Ryan Finnerty
Ryan Finnerty is the Americas defence reporter for FlightGlobal.com and Flight International magazine, covering military aviation and the defence industry. He is a former United States Army officer and previously reported for America’s National Public Radio system in New York and Hawaii covering energy, economics and military affairs.
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- News
Russian Su-35 nearly collides with US F-16 during Alaska intercept
In a move being decried as unsafe and unprofessional by the Pentagon, a Russian air force Su-35 fighter passed dangerously close to a US Air Force F-16 whilst the American jet was shadowing a Russian long-range bomber off the coast of Alaska.
- News
US Army’s Pacific combat troops already training on FLRAA tiltrotor
Infantry and aviation soldiers from the Hawaii-based 25th Infantry Division are drilling on a mock-up of Bell’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft tiltrotor to help test cabin design and ergonomics for the aircraft, whose primary role will be ferrying assault troops into battle.
- In depth
Could the US Air Force restore electronic-attack fighter capability?
The US Air Force has not operated a dedicated offensive electronic-attack fighter since 1998 when the service retired its EF-111 Ravens, but service leaders now appear to be embracing electronic warfare as a central aspect of modern air combat operations.
- News
US Marine Corps completes third XQ-58 test flight
The US Marine Corps’ third test flight of the Kratos XQ-58 Valkyrie autonomous jet saw the successful integration of the Link 16 data communications system that will be critical to the effective deployment of uncrewed fighters.
- News
US Air Force to retire final KC-10 tanker
After more than 40 years of service, the US Air Force is retiring its final Boeing KC-10 Extender aerial refueller, which is being replaced by the newer Boeing KC-46 Pegasus.
- In depth
Honeywell targets 2027 for delivering F-35 power and thermal upgrade
The Pentagon has not decided how to address the long-term need for more power and cooling capacity aboard the advanced Lockheed Martin fighter jet, but the manufacturer of the current Power and Thermal Management System aims to have an upgrade ready around the time Pratt & Whitney starts rolling out an engine upgrade.
- News
L3Harris exploring maritime variant of Vampire drone defence system
The truck-mounted Vampire guided-rocket system was one of the first counter-UAS weapons provided to Ukraine by the Pentagon, and may soon see active service aboard ships.
- News
L3Harris exploring intelligence and crisis-response roles for Armed Overwatch turboprop
Amid criticism from government auditors, the US Special Operations Command and contracter L3Harris are expanding the potential capabilities of the new OA-1K close-air support turboprop to include more intelligence collection and electronic warfare.
- News
USAF’s first autonomous combat jets will act as ‘missile trucks’ for crewed fighters
The first batch of autonomous “Collaborative Combat Aircraft” being developed for the US Air Force will primarily be tasked with carrying extra precision munitions aloft, with other combat functions coming in subsequent designs.
- Interview
How Stephanie Goetz is making headlines after switching the news desk for business jet cockpit
The thrill of flying led Stephanie Goetz to leave a successful career in broadcasting. She now pilots Global-series business jets, while also championing breast cancer awareness using a unique L-39.
- News
US Air Force Ospreys will return to combat duty in coming weeks
The Bell-Boeing CV-22 tiltrotors will soon return to combat duty, 10 months after a deadly crash in 2023 killed eight special mission airmen and grounded the USA’s entire Osprey fleet.
- News
How Ukraine turned mobile phone microphones into an air defence network
After enduring wave after wave of cheap suicide drones bombarding its cities, Ukraine found a novel solution for detecting and tracking the low, slow uncrewed aerial vehicles: microphones that can identify the airborne threats based on their audio signature.
- News
Lockheed unveils new ‘extreme-range’ cruise missile
Building up mature technology used in the company’s existing long-range air-to-ground and anti-ship missiles, Lockheed says its new AGM-158 XR munition will provide a precision strike capability with even greater stand-off at a lower price per unit.
- In depth
US Air Force to shake up fleet modernisation programmes in coming months
The service’s top civilian official says the US Air Force soon plans to announce major changes to its most-significant new aircraft development programmes, including to its sixth-generation air superiority platform, a low-observable tanker and low-cost autonomous fighters.
- News
US approves Romania to acquire Lockheed Martin F-35s
Arms export regulators in Washington approved Bucharest to acquire up to 32 Lockheed Martin F-35A fighters, marking Romania’s entrance into the club of nations operating or in the process of acquiring the stealthy type, now numbering 20.
- News
Canada to deploy maritime patrol aircraft to enforce North Korea sanctions
After a meeting in Tokyo between Canadian and Japanese officials, Ottawa agreed to deploy a Lockheed Martin P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft to support the enforcement of trade sanctions against North Korea.
- News
Pentagon signs largest-ever order for Raytheon AMRAAM missiles
The $1.19 billion contract with Raytheon covers production Lot 38 of the venerable air-to-air missile and will see the munitions delivered to Japan, Ukraine and multiple NATO member states.
- News
US Army selects Anduril and Performance Drone Works to supply new tactical UAVs
The US Army jas selected two manufacturers, Anduril and Performance Drone Works, to provide the service with new uncrewed aerial vehicles that will support tactical-level ground troops in combat operations.
- In depth
Anduril unveils low-cost Barracuda cruise missile designed for ‘hyper-scale’ production
The US defence start-up plans to develop a line of long-range precision munitions called Barracuda that are being designed for simplicity and rapid production at a mass scale.
- In depth
Raytheon eyes F-22 modernisation amid US pause on sixth-generation fighter development
With senior US Air Force officials pausing to re-evaluate development of a sixth-generation fighter, defence contractors are eyeing potential modernisation opportunities for the service’s current air superiority platform – the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor.