#supersonic-fighter-jets

#supersonic-fighter-jets

"To accelerate current weapons development timelines, DARPA is considering an alternative development paradigm to increase the nation's magazine depth and breadth."

British forces have shot down multiple drones across the Middle East over the past 24 hours as Iran continues to retaliate against countries across the region in response to US and Israeli strikes. The UK said that the interception of drones above Jordan marks 'the first time an RAF F-35 has destroyed a target on operations.' The fighters were supported by Typhoon jets and a Voyager tanker aircraft.

As Boeing manufactured newer, faster jet bombers for the Air Force, mid-air refueling aircraft lagged behind. The standard refueling aircraft at the time, the propeller-powered KC-97, flew much slower than the jet-powered bombers it was meant to refuel. To Boeing president William Allen, it seemed like only a matter of time before a jet tanker became necessary.

CMCs are a composite material, one in which the fibers are ceramic or carbon, embedded in a ceramic matrix. They are created to overcome the brittleness of traditional ceramics, while providing high-temperature resistance, light weight, and high strength. According to DSTL, they are capable of withstanding temperatures exceeding 1,000°C (1,832°F), and unlike metals, they hold their strength and shape under extreme heat and stress.

This flight test showcases the potential of airpower built on mission autonomy. Across platforms, domains, and environments, Hivemind provides resilient mission autonomy, proving that software is central to the future of airpower. Our collaboration with Anduril reflects a new era of defense acquisition, where autonomy is treated as a foundational warfighting capability on par with the aircraft itself.

So we've gone from identifying the target to now coming up with a course of action, to now actioning that target, all from one system. This is revolutionary. We were having this done in about eight or nine systems where humans were literally moving detections left and right in order to get to our desired end state, in this case closing a kill chain.

Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

Ukraine's defense intelligence agency, GUR, has identified over a dozen American and Chinese electronics parts that it says were found in a new Russian jet-powered attack drone. GUR published its new analysis of the drone, dubbed the Geran-5, on Monday, as part of its ongoing directory of key foreign components used in Russia's weapons or defense industry. The intelligence directorate published images of what it said was the drone's wreckage last week,

This will be Rocket Lab's fourth hypersonic test mission for the military in under six months, deploying the DART AE hypersonic demonstrator drone from Australia's Hypersonix Launch Systems. The quick cadence of these flights shows how Rocket Lab is helping accelerate the U.S. military's hypersonic capabilities, while quickly establishing its role as the defense industry's go-to launch partner for next-generation technology.

There's just so much to do. So, the advances that we've gotten over the last five to ten years have been spectacular. We love the tools. We use them every day. But the question is, is this the whole universe of things that needs to happen? And we thought about it very carefully and our answer was no, there's a lot more to do.

Some aircraft succeeded even though they made life harder for the people flying them. They demanded constant attention, punished mistakes, and left little margin for error. Instead of relying on forgiving design, these platforms forced crews to compensate through skill, planning, and coordination. Over time, combat proved that the human element was the decisive factor behind their success. Here, 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at these aircraft that embodied the human factor.

Claims that elite Western F-16 pilots are secretly patrolling Ukraine's skies have sent shockwaves through defence circles - but Kyiv insists it's all Ukrainian pilots in action, and no, Tom Cruise is not starring as Maverick over the skies of Ukraine. Reports from French outlet Intelligence Online suggested a top-secret international squadron of US and Dutch veterans was deployed on temporary contracts to intercept Russian drones and missiles using advanced Lockheed Martin targeting pods. But Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat hit back, calling the reports "just rumours" from a source of dubious reputation.

David versus Goliath stories captivate us, especially when David brings a slingshot that looks like alien technology. Enter Stavatti Aerospace, a 25-person firm from Niagara Falls taking on Boeing and Northrop Grumman for one of the most lucrative defense contracts in naval aviation. Their weapon of choice? The SM-39 Razor, a fighter design so visually striking it demands a double-take. The triple-fuselage "Batwing" configuration breaks from a century of conventional aircraft architecture, presenting a form that's more science fiction than traditional aerospace engineering.

Russia has attacked Ukraine with a new type of long-range drone that uses a powerful jet engine to fly 600 miles with a 200-pound explosive warhead, Kyiv's military intelligence agency said. The Ukrainian intelligence directorate, or GUR, released a statement on Sunday providing new details about what it dubbed the "Geran-5." GUR said the drone was used during an attack in early 2026.

The United States has dispatched fighter jets after multiple Russian military aircraft were observed operating in international airspace near Alaska, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Two Russian Tu-95s, two Su-35s and one A-50 were detected and tracked operating in Alaska's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), NORAD said in a statement on Friday, adding that it responded by sending two F-16s, two F-35s, one E-3 and four KC-135s.

The cost for the US and other militaries to keep newer combat aircraft ready to fly is going to soar in the coming years, a new report on sustainment trends argues. A new report from the American consulting firm Oliver Wyman projects global military aircraft spending over the next decade, including an annual sustainment cost growth of 1.1% through 2036. That's a pace roughly 11 times faster than the previous decade.

Today is Wednesday, Jan. 21, the 21st day of 2026. There are 344 days left in the year. Today in history: On Jan. 21, 1976, British Airways and Air France inaugurated scheduled passenger service on the supersonic Concorde jet. Also on this date: In 1793, during the French Revolution, King Louis XVI, condemned for treason, was executed by guillotine. In 1861,