Montana National Guard Airmen, U.S. Pacific Air Forces personnel and members of the Sri Lanka Air Force participate in a C-130 subject matter expert exchange during Atlas Angel II in Sri Lanka, September 2026. Participants compared maintenance practices, aircraft operations and lessons learned while strengthening professional relationships between the two partners. The State Partnership Program builds enduring relationships through shared expertise, mutual learning and continued cooperation. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. Devin Doskey)

U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotankers assigned to the 92nd Air Refueling Wing line up on the flightline at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, Sept. 2, 2026. Titan Fury is a total force readiness exercise designed to evaluate Team Fairchild’s ability to execute the mission under pressure, ensuring the KC-135 Stratotanker remains ready to provide aerial refueling around the globe. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Gabriel Conley)

A Belgian Air Force pilot and maintenance members assigned to the 312th Fighter Squadron conduct a pre-flight inspection on an F-35A Lightning II at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, Aug. 12, 2026. The historic mission marked the first time BAF pilots deployed inert munitions in a controlled environment, demonstrating the undeniable readiness and combined mutual interoperability needed to dominate future conflicts. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Albert Morel)

A Belgian Air Force F-35A Lightning II assigned to the 312th Fighter Squadron taxis for a training flight at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, Aug. 12, 2026. This flight fostered critical combined mutual interoperability by validating the pilots' ability to deploy weapons for the first time using a 5th-generation airframe. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Albert Morel)

Some wonderful shots of Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace A400M aircraft at the island of La Réunion, the crews of the A400M Atlas take advantage of their deployment to maintain their expertise and their ability to operate far from their usual terrain.

At the heart of the Indian Ocean, Base aérienne 181 - "Lieutenant Roland Garros" is an essential support point for the aircraft deployed from France.



Personnel transport freight and cargo release at very low altitude, search and rescue at sea... as many missions as allow the Atlas crews to train in a different environment.
(Photos courtesy of the Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace)

A U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II aircraft assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 533, Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, taxis the flight line at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Yamaguchi, Japan, Sep. 5, 2026. VMFA-533, an F-35B Lightning II aircraft squadron operating out of MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina, deployed to MAG-12, 1st MAW under the Unit Deployment Program, maintaining rotational, forward-deployed U.S. forces across the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Brian Long)

An F/A-18E Super Hornet, assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 14, prepares to launch from the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), Aug. 31, 2026. Abraham Lincoln is underway conducting routine operations in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. Units assigned to 7th Fleet conduct continuous patrols to deter aggression, strengthen alliances and partnerships and advance peace through strength. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Shepard Fosdyke-Jackson)

A T-45C Goshawk aircraft assigned to Training Air Wing (TW) 2 is parked on the flight line of Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville, September 1, 2026. Chief of Naval Air Training oversees the Naval Air Training Command which trains, mentors, and delivers the highest quality Naval Aviators that win in competition, crisis, and conflict. (U.S. Navy photo by Ensign Geoffrey Gumport)

A T-45C Goshawk assigned to Training Air Wing (TW) 2 taxis the flight line at (NAS) Kingsville, September 1, 2026. Chief of Naval Air Training oversees the Naval Air Training Command which trains, mentors, and delivers the highest quality Naval Aviators that win in competition, crisis, and conflict. (U.S. Navy photo by Ensign Geoffrey Gumport)

El Alamein, Egypt, 8 September 2026 – AIRCAIRO, Egypt’s National growing Air-carrier, has signed a firm order for 15 Airbus A320neo aircraft at the El Alamein International Airshow 2026. The agreement marks an important milestone in the airline's strategy as it introduces direct aircraft ownership alongside its leased Airbus fleet to support long-term growth.

Having grown rapidly from seven aircraft five years ago to a fleet of over 45 aircraft today, AIRCAIRO is building on this momentum to grow to a fleet of over 130 aircraft by 2034. The firm order provides the airline with the capacity, flexibility, and operational efficiency needed to expand connectivity across its domestic, regional, and international networks.

Hussein Sherif, Chairman & CEO, AIRCAIRO, said: “This agreement represents a natural next step in AIRCAIRO’s growth. Combining owned aircraft with our leased fleet gives us greater operational flexibility and financial efficiency as we scale up. The A320neo will provide the capacity needed to expand our network, serve the growing demand for travel to and from Egypt, and support the country's aviation and tourism sectors in close partnership with Airbus.”

“We are delighted that this first direct acquisition from AIRCAIRO reaffirms the airline’s confidence in the A320neo to power its next phase of growth,” said Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Airbus EVP Sales of the Commercial Aircraft business. “The A320neo provides AIRCAIRO with the efficiency and flexibility to scale up its network. This commitment highlights the strength of our partnership and AIRCAIRO’s confidence in the A320neo to expand connectivity between Egypt and key international destinations.”

