Author: FlyMarshall Newsroom

Editor’s note: This story originally appeared on Laser Wars, a newsletter about military laser weapons and other futuristic defense technology. Subscribe here.The U.S. military is once again pursuing flying directed energy weapons to counter threats to American airspace, according to the Defense Department’s missile defense boss.Speaking to members of Congress during a House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces hearing on April 15 on the Pentagon’s planned missile defense activities for fiscal year 2027, U.S. Missile Defense Agency director Air Force Lt. Gen. Heath Collins stated that his organization was “all in” on “bringing directed energy to the fight,” including…

The U.S. Marine Corps is looking for a new anti-tank loitering munition to field for the Fleet Marine Force. The service wants the kamikaze drone, called the Organic Precision Fires–Medium, or OPF-M, to have a range of at least around 15 miles and be light enough to be carried by two dismounted Marines. “Marines will employ OPF-M at the tactical level to enable engagement of armored targets beyond the range of direct fire weapons while minimizing collateral damage and exposure to enemy direct and indirect fires during distributed operations,” a Request for White Paper from Marine Corps Systems Command states.…

The U.S. Air Force plans to more than double its F-15EX Eagle II fleet to 267 aircraft, up from the previously planned 129, as part of the fiscal 2027 budget request rolled out this week. The revised plan calls for 24 additional Eagle IIs next year at a cost of roughly $3 billion, according to the service’s fiscal 2027 budget request. “This will complete building existing F-15EX units and then begin to recapitalize the aging F-15E fleet,” an Air Force spokesperson told Military Times. The service’s future fighter force “will be comprised of a mix of 4th, 5th and next-gen…

We know that President Trump is working on a plan for the government to bail out Spirit Airlines. The airline hasn’t turned a profit in seven years, and is continuing to hemorrhage money. The idea is to give the airline a $500 million loan, and for that to eventually give the government a 90% stake in the airline. But what’s actually the legal mechanism by which Trump wants this deal to happen? We’re now learning more details about what this will look like… Trump to use Defense Production Act to buy Spirit It’s now being reported that the Trump administration’s…

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine will contract 25,000 unmanned ground vehicles in the first half of 2026, more than double the 2025 total, as the Defense Ministry moves to shift all frontline logistics off soldiers and onto robots.Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov shared the target after meeting with domestic UGV manufacturers last week, where he also announced that the ministry had already begun signing contracts for 2027 to stabilize long-term manufacturer pipelines.“UGVs perform important logistics and evacuation tasks on the front line,” Fedorov wrote in a Facebook post on April 18. “In March alone, the military carried out more than 9,000 missions…

Emirates President Tim Clark is a bright guy, who really understands branding and passenger experience. So along those lines, he made some comments this week about what we could see from the carrier’s first class in the future, though I’m not taking these claims at face value. Emirates planning private bathrooms in first class? Emirates President Tim Clark was interviewed virtually by Richard Quest at this week’s CAPA Summit 2026, and he commented on an interesting innovation that could be coming to first class: “I’m working on en-suite bathrooms in first class. I want everybody to hear that, so everyone…

“The AVC has become a highly visible component of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, and embodies the resourcefulness, inclusiveness, and volunteer spirit that are the hallmarks of both the Experimental Aircraft Association and AirVenture Oshkosh…” Source: EAA, offering their praise for the the beloved unofficial kickoff to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh – which is returning for the 28th time, with the AirVenture Cup Cross-Country Air Race set for takeoff on July 19. The expected route will fly pilots in a more than 400-mile cross-country loop starting in Wausau, Wisconsin, and ending just north of it in Merrill.

Nonradar Route A flight path or route over which the pilot is performing his/her own navigation. The pilot may be receiving radar separation, radar monitoring, or other ATC services while on a nonradar route.

Unable To Restore Power, He Declared An Emergency And Performed A Forced Landing In A Field On November 24, 2025, about 1427 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-24-180, N8328P, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near South Brooksville, Florida. The pilot and two passengers were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that the flight originated from Talladega Municipal Airport (ASN), Talladega, Alabama, and continued to Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport (GVL), Gainesville, Georgia, where two passengers were boarded. The intended route was to proceed to…

Revisiting 04.17.26: Microair SkySuite, Spirit SE-1 Grabs Attention, Tarragon Tandem Speedster The U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, have announced the commanding officer for the 2027 and 2028 seasons at the Naval Aviation Museum at Naval Air Station Pensacola. “It’s an incredible honor to take on this role and represent the men and women of this team. Every day, I’m focused on leading in a way that reflects that responsibility, and making sure we continue to perform at the highest level,” said Commander Logan Peck. We’ve been flying different versions of the Bristell two-seat cruiser for over a…