December 3, 2025 - No. 49 In This Issue : Breaking: Airbus grounds over 6,000 A320 aircraft amid solar radiation risk : Bell Textron and TEREM sign MoU to support Bulgarian Bell 206s : Airbus restricts cold-weather takeoffs for Pratt & Whitney-powered A320neos : Airbus finds another issue affecting its best-selling A320 passenger planes : Bell Textron and TEREM sign MoU to support Bulgarian Bell 206s : Boeing Gets $2.47 Billion Contract from Largest Air Force in the World : It’s Time to Double Down on America’s Propulsion Advantage : The B-1B Lancer ‘Zombie’ Bombers America Just Pulled From the Boneyard : U.S. Air Force to Retire C-17s at 80 Years Old : VerdeGo Aero Starts Producing Hybrid-Electric Powertrain : Inside Restricted Hangar Repairing US Most Advanced Attack Helicopters (Video)nside Restricted Hangar Repairing US Most Advanced Attack Helicopters (Video) Breaking: Airbus grounds over 6,000 A320 aircraft amid solar radiation risk Airbus has issued an urgent A320 recall. Emma Lewis November 28, 2025 Sign up for our newsletter and get our latest content in your inbox. Subscribe Airbus has urged airlines operating A320 family aircraft to take swift protective measures after engineers uncovered a rare but serious susceptibility to intense solar activity. The move follows an incident involving an A320 family jet in which elevated solar radiation levels were found to interfere with data fundamental to the aircraft’s flight-control architecture, prompting an immediate technical response. Intense solar radiation can result from powerful explosions in the solar system. Depending on the class and intensity of the flare, the energy can travel at the speed of light, reaching the earth’s atmosphere within minutes. Intense flares can also disrupt radio communications that pass through the atmosphere, such as those from aircraft communication systems. JetBlue flight incident sparks review Airbus released a statement on Friday 28 November, noting that: “Analysis of a recent event involving an A320 Family aircraft has indicated that elevated solar radiation may compromise data critical to flight control functionality.” The event in question occurred on 30 October, when a JetBlue Airways A320 experienced an abrupt loss of altitude. The incident resulted in injuries to at least 15 passengers and forced the aircraft to make an emergency landing in Florida. Investigation points to solar-radiation data vulnerability The manufacturer’s inquiry determined that extreme solar radiation can impact specific onboard data channels, with the potential to impair flight-control functionality. Airbus’ technical teams concluded that a considerable share of the active A320 fleet could, under comparable circumstances, face the same exposure risk. To counter the hazard, Airbus has released an Alert Operators Transmission (AOT) – a notice reserved for situations requiring rapid, mandatory operator action. The bulletin instructs carriers to apply the relevant software updates and, where necessary, integrate hardware safeguards designed to prevent radiation-related corruption of critical flight-control data. EASA preparing emergency directive The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has now formalised the measures through an Emergency Airworthiness Directive (EAD). These directives are uncommon and deployed only when regulators determine an urgent need to implement corrective action across all affected aircraft. The EAD will obligate operators to carry out the specified updates before aircraft can remain in commercial service. Depending on fleet size, maintenance bandwidth, and scheduling, airlines may experience short-term operational impacts during the rollout. Airbus warns of significant disruptions Airbus has acknowledged that the required inspections, modifications, and system updates are likely to cause temporary schedule challenges for carriers, including possible delays, aircraft downtime, and reduced capacity. The company expressed regret for the inconvenience and underscored the rationale behind the rapid action. “Safety remains our number one and overriding priority,” Airbus said, noting that it is working closely with airlines and regulators to ensure continued fleet safety. Operators around the world are now evaluating the extent of the work needed, with several preparing dedicated maintenance teams to begin immediate implementation as soon as formal instructions are issued. This is a breaking news story – we will update it as details emerge Bell Textron and TEREM sign MoU to support Bulgarian Bell 206s Emergency Services 26 Nov 2025 | Oliver Cuenca The six helicopters are used by the Bulgarian Air Force for training, reconnaissance, transport, and medical evacuation Bell Textron has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with TEREM Holding Bulgaria to cooperate and mutually support a fleet of six Bell 206 helicopters owned by the Bulgarian Air Force. The helicopters are used by the air force for training, transport, reconnaissance, and medical evacuation (medevac). Under the terms of the MoU, TEREM – a state-owned company of the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense – would provide local customer service to the Bulgarian Air Force, while Bell Textron Prague would supply aircraft parts and personnel support. The intended Bell support includes Part 145 maintenance services, Part 21 engineering and design, and, in partnership with TEREM Holding, “heavy and complex maintenance, retrofits, modification and upgrades, and customization” for the Bell 206 fleet. “We are thrilled to explore this cooperative effort between Bell and TEREM Holding Bulgaria as we provide maintenance support to the Bulgarian Air Force,” said Vlastimil Cepicka, Manager at Bell Textron Prague. Bell Textron also announced that it would deliver a Bell 505 to the government of Aichi Prefecture, Japan, earlier this year. Airbus restricts cold-weather takeoffs for Pratt & Whitney-powered A320neos By Stephen Pope December 1, 2025, 19:34 (UTC +3) Aircraft Karolis Kavolelis / Shutterstock Airbus has introduced new cold-weather takeoff restrictions for A320neo-family aircraft equipped with Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan engines, following operational issues reported in freezing fog conditions. The new restriction applies to aircraft powered by PW1100G engines and limits takeoffs during freezing fog when the visibility drops below 150 meters. Airbus said it has updated the ground-engine operating procedure for icing conditions, a change intended to reduce the risk of performance degradation during the most severe winter weather. The situation first gained attention after Air Astana, the flag carrier of Kazakhstan, experienced weather-related delays at Almaty Airport on November 15, 2025. The airline told passengers that departures on its Airbus Neo aircraft would be affected due to freezing fog. In a statement to news outlet aeroTelegraph, Air Astana said that under freezing fog and sub-zero temperatures, heavy engine icing can impair performance, and noted that the issue affects only the Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan engines installed on A320neo-family aircraft. Air Astana confirmed the restriction applies to its A320neo, A321neo, and A321LR aircraft. According to publicly available fleet data cited by aeroTelegraph, the airline operates 11 A320neos, four A321neos, and 13 A321LRs. Its low-cost subsidiary Fly Arystan also has 13 inactive A320neos powered by Pratt & Whitney engines, though those aircraft have been grounded for other issues including powdered-metal contamination and engine-shop bottlenecks. An Airbus spokesperson told news outlets the company has issued instructions covering revised engine-operation procedures on the ground in icing conditions and confirmed that the update leads to takeoff restrictions in freezing fog. Pratt & Whitney also confirmed that Airbus has imposed the limitation for A320neo-family aircraft equipped with GTF engines, describing it as a temporary restriction until a permanent solution is available. The engine maker said it does not expect a major impact on winter operations for most carriers. A320neo-family jets equipped with CFM International LEAP-1A engines are not affected. While Air Astana has publicly highlighted the challenge due to its winter climate, several other airlines in cold-weather regions operate A320neo-family aircraft with Pratt & Whitney engines, including Finnair, SAS, and Lufthansa. These carriers could also face weather-related complexity during periods of freezing fog and low visibility. Airbus said it remains in close contact with its airline customers as Pratt & Whitney continues working on a longer-term fix. No timeline has been provided for a permanent solution. Airbus finds another issue affecting its best-selling A320 passenger planes Story by Ana Nicolaci da Costa, Maisie Linford, CNN Airbus has identified an issue affecting “a limited number” of metal panels in its A320 passenger planes, a spokesperson for the company said Monday, just days after warning of another technical problem in its aircraft. The plane manufacturer is inspecting all aircraft that are potentially impacted by what it called a “supplier quality issue,” but expects that only some of them will require further action be taken, the spokesperson told CNN. “The source of the (metal panels) issue has been identified, contained and all newly produced panels conform to all requirements,” the spokesperson said, noting that the number of planes in service affected by the problem is “very limited.” Reuters was first to report the finding Monday, citing industry sources. The Airbus stock fell after the report, building on earlier losses. Shares were last down 5.7%. Airbus has already come under scrutiny in recent days for requiring a software fix for its popular A320 series of planes after finding that intense solar storms, like solar flares, could cause pilots to lose control. Airlines around the world rushed to fix thousands of Airbus aircraft that needed immediate maintenance to protect from the pilot control problem, which caused an emergency landing