- — The Mystery Of J-20 Fighter-Like Shapes Spotted In China Has Been Solved
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at 8/25/26 3:19pmIn 2022, a satellite image emerged showing unusual fighter-like shapes with a very loosely similar appearance to the stealthy J-20 at a remote Chinese airbase. Three years later, another image appeared showing a broadly similar, but also distinctly different-looking object at a different airport in China. The mystery of these airframes now seems to be at least partially solved with new pictures of a mock-up being used for airfield firefighting training. Images of the aircraft fire trainer in question are now circulating on social media, but where or when they were taken is not immediately clear. Markings seen on the tarmac are different from what is present on the aprons at Lintao Air Base, where the shapes were spotted back in 2022, as well as at Jining Qufu Airport, where the other object was spotted in 2025. Another picture showing training utilizing the aircraft fire trainer in question. Chinese internet The overall design of the vaguely J-20-like aircraft fire trainer also aligns more with the object that previously appeared at Jining Qufu Airport. Both share a distinct modified diamond-like delta planform, as well as canards, and twin vertical tails. It is worth noting that the ground-level images we have now also show a cockpit configuration that is more representative of the newer J-35. Regardless, the articles seen at Lintao had differently shaped wings and longer, more slender noses. A side-by-side comparison of, left-to-right, one of the shapes spotted at Lintao Air Base in 2022, the object seen at Jining Qufu Airport in 2025, and the vaguely J-20-esque aircraft fire trainer. Google Earth/Chinese Internet In general, aircraft fire trainers can be anything that loosely represents a desired class of aircraft – fighter, airliner, etc – and can range from specially built systems to repurposed old aircraft hulks. Training aids of this kind are designed to offer a readily reusable way to add realism to airfield firefighting drills. They are in widespread use globally by national militaries and civilian fire departments. The shapes previously seen at Lintao could still serve some other purpose as full-scale mock-ups, or decoys, as well. A US military aircraft fire trainer in the rough shape of an F/A-18 Hornet fighter. US Military A subscale aircraft fire training in the general shape of an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter at the US Air Forces Hill Air Force Base in Utah. USAF The emergence of the firefighting trainer also comes as the Peoples Liberation Army Air Forces (PLAAF) fleet of real J-20s continues to expand, something TWZ explored in detail earlier this year. The PLAAF may have some 500 J-20s in service now, with examples assigned to at least 14 operational units and three training bases, according to one estimate. There are projections that the total fleet could grow to 1,000 airframes by 2030 if production of the jets continues apace. This is inclusive of all variants, including a two-seat version that first broke cover in 2021. One of Chinas growing fleet of real J-20 fighters. PLAAF The growing size of Chinas fleets of J-20s, as well as other more modern fighters, can only increase demands for training, both for pilots and ground crew, as well as maintenance and sustainment requirements. Ever larger numbers of routine day-to-day sorties raise the risk of crashes and other accidents just as a matter of course. Chinese airfield firefighters get close to the trainer. Chinese internet Another close-up shot of Chinese airfield firefighters hosing down the training aid. Chinese internet Also, while the object spotted at Jining Qufu Airport in 2025 now seems pretty definitively to have been a firefighting trainer, a steady stream of new, real advanced aircraft designs have been emerging in China in recent years. This includes crewed and uncrewed types with a multitude of shapes and sizes, ranging from the J-36 and J-XDS next-generation fighters to various sleek combat drones to several types of pilotless flying wings. New Chinese aviation developments do have a history of emerging suddenly, as TWZ has often been the first to report. As Chinas fleets of more advanced operational aircraft continue to expand in scale and scope, we can expect to see similar growth in the infrastructure and other assets necessary to support their operations, including new aircraft fire trainers. Special thanks to Andreas Rupprecht, an expert on Chinese aviation and contributor to this website, who goes by @RupprechtDeino on X, for bringing this to our attention. Contact the author: joe@twz.com The post The Mystery Of J-20 Fighter-Like Shapes Spotted In China Has Been Solved appeared first on TWZ.- — Ukraine Situation Report: Russia To Seize Commercial Infrastructure Left Unprotected From Drones
- at 8/25/26 1:42pmUkrainian drone attacks on targets deep inside Russia have spurred President Vladimir Putin to allow the government to temporarily seize what it deems commercial critical infrastructure that is not sufficiently protection against such strikes. This follows Russias move earlier this year to allow private companies to purchase their own air defense systems to protect their own facilities. Beyond calling for increased defenses, the decree signed by Putin also warns that the government will take over facilities that don’t make needed repairs quickly enough once they have been hit. These actions come as Russia’s economy is reeling after repeated Ukrainian drone hits on its oil refineries and other energy facilities. A more recent Ukrainian campaign against Russian Amazon-like e-commerce distribution centers has added to the financial woes and growing public frustration. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree allowing the government to temporarily take control of critical infrastructure if private owners fail to protect it from Ukrainian drone attacks or rebuild it after strikes.Read more: https://t.co/SzAbSZqobI— ABC News (@ABC) August 25, 2026 Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that “often business owners do not pay enough attention to taking measures to ensure safety, anti-drone safety.” Given the threat to vital economic infrastructure, “we must take measures, we must ensure our own safety,” he added. Putin’s decree does not specify what actions these facilities are required to take to provide better protection against Ukrainian drone attacks. As we have written about frequently, due to the demands of the battlefield and repeated Ukrainian attacks across a growing portion of Russia, the Russian military already has a shortage of air defense systems. So its not clear how much equipment, and of what capabilities, is even available for private firms to purchase. However, the civilian counter-drone industry in Russia is flourishing. Back in May, Russian authorities authorized private companies “to purchase heavy weaponry to defend industrial facilities against drone attacks,” the RBC news website reported at the time, citing sources linked to the Defense Ministry. “The new system will allow companies to procure anti-aircraft artillery systems, turrets, radar equipment, specialized vehicles and electronic warfare systems,” the outlet added. “In order to promptly provide newly formed mobile fire groups with everything they need, the relevant decisions were recently adopted at the state level.” In addition, some refineries have already built metal cages around their facilities to help protect against drone attacks. The Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia’s oil refineries and Black Sea ports are having a dramatic effect on the Russian economy. “In the four weeks through Aug. 23, overseas crude flows fell to 3.46 million barrels a day,” Bloomberg news reported, citing tanker-movements data it compiled. “Shipments had previously risen as the strikes on Russia’s refineries left more crude available for export, but that increase is now unwinding, after drone hits on oil tankers cut shipments from the Black Sea.” “Meanwhile, strikes on Russian oil and gas processing plants continue to be an almost nightly occurrence, sending crude processing rates tumbling and creating domestic gasoline supply issues,” Bloomberg explained. “Falling Russian crude shipments come on top of Kremlin-imposed bans on overseas shipments of key refined products, including most gasoline, diesel and jet fuel supplies, which are further reducing inflows to Moscows war chest.” Ukraines two-pronged drone strikes on Russias refineries and Black Sea shipping hamper Moscows oil flows, while refinery crude processing tumbles, writes @JLeeEnergy https://t.co/BI3OVPrkJ4— Timo Vainionpää (@TimoVainionpaa) August 25, 2026 Ukraine, as we noted earlier, has also targeted Russian logistics infrastructure belonging to major online retailers, such as Amazon-style retail giant Wildberries, to increase the financial pain on other sectors of the Russian economy. “Ozon, Russia’s second-largest online retailer, is now next in Ukraine’s crosshairs,” CNBC reported. “Shares of the company plunged nearly 30% on the Moscow Exchange on Monday after it reported drone strikes in southern Russia, which brought the number of facilities targeted in the last three days to six.” Ukrainian attack drones struck an Ozon logistics center near Tyube in Russia’s Dagestan overnight, extending the wave of strikes on logistics infrastructure into the North Caucasus. The facility handles large volumes of goods for Ozon across the region. Footage from the attack… pic.twitter.com/vL3Cv7vmtd— NOELREPORTS (@NOELreports) August 24, 2026 Overnight on Monday, Ukraine continued striking inside Russia, attacking the Afipsky Refinery and Gas Separation Units at the Astrakhan Gas Processing Plant, according to the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff. The extent of the damage is still being clarified. “Afipsky Refinery is one of the large oil refining facilities in the Krasnodar region,” the general staff noted. “The project capacity is 6.25 million tons of oil per year. The plant produces, among other things, diesel, gasoline components, and is involved in supplying the Russian occupation army.” The governor of the Krasnodar region, Veniamin Kondratiev, acknowledged the attack. “Debris from a drone fell on the territory of the Afipskaya railway station,” he stated on Telegram. “Sadly, two people were killed. I express my deepest condolences to the families. Two more people were injured, and I wish them a speedy recovery. In addition, at least 10 private homes were damaged in the village of Afipsky. A fire broke out in one of them. A fire also occurred on the territory of a refinery. Firefighters and emergency services are currently working at the scene.” Ukrainian attack drones struck Russias Afipsky oil refinery in Krasnodar region overnight, setting the facility on fire. The refinery has an annual crude processing capacity of 9.1 million tons. Debris from the attack also reportedly damaged a railway station. The Afipsky… pic.twitter.com/ao6TWgmR8y— NOELREPORTS (@NOELreports) August 25, 2026 Russia isnt alone in worrying about Ukrainian drone strikes. Financial Times reporter Christopher Miller noted on X that the Trump administration asked Kyiv not to strike Moscow, St. Petersburg or northern regions of Russia Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, when the U.S. would send a plane carrying a senior-level official to the Russian capital. On Tuesday, a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III strategic airlifter arrived in Moscow, reportedly ferrying CIA Director John Ratcliffe. You can read more about that in our initial story here. Scoop @FT: Trump administration officials last week requested that Kyiv not strike Moscow, St Petersburg and nothern regions of Russia with its long range missiles and drones on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday when the US would send a plane carrying a senior-level official to the…— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) August 25, 2026 Ratcliffe was visiting as the U.S. struggles to end Russias full-on invasion of Ukraine and the Iran war, though the reason for the visit wasn’t immediately clear, The Wall Street Journal noted. The U.S. has collected intelligence showing Russia’s early preparations for a possible military mobilization in Ukraine and plans for testing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s resolve. Analysts said Ratcliffe could meet with Putin to deliver a warning, the newspaper noted. “It could be to say, ‘We know what you are thinking about doing, and you better not,’” Beth Sanner, a former U.S. deputy director of national intelligence for mission integration, told the Journal. “It could also be about the Iran ceasefire and putting someone else in the discussion,” she said, adding Ratcliffe might also touch upon the Kremlin’s support for Iran following a new U.S. sanctions campaign against the regime. CIA Director John Ratcliffe made a surprise visit to Moscow, U.S. officials said, his first publicly known trip to the Russian capital. https://t.co/F664tBiV8h— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) August 25, 2026 The Latest Ukraine is making some small advances in the southern section of the front while Russia continues to put heavy pressure on the Donetsk region in the east. Here are some key takeaways from the latest Institute for the Study of War assessment. Sumy: Russian forces continued offensive operations in northern Sumy Oblast on August 23 and 24 but did not make confirmed advances. Kharkiv: Russian forces continued offensive operations in northern Kharkiv Oblast, near Borova, Kupiansk and in the Velykyi Burluk direction on August 23 and 24 but did not advance as Ukrainian forces counterattacked. Donetsk: Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the Slovyansk direction. Russian forces continued attempts to isolate Ukrainian forces in Mykolaivka (east of Slovyansk), and attacked in the Dobropillya tactical area, the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area, Pokrovsk, Novopavlivka, and Oleksandrivka on August 23 and 24 but did not advance. Zaporizhia: Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the Hulyaipole direction and in western Zaporizhia Oblast. Kherson: Neither Russian nor Ukrainian forces reported ground activity in the Kherson direction on August 24. NEW: Ukrainian forces appear to be conducting a concerted suppression and destruction of enemy air defenses (SEAD/DEAD) campaign against Russian air defense assets in Russian border regions as part of their broader campaign targeting Russian economic and military assets within… pic.twitter.com/JDDH5iUoUn— Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) August 25, 2026 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered some positive news Tuesday about badly needed air defense systems and interceptors. “We received confirmation regarding several Crotale air defense systems and missiles for them. And AIM missiles, which we use to shoot down enemy missiles. And a little more Patriot missiles have arrived,” Zelensky told reporters. He did not offer specific figures. Zelensky added that Ukraine had received confirmation from the United Kingdom regarding the production of SCALP long-range missiles. He added that “French President Emmanuel Macron had confirmed the unblocking of SCALP missiles and the necessary licenses,” the Kyiv Post reported. You can read more about that effort in our story here. “We will act. I believe this is a strong positive and a strong decision,” Zelensky said. Zelensky also said Ukraine expects to receive a schedule for the Freya domestic air defense interceptor initiative within seven to 10 days, including information on meetings and areas where cooperation with defense companies is currently blocked. Zelensky says Ukraine received some Patriot missiles, AIM missiles and confirmation of several Crotale air-defense systems with missiles. He called the AIM missiles “very important” and said the Patriot delivery remains small: “We need more.” #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/beDn71SLlM— NOELREPORTS (@NOELreports) August 25, 2026 Earlier this month, we told you about two drone-related incidents at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany that represented the most serious threats yet in the wave of small drone incursions that have plagued Europe for the past few years. German police said an explosive-laden drone was located on the ground near a Ukrainian Antonov An-124 Condor cargo jet and that there was a midair collision between an object and another cargo aircraft. More news about that situation emerged today. German investigators uncovered a third drone and suspected military explosives thought to be connected to the attempted attack on Leipzig airport, the Guardian reported, citing local media. “The drone was discovered in Kabelsketal, just to the west of the airport, along with about 50g (1.8oz) of a suspected military explosive on 14 August, 10 days after the unsuccessful sabotage,” the publication stated. The office of the prosecutor general, which is leading the investigation, declined to comment on Tuesday. But the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said the government would soon provide information about who it believed was behind the drone attacks. “They will pay for this,” Merz said, stopping short of naming a suspect, before a cabinet meeting in Brandenburg. He added that the government was “working intensively on this together with the security authorities and we will present our findings and comment on them shortly. “Intelligence sources cited by the broadcasters NDR and WDR and the newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung said they suspected the involvement of Russian intelligence in the attempted attack,” the Guardian added. Moscow has denied involvement. Leipzig airport is a cargo and military logistics hub used by NATO and Ukraine’s Antonov Airlines for transporting military supplies. As we noted in our initial piece, the Condor, in particular, represents an unsurprising target for Russia. Ukraine’s An-124s are a source of national pride and a big flying symbol of the country’s defiance and survival. They also provide much-needed revenue to Ukraine and strategic airlift to support the conflict. Ukraine’s An-124s have long provided charter cargo services for western militaries, companies and NGOs. Since the war began, Antonov Airlines An-124s have been used to deliver war materiel bound for Ukraine. LEIPZIG: ES WAR OFFENBAR NICHT NUR EINE DROHNEDer Fall am Flughafen Leipzig/Halle wird immer brisanter.Nach gemeinsamen Recherchen von NDR, WDR und Süddeutscher Zeitung gibt es inzwischen Hinweise darauf, dass rund um den Flughafen mehrere Drohnen, Sprengstoff und… pic.twitter.com/G76gKMwfJw— K.G. (@katha1502) August 25, 2026 Britain has signed a partnership with Ukraine to jointly develop artificial intelligence tools for defense and security, giving British researchers access to a Ukrainian battlefield data platform used to train military AI systems, Reuters reported. Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Zelensky signed the agreement in Kyiv, making Britain the first international partner to access Ukraines Avengers AI Labs, a government statement said. Avengers Labs was built around an annotated dataset of 5 million battlefield images, Ukraines Defense Ministry said earlier in August, largely drawn from the militarys DELTA combat system – a domestically developed battlefield management and situational-awareness system, the outlet added. The platform uses data collected from cameras and sensors across Ukraines battlefield, including information on tanks, artillery systems, drones and other military targets. The Ukrainian ministry said AI models trained on the data were already being used in an automated target-detection system that analyses more than 100,000 drone video feeds each month and can identify about 70% of enemy targets in real time, Reuters noted. The UK became the first foreign nation to gain access to Ukraine’s vast trove of battlefield data in a deal designed to train artificial intelligence models and develop fresh military capabilities https://t.co/qXzTu4UMWA— Bloomberg (@business) August 24, 2026 In early 2023, donated tanks began arriving in Ukraine with great fanfare and hopes that additional armor would help turn the tide against Russia. Fast forward to today and many of those tanks that survived combat “now mostly sit idle, hidden in forests and collecting cobwebs,” according to a New York Times report. “The $10 million machines, procured with great fanfare, proved no match for cheap drones that now dominate the battlefield. Yet Ukraine still maintains them and trains soldiers to use them, while trying to imagine new ways to deploy them. “We’re making virtually no use of armored vehicles,” Oleksandr Syrskyi, who until last month was Ukraine’s top general, said recently, the newspaper noted. “This raises the question: How can we neutralize this advantage enjoyed by drones and give our armor a new lease on life?” The situation has changed so drastically that tanks are being used largely as tractors to tow damaged equipment, the Times proffered. Some of the troops are now more involved with drones than tanks. Newer recruits to a unit that was among the first to receive donated armor “have never even touched a tank. Among them was Korzhyk, 33, who joined the brigade in 2025 and spends his days repairing ground drones in a dark workshop,” the publication added. Western tanks once coveted by Ukraine now mostly sit idle as cheap drones dominate the battlefield, NYT reports. The 33rd Mechanized Brigade keeps its German-made Leopards hidden, maintained and ready, but combat orders have largely stopped. Tanks are sometimes used to tow… pic.twitter.com/lGaIWnxSv8— NOELREPORTS (@NOELreports) August 25, 2026 Video emerged on social media of a Ukrainian MiG-29MU1 Fulcrum fighter dropping U.S.-made GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs (SDB) toward enemy drone operators inside Russias Belgorod region. Ukrainian MiG-29MU1 fighter using American guided aerial bombs GBU-39 destroys positions of Russian UAV operators in the Belgorod region. pic.twitter.com/y5up0Oyb2m— MilitaryNewsUA (@front_ukrainian) August 25, 2026 Ukraines mid-range drone attacks against Russian logistics have proven quite successful; however, the following picture shows not every that not every strike resulted in complete destruction. As you can see, a Hornet one-way attack drone got stuck in the windshield of a truck in occupied Crimea. Ukrainian kamikaze drone “Hornet” failed to detonate and got stuck in the windshield of a Russian truck on the highway to occupied Crimea. pic.twitter.com/ybhakjWpBg— MilitaryNewsUA (@front_ukrainian) August 25, 2026 Thats it for now. Contact the author: howard@twz.com The post Ukraine Situation Report: Russia To Seize Commercial Infrastructure Left Unprotected From Drones appeared first on TWZ.
- — Poland’s Name Appears in U.S. F-15EX Deal, Warsaw Denies Procurement Plans
- at 8/25/26 11:53amIn an intriguing development, Poland has been named among the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers covered by a massive new U.S. contract with Boeing for the F-15 program. This has prompted renewed speculation that Warsaw could eventually acquire the F-15EX Eagle II. Poland’s Ministry of National Defense, however, says there is currently no such plan, but there is a precedent here, with the Polish order for AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters following a very similar path. The U.S. Department of War announced Monday that Boeing had received an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a ceiling value of $131.23 billion for the “F-15 Eagle Crest” program. The agreement covers production, systems integration, modernization, upgrades, retrofits, sustainment and the establishment of depot-level maintenance capabilities for F-15 aircraft. Work is expected to continue through August 2037, with orders initially permitted through August 2031 and an option to extend that period to 2036. The distinction is significant. An IDIQ contract establishes a mechanism through which orders can subsequently be placed; it does not itself constitute an aircraft purchase by every country named within it. The $131.23 billion figure is therefore a maximum contractual ceiling for the wider F-15 program, rather than the value of aircraft already ordered by the United States and its foreign customers. Importantly, the contract also covers Foreign Military Sales customers. The Pentagon specifically lists Japan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, and Poland. Of these, it should be noted that Indonesia was once in line to be the first export operator of the F-15EX, but, earlier this year, Boeing confirmed the country had abandoned its plans to buy the jets. The deal had been in stasis for the previous two years. An Indonesian delegation, led by Indonesian Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto (center), during a visit to Boeing’s St. Louis facility. Boeing Poland, however, had never formally announced plans to order the F-15EX, although Boeing eyes the country as a potential customer for the aircraft. Boeing has actively promoted the F-15EX to Warsaw, while Polish military officials have previously visited the company’s facilities in the United States. In 2025, then-Inspector of the Polish Air Force Gen. Ireneusz Nowak flew an F-15EX at Boeing’s facilities. The aircraft has frequently appeared in discussions about Poland’s requirement for additional fourth-generation fighters. Warsaw has already committed to a large expansion of its fifth-generation F-35 fleet, with Polish officials confirming plans for another 32 F-35As in addition to the 32 aircraft already ordered. One of the first three Polish Air Force F-35 fighter jet, known in Poland as Husarz, during a ceremony marking the aircrafts official entry into service at the 32nd Tactical Air Base in Lask, Poland, on June 12, 2026. Photo by Andrzej Iwanczuk/NurPhoto via Getty Images Andrzej Iwanczuk As we have discussed in the past, the F-15EX could provide a compelling complement to the F-35, providing a large weapons payload, long range, and a substantial air-to-air weapons capacity. But there is currently no indication from Poland that such a procurement has entered a formal acquisition phase. Poland’s Ministry of National Defence told Defence24 that the Polish Armed Forces “do not plan to acquire F-15EX aircraft” and that the country’s inclusion in the U.S. framework contract does not mean a decision has been made or that a procurement process has begun. As it is, the wording of the U.S. announcement is best understood as identifying countries that can potentially participate in F-15 Foreign Military Sales under the new contractual framework. For Poland, Washington has established a long-term contractual vehicle that could facilitate a future F-15EX purchase, even though Warsaw says it has no current plan to acquire the aircraft. Whether that changes in the future remains a separate question. However, as Gareth Jennings, aviation desk editor at Janes, has pointed out, in 2017 the U.S. Department of Defense denied that Poland had selected the AH-64 after it was named in a similar contract, for sensors. Not long after, Warsaw became the largest international customer for the Apache, buying 96 examples of the attack helicopter. Im not saying that Poland has signed for the F-15, but in 2017 the DoD denied that the country had selected the Apache after including it in a similar sensor contract. Went on to become the largest international customer a short time later pic.twitter.com/lYiRi9Ac5j— Gareth Jennings (@GarethJennings3) August 25, 2026 A Polish Army Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopter flies over the city during the Polish Armed Forces Day military parade in Warsaw, Poland on August 15, 2026. Photo by Marek Antoni Iwanczuk/NurPhoto Marek Antoni Iwańczuk Boeing today told Jennings that Poland has not yet made a decision about the F-15EX. As for the Apache buy, this is just one part of an extraordinary military expansion underway since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Warsaw has pursued major acquisitions across nearly every part of its armed forces, including 48 FA-50 light combat aircraft, 180 K2 tanks and 250 M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams tanks, alongside its 32-aircraft F-35 order. Its existing fleet of F-16 fighters is also set for a major upgrade. With the FMS case for Indonesia having expired earlier this year, an F-15EX sale to Indonesia now looks far less likely. For now, there is no Polish F-15EX deal, and Warsaw is clear that no procurement process has begun. But the country’s inclusion in the U.S. framework, combined with Boeing’s continued interest and the Apache precedent, means the possibility is worth watching. Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com The post Poland’s Name Appears in U.S. F-15EX Deal, Warsaw Denies Procurement Plans appeared first on TWZ.
