FlightGlobal
• Ryan Finnerty
U.S. Air Force and Pentagon officials plan to begin examining requirements for the service’s next-generation airlifter in the coming months. The service has not settled on a solution for a next-generation aerial refueller to follow Boeing’s KC-46, leaving both future mobility and tanker planning in focus.
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Military Aircraft Procurement
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U.S. Air Force and Pentagon officials plan to begin examining requirements for the service’s next-generation airlifter in the coming months. The service has not settled on a solution for a next-generation aerial refueller to follow Boeing’s KC-46, leaving both future mobility and tanker planning in focus.
The U.S. Air Force Academy has received four T-19A Kestrels, the Air Force designation for Game Aerospace Composites’ GB1 Gamebird, as the aircraft completes certification and makes its public debut. The aerobatic planes will support a new flying team, advanced cadet training and the service’s pilot-recruiting efforts.
The Blue Angels dismissed pilot Scott Laux for “failing to uphold the standards expected” of the squadron. Laux joined the team in September 2024; the dismissal comes before the Blue Angels’ final show of 2026.
The Navy is considering new facilities to increase its capacity to make major modifications to F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers. The effort comes as production priorities shift, putting the ability to upgrade existing aircraft alongside changing demands on the industrial base.
High activity
The trial, planned for December, will test whether a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan can perform casualty evacuation autonomously. Other reports in the cluster describe separate defense awards: AeroVironment’s $405 million international order for LOCUST X3 laser systems and BlackSky’s seven-figure assured-intelligence contract with an international defense ministry.
Republic of Singapore Air Force fighter pilots have taken part in a U.S. Air Force simulated exercise with the Lockheed Martin F-35 as Singapore awaits its first aircraft. The city-state is poised to become the first operator of the fifth-generation fighter in Southeast Asia.
The US Marine Corps has awarded Textron Aviation an $18.6 million contract for an additional Beechcraft King Air 360CER, designated the UC-12W+. The award expands the service’s utility transport fleet with another aircraft in the UC-12W+ configuration.
A U.S. military demonstration in Morocco will test an uncrewed Cessna Caravan configured for casualty evacuation. The trial explores whether autonomous aircraft can support medical rescue operations in remote or difficult-to-reach locations, with potential relevance beyond the demonstration site.
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