and injured passengers in October. About 6,000 single-aisle planes needed the repairs. “Analysis of a recent event involving an A320 Family aircraft has revealed that intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls,” Airbus said last week. On October 30, JetBlue Flight 1230 – an A320 plane – was flying from Cancun, Mexico, to Newark, New Jersey, when it suddenly dove down in altitude. The pilots made an emergency landing in Tampa, Florida, where about 15 people were taken to a hospital. On Monday, JetBlue said in a statement that it has “resumed normal operations” after making emergency software updates to its fleet of Airbus A320s. “We’ve resumed regular operations after working through the requirements of the FAA airworthiness directive and do not anticipate any additional cancellations related to this,” JetBlue said in the statement. “We’re grateful for the incredible efforts of our crewmembers who worked around the clock to move quickly to make these updates, and we appreciate our customers’ patience and understanding throughout the process.” Airbus said on its website Monday that the “vast majority” of those 6,000 or so planes had now “received the necessary modifications” and that it was helping airlines modify the fewer than 100 remaining. This story has been updated with additional content. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Bell Textron and TEREM sign MoU to support Bulgarian Bell 206s Emergency Services 26 Nov 2025 | Oliver Cuenca The six helicopters are used by the Bulgarian Air Force for training, reconnaissance, transport, and medical evacuation Bell Textron has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with TEREM Holding Bulgaria to cooperate and mutually support a fleet of six Bell 206 helicopters owned by the Bulgarian Air Force. The helicopters are used by the air force for training, transport, reconnaissance, and medical evacuation (medevac). Under the terms of the MoU, TEREM – a state-owned company of the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense – would provide local customer service to the Bulgarian Air Force, while Bell Textron Prague would supply aircraft parts and personnel support. The intended Bell support includes Part 145 maintenance services, Part 21 engineering and design, and, in partnership with TEREM Holding, “heavy and complex maintenance, retrofits, modification and upgrades, and customization” for the Bell 206 fleet. “We are thrilled to explore this cooperative effort between Bell and TEREM Holding Bulgaria as we provide maintenance support to the Bulgarian Air Force,” said Vlastimil Cepicka, Manager at Bell Textron Prague. Bell Textron also announced that it would deliver a Bell 505 to the government of Aichi Prefecture, Japan, earlier this year. Boeing Gets $2.47 Billion Contract from Largest Air Force in the World United States Air Force (USAF) awarded the $2.47 billion Lot 12 contract to Boeing on November 25, 2025, for 15 KC-46A Pegasus tankers. By Anurag Sharma November 27, 20253 Mins Read Note: See photos in the original article. Google News Pegasus Refuels Globemaster, US Air Force; Photo- Wikipedia ARLINGTON- Boeing secures a $2.47 billion contract from the United States Air Force (USAF) for 15 KC-46A Pegasus aerial refueling tankers under Lot 12. Production at the Everett (PAE) facility supports global air mobility needs. The USAF relies on KC-46A to replace aging KC-135 Stratotankers as demand rises. Deliveries resume after a brief halt, with fleet expansion targeting 263 units. Photo: By Colin Cooke Photo – 19-46063 Boeing KC-46A Pegasus USAF RAF Fairford 18.7.22, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=130900394 US Air Force Boeing $2.47 Billion Contract The United States Air Force (USAF) awarded the $2.47 billion Lot 12 contract to Boeing on November 25, 2025, for 15 KC-46A Pegasus tankers. Work occurs at Boeing’s Everett, Washington, facility, with completion set for mid-2029. This order brings the total KC-46As on contract worldwide to 183, including 98 in USAF service, six with Japan Air Self-Defense Force, and four contracted for the Israel Air Force. According to FlightGlobal, the contract stabilizes production after a March 2025 delivery pause due to structural cracks in two jets. Boeing and USAF deemed the cracks non-safety risks. Inspections and repairs allowed resumption in May 2025. Boeing KC-46 program manager Jake Kwasnik stated the award ensures supply chain stability and delivers advanced refueling capabilities. The KC-46A, derived from the 767 airliner, refuels fighters, bombers, and transports mid-air. It carries 212,000 pounds of fuel, hauls 65,000 pounds of cargo, and supports 114 passengers or 54 medical evacuees. Range exceeds 7,000 nautical miles, enabling global missions from austere bases. Photo: By André Gerwing, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=148947336 Strategic Role in USAF Tanker The USAF retires KC-10 Extenders and phases out KC-135s, built in the 1950s. KC-46A fills this gap, logging over 150,000 flight hours in training and combat since 2022. It