Gallery: Top 5 Aerospace and Defense Stories Of 2025
Aviation Week Network StaffDecember 22, 2025
Boeing Wins U.S. Air Force's NGAD F-47 Fighter Contract
Credit: U.S. Air Force
Boeing has won a contract to develop the F-47 next-generation combat aircraft for the U.S. Air Force which throws a lifeline to the company’s struggling military aviation business.
Imagery Suggests First Rafale Combat Loss
Credit: WhatsApp
India appears to have suffered the first confirmed combat loss of a Dassault Rafale following airstrikes against targets in Pakistan.
Downed Air India 787 Had Fuel Supply Cut, Investigators Confirm
Credit: Photo by Elke Scholiers/Getty Images
India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau preliminary report suggests an A171 pilot toggled the aircraft’s engine fuel supply switches just after liftoff.
Global Strike Chief Recommends Replacing B-21 Pilot With WSO
Credit: UPI/Alamy Live News
The head of U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command has recommended the placement of a weapon systems officer in the cockpit of the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider.
New ‘Marine One’ Becomes First Helo With SpaceX Starshield
Credit: U.S. Navy
The Marines have deployed SpaceX’s Starshield, the military version of its Starlink proliferated system, on the Sikorsky VH-92 presidential helicopter.
Take a look at the top five Aerospace and Defense stories from 2025, highlighting major developments such as Boeing securing the U.S. Air Force's NGAD F-47 fighter contract.
