ATC   Airports   Aviation Safety & Regulation   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact   Defense Policy   Airlines  
Reuters • Reuters |

U.S. strikes in Venezuela capture Maduro as explosions rock Caracas; FAA bans U.S. overflights

A major U.S. military operation involving airstrikes and special‑operations helicopters struck Caracas early Saturday, with explosions reported across the city and residents experiencing power outages. U.S. forces reportedly captured President Nicolás Maduro and flew him out; the FAA has banned U.S. carriers from Venezuelan airspace.

Also: Wall Street Journal, Paddle Your Own Kanoo, Air Data News, Live and Let's Fly, AirForceTimes, Aviation24, The Aviationist, Simple Flying, tass.com, The Independent, Sky News, militarnyi.com and 12 more
2026-01-02T23:07:30.398137-08:00
UAV Development & Drone Programs   AI   North America   Military Aircraft Procurement   Aircraft Manufacturing (OEMs)   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Defense Policy  
insidedefense.com • Vanessa Montalbano;

US Air Force envisions Collaborative Combat Aircraft as multirole platforms, official says

By insidedefense.com: The Air Force is not envisioning its Collaborative Combat Aircraft as "one-trick ponies," a top service official told Inside Defense, but rather as multirole platforms able to complete a variety of missions.

Also: Military Times
2026-01-02T10:15:25.612683-08:00
UAV Development & Drone Programs   Supply Chain   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact   Defense Policy  
Unmanned Airspace • Philip Butterworth-Hayes

Ukraine’s 'Army of Drones' incentive drives production of 500–800 C‑UAS interceptors a day

By Unmanned Airspace: According to a report in The Kyiv Post, Ukraine is producing between 500 and 800 C-UAS intercept drones a day as a key element in the country’s new layered counter drone defence networks, supported by a new procurement strategy.

2026-01-02T10:03:02.172296-08:00
UAV Development & Drone Programs   Europe   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact   Workforce & Skills Development   Defense Policy  
AeroTime • Clement Charpentreau

Ukraine trained nearly 100 cadet pilots in 2025, expanding aviation and drone training with Western partners

By AeroTime: Ukraine trained nearly 100 cadet pilots in 2025 while expanding aviation and drone training pipelines with Western partners, the defense ministry said.

2026-01-02T08:10:30.716295-08:00