- — Ukraine’s Newest USV Is A Super Sized Mothership Packed With Anti-Drone Interceptors
- at 8/25/26 10:38amUkraines combat-proven Magura family of uncrewed surface vessels (USV) has gained its largest member to date. The new MV11 is designed for open-ocean operations lasting up to a week and can carry payloads weighing up to 4,850 pounds (2,200 kilograms). The drone boat has so far been shown in one configuration, loaded with 18 small vertically launched Sting interceptors, turning it into a small floating counter-drone battery. Given its significant payload capacity and other capabilities, it could be utilized in other roles, too. The Magura MV11 USV at speed. UFORCE capture The MV11 made its public debut yesterday at Ukraines Independence Day parade in the countrys capital, Kyiv. The uncrewed air, ground, and maritime systems were the centerpieces of this event, underscoring the central place they now hold in the Ukrainian armed forces. The maritime portion of the parade, which took place along a section of the Dnipro River, featured additional members of the Magura family, as well as other USVs, including kamikaze types and ones armed with repurposed air-to-air missiles. A drone boat with a launcher for first-person-view (FPV) type aerial kamikaze drones and another with an array of small domed antennas (possibly tied to an electronic warfare system or for use as a communications node) were also present. Various types of aerial kamikaze drones, as well as uncrewed ground vehicles (UGV) armed with anti-tank guided missiles, automatic grenade launchers, and machine guns, were also showcased at the event. The video below shows the various USVs, as well as other uncrewed platforms showcased at Ukraines Independence Day parade in Kyiv yesterday. We are proud to present the MV11 on Ukraines Independence Day. This is not just the largest naval drone – it is a platform that delivers multi-domain capability: a single carrier that transports and launches other unmanned systems far from shore, enabling operations across all domains, Oleg Roginsky, CEO of UFORCE, said in a statement. At UFORCE, we are focused on building the best capabilities for Ukraine and its allies who stand for freedom. We are confident the MV11 will become the foundation for many successful missions and for pushing the enemy back even further. UFORCE was founded in Ukraine, but has its main headquarters in London in the United Kingdom. It is often described as an uncrewed-focused defense conglomerate with several different enterprises operating under its umbrella. Many of its components are also located outside of Ukraine. For instance, the main design, research, and development bureau for the Magura family is located in Portugal. As mentioned, the configuration the MV11 has been shown in so far, both at the parade yesterday and in other marketing material released by UFORCE, features a payload of 18 Sting interceptors. They are loaded individually in box-like launchers, which can also be employed in other domains, including mounted on trucks or positioned on the ground. Weighing roughly nine pounds, the Sting interceptor is an electrically powered quad-rotor system with a small explosive warhead. It makes heavy use of 3D-printed components, and each one has a reported cost of around $2,100. The Ukrainian developer, Wild Hornets, says Sting can reach altitudes up to nearly 23,000 feet (7,000 meters) and has a maximum range of around 23 miles (37 kilometers), depending on battery capacity, weather conditions, payload weight, and operator flight style. Typical flying time is said to be shorter, and the system can be recovered for reuse if it does not intercept a target after launch. Sting has proven itself effective at intercepting Russian variants and derivatives of the Iranian-designed Shahed-136 one-way attack drone and other similar designs. Sting is manually operated by a human controller via a wireless link. How this works exactly with the MV11 as the launch platform is unclear, and TWZ has reached out for more information. Wild Hornets has said in the past that the interceptors can be remotely operated from locations up to 2,000 kilometers away from the launch point via a user interface that can be installed on a laptop. What capabilities the MV11 has onboard to spot and track targets to begin with is also unknown. However, the USV does have a mast at the rear, and images available so far show it equipped with a camera turret, navigation radar, and two other horn-like antennas. The camera system could be used for target detection and tracking, as well as just to help with situational awareness. The additional antennas might allow for passive detection of aerial targets via their signal emissions, or serve some other purpose. As noted, Ukraine does already have USVs armed with traditional anti-air missiles, which the country has claimed to have used to successfully down Russian fixed-wing jets and helicopters. A close-up look at the MV11s mast. UFORCE capture The MV11 also has a fixed-forward camera on top of the bow, which is a common feature on drone boats to aid general navigation. There are what appear to be a pair of rectangular satellite communications (SATCOM) terminals in the open main deck area, as well. A reliable SATCOM link would be key to linking the Sting interceptors with their operators. With their own range and endurance, Sting-armed MV11s could offer Ukraine valuable forward-deployed counter-drone nodes out in the Black Sea and along other waterways. Being able to thin out groups of incoming Russian drones further away from their intended targets could help reduce the pressure on land-based forces, including more traditional surface-to-air missile batteries. It is well established at this point that Ukrainian air defense units are under heavy strain from Russias constant barrages of drones and missiles on targets across the country. With a 4,850-pound (2,200-kilogram) payload capacity, the MV11 could easily be adapted to other roles. This could include launching groups of uncrewed aerial one-way attack drones at targets at sea or on land, or conducting direct attacks using other mounted weapon systems. These are capabilities that Ukraine has already demonstrated in real combat using smaller USVs. Another no-analogue scrap metal.Ukrainian drones destroyed a Pantsir-S1 air defense system in the Kherson region.: UA Navy pic.twitter.com/Nr01VCzumZ— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) January 6, 2025 MV11s could use their ample payload capacity in other ways, possibly including carrying sensor, electronic warfare, or communications packages. In a press release today, UFORCE said that the MV11 could be employed for more general surveillance and reconnaissance missions, as well as to support amphibious operations or transport cargo. In July, video emerged of Ukrainian forces using a smaller USV to land an armed UGV into a Russian-occupied area. While the exact outcome of that mission is still unclear, it did clearly serve as a proof-of-concept that could be a sign of things to come that could be further enabled by larger USVs. No soldiers. Just machines.Ukraine has carried out the worlds first known combat mission in which a sea drone transported and deployed an armed ground robot behind Russian lines on the occupied Kinburn Spit. pic.twitter.com/zyJdFXWxVb— Ivan Khomenko (@KhomenkoIv60065) July 13, 2026 On a more general level, the MV11 underscores the pace at which Ukraine continues to expand and evolve its uncrewed capabilities in the maritime, as well as air and ground domains. Other countries, including the United States, are taking notice and even moving to acquire Ukrainian-developed drone and counter-drone capabilities. Gulf Arab States have notably sought assistance from Ukraine in the wake of Iranian drone attacks this year. In that particular context, an MV11 loaded with Stings could be a very useful and lower-cost system for intercepting Shaheds and other one-way-attack drones heading across the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, especially when tied in with even a basic early warning network. Now that the MV11 has been shown publicly, we could well see it in action soon as a counter-drone platform and/or in other roles. Contact the author: joe@twz.com The post Ukraines Newest USV Is A Super Sized Mothership Packed With Anti-Drone Interceptors appeared first on TWZ.
- — USAF C-17 Makes Extremely Rare Visit To Moscow (Updated)
- at 8/25/26 7:06amA U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III has made a highly unusual visit to Moscow today, landing at Vnukovo Airport after flying from Riga, Latvia, according to publicly available flight-tracking data. The purpose of the flight remains unclear for now. It does come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he has identified a potential opportunity for new U.S. mediation to help end the Russian war in Ukraine. Flight-tracking data identified the C-17, operating under the callsign RCH4555, departing Riga at approximately 8:50 a.m. Moscow time and arriving at Vnukovo at around 10:04 a.m. Video posted to social media also shows the C-17 on approach to Vnukovo. #USAF United States Air ForceBoeing C-17 Globemaster III 1x#AE20C2 07-7181 REACH 4555REACH 4555 departed Riga early this morning… for Vnukovo International Airport near Moscow, Russia.@MATA_osint https://t.co/QtR4HirXqm pic.twitter.com/NhjQTbGkcs— Armchair Admiral (@ArmchairAdml) August 25, 2026 U.S. Air Force Boeing C-17A Globemaster III strategic airlifter descending to land at the Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow on Tuesday morning.The cameraman, likely sarcastically, comments: "we are under attack!" https://t.co/7EfvANBScW pic.twitter.com/dVItO5nAjn— Status-6 (War & Military News) (@Archer83Able) August 25, 2026 C-17 arrival in MoscowSource: https://t.co/DAAErGqiFL https://t.co/i5gQlKKe7B pic.twitter.com/Kdfn1u3TUQ— George N. (@GeorgeN28581) August 25, 2026 RCH4555 had flown from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, to Joint Base Lindsey Graham (formerly Joint Base Charleston), South Carolina, on August 22. A day later, the aircraft touched down at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, before departing for Riga. The plane then continued to Moscow two days later. Probably the first US C-17 in years seen over Russia few moments agoIts itinerary over the past few days: August 22: McGuire/Wrightstown → CharlestonAugust 23: Charleston → Joint Base AndrewsAugust 23: Andrews → RigaAugust 25: Riga → Moscow-Vnukovo pic.twitter.com/Iedvuho8Gb— Casus Belli (@casusbellii) August 25, 2026 There are unconfirmed reports, citing observers on the ground, that an aircraft that might have been a U.S. Air Force C-40B was also on the ground at Riga earlier today. The C-40B is a militarized version of the commercial Boeing 737-700 and is often used to shuttle high-ranking government and military leaders. An observer in Riga, Latvia reported a white aircraft, likely a U.S. Air Force C-40B, parked near the C-17A Globemaster III that arrived in Moscow earlier this morning.Notably, on the same day the C-17 departed Joint Base Andrews, a C-40B operating under callsign RCH790 also… https://t.co/LK7MVC4U9N pic.twitter.com/yTTsSBgYrR— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) August 25, 2026 The earlier stop at Joint Base Andrews is also notable. Situated just outside Washington, D.C., this is not simply an ordinary transport base. It is the home of the 89th Airlift Wing, which operates the Air Force’s Special Air Mission (SAM) fleet and supports senior U.S. officials and foreign dignitaries. The wing’s mission includes providing airlift for the president, vice president, senior executive staff, high-ranking government officials, and foreign dignitaries. Joint Base Andrews is also where the Air Forces Roll-On Conference Capsules (ROCC) are kept. The Air Force deploys ROCCs onboard certain C-17s to give senior leaders a secure, quiet place to conduct business in the middle of a noisy, often-crowded cargo aircraft. They serve as a mobile SCIF, office, and apartment all in one. Their extensive communications include multiple options for unsecured and secure voice, data, and video teleconferencing. These capsules replaced the previous Silver Bullet Command and Control Module, a converted Airstream trailer, which was phased out in recent years for reasons you can read more about here. A graphic showing the Roll-On Conference Capsule from SelecTech. SelecTech The C-17 is otherwise well-equipped for carrying high-ranking officials on overseas trips, including into potentially hostile areas. The planes have a defensive suite that includes multiple types of expendable decoys and the laser-based Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasure System (LAIRCM). The Globemaster IIIs primary mission is as a strategic airlifter, and it is typically used for transporting personnel, equipment, and other cargo. With those capabilities, the aircraft are also regularly used to bring advance parties to countries ahead of major state and other diplomatic visits. For presidential visits, this can even include Marine One helicopters and vehicles for the official motorcade. A U.S. Air Force C-17A from Joint Base Charleston deploys flares as part of a training event over the Atlantic in a military operating area outside Charleston, South Carolina, June 5, 2021. Master Sgt. Chris Hibben The presence of an active-duty U.S. military transport aircraft in the Russian capital is highly unusual and immediately attracted attention from open-source intelligence and aviation observers. Theories on today’s highly unusual movement of a US military aircraft to Moscow Vnukovo airport1. Prisoner swap2. Mission by senior intelligence official to warn against escalation by Russia, eg in Baltics 3. New diplomatic opening pic.twitter.com/OhqlHYQeKs— Mark Urban (@MarkUrban01) August 25, 2026 At this stage, the purpose of the Moscow flight and what the aircraft carried are not publicly confirmed. We have reached out to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Air Mobility Command, and the U.S. Air Forces in Europe for more details about the mission. The Office of the Secretary of Defense directed us to contact the Air Force. Nevertheless, any kind of U.S. military aircraft traveling from the Washington area via Riga and then into Moscow represents an exceptionally unusual movement based on current relations between Moscow and the West. Washington and Moscow have maintained official diplomatic channels despite the broader deterioration in relations against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine. Since U.S. President Donald Trump began his second term in 2025, ties between the two countries have both warmed and cooled again at times. Trump notably met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in person at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15, 2025. This was the first summit between leaders of the two nations since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin disembarks his presidential aircraft at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, August 15, 2025. Staff Sgt. Seth LaCount More recent U.S.-mediated peace efforts have largely stalled in recent months, including when Ukraine refused Russian demands to cede more territory. However, over the weekend, Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky did say he saw a window for new diplomatic efforts, at least to reach a ceasefire until the end of next summer. He has also drafted a page of ideas with U.S. and European officials to be presented to Moscow, according to Reuters. For its part, Moscow has continued to signal that it is prepared to engage with Washington, while U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have been discussed as potential participants in further talks. Witkoff and Kushner were last in Moscow in January. There have also been reports that FBI Director Kash Patel is planning to visit Russia later this year, although such a trip is not thought to be expected until mid-October. This is very much a developing story, and we will watch with interest to see when the C-17 departs Moscow, its destination, and any other clues as to the purpose of this mission. Update, 4:10 p.m., Central European Time (CET) – Russkaya Pravda reports that the Russian government says it has no information about the C-17 flight, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed that Russian officials had no meetings scheduled this week with representatives of the U.S. administration. Other Russian media outlets reported that this is the first time that a U.S. Air Force C-17 had arrived in Moscow since 2017. Kommersant, meanwhile, noted that another U.S. military aircraft — a Gulfstream C-37B — landed at Vnukovo in February 2025 after departing from Andrews Air Force Base. That earlier flight carried Russian citizen Alexander Vinnik after his release from a U.S. prison. Vinnik returned to Russia as part of a prisoner exchange that also involved American citizen Marc Fogel. Potentially, the flight today could be related to a prisoner exchange, although a C-17 would be an unsual choice for this. Unconfirmed reports out of Russia suggest the C-17 may have arrived in connection with American citizen Charles Wayne Zimmerman, who was sentenced to five years in prison in January after Russian authorities found weapons and ammunition aboard his yacht. Zimmerman sailed from the U.S. to Sochi on June 19, 2025, reportedly to meet a Russian woman he had met online. He pleaded guilty, saying he was unfamiliar with Russian law and believed weapons kept aboard his yacht for self-defense were permitted. A source cited by Ostorozhno Media said Zimmerman signed a clemency petition at his prison this summer, which was then sent to Moscow. For now, there is no official confirmation linking the American aircraft’s arrival to Zimmerman. A convoy of cars with U.S. diplomatic license plates has been spotted in the capital of the Russian Federation. Update, 4:15 p.m., Central European Time (CET) – A remarkable capture of the arrival of the C-17A by an individual on the ground confirms beyond a doubt the location. In the foreground is the distinctive Tupolev Tu-104B jetliner, registration CCCP-42507, that is preserved as a gate-guard monument outside Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow. З іншого ракурсу з геолокацією pic.twitter.com/LSYpgqrSIK— Vitaliy Trubnykov (@vokinburt_avia) August 25, 2026 Update, 4:20 p.m., Central European Time (CET) – A video being shared on social media shows what is claimed to be a motorcade with American diplomatic license plates spotted on the streets of Moscow today, with a local police escort. Russian media report that a motorcade with American diplomatic license plates was spotted on the streets of Moscow following reports that a U.S. Air Force Boeing C-17 Globemaster III had landed at Vnukovo Airport. https://t.co/EiKsKdnu6t pic.twitter.com/Hzrppj9fFy— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) August 25, 2026 Update, 4:30 p.m., Central European Time (CET) – Citing multiple unnamed sources, CBS reports that the C-17 brought CIA Director John Ratcliffe to Moscow for undisclosed meetings. This would be his first known trip to Russia as CIA director, though he has maintained contact with Russian intelligence counterparts. NEW: CIA Director John Ratcliffe flew to Moscow today aboard a US Air Force C-17 for meetings, according to CBS News citing multiple sources.The Kremlin said it had "no information" about the visit.No details on who Ratcliffe met or the agenda. https://t.co/Y14uaWEP2H— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 25, 2026 Scoop: CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Russia aboard a C-17 for meetings in Moscow today, sources told @Olivia_Gazis @JimLaPorta and me. @CBSNews— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) August 25, 2026 Update, 4:15 p.m., Central European Time (CET) – CNN is also now reporting that CIA Director Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow overnight to meet with Russian officials, citing a U.S. official familiar with his travel. The same official declined to share the substance of the meetings or the topics set to be discussed. If I had to wager, I’d say Ratcliffe is in Moscow to warn about Russian escalation against Europe/NATO. Linked to U.S. intelligence shared with Poles, Balts and Scandinavians, and comes amid a noticeable uptick in suspected GRU sabotage operations and Russian drone activity. See…— Michael Weiss (@michaeldweiss) August 25, 2026 Update, 4:45 p.m., Central European Time (CET) – The Financial Times now reports that the Trump administration last week requested that Kyiv not strike Moscow, St. Petersburg, and northern regions of Russia with its long-range missiles and drones on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of this week. This was due to Washington planning to end an aircraft carrying a senior-level official to the Russian capital, according to people familiar with the request. Scoop @FT: Trump administration officials last week requested that Kyiv not strike Moscow, St Petersburg and nothern regions of Russia with its long range missiles and drones on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday when the US would send a plane carrying a senior-level official to the…— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) August 25, 2026 Update, 8:45 p.m., Central European Time (CET) – The Wall Street Journal now reports the possibility that CIA Director Ratcliffe was in Moscow to dissuade Russia from mobilizing and launching an attack on Europe. Given the intense NATO intelligence-gathering activity along the eastern flank over the past week, it seems the situation is indeed quite tense. The U.S. has collected intelligence showing Russia’s early preparations for a possible military mobilization in Ukraine and plans for testing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s resolve, the WSJ has reported. Flight-tracking data identifies the C-17, again operating under the callsign RCH4555, now departing Moscow for Riga. RCH4555, a U.S. Air Force C-17A Globemaster lll which landed in Moscow early today carrying CIA Director John Ratcliffe for a series of high-level meetings with Russian officials, has just departed Moscow bound for Riga, Latvia. pic.twitter.com/9I4AG8dcA9— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) August 25, 2026 Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com The post USAF C-17 Makes Extremely Rare Visit To Moscow (Updated) appeared first on TWZ.
