Author: FlyMarshall Newsroom

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — As the United States assembles its greatest military firepower in decades in the Middle East, Iranians are warily awaiting the next round of talks with the U.S. in Geneva this week — negotiations that many see as a last chance for their ruling theocracy to strike a deal with U.S. President Donald Trump.Some say the situation feels hopeless. Battered by decades of sanctions, heightened by Trump’s 2018 decision to withdraw from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers, Iranians also just suffered through the bloodiest crackdown on dissent in the country’s modern history as security forces…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared Tuesday that Russia has not “broken Ukrainians” nor triumphed in its war, four years after an invasion that has severely tested the resolve of Kyiv and its allies and fueled European fears about the scale of Moscow’s ambitions.In a show of support, more than a dozen senior European officials headed to the Ukrainian capital to mark the grim anniversary of the conflict, which has killed tens of thousands of people, upended life for millions of Ukrainians and created instability far beyond its borders.Zelenskyy said his country has withstood the onslaught by Russia’s bigger and better…

Italian prosecutors are investigating the reported disappearance of nearly 2,500 components for Tornado and AMX fighter-bombers, as well as C-130 tactical transport aircraft of Italy’s air force. The missing material is valued at approximately €17 million.  The case, as reported by La Repubblica, is being handled by the Rome public prosecutor’s office together with a military prosecutor, and reportedly involves around 10 people under investigation, including senior Italian Air Force logistics officials, several generals, and executives linked to GE Avio, a GE Aerospace subsidiary involved in military aircraft maintenance in Italy.  Italian Air Force fully cooperating  In a statement published on February 23, 2026, the…

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth plans to meet Tuesday with the CEO of Anthropic, with the artificial intelligence company the only one of its peers to not supply its technology to a new U.S. military internal network.Anthropic, maker of the chatbot Claude, declined to comment on the meeting but CEO Dario Amodei has made clear his ethical concerns about unchecked government use of AI, including the dangers of fully autonomous armed drones and of AI-assisted mass surveillance that could track dissent.The meeting between Hegseth and Amodei was confirmed by a defense official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke…

Embraer unveiled the Praetor 500E and 600E, the latest iteration of its best-selling executive jet family at a broadcast event on February 24, 2026.  The new mid-sized and super mid-sized executive jets, which are expected to enter service in Q1 2029, represent a significant evolution of the Praetor 500 and 600 family of aircraft, particularly when it comes to cabin design.  The new Praetor 500E and 600E will feature a high-tech cabin environment, with a sophisticated digital cabin management system which will be possible to control through multiple channels, including voice interface, tech panels located on the upper section of the cabin and a mobile app.  Technology has also been applied to cabin monuments in order to boost comfort…

The F-35 has been tested with a new artificial intelligence-enhanced Combat Identification capability to help pilots quickly identify unknown emitters detected by its sensors. Lockheed Martin has announced that it has tested a new artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced Combat Identification (Combat ID) capability on the F-35 Lightning II. The test marks the first time AI has been integrated into the F-35’s systems to generate an independent Combat ID and provide it to the pilot while in flight. Project Overwatch The demonstration was part of Project Overwatch and was conducted at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, with the flight likely taking place…

Air New Zealand is preparing to launch a charter flight that transforms a commercial aircraft into a high-altitude concert venue. The experience, called “SYNTHONY in the Sky,” is described as an experimental approach to aviation entertainment. The May 15, 2026 charter flight from Auckland Airport (AKL) to Christchurch Airport (CHC) will feature live performances by SYNTHONY, an orchestral electronic music group, while passengers travel at cruising altitude.  The concept is more than just a musical performance on air. The 90-minute flight is the official opening act of the two-day musical experience. Live orchestral performances begin the moment passengers board the…

The U.S. Air Force and Northrop Grumman have agreed to increase production capacity for the B-21 Raider stealth bomber by 25%, speeding up delivery of the service’s next-generation long-range strike platform, the service announced in a Feb. 23 release. The deal applies $4.5 billion in funding previously authorized and appropriated under fiscal year 2025 reconciliation legislation, commonly known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” The move accelerates the approved acquisition profile by increasing annual production capacity by 25%, compressing delivery timelines while maintaining cost and performance discipline. The B-21 Raider, built by Northrop Grumman, is currently in low-rate initial production,…

The U.S. Air Force and Northrop Grumman are working to accelerate the production and the delivery of the B-21 Raider, with the first bomber arriving at Ellsworth next year. The Department of the Air Force and Northrop Grumman have announced an agreement to expand the production of the new B-21 Raider stealth bomber and accelerate the delivery. Notably, the service confirmed that the program is on track to deliver the first B-21 to Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, in 2027. The agreement According to the service, the agreement applies $4.5 billion in funding already authorized and appropriated under the…

The US Air Force has conducted a live demonstration of manned-unmanned teaming, linking a crewed F-22 Raptor with an uncrewed MQ-20 Avenger in a flight test designed to explore how autonomous aircraft can support frontline fighters in future operations.  The exercise took place on February 23, 2026, at Edwards Air Force Base in California, pairing an F-22 flown by a USAF pilot with an MQ-20 operating as an autonomous system rather than as a remotely piloted aircraft. The test was conducted in collaboration with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, which supplied the Avenger and the autonomy software used during the mission.  According to the US Air…