The Aviationist

1. USMC KC-130J Completes Circumnavigation of the Globe During Two-Week Mission

   

   The primary mission of this KC-130J assigned to VMGR-352 was to deliver equipment and Marines to Camp Lemonnier in support of CJTF-HOA. The mission also upheld the KC-130J Super Hercules’s versatility in long-distance logistics and refueling of both fixed and rotary-wing aircraft. A KC-130J Super Hercules from VMGR-352 (Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352) “Raiders” circumnavigated […]

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2. Romania Signs Letter Of Acceptance to Acquire 32 F-35 Jets

   

   Romania becomes the 20th nation to join the F-35 program. On Nov. 21, 2024, Romania became a part of the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II program by signing a LoA (Letter of Acceptance) to acquire 32 airframes of the fifth generation stealth fighter, through a U.S. government FMS (Foreign Military Sale). The U.S. State Department […]

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3. U.S. Approves Foreign Military Sale for South Korean F-15K Upgrade

   

   The State Department has approved the possible sale of components that will allow South Korea to upgrade its F-15K Slam Eagle fleet to a configuration similar to the F-15EX Eagle II. The U.S. State Department has approved on Nov.19, 2024, a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to the Republic of Korea of components that will […]

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4. Battle Manager-Pilot Commands AI-controlled Aircraft In Real Time During Skunk Works Test

   

   Using a touchscreen pilot interface, a human “battle manager” in the cockpit of a flying aircraft gave real-time commands to AI-controlled aircraft. Skunk Works, Lockheed Martin’s secretive advanced projects division, along with its Demonstrations and Prototypes team and the University of Iowa’s Operator Performance Lab (OPL), recently pulled off a crewed-uncrewed teaming mission. A human […]

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5. The Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet: Hitler’s Hot Rod Rocket Plane

   

   Dangerous to Allied bombers as well as the ground crews that maintained it and the pilots that flew it, the tiny Me 163 had an amazing climb rate and top speed thanks to its unique rocket engine propulsion. Project X Dr. Alexander Lippisch had been experimenting on tailless sailplane designs for the German Research Institute […]

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