- — USAF C-17 Makes Extremely Rare Visit To Moscow
- at 8/25/26 7:06amA U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III has made a highly unusual visit to Moscow today, landing at Vnukovo Airport after flying from Riga, Latvia, according to publicly available flight-tracking data. The purpose of the flight remains unclear for now. It does comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he has identified a potential opportunity for new U.S. mediation to end the Russian war in Ukraine. Flight-tracking data identified the C-17, operating under the callsign RCH4555, departing Riga at approximately 8:50 a.m. Moscow time and arriving at Vnukovo at around 10:04 a.m. Video posted to social media also shows the C-17 on approach to Vnukovo. #USAF United States Air ForceBoeing C-17 Globemaster III 1x#AE20C2 07-7181 REACH 4555REACH 4555 departed Riga early this morning… for Vnukovo International Airport near Moscow, Russia.@MATA_osint https://t.co/QtR4HirXqm pic.twitter.com/NhjQTbGkcs— Armchair Admiral (@ArmchairAdml) August 25, 2026 U.S. Air Force Boeing C-17A Globemaster III strategic airlifter descending to land at the Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow on Tuesday morning.The cameraman, likely sarcastically, comments: "we are under attack!" https://t.co/7EfvANBScW pic.twitter.com/dVItO5nAjn— Status-6 (War & Military News) (@Archer83Able) August 25, 2026 C-17 arrival in MoscowSource: https://t.co/DAAErGqiFL https://t.co/i5gQlKKe7B pic.twitter.com/Kdfn1u3TUQ— George N. (@GeorgeN28581) August 25, 2026 RCH4555 had flown from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, to Joint Base Lindsey Graham (formerly Joint Base Charleston), South Carolina, on August 22. A day later, the aircraft touched down at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, before departing for Riga. The plane then continued to Moscow two days later. Probably the first US C-17 in years seen over Russia few moments agoIts itinerary over the past few days: August 22: McGuire/Wrightstown → CharlestonAugust 23: Charleston → Joint Base AndrewsAugust 23: Andrews → RigaAugust 25: Riga → Moscow-Vnukovo pic.twitter.com/Iedvuho8Gb— Casus Belli (@casusbellii) August 25, 2026 There are unconfirmed reports, citing observers on the ground, that an aircraft that might have been a U.S. Air Force C-40B was also on the ground at Riga earlier today. The C-40B is a militarized version of the commercial Boeing 737-700 and is often used to shuttle high-ranking government and military leaders. An observer in Riga, Latvia reported a white aircraft, likely a U.S. Air Force C-40B, parked near the C-17A Globemaster III that arrived in Moscow earlier this morning.Notably, on the same day the C-17 departed Joint Base Andrews, a C-40B operating under callsign RCH790 also… https://t.co/LK7MVC4U9N pic.twitter.com/yTTsSBgYrR— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) August 25, 2026 The earlier stop at Joint Base Andrews is also notable. Situated just outside Washington, D.C., this is not simply an ordinary transport base. It is the home of the 89th Airlift Wing, which operates the Air Force’s Special Air Mission (SAM) fleet and supports senior U.S. officials and foreign dignitaries. The wing’s mission includes providing airlift for the president, vice president, senior executive staff, high-ranking government officials, and foreign dignitaries. Joint Base Andrews is also where the Air Forces Roll-On Conference Capsules (ROCC) are kept. The Air Force deploys ROCCs onboard certain C-17s to give senior leaders a secure, quiet place to conduct business in the middle of a noisy, often-crowded cargo aircraft. These capsules replaced the previous Silver Bullet Command and Control Module, a converted Airstream trailer, which was phased out in recent years for reasons you can read more about in more detail here. A graphic showing the Roll-On Conference Capsule from SelecTech. SelectTech These capsules serve as a mobile SCIF, office, and apartment all in one. Their extensive communications include multiple options for unsecure and secure voice, data, and video teleconferencing. The C-17 is otherwise well-equipped for carrying high-ranking officials on overseas trips, especially into potentially hostile areas, with a defensive suite that includes multiple types of expendable decoys and the laser-based Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasure System (LAIRCM). The Globemaster IIIs primary mission is as a strategic airlifter, and it is typically used for transporting personnel, equipment, and other cargo. A U.S. Air Force C-17A from Joint Base Charleston deploys flares as part of a training event over the Atlantic in a military operating area outside Charleston, South Carolina, June 5, 2021. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Chris Hibben Master Sgt. Chris Hibben The presence of an active-duty U.S. military transport aircraft in the Russian capital is highly unusual and immediately attracted attention from open-source intelligence and aviation observers. At this stage, the purpose of the Moscow flight and what the aircraft carried are not publicly confirmed. We have reached out to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Air Mobility Command, and the U.S. Air Forces in Europe for more details about the mission. Nevertheless, any kind of U.S. Air Force aircraft traveling from the Washington area via Riga and then into Moscow represents an exceptionally unusual movement based on current relations between Moscow and the West. Washington and Moscow have maintained diplomatic channels despite the broader deterioration in relations against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine. President Donald Trump has pursued direct engagement with Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of his effort to end the war in Ukraine. The two leaders met in person at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15, 2025, for their first summit since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin disembarks his presidential aircraft at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, August 15, 2025. Alaska National Guard photo by Seth LaCount Staff Sgt. Seth LaCount U.S.-mediated peace efforts have largely stalled in recent months, including when Ukraine refused Russian demands to cede more territory. Over the weekend, President Volodymyr Zelensky said the he saw a window of opportunity for U.S. mediation to end the war until the end of next summer. He has also drafted a page of ideas with U.S. and European officials to be presented to Moscow, according to Reuters. For its part, Moscow has continued to signal that it is prepared to engage with Washington, while U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have been discussed as potential participants in further talks. Witkoff and Kushner were last in Moscow in January. There have also been reports that FBI Director Kash Patel is planning to visit Russia later this year, although such a trip is not thought to be expected until mid-October. This is very much a developing story and we will watch with interest to see when the C-17 departs Moscow, its destination, and any other clues as to the purpose of this puzzling mission. Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com The post USAF C-17 Makes Extremely Rare Visit To Moscow appeared first on TWZ.
- — Ship Struck In Strait Of Hormuz Hours After Trump’s “Economic D-Day” Campaign On Iran Unveiled
- at 8/24/26 6:25pmThere is a report of a new ship attack in the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting the difficulty of ending hostilities with Iran. The strike came hours after the Trump administration on Monday unleashed the threat of harsh new sanctions to further isolate the Islamic Republic. Though details were sparse, and no deadlines were issued, the goal was to compel the Iranians to return to negotiations by inducing additional economic pain instead of through bombardment. Originally touting the announcement as an “economic D-Day” against Iran, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessents lack of firm timelines presented Monday doesnt seem to match that initial rhetoric. Monday evening, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center (UKMTO) said it received a report of an incident 9NM northeast of Ash Shishah, Oman. The Master of an oil tanker reports the vessel has been struck by an unknown projectile causing damage to the engine room and disabling the vessel, UKMTO reported on X. Crew are reported safe. Environmental impact is unknown at time of report. Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO. Authorities are investigating. UKMTO didnt assign blame, but its obviously extremely likely the attack was carried out by Iran. UKMTO WARNING 120-26Click here to view the full product.https://t.co/lBi4Tk6MCl#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/KL3RUtCGgH— UKMTO Operations Centre (@UK_MTO) August 24, 2026 Hours before Bessents sanctions announcement, the Houthi rebels of Yemen also attacked another Saudi ship in the northern Red Sea. These strikes are a stark reminder that the war launched on Iran by the U.S. and Israel on Feb. 28 is still sending kinetic shockwaves around the region and roiling the global economy. At a press conference in Washington, Bessent formally announced the broad outlines of a new list of measures to cut Iran off from global trade. The move comes as the Iranian economy, which was reeling even before the war broke out, continues to suffer after months of war and an ongoing U.S. naval blockade of its ports. “We are level-setting with every country to tell them our expectations. We know who they are. They know who they are,” Bessent told reporters. “So when the hammer of U.S. Treasury actions falls upon them, they will have no one to blame but themselves.” .@SecScottBessent: "This is a sustained campaign to collapse every last option for Iran. Let there be no ambiguity as to the position of the United States: an economic engagement of any kind with this murderous regime will expose those responsible to the full reach of American… https://t.co/SSfD50jMin pic.twitter.com/s6rqMhLnTv— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 24, 2026 Dubbed “Operation Economic Outcast,” the plan calls for every country to “be given a defined timeline to shut down its Iran-related business activity,” Axios noted. “If it fails to do so, the U.S. will impose secondary sanctions.” As part of this effort, the Treasury Department issued determinations against five critical sectors––digital assets, technology, gold, aviation, and shipping––that the Iranian regime uses to try to prop up its failing economy, it explained. In addition, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned nearly 60 entities, individuals, and vessels in multiple jurisdictions that enable the Iranian regime’s recklessness, including illicit nuclear and missile technology procurement, cyber operations, and oil‑revenue generation networks. OFAC also suspended several general licenses that previously authorized certain remittance payments to Iran and Iranian access to the U.S. cultural and academic system, Treasury noted. OFAC issued additional guidance on the sanctions risks of bowing to Iranian demands related to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Operation Economic Outcast: Total Isolation of the Iranian Regime https://t.co/KZb1YjgvCS— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 24, 2026 Asked by a reporter what actions the U.S. might take against China, Bessent hinted that Beijing is not exempt. China has been a major importer of Iranian oil and its banks have helped support Tehran’s economy. “We want to make clear here today that no one is above the reach of U.S. sanctions,” Bessent responded. “That if they facilitate transactions and are part of the ecosystem that turns Iranian oil into money, into repression, they will be targeted.” BIG: Bessent on China and Iran:We want to make clear here today that no one is above the reach of U.S. sanctions.That if they facilitate transactions and are part of the ecosystem that turns Iranian oil into money, into repression, they will be targeted. pic.twitter.com/hVuFLlgaZa— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 24, 2026 Bessent did not offer any further specifics. He was equally vague about any timelines for this effort. “We are giving everyone the opportunity to remedy bad behavior,” Bessent told reporters. “Why would I want to blow up the global financial system?” Bessent: "Why would I want to blow up the global financial system?" pic.twitter.com/vPXHtzS4IF— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 24, 2026 For their part, the Iranians dismissed Bessents plan and promised their own harsh response to the new sanctions. Americans know that no one buys their bombast; the United States is not in an economic position to further restrict its relations with other countries, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of the Iranian parliament, stated on X. Irans trading partners, both in the media and through messages sent to us, have made it clear that they dont take these statements into account anywhere. آمریکاییها میدانند که کسی گُندهلافیهای آنها را باور نمیکند؛ آمریکا از لحاظ اقتصادی در شرایطی نیست که بخواهد روابط خود با دیگر کشورها را محدودتر از این کند. شرکای تجاری ایران، هم در رسانهها و هم با ارسال پیام به ما اعلام کردهاند که این اظهارات را به هیچ جا حساب نمیکنند.— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) August 24, 2026 “Any escalation of this situation will undoubtedly bring about consequences,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said. “Our hands are not tied.” Baghaei did not offer specifics, but Iran still possesses missiles and drones that it can use to strike U.S. and allied interests in the region. In addition, Tehran still maintains a large degree of control over shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Even the threat of additional attacks could affect the flow of oil through the strategic chokepoint. In addition, on Saturday, Mohsen Rezaei, the head of Iran’s national security council, threatened to attack U.S. businesses, The Telegraph reported. He also warned allies of the U.S. that they would be considered enemies, and their interests harmed if they joined Trumps economic warfare. Cyberattacks on U.S. water systems that officials suspect may be linked to Iran-backed hackers have been reported in at least a dozen states, CBS News reported earlier this month. Iranian-linked hackers are also suspected of forcing a small British power generator offline for four days last month. Aside from that, there are still many U.S. business interests in the Middle East, and especially energy firms, with major facilities right across the Persian Gulf. While the U.S. and Iran trade threats, the Houthis carried out a fresh strike on Saudi shipping as we noted earlier in this piece. The Iranian-backed group claimed it hit the oil tanker Amzan off the coast of Yanbu. That’s the kingdom’s key port on the northern Red Sea, about 600 miles north of Houthi territory. Ansarallah says it struck the Saudi oil tanker Amzan with a ballistic missile off Yanbu in the northern Red Sea, declaring the attack part of its maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia and its “blockade for blockade” campaign.Military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the missile hit… pic.twitter.com/PS6vna9XA2— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) August 24, 2026 Both the UKMTO and the Ambrey maritime security company confirmed the attack, which took place about 64 nm west of Yanbu, Ambrey noted. After the vessel was hit, “the Egyptian Navy was reported to have responded and was transiting to the area of interest to conduct a rescue operation,” Ambrey stated. “At the time of the attack, the vessel was not transmitting its AIS signal. Its previous AIS transmission was recorded at 02:33 UTC on 8 August.” UKMTO WARNING 119-26Click here to view the full product.https://t.co/mmhfDsrx3V#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/knJNCNwtGE— UKMTO Operations Centre (@UK_MTO) August 24, 2026 The ship attack was the latest Houthi strike against the Saudis. The Yemen-based group had already struck Saudi ships in the southern part of that body of water and refineries along the northern portion after imposing a blockade on the Bab al-Mandeb Strait (BAM), leading several oil tankers in the Red Sea to avoid that route in favor of the Suez Canal. The expansion of the Houthi campaign against Saudi shipping began earlier this month with an attack off the port of Yanbu on the NCC Wafa, a Saudi oil tanker. Bab al-Mandeb Strait. (Google Earth) Though both the Strait of Hormuz and the BAM remain under pressure, ship traffic ticked upwards in both chokepoints last week, according to the Kpler global trade intelligence firm. Those numbers alone, however, don’t paint the full picture, Kpler cautioned. “Traffic edged higher through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb last week, but headline volumes obscure contrasting risk signals,” Kpler cautioned on X. “Hormuz crossings rose 2.5% to 121, while laden transits fell 27% and sanctioned crossings increased from 9 to 16. Use of Iran’s unilateral routing scheme also climbed to 46.3% of crossings.” “Bab el-Mandeb traffic rose 3.1% to 269 crossings,” the firm added. “Dark transits declined, but sanctioned and shadow fleet crossings remained broadly flat at 74 combined. The data suggest commercial substance is weakening at Hormuz even as overall traffic holds up, while Bab el-Mandeb remains resilient despite an active threat environment.” Hormuz traffic masks rising riskTraffic edged higher through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb last week, but headline volumes obscure contrasting risk signals.Hormuz crossings rose 2.5% to 121, while laden transits fell 27% and sanctioned crossings increased from 9 to… pic.twitter.com/iHKsCigEJL— Kpler (@Kpler) August 24, 2026 While the U.S. is threatening further moves to hurt the Iranian economy, doing so has inherent risks. For decades, Iran has weathered sanctions and isolation and yet the regime has persevered. It withstood mass protests against it earlier this year with bloody crackdowns that played a big role in moving U.S. President Donald Trump to take military action. Iran continues to wield the cudgel of threatening the U.S. by resuming attacks on its assets in the region as well as against allies. In July, Tehran took rare initiative with a surprise attack on U.S. forces in Jordan, a contrast to its previous pattern of responding to strikes. For the U.S., continued conflict risks further expenditure of its stocks of high-end offensive and defensive weapons and strain on its troops and equipment. It would also add new economic pressure. To help mitigate gasoline prices that shot up during the war, the Trump administration began releasing a large amount of oil from the strategic petroleum reserve. That move set off a cascade of downstream effects. “Stocks of crude oil in the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) fell by about 3.7 million barrels to 289.7 million barrels last week, the lowest level since November 1982,” Reuters reported, citing data from the Department of Energy. “The drawdowns are part of a U.S. agreement to release 172 million barrels from the facility.” Barchart, the global market data and technology firm, offered a stark assessment of the state of the SPR. “The U.S. has just 41 days of crude oil inventory left, the lowest level in half a century,” Barchart noted on X. While that doesnt mean gas pumps in the U.S. are about to shut down, the alarm bells are ringing. U.S. has just 41 days of crude oil inventory left, the lowest level in half a century pic.twitter.com/qukNA5YqnT— Barchart (@Barchart) August 24, 2026 Earlier this month, the president said his new strategy was to be “low-keying it” in Iran, a suggestion wants to avoid further major military action. However, in addition to global and domestic economic pressure, there are other factors weighing on Trump as he decides what to do next with regard to Iran. The war is unpopular and the midterm elections are fast approaching. The White House and Republican leadership remain keenly aware that the conflict dragging on until November won’t help the partys bid to hold onto control of both the Senate and the House. We will have to see if the Treasurys plan is actually enacted and what Irans response will be. As it sits now, the administration is clearly hoping the threat of such economic isolation will press them to the negotiating table, but Iran has shown no signs yet that it will. Contact the author: howard@twz.com The post Ship Struck In Strait Of Hormuz Hours After Trumps Economic D-Day Campaign On Iran Unveiled appeared first on TWZ.
- — Where Are The Aircraft Carriers?: August 24, 2026
- at 8/24/26 6:24pmThe Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group (CSG) is heading home, finally. After nine months that surely felt longer for the crew and their families and friends waiting at home, the CSG left the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility (AOR) over the weekend, formally ending a 200-plus-day combat deployment to the Middle East. The supercarrier was most recently transiting eastbound in the Indian Ocean, once again operating under U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM). The flattop will reportedly make a port call in Thailand, according to a just-released report from USA Today – the first and only liberty port call since deploying late last year – before continuing on to Naval Base San Diego. In Lincoln’s stead, USS George Washington has taken up station in the Arabian Sea, as the Navy maintains dual-carrier coverage in theater to support the ongoing blockade of Iran. This is TWZ’s weekly carrier tracker monitoring America’s flattop fleet, including deployed Carrier Strike Groups (CSG) and Amphibious Ready Groups (ARG), using publicly available open-source information. Check out last week’s report here. TWZ/IAN ELLIS-JONES The Lincoln CSG has been deployed for 277 days, as of publication, in what will shake out to be one of the longest deployments in the modern carrier era. The CSG served as the tip of the spear during Operation Epic Fury, pressuring Iran’s southern axis from the northern Arabian Sea, and was instrumental in enforcing the two rounds of blockades that followed. Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9 launched more than 10,000 sorties and dropped over 1.5 million pounds of ordnance in support of both operations, according to a statement from the acting Secretary of the Navy. An F/A-18E Super Hornet, assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 14, launches from the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), Aug. 22, 2026. Abraham Lincoln is underway conducting routine operations in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Zoe Simpson) Seaman Apprentice Zoe Simpson For the vast majority of Sailors and Marines aboard the Lincoln, the last time they stepped on solid ground was in November 2025 when the flattop deployed. The carrier has pulled into two ports since departing last year, but they have been characterized as brief “pit stops,” and were not “liberty” calls, where the crew has the opportunity to disembark and disengage. The first, in December 2025, was publicized on DVIDS when Lincoln spent a day in Guam; the second, lesser known and reported, took place in early July at a friendly port in the Middle East that TWZ will not identify for operational security purposes. During the latter stop, CNN reporter Pamela Brown embarked for the first media embed of the war, right around the time that Lincoln was set to break the record for the most consecutive days at sea without a port call, which TWZ was among the first to report. It’s still unclear if the record was broken, or if the flattop pulled into port a few days before. Lincoln is scheduled to enter a Drydocking Planned Incremental Availability (DPIA) after returning home, according to budget documents reviewed by TWZ, and when she will return to service is unclear, as lengthy deployments tend to extend maintenance periods. You can read our recent deep-dive on the status of the four carriers undergoing availabilities, and the broader strain on the carrier fleet, here. USS George Washington conducts routine operations while underway in the Arabian Sea. (U.S. Navy photo) NAVCENT Public Affairs F-35C launches off the flight deck of USS George Washington. (U.S. Navy photo) NAVCENT Public Affairs Replenishment-at-sea evolution aboard USS George Washington in the Arabian Sea. (U.S. Navy photo) NAVCENT Public Affairs USS George Washington has assumed Lincolns watch in CENTCOM, joining USS George H.W. Bush to “support maritime security and stability in the Middle East” as the conflict with Iran approaches the half-year mark, without a negotiated deal in sight. Washington is America’s only forward-deployed flattop, homeported in Yokosuka, Japan, and was conducting a routine patrol in the Western Pacific before transiting the Malacca Strait and steaming toward CENTCOM to relieve Lincoln. Prior to deploying, Washington completed a pierside Planned Incremental Availability (PIA) in Japan to service critical systems and conduct repairs, the Assistant Public Affairs Officer (PAO) told TWZ earlier this year. The 200,000th aircraft lands aboard Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) during night flight operations in the Indian Ocean, Aug. 18. 2026. George Washington, operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations, is the U.S. Navys premier forward-deployed aircraft carrier, a long-standing symbol of the United States commitment to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific, while operating alongside allies and partners across the U.S. Navys largest numbered fleet. (U.S. Navy video by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Robert S. Price) Washington achieved a significant aviation milestone just before entering the CENTCOM AOR, surpassing 200,000 fixed-wing traps. “Two hundred thousand traps is not just a number, it is a testament to the enduring strength of American naval aviation and the unmatching professionalism of the Sailors who make it possible,” the commander of CSG 5, Rear Adm. Jeffrey L. Heames, said. “This milestone reminds the world that U.S. carriers remain ready to launch and recover aircraft anywhere, anytime, in defense of freedom and our allies,” he added. Washington, which has been in active service for 34 years, is “capable of landing one aircraft on deck per minute, and typically lands 70 aircraft across several events throughout the day,” according to a statement released by the PAO. TWZ reached out to Washington’s PAO to confirm the composition of the carriers air wing. Here’s the current accounting: Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5 Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147 Argonauts – F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (Navy-operated) Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 102 Diamondbacks – FA-18F Super Hornets Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 27 Royal Maces – FA-18E Super Hornets Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 195 Dambusters – FA-18E Super Hornets Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 141 Shadowhawks – EA-18G Growlers Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 125 Tigertails – E-2D Hawkeyes Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 12 Golden Falcons – MH-60S Seahawks Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 77 Saberhawks – MH-60R Seahawks Fleet Logistics Multi-Mission Squadron (VRM) 30 Det. 5 Titans – CMV-22B Ospreys Like Lincoln, Washington embarks a single squadron of F-35C Joint Strike Fighters, as well as three squadrons of F/A-18E/F Super Hornets. However, Washingtons F-35C squadron is operated by the Navy, while Lincolns is flown by the Marine Corps. The Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) commander for CSG-5 is classified. The second carrier underway in the CENTCOM AOR, USS George H.W. Bush, has been deployed for more than four months and is operating at an undisclosed location in the Arabian Sea. The ship was spotted on DVIDS, the militarys content-sharing platform, conducting daytime and nighttime flight ops over the past two weeks. Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) conducts flight operations, Aug. 18, 2026. George H.W. Bush is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to support maritime security and stability in the Middle East. (U.S. Navy Video) In the continental United States, two carriers are currently underway and working up off the east and west coast. USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, got underway on August 21 and is operating 35 nautical miles off the coast with her AIS transponder on. USS Carl Vinson departed San Diego on August 10 and is conducting Tailored Ship’s Training Availability (TSTA) and Final Evaluation Period (FEP). The next carrier scheduled to deploy, USS Theodore Roosevelt, is still pierside in San Diego, based on commercial satellite imagery. An EA-18G Growler, assigned to the Gauntlets of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 136, prepares to launch from Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), Aug. 14, 2026. Carl Vinson, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 1, is currently underway conducting routine operations in the U.S. 3rd Fleet area of operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Lucy Fleming) Seaman Apprentice Lucy Fleming Overall, three U.S. carriers are deployed (with one heading home), one is preparing to deploy in the near term, two are working up in various states of readiness, four are currently in maintenance, and one is being used primarily for training before deactivation next year. One amphibious ready group is deployed, one is forward-deployed, four are working up or in port, and three are in maintenance. Note: Positions are general approximations. Non-deployed LHA/LHD amphibious warships are not shown. Contact the author: ian.ellis-jones@recurrent.io The post Where Are The Aircraft Carriers?: August 24, 2026 appeared first on TWZ.
