An artist rendering of a CH-53K helicopter in Israeli Air Force livery. Sikorsky Photo
Israel late last month reached a deal to buy Lockheed Martin-owned Sikorsky’s heavy-lift helicopter, with the first aircraft slated for delivery in 2025, the Navy announced this week. Read More
The following is the Nov. 3, 2021, Congressional Research Service report: Air Force F-15EX Eagle II Fighter Program. Read More
F/A-18F Super Hornets, assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 41, fly over the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) in the Atlantic Ocean, May 9, 2019. US Navy Photo
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — If Congress mandates the Navy keep buying the current F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, the airframes will be in the fleet into the 2050s. But by then, the fourth-generation fighters likely couldn’t stand up to future threats, a service official said Tuesday. Read More
Rear Adm. Trent DeMoss. Navy Photo
The admiral in charge of naval aviation maintenance depots has been removed from command pending an investigation into harassment complaints in the wake of a Navy Inspector General investigation, two Navy officials told USNI News. Read More
CH-53K, K3, piloted by Mr. Rob Pupalaikis and Maj. Joshua Foxton, flies an aerial refueling test with an external load on Sept. 28, 2020, from NAS Patuxent River, MD. Sikorsky Photo.
Operational test Marines have begun flying the new CH-53K ahead of this summer’s planned test event to bring the heavy lift helicopter to initial operational capability, the Navy’s program manager said today. Read More
Marine Corps aviators in the CH-53K Containerized Flight Training Device (CFTD) experience a highly immersive virtual environment. Sikorsky photo.
The final of three CH-53K heavy-lift helicopter trainers has been declared “ready for training,” and an industry/government team next month will begin training the squadron that will conduct the new helo’s initial operational test and evaluation. Read More
An F/A-18 Super Hornet, attached to embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, breaks the sound barrier during an air power demonstration, showcasing firepower capability and maneuverability while at sea in the Indo-Pacific region in 2020. US Navy Photo
A decade from now, the backbone of the Navy’s tactical air fleet will begin to retire with no clear successor in line yet. Read More
The following is the Congressional Research Service In Focus report, Air Force Next-Generation Air Dominance Program: An Introduction. Read More
Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band (NGJ-MB) flies for the first time on an EA-18G Growler, Aug. 7, over Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. The NGJ-MB capability, forward pod located under the right wing of the aircraft, is a jamming technology that provides enhanced airborne electronic attack capabilities to the EA-18G Growler platform. US Navy photo.
The Navy’s Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band (NGJ-MB) pod began its first flight tests earlier this month and could move into production this fall. Read More
An F/A-18E Super Hornet, assigned to the “’olden Warriors’ of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 87, launches from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) on May 26, 2020. US Navy Photo
This post has been updated to clarify comments from Bryan Clark.
After nearly a decade of fits and starts, the Navy has quietly initiated work to develop its first new carrier-based fighter in almost 20 years, standing up a new program office and holding early discussions with industry, USNI News has learned. Read More
