New Chinese fighter to debut at Zhuhai Airshow 2024

China is poised to unveil a new fighter jet at the upcoming Zhuhai Airshow, marking another milestone in Beijing’s rapidly advancing military aviation program. The 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, slated for November 12-17, promises to be a showcase of the country’s latest aerospace muscle.

China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition 2018
Stang, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Pilotless pioneers: Tracing the roots of modern drone warfare

Mark Piesing’s “The Secret History of Drones” in the Fall 2024 issue of Air & Space Quarterly delivers a comprehensive chronology of unmanned aerial vehicle development. The article meticulously traces drone evolution from Nikola Tesla’s 1898 radio-controlled boat demonstration to contemporary military applications.

Gyrodyne QH-50 rotary-wing drone at the Smithsonian NASM”s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Photo By Dane Penland

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Italian Navy’s transition to the F-35B: A unique approach

On the overcast and humid flight deck of the Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour, during a port call at Changi Naval Base, Singapore, Captain Dario “ZAZA” Castelli, the Italian Navy’s Carrier Air Wing Commander, provided a comprehensive briefing on the Italian Navy’s transition from the AV-8B Harrier to the cutting-edge F-35B Lightning II.


Photo: Italian Navy

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Mage Island FCLP facility construction faces three-year delay

The Japanese Defense Ministry has announced that the completion of a new field carrier landing practice (FCLP) facility on Mage Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, will be delayed until March 2030, three years behind the initial schedule. The base, which began construction in January 2023, was originally slated for completion in 2027.


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