- — Tiny Air-To-Air Missile In Development For Stealthy U.S. Navy Combat Aircraft
- at 8/24/26 1:39pmThe U.S. Navy made a major splash this weekend when it revealed the existence of the AIM-424 Malice Long-Range Air-to-Air Missile (LRAAM), which is already deep in development. At the same time, the service also highlighted plans for a new Compact Air-to-Air Missile (CAAM) optimized for shorter-range engagements and internal carriage on stealthy fighters like the F-35 and future drones as part of its larger future missile vision. Readers can first get caught up on what is known about the long-range AIM-424 in our initial reporting on that missile here. As described so far, the core goals for CAAM sound virtually identical to what the service has outlined previously in relation to a Compact Variant of the AIM-9X Sidewinder (AIM-9X CV), which TWZ was first to report on. A missile in this general category would offer a boost in magazine depth that could be especially valuable for more localized defense of carriers and other high-value assets against large waves of missiles and drones. The “Compact Air-to-Air Missile (CAAM) effort is a future inner boundary weapon. Requirements are being evaluated and assessed by N98 [the Air Warfare Division of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations] at this time, a Navy official told TWZ when asked for more information. The Navy does not plan to provide routine updates beyond approved public releases because of operational security and program sensitivity.” An inert AIM-424 Malice Long-Range Air-to-Air Missile (LRAAM) seen loaded in one of the internal bays on an F-35C Joint Strike Fighter. The Navy is also pursuing the Compact Air-to-Air Missile (CAAM) with an eye toward internal carriage. USN Mention of CAAM was included in the same briefing where the AIM-424 was first unveiled at the Tailhook Association’s annual convention this weekend. A central focus of the CAAM is on increasing internal carriage capacity for inner boundary weapon, according to that presentation. For the Navy, at present, internal carriage is a consideration most applicable to the services F-35Cs and, by extension, other variants of the Joint Strike Fighter. Internal weapons bays will also be a feature on whatever design the Navy may ultimately select as its future sixth-generation carrier-based combat jet, currently referred to as F/A-XX. Future Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) type drones or other uncrewed aircraft the service might acquire in the future could also have internal bays. We will come back to this later on. The description of CAAM as an inner boundary weapon points to a focus on shorter-range engagements, where there could also be less total time to react overall. In terms of what the Navys core requirements for the CAAM might be beyond internal carriage, details are limited. A rendering included in the presentation at Tailhook this weekend shows a relatively generic-looking design with fins only at the tail and a yellow band around the front of the body indicating the presence of a high-explosive warhead. Multi-mission Affordable Capacity Effector (MACE) is Blackbeard missile. The Compact Air-to-Air Missile (CAAM) could be conceptually similar to the Small Advanced Capabilities Missile (SACM), Lockheed Martin’s CUDA, or Raytheon’s Peregrine.The F-35 and F-22 could carry up to… https://t.co/1o0T48NQ6C pic.twitter.com/GsmlwRbZcw— 笑脸男人 (@lfx160219) August 24, 2026 However, earlier this year, the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD), part of Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), did put out a contracting notice regarding rocket motor developments to support CAAM and other developments. NAWCWD intends to procure on a Full and Open competition basis to develop and demonstrate technology that results in greatly enhanced kinematic capability for the next generation of tactical missiles, the notice explained. To support this technological development efforts, NAWCWD is interested in maturing high total impulse loaded and energy tailorable solid propulsion systems for transition into compact weapon systems, including a Compact Air-to-Air Missile (CAAM). Requirements will include tasking and products needed to provide a Concept Design with build-to-print data package, identify critical technology gaps, conduct critical component and rocket motor experiments, conduct a Design for Manufacturing & Assembly study to identify features required to meet manufacturing and cost goals, and provide a plan to mature the CAAM HLG Concept Design to a maturity state ready to enter a Department of Defense (DOD) Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) program, the notice added. HLG here stands for Highly Loaded Grain. This, in turn, refers to solid-fuel rocket motors designed to maximize output per volume. This is an area of missile technology where the Navy has already been heavily investing for years with a broad eye toward increasing the range and improving the performance of future missiles. Furthermore, a missile with an HLG rocket could offer substantially increased capability over a similarly-sized design with a non-HLG motor. This, in turn, offers particular advantages when designing missiles for carriage in internal bays with rigid dimensions. “The Next-Generation Highly Loaded Grain project team has matured the technology and seeded the development of future mission-modular propulsion systems that can increase weapon ranges by up to 1.5x while maintaining inner boundaries for short-range and time-critical missions,” according to one fact sheet detailing notable achievements by NAVAIR’s Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCAD) in 2023. Note here also the explicit mention of inner boundary design considerations. "The Next-Generation Highly Loaded Grain project team has matured the technology and seeded the development of future mission-modular propulsion systems that can increase weapon ranges by up to 1.5x while maintaining inner boundaries for short-range and time-critical… pic.twitter.com/gA7mlcSSi7— 笑脸男人 (@lfx160219) February 24, 2025 As mentioned earlier, the Navy has previously used virtually identical language to describe the planned AIM-9X CV, which is also a joint program with the U.S. Air Force. “The AIM-9X CV repackages the SIP IV technology into a compact airframe optimized for internal carriage on advanced aircraft with improved kinematic performance,” according to the Navy’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget request, released earlier this year. “The program will deliver increased capability to the warfighter with greater standoff range, increased aircraft weapon station capacity, and maintains inner boundary performance.” How exactly the CAAM and the AIM-9X CV programs may be related is unknown, but they clearly have the same general goals if they are not different names for the same development effort. From what was shown this weekend, CAAM is a distinctly different-looking missile from the AIM-9X, and plans for a compact Sidewinder variant or derivative could also be a stepping stone to a new design intended to fill the same general role. U.S. defense contractors have been publicly showing concepts for compact air-to-air missiles for years now. This includes Raytheons Peregrine, unveiled in 2019, which was said to be roughly half the size of an AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) while still offering comparable range. The company said it also had equivalent maneuverability to current-generation Sidewinders. Raytheon is the prime contractor for the AIM-120 and the AIM-9, as well as the newly unveiled AIM-424. In the late 2010s, Boeing also put forward a concept for a multi-stage Long-Range Air-to-Air Missile (LRAAM), which had a design that raised the possibility of whether the first stage could be used as a more compact, stand-alone weapon. In 2022, Boeing notably received funding for further development of that missile under a contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to “investigate advanced missile sub-system components to support the Compact Air-to-Air Missile [CAAM] and Extended Range Air-to-Air Missile Systems [ERAAM].” A model of Boeings multi-stage LRAAM concept. Joseph Trevithick During the 2010s, Lockheed Martin promoted a compact anti-air missile design called Cuda, with a focus on internal carriage, as well. However, Cuda had largely disappeared from the companys marketing materials by the end of the decade. Regardless, the use case for such a CAAM-type missile is clear-cut, especially for the Navy and its carrier air wings. In particular, the service is facing a threat ecosystem that is rapidly evolving in scale and scope, including multiple different classes of anti-ship missiles (ballistic, cruise, hypersonic) and long-range one-way attack drones. There is a very real prospect of large-volume and complex attacks made up of very different tiers of weapons incoming from multiple vectors simultaneously, creating a greater risk that both long- and short-range defenses will be overwhelmed. TWZ previously explored this reality in depth in discussing how the long-range AIM-174B, an air-launched version of the Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) that was officially unveiled in 2024, fits into the services larger plans. Added localized defensive capability and capacity could also be relevant for aerial force packages pressing their way to a target in hostile territory, where similarly growing aerial threats could materialize suddenly and in close proximity. Depending on its capabilities, CAAM might even be able to provide a new layer of defensive capability against incoming anti-air missiles, including for larger aircraft. So, giving individual aircraft more total engagement opportunities will only become more valuable, if not vital, as time goes on. As noted, stealth platforms with limited internal bay space face particular constraints in this regard. For years, more magazine depth via smaller missiles has been seen as a key avenue for improving payload limitations for platforms like the F-35 and F-22 when operating in their most low-observable (stealthy) configuration. In many scenarios, these aircraft can get closer to their targets without detection, offering different options for the employment of what could be shorter-range weapons. A compact air-to-air missile design that still offers comparable performance to larger existing designs, through the use of a high-load-grain rocket motor and other features, would be even more of a boon. Having something that is capable of short-to-intermediate-range engagements, but that can be loaded in greater numbers internally would expand tactical flexibility, amplify lethality, and increase utility of the aircraft as they can down more targets on a single sortie in certain scenarios. The continued growth of drone threats, especially those posed by long-range one-way attack types, has added another dimension to this equation. Limited magazine depth limits the ability to rapidly retask stealthy platforms to respond to often unpredictable high-volume drone attacks. Furthermore, the anti-air version of the 70mm Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) laser-guided rocket, the U.S. militarys current go-to lower-cost air-to-air weapon against drones, cannot be fired at all from the internal bays on the F-35 or the F-22. CAAM can offer the ability to address these threats better than aircraft like the F-35 and F-22 can today. A weapon like CAAM would also be especially relevant for future collaborative combat aircraft, which have extreme constraints on payload capacity, internal and external, as well as total takeoff weight. For CCA-type uncrewed aircraft, keeping the airframe size as small as possible to meet requirements is also essential for meeting affordability and producibility targets. Arming these platforms with an AIM-120-sized missile might not necessarily be required, or even be ideal, especially when operating along the leading edge of the air-to-air battle, closer to threats. In those scenarios, having the option of carrying even twice as many missiles per sortie, internally (if available) or externally, even if they have shorter reach, could be hugely beneficial. A US Air Force YFQ-44A Fury drone with an inert AIM-120 under its wing. USAF There could easily be interest in a CAAM-like missile from other branches of the U.S. military, if it is not already a joint service effort. The Air Force is already known to be involved in the AIM-9X CV effort. The service has publicly pursued new compact and lower-cost air-to-air missile concepts over the years under various different project names. This includes its own CAAM effort, through which Boeing previously received funding. What is clear now is that the Navy is pushing to maximize the anti-air capabilities of its aircraft at both the shorter- and longer-range ends of the engagement spectrum. Contact the author: joe@twz.com The post Tiny Air-To-Air Missile In Development For Stealthy U.S. Navy Combat Aircraft appeared first on TWZ.
- — Storm Shadow Cruise Missile Production Is Coming To Ukraine
- at 8/24/26 11:12amThe United Kingdom is clearing the way for Ukraine to locally assemble the Storm Shadow/SCALP cruise missile, adding another layer to Kyiv’s rapidly expanding long-range strike arsenal. Storm Shadow/SCALP was first used by Ukrainian forces years ago and became the weapon of choice for standoff strikes against high value targets. Since then, stockpiles of these missiles have dwindled, but Ukraines own defense industry has made large leaps in producing increasingly advanced standoff weapons, which will apparently include a version of Storm Shadow/SCALP in the future. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham arrived in Kyiv today for his first overseas trip since taking office, bringing with him a significant new commitment to Ukraine’s long-range strike capabilities. The U.K. government has authorized defense contractor MBDA to release classified information relating to British-made components incorporated into the SCALP long-range cruise missile. The move is intended to allow France and Ukraine to establish local assembly lines for the weapon inside Ukraine. Were sharing technology with Ukraine that will enable them build Storm Shadow missiles on their own soil."We will stand with them for as long as it takes." Defence Minister @LukePollard this morning from Devonport on Ukrainian Independence Day.Video: @SkyNews pic.twitter.com/hEpBfISucM— Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) August 24, 2026 SCALP is the French designation for the air-launched missile known in British service as Storm Shadow. The two variants share substantial French and British technology and are produced by MBDA. According to the U.K. Ministry of Defense, Storm Shadow has a range in excess of 300 nautical miles, although in its export configuration it has an officially stated range of around half that. An infographic on the Storm Shadow missile prepared by the U.K. Ministry of Defense. (Note that the missile was never cleared for use by the F-35). Crown Copyright The weapon is an air-launched, conventionally armed cruise missile designed for precision attacks against fixed targets well beyond the immediate battlefield. Its primary targets include command facilities, hardened infrastructure, and other high-value installations. The announcement removes a major technology-transfer barrier surrounding British-origin components in the Franco-British weapon, allowing the French-Ukrainian production project to move forward. Ukraine is already heavily dependent on Western deliveries for some of its most capable long-range weapons, while European stocks of Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles have been depleted by years of procurement limitations and transfers to Kyiv. Local production could eventually give Ukraine a new source of these weapons closer to the battlefield and reduce its dependence on foreign stockpiles. The U.K. production line for Storm Shadow at the MBDA factory in Stevenage. Crown Copyright At the same time, the Storm Shadow/SCALP project is only one part of a much broader Ukrainian effort to build a sustainable deep-strike capability. Ukraine has spent the past several years rapidly expanding its domestic long-range strike industry, with long-range one-way attack drones currently forming the largest and most mature component of that arsenal. Ukrainian forces are now capable of launching large numbers of domestically produced strike drones against targets hundreds and, in some cases, more than a thousand kilometers from Ukraine. Relatively inexpensive one-way attack drones can be launched in mass and used to overwhelm air defenses, attack energy and industrial infrastructure, and impose a sustained cost on targets deep inside Russia. Alongside those relatively inexpensive systems, Kyiv is pushing ahead with domestically developed cruise missiles intended to provide a substantially heavier payload and more sophisticated guidance and penetration capability. The most prominent example is the FP-5 Flamingo, developed by Ukrainian defense company Fire Point, while other indigenous cruise-missile programs are also progressing. Video showing the launch of an FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile: Ukraine is also moving into the ballistic-missile arena. Domestic ballistic-missile programs have progressed toward testing and deployment, with Ukrainian officials and industry working toward serial production of systems intended to extend the country’s ability to strike targets deep inside Russia. With their high speed and steep terminal trajectories, ballistic missiles provide a substantially different challenge to Russian air defenses. Western-supplied systems such as Storm Shadow/SCALP and the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) short-range ballistic missile have meanwhile provided Ukraine with critical combat experience and an immediate deep-strike capability while its domestic missile industry matures. Debris from an ATACMS missile launched by Ukrainian forces is seen near the Russian city of Voronezh on November 19, 2025. Photo by Russian Defense Ministry/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images Anadolu Rather than simply replacing missiles consumed in previous campaigns, the planned Ukrainian production of Storm Shadow/SCALP is particularly significant because it could eventually give Kyiv another sophisticated cruise-missile type within an arsenal that is becoming increasingly indigenous. A domestic assembly capability could provide Kyiv with greater control over production rates, sustainment, and replenishment while reducing the logistical burden associated with obtaining complete weapons from foreign stockpiles. Potentially, Ukraine might also have the option to adapt the missile according to its own requirements. This could include changes to the guidance system or warhead, and perhaps even adaptation for launch from the ground. The limited availability of the Su-24M/MR Fencer swing-wing combat jets that currently launch Ukraine’s Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles are currently a limiting factor and there is no realistic means of replacing them. It was expected that Mirage 2000 fighters transferred to Ukraine by France would be modified to launch SCALP, but this has so far not been confirmed. Should Ukraine receive the French-made Rafales that it plans to, then SCALP compatibility would be provided from the outset. A SCALP-EG long-range cruise missile under the wing of a Ukrainian Su-24. Ukrainian Ministry of Defense screencap Maybe even more importantly, it would allow these weapons to be used however Ukraine wants, without geographical and target type restrictions that are currently dictated by whoever donates them. It could also result in critical technology transfer, including about low observable cruise missile design, that Ukraine can gestate and deploy into other programs. Finally, its possible this could even be a future export for the country, especially if it can produce a variant that is adaptable and economical. It is unclear when locally built Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles will join Ukraine’s strike arsenal. However, establishing an industrial production line for a sophisticated cruise missile is a major undertaking, particularly inside a country that remains under sustained Russian missile and drone attacks. As noted in the opening of this article, the United Kingdom supplied Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine beginning in 2023, giving Kyiv a long-range precision-strike capability that was previously unavailable from most of its Western partners. Soon after, France committed to sending SCALP missiles, and Italy, another Storm Shadow operator, has similarly supplied the missiles to Ukraine. Ukrainian Su-24M armed with a pair of UK-supplied Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles. pic.twitter.com/NcMMhQu8Jf— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 3, 2023 The weapon has subsequently become one of the most important Western-supplied strike systems in Ukrainian service and has been used against some notably high-profile targets. Storm Shadow/SCALP has been used against Russian military infrastructure, including targets far behind the front line. The weapon’s combination of range, low-observable design, and tandem penetrator warhead makes it particularly useful against hardened or otherwise heavily defended targets. The weapons have also become part of a broader Ukrainian campaign aimed at striking Russian logistics, command infrastructure, airbases, and other military assets at operational depth. Speaking last Friday at Malmen Air Base in Sweden, during an event to celebrate the Swedish Air Force’s 100th anniversary, the commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, Lt. Gen. Anatolii Kryvonozhko, highlighted some of the key issues facing the service now in its conflict with Russia. Among them was the urgent “need for asymmetric actions,” including effectors capable of striking deep beyond the front lines and into the heart of enemy territory. “With the enemy having the prevailing in numbers, we need to have technology that can be smartly used, and this is how we can prevail,” Kryvonozhko said. “No matter how big your manpower is, if you don’t have innovative technology, you will not prevail. So innovative technology, smartly used, can be a factor for prevalence and domination in the battlefield.” View this post on Instagram For Ukraine, local Storm Shadow/SCALP production would fit squarely into that asymmetric strategy, adding a proven, capable deep-strike weapon to an increasingly diverse arsenal while reducing reliance on increasingly strained Western missile stockpiles. The U.K. decision to support Ukrainian Storm Shadow/SCALP production is separate from its own effort to develop a new generation of lower-cost long-range strike weapons for Ukraine. The British government is pursuing that effort through Project Brakestop, intended to produce advanced, low-cost, long-range weapons without relying on U.S. components. Industry has "risen to the challenge" of Project Brakestop, Armed Forces Minister Louise Sandher-Jones has saidThree UK-designed long-range strike systems undergo flight testing with the aim of delivering low-cost precision strikes against targets more than 500km away pic.twitter.com/mlD7jua4sG— BFBS Forces News (@ForcesNews) June 22, 2026 The British prime minister’s visit to Ukraine comes at an especially tense point in U.K.-Russian relations. Moscow has repeatedly warned Britain over its military support for Ukraine, including assistance connected to Ukrainian long-range strike operations. The Kremlin has now criticized Britain’s decision to facilitate Ukrainian Storm Shadow/SCALP production, accusing London of escalating the conflict and warning that Russia is tracking Ukrainian missile-production facilities. Russia has also withdrawn its ambassador from London, further highlighting the deterioration in relations between the two countries. Luke Pollard, the U.K. defense minister, told Times Radio today: “We’ve already seen Russian activities against the United Kingdom, we’ve seen them loitering over our critical undersea cables, we’ve seen cyberattacks on our systems … we’ve also seen them prosecute an illegal war against one of our close friends. So am I surprised that Russia doesn’t like people supporting Ukraine? No, I’m not. Will that stop us from supporting our friends in Ukraine? No.” Burnham is in Kyiv on Ukraine’s Independence Day to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and chair a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing, the multinational group supporting Ukraine. Prime Minister Andy Burnham meets with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv to mark the 35th anniversary of Ukraines independenceFollow live: https://t.co/PyL0HciA2X Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/g4dRDM6Vpr— Sky News (@SkyNews) August 24, 2026 The British prime minister has framed the visit as a reaffirmation of London’s long-term commitment to Ukraine, with the transfer of Storm Shadow/SCALP blueprints as tangible evidence of this. The missile announcement aims to help Kyiv expand its ability to make, replenish, and diversify its long-range strike arsenal, as it works toward developing a deep-strike force capable of reaching far beyond the battlefield without relying entirely on foreign weapons transfers. Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com The post Storm Shadow Cruise Missile Production Is Coming To Ukraine appeared first on TWZ.
