Category -- Air -- The Defense Post

Aug- 2026 -

4 August

Kizilelma unmanned combat aircraft fires a guided bomb from its internal bay. Photo: Baykar

Turkey’s Kizilelma Fighter Drone Fires Guided Bombs From Internal Bay for First Time

Baykar’s Kizilelma unmanned combat aircraft has completed its first live-fire tests using its internal weapons bay, successfully releasing precision-guided munitions against ground targets in Çorlu.

4 August

Ronald Watkins

Echodyne Launches ATAK Plugin for MESA Radar Platform

Radar company Echodyne has introduced an Android Team Awareness Kit plugin for its MESA radar platform to control, and view radar data.

4 August

Illustration of the United States Golden Dome missile defense architecture.

Jodesz Gavilan

Leidos to Equip Golden Dome Satellites With Infrared Sensors

Leidos will provide flight-proven infrared sensors for 18 missile defense satellites being built by Sierra Space for the US Golden Dome missile defense initiative.

4 August

Inder Singh Bisht

France Receives First NH90 Standard 2 Special Operations Helicopter

France has accepted the first NH90 Caïman Standard 2 helicopter, a special operations variant developed specifically for the special forces.

4 August

Northrop Grumman will deliver advanced simulation and threat modeling capabilities that provide 24/7 operational and training needs for the warfighter.

Jodesz Gavilan

Northrop to Expand US Missile Defense Training Simulations

The Missile Defense Agency has tapped Northrop Grumman to expand simulation and threat modeling tools used to train US missile defense personnel.

3 August

Inder Singh Bisht

Pratt & Whitney Awarded $1.3B F-35 Engine Support Contract

Pratt & Whitney has secured a nearly $1.3-billion contract to supply spare parts and support equipment for F135 engines.

3 August

An MV-22B Osprey with Marine Medium Tilt rotor Squadron-263, flies over the Al Anbar province of Iraq during a mission out of Al Asad Air Base.

Bea Castañeda

V-22 Osprey: Inside Military Aviation’s Most Controversial Aircraft

Neither a helicopter nor an airplane, the V-22 Osprey was designed to bridge the gap between the two. This guide examines the aircraft's unique tiltrotor design, operational history, and continuing role in military aviation.

3 August

A LiDAR device aimed at an unmanned aerial system

Rojoef Manuel

Innoviz to Supply Hundreds of LiDAR Systems Under $3.5M Defense Contract

Israeli sensor developer Innoviz Technologies has received $3.5 million in orders for its light detection and ranging solution in support of a military customer.

3 August

A 189th Airlift Wing C-130H is mounted with a Northrop Grumman LITENING pod targeting system as part of an Air National Guard Air Force Reserve Test Center program to develop a highly-accurate air drop and reconnaissance system. The Arkansas Air National Guard unit has been tapped as a test bed and has sent aircraft, aircrews and maintainers to Arizona for the test program.

Rojoef Manuel

Northrop Secures $1.8B US Air Force Deal to Continue Litening Pod Support

Northrop Grumman has signed a contract valued at up to $1.84 billion to extend manufacturing and modification of the AN/AAQ-28 Litening advanced targeting pods for the US Air Force.

3 August