Aircraft & Propulsion

California startup AIBOT has officially unveiled its product line of small quadcopter drones and tiltwing, multirotor eVTOL aircraft.

Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.

Advanced rotorcraft have been flown by Changhe and Harbin, helicopter manufacturers within AVIC.

Navy aviation forces await the downselect for the sixth-generation fighter, citing the need for future air superiority and sea control.

A new rendering of Boeing’s proposed F/A-XX design provided to Aviation Week indicates the company may be incorporating parts of its design for the U.S. Air Force’s F-47.

About 98 aircraft are expected to enter Belgian military service in the coming decade, with 43 from requirements that are currently open and quite new.

GE Aerospace named two new propulsion systems that will be offered to power DARPA’s proposed Next Generation Responsive Strike (NextRS) demonstrator aircraft.

Russia has selected the thrust rating for its new heavy turbofan engine which will be installed on both future commercial and military platforms.

L3Harris says it has secured a deal to provide the self-protection suite for Poland’s Lockheed Martin F-16 fleet.

Flight testing for the U.S. Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft began with the YFQ-42A taking off for the first time.

The U.S. Navy has seen its highest mishap rate in 11 years in 2025, as the service’s air forces commander says he is pushing to reduce the rate.

The answer to how many B-21s the U.S. Air Force will field is not one that will come soon.

DARPA confirmed plans on Aug. 26 to launch development of a High-Mach Gas Turbine (HMGT) engine.

The U.S. Air Force has taken steps to reduce the required capability of the new radar for its B-52 bomber as a way to reduce costs and improve schedule.

German Chancellor Merz says he expects a resolution on the way forward for the Future Combat Air System program with France and Spain to be set by year-end.

Hydraulic fluid contaminated with water froze inside an F-35A’s landing gear during a training flight in Alaska, eventually forcing the pilot to eject, according to a U.S. Air Force investigation.

The U.S Navy is quickly approaching its deadline to get the Boeing MQ-25 Stingray uncrewed refueler in the air ahead of sending it to carriers next year.

China’s EHang announced a strategic cooperation with the Hefei Provincial Government to establish a “product hub” for its VT35 lift-plus-cruise eVTOL aircraft.

India says it used a high-energy laser to down a drone as part of the first live-fire tests of its Integrated Air Defense Weapon System.

The German parliament has given the green light to the government’s proposed purchase of 90 Litening 5 targeting pods for its fleet of Eurofighter Typhoons.

Red 6’s augmented reality helmet system is evolving from a pilot training tool to a combat system that could replace traditional helmet-mounted cueing systems.

The U.S. Air Force on Aug. 25 released three investigations into incidents involving the Boeing KC-46A all linked to a similar issue—the tanker’s stiff boom getting stuck in receiving aircraft.

China’s eVTOL developers have moved rapidly up the ranking of the emerging global advanced air mobility industry, displaying a pace of advance unmatched by even the West’s most aggressive startups.

Thailand has formally become the second export customer for Saab’s Gripen E/F combat aircraft after contracts were signed for four aircraft.

RTX preps upgrades to Next-Generation Jammer Mid-Band system, drawing on early operational lessons, as as it awaits the service’s full-rate production decision.