Air Data News
• Ricardo Meier
The U.S. Air Force continues to fly the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk nearly two decades after its formal retirement from combat service in 2008. The aircraft supports military exercises and technology testing, with plans to sustain it through 2034.
North America
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The U.S. Air Force continues to fly the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk nearly two decades after its formal retirement from combat service in 2008. The aircraft supports military exercises and technology testing, with plans to sustain it through 2034.
SC Aviation has broken ground on a new hangar in Janesville, Wisconsin. The announcement provides no details on the facility’s size, cost or expected completion date.
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Birmingham Airport’s draft 2026–2041 master plan proposes £2 billion of investment to raise annual capacity to about 30 million passengers. The expansion would add terminal and aircraft-stand capacity, support more long-haul links and air freight, and contribute to job creation across the West Midlands.
Blue Origin is set to develop a new manufacturing complex in central Texas, expanding its industrial footprint. Founder Jeff Bezos says the company could be a few years from going public, putting a potential IPO on a longer-term horizon rather than signaling an imminent listing.
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SpaceX agreed to acquire a nationwide low-band spectrum portfolio from investment firm Grain Management, bringing Starlink closer to offering mobile service in the United States. The deal is the company’s largest move yet into a wireless market dominated by traditional carriers and could make it a more direct competitor to them.
SpaceX has agreed to acquire a nationwide spectrum portfolio to expand Starlink’s reach in the U.S. telecommunications market. News of the deal weighed on shares of AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile, underscoring the potential competitive implications for established carriers.
Officials said experiments in Arizona expose forces to intense heat, wind, dust and glare—the conditions they face in CENTCOM’s area of responsibility. The trials are intended to draw operational lessons for countering drones in an environment where those factors can challenge personnel and equipment.
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