Steve Trimble

Washington, D.C., United States

Defense Editor at Aviation Week

Distant Early Warning (DEW) for global military aviation news. Defense Editor for @AviationWeek. Formerly @FG_Strim.

Articles

CCA Requirements Talks Revive Interest In Runway-Independent Designs

6 days ago | aviationweek.com | Steve Trimble

Runway independence is back in discussion as a possible requirement for future Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). “I think that’s something that we need to look at,” said Maj. Gen. Joseph Kunkel, the U.S. Air Force director of Force Design, Integration and Wargaming. Last year, the Air Force...
U.S. Navy Revives Rocket Ramjet Concept In New Tests

6 days ago | aviationweek.com | Steve Trimble

U.S. Navy Revives Rocket Ramjet Concept In New TestsA BQM-34 target drone fires an SFIRR engine-powered technology demonstrator during an undated test. A U.S. Navy flight test announcement revealed work is underway to revive a decades-old concept to miniaturize missiles by combining an air-breathing ramjet with a solid fuel rocket. The test launched a Solid Fuel Integral-Rocket Ramjet (SFIRR) demonstrator from a Northrop Grumman BQM-34 Firebee...
Podcast: What We Saw Inside JetZero

1 week ago | aviationweek.com | Joe Anselmo |Guy Norris |Steve Trimble

Will JetZero's blended-wing body passenger jet become a reality? Our editors weigh in following their visit to the startup's facility in Long Beach, California. Don't miss a single episode of the award-winning Check 6. Follow us in Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. Discover all of our podcasts at aviationweek.com/podcasts
U.S. Marine Corps Unveils Vision For CCA Integration

1 week ago | aviationweek.com | Steve Trimble

The U.S. Marine Corps has been experimenting with the XQ-58 (bottom) to inform CCA requirements since 2023. The U.S. Marine Corps’ specialized mission led its aviation branch to invest decades ago in fighters that take off and land like helicopters—and helicopters that cruise like fixed-wing aircraft. So it is little surprise that the branch that championed jump jets and tiltrotor plans to set a distinct...
Proposed U.S. Army Aviation Changes Prompt Lawmaker Challenges

1 week ago | aviationweek.com | Steve Trimble

Facing a skeptical panel of lawmakers during a sometimes fractious hearing on May 7, U.S. Army leaders defended a recent proposal to retire about half the Boeing AH-64 Apache helicopter fleet, curtail further purchases of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems’ MQ-1C Gray Eagle UAV and consider...
CBO Estimates Half-Trillion Bill For Golden Dome Space Layer

1 week ago | aviationweek.com | Steve Trimble

The U.S. Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the space layer of the proposed Golden Dome missile shield will cost $160 billion to $542 billion to field and operate for 20 years, and provide a limited capability to intercept intercontinental ballistic missiles during the boost phase. The...
PhantomStrike Radar Makes First Test Flight

1 week ago | aviationweek.com | Steve Trimble

Raytheon flew the PhantomStrike sensor for the first time on a testbed aircraft based in Ontario, California, moving the new fire control radar a step closer to delivery to launch customer Poland. The air-cooled PhantomStrike active, electronically scanned array (AESA), featuring gallium nitride...
Donated KC-10 Boom Guides JetZero Tanker Variant Study

1 week ago | aviationweek.com | Steve Trimble

LONG BEACH, California—Blended wing body aircraft startup JetZero recently completed a study on the proper design of a refueling boom and refueling pods for a potential future KC-Z4 tanker, a company official told reporters here on May 2. The study leveraged the design of a McDonnell Douglas KC-10...
Ukraine Discusses Second F-16 Training Site In Czech Republic

1 week ago | aviationweek.com | Steve Trimble

Ukraine is in talks to establish a second training for Lockheed Martin F-16 pilots in the Czech Republic, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says. A second school in the Czech Republic would add to an international fighter training center established in Romania in 2023 that is training Romanian...
U.S. Air Force Reveals Interest In Low-Cost Air-To-Air Missile

1 week ago | aviationweek.com | Steve Trimble

The U.S. Air Force will review proposals for new air-to-air missiles that are low cost, technically mature and ready to enter production with a form factor similar to the RTX AIM-120 Amraam or half the size. A request for information (RFI) published on May 2 by the Armament Directorate at Eglin AFB...