Thursday, October 8, 2026
Stratolaunch acquires Boeing 777-200ER to support hypersonic Talon-A flights
Aviation

Stratolaunch acquires Boeing 777-200ER to support hypersonic Talon-A flights

The widebody increases Stratolaunch’s air-launch fleet to three aircraft. US hypersonic flight start-up Stratolaunch has acquired a used Boeing 777-200ER commercial airliner to support its flight-test programmes. The widebody twinjet was previously flown by Air New Zealand and will be converted into a “carrier” aircraft to ferry Stratolaunch’s Talon-A hypersonic flight vehicle aloft for air…

Alaska seeks to close domestic premium gap with new 737 Max 10 fleet
Aviation

Alaska seeks to close domestic premium gap with new 737 Max 10 fleet

The Seattle-based carrier will fly transcontinental routes from West Coast gateways with its new premium Boeing 737 Max 10s. Alaska Airlines’ new Boeing 737 Max 10s will close a “key product gap” for the airline among high-end travellers on the US West Coast, says chief commercial officer Andrew Harrison. Alaska plans to outfit at least…

US Air Force tests F-35 low-altitude refuelling

An F-35 recently took on fuel while flying at 5,000ft, well below the previous restriction of 10,000ft. The US Air Force is working to expand the capabilities of its stealth Lockheed Martin F-35A strike fighters to include in-flight refuelling at lower altitudes. The Air National Guard Air Force Reserve Command Test Center (AATC) says it…

UK gains access to Ukraine battle data for AI drone swarms

The UK will be given unrivalled access to Ukraine’s combat-experienced database. Up to 12 UK companies will gain unprecedented access to battlefield data from Ukraine’s Avengers AI labs, which contains over 6 million sensor detections, including air defence systems and UAVs. The first of its kind deal between Ukraine and an international partner will grant…