Defense Projects and News

Lockheed Martin's involvement in the new Top Gun movie.

Whisper Aero has finished validation testing of its new ultra-quiet, high efficiency, electric aircraft propulsion technology for the Pentagon and below is a look at it.

Looks like the current White House maybe looking to toss-out the current design that Former President Trump 'designed' during his administration. There appears to be issues with the dark underside on the new VC25B (Boeing 747-8i derivative) and concerns that it my build-up too much heat possibly making it a bigger thermal target. We are not certain this is the sole cause. If the current White House does change the design, it is not clear if they will revert to the current design seen on the VC25A.

'Boris Force One'

A look at the T-7A Red Hawk trainer.

The Boeing KC-46A Tanker/transport program may be getting some renewed international interest. Since 2020 at least six militaries (other than the U.S Air Force) have expressed some interest in acquiring this platform. By the end of this year Boeing should be announcing a new foreign buyer for the aircraft. There may be some potential conflict though as Boeing is only selling the aircraft as an inflight refueling tanker and therefore will have the main fueling boom at the back. Some of the interested parties prefer to utilize the aircraft as a cargo jet without the boom.

Spain to purchase more Typhoons to replace Hornets. The contract has been given the go-ahead for Spain to receive 20 more Eurofighter Typhoons. "Today’s announcement is great news for many reasons, particularly though because it signals the continued commitment to the future of Eurofighter Typhoon from one of the four core partner nations," said Mancusi. "The order also highlights the current and future strength of the program—which will ensure Eurofighter continues as the backbone of European air defense for many years to come—as well as representing welcome support for the European aerospace industry." The contract is said to be worth in the region of 2.15 billion.

It looks as though the UK has cancelled their 'Mosquito' Loyal wingman demonstrator project. It was UK’s uncrewed Lightweight Affordable Novel Combat Aircraft (LANCA) program. "Through Project Mosquito and other experimentation activities the Royal Air Force has made substantial progress and gained significant value in understanding and harnessing a range of future uncrewed capabilities," said Air Commodore Jez Holmes, head of the RCO, in the accompanying press release. "This decision maximizes the learning accrued to date and enables a change of direction for the LANCA program. The Rapid Capabilities Office will now quickly launch activities to aggressively pursue the RAF’s unchanged firm commitment to integrate advanced uncrewed capabilities into the near-term force mix with more immediate beneficial value."

The Polish Ministry of Defense has ordered 32 Leonardo AW149 helicopters. The deal is valued at just under 2 billion dollars and will be delivered between 2023 and 2029. "The contract signed today is a continuation of the fulfillment of our promises to Poland regarding Leonardo's commitment to the development of the local helicopter plants and the Polish supply chain to the benefit of Polish industry," said Leonardo CEO Alessandro Profumo. "By strengthening our position in the strategic Polish market as a supplier of modern defense technology, we are proud to contribute to the constant increase of the security of the Polish nation, and to strengthen the industrial capabilities which are fundamental to the country's resilience and sovereignty."

Boeing has delivered its 150th P-8 Poseidon MPA aircraft. The 150th P-8 will be based at Maryland’s Naval Air Station Patuxent River and operated by Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) One. "There are now 150 P-8s around the world delivering confidence and an unmatched capability to our global customers," said Stu Voboril, Boeing vice president and program manager for P-8 Programs. "Our focus has been, and will be, on delivering the world’s best maritime patrol aircraft."

Topping the ILA Berlin news was Spain’s order for a fleet of E-Scan (electronically scanned) radar-equipped Eurofighters to replace F-18s operated by the Spanish Air Force from Gando Air Base on the Canary Islands. With deliveries to begin in 2026, these new single- and twin-seat combat aircraft will increase the Spanish Air Force’s overall inventory to 90 Eurofighters, positioning it among NATO allies with the most modern fighter jet developed in Europe.

What would it take to own the skies.

The best of the Defiant X.

Diamond Shield.

Defense and search and rescue...MicroLite.

Lockheed Martin's second quarter highlights.

American military aircraft flying in for the 2022 edition of RIAT.

F-15 Eagle celebrating 50 years of existence.