- — AIM-424 “Malice” Very Long-Range Air-To-Air Missile Emerges From The Shadows (Updated)
- at 8/22/26 10:50pmBig news has broken out of the Tailhook Associations convention in Reno, Nevada, this weekend. The Navy has disclosed the existence of an all-new, very long-range air-to-air missile, the AIM-424 Malice. An image released by the Navy taken last April shows a Super Hornet from Navy Air Test And Evaluation Squadron 23 (VX-23) loaded with four of the weapons. Another image shows the missile installed in an F-35Cs weapons bay. The news of the new missile was first reported by our friends Brian Everstine and Steve Trimble over at Aviation Week. The AIM-424 Long Range Air-to-Air Missile (LRAAM), which is already deep in testing, is meant to arm F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, F-35C Joint Strike Fighters and the upcoming F/A-XX next-generation naval fighter. The missile is clearly larger and significantly farther-reaching than the long-serving AIM-120 AMRAAM and the new AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile, which shares the AIM-120s general mold-line. It isnt known where Malice slots in next to the very far-reaching AIM-174B Gunslinger, which was adapted from the Navys surface-launched SM-6. According to Aviation Week, the missile is a two-stage design, which should result in extreme range and very high-speed. An AIM-424 test instrumentation round loaded into a weapons bay of an F-35. (USN) The Pentagon has been interested in multi-stage air-to-air missiles for years and is now floating the goal of developing extreme-range air-to-air weapons that can reach out to the 1,000-mile mark in the years to come. This number is seen as critical to surviving future enemy anti-access capabilities of equal reach and to take advantage of very long-distance kill chains that will dominate future combat. In addition, closing the air-to-air missile gap, specifically with China, and attempting to leap significantly in front of the PLAs capabilities in this regard, has become a top priority for the Pentagon. A multitude of classified programs to develop new and more capable air-to-air missiles have been well underway and now we are seeing yet another example of this work in the form of Malice. One of these secretive programs, the Long-Range Engagement Weapon (LREW), dates back at least a decade, which also points to the development of multi-stage air-to-air weapons. We dont know for certain the manufacturer that built this weapon or if this is its only configuration. It also isnt clear if this new weapon has other secondary modes, such as anti-ballistic missiles and/or air-to-surface capabilities, nor what types of flying targets it is intended to destroy. For instance, is it capable of hitting maneuverable fighters at extreme distances as well as lumbering force multiplying support aircraft? Again, we dont know at this time. We will be doing additional analysis reporting on this weapon soon, stay tuned. Contact the author: Tyler@twz.com UPDATE: We now have a specifications page from the Navy. The highlights include a weight of 1,500 pounds (roughly three times that of an AIM-120), and a range in excess of 250NM. Keep in mind that these figures may be intentionally skewed for counter-intelligence purposes, as is often the case, in particular the range figure. Regardless, this weapon possibly sits in between the AIM-260 and the AIM-174B Gunslinger in terms of range, and closer to the latter. We also know the missile is built by Raytheon. The product page reads: The Department of Navy is developing the Air Intercept Missile (AIM)-424 Long Range Air to Air Missile (LRAAM), a next-generation missile intended to strengthen fleet defense and maintain a decisive air domain overmatch against advanced threats. Also known as Malice, LRAAM directly supports the Department’s contribution to integrated deterrence by increasing range, lethality, and combat effectiveness for Marine and Naval aviation forces that are defending our fleets, our interests, and our homeland. LRAAM sustains the Department’s first look, first shot, first kill advantage by providing our aviators greater reach, greater survivability, and greater tactical flexibility in the air-to-air fight. Built for 4th, 5th, and 6th generation platforms, LRAAM is designed for the air wing of today and the future. Specifications Primary Function: Air-to-Air Missile Contractor: Raytheon Propulsion: Solid-propellant rocket motor Length: 13.5 feet (4.11 meters) Diameter: 13.5 inches (0.34 meters) Wingspan: 26.2 inches (0.67 meters) Weight: 1500 pounds (680.4 kg) Range: In excess of 250 nm (463 km) Warhead: Blast fragmentation *Authors note, similarities of the design to a Boeing concept were removed due to the manufacturer being disclosed by the Navy The post AIM-424 Malice Very Long-Range Air-To-Air Missile Emerges From The Shadows (Updated) appeared first on TWZ.
- — China’s Next Aircraft Carrier Is Taking Shape
- at 8/22/26 11:29amA new Chinese aircraft carrier, commonly referred to as the Type 004, is continuing to take shape, notably now featuring a more complete bow. This is set to be Chinas fourth carrier, and there is strong evidence it will be its first nuclear-powered type, bringing an even more significant boost to the countrys naval power projection capabilities. The ongoing progress on the carrier is plainly visible in satellite imagery taken just yesterday, seen at the top of this story and below, which TWZ obtained from Vantor. The ship has been under construction at Dalian Shipyard, in the city of the same name in Chinas northeastern Liaoning province, since at least 2024. A look at the Type 004 at Dalian Shipyard on August 21, 2026. Satellite image ©2026 Vantor A broader look at the part of Dalian Shipyard where the Type 004 is being constructed. Satellite image ©2026 Vantor The Type 004 is being constructed in the same dry dock where Chinas first aircraft carrier, Liaoning, was completed, and where its second carrier, Shandong, was built. Liaoning was originally laid down as a Kuznetsov class carrier in the Soviet Union (first named Riga and then Varyag). Authorities in post-Soviet Ukraine sold the unfinished vessel to ostensible Chinese businessmen in 1998. It was subsequently brought to Dalian in 2002 and then commissioned into operational service with the Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) a decade later. Chinas third carrier, the Fujian, the countrys first catapult takeoff but assisted recovery (CATOBAR) configured type, was built at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai. Liaoning and Shandong are short takeoff but assisted recovery (STOBAR) carriers with ski jump bows and arresting gear at the stern. The Chinese aircraft carriers Liaoning and Shandong sail together, along with their escorts, as aircraft from their air wings fly overhead. Chinese government Based on additional satellite imagery from Planet Labs that TWZ reviewed, the current length of the Type 004s hull now appears to be around 1,050 feet (320 meters). Its maximum width, or beam, is some 151 feet (46 meters). Carriers are typically built with hulls that get progressively longer and wider as they rise from the waterline, meaning these dimensions are all but certain to grow further as the ship gets closer to completion and gains its flight deck. The Type 004, which is also expected to be a CATOBAR type, is already shaping up to be significantly larger than any of the PLANs three existing carriers. Fujian, also known as the Type 003, is currently the largest. It is approximately 994 feet (303 meters) long at the waterline and 1036.75 feet (316 meters) in total length, according to previous analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think tank. Its beam at the flight deck level is assessed to be just over 249 feet (76 meters). As another point of comparison, the U.S. Navys new operational supercarrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, is 1,106 feet (337 meters) long overall and has a beam of 256 feet (78 meters) at the flight deck. Fujian, in the foreground, seen during its commissioning ceremony in 2025. The Shandong is seen on the opposite side of the pier. Chinese Ministry of National Defense As noted, there is already strong evidence that the Type 004s will be nuclear-powered. This is based on what looks to be two distinct reactor containment structures that are visible in previous satellite imagery and pictures taken closer to the ground. The designs of these structures are very broadly consistent with what is found on U.S. nuclear-powered carriers. Other, more general evidence of Chinese work in support of future naval nuclear propulsion capabilities has also emerged. There have been various media reports over the years about work on nuclear powerplants for future warships and commercial vessels, as well. However, it has still not been definitively confirmed that the Type 004 will be nuclear-powered. In general, naval nuclear propulsion does offer important advantages, including functionally unlimited range. It can also provide a valuable boost in onboard power generation for more modern designs packed with advanced weapons, sensors, and other systems. The Fujian already features electromagnetic catapults for launching aircraft, also commonly referred to as an Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS). This is a feature that seems likely to carry over to the Type 004, and that would benefit from nuclear power. Any windfalls from nuclear power do come at the price of cost and complexity. As an aside, what may turn out to be the world’s largest dedicated naval replenishment vessel is also currently being built in China. As TWZ has previously noted, that ship will be especially important for supporting conventionally-powered PLAN aircraft carriers, their air wings, and their escorts, during long-duration blue water operations far from Chinese shores and friendly ports. A nuclear-powered carrier does also still require a regular flow of conventional fuel and other resupply for its air wing and crew, as well as its conventionally-powered escorts. Much still remains unknown about the Type 004s overall design and expected capabilities. What appear to be official renderings and models of next-generation Chinese carriers that have emerged in the past do point to a design broadly in line with the U.S. Ford class and other modern carriers in the works globally. This is also now reflected in the configuration of Chinas full-size, land-based aircraft carrier test facility in Wuhan. Key aspects include a more truncated island structure positioned further to the rear of a flight deck optimized for maximum open space. Just this week, TWZ explored the general benefits of this flight deck arrangement in the context of the Ford class design. This followed reports this past weekend that President Donald Trump is now pushing the Navy to move the island on future carriers in that class for aesthetic reasons. Trump is also notably a long-time critic of the EMALS catapults and electromagnetic Advanced Weapons Elevators (AWE) on the Ford. Last week, he publicly ordered the U.S. Navy and the Pentagon to draw up a plan for going back to using steam catapults and hydraulic elevators starting with the fourth ship in the class, currently set to be named USS Doris Miller. Renderings of notional next-generation Chinese aircraft carriers. Chinese Internet via @HenriKenhmann A stock picture of the USS Gerald R. Ford. USN There are also questions still to be answered about the composition of the Type 004s air wing. The PLAN is already working to significantly expand and improve its fleet of carrier-based aircraft with the addition of the stealthy J-35 fighter and the KJ-600 airborne early warning and control plane. This is on top of the growing J-15 family of multirole combat jets, which now includes an electronic warfare version. Various new drones, including navalized versions of the GJ-11 uncrewed combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), and helicopters, are also likely to be embarked on the Type 004. It is worth noting here that China has also built a huge new big-deck amphibious assault ship, the Sichuan, which features a single electromagnetic catapult and is expected to have a drone-heavy air component. The relative speed with which the Type 004 continues to come together is also reflective of the broader capabilities and capacity of the Chinese naval shipbuilding enterprise. China currently produces a multitude of increasingly modern warships and submarines at an ever-quickening pace. There were reports last year that construction of another conventionally powered carrier might also be underway in China. The Pentagon has previously assessed that the PLAN is aiming for a fleet of nine carriers in total by 2035. An unclassified Office of Naval Intelligence briefing slide from circa 2023 underscoring the disparity between U.S. and Chinese naval shipbuilding capacity. ONI This has all, in turn, created a more and more worrisome disparity with naval shipbuilding in the United States, or lack thereof. The U.S. Navy has continued to face delays and other setbacks with major shipbuilding programs in recent years despite efforts to reverse these trends, including by leveraging foreign shipbuilders. When the Type 004 will be launched, let alone commissioned into service, remains to be seen. What is clear from the latest satellite imagery of Dalian is that Chinas next carrier is increasingly taking shape. Contact the author: joe@twz.com The post China’s Next Aircraft Carrier Is Taking Shape appeared first on TWZ.
- — Bunker Talk: Let’s Talk About All The Things We Did And Didn’t Cover This Week
- at 8/21/26 4:42pmWelcome to Bunker Talk. This is a weekend open discussion post for the best commenting crew on the net, in which we can chat about all the stuff that went on this week that we didn’t cover. We can also talk about the stuff we did or whatever else grabs your interest. In other words, it’s an off-topic thread. This weeks caption reads: COLORADO SPRINGS, CO MAY 11: At the interior entrance to the Cheyenne Mountain Complex headquarters for NORAD two military personnel exit the administrative area May 11, 2004 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Constructed during the Cold War period in 1958, NORAD (North American Aerospace Command) was responsible for external air, missile and space defense. Since September 11, 2001, it now watches 7,000 aircraft per day within the US NORAD covers each aircrafts flight pattern including contingencies for the US Presidents flights and landings. NORAD coordinates with civilian authorities and works with the Pentagon, federal, state and local authorities. Canadian military officials make up 10-15 percent of NORADs 326 total staff. NORAD works with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) but is not part of DHS. The personnel work at 7,000 feet inside a granite mountain. Two 25-ton security doors seal the inside offices from any type of attack. NORAD has a self sufficient survival system with independent water and air supplies. (Photo by Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images) PRIME DIRECTIVES: If you want to talk politics, do so respectfully and know that there’s always somebody that isn’t going to agree with you. If you have political differences, hash it out respectfully, stick to the facts, and no childish name-calling or personal attacks of any kind. If you can’t handle yourself in that manner, then please, discuss virtually anything else. No drive-by garbage political memes. No conspiracy theory rants. Links to crackpot sites will be axed, too. Trolling and shitposting will not be tolerated. No obsessive behavior about other users. Just don’t interact with folks you don’t like. Do not be a sucker and feed trolls! That’s as much on you as on them. Use the mute button if you don’t like what you see. So unless you have something of quality to say, know how to treat people with respect, understand that everyone isn’t going to subscribe to your exact same worldview, and have come to terms with the reality that there is no perfect solution when it comes to moderation of a community like this, it’s probably best to just move on. Finally, as always, report offenders, please. This doesn’t mean reporting people who don’t share your political views, but we really need your help in this regard. The post Bunker Talk: Let’s Talk About All The Things We Did And Didn’t Cover This Week appeared first on TWZ.
- — Saab Unveils Stealthy Supersonic ‘Fighter Drone’ Concept
- at 8/21/26 4:40pmSaab has unveiled its roadmap for its Autonomous Collaborative Platform (ACP) program, a stealthy, supersonic ‘fighter drone,’ which could enter service in the 2030s with the Swedish Air Force and potentially other customers. The aerospace and defense company is already working on two uncrewed technology demonstrators and today presented a full-scale mock-up of an operational drone that those two aircraft could inform. This drone, compared to the U.S. Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), for example, is a higher-end proposition, more advanced, larger, and with superior performance than those being test flown in the United States. TWZ was among other members of the media who were briefed on the ACP program by Peter Nilsson, the head of Saab’s Advanced Programs business unit. He was talking at Malmen Air Base in Sweden, during an event to celebrate the Swedish Air Force’s 100th anniversary. A head-on view of the full-size aircraft A3 mockup. Thomas Newdick As for the name, Nilsson confirmed that, before settling on ACP, Saab had used the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) and Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) nomenclature. Meanwhile, the ACP falls under Sweden’s overarching KFS project, which stands for Koncept för Framtida Stridsflygplan, or Concept for Future Combat Aircraft. The most significant element of the announcement was the full-scale mock-up of what Saab is calling aircraft A3. The idea of this is to show how a potential high-end ACP could look, and the kinds of capabilities it might bring, provided the company is awarded a development contract. A rear three-quarter view of the full-size aircraft A3 mockup. Note the serrated stealthy engine nozzle. Thomas Newdick Broadly speaking, aircraft A3 has a lot in common with a previous concept that the company released back in 2024. The concept retains the same tailless, stealthy configuration, with significant internal capacity for fuel and internal stores. The stealthy, chisel-type DSI air intakes remain on either side of the fuselage, but the prominent bulge roughly above where the engine nozzle would be is removed. The overall geometry remains similar: a sleek, blended wing/body configuration with cropped wings and a prominent chine running around the arrow-like forward edges, giving it something of a resemblance to the Cold War-era Saab Draken fighter, with its distinctive double-delta wing. An overhead view of aircraft A3 as seen in a slide from a Saab presentation. Thomas Newdick In the meantime, Saab is working on aircraft A1 and A2, uncrewed technology demonstrators that are being funded by the Swedish Ministry of Defense. The first of these, A1, is expected to fly within the next 15 months,” according to Nilsson. The defense ministry called upon Saab to “go from concept to first flight within 36 months,” providing what Nilsson described as a “quite challenging” timeline. Aircraft A1 uses the same GE Aerospace F414 engine that powers the Saab Gripen E/F crewed fighter. The turbofan produces around 22,000 pounds of thrust and will ensure A1 has supersonic performance. However, for Saab, the main goal of A1 is to demonstrate that the company can build and fly a low-observable drone. Saab provided imagery of wind-tunnel models of the A1. Overall, it appears loosely similar to the A3 mockup, with the exception of the twin, outward-canted tailfins. Aircraft A1 will have capacity for an internal weapons bay, although it will not be used for stores release tests. The next test article, aircraft A2 will have an internal weapons bay, and will presumably be used to test ordnance. Otherwise, A2 will be used for tests of other advanced technologies, including new materials and sensors. Above and below: Two images showing wind tunnel models of aircraft A1. Thomas Newdick Thomas Newdick No artwork of aircraft A2 was provided, but Nilsson said it will be “not quite” identical to A1, in terms of appearance. It will also be powered by the F414. The F414 was selected due to its availability and the fact that the company has plenty of experience with the engine due to the Gripen E/F program. Saab is looking at other potential powerplants for the A3, but acknowledged that, should Sweden buy a productionized ACP, the engine commonality would be a big advantage, including, for example, when an engine needs to be changed at a remote airbase. This kind of maintenance is central to the Gripen concept of operation and would be retained for the ACP. Saab is contracted until 2030 to develop the A1 and A2 demonstrators. What happens next will depend on the Swedish Ministry of Defense, and there is currently no agreement for a follow-on ACP contract, which would see the design advanced to a production-oriented prototype like the A3. An underside view of the aircraft A3 concept as seen in Saab promotional material. Thomas Newdick “We have floated the view that this would be a great asset to the Gripen E, but right now there is no commitment,” Nilsson remarked. Saab envisages the Gripen E serving as a tactical mission commander for one or more ACPs, working in conjunction with the company’s GlobalEye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, a type also ordered by Sweden. Outside of Sweden, the drone could work with a wide variety of other crewed platforms, too. A slide from a Saab presentation, outlining the radar detection capabilities of the GlobalEye. Saab Pending investment from the Swedish government, Saab may decide to use its own funds for early development of the A3. However, Nilsson noted that “if a customer does not come along I don’t know when my CEO will stop me spending — you need a customer to buy into this.” Saab’s broader ACP vision is based on an advanced platform that offers both low-observable features and supersonic performance. The resulting drone should be capable of undertaking “high-risk missions in heavily defended airspace.” As well as air-to-air combat, missions would include electronic warfare, suppression of enemy air defenses, and deep precision strike. If Sweden buys into the idea, a development contract could be expected around 2030. Thereafter Saab thinks it could have the A3 aircraft in the air sometime in the early 2030s, leading to initial operational capability from the mid-2030s. The roadmap for the ACP program, as envisaged by Saab, with a crewed fighter glimpsed in the bottom right-hand corner. Thomas Newdick With the ACP program, Saab hopes to stake its claim as the “first-mover in the segment” for high-end ‘loyal wingman’-type aircraft. But even if the Swedish Air Force isn’t swayed by Saab’s ACP offer, the company is seeing the related spiral development as fundamental to its future as a builder of crewed combat aircraft, too. The same basic architecture now being developed for the ACP could provide a technological and conceptual base for a future (crewed) Gripen successor. This would be required by the Swedish Air Force sometime after 2055. If there is demand, Saab says it could start development of such an aircraft in the mid-2030s. A slide from a Saab presentation outlines how the high-end ACP development effort could feed into a new crewed fighter design. Thomas Newdick A rendering of a potential future crewed combat aircraft that appeared in Saab’s presentation reveals a slightly more detailed version of a concept shown in the past. Namely, a design apparently tailored for high speed, as well as low observability. Some of the same features found in the A3 concept — notably the overall blended wing/body and cropped wings — appear in the crewed combat aircraft, although this adds outward-canted tail surfaces, mounted on booms that project relatively far beyond the engine nozzle. The nose and forward fuselage bear a resemblance to the F-35, and, overall, the aircraft seems to be around the same size as the U.S. design, perhaps a little larger. A slide from a Saab presentation shows a rendering of a future crewed fighter design. Thomas Newdick For its part, the Swedish Air Force is still weighing up whether it wants to pursue a crewed successor to the Gripen, if it will abandon crewed fighters altogether, or if it will seek to join a foreign sixth-generation fighter program. A decision on this is likely sometime between 2028 and 2030. Speaking to journalists at Malmen today, Brigadier-General Niclas Magnusson, the deputy commander of the Swedish Air Force, called for closer collaboration between the service and industry as Sweden seeks to define its future air combat requirements. “We have to research and find the limits of what we are able to do,” Magnusson said, adding that he expected the future Swedish Air Force to field both crewed and uncrewed platforms. That decision is still to come but will also be informed by the relative costs of the Gripen (more of which may still be acquired), higher-end drones, and potential future crewed platforms. When it comes to the ACP, Nilsson suggested that the life-cycle cost will be around a third that of the Gripen, although acquisition cost won’t be as low as that. “The problem is that this bloody aircraft is too low-cost,” Nilsson added, pointing to the Gripen E. Ultimately, the cost of the ACP will depend on the degree of capability that the customer demands. Potentially, a single ACP could cost half as much as a Gripen. Open-source reports suggest that the Gripen E typically comes with a flyaway cost of roughly $70-80 million. If the ACP is to offer “high-end survival,” Nilsson explained, then a customer would likely be able to field two to three ACPs for each Gripen. The ratio “is not one to 10.” While Saab also wants to offer the ACP to other Gripen E/F operators as a priority, the fate of the program remains heavily dependent on larger questions about the future of the Swedish Air Force. Saab Gripen E. Saab Saab The program gives Saab a solid, and potentially unique, entrance into the CCA space. As we’ve said for years, fourth-generation fighters can remain highly relevant when paired with CCAs — and with a drone as advanced as this, potentially even more so. The ACP will still come with a significant cost, but that could be offset by reducing or eliminating the need for a fifth- or sixth-generation crewed fighter for certain air forces. For now, Saab’s high-end loyal wingman remains a proposal rather than a committed production program, but the company is clearly positioning it as more than another experimental drone. The A1 and A2 demonstrators are intended to prove the technologies needed for a survivable, supersonic, low-observable uncrewed aircraft, while the A3 concept unveiled today illustrates where Saab believes those technologies could ultimately lead. Whether Stockholm opts for a new Saab-developed crewed fighter, joins an international sixth-generation program, or moves toward a force built around a greater mix of crewed and uncrewed aircraft, the ACP work gives the country a way to explore those possibilities without committing to one of them yet. Update, August 22: Saab has published new photos of its full-scale concept model of a future uncrewed combat air system, aircraft A3. Peter Nilsson, head of Advanced Programs at Saab, further explained: “We are currently in an intensive development phase where, together with Sweden, we are exploring technologies that will lay the foundation for the next generation of combat air systems. As part of this work, we intend to fly uncrewed demonstrators with fighter-like characteristics before 2030 as we support Sweden in considering their future options.” Nilsson continued: “This separate Saab A3 system is our own concept for what could follow in the mid-2030s should Sweden decide to build on the work we are currently doing. Saab is well positioned to develop the next generation of combat air systems building on Gripen and GlobalEye, combined with our long experience in advanced aerospace systems.” Saab Saab Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com The post Saab Unveils Stealthy Supersonic ‘Fighter Drone’ Concept appeared first on TWZ.
