The F-15EX Eagle II and MQ-28 Ghost Bat flew together during Valiant Shield 2026 over the Philippine Sea, demonstrating how the platforms work together in manned-unmanned teaming operations.

The flight represents an important step toward the next generation of airpower where unmanned systems expand mission reach and capability.

CPC VP of Engineering Andrew Sutphen describes why every person at the company is proud of the work they do: “Our designs… are real items that are going on a real aircraft [that] may save our life someday. It protects our country, it protects our borders, it protects our people. That is the biggest satisfaction.”

The U.S. Air Force is accelerating key upgrades to the aircraft that will deliver more capabilities faster.

“The KC-46 is a cornerstone of U.S. power projection,” said Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink. “By establishing this multi-pronged approach, we are directly improving aircraft availability, accelerating the delivery of vital new capabilities and significantly enhancing the overall supportability of the fleet.”

With ongoing upgrades and improved support, the KC-46 is ready to meet tomorrow’s mission needs.

The Orion crew module, which will house astronauts during the mission, and service module, which will propel Orion to test docking capabilities with prototype versions of human landing systems, were recently joined together at Kennedy Space Center.

NASA also completed inspections on the solid rocket booster segments of the SLS and began stacking the twin booster segments.

SLS will launch along with NASA’s commercial partners to demonstrate mission critical systems needed for future lunar landings, starting with Artemis IV in 2028.

“Fifty-four years after the first flight, the scoreboard reads like nothing else in aviation: 104 official wins and counting [and] zero air-to-air defeats… the greatest of all time is a title you have to defend every night for decades. The Eagle still hasn’t lost the one that counts.”

As the U.S. Air Force (USAF) begins its transition from the E-3 Sentry to the E-7 Wedgetail, US Defense News gives a detailed explanation of the advantages the E-7 brings to our long-term defense efforts.

Modern, advanced aircraft require modern, advanced detection. That’s exactly what the E-7 brings to the table and why it’s essential for effective deterrence and defense.

In an opinion piece for Stars and Stripes, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and Vietnam War veteran makes the case for long-term government support for the Chinook.

“The Chinook is an innovative, effective, and iconic piece of military machinery. It’s the strongest and safest heavy-lift helicopter in the world. With its latest upgrade to the Block II formation, it’s formidable as well as functional. It’s a system that the Army can’t do without both in foreign and domestic capacities.”

NASA astronaut and commander Randy Bresnik, European Space Agency astronaut and pilot Luca Parmitano of Italy, and NASA astronauts and mission specialists Frank Rubio and Andre Douglas will launch aboard the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket to demonstrate the Orion spacecraft’s rendezvous and docking capabilities with two commercially designed and built lunar landers.

“We, the Artemis III crew, are honored to be able to carry this torch forward, to be able to execute our mission, to make that flame burn brighter and pass it on,” Randy Bresnik said at the announcement ceremony.

Artemis III is scheduled to launch in 2027.

The company’s work demands exacting standards, and sustaining that quality means investing as much in people as in parts.

Rave Gears VP of Operations Nehal Patel and two of the company’s CNC machinists discuss what it takes to build for the Apache, how Rave Gears develops the next generation of aerospace manufacturing talent, and why working on hardware that matters makes all the difference.

EXIM levels the playing field when private financing falls short, sustains jobs in communities that depend on them, and keeps American exports moving.

The case for reauthorization isn’t abstract. It’s being made every day by the businesses, workers, and industries that rely on EXIM to survive and grow. Here’s what five voices across America have to say about it:

“EXIM [is] an indispensable asset that helps sustain rural manufacturing, protect American jobs, and keep small businesses open.”

“EXIM has supported nascent American industries become leaders on the world stage.”

“To say the U.S.’s Export-Import Bank is important to American economic competitiveness would be an understatement. Without it, American manufacturers would fall behind…”

“When private investment isn’t accessible, EXIM is the safety net that can keep companies in the global market and help businesses sustain operations.”

“Without EXIM, American businesses simply can’t compete.”

“For farmers, ranchers, manufacturers, and rural communities alike, access to global markets is not optional — it’s critical. Access to these markets hinge on the Export-Import bank.”