MQ-9 Next Prepares for Post-Reaper Era with Cheaper Platform Under Strain of Losses
Still indispensable but vulnerable, the MQ-9 Reaper is pushing the U.S. Air Force to seek a modular, cheaper successor that is acceptable to lose. In […]
USA
Ban on F-22 Raptor Retirements Extended Until 2032
The House Armed Services Committee has extended the ban on retiring F-22 Raptors through fiscal year 2032. This decision keeps all 184 aircraft in service […]
The F-47 and CCAs Reveal the Strategic Price of the Sixth Generation
The American NGAD and its CCA drones pose a central question: how to maintain air superiority without bankrupting the armed forces? Summary The American NGAD […]
The Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) enters the industrial phase
With the CCA, the US Air Force aims to move from prototype to mass production. Budget, supply chain, exports: the industrial challenge is as risky […]
F-47: Why CCA Drones Are Becoming the Decisive Factor
The U.S. Air Force is accelerating its CCA drone program to support the F-47, but their cost, range, and stealth capabilities remain risky bets. The […]
The SR-71 and U-2: The Extreme School for Spy Pilots
How SR-71 Blackbird and U-2 pilots prepared for the most demanding reconnaissance flights of the Cold War. Preparation for SR-71 Blackbird and U-2 pilots The […]
The NGAD’s Role Shifts Amid the Rise of CCA Drones
The U.S. Air Force is redefining the balance between the NGAD and CCA drones. The future of U.S. air combat will rely on a hybrid, […]
The USAF’s 2026 budget favors drones and the B-21
The USAF’s 2026 budget reduces the F-35A order and prioritizes combat drones, the B-21 Raider, and the F-47. A deliberate shift. In summary The US […]
The Pentagon launches a billion-dollar competition for low-cost attack drones
The US Department of Defense selects 25 companies to mass-produce low-cost disposable drones, a revolution in modern warfare inspired by the conflict in Ukraine. In […]
Ballistic missiles: America boosts THAAD production from 96 to 400 per year
From 96 to 400 THAAD interceptors per year: what the Lockheed-Pentagon agreement reveals about stockpiling, costs, and buyers. In summary The Pentagon and Lockheed Martin […]