The A320 Family is the world’s most popular single-aisle aircraft, having won more than 20,200 orders globally. The Family includes the largest member, the A321neo, offering unparalleled range and performance. The Family offers at least 20% fuel savings and CO₂ reduction compared to previous generation single-aisle aircraft, while maximising passenger comfort with one of the widest single-aisle cabins in the sky.

Wessling, Germany, 8 September 2026 – Deutsche Aircraft has reached a major milestone in its landing gear certification programme with the successful completion of Low-Speed Taxi (LST) and High-Speed Taxi (HST) testing, followed by the initial phase of flight testing.

A legacy D328® aircraft operating as a dedicated flying testbed has successfully completed its first five development flights, achieving all planned test objectives. Since flight testing began on 5 August 2026, the aircraft has accumulated over 15 hours of test time with the new landing gear system, including both flight and ground testing activities. This accomplishment represents a significant step forward in the maturation and certification preparation of the next-generation D328eco.

"The successful completion of the ground and taxi test campaign, together with the first flights of our landing gear testbed, is an important achievement," said Nico Neumann, CEO of Deutsche Aircraft." The results provide strong validation of the landing gear system and enable us to move into the next phase of flight testing as we continue the certification process. Bringing this critical system under our direct control allows us to deliver greater reliability, resilience and long-term support for our operators."

Beyond advancing D328eco certification, this milestone demonstrates Deutsche Aircraft's commitment to strengthening long-term product support and operational readiness for regional aircraft operators worldwide.

Saab has received an order from the Swedish Defence Material Administration (FMV) for continued concept work on future fighter system. The order value is approximately SEK 2.9 billion. The contract period is 2026-2028, with options for 2029 and 2030.

The contract is to further develop and demonstrate new technologies for future fighter system.

The work includes flying and ground-based demonstrators, advanced studies and the development of future system concepts for manned and unmanned systems.

The programme strengthens Sweden’s national capabilities in systems integration, autonomy, signature adaptation, propulsion, digital development and future production capabilities. The work also contributes to building competence, reducing technical risks and creating freedom of action for future choices in Sweden’s air combat capabilities.

“We are very pleased that FMV continues to show confidence in Saab through this new contract. The work is crucial to further develop and demonstrate new technologies that will be central to future fighter system,” says Lars Tossman, head of Saab’s business area Aeronautics.

The order builds on the contracts signed in 2024 and 2025.

(Saint-Cloud, France, September 09, 2026) – The Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA – French Government Defense Procurement Agency) has taken delivery of the development and the first two Falcon 2000LXS Albatros aircraft as part of the AVSIMAR program (Maritime Surveillance and Intervention Aircraft). Launched in 2020, this program plans to deliver a total of twelve aircraft by 2031. Dassault Aviation and all French companies involved in the Falcon programs thank the Ministry of the Armed Forces, the French Navy, and the DGA for their trust.

The Falcon 2000 Albatros is equipped with a multifunction radar under the fuselage, a high-performance optronic turret, observation windows, a Search & Rescue (SAR) chain-dropping system, and dedicated communication systems. Based on the Falcon 2000LXS business jet—the latest model in the Falcon 2000 series, with hundreds of units sold worldwide—this aircraft is highly versatile. With a range of 7,400 km, high transit speed, and excellent low-speed flight characteristics, it can monitor vast areas and intervene quickly and precisely at long distances from its base.

The development of the Falcon 2000 Albatros was carried out by Dassault Aviation in cooperation with Naval Group, Safran, and Thales. Flight tests were conducted at Dassault Aviation’s flight test center in Istres, while conversion work is performed at Dassault Aviation’s Mérignac plant.

WICHITA, Kan. (September 8, 2026) – Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, today announced Starlink’s high-speed internet is now available for the Hawker 700, 800 and 900 series aircraft, following the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) issuance of AeroMech’s Supplemental Type Certificate (STC). The STC includes the Starlink Aviation Performance Kit, which utilizes Starlink’s advanced constellation of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites to help customers stay connected throughout their journey with more reliability over land, water and remote areas, where traditional in-flight Wi-Fi may not have service.

“Hawker operators continue to look to Textron Aviation for long-term care and upgrade solutions that ensure their aircraft remain mission-ready in today’s operating environment,” said Brad White, senior vice president, Customer Support. “By listening closely to our customers to expand Starlink availability, we are reinforcing our commitment to supporting the Hawker fleet.”

