Aviation News
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 533, based at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort, has received its first F-35B Lightning II jet. This event marks a significant milestone as the squadron transitions from the F/A-18 Hornet to the F-35B, becoming the second operational F-35 squadron on the East Coast and the first at MCAS Beaufort.
Continue reading “VMFA-533 receives F-35B Block 4 aircraft”
A Breaking Defense exclusive reveals that the partnership between American defence contractor L3Harris and Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer to introduce the C-390 Millennium to the U.S. Air Force has come to an end. The partnership, announced in 2022, initially planned for L3Harris to act as the prime contractor and equip the aircraft with U.S. mission systems, including a refuelling boom, creating the American KC-390.
Despite plans for a grand farewell, the U.S. Navy’s EP-3E Aries II spy planes are seeing their planned retirement put on hold due to heightened operational demands. A report by Seapower magazine says the planned homecoming ceremony for the crews at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington, has been delayed indefinitely. The squadron operating the aircraft, Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron One (VQ-1), was scheduled for deactivation.
Balon Greyjoy, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
In a move aimed at strengthening Sri Lanka’s maritime security and sovereignty, the United States has gifted a Beechcraft King Air 360ER aircraft to the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF). The official handover ceremony, held at Sri Lanka Air Force Base Katunayake, underscored the enduring partnership between the two nations and their shared commitment to regional stability in the Indian Ocean.
Photo: U.S. State Department
Continue reading “U.S. government donates King Air 360ER to Sri Lanka Air Force”
The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV-7) is set to perform a series of groundbreaking manoeuvres known as aerobraking. This technique, which utilises the drag of the Earth’s atmosphere to alter the spacecraft’s orbit, marks a first for the U.S. Space Force and the X-37B program.
Graphic: Boeing
Continue reading “Space Force embraces innovative aerobraking technique for X-37B mission”