integrates with the Advanced Battle Management System for real-time data sharing across domains. A July 2024 contract upgrades communications, connectivity, and situational awareness. These enhancements counter evolving threats and boost interoperability with allies. USAF eyes up to 75 more KC-46As via a production extension, reaching 263 total. Boeing completed the first flight of a KC-46A with Remote Vision System 2.0 in late 2025. RVS 2.0 improves boom operator visibility, fixing early deficiencies. Remaining challenges include boom stiffness and cargo software, but tankers deploy to Indo-Pacific and Europe. Photo: Soly Moses | Pexels Global Demand and Export Success Japan operates six KC-46As for regional refueling. Israel plans four Middle East operations. International interest grows for the tanker’s multi-role design, including data relay and survivability features. Boeing invests in Block 1 upgrades for future-proofing. These add secure links and edge computing, keeping KC-46A ahead of next-generation refueler concepts. USAF tests prototypes to integrate hypersonic and unmanned systems. Production efficiency at Everett supports 15-18 jets yearly. Supply chain partners provide composites and avionics, meeting deadlines. The program creates 1,500 jobs locally and bolsters U.S. export leadership in aerospace. Photo: By Masahiro TAKAGI from Ichikawa, Chiba, Japan – DSC08250, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52445818 Overcoming Challenges Early KC-46A issues delayed full certification until 2019. USAF accepted 70 jets with waivers for unresolved fixes. Recent RVS 2.0 testing shows 95% success in boom contacts, up from 80%. Crew training at Altus Air Force Base (LTS) prepares pilots for dual-role missions. Simulations replicate refueling in contested airspace. Maintenance intervals extend to 800 hours, cutting costs 20% below KC-135. The Lot 12 jets incorporate G081 sustainment systems for faster turnarounds. Subscriptions cover software updates, ensuring cyber resilience. USAF reports 99% mission capability rates in 2025 deployments. Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us on social media for the latest updates. Join us on Telegram Group for the Latest Aviation Updates. Subsequently, follow us on Google News It’s Time to Double Down on America’s Propulsion Advantage Nov. 26, 2025 By Douglas A. Birkey Decisive combat airpower is foundational to U.S. national security, crucial both to deterring war and fighting and winning when necessary. Advanced propulsion is among the crucial underlying technologies that give America a decisive edge in air combat. Today, that edge is fading. China is rapidly advancing propulsion capabilities as part of its broader efforts to develop a large, cutting-edge combat air force. Its aggressive growth is why modernizing the U.S. Air Force is so important. A new generation of advanced jet engines is needed to deliver the enhanced thrust, range, power, and thermal management required to achieve air superiority in the 21st century. This is a national imperative. Today’s Air Force is built on our Cold War legacy. Most of today’s frontline airframes date back decades. The Air Force combat fleet is less than half the size of the Reagan-era force, which had more types of aircraft than we see today. Those changes affect industry as well as the force. Post-Cold War budget cuts and increased focus on ground-centric operations in Afghanistan and Iraq drove a transformative shift in the jet engine industrial base, reducing focus on innovating for the future to one dominated by sustaining existing systems. The development of bleeding edge technologies slowed as procurement of next generation fleets, such as the F-22, declined. Developments that did occur struggled to transition from the lab to the flightline. Meanwhile, America’s adversaries—especially China—were growing, developing new systems, and focusing on mass production. Iterating on airplane designs, they also advanced their jet engine prowess. To preserve America’s propulsion advantage, the Department of War and Congress must come together to prioritize investment in a new round of engine innovation and robust production. This includes the Air Force’s Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion program, which is platform agnostic and designed to yield propulsion plants with broad applications throughout the next generation of combat aircraft, as well as programs intended for collaborative combat aircraft and other emerging classes of aircraft. Each seeks to meet performance, mission, and cost requirements unique to its use case. To deliver on their respective objectives, both will need their own sphere of engineering innovation, ranging from cutting edge materials to advanced manufacturing techniques. They must also be built at scale. As crucial as clean sheet solutions are to our future success, the future of propulsion demands a holistic approach. Enhancing existing technologies is also essential as current systems will remain in service for quite some time. An F-16 from 1979 is vastly