Hawker 700, 800 and 900 series operators can now schedule installation of the Starlink Aviation Performance Kit at North American Textron Aviation Service Centers and select international service centers. The next-generation Starlink system supports streaming, video calls, gaming and other online applications, with download speeds of up to 1 Gbps, upload speeds of up to 100 Mbps and latency as low as 20 ms. Customers can learn more about the upgrade and contact the Textron Aviation Customer Support team to schedule an installation here. -- https://upgrades.txtav.com/connectivity/starlink

SAN DIEGO – 08 September 2026 – The Italian Air Force (ItAF) has ordered two new MQ-9A Block 5 Reaper® Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI). When the new aircraft are delivered at the end of 2027, they will increase the size of the ItAF fleet. The purchase is part of a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) with the U.S. Air Force that also includes Ground Control Stations.

“Italy has been a very important partner for GA-ASI for more than 20 years,” said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander. “The Italian Air Force has continued to be a leader in the utilization of MQ-9A to support a wide range of Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions in Italy, over the Mediterranean, and in support of NATO operations.”

MQ-9A Block 5 has endurance of up to 26 hours and can operate up to 45,000 feet (13,716 meters). It has a 4,600 pounds (2,087 kilogram) of payload capacity that includes 3,750 pounds (1,701 kilograms) of external stores. It provides long-endurance, persistent surveillance capability with Full-Motion Video, Synthetic Aperture Radar/Moving Target Indicator/Maritime Radar, and auto takeoff and landing. An extremely reliable RPA, MQ-9A Block 5 is equipped with a fault-tolerant flight control system and a triple-redundant avionics system architecture. It is engineered to meet and exceed manned aircraft reliability standards.

About GA-ASI

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., is the world’s foremost builder of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). Logging more than 9 million flight hours, the Predator® line of UAS has flown for over 30 years and includes MQ-9A Reaper®, MQ-1C Gray Eagle®, MQ-20 Avenger®, and MQ-9B SkyGuardian®/SeaGuardian®. The company is dedicated to providing long-endurance, multi-mission solutions that deliver persistent situational awareness and rapid strike.

For more information, visit www.ga-asi.com

LOS ANGELES — September 9, 2026. Hermeus today announced it is developing Ramjet-X, a low-cost, expendable ramjet-powered vehicle designed for launch from its Quarterhorse aircraft. Once released, Ramjet-X will fly at high-Mach speeds.

‍Ramjets require significant initial speed before they can operate effectively. Instead of relying on a large, expensive, expendable booster for every test, Hermeus will use its reusable Quarterhorse aircraft to carry Ramjet-X to the speed and altitude required for launch. Once released, Ramjet-X will commence ramjet-powered flight, while Quarterhorse returns for future flight test missions.

‍Ramjet-X will also enable Hermeus to offer high-Mach Flight Test as a Service (FTaaS), expanding access to flight environments that have historically been costly and difficult to reach. Customers and partners will be able to integrate payloads, sensors, communications and compute systems, autonomy, material samples, propulsion technologies, and other experimental hardware and software onto Ramjet-X for testing in representative sustained high-Mach conditions. By providing a repeatable platform, launch architecture, and flight-test infrastructure, Hermeus can allow customers to focus on the technology being evaluated rather than developing a bespoke high-speed flight vehicle and test program for every experiment.

‍"High-speed flight testing is extremely expensive, and you don’t get many shots at it,” said Zach Shore, CEO of Hermeus. “Ramjet-X gives us a way to put new systems into sustained high-Mach environments without building an expensive one-off test program every time. Bringing speed, sustained flight, and scalability all into one system lowers the barriers to gathering extremely valuable data from these conditions and accelerates programs for both us and our customers.”

‍Development of Ramjet-X is already well underway. Hermeus is testing Ramjet-X’s ramjet engine at its HEAT facility in Jacksonville, Florida, while high-temperature structures are in development at its headquarters in El Segundo, California. Integrated vehicle testing is currently planned for 2027.

GERMANY’S FIRST F-35A MAKES MAIDEN FLIGHT AHEAD OF OFFICIAL ROLLOUT

Germany's first Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II completed its maiden flight on September 8, ahead of the aircraft's formal presentation later this month.

The aircraft, identified as MG-01 and carrying the German military serial 35+01, flew from Lockheed Martin's facility in Fort Worth, Texas. Images of the flight show the aircraft already wearing its Luftwaffe markings.

The first flight took place ten days before an official rollout ceremony scheduled for September 18. Lockheed Martin had previously shown the aircraft progressing through final assembly and, in August, entering the Aircraft Final Finishes stage for painting and application of its low-observable surface coatings.

The first eight German F-35As will initially remain in the United States, where they will support training of Luftwaffe pilots and maintenance personnel at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas.