U.S. Marine Corps Reaper makes first flight at Cherry Point

The U.S. Marine Corps marked a new era in its embrace of unmanned aviation on Nov. 21 when a General Atomics MQ-9A Reaper flew for the first time from Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point, North Carolina.

A U.S. Marine Corps MQ-9A Reaper unmanned aircraft system with Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Training Squadron (VMUT) 2 taxis at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, Nov. 21, 2024. VMUT-2 serves as the Marine Corps’ MQ-9A Reaper Fleet Replacement Squadron, whose primary mission is to train MQ-9 pilots and sensor operators in their respective military occupational specialties. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Chief Warrant Officer 2 Akeel Austin)

Continue reading “U.S. Marine Corps Reaper makes first flight at Cherry Point”

Eurofighter’s Electronic Warfare capabilities set to extend operational life to 2060 and beyond

The Eurofighter Typhoon is undergoing a significant modernisation to ensure its continued dominance in the face of ever-evolving threats. The heart of this upgrade is a next-generation electronic warfare (EW) system, poised to extend the aircraft’s operational life to 2060 and beyond. This new system, built upon the legacy of the existing “Praetorian” Defensive Aids Sub-System (DASS), promises to catapult the Eurofighter into a new era of electronic dominance.


Continue reading “Eurofighter’s Electronic Warfare capabilities set to extend operational life to 2060 and beyond”

McConnell AFB Innovation Lab scores KC-46 Remote Start breakthrough

In a move that could dramatically improve the KC-46A Pegasus’s alert response, the 22nd Air Refueling Wing’s Innovation Lab has developed and tested a remote start system for the troubled tanker. The system, known as the Auxiliary Power Unit Start System, or APRUSS, allows aircrews to start the KC-46 remotely using cellular signals. This innovation could close the readiness gap between the KC-46 and its predecessor, the KC-135 Stratotanker.

Senior Airman Douglas Vargas, 22nd Air Refueling Wing Innovation Lab intern, works on the KC-46A Pegasus Auxiliary Power Unit Start System (APRUSS) at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, Nov. 14, 2024. Vargas, with an IT background, focused on the software and coding for the APRUSS. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Paula Arce).

Continue reading “McConnell AFB Innovation Lab scores KC-46 Remote Start breakthrough”

Vietnam receives first batch of T-6C Texan II aircraft from U.S.

In a move underscoring burgeoning U.S.-Vietnam defence ties, the first three of 12 Beechcraft T-6C Texan II turboprop trainers have arrived at Phan Thiet, south of Ho Chi Minh City. This is the first time Vietnam has acquired new military aircraft from the United States since the end of the war in the 1970s.
Photo 2
Continue reading “Vietnam receives first batch of T-6C Texan II aircraft from U.S.”