personnel recovery mission, but as one of the clearest modern demonstrations of how much airpower is required to retrieve a single isolated aircrew in heavily defended airspace. Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle What emerged in the days after the operation was not the story of one helicopter slipping quietly into hostile territory, but of an extraor

Embraer’s KC-390 Millennium has successfully completed a demanding cold-weather demonstration campaign in northern Sweden, underlining the Brazilian-built airlifter’s growing credentials for operations in Arctic and high-latitude environments. Conducted at the Vidsel Test Range military facility, the March campaign was designed to assess the aircraft’s ability to perform in extreme winter conditions while also supporting modern dispersed operating concepts such as Agile Comba

By Garth Calitz Photos by Garth Calitz and Trevor Cohen The South African Air Force (SAAF) entered a new chapter on 1 April 2026 with the appointment of Lieutenant General Carl Moatshe as its new Chief, marking a significant leadership transition for one of the country’s most strategically important military services. The change of command was formally marked during a handover parade, hosted at SAAF Mobile Deployment Wing (previously AFB Swartkops) on the last day of March.

Brazil’s Gripen fighter programme reached a significant new milestone on 25 March with the official unveiling of the first Gripen E combat aircraft assembled in Brazil, a development that underlines the growing maturity of the country’s defence aerospace sector. Presented during a ceremony at Embraer’s industrial complex in Gavião Peixoto, São Paulo State, the aircraft represents an important step in the long-running cooperation between Embraer, Saab and the Brazilian Air For