- — China’s Massive New Artificial Island In The South China Sea Emerges, Primed For Militarization
- at 8/21/26 4:03pmThis time last year, Antelope Reef was mostly submerged underwater and barely visible unless you were steaming past at low tide. New satellite imagery, provided to TWZ by Vantor, showcases what the People’s Republic of China (PRC) can construct after 10 months of nonstop dredging: a nearly 1,500-acre artificial island with a deep-water port, 2,000-plus-foot quay capable of berthing warships, and the beginnings of a 10,000-foot-long military-grade runway. Hardly recognizable today, Antelope Reef has become the latest, and one of the largest, man-made outposts in Beijing’s aggressive campaign to militarize and dominate the South China Sea. The “first phase” of construction is now complete, according to a report from Reuters, following the departure of a fleet of dredgers that have been on station for months. Vantor, a spatial intelligence company, shared the images, dated August 11, with TWZ that show the results of the rapid transformation in detail, which you can view in high resolution below. Antelope Reef on August 11, 2026. Photo: Vantor Reports surfaced in early 2026 about unusual PRC activity around the reef, which is located in the northwest part of the South China Sea, approximately 160 nautical miles (nm) south of Hainan, China, and 200 nm east of Da Nang, Vietnam. The fleet of PRC cutter-suction dredgers appeared late last year, assembling at the Zhujiang River Estuary and transiting with their Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders dark to avoid unwanted attention. Once on the scene, they began working around the clock to move sand from the seabed to create ground above. Photo: Google Earth The pace of construction and rate of change have been staggering, and show how much progress the PRC has made in its reclamation and land-building capabilities. In less than a year, the PRC dredged more than a million tons of sand to reclaim approximately 1,500 acres of land. The teardrop-shaped island is now 3.7 miles long, surrounded by seawalls and internal roads, with ongoing construction underway at three primary locations around the lagoon which you can see marked on the graphic above. For comparison, construction of the artificial islands in the Spratly Islands, more than a decade ago, took several years. Antelope Reef in August 2025. Photo: Planet Labs Antelope Reef, or Lingyang Jiao to the Chinese and Đá Hải Sâm to the Vietnamese, is part of the Crescent archipelago in the Paracel Island chain. China has occupied the Paracels since 1974, but the territory is still disputed by Vietnam and Taiwan. In the latest satellite imagery from Vantor, several notable features are discernible and were first identified by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI). On the northwest side, preparations are being made for what will likely eventually be a 10,000-foot-long, 180-foot-wide runway, similar to those built at Fiery Cross, Subi Reef, Mischief Reef, and Woody Island. The northwest edge of the island is the only area long enough to accommodate a runway capable of landing large military and commercial aircraft, and grading appears to be about halfway complete but no concrete has been poured yet. AMTI also identified excavation for a 200-by-200-foot structure nearby, which mirrors the footprint of the large aircraft hangars at China’s other island-airfields. Northwest area of Antelope Reef. Photo: Vantor On the southern part of the island, a 680-meter roughly 2,200 feet quay where both military and civilian ships can dock inside the lagoon is clearly visible. Reuters noted that a China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel was spotted dockside at the quay recently. The east side of the island, just below the channel entrance, hosts the only part of the base in active use, with green space areas, a helicopter pad, and parking lots, as well as buildings for administrative spaces and housing. Temporary piers are visible at each of the major points. Two concrete plants, located along the northwestern and southern edges of the lagoon, are supporting construction efforts. TWZ has not independently confirmed AMTI’s assessments. Southern Area of Antelope Reef. Photo: Vantor According to PRC state media, Antelope will be used for commercial and civilian purposes a similar tale told during construction of the other military outposts while they were being developed. It’s worth noting that in 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping stood in the Rose Garden next to then-President Barack Obama and said, “China does not intend to pursue militarization” in the South China Sea. “Relevant construction activity that China is undertaking in the Nansha Islands does not target or impact any country and there is no intention to militarize, he claimed, using the Chinese name for the disputed Spratly Islands. Since Xis head fake, which epitomizes the notorious PRC “say-do” gap, Beijing has built up multiple artificial islands as military bases, and has used them to press its territorial claims and confront its neighbors across the nine-dash line, in strict defiance of the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Eastern area of Antelope Reef. Photo: Vantor Antelope Reef sits in a key strategic location south of Sanya Port and Yulin Naval Base on Hainan Island, home to two of the three People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) aircraft carriers, CNS Shandong and CNS Fujian, as well as a significant submarine force at Longpo Naval Base. A military base there could extend PLA radar and electronic surveillance coverage, add another dispersed airfield to the PLA’s rolodex to launch sorties from and an additional port to dock ships at, and further expand Chinas sweeping air defense umbrella. The constellation of artificial islands would be instrumental in enforcing total control over the South China Sea, serving as key anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) nodes. They act as logistical and persistent surveillance nodes, among other uses, today, and the more that China has dispersed throughout the South China Sea, the greater its options are as well as the credibility of its anti-access capabilities. I have no doubt that this marginally benefits China in that itll be able to forward deploy more Coast Guard and more militia in the Paracels persistently. It will, Im sure, facilitate more persistent aerial patrols, Greg Poling, the senior fellow who oversees AMTI, said on the Why Should We Care About the Indo-Pacific podcast earlier this year. But the main benefit is probably the ISR [Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance] component; the ground-based sensing you get just building stuff. Beijing’s land grab in the South China Sea shows no signs of slowing down, and Antelope Reef marks the latest in a decades-long string of island seizures that it can leverage during a potential dustup in the future. But whether it will eventually run out of islands to claim remains unclear. China doesnt have a lot left to dig, according to Poling, so unless China plans to seize another island, I dont see it building anything, at least anything substantial. Contact the author: ian.ellis-jones@recurrent.io The post China’s Massive New Artificial Island In The South China Sea Emerges, Primed For Militarization appeared first on TWZ.
- — Ukraine Situation Report: Kyiv Is Turning Soviet-Era Armor Into Robotic Combat Vehicles
- at 8/21/26 3:14pmIn another effort to advance robotic warfare, Ukraine is working to turn Soviet-era BRDM-2 armored reconnaissance vehicles into remotely controlled systems. The move comes as uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs) are playing an increasing role on both sides of the conflict as movement along the front lines has been highly contested by the ubiquity of aerial drones. This is one of the latest efforts by the Central Innovation Activities Directorate of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to help provide weaponry that will keep troops out of harms way, the head of that unit told the Ukrainian Ukrinform news outlet on Friday. Ukraine is using UGVs mainly for logistics and casualty evacuation, but they are also increasingly engaging in ground combat as well air defense. Col. Vladyslav Voloshyn said work is currently underway “to enable remote control of the vehicle from a distance of up to 1,000 km. In addition, the BRDM-2 is planned to be fitted with a powerful foreign-made diesel engine, with General Motors and Mercedes engines among those being considered, replacing the Soviet-made GAZ gasoline engine. An automatic transmission is also planned.” Ukraine is converting Soviet-era BRDM-2 armored reconnaissance vehicles into remotely controlled robotic platforms for future frontline use. The modernization is being developed for control at distances up to 1,000 km and includes day and night cameras, protected data links,… pic.twitter.com/84XObDW2QJ— NOELREPORTS (@NOELreports) August 21, 2026 “The platform will have expanded capabilities for integrating a remotely controlled combat module equipped with an automatic weapon of at least 12.7 mm caliber,” Voloshyn explained. “This is expected to enhance the capabilities of Ukrainian units and their effectiveness in carrying out combat missions while helping preserve the lives of service members.” The directorate is also installing additional mine protection for the vehicle’s hull bottom, tubeless high-mobility tires, a backup remote-control system inside the hull, and anti-fragmentation protection, the colonel added. Equipped this way, the vehicles would likely be used to assault front line Russian positions where troops cant go on foot or as a remote option to provide fire control and support Ukraines often porous front line defenses. Uncrewed ground vehicles have also been used heavily in medical evacuations and general logistics to the front lines. Unlike having to build a totally new vehicle, this project aims to take advantage of the large supply of BRDM-2s Ukraine has in storage, Voloshyn added. The vehicles will be equipped with day/night cameras to assist with guidance and will be remotely controlled from beyond line-of-sight. A vehicle this size would be able to more easily accommodate robust satellite links for that kind of operation. Beyond these features, the colonel provided few details about how the vehicles would be operated. The head of Ukraine’s Brave1 defense technology hub previously provided some insights about how this works for purpose-built UGVs. “I can tell you that combat UGVs without artificial intelligence do not work at appropriate effectiveness,” Brave1 CEO Andrii Hrytseniuk told us in May in a discussion about Ukraine’s burgeoning UGV industry. “All combat turrets that we are using have elements of artificial intelligence, and it allows them to be as effective as they are.” The UGVs use machine vision for “object recognition, identification, classification, tracking and providing recommendations for the operator on what to do,” he added. These systems communicate through Ukraine’s Delta command and control system, the Brave1 CEO noted. Without the Delta system, “all these advanced technologies on the battlefield will not be working, Hrytseniuk suggested. “The Delta command and control system, which is number one in the world, is absolutely crucial. And this is for all our drones, multi-domain operations, everything.” The Ukrainian company ArmSpetsTekhnolohiya unveiled the BRDM-2M in June during the Defense Builder Accelerator Demo Day. Now the directorate is preparing this system for deployment to the front lines, Voloshyn stated without providing timelines. If it does turn out to be a viable option, it will join tens of thousands of other Ukrainian UGVs on the battlefield. The Latest On the battlefield, both sides are making small advances, however, the front lines are largely static. Here are some key takeaways from the latest Institute for the Study of War analysis. Sumy: Russian forces recently advanced in northern Sumy Oblast. Kharkiv: Russian forces continued offensive operations in northern Kharkiv Oblast on August 19 and 20 but did not advance as Ukrainian forces counterattacked. However, Russian forces are reportedly intensifying strikes in the Kupyansk direction, likely in preparation for future ground attacks. Donetsk: Russian forces continued offensive operations in the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area on August 19 and 20 but did not make confirmed advances. Ukrainian forces recently advanced south of Dobropillya while Russian forces recently advanced southwest of Pokrovsk. Zaporizhzhia: Russian forces continued offensive operations in the Hulyaipole direction and western Zaporizhzhia Oblast on August 19 and 20 but did not advance. Kherson: Neither Russian nor Ukrainian sources reported ground activity in the Kherson direction on August 20. Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, August 20, 2026: https://t.co/BwKYnsORpA pic.twitter.com/3wgwPeurss— Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) August 21, 2026 In an update to a story we reported earlier this month, North Korea is reportedly sending KN-30 missiles, also known as the Hwasong-11C, to Russia. “Ukraine’s Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) confirmed on August 20 that North Korea transferred around 50 KN-23, KN-24, and KN-30 (Hwasong-11C) ballistic missiles to Russia as of July 2026,” the Institute for the Study of War reported on Thursday, citing Ukrainian media. The KN-30 is an enlarged derivative of the original Hwasong-11 and designed to carry larger warheads. North Korea has previously said it has tested subvariants of the Da/C type with 2.5-ton and 4.5-ton conventional high-explosive warheads, and that it can also be fitted with a nuclear warhead. ISW says Russia deployed six KN-30 heavy North Korean missile launchers near Ukraines border, enough for up to 120 launches. From Voronezh region, they could potentially reach Kyiv and the Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.… pic.twitter.com/im4b3bRWPn— WarTranslated (@wartranslated) August 21, 2026 North Korea has also sent a new wave of about 8,500 North Korean troops to Russia, CNN reported. This includes a drone unit that could attack targets inside Ukraine, the network stated, citing Major General Vadym Skibitskyi, Deputy Head of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (GUR). Thousands of North Korean engineers and bomb disposal experts are mostly dispersed across Kursk Oblast, Skibitskyi stated. The North Korean forces deployed in Russia also include 400 drone operators. Many gained previous experience fighting against Ukraine. Their drones are likely to be used both for reconnaissance and attacks on Ukraine, CNN noted. Around 25,000 North Koreans have so far either been part of the forces deployed in Russia or passed through the Russian armed forces, the GUR leader added. He said that Russia could request up to 50,000 more troops during a meeting between Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in September. BREAKING:North Korea has deployed 8,500 more troops to Russia, including 400 drone operators, according to Ukrainian intelligence.The drone unit is expected to conduct reconnaissance and strikes against targets in Ukraine, while 1,000 engineers and sappers will reinforce… pic.twitter.com/qr2qlsvLlc— Current Report (@Currentreport1) August 21, 2026 Ukrainian officials have made it clear that they cannot defend against Russian ballistic missiles because they are out of Patriot missile interceptors. In the latest bid to offset that and hit missiles before they can be launched, Ukraine is seeking help from Elon Musk, the Financial Times reported. “Ukraine is seeking approval to use Starlink-equipped drones against ballistic missile launchers up to 200km inside Russia,” the publication reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. Such a move, if approved, would provide Ukrainian drones with beyond line-of-sight connectivity and resistance to jamming, increasing their ability to strike deeper into Russia against dynamic targets, giving them the ability to hunt for missiles deep inside Russia and strike them when they are found. This use of Starlink helped Ukraine with its mid-range strikes against Russian logistics. The introduction of Starlink to the battlefield in Ukraine has revolutionized how war is waged, giving users high bandwidth, relatively secure communications basically anywhere, all in a small, off-the-shelf package. This has impacted everything from high-level command and control, to basic communications and data exchange between troops across the entire battlespace. The antennas have also been reduced in size enough so that they can now fit onto relatively small one way-attack drones. There is a major catch, however, in any bid to use Starlink in offensive weapons beyond how it is currently employed. While he wouldnt sign off on similar requests in the past, Musk is now allowing Ukraine to use Starlink to hit targets deep behind enemy lines and, apparently, ships in the the Sea of Azov as well, though we dont know for sure. Musk would need to sign off on the kinds of strikes deep into Russia that Ukraine is currently seeking. While his Starlink service is helping Ukraine now, he also shut it off earlier in the war during Ukrainian attacks on Crimea, fearing there could be a nuclear response from Moscow. Complicating matters, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently fired defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who was Ukraine’s most direct connection to Musk. TWZ cannot independently confirm FT’s reporting. We’ve reached out to SpaceX, Musk’s company providing Starlink service, for clarification. Ukraine is requesting approval from Elon Musk to use Starlink-equipped drones against ballistic missile launchers up to 200km inside Russia as it struggles to counter intensifying missile and drone strikes. https://t.co/aWACj3Ebe1 pic.twitter.com/kwLaP9W0sx— Financial Times (@FT) August 21, 2026 Russia attacked a shopping mall in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys hometown of Kryvyi Rih. The attack killed at least 14 and wounded more than 100 others, the Ukrainian president stated on X. A rescue operation is currently underway in Kryvyi Rih following a strike on a shopping mall. There are many casualties. As of now, 14 people have been reported killed. My condolences to their families and loved ones. More than 100 people have been injured, among them 11… pic.twitter.com/gX2kL1LZnd— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 21, 2026 The attack drones struck in two waves – half an hour after the first hit and the fire, there was a second strike targeting the emergency responders, Zelensky stated on earlier on X. Attacks like these are nothing less than terrorist acts. And the world must respond to them accordingly – with real pressure on the aggressor. For peace to be possible, Russia must face real accountability. Rescue workers tend to a building fire in the aftermath of the attack on Kryvyi Rih. (Volodymyr Zelensky) This Friday afternoon, Russian forces bombed a busy shopping mall in the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih.The initial drone strike and a follow-up double tap targeting first responders killed at least 14 Ukrainians and wounded over 100, including 11 children. pic.twitter.com/apT6hFHMUV— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) August 21, 2026 Russia also struck the Tabaky crossing at the Ukraine-Moldova border. The attack damaged buildings and structures at the crossing, and fires broke out at the site, according to Ukrainian border guards. Traffic through the Tabaky crossing is currently suspended. Vehicles are being redirected to other border crossing points. Last night, Russian forces carried out drone strikes on the "Tabaky" international border crossing linking Ukraines Odesa Oblast with Moldova.As a result of the attack, the buildings and structures of the checkpoint were damaged. The traffic through the checkpoint has been… pic.twitter.com/BBBMO6HFBG— Status-6 (War & Military News) (@Archer83Able) August 21, 2026 For its part, Ukraine is continuing its long-range strike campaign against Russian energy and military targets. This campaign has severely crippled Russias oil infrastructure in particular, causing widespread domestic gasoline shortages and a drastic reduction in oil exports. Last night, our deep strikes hit an oil refinery in Perm, more than 1,600 kilometers from the border, and the Marinovka military air base in the Volgograd region, Zelensky claimed. There are also results in the Black Sea. We also have confirmed results from previous strikes: a Russian Su-34 aircraft was damaged at the Akhtubinsk air base, about 600 kilometers from the front line, the Ukrainian leader added. And in Primorsko-Akhtarsk, nearly 180 kilometers away, a facility used for storing, preparing, and launching attack drones that the Russians use to strike our people was hit. TWZ cannot independently verify these claims. We continue, through our long-range sanctions, to bring the consequences of the war back to where it came from.Last night, our deep strikes hit an oil refinery in Perm, more than 1,600 kilometers from the border, and the Marinovka military air base in the Volgograd region.… pic.twitter.com/EhQ518kUZp— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 21, 2026 Ukraines campaign against Russian air defenses continues as well. A Russian S-300 surface-to-air missile system (SAM) was located and destroyed, Ukraines Defense Ministry (MoD) claimed on X. Russian air defense keeps going up in flames.The 15th Brigade “Black Forest” found and destroyed an S-300 transporter-loader loaded with missiles. The missiles detonated, completely burning out the launcher. pic.twitter.com/TQl3t8BsYl— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) August 21, 2026 Video emerged on social media showing a Ukrainian MiG-29 chasing a Russian Shahed drone, which eventually crashed apparently without being fired on. Based on the quality of the video and the distance from which it was shot, it is hard to say exactly what caused the drone to crash. A Ukrainian MiG-29 escorts a Russian jet-powered Shahed until it crashes into an open field. pic.twitter.com/sk0RQhHRqa— Special Kherson Cat (@bayraktar_1love) August 21, 2026 Russia has introduced a new method of attack. It involves using a drone that lies in wait until a microphone picks up the sound of a passing vehicle and activates the weapon. Russia is reportedly employing a new tactic. “Zhduun” hides out of sight and uses a microphone to record passing vehicles. pic.twitter.com/TDkHxbhGG1— Drone Wars (@Drone_Wars_) August 14, 2026 Ukraines mid-range strike drone campaign against Russian logistics, especially fuel trucks, has relied heavily on AI for terminal guidance and target recognition. Now Russia is supposedly testing a new method of trying to defend against those strikes. Russian forces have reportedly fitted a UAZ-452 “Bukhanka” vehicle with mirrored panels as a potential countermeasure against drones using optical or AI-assisted guidance. The improvised modification, which makes the van look like a rolling disco, appears intended to interfere with the drone’s ability to visually identify and track the vehicle by altering its appearance and creating reflections. However, whether this works is not known. Russian forces have reportedly fitted a UAZ-452 “Bukhanka” vehicle with mirrored panels as a potential countermeasure against drones using optical or AI-assisted guidance.The improvised modification appears intended to interfere with the drone’s ability to visually identify and… pic.twitter.com/hbAafR5ZJb— Drone Wars (@Drone_Wars_) August 14, 2026 Earlier in this piece, we touched on Ukraines Delta battle management system. It turns out the countrys SBU state security service arrested a commander of a National Guard special purpose group for giving Russia access to his Delta account in return for $1,000 in cryptocurrency, a serious security breach. The SBU arrested an officer who was serving as a commander of a special purpose group in Ukraines National Guard for serving as an agent of Russias GRU since July. According to law enforcement, for $1,000 in cryptocurrency, he gave the GRU access to his personal account on… pic.twitter.com/YJkhykn234— Rob Lee (@RALee85) August 21, 2026 Thats it for now. Well update this again at a later date. Contact the author: howard@twz.com The post Ukraine Situation Report: Kyiv Is Turning Soviet-Era Armor Into Robotic Combat Vehicles appeared first on TWZ.
