The Aviationist
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New Combined Air Operations Centre Opened by NATO in Norway
CAOC Bodø was officially opened on Oct. 10, 2025, joining CAOC Uedem, Germany, and CAOC Torrejón, Spain as NATO’s third active Combined Air Operations Centre. Combined Air Operations Centres, or CAOCs – not to be confused with the U.S. Air Force’s 609th Air Operations Centre in Qatar, which is also known as the Combined Air […] -
Kizilelma Conducts First Live Fire Trials
Kizilelma’s live-fire tests come within days of the carriage trials with the TOLUN and TEBER-82 munitions. Baykar’s Kizilelma UCAV recorded another milestone when it dropped two inert munitions, the TOLUN glide bomb and the TEBER-82 guided bomb, in its first live-fire test, the Turkish drone major announced on Oct. 8, 2025. The new milestone comes […] -
Boeing Receives Third Contract for Eight More MH-139A Grey Wolf Helicopters
The MH-139A, slated to replace the older UH-1N Hueys in the nuclear security mission, recently conducted its first search and rescue mission. Boeing announced on Oct. 8, 2025 a new $173 million contract from the U.S. Air Force to produce eight more MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopters, raising the total number of aircraft under contract to […] -
Italy to Acquire Maritime Multi Mission Aircraft and Drones in New Defense Plan
The 2025–2027 Defense Planning Document confirms Italy’s ambitious modernization, introducing new acquisitions while consolidating major programs. The Italian Ministry of Defense has released the 2025–2027 Documento Programmatico Pluriennale (DPP), the annual multi-year planning document that outlines national defense investments and modernization priorities. The new edition details how Italy intends to enhance readiness, upgrade existing fleets, […] -
No Smoke Trails, Just Silence: Exclusive EA-37B Pilot Interview
While the aerobatic acts thrilled the crowd at the recent Joint Base Andrews Air Show, an EA-37B Compass Call on static display, quietly revealed the power of modern electronic warfare. Tens of thousands air show fans at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland gazed upward toward the sky, in search of loops, aileron rolls, and afterburning […]