different from those found on today’s Air Force ramps; their power plants are markedly more powerful and dependable. The same holds true for the engines in the F-22, F-35, F-15EX, and other aircraft. Incremental improvements must continue. Traditional engine suppliers like Pratt & Whitney, General Electric, and Rolls-Royce are global assets. Their future success is fundamentally intertwined with America’s national security. Meanwhile, new entrants like Kratos and Hermeus are providing a generational opportunity to advance performance and value, increasing competition to make America stronger. It takes a total team approach to prevail. However, securing a positive path forward will only work if there is ample and consistent resourcing, stable requirements, and a commitment to rebuild America’s combat airpower inventories at scale. After decades of complacent coasting, the U.S. can no longer rest on its laurels. China is playing to win. It is time to acknowledge the threat and the imperative to prevail. Engines are the heart of aircraft, and America needs both high-end solutions like NGAP and lower-cost engine alternatives for a range of manned and unmanned weapons and systems. This contest is akin to a marathon. Victory demands pacing, with careful, consistent investment each year. That is what our adversaries have been doing—and it shows. America can win this contest; in fact, victory is essential. It is time to invest to ensure our propulsion edge. The B-1B Lancer ‘Zombie’ Bombers America Just Pulled From the Boneyard By Stephen Silver The Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, is the largest depot repair complex in the Air Force. The Complex's depot Artisans perform award-winning program depot maintenance and modifications on B-1 Lancer aircraft, supporting the sustainment of combat-ready airpower. (U.S. Air Force photo/Gina Anderson) Key Points and Summary – The Air Force has twice turned to the Arizona “boneyard” in 2024 to revive B-1B Lancer bombers, pulling jets like “Rage” and “Lancelot” out of storage to replace airframes lost to fire and structural issues. -At Davis-Monthan, retired aircraft are sealed and preserved, then painstakingly regenerated with hundreds of swapped components before heading to Tinker AFB for deep maintenance. A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer sits on the flightline at Lajes Field, Azores, Aug. 22, 2025. The aircraft landed for a hot pit refuel during a Bomber Task Force Europe mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Cristina Oliveira) Sideview of B-1B Lancer Bomber. Image Credit: National Security Journal. -By law, the service must keep at least 45 B-1s in service until the B-21 Raider arrives, making regeneration cheaper and faster than repairing some badly damaged jets. -The effort underlines both the strain on the aging fleet and its continued relevance. B-21 Is Coming, But the Air Force Still Needs B-1s From the Boneyard On two different occasions in 2024, the Air Force has pulled old B-1 Lancer bombers out of the “boneyard” at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona. The boneyard, officially known as the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (309th AMARG), hosts nearly 4,000 aircraft and 6,600 engines. It is, the Pentagon said in an article earlier this year, “the largest aircraft storage and preservation facility in the world.” How do they preserve the aircraft at the facility? According to the Pentagon, “preservation is accomplished by taping and spraying each aircraft with sealant designed to keep animals out, reduce corrosion and keep the aircraft about 10 degrees cooler than outside temperatures, which can be extremely hot in the summer,” he said. “The sealant can easily be removed if needed.” And on some occasions, aircraft are called from the boneyard and back into service. In fact, that’s what happened with a pair of B-1 Lancers, known as “Rage” and “Lancelot,” both of which were revived in 2024. Aircraft, according to the Pentagon, aren’t always restored to their former condition and are often turned into unmanned aerial targets. In the program’s 48 years, more than 1,000 aircraft have been brought back to service in some form. B-1B Lancers Back from the Dead Per Air and Space Forces Magazine, an aviation photographer, back in the summer of 2024, spotted images of a specific B-1 that was taking off from Davis-Monthan. An Air Force spokesperson confirmed to the outlet soon after that it was a “regenerated” aircraft headed to Oklahoma’s Tinker Air Force Base for its last stop before returning to service. “At the request of Air Force Global Strike Command, Air Force Materiel Command is in the process of regenerating a B-1B to replace aircraft-0126, which was undergoing heavy structures repair development at Boeing-Palmdale,” the Air Force spokesperson said in that July 2024 story. “Analysis determined regenerating an aircraft in AMARG storage could be accomplished faster, at lower cost and risk, than continuing the Boeing repair project.” Crew Chief Senior Airman Mike Parks talks through his headset with the crew of a U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bomber as they go through the pre-flight checklist at an air base in the Persian Gulf region on Dec. 10, 1998. The Lancer, deployed from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, is a multi-role, long range, heavy bomber. (DoD photo by Senior Airman Sean M. White, U.S. Air Force. (Released)) A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer assigned to the 34th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, flies over the United States, July 2, 2025. The B-1B is a heavy bomber with up to a 75,000 pound payload. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Airman Spencer Strubbe) That had followed, that March, the announcement that a B-1 Lancer had been brought back online, in that case, to replace a bomber that an engine fire had destroyed. That plane also landed at Tinker Air Force Base for “heavy restoration and maintenance.” Per Simple Flying, the Air Force is legally mandated to have at least 45 B-1 Lancers in service at any given time until the B-21 Raider is ready. Two of those aircraft are flying already, and the program is expected to enter service in 2030. “Four of the seventeen Rockwell B-1 Lancer bombers stored at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base were in good enough shape to reactivate,” the report said. Before the two that returned last year, “the last time the USAF brought a retired B-1 bomber back into service was in 2004 when seven aircraft were rescued from the Boneyard.” The Simple Flying article looked at what’s required to bring one of the retired aircraft back to service. “Before it could return to service, the bomber required extensive work, which involved swapping out over 500 components and fitting new rockets to the ejector seats,” the story said, with additional work to be done at Tinker. When the first of the B-1s rejoined the fleet, Lt. Col. Michael Griffin, 10th Flight Test Squadron director of operations, addressed what had to be done and what it meant. “Pulling ‘Lancelot’ out of the 309th AMARG and putting it through program depot-level maintenance at Tinker will restore the aircraft to the operational units, allowing them to continue to support the nation’s call for power projection,” Griffin said in April of last year. “I feel this project is important in continuing to prove the reliability of the B-1 and its use for airpower and air superiority,” Jason Justice, a technical analyst contractor at the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, said in the same announcement. “Our B-1 community is a tight-knit family who demonstrates over and over that the B-1 is a viable platform when given the right people and money, to produce the requirements needed to meet our flying commitment to airpower.” The Air Force also announced in September that it plans to move several special operations units, previously located in Florida, to Davis-Monthan, Stars and Stripes reported. The 492nd Special Operations Wing, formerly based at Hurlburt Field, will form a new “Power Projection Wing” at Davis-Monthan. Divestiture Back in September of 2021, the Air Force’s Global Strike Command announced that it had wrapped up the divestiture of 17 B-1 bombers, as the last of those aircraft headed from Edwards Air Force Base to the boneyard at Davis-Monthan. At the beginning of that year, there were 62 B-1 bombers in service, a number that dropped to 45 after that move. The divestiture process, the Air Force said at the time, was “in support of the United States Air Force’s efforts to modernize America’s bomber fleet,” in accordance with the previous year’s National Defense Authorization Act, to make way for the B-21 Raider. A second B-21 Raider, the world’s sixth-generation stealth bomber, test aircraft arrives at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., Sept. 11, 2025. The addition of the second test aircraft expands mission systems and weapons integration testing, advancing the program toward operational readiness. (Courtesy photo) “Beginning to retire these legacy bombers allows us to pave the way for the B-21 Raider,” Brig. Gen. Kenyon Bell, AFGSC Director of Logistics and Engineering, said at the time. “Continuous operations over the last 20 years have taken a toll on our B-1B fleet, and the aircraft we retired would have taken between 10 and 30 million dollars per aircraft to get back to a status quo fleet in the short term until the B-21 comes online.” The 17 retired aircraft did not all go to the boneyard, the Air Force said at the time. Thirteen of them did, while “one aircraft went to Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, as a prototype for structural repair actions. One went to Edwards AFB as a ground tester. One went to Wichita, Kansas, at the National Institute for Aviation Research for digital mapping, and one went to Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, as a static display for the Barksdale Global Power museum.” U.S. Air Force to Retire C-17s at 80 Years Old AMC strategy outlines decades-long path