- — New Beach Landing Vessel For The Marine Corps Breaks Cover (Updated)
- at 8/21/26 10:34amWe now have our first look at the Ancillary Surface Craft (ASC), a new medium landing craft for the U.S. Marine Corps. Australia-headquartered firm Birdon announced last year that it would be supplying two of these vessels to the Marines to help the service further refine its concepts for future distributed island-hopping operations. The Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory (MCWL) released pictures yesterday of what appears to be the first ASC, based on the hull number (ASC-1), in Bayou La Batre, Alabama. The photographs of the vessel, also sometimes referred to as the Ancillary Surface Connector, were taken last week during a distinguished visitor day event. Marine Corps personnel, as well as representatives from the Australian Army and industry, were in attendance. Representatives from the Marine Corps, Australian Army, and industry pose on the bow of ASC-1 during a distinguished visitor day event in Bayou La Batre, Alabama, on August 12, 2026. USMC It is unclear whether or not the Marines have formally taken delivery of ASC-1 and when the second example might be set to arrive. TWZ has reached out to the Marines and Birdon for more information. The [distinguished visitor day] event provided an opportunity for senior leaders, Marines, allied partners and industry personnel to observe the ASC’s capabilities and discuss its potential to support distributed maritime operations and sustainment in contested littoral environments, according to the caption accompanying one of the pictures. The ASC is being developed through U.S.-Australian industry collaboration to support experimentation and inform future amphibious modernization. Another picture of ASC-1 from the distinguished visitor day last week, showing the vessel moored at a pier with its bow ramp up. USMC Emily Carroll The ASC is a significant step towards achieving a capability organic to the Marine Corps for maneuver in the littorals without reliance on large high value Naval assets, it continues. This craft, coupled with smaller landing craft, will demonstrate the capability needed by the Corps to maneuver medium, light, and ultra-light tactical vehicles from shore-to-shore and distribute all classes of supply to disbursed forces in archipelagic regions. The overall design of the vessel reflects what was seen in a rendering that Birdon released last year when it first announced that it would be supplying the two ASCs to the Marines. However, that rendering did show the vessel with at least two remote weapon stations armed with 30mm automatic cannons, at least one .50 caliber M2 machine gun on a traditional deck mount, and an angular mast structure on top of the pilot house, features that are not present in the images that have now been released of ASC-1. There is a pole-like mast, as well as rotating maritime navigation radar and what looks to be a searchlight, on top of ASC-1s pilot house. The actual vessel also has truncated catwalks around the pilot house, as well as an additional boxy structure with ventilation slats on top, compared to what is depicted in the rendering. It is very possible that Marine ASCs could gain additional features as time goes on. The rendering Birdon included in its 2025 press release about the Ancillary Surface Craft, showing weaponry and other features not seen on ASC-1. Birdon A side-by-side comparison of the stern end of the ASC as depicted in the previously released rendering, at left, and as seen in one picture of ASC-1, highlighting many of the notable differences. Birdon/USMC Birdon has previously said that the ASC can carry up to 40 troops and 54 tons of cargo in its open main deck area. The vessel is also reportedly 150 feet long and 30 feet across, with a bow ramp that drops down for loading and unloading right onto a beach. To ensure safe landings on uncharted beaches, Birdon worked with a specialist sonar company to develop and integrate an advanced forward-looking sonar system, allowing operators to detect obstacles and assess beach gradients well ahead of the vessel, the company also said of the ASC in a press release last year. The vessel is designed to beach and de-beach in gradients significantly shallower than existing landing craft can support, providing enhanced, safe amphibious operations capability. Birdon’s ASC design also features a cutting-edge fuel delivery and transfer system that allows for efficient vessel-to-vessel or vessel-to-land fuel transfer, supporting extended operational range and flexibility in challenging environments, the release added. The ASC is broadly in line, at least in terms of general dimensions, with other existing medium landing craft designs on the market globally. As a point of comparison, the new Landing Craft Utility (LCU) 1700s that the Navy is in the process of acquiring from Austal are around 139 feet long and 31 feet wide, but have a higher stated payload capacity (350 combat-equipped troops or 170 tons of cargo). Birdon itself is also developing a new Landing Craft Medium (LC-M) for the Australian armed forces, renderings of which show a similar, but larger design compared to the ASC. The first LCU 1700 landing craft for the US Navy, hull number 1710, seen under construction. Austal announced the formal delivery of this vessel just this week. Austal A rendering of the new Landing Craft Medium (LC-M) for Australian armed forces. Birdon As noted, the Marines stated plan is to use the two ASCs to help with the development of its still-evolving expeditionary and distributed concepts of operations, collectively referred to as Expeditionary Advance Base Operations (EABO). A central aspect of EABO is to rapidly position and reposition relatively small units between what could easily be far-flung forward locations, especially small islands dotted across parts of the Pacific. These so-called stand-in forces would be readily deployable as a deterrent ahead of a potential conflict, and then be better placed to act if needed. The distributed nature of the EABO concept would also create targeting challenges for opponents and, by extension, reduce the vulnerability of friendly forces. As TWZ wrote after Birdons initial announcement about the ASC in May 2025: Not having to rely on large traditional Navy amphibious warfare ships to conduct these maneuvers in littoral environments, where established port facilities are also likely to be absent, is essential to the EABO concept. Depending on the exact distribution of Marine forces and the distance between operating locations in a particular area, vessels like the ASC-M could be used to move personnel and materiel between sites and/or act as ‘connectors’ between larger ships and the shore. For years now, the Marines have also been working with the Navy on plans for the latter service to acquire a fleet of at least 18 and up to 35 Medium Landing Ships, or LSMs, to support the EABO construct. However, concerns about the costs of prospective designs and other issues have continually pushed back the LSM program schedule, with the first of those vessels now not set to arrive until the end of the decade at the earliest. In December 2025, the Navy did announce that it had selected Dutch shipbuilder Damens LST-100 design to be the basis of a new class of LSMs, and that it was hoping to accelerate the delivery schedule for those ships. However, the first LSM is still only now scheduled to arrive in 2029. At that time, the Navy also told us it was planning to buy at least one LSM of a separate design from Bollinger Shipyards, which could be based on the Israeli Logistics Support Vessel (ILSV) developed for Israel. The ISLV is itself a derivative of the open-ocean-optimized subclass of the General Frank S. Besson class Logistics Support Vessel (LSV) now in service with the U.S. Army as part of its obscure watercraft fleet, which you can learn more about here. A rendering of Damens LST-100 design. Damen One of Israel’s new Israeli Logistics Support Vessels. IDF There may be a possibility for the Marine Corps to acquire more ASCs, or a further evolution of the design, depending on how experimentation with the initial examples proceeds. The partnership with Australia on this effort also underscores the potential for that country, as well as other U.S. allies and partners, to further leverage this work. In 2024, Birdon announced another deal to provide a heavy landing craft, called the H260, based on a design the company had already been working on for the Australian military, to the Marines, at least for testing and evaluation. The current status of that effort is unclear. The Marines have already been using chartered stern-landing ships for years now to inform the LSM program and otherwise help refine littoral logistics requirements in support of EABO. Vessels like the ASC and the LSM are just some of the components the Marines envision as supporting the logistics ecosystem necessary to enable its future distributed operations. The service is also acquiring a new family of cargo-carrying uncrewed aerial vehicles, as well as small uncrewed surface vessels, as part of those plans. The first new ASC for the Marines has now been built, if not formally delivered, and will only help the surface further prove out its expeditionary and distributed operations vision. Update: 1:02 PM ET – The U.S. Marine Corps has confirmed the “technical acceptance” of the first ASC. “Technical specifications validated during the acceptance process highlight the crafts exceptional ruggedness and operational utility. Engineered for demanding ocean transits, the ASC is fully operational in Sea State 5 and designed to survive extreme conditions up to Sea State 7, according to a release from the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory. To ensure safe navigation through uncharted, very shallow littoral waters, the craft is equipped with advanced forward-looking sonar that enables maneuverability across the battlespace. Furthermore, it can transport up to 46 tons of cargo and 40 combat-loaded Marines while executing vital shore-to-shore maneuver, mobility, and sustainment. A view from ASC-1s pilot house of the main deck area and the bow end of the ship. USMC Connor Taggart The release also reiterates that the ASC represents a capability that would be complementary to the future LSMs, using its very shallow draft to deliver logistical support to the last tactical mile into landing sites beyond the reach of larger vessels, including shallow-gradient, unimproved, and unsurveyed shorelines where standoff would otherwise leave cargo stranded offshore. ASC-type vessels and LSMs together will give a Stand-in Force a route from an intermediate staging base to the beach without dependence on a port, a pier, or a causeway. To support Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO), our forces must remain highly mobile and sustained without relying on fixed, vulnerable ports, Col. Kenny Jones, Science and Technology Division Director at the MCWL, said in a statement. This prototype allows MCWL to immediately execute hands-on experimentation, test tactical concepts, and put real hardware in the hands of Marines. By exploring the ASCs traditional bow-first beaching physics alongside other experimental platforms, we are actively reducing programmatic risk and perfecting the requirements for the future naval fleet. Following the technical acceptance of the ASC, the craft now moves into limited technical assessments (LTA) with Birdon America craft masters and engineers partnered with Australian Army crewing support and Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory oversight and assessments, the MCWL release adds. Initially, the craft will be operated by a hybrid crew pairing Marines with seasoned contracted mariners. This approach ensures that American service members are thoroughly trained as the Marine Corps prepares for an expanded role in the independent operation of small surface craft. Contact the author: joe@twz.com The post New Beach Landing Vessel For The Marine Corps Breaks Cover (Updated) appeared first on TWZ.
- — USS George Washington’s Mideast Arrival Highlights Strain On Carrier Force
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at 8/20/26 5:10pmThe aircraft carrier USS George Washington transited the Arabian Sea today after arriving in the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) region yesterday, the command announced via X. The move was designed to relieve the overworked USS Abraham Lincoln and comes as the U.S. continues to maintain a naval blockade of Iranian ports amid ongoing tensions with Tehran. However, the deployment also leaves the U.S. bereft of aircraft carriers in the western Pacific, at least for the moment, highlighting the strain on one of its most important assets for American power projection. Extended deployments across multiple carriers are putting extreme stress on the carrier force and could have major cascading effects as maintenance required to reset these ships after deployments draws on longer than originally planned. At the same time, delays in carrier production could also exacerbate the future availability of the force. The need to redeploy the Washington from Yokosuka, Japan, where it is based, to the CENTCOM region was sparked by concerns about the condition of the crew of the Lincoln. That carrier reportedly endured grueling conditions amid round-the-clock operations without any liberty port calls since deploying last year. The issue sparked outrage from those worried about the mental and physical health of the sailors and Marines aboard, as well as pushback from U.S. officials who claimed the media was blowing the situation out of proportion. The addition of the Washington comes as the Lincoln has departed. That means there are now two carriers in the Middle East at the moment. The USS George H.W. Bush arrived in the region on April 23. U.S. Sailors work on the flight deck of USS George Washington (CVN 73), Aug. 20, as the aircraft carrier transits the Arabian Sea. The George Washington Carrier Strike Group is operating in the Middle East during a scheduled deployment after arriving in the CENTCOM theater yesterday. Source: U.S. Central Command While the U.S. and Iran have stopped firing at each other, the region remains a tinderbox. Both Washington and Tehran are claiming control over the Strait of Hormuz, and negotiations to end hostilities have broken down. With the ongoing blockade, as well as CENTCOM’s efforts to move millions of barrels of oil through its preferred southern route close to Oman, there is still a need for the aviation assets provided by carriers and the strike and defensive missile capabilities provided by their escort ships. This is especially true for contingency operations, deterring Iran, and pressuring them to conform to Washingtons demands. TWZ/IAN ELLIS-JONES As we noted earlier in this story, all this leaves Adm. Samuel Paparo, the commander of U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM), with no carrier coverage in theater to deter or counter potential PRC or DPRK aggression. Carrier gaps in the Pacific were rare up until 2024, which marked the first time in decades that the U.S. had no flattops in Asia. Though the U.S. military has been largely focused on the Middle East, the PACOM region remains the top concern among many within the national security apparatus, as China is Americas top pacing threat and North Korea remains unpredictable and dangerous. Russian operations in the Pacific are another issue, among a slew of others. The extended deployment of the Lincoln, and the need to replace it, didnt just create an issue, albeit temporary, for PACOM. Typical carrier deployments last about six to seven months, a period designed to ensure the ships can maintain readiness and the crews do not get worn out. When that doesn’t happen, it creates a cascading series of problems that affect not just the ships and crews, but the facilities that have scheduled repairs and lined up workers to make them happen. The bottom line is that the longer these vessels stay out on cruise, the longer they have to stay in on deep maintenance, and past a certain point, the magnitude of this relationship skyrockets. Extra days out can turn into extra weeks in the yard, and so on. With yard facilities at a premium, especially those capable of dealing with a supercarrier, critical schedules can quickly implode, with work stacking up across multiple vessels, resulting in them being sidelined much longer than planned. You can read all about this in our past feature linked here. For instance, after returning from a historic 11-month deployment, USS Gerald R. Ford transited to Pier 5N at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in July to begin its first post-deployment Planned Incremental Availability (PIA). Ford’s PIA will take longer than initially expected due to the stress from its journey, including a fire in the laundry room that raged for more than 30 hours and will require an additional, concurrent availability. This will likely extend its time in dry dock, a situation experienced by the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower after it had an epic deployment. Of note is that the damage to the Ford meant it had to depart the CENTCOM region in March at the height of the war on Iran. That left just one carrier on station, which, ironically, was the Lincoln. The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) arrives at the NATO Marathi Pier Complex in Souda Bay, Crete, Greece, during a scheduled port visit on Feb. 23, 2026. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Hannah Donahue) Petty Officer 3rd Class Hannah Donahue There are several other issues being faced by the carrier force as the Navy has had to juggle maintenance schedules to make up for construction delays. The future Ford class USS John F. Kennedy is not scheduled for delivery until March 2027. JFK just completed Acceptance Trials Aug. 15, following a four-day underway period off the Atlantic Coast. The Navy had originally planned to take delivery of the Kennedy in 2022, but that was delayed until March 2027 to support completion of Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) certification and continued Advanced Weapons Elevator (AWE) work,” according to the Navy’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget request. To offset that, the decommissioning of the USS Nimitz was pushed back. The future USS John F. Kennedy is seen leaving port to begin acceptance sea trials on August 12, 2026. (HII) The entire Ford class program has been running years behind schedule and now the U.S. Navy is reportedly evaluating changes to the Ford class that could add further delays. This includes moving the island superstructure further forward on the flight deck and abandoning the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) catapults and Advanced Weapons Elevators (AWE) on the Ford class, starting with the future USS Doris Miller. As for what carrier capacity is actually available today, four are currently offline or waiting to enter maintenance availabilities. The USS John C. Stennis moved to complete a Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH) period at Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia in May 2021. When the contract was awarded to Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) in February 2021, work was expected to be completed by October 2025, and the downstream effects of the extended delay have rippled across the fleet. The Nimitz class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) is moved to an outfitting berth in Newport News, Virginia, April 8, 2024. The carrier is at Newport News Shipbuilding conducting refueling and complex overhaul to prepare the ship for the second half of its 50-year service life. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Simon Pike) Petty Officer 2nd Class Simon Pike Nimitz class aircraft carriers typically complete RCOH, a lengthy modernization and maintenance period that includes a nuclear refuel, at the halfway point of their expected 50-year service life. The Navy is rethinking its approach to speed up future such overhauls and cut down on labor requirements, beginning with USS Harry S. Truman. Truman is pierside in Norfolk, Virginia, waiting to enter RCOH following the Stennis, as only one shipyard on the East Coast is capable of conducting such invasive maintenance. USS Ronald Reagan is the only carrier on the West Coast that is unavailable to deploy today. It was previously forward-deployed to Yokosuka, Japan, completed a hull swap with USS George Washington in mid-2025 and is currently in dry dock at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility in Bremerton, Washington. When the contract for the Drydocking PIA (DPIA) was awarded in 2025, work was expected to be completed by August 2026, and the timeline appears to be on schedule. According to Stars & Stripes, Ronald Reagan is expected to wrap up the 17-month DPIA and return to service by the end of the month. This leaves three carriers that could be pushed toward the Pacific in an emergency, one of which is largely ready for deployment. The USS Theodore Roosevelt, USS Carl Vinson, and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower are in various states of readiness and working up in preparation for future deployments. Theodore Roosevelt, which completed COMPTUEX in May before participating in large-scale exercise RIMPAC 2026 over the summer, is expected to deploy in the very near term, and is the most likely to be sent to the Pacific. Also homeported out of San Diego, Carl Vinson pulled out of port on August 10 and is underway training off the West Coast. As of publication. Dwight D. Eisenhower finished a 16-month post-deployment PIA and completed sea trials in April, and most recently returned home on July 27 after conducting an ammo onload with dry cargo/ammo ship USNS Medgar Evers. TWZ/IAN ELLIS-JONES Lincoln, as we noted earlier in this piece, is heading home to San Diego after leaving the CENTCOM region, but when it will return to service is unknown. There is an upcoming DPIA scheduled for the carrier, according to Fiscal Year 2027 budget documents, but the timeline is unclear. Based on the history of other lengthy carrier deployments, that could be delayed as well. So, its likely another carrier strike group will be heading toward the West Pacific soon and the gap wont be a prolonged one, but after multiple prolonged deployments, Americas carrier force may be set up for a larger availability crisis down the line. Contact the authors: howard@twz.com; ian.ellis-jones@recurrent.io The post USS George Washingtons Mideast Arrival Highlights Strain On Carrier Force appeared first on TWZ. - — F-117 Nighthawk Needs Fresh Explosives For Its Tailhook Nearly Two Decades After ‘Retirement’
- at 8/20/26 1:57pmDespite being officially retired in 2008, a pocket fleet of U.S. Air Force F-117 Nighthawk stealth jets has continued to operate from the secretive Tonopah Test Range Airport in Nevada. The service has said it plans to keep flying the aircraft for research and development, test and evaluation, and especially training purposes through at least 2034. This, in turn, requires continued maintenance and logistics support, and a recent contracting notice has now put a spotlight on one of the aircrafts more obscure features: an emergency tailhook that deploys with the help of explosive charges. One of the US Air Forces retired F-117s seen at Elmendorf Air Force Base for Exercise Northern Edge 23-1 in 2023. USAF Earlier this week, the Air Force released additional details regarding a planned sole-source contract for new CAD/PAD – cartridge-actuated devices and propellant-actuated devices – in support of the F-117 fleet. CAD/PAD is a broad category of explosive and other pyrotechnic devices, all of which have a shelf life and have to be regularly replaced for reliability and safety reasons. CAD/PADs found on modern military aircraft are most typically associated with emergency egress systems, especially ejection seats. The Air Forces planned order for these devices for the F-117 fleet does include ones that help blast the canopy clear away from the aircraft so the pilot can safely eject. The Nighthawks canopy is a notably heavy component, as highlighted in the video below. The F-117 CAD/PAD order list also includes what are described as the Tail Hook Panel Pyrotechnic Assembly and Tail Hook Panel Initiator. These small shaped explosive charges and electrically-initiated detonators, respectively, and are completely unrelated to the F-117s ejection system. To take a step back quickly, most land-based combat jets in U.S. service today, as well as many in service elsewhere globally, have tailhooks. Unlike their carrier-based counterparts, these aircraft have the hooks for emergency use in combination with arresting gear installed on runways on land. On non-stealthy land-based combat jets, the integration of an emergency tailhook system is relatively straightforward since it can simply be installed externally or semi-externally at the rear end of the aircraft. It is a more complicated proposition for stealth designs where a hook protruding, even partially, from the underside of the fuselage would negatively impact the jets radar cross section. A US Air Force F-15C Eagle fighter catches the wire with its tailhook during routine training in 2017. USAF On the F-117, the solution to this was to fully encase the emergency tailhook inside a compartment behind a fixed, flush-mounted panel. When the decision is made to deploy the hook, the aforementioned explosive charges send that panel flying, and then it drops down. After deployment, the system has to be reset on the ground. An actual carrier-based derivative of the Nighthawk, referred to variously as the F-117N/X and the Seahawk, was proposed to the U.S. Navy in the 1980s. The Navy did not ultimately pursue this aircraft, which would have featured a more robust tailhook among a host of other major changes compared to the original F-117. Contemporary artists conceptions of the proposed carrier-based F-117N/X design. Lockheed There are many more fascinating and sometimes obscure aspects of the F-117s design. This includes accommodation for radar locator antennas that were also designed to flip down only when in use to help preserve the jets low-observable (stealthy) characteristics. As the first-ever operational stealth combat jet, the Nighthawk played an extremely important role in laying out basic parameters for what the design of any such aircraft would entail, inside and out. Today, the Air Forces F-22 Raptors and F-35A Joint Strike Fighters also have emergency tailhooks tucked away inside compartments with flush coverings to avoid disrupting their stealthy moldlines. It is not immediately clear whether CAD/PADs are part of the tailhook systems on either of those aircraft. As an aside, the carrier-based F-35C variant of the Joint Strike Fighter has a completely different and more robust tailhook system designed for routine use. As noted, the Air Force continues to operate the F-117 despite the types official retirement, now nearly two decades ago. While the Nighthawks design is dated, the jets have distinct radar, infrared, and other signature profiles that continue to offer benefits for various testing and training purposes. Since 2008, the aircraft are known to have been used as ‘red air’ aggressors and as surrogates for stealthy cruise missiles during large-scale exercises. In many of these contexts, the F-117s signatures are likely to be extremely dissimilar to what pilots and air defense system operators are used to encountering. As a test platform, the Nighthawk also offers something of a control variable, as its baseline signatures are extremely well studied. Keeping a pocket fleet of F-117s operational has had other knock-on effects, too. This includes the certification of the KC-46 Pegasus tanker to refuel the Nighthawks in flight. The first KC-46 was delivered to the Air Force in 2019, more than a decade after the F-117 left frontline service. Altogether, the CAD/PAD contracting notice offers a little insight into what must be a fascinating boutique maintenance shop that keeps the remaining F-117s, and their subsystems and stealthy skins, in an operational status. With the F-117 now set to remain in this more limited service for nearly another decade, at least, the Nighthawks story is still far from over. The Air Force will continue to need to sustain the remaining pocket fleet of jets during that time, including with orders for new explosive charges to make sure their emergency tailhook systems remain reliable and safe. Contact the author: joe@twz.com The post F-117 Nighthawk Needs Fresh Explosives For Its Tailhook Nearly Two Decades After Retirement appeared first on TWZ.
