Phoenix Leader standing by

A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor pilot has for the first time directly controlled a General Atomics MQ-20 Avenger unmanned combat drone from the fighter’s cockpit during a live flight, the companies involved said on Monday.

The demonstration, conducted over the Nevada Test and Training Range, saw the pilot issue real-time commands to the jet-powered stealth drone via a tablet interface, using open-architecture software and secure datalinks developed by Lockheed Martin and L3Harris.

General Atomics described the test as a milestone in “crewed-uncrewed teaming,” a priority for the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, which aims to pair fifth-generation fighters with low-cost autonomous wingmen.

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN F-4E

Dassault Mirage 4000 French prototype twin engine fighter. First flight Mar 9th, 1979. Only one built and program cancelled in 1988. However data learned from program contributed to Dassault Rafale program.

U.S. Marine Corps F-35B parked on the deck of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force escort vessel "Kaga"

F-16XL

A scene from last year in Japan and the U.S.: on a morning after the rain, as an F-16 was taxiing along the taxiway, a single fox leisurely crossed in front of it; its fur, bathed in the morning sun, sparkled and gleamed with a divine radiance.

U-2 and SR-71A at Kadena AB Okinawa 🇯🇵

John Dodd ‘Beast,’ 1972. The Rolls-Royce Merlin-engined custom shooting brake is again on sale in the UK. The 27-litre Rolls-Royce Merlin V12 aero engine drives through a bespoke transmission. The car has undergone some restoration, including a new interior. It is fully functional and capable of being driven.