FlightGlobal
• Ryan Finnerty
The US Navy is exploring options for a new long-range air-launched torpedo, provisionally dubbed “Silent Anvil.” The anti-submarine munition would be captive-carried and released from internal or external aircraft weapons stations, giving the service flexibility in platform integration and employment.
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The US Navy is exploring options for a new long-range air-launched torpedo, provisionally dubbed “Silent Anvil.” The anti-submarine munition would be captive-carried and released from internal or external aircraft weapons stations, giving the service flexibility in platform integration and employment.
The United States and Indonesia began annual joint military exercises featuring tactical airborne jumps, missile firing, jungle training and cyber defense. The drills are the first since Washington and Jakarta announced a new defense partnership this year, broadening the scope of bilateral military cooperation.
An RAF Airbus A400M Atlas transported US Marines, Royal Marines and two Joint Light Tactical Vehicles to Norway’s remote Jan Mayen island on Aug. 29, 2026. The deployment places allied ground forces and protected mobility vehicles north of the Greenland-Iceland-UK gap.
The UAE said its Air Force responded to or intercepted a drone approaching from Iran over its territorial waters, following an exchange of fire between the US and Iran. Iran’s Army and IRGC separately claimed drone and missile strikes on US bases in the UAE and Jordan.
The Pentagon’s latest assessment increases the F-35 program’s estimated acquisition cost from $485.2 billion in 2023 to $536.2 billion. Development costs account for roughly $19 billion of the increase, while procurement costs add $32 billion; unit costs are projected to rise across all three variants.
Canada is moving ahead with a C$230 million ($165 million) project to extend Inuvik’s runway by more than 900 meters (3,000 feet). The dual-use airfield, located above the Arctic Circle, is part of Ottawa’s broader effort to strengthen Arctic defense infrastructure.
The U.S. Air Force is standing up a unit in the nation’s capital to operate HH-60W Jolly Green II rescue helicopters in a VIP airlift and continuity-of-government role. The move could strengthen emergency evacuation capability, while raising questions about the plan’s scope and execution.
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President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the creation—or further study—of a U.S. Space Academy modeled on institutions serving the Air Force and Coast Guard. The proposed school would train personnel for the Space Force, NASA and the expanding civilian spaceflight industry.
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