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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NewsPentagon continues stealth fighter rotations to Japan while awaiting F-15EX
Flights of F-35, F-22 and F-16 fighters continue to cycle through the strategic Kadena Air Base on Okinawa to backfill F-15CDs being permanently retired from service.
In depthAnduril selects Ohio for company’s first large-scale production site dedicated to autonomous weapons
Located at Rickenbacker International airport near Columbus, Anduril’s “Arsenal-1” facility will be the company’s first attempt at reaching what it calls “hyper-scale” production capacity of delivering tens of thousands of autonomous weapon systems annually.
NewsUS Air Force delays T-7A trainer production decision until 2026
The service has delayed approving low-rate initial production for the new Boeing single-engined trainer jet until 2026, but also plans to purchase four more test aircraft in 2025.
NewsWatch cockpit footage from military aircraft battling California wildfires
In addition to the array of civil firefighting aircraft operating on the frontline of the historic wildfires in the Los Angeles area, military aircraft equipped with firefighting systems have also been deployed to support the effort.
In depthDenmark eyes Greenland airport upgrades to support F-35 fighter deployment
Amid ominous messaging from US president-elect Donald Trump about the need to control Greenland for national security purposes, Copenhagen says it will expand the Danish defence presence on the autonomous Arctic island, including by upgrading a former air base to support Denmark’s new Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighters.
NewsStratolaunch to expand Talon-A reusable hypersonic vehicle into missile-defence testing
A $24.7 million million contract from the US Missile Defense Agency will fund expansion of flight capabilities for the Stratolaunch Talon-A, a reusable rocket-powered vehicle that aims to provide a test platform for hypersonic flight technologies.
NewsPentagon to outfit F-15s with long-range missile seen as critical for Indo-Pacific conflict
The Pentagon plans to launch a test campaign to integrate Lockheed Martin’s Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile with the US Air Force’s land-based F-15E and F-15EX strike fighters, after previously cancelling a similar effort for the service’s B-52 bombers.
NewsUS Air Force winds down HH-60G Pave Hawk operations
The service logged its final active service flight with the venerable Sikorsky combat search and rescue helicopter, as deliveries of the new HH-60W Jolly Green II Combat Rescue Helicopter ramp up.
NewsUS Air Force approves full production of F-15 electronic countermeasures system
The $615 million contract will move the BAE Systems Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System into full-rate production, equipping the US Air Force’s Boeing F-15Es and F-15EXs with the latest electronic warfare countermeasures system.
In depthWashington targets more than 130 Chinese firms as military suppliers
The list features numerous subsidiaries of the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China that actively produce fighters, bombers, rotorcraft and trainers for the Chinese military, alongside commercial airframer Comac.
NewsGovernment auditors uphold Sierra Nevada’s contract win for new US Army intelligence jet
Competitor L3Harris had appealed the US Army’s decision to award Sierra Nevada a nearly $1 billion contract to develop the new business-jet-based Hades intelligence aircraft.
In depthUS Air Force tests MQ-9 operations from austere runways
While the multi-role General Atomics uncrewed aircraft typically requires a paved runway for take-off and landing, recent US Air Force exercises demonstrated the MQ-9’s ability to operate from a dirt landing strip.
NewsTextron delivers prototype reconnaissance platform to US Army
The Textron Systems MK 4.8 HQ Aerosonde is a finalist in the US Army’s Future Tactical Uncrewed Aerial System competition, along with the Griffon Aerospace Valiant, to provide tactical level ground combat troops with a new reconnaissance platform.
NewsUS Navy Super Hornet shot down over Red Sea in apparent friendly fire incident
Two US naval aviators safely ejected from their Boeing F/A-18F over the Red Sea after the jet was mistakenly targeted by one of the guided missile ships escorting the aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman.
NewsPentagon orders fleetwide inspection of Osprey proprotor gearboxes after latest safety incident
More than a year after a fatal V-22 crash killed eight US Air Force personnel, a recent “near-crash” has prompted the Pentagon to order fleet-wide inspections of a problematic component, while plans for a long-term mechanical fix remain uncertain.
In depthNASA completes first ever aircraft accident investigation on another planet
The US space agency and manufacturer AeroVironment will soon release a detailed review of the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter’s final flight, which came at the end of three years of operations that saw 72 sorties and 2h of flight on the Red Planet.
In depthChinese air force ‘quickly approaching US standards’ in key areas, Pentagon says
Washington’s annual report on Chinese military power says Beijing has made significant advances in areas such as the production and fielding of unmanned aerial systems, while still facing challenges in long-distance logistics and command decision making.
NewsUS Air Force flies last T-7A test aircraft ahead of low-rate initial production decision
The fifth example of the Boeing T-7A Red Hawk jet trainer took off from Boeing’s fighter delivery centre at St. Louis Lambert International airport on a customer acceptance flight, with the commander of the US Air Force’s 416th Test Squadron at the controls.
NewsHermeus completes ground testing ahead of Quarterhorse Mk 1 first flight
The US hypersonic flight start-up is preparing to launch a test campaign for its Quarterhorse Mk 1 vehicle, a subsonic fixed-wing jet that will be used to evaluate systems intended for use on subsequent supersonic and hypersonic Quarterhorse models.
AnalysisPentagon reports nothing anomalous in rash of drone sightings over US airspace
Fuelled by rampant speculation on the internet, US law enforcement agencies have received more than 5,000 reports of unknown drones operating over airspace along the Eastern Seaboard in recent weeks, with most turning out to be commercial aircraft or hobbyist drones.