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Reuters

UK condemns Russian Su-27/Su-35 “dangerous and unacceptable” intercepts of RAF RC-135 Rivet Joint over Black Sea

Britain’s Ministry of Defence accused Russia of recklessness after two RAF RC-135 Rivet Joint intercept incidents in international airspace over the Black Sea. UK officials said Russian Su-27 and Su-35 fighters flew perilously close—including a reported near pass at about six metres—raising risks of NATO-Russia escalation.

2026-05-20T12:09:53.473888-07:00

defence-industry.eu

US Global Strike Command conducts May 20 unarmed Minuteman III ICBM system-reliability test from Vandenberg

2026-05-20T03:09:58.809814-07:00

The Air Current

Tinian airfield set for initial Pentagon Pacific flight operations as US expands the network

2026-05-20T15:54:32.732604-07:00

FlightGlobal

Canada to replace Snowbirds’ CT-114 Tutor jets with PC-21-based CT-157 Siskin II, pausing displays after the 2026 season

2026-05-19T12:10:05.021670-07:00

News Timeline

The Air Current

Tinian airfield set for initial Pentagon Pacific flight operations as US expands the network The Pentagon is preparing Tinian’s “historic” airfield for debut flight operations, signaling an expansion of its Pacific network. The move positions the island for new basing and sortie-generation capacity in the region, as US forces add infrastructure to support additional air operations.

2026-05-20T15:54:32.732604-07:00

Tinian airfield set for initial Pentagon Pacific flight operations as US expands the network

Reuters

UK condemns Russian Su-27/Su-35 “dangerous and unacceptable” intercepts of RAF RC-135 Rivet Joint over Black Sea Britain’s Ministry of Defence accused Russia of recklessness after two RAF RC-135 Rivet Joint intercept incidents in international airspace over the Black Sea. UK officials said Russian Su-27 and Su-35 fighters flew perilously close—including a reported near pass at about six metres—raising risks of NATO-Russia escalation.

2026-05-20T12:09:53.473888-07:00

UK condemns Russian Su-27/Su-35 “dangerous and unacceptable” intercepts of RAF RC-135 Rivet Joint over Black Sea

FlightGlobal

Boeing Little Bird rotorcraft losses in Iran remove SOF Week flypast presence A US Special Operations Command source says four Boeing MH-6 “Little Bird” rotorcraft were destroyed in Iran during a mission to rescue a downed F-15E weapons officer. The losses are linked to a broader set of rescue and combat-attrition events that left the “Little Birds” notably absent from SOF Week demonstrations.

2026-05-20T11:56:02.603662-07:00

Boeing Little Bird rotorcraft losses in Iran remove SOF Week flypast presence

Axios

Trump says planned Trump-class battleship will be nuclear-powered, using the Ford-class carrier reactor President Trump said the planned Trump-class battleship will be nuclear-powered, framing it as a decision “finally” settled publicly. The approach mirrors the Navy’s Ford-class aircraft carrier propulsion architecture, underscoring continuity in nuclear reactor selection as the service shapes future surface combatant plans.

2026-05-20T03:53:51.122294-07:00

Trump says planned Trump-class battleship will be nuclear-powered, using the Ford-class carrier reactor

defence-industry.eu

US Global Strike Command conducts May 20 unarmed Minuteman III ICBM system-reliability test from Vandenberg Air Force Global Strike Command launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile from Vandenberg Space Force Base on May 20 at 12:01 a.m. Pacific, conducting a test flight to verify the ICBM force’s health and readiness and confirm system reliability.

2026-05-20T03:09:58.809814-07:00

US Global Strike Command conducts May 20 unarmed Minuteman III ICBM system-reliability test from Vandenberg

Reuters

Airbus proposes FCAS reset post-Ukraine, keeping options open on two-aircraft architecture and potential multi-vendor data “orch Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury says Europe’s Future Combat Air System (FCAS) needs a partial reset of pre-Ukraine assumptions, citing diverging national/industrial requirements for next-generation fighter capabilities. Airbus also signals openness to a two-aircraft FCAS solution and to an Airbus-led “in-flight connectivity” (IFC) orchestration role for multi-vendor data ferrying.

2026-05-20T02:10:40.436996-07:00

Airbus proposes FCAS reset post-Ukraine, keeping options open on two-aircraft architecture and potential multi-vendor data “orch

FlightGlobal

❗️

Canada to replace Snowbirds’ CT-114 Tutor jets with PC-21-based CT-157 Siskin II, pausing displays after the 2026 season Canada has selected the Pilatus PC-21-derived CT-157 Siskin II to replace the Royal Canadian Air Force Snowbirds’ CT-114 Tutor jets. The team will stand down after the 2026 airshow season, with the new turboprops expected to enter service in the early 2030s—meaning a multi-year gap in flying displays.

2026-05-19T12:10:05.021670-07:00

Canada to replace Snowbirds’ CT-114 Tutor jets with PC-21-based CT-157 Siskin II, pausing displays after the 2026 season

FlightGlobal

AFSOC unveils Skyraider II (OA-1K) rapid deployment plan, expanding close air support with disassembly and reassembly U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command expanded the Skyraider II close air support aircraft’s scope to include rapid disassembly, loading into transport aircraft, reassembly and deployment. The militarized AT-802 platform is positioned to give isolated special-operations teams overhead visibility and on-call firepower.

2026-05-19T09:54:37.145977-07:00

AFSOC unveils Skyraider II (OA-1K) rapid deployment plan, expanding close air support with disassembly and reassembly

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Defense Policy News

UK condemns Russian Su-27/Su-35 “dangerous and unacceptable” intercepts of RAF RC-135 Rivet Joint over Black Sea

US Global Strike Command conducts May 20 unarmed Minuteman III ICBM system-reliability test from Vandenberg

Tinian airfield set for initial Pentagon Pacific flight operations as US expands the network

Canada to replace Snowbirds’ CT-114 Tutor jets with PC-21-based CT-157 Siskin II, pausing displays after the 2026 season

News Timeline