Author: FlyMarshall Newsroom

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Drones equipped with ground-penetrating radar could one day help to locate water beneath the surface of Mars, according to new research from the University of Arizona. A team from the university’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory tested the technology by flying radar-equipped drones over debris-covered glaciers in Alaska and Wyoming. The flights demonstrated that drones can map the thickness of rocky material sitting on top of buried ice, a capability that could guide future drilling missions on the Red Planet. The study was published on April 28, 2026 in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets. Why drones? Ground-penetrating radar has been…

The U.S. Marine Corps plans to phase out enlisted jobs tied to the F/A-18 Hornet as it transitions to an all-F-35 tactical aircraft fleet.According to Tuesday’s Marine Administrative Message, or MARADMIN, the Corps will deactivate all remaining Hornet squadrons by 2030 and eliminate the maintenance specialties associated with the aging fighter jet.Marines currently serving in one of the six affected specialties — including mechanic, avionics and technician roles — will have the opportunity to retrain for F-35 jobs, move into another specialty or leave the service once their enlistment contracts end.While the Corps said Marines are “highly encouraged” to laterally…

On May 8, 2026, Embraer highlighted its Defense and Security (up 63% year on year) segment and Commercial Aviation (up 45% year on year) division for their help in delivering the record figure. “A standout in the first quarter, Defense & Security generated revenues of US$227 million, an increase of 63% year-over-year,” Embraer said. “The performance reflected stronger KC-390 revenue recognition due to customer mix and product stage, as well as increased production rates of the A-29 Super Tucano.” Commercial Aviation’s quarterly revenues rose to $293 million due to higher volumes and pricing. Executive Jets revenues totaled $418 million for…

In the interest of full disclosure, OMAAT may receive compensation when anyone clicks a link, has an application approved, or opens an account through this site. The information and associated card details on this page for the Chase Freedom Flex℠ has been collected independently by OMAAT and has not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. These are the best publicly available offers (terms apply) that we have found for each product or service. Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of the bank, credit card issuer, airline, hotel chain, or product manufacturer/service provider, and have not…

For Marines who have toiled over assembling airfields in austere environments, relief may be on the way. The Marine Corps wants to develop robots that can do the grunt work of laying down the matting used to quickly construct Expeditionary Airfields, or EAF, in amphibious beachheads and other remote locations. “Currently, assembling EAF matting is a manual process carried out by Marines — a task that is physically demanding, labor-intensive and exposes personnel to potential hazards,” explained the Small Business Innovation Research proposal, which has a deadline of June 3. The project, titled “Automated Expeditionary Airfield Assembly,” calls for robots…

By Thomas Blackwood May 8, 2026, © Leeham News: Embraer has posted its best first quarter results in the Brazilian planemaker’s history, as increased demand for its defense products boosted its profitability.  Adjusted EBIT reached $94 million for the period, with a margin of 6.5% (versus 5.6% a year earlier), on revenues of $1.4 billion – the highest level the company has ever achieved and a 31% year-over-year (yoy) increase.  Embraer said this was as a result of strong showing across both its defense and commercial air transport divisions.  But it was the former that was a stand-out performer. Its…

The US Department of War published its first batch of declassified records related to Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) on May 8, 2026, launching a public archive that the Trump administration says will be updated with new tranches every few weeks.   The initiative, branded Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (PURSUE), is being run with support from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).  The release follows a February 19, 2026, directive issued by President Donald Trump on Truth Social, instructing the Department of War and other federal agencies to identify, review and declassify documents related to extraterrestrial life and unidentified aerial phenomena. According to the…

Turkey’s Baykar has signed an export agreement with Indonesian defense company PT Republik Aero Dirgantara (Republikorp) for the supply of 12 Bayraktar Kizilelma unmanned combat aircraft, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2028.  The framework agreement was signed on May 6, 2026, on the sidelines of the SAHA 2026 defense fair in Istanbul. Baykar described it as the first export contract for the jet-powered Kizilelma, which the company markets as one of the world’s first unmanned fighter aircraft.  Beyond the initial 12-aircraft squadron, the framework includes options for four additional squadrons, for a potential total of 48 Kizilelma aircraft. The deal also covers the establishment of local production and maintenance facilities in Indonesia, as well as…

Airbus will need to deliver over 85 commercial aircraft per month to reach its 2026 annual target, as set out by the company’s CEO Guillaume Faury earlier this year. In February 2026, Faury announced that Airbus was looking to achieve “around 870” deliveries across the year, an increase from the company’s initial ambition of 820 aircraft in 2025. On May 8, 2026, the European planemaker confirmed that it had made 181 deliveries to date, with April 2026 adding a further 67 to the total. To reach 870 deliveries in 2026, Airbus needs to deliver 690 more aircraft before the end…