Ryan Finnerty
Ryan Finnerty is the Americas defence reporter for FlightGlobal.com and Flight International magazine, covering military aviation and the defence industry. He is a former United States Army officer and previously reported for America’s National Public Radio system in New York and Hawaii covering energy, economics and military affairs.
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- News
L3Harris exploring intelligence and crisis-response roles for Armed Overwatch turboprop
Amid criticism from government auditors, US Special Operations Command and contracter L3Harris are expanding the potential capabilities of the new OA-1K close-air support turboprop to include more intelligence collection and electronic warfare.
- News
USAF’s first autonomous combat jets could act as ‘missile trucks’ for crewed fighters
The first batch of autonomous “Collaborative Combat Aircraft” being developed for the US Air Force will primarily be tasked with carrying extra precision munitions aloft, with other combat functions coming in subsequent designs.
- Interview
How Stephanie Goetz is making headlines after switching the news desk for business jet cockpit
The thrill of flying led Stephanie Goetz to leave a successful career in broadcasting. She now pilots Global-series business jets, while also championing breast cancer awareness using a unique L-39.
- News
US Air Force Ospreys will return to combat duty in coming weeks
The Bell-Boeing CV-22 tiltrotors will soon return to combat duty, 10 months after a deadly crash in 2023 killed eight special mission airmen and grounded the USA’s entire Osprey fleet.
- News
How Ukraine turned mobile phone microphones into an air defence network
After enduring wave after wave of cheap suicide drones bombarding its cities, Ukraine found a novel solution for detecting and tracking the low, slow uncrewed aerial vehicles: microphones that can identify the airborne threats based on their audio signature.
- News
Lockheed unveils new ‘extreme-range’ cruise missile
Building up mature technology used in the company’s existing long-range air-to-ground and anti-ship missiles, Lockheed says its new AGM-158 XR munition will provide a precision strike capability with even greater stand-off at a lower price per unit.
- In depth
US Air Force to shake up fleet modernisation programmes in coming months
The service’s top civilian official says the US Air Force soon plans to announce major changes to its most-significant new aircraft development programmes, including to its sixth-generation air superiority platform, a low-observable tanker and low-cost autonomous fighters.
- News
US approves Romania to acquire Lockheed Martin F-35s
Arms export regulators in Washington approved Bucharest to acquire up to 32 Lockheed Martin F-35A fighters, marking Romania’s entrance into the club of nations operating or in the process of acquiring the stealthy type, now numbering 20.
- News
Canada to deploy maritime patrol aircraft to enforce North Korea sanctions
After a meeting in Tokyo between Canadian and Japanese officials, Ottawa agreed to deploy a Lockheed Martin P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft to support the enforcement of trade sanctions against North Korea.
- News
Pentagon signs largest-ever order for Raytheon AMRAAM missiles
The $1.19 billion contract with Raytheon covers production Lot 38 of the venerable air-to-air missile and will see the munitions delivered to Japan, Ukraine and multiple NATO member states.
- News
US Army selects Anduril and Performance Drone Works to supply new tactical UAVs
The US Army jas selected two manufacturers, Anduril and Performance Drone Works, to provide the service with new uncrewed aerial vehicles that will support tactical-level ground troops in combat operations.
- In depth
Anduril unveils low-cost Barracuda cruise missile designed for ‘hyper-scale’ production
The US defence start-up plans to develop a line of long-range precision munitions called Barracuda that are being designed for simplicity and rapid production at a mass scale.
- In depth
Raytheon eyes F-22 modernisation amid US pause on sixth-generation fighter development
With senior US Air Force officials pausing to re-evaluate development of a sixth-generation fighter, defence contractors are eyeing potential modernisation opportunities for the service’s current air superiority platform – the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor.
- News
Raytheon integrating air-to-air missiles into uncrewed fighter prototypes
The munitions producer says it is working with uncrewed aircraft designers Anduril and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, both of which are under contract by the US Air Force to deliver flight-capable prototypes of what the service calls Collaborative Combat Aircraft.
- News
Piasecki completes first hover flight of tiltfan prototype
Piasecki is developing the Aerial Reconfigurable Embedded System as a multirole vertical take-off and landing UAV, with military applications in mind.
- In depth
US Special Operations cuts Armed Overwatch acquisition nearly 20%
US Special Operations Command is lowering its procurement target for the L3Harris OA-1K armed reconnaissance turboprop to 62 aircraft from the original target of 75, after scrutiny from government auditors.
- News
Northrop releases first flight video of Scaled Composites Model 437 low-cost jet
US defence manufacturer Northrop Grumman says subsidiary Scaled Composites has successfully flown a low-cost, single-engined piloted jet called the Model 437 Vanguard.
- News
Boeing pitches latest Chinook variant to Poland
Boeing formally offered its latest CH-47F Block II heavy-lift helicopter to Warsaw at the MSPO show in Kielce.
- News
Textron predicts delivery of Bell’s first FLRAA tiltrotor in 2026
Textron expects its Bell subsidiary will deliver the US Army’s first next-generation tiltrotor in 2026, with the type’s first flight happening the same year.
- News
US F-35As complete first-ever European roadway landing
Two UK-based Lockheed Martin F-35A stealth fighters from the US Air Force have completed the service’s first fifth-generation roadway landings in Europe, during NATO training exercises in Finland.