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Air Data News • Ricardo Meier

U.S. special forces rescue second F-15E airman after shootdown over Iran; two C-130s destroyed

U.S. special operations forces conducted a deep-penetration rescue inside Iran to recover the second crewmember of an F-15E shot down on April 3. The rescued weapons systems officer was wounded but expected to recover; two C-130s were destroyed on the ground during the complex operation.

2026-04-04T23:27:00.676918-07:00

FlightGlobal

Boeing revives AH-6i light-attack gunship, modernizing a 35‑year‑old Little Bird lineage

2026-04-05T01:27:20.105891-07:00

Wall Street Journal

US F-15E shot down over Iran in Operation Epic Fury; CSAR ongoing

2026-04-03T10:51:19.454508-07:00

AINonline

Brazil unveils first domestically assembled Saab Gripen F-39E; 14 more to follow

2026-04-03T10:12:34.789859-07:00

News Timeline

FlightGlobal

Boeing revives AH-6i light-attack gunship, modernizing a 35‑year‑old Little Bird lineage Boeing has revived the AH-6i light-attack gunship, modernizing a 35‑year‑old concept derived from Hughes' Defender/OH‑6 Cayuse. The move targets a compact, lower-end gunship role beneath the AH‑1 class, echoing the Defender's historic export appeal to customers such as Iraq, Israel, South Korea and the Philippines.

2026-04-05T01:27:20.105891-07:00

Boeing revives AH-6i light-attack gunship, modernizing a 35‑year‑old Little Bird lineage

Air Data News

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U.S. special forces rescue second F-15E airman after shootdown over Iran; two C-130s destroyed U.S. special operations forces conducted a deep-penetration rescue inside Iran to recover the second crewmember of an F-15E shot down on April 3. The rescued weapons systems officer was wounded but expected to recover; two C-130s were destroyed on the ground during the complex operation.

2026-04-04T23:27:00.676918-07:00

U.S. special forces rescue second F-15E airman after shootdown over Iran; two C-130s destroyed

FlightGlobal

USAF pulls KC-135 from boneyard for possible reactivation after tanker losses in Iran campaign The U.S. Air Force has transferred a retired KC-135 Stratotanker out of long-term storage, a move that signals possible reactivation after several tanker losses tied to the ongoing U.S.–Israeli air campaign against Iran. Open-source flight tracking shows the aircraft leaving the boneyard, suggesting expedited sustainment steps.

2026-04-03T12:15:34.553320-07:00

USAF pulls KC-135 from boneyard for possible reactivation after tanker losses in Iran campaign

Wall Street Journal

US F-15E shot down over Iran in Operation Epic Fury; CSAR ongoing A U.S. Air Force F‑15E Strike Eagle was downed over Iran during Operation Epic Fury — the first fighter loss in a five‑week campaign that has generated roughly 13,000 combat sorties. Two crew reportedly ejected; combat search‑and‑rescue with Black Hawks and a C‑130 is underway amid mixed recovery reports.

2026-04-03T10:51:19.454508-07:00

US F-15E shot down over Iran in Operation Epic Fury; CSAR ongoing

AINonline

Brazil unveils first domestically assembled Saab Gripen F-39E; 14 more to follow Brazil unveiled its first domestically assembled Saab Gripen F-39E, the lead of a 15‑aircraft production batch for the Brazilian Air Force. Officials said 14 additional F‑39Es will be completed locally, marking a significant milestone in Brazil's fighter acquisition and domestic aerospace industrialisation.

2026-04-03T10:12:34.789859-07:00

Brazil unveils first domestically assembled Saab Gripen F-39E; 14 more to follow

FlightGlobal

Canada awards C$1.5B sustainment contracts to Airbus and L3Harris for A330 tanker fleet The Canadian government has signed C$1.5 billion in sustainment contracts with Airbus and L3Harris to support its planned fleet of nine A330-based aerial refuelling aircraft, which begin entering service in 2027. L3Harris's MAS unit received an initial C$1.1 billion portion for MRO and sustainment.

2026-04-02T14:00:49.630765-07:00

Canada awards C$1.5B sustainment contracts to Airbus and L3Harris for A330 tanker fleet

AeroTime

USAF uses EA-37B Compass Call in operations against Iran before formal IOC The U.S. Air Force has deployed the EA-37B Compass Call electronic-attack jet in operations against Iran in the Middle East, marking the platform's first known combat employment. The sorties took place before the aircraft was formally declared operational, demonstrating early operational use of the new EW asset.

2026-04-02T11:22:02.543836-07:00

USAF uses EA-37B Compass Call in operations against Iran before formal IOC

Aviation Today

Army Accepts First Optionally‑Piloted Black Hawk; Will Test Autonomy to Inform Fleet Scaling The U.S. Army has formally accepted its first optionally‑piloted Black Hawk helicopter and will subject the aircraft to a rigorous test campaign. Data from the evaluations will be used to inform decisions on scaling autonomous and optionally‑piloted capabilities across the UH‑60 fleet.

2026-04-02T09:38:59.528988-07:00

Army Accepts First Optionally‑Piloted Black Hawk; Will Test Autonomy to Inform Fleet Scaling

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Military Aircraft Procurement News

U.S. special forces rescue second F-15E airman after shootdown over Iran; two C-130s destroyed

Boeing revives AH-6i light-attack gunship, modernizing a 35‑year‑old Little Bird lineage

US F-15E shot down over Iran in Operation Epic Fury; CSAR ongoing

Brazil unveils first domestically assembled Saab Gripen F-39E; 14 more to follow

News Timeline