- — Our Best Look At China’s New Y-15 Turboprop Airlifter
- at 8/20/26 12:13pmChina’s new medium-sized tactical airlifter is emerging from the shadows, as much clearer imagery becomes available. Previously widely referred to as the “Y-30,” the four-turboprop transport now appears to be designated the Y-15, a change reflected by the prototype’s apparent “15001” serial number and increasingly supported by open-source reporting. A new inflight view of the Y-15. via Chinese internet New imagery provides a much better appreciation of the aircraft’s configuration. Developed by Shaanxi Aircraft Corporation (SAC), the Y-15 is intended to provide a modern replacement for older Y-8-series transports and, eventually, the Y-9, while giving China a more capable turboprop airlifter suited to operations from relatively austere airfields. While the Y-9 is a modernized Y-8, the older design is a direct copy of the Soviet Antonov An-12, first flown in 1957. The Y-15 in the process of retracting or deploying its landing gear. via Chinese internet via Chinese internet The new Chinese aircraft first became publicly associated with the Y-30 designation after a model appeared at the 2014 Zhuhai Airshow. That designation subsequently became widely used in reporting about the program. A model of the “Y-30” displayed at the Zhuhai Airshow in 2014. via Chinese internet The program then went quiet, before unofficial reports in 2023 that work had resumed at SAC. The first flight-test imagery of the prototype appeared in December 2025, as we reported at the time. Above and below: Two of the first images of the Y-15. via Chinese internet via Chinese internet The Y-15 has four turboprop engines driving six-blade high-efficiency propellers. Its overall configuration is notably different from China’s larger, jet-powered Y-20 and instead puts it in the same broad operational category as aircraft such as the Lockheed Martin C-130J. The configuration also has some obvious visual similarities to the Airbus A400M. The Chinese aircraft has a relatively broad fuselage, a rear loading ramp, heavy-duty landing gear, a high-mounted wing, and a T-tail. Unlike the swept wing of the A400M, the Chinese transport has a comparatively straight high-lift wing, with substantial winglets (lacking on the European design) at the tips. The arrangement should help the aircraft combine useful cruise efficiency with the low-speed performance needed for tactical transport operations. Despite its A400M-like appearance, the Y-15 appears to be a smaller aircraft in a different weight and performance class. The A400M’s four TP400-D6 engines each produce around 11,000 horsepower, while the Chinese aircraft’s WJ-10 turboprops are understood to produce substantially less — around 6,800 horsepower. That suggests the Y-15 is a more natural counterpart to the C-130J and China’s own Y-9 than to the A400M. Unconfirmed estimates have suggested a payload of around 30 metric tons, although that figure should be treated cautiously while the aircraft remains in testing. For comparison, the Y-9 is generally credited with a payload of roughly 25 tons, while the C-130J-30 is in the roughly 21-ton range. At the same time, the Y-15 is assessed to have a larger internal cargo space than the Y-9, with a greater height and width to accomodate bulkier payloads. via Chinese internet Interesting size comparison of all three PLAAF transports: Y-9, Y-15 & Y-20 as CG made by @大包CG pic.twitter.com/9JsykjK2Ei— @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) December 17, 2025 One of the most obvious features of the flight-test aircraft is the long air-data boom projecting from the nose. Such booms are standard equipment on developmental aircraft, allowing engineers to collect precise measurements of air pressure, temperature, airflow, and other parameters during testing. Previous reports have erroneously identified this feature as an inflight refueling probe. There is currently no refueling probe fitted to the prototype. That does not necessarily mean the capability will never be incorporated, however, especially as China continues to build its aerial tanker fleet. A YY-20A aerial tanker tops up a pair of J-16s. via Chinese internet Chinese Y-8 and Y-9 derivatives have demonstrated how a common transport airframe can become the basis for substantially different configurations, including aircraft equipped for specialized missions. The same is likely for the Y-15, once it enters People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) service. For the PLAAF, the aircraft’s rear loading ramp and heavy-duty landing gear will likely be particularly important. The aircraft appears designed not simply to move cargo between major airbases, but to operate closer to the battlefield and from runways that may be shorter, rougher, or otherwise less developed. An early rear three-quarter view of the Y-15. via Chinese internet The PLAAF still operates substantial numbers of older Y-8-family transports, while the Y-9 has become the more modern turboprop workhorse. At the heavier end, the Y-20 is rapidly replacing remaining PLAAF Il-76 transports and provides the long-range strategic airlift capacity that the older fleet could not match. Speaking to TWZ, Andreas Rupprecht, an expert on Chinese aviation and contributor to this website, said he expected the Y-15 to replace the Y-9, a type that the PLAAF does not consider adequate for the tactical transport role, on account of its small cargo hold and underpowered engines. Its turboprop propulsion and apparent emphasis on short-field performance should make it particularly useful for moving troops, vehicles, supplies, and other equipment into locations where operating a large Y-20 would be impractical. Another new underside view of the Y-15. via Chinese internet That could include dispersed bases and remote Chinese facilities, as well as the country’s island outposts. The rapid reinforcement of units in remote regions such as Tibet would also be an obvious wartime mission. The aircraft could also provide a useful platform for airborne assault and airdrop missions, capabilities that have become increasingly important as the PLA has expanded the scope and sophistication of its joint operations. An export drive is also highly likely, especially as the Y-15 will be immune to the tight export restrictions that typically apply to comparable Western designs. In the meantime, the Y-9 continues to win foreign orders, most recently being bought by Kazakhstan, which already operates the A400M — another signal of these two types’ very different capabilities. Well, thats an interesting start into the day: Two mayor Y-9 news!!First, as the Y-9Es second customer (after Namibia), the Kazakhstan AF has introduced this type. pic.twitter.com/saHqbEF3oN— @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) August 14, 2026 With flight testing now apparently ramping up, the next major questions will be how closely its eventual performance matches the estimates surrounding it, and how quickly China moves from a single prototype to a production fleet. Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com The post Our Best Look At China’s New Y-15 Turboprop Airlifter appeared first on TWZ.
- — Wildfire Is General Atomics’ Successor To The MQ-9 Reaper
- at 8/20/26 12:11pmGeneral Atomics (GA) has unveiled plans for what it calls the Wildfire Unmanned Aerial System, a next generation medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) drone. The move comes as the Pentagon is seeking an updated, modular, cheaper successor for the MQ-9 Reaper one that is easier to produce and can be more freely sent into higher-risk environments where losses are likely to occur. The Reaper, a workhorse for U.S. uncrewed strike and ISR missions for decades, suffered heavy losses during the war with Iran and against the Houthis in Yemen. This has added a new level to already existing concerns about how they would perform against a peer threat like China. It also has decreased the MQ-9 fleet so dramatically that there are real concerns above operational impacts and the force size going forward overall. The MQ-9 is now out of production and cannot be directly replaced. Aviation Week was the first to report about the Wildfire. The MQ-9A (General Atomics) (General Atomics) GA spokesman C. Mark Brinkley offered limited details about the Wildfire system, which he claimed is a leap beyond what the Pentagon is currently seeking in a new MALE combat drone. The company, he added, is not yet providing any images. “General Atomics is looking at it and asking ourselves, ‘What can we really do? No kidding, no BS, actually do,’” Brinkley told us. “Let’s be honest with ourselves first. How do we come out of the box, day one, with a 10,000-nautical-mile ferry range? Can we carry four LRASMs [AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles]? Can we swarm 100 aircraft under semi-autonomous control? Can we fuse all of that data into a highly effective common operating picture? Can we do that at scalable, affordable mass?” “So that was the assignment, and our engineers sharpened their pencils and got to work,” he added. “What came out the other side was our new Wildfire UAS. That thing is a beast, and no one who actually does this for a living and is honestly concerned about America’s warfighting edge can look at it and not want 100 of them as fast as we can make them.” A line of MQ-9B SeaGuardian fuselages at the General Atomics facility. (General Atomics) Last month, the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) announced its plans for what it has dubbed the Massed Modular Aircraft (MMA) program to replace the Reaper. The objective is to bring several companies together to help determine the way forward. “The math of modern warfare is changing, and our force design must change with it,” DIU stated. “For decades, the Joint Force has relied on low-density, high-value, ‘exquisite’ (>$30M) manned and unmanned aircraft. In a high-end fight, this model is simply unsustainable. To win, we must design for, and accept, inevitable attrition while retaining the advantage.” MQ-9 (USAF) “The Joint Force seeks a cost-effective, theater-range, massed, and modular Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) to provide a flexible, operationally-responsive, risk-tolerant option in the air domain,” the DIU explained. “The ability to employ many aircraft at once ensures a persistent overwhelming credible threat despite inevitable attrition.” Massed Modular Aircraft “are envisioned as in-theater reconfigurable platforms capable of long-range payload delivery,” DIU added. “Crucially, MMA must retain the ability to be outfitted with a variety of payloads, including Full Motion Video (FMV) sensors, to execute missions that the MQ-9A performs today.” Our Massed Modular Aircraft (MMA) solicitation is now live.The math of modern warfare is changing, and our force design must change with it. For decades, the Joint Force has relied on low-density, high-value, “exquisite” (>$30M) manned and unmanned aircraft. In a high-end… pic.twitter.com/Oxmx3EpXPu— Department of War Innovation Unit (@DIU_x) July 7, 2026 Primarily, DIU wants an aircraft with a munition and sensor payload capacity of at least 2,800 pounds, an unrefueled combat radius of at least 2,300 nautical miles with payload, and able to self-deploy one-way at least 8,000 nautical miles. It must also have a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) to rapidly swap in different payloads and system upgrades. As for secondary attributes, DIU wants autonomy for control, allowing one pilot to operate several aircraft. In addition, it is seeking “resilient and integrated communications – hybrid SATCOM/mesh network connection” and to be able to conduct “local airfield operations under highly degraded or denied primary C2/SATCOM conditions.” In addition, the aircraft would have “at least 200 knots true airspeed” and operate from runways with a maximum length of 6,000 feet. DIU The MQ-9A Reaper has a 3,850-pound payload capacity and can fly for more than 20 hours unarmed, or more than 12 hours with weapons. In the case of the latest MQ-9B version, with an extended wingspan, flight endurance can be increased to more than 40 hours.” The deadline for submissions on this program ended July 23, but it is unclear when contracts will be awarded. However, proposed solutions “must be capable of full-scale prototype flight testing within 21 months of award, with a targeted Initial Operating Capability in FY2031 (20 mission-ready aircraft delivered to an operational unit, able to be deployed),” DIU noted. To put the DIU goal into perspective, official budget documents say the Air Force had 165 Reapers in inventory as of the start of Fiscal Year 2026, which began on October 1 of last year. This had already marked a significant year-over-year decrease, down from 231 MQ-9As at the beginning of Fiscal Year 2025. These figures dont include the Marine Corps and Central Intelligence Agency, which also fly Reapers. As noted earlier in this story, the DIU announcement of the MMA program came as Reaper losses in the war against Iran were mounting. By May, the Air Force’s total MQ-9A fleet had shrunk to 135 aircraft, Air Force Lt. Gen. David Tabor, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs, told members of Congress at a hearing. There was enough concern that the service has scrambled to replace some of those airframes. “So there’s a bit of a short-term effort to buy back things immediately, in this fiscal year,” Tabor testified. The picture has only grown bleaker since then. “The U.S. military has lost at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones during the war with Iran, or roughly 25 percent of its fleet,” The Washington Post reported last week, citing three U.S. officials familiar with the matter. The newspaper, citing the Air Force, stated that Reapers can cost between $30 million and $50 million each, depending on the type of sensors and weapons they carry. “The potential taxpayer cost of recent losses is over $1.3 billion for that weapon system alone,” the publication added. TWZ cannot independently verify those figures. The MMA program is not the first effort to replace the MQ-9. The Air Force has tried multiple times to develop a Reaper replacement without success. While GA had long held essentially had a monopoly on the MALE combat drone market in the U.S., the DIU competition has a host of other companies competing. As we highlighted in a past report on this subject: “the U.S. drone landscape has changed considerably in terms of manufacturers. A few years ago, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and General Atomics would have been seen as the front-runners for the MQ-9 replacement. Now, there are more contenders, often with a founding focus on rapidly scaling up production at low cost. Still, these firms have much to prove, especially considering the risk in replacing an aircraft as important as the MQ-9. At the same time, in the more advanced drone space, the legacy defense “prime” contractors are also making major progress in leveraging new technologies to reduce production costs and migrating away from exquisite, very expensive drones as their default offerings.” An MQ-9 Reaper assigned to the 174th Attack Wing flies over Hancock Field Air National Guard Base, Syracuse, NY, following a routine training flight, Oct. 31, 2024. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Dylan McCrink) Staff Sgt. Dylan McCrink As for General Atomics, Brinkley pushed back against the notion that the MMA program is actually a Reaper replacement. “I think it’s really unfortunate that MMA has been branded as a ‘Reaper replacement’ because it misrepresents what America needs now and what we need later,” he suggested. “We need an immediate backfill solution to a critical shortage of unmanned MALE ISR/Strike. We need to get going on that now. MMA isn’t a backfill solution, or even a bridge to a backfill solution. This isn’t that.” “Some say we need cheaper, disposable aircraft, so that we can use them and throw them away, or lose them and not feel bad about it. No one is talking about actual capability, ready today,” Brinkley told us previously. “No one is talking about all of the hard lessons, already learned, about icing and weather and weapons integration. No one is talking about the multiple survivability upgrades available for the existing platforms and the lack of investment in those.” “These make-believe weapons that don’t exist have the luxury of being anything you imagine them to be,” Brinkely added. “Unscratched lottery tickets, promising all of the win and none of the lose [sic]. Still, the company did submit a proposal for MMA, Brinkley told us on Wednesday, “but the aircraft [Wildfire] is not dependent on that program.” “We can deliver Wildfires years earlier than the current schedule, and absolutely no one on Earth wants to see them coming over their horizon,” he stated. Contact the author: howard@twz.com The post Wildfire Is General Atomics Successor To The MQ-9 Reaper appeared first on TWZ.
- — China’s Reusable Space Launch Booster Recoveries Have Major Military Implications
- at 8/19/26 5:43pmEarlier today, Chinese firm LandSpace achieved the countrys first successful recovery of a reusable space launch rocket booster on land. This follows Chinas first-ever recovery of a reusable space launch rocket booster last month, which state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) conducted at sea using a specially configured ship. Reusable boosters can lower costs and increase the tempo of launches dramatically, which would be extremely beneficial for Chinas already massively expanding military and national security space enterprise. It could also go a long way to closing the gap on commercial launch costs with the U.S. On August 19, 2026, at 07:35 (UTC+8), the ZhuQue-3 (ZQ-3) Y2 reusable launch vehicle lifted off from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone. Approximately 137 seconds after lift-off, the first and second stages separated. The second stage continued its flight and successfully delivered the Honghu 03 satellite, independently developed by Hongqing Technology, into its designated orbit, according to a post from LandSpaces official account on X. At approximately 07:41, the first stage performed a successful soft touchdown at the LandSpace Landing Site#1 in Minqin County, Gansu Province, following the planned trajectory – marking the full success of the flight test mission. This mission marks Chinas first-ever successful recovery attempt of the first stage of an orbital-class launch vehicle using landing legs, and Chinas first successful booster recovery on land, the company wrote in another post on X. It is a pivotal flight test for ZhuQue-3 as it transitions from the technological demonstration and verification phase toward the engineering application phase of reusability. This mission further verified the design correctness and reliability of the ZhuQue-3 reusable launch vehicle system, validated its first-stage recovery capability and engineering maturity. A graphic depicting the various phases of the ZQ-3 launch earlier today. LandSpace This is only the second-ever launch involving the two-stage ZQ-3. The first launch came last December, and the upper stage successfully reached low Earth orbit (LEO). However, the attempted recovery of the first stage booster failed and it exploded on the pad. Abnormal combustion occurred during the process, preventing a soft landing on the recovery site, according to a machine translation of a subsequent report from Chinese state-run media outlet Xinhua. A complete ZQ-3 space launch rocket is around 216.5 feet (66 meters) long and close to 15 feet in diameter (4.5 meters). It can reportedly loft up to 14.2 metric tons of payload into LEO. The design of the reusable ZQ-3 booster, including its fold-out landing legs at the base and stabilizing fins at the top, is very reminiscent of U.S. firm SpaceXs Falcon 9. The ZQ-3 and Falcon 9 (229.6 feet/70 meters tall, 12 feet/3.7 meters diameter) are also similar in overall size, but the latter has a higher stated payload rating (maximum 22.8 metric tons to LEO). SpaceX pioneered reusable space-launch booster technology. The company is currently the top space launch provider globally, by far, with the U.S. government, and more specifically the U.S. military, being its chief customer. A side-by-side comparison of the reusable boosters used on the LandSpace ZQ-3, at left, and SpaceXs Falcon 9, at right. LandSpace/SpaceX LandSpace has not shied away from comparisons to the Falcon 9, and has reportedly said the primarily stainless steel construction of the ZQ-3 makes it cheaper to produce than its American competitor. It is also worth noting here that other companies in the United States, like Blue Origin, and elsewhere globally are pressing to enter the market place, as well. The ZQ-3 also notably uses liquid methane as its main propellant. A methane-liquid oxygen propellant mix offers advantages in performance and reduces issues of soot formation and coking for purposes of reusability, according to a 2023 story from SpaceNews. LandSpace has already claimed the title as the first anywhere in the world to get a liquid methane-fueled rocket into space and then into orbit with its earlier two-stage Zhuque-2 (ZQ-2) design. To date, the company has conducted eight ZQ-2 launches, six of which have been successful. The companys original design was the three-stage ZQ-1, which it attempted to launch just once, without success, in 2018. As noted, LandSpaces achievement today follows CASCs successful recovery of the reusable booster from a two-stage Long March 10B space launch rocket in July. The state-run aerospace firm used a net-like device installed on a ship to catch the booster as it returned to Earth. This method of recovery means that the Long March 10B booster does not have, or necessarily need, landing legs, though it does have fins for stabilization at the top. The Long March 10B is part of a family of space launch rockets with multiple stage and booster configurations. The first-ever launch of a Long March 10-series rocket, a 10A variant, only came in February. In that instance, the booster did return to Earth vertically, but set down in the sea rather than being recovered. CASC is also currently developing reusable versions of its Long March 12 design. LandSpaces ostensible focus is on commercial launch opportunities. CASCs Long March 10 family is generally discussed in the context of Chinas nominally civilian space program, including flights to the Tiangong space station and plans for a crewed mission to the lunar surface. At the same time, it is hard not to see this continued push toward new reusable space launch capabilities having huge impacts on Chinese military and other national security activities outside the Earths atmosphere. A mature, reliable reusable space launch capability would drastically accelerate Chinas access to space across the board while also lowering costs. This is especially vital for the deployment of new large distributed constellations. This would also increase Chinas ability to compete on price in the commercial space launch market globally. As noted, the United States currently enjoys a decided competitive advantage in this arena worldwide, thanks largely to SpaceX and its reusable launch options. The benefits of securing a greater share of this market could easily feed back into Chinese national security applications by helping further spread cost burdens and fueling accelerating development of this class of space launch systems. In the meantime, the Chinese government has already been expanding its space-based intelligence gathering and other capabilities at a breakneck pace using non-reusable launch options. I think the ongoing greatest challenge is just the speed at which China is moving to rapidly improve their space capabilities and the breadth that that potentially poses, U.S. Space Force Gen. Stephen Whiting, head of U.S. Space Command, said at the annual Space & Missile Defense (SMD) Symposium last week, at which TWZ was in attendance. China is moving breathtakingly fast. Whiting was responding to a question about what he felt were the greatest challenges facing his command over the next year to 18 months. U.S. Space Force Gen. Stephen Whiting, head of US Space Command, seen speaking at the separate 2026 DoDIIS Worldwide Conference on August 10, 2026. DIA What “[China’s] President Xi [Jinping] has decided to do is build the second-best remote sensing architecture in the world from outer space, and that’s now what they have,” Lt. Gen. Gregory Gagnon, head of the Space Force’s Combat Forces Command (CFC), also told TWZ and others at a roundtable at the Air & Space Forces Association’s (AFA) Warfare Symposium in February. “So when 2013 started, and he came to power, he had less than 100 satellites that were the total of what China had in outer space. They have about 1,900 today. Over 500 of those satellites are remote sensing satellites, which are purposely designed and networked to track mobile forces such as U.S. carriers, destroyers, and cruisers in the Pacific, as well as aircraft that deploy around the Pacific. Those have been built with a purpose. The purpose is to cue their long-range fire weapons, he added. The U.S. military is now openly calling for new anti-satellite weapons to challenge Chinas growing presence in orbit, further underscoring the scale of these developments. With the new milestones just in the past two months, Chinese aerospace firms now look to be moving very fast in the realm of reusable space launch boosters, which only further fuel its many ambitions in orbit and beyond. Contact the author: joe@twz.com The post Chinas Reusable Space Launch Booster Recoveries Have Major Military Implications appeared first on TWZ.
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