Rafale Ride Leads To Inadvertent Ejection By Overstressed Passenger
A ride in a French Air Force Rafale B didn’t go as planned when an overstressed back-seat passenger inadvertently ejected from the two-seat fighter, and the aircraft was saved only because of a previously undetected flaw that prevented the pilot’s ejection, a new French military report says. Credit: French Military
Possible Photo Of Highly Secret RQ-180 Aircraft Surfaces Online
A picture surfaced showing a new aircraft generally matching Aviation Week’s understanding of the shape of what is commonly known as the RQ-180 unmanned aircraft system (UAS). Aviation Week understands the picture of the UAS was taken in October 2020 inside the Military Operating Area around Edwards AFB, California.
Seven Artifacts Surrounding The 1960 U-2 Shootdown
On the 60th anniversary of the U-2 shootdown flown by Francis Gary Powers over Sverdlovsk, USSR, we looked back at seven artifacts surrounding the incident.
U.S. Air Force Investigates Hypersonic Test Mishap
A scramjet-powered missile developed under the joint DARPA/U.S. Air Force Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) program was destroyed in a (then) recent test accident, Aviation Week had learned. Credit: Lockheed Martin
U.S. Army Flickr Page Inadvertently Revealed New Hypersonic Weapon Concept
A new hypersonic weapon concept emerged inadvertently on a social media page managed by U.S. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy that described a Mach 5-plus projectile with the ability to penetrate into defended airspace and dispense a multi-role loitering air system over a target area.
Stealthy UAS Unveiled For USAF Target, Loyal Wingman Needs
A small start-up company in California unveiled a new proposal for a stealthy unmanned aircraft system (UAS) to offer the U.S. Air Force as a “fifth-generation” target drone or a low-cost attritable aircraft. Credit: Sierra Technical Services
Scramjet-Powered Cruise Missile Emerges As New U.S. Priority
Fielding an operational scramjet-powered cruise missile had emerged as a new priority for the U.S. Defense Department’s proliferating portfolio of maneuvering hypersonic weapons. Credit: Raytheon
Middle East SAM Discovery Highlights F-35’S Evolving Role
As a series of Block 4 upgrades are set to elevate the Lockheed Martin F-35’s profile for the counter air-defense mission, a top program official shared an operational anecdote highlighting the aircraft’s latent capability against surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems. Credit: U.S. Air Force
U.S. Navy’s Aircraft Launch Rail Gun Revealed
Details of the U.S. Navy’s new generation, electrically powered aircraft launch and recovery system, currently under test for the first time on the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) carrier, were visible in a large-scale model at the Singapore Airshow.
Skunk Works Reveals Details Of Mid-November U-2S Demo
Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works division revealed details of a “complementary” technology experiment held in secret with the U-2S.
From a Rafale ride leading to an inadvertent ejection to a possible photo of the RQ-180, the F-35's evolving role, artifacts surrounding the 1960 U-2 shootdown, inadvertent reveals, and more. Here is a roundup of the most viewed defense content of 2020.