to next-generation Air Force airlifter that would replace C-17 and C-5. Matt Ryan Tuesday, November 25, 2025 at 10:45 AM ET Verified Edited By: Matt Ryan [Credit: U.S. Air Force] Key Takeaways: The U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command (AMC) released its airlift recapitalization strategy last week, outlining a multi-decade plan to maintain uninterrupted inter-theater airlift while replacing the service’s two largest transport fleets. According to a memorandum signed by Brig. Gen. David Fazenbaker, the Next Generation Airlift (NGAL) program is set to succeed both the C-5M Super Galaxy and C-17A Globemaster III. Even so, current projections require the C-5M—first delivered in its earliest form in 1970—to remain viable until 2045, placing the airframe at roughly 75 years old at retirement. The C-17A, which entered service in 1993, is planned to remain operational through 2075, making the newest examples more than 80 years old by the time they are expected to be fully phased out. Boeing hinted earlier this year that it could be considering restarting production of the C-17. The last example left a Long Beach, California, factory a decade ago. An accelerated Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) is planned for fiscal year 2027, with initial production of NGAL aircraft beginning as early as fiscal year 2038. Initial Operational Capability could follow in fiscal year 2041. The command said it intends to replace the C-5M fleet first on a one-for-one basis before moving to the C-17A inventory. To reduce risks from potential delays, funding variability or technological challenges, AMC emphasized that both legacy fleets must remain fully capable until NGAL is fielded. This may require extending each platform’s Military Type Certificate and associated service life. The command noted that sustaining the C-5M and the wider C-17A fleet across active-duty, Guard and Reserve units will be essential as the mobility enterprise prepares for its next-generation airlifter. According to the memorandum, the approach is designed to ensure that global operations continue without interruption throughout one of the largest recapitalization efforts in Air Force airlift history. VerdeGo Aero Starts Producing Hybrid-Electric Powertrain The VH-4T-RD hardware is a pre-cursor to the VH-4T-415 production powertrain VerdeGo Aero has started low-rate production of its VH-4T-RD hybrid-electric powerplant. By Charles Alcock • Managing Editor November 23, 2025 VerdeGo Aero has begun low-rate production of its VH-4T-RD hybrid-electric powerplant. The U.S. company announced the move on November 20, saying that during 2026 it aims to deliver batches of the propulsion system to various undisclosed customers for pre-certification ground and flight testing with hybrid-electric aircraft. The VH-4T-RD hardware is being built as a pre-cursor to the VH-4T-415 production powertrain that VerdeGo Aero said will be certified with the FAA before going into high-volume production. It said the unit, with 400 kilowatts (550 hp) of continuous power, is suitable for hybrid VTOL aircraft, as well as fixed wing platforms and drones. According to VerdeGo Aero, the VH-4T-RD powerplant has been run for “hundreds” of ground test hours, including 150 hours of tests conducted for the U.S. Air Force to assess durability requirements for Part 133 type certification. That exercise was conducted in the company’s Hybrid Systems Integration Laboratory in Daytona Beach, Florida, and was based on the mission profile of an eVTOL aircraft, including a high-frequency turbulence model to validate the powerplant’s response to rapid changes in load and dynamic flight conditions. VerdeGo Aero is aiming to have the VH-4T-415 powerplant available in 2027 as part of development work that is supported by a Phase III contract from the Air Force. This unit is expected to have improved redundancy and power output. The company said the production lead time for the VH-4T-RD equipment is between 9 and 12 months. It is intended to expedite the development process for new and converted hybrid-electric aircraft. Inside Restricted Hangar Repairing US Most Advanced Attack Helicopters Welcome back to the Fluctus Channel for a feature about how maintenance indirectly wins battles. Modern attack helicopters such as the AH-64 Apache, AH-1W Super Cobra, and AH-6 Little Bird are equipped with state-of-the-art systems for fire control, missile warning, target detection, and digital interoperability. Maintaining these systems in peak condition is vital because even the smallest failure can hinder correct operation and jeopardize a mission, putting lives at great risk. Fluctus is a website and YouTube channel dedicated to sea geeks. Whenever you are curious or an incorrigible lover of this mysterious world, our videos are made for you ! We publish 3 videos a week on our YouTube channel and many more articles on our website. Feel free to subscribe to not miss any of our updates and visit our website to discover additional content. Don’t forget to follow us on twitter: Curt Lewis