This article is based on an official press release from AIAA.

RTX Elevates Engagement with AIAA to Corporate Partner Level

RTX, the world’s largest aerospace and defense company, has officially elevated its relationship with the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) to the Corporate Partner level. The announcement was made today, January 15, 2026, at the AIAA SciTech Forum in Orlando, Florida, the world’s largest event for aerospace research and development.

By securing this designation, RTX joins an exclusive tier of engagement previously occupied only by Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. The partnership unifies RTX’s three major business units, Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon, under a single strategic umbrella within the institute. According to the announcement, this move is designed to accelerate innovation and deepen the company’s connection with the aerospace engineering workforce.

Strategic Alignment and Industry Impact

The “Corporate Partner” status is the highest level of support within the AIAA, distinct from standard corporate membership. According to institute documentation, this tier grants RTX executive representation on the Corporate Member Strategic Advisory Committee. This position allows the company to help shape technical initiatives and engage directly with leadership from the Department of Defense (DoD), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and NASA.

Clay Mowry, CEO of AIAA, emphasized the significance of RTX’s elevated role in a statement released today:

“We’re proud to welcome RTX to the ranks of our Corporate Partners… RTX is a world-class provider of transformational aerospace technologies… Their storied history of innovation… make us proud to elevate them to the Corporate Partner tier.”

The partnership also focuses heavily on workforce development. With access to AIAA’s network of over 33,000 professional and student members, RTX aims to leverage “Meet the Employer” events and priority branding at major forums to support its recruitment efforts.

Context: Production Ramps and R&D Focus

The timing of this partnership aligns with a period of significant expansion for RTX. Data from late 2025 indicates the company is managing a record backlog of approximately $236 billion. To meet these deliveries targets, the company is in a production ramp-up phase that requires a steady pipeline of engineering talent.

Juan de Bedout, Chief Technology Officer of RTX and an AIAA Fellow, highlighted the collaborative potential of the new agreement:

“This collaboration will drive innovation, accelerate advancements in the aviation industry, and inspire the next generation of engineers by uniting the resources and expertise of the largest aerospace and defense company with the vast knowledge base and professional network of the largest aerospace professional organization.”

RTX is currently projecting an annual research and development spend of approximately $7.5 billion for the 2025/2026 period. The company is heavily investing in hypersonics, artificial intelligence, and sustainable aviation, areas where AIAA technical committees play a critical role in defining standards.

Recent Contract Awards

The push for technical talent follows a series of major contract wins for RTX in late 2025 and early 2026. These include:

• A historic $1.7 billion contract to supply Patriot air and defense systems to Spain.
• A $438 million contract from the FAA to modernize radar systems for the U.S. National Airspace System.
• The successful launch of NASA’s Pandora mission in January 2026, utilizing a satellite from RTX subsidiary Blue Canyon Technologies.

AirPro News Analysis

We view this elevation as a strategic necessity for RTX rather than a mere sponsorship. As the aerospace labor market remains tight through 2026, major primes are competing aggressively for specialized engineering talent. By locking in “Corporate Partner” status, RTX ensures it has equal footing with Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman in accessing the AIAA’s talent pool.

Furthermore, with RTX’s massive R&D budget focused on emerging technologies like hypersonics and AI, having a seat on the AIAA Strategic Advisory Committee allows the company to influence the technical standards and regulatory frameworks that will govern these technologies in the coming decade.

Sources

Sources: AIAA Press Release, RTX Corporate Reports

This article summarizes reporting by The War Zone.

Denmark Officially Retires F-16 Fleet After 46 Years of Service

On Sunday, January 18, 2026, the Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF) marked the end of an era by officially retiring its F-16 Fighting Falcon fleet. The historic transition took place at Skrydstrup Air Base in southern Jutland, concluding 46 years of continuous operations for the fourth-generation fighter. While the jets have flown their final mission under the Danish flag, they are not destined for the scrapyard; instead, they are being transferred to Ukraine and Argentina to continue their operational lives.

According to reporting by The War Zone, the retirement ceremony featured a final formation flight and the symbolic transfer of air defense duties to the fifth-generation F-35A Lightning II. The event underscores a significant modernization effort within NATO, as member nations transition to stealth platforms while bolstering allies with their well-maintained legacy aircraft.

The Final Farewell at Skrydstrup

The retirement event was attended by thousands of spectators, including Danish Minister of Defense Troels Lund Poulsen and current Air Force Chief Major General Jan Dam. The final official RDAF F-16 landing occurred just before 2:00 PM local time, following a farewell flight by four aircraft that departed the runway in full afterburner.

The War Zone highlights the participation of General Christian Hvidt (Ret.), the former Danish Chief of Defense. Gen. Hvidt was the first Danish pilot to land an F-16 at Skrydstrup in January 1980. In a symbolic closing of the circle, he participated in the final ceremony, and his original 1980 helmet was placed in the cockpit of the last jet to mark the occasion.

A Legacy of Global Operations

Denmark originally acquired 58 F-16s, comprising 46 single-seat A models and 12 two-seat B models, as part of the “Sale of the Century,” a collaborative European procurement program involving Belgium, the Netherlands, and Norway. Over nearly half a century, these Military-Aircraft evolved from Cold War defenders of the Baltic Sea to active combatants in modern conflicts.

As detailed in the research data, the Danish F-16 fleet saw active combat deployments in:

• Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom)
• Libya (Operation Odyssey Dawn/Unified Protector)
• Iraq and Syria (Operation Inherent Resolve)

Additionally, the fleet regularly conducted NATO Baltic Air Policing missions, securing the airspace over Estonia and Lithuania.

A “Second Life” in Ukraine and Argentina

Unlike many military retirements where assets are scrapped or stored, the Danish F-16s remain operationally relevant. The fleet has been divided to support two distinct strategic objectives: the defense of Ukraine and the modernization of Argentine air power.

Bolstering Ukraine’s Defense

Denmark has pledged 19 F-16 aircraft to the Ukrainian Air Force. According to Militarnyi and other defense sources, the majority of these aircraft have already been transferred as of January 2026. The first batch arrived in Ukraine in the summer of 2024 and is currently being used for air defense and combat missions against Russian forces. These jets provide a critical capability for contesting airspace and intercepting cruise missiles.

Modernizing Argentina’s Air Force

In a separate deal worth approximately $300–$320 million, Denmark sold 24 F-16s to Argentina. Defense News reported that this agreement was signed in April 2024, with the first aircraft arriving in Argentina in December 2025. This acquisition restores Argentina’s supersonic interceptor capability, a capacity the nation had lacked since retiring its Mirage fleet in 2015.

Transition to the F-35A Lightning II

The retirement of the F-16 coincides with the full operational integration of the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II. Denmark plans to operate a total of 27 F-35s initially, with long-term plans to increase the fleet to 43 aircraft.

According to Flight Global, the F-35A officially assumed Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) duties immediately following the F-16’s retirement. While the first F-35s arrived on Danish soil in September 2023, a portion of the fleet remains at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona for ongoing pilot training.

AirPro News analysis

The retirement of the Danish F-16 fleet represents a masterclass in lifecycle management. It is rare for a fighter jet to serve for 46 years and still be sought after for active combat duties in high-threat environments like Ukraine. This speaks volumes about the maintenance standards of the Royal Danish Air Force ground crews.

Strategically, this move allows Denmark to leap into the fifth-generation era with the F-35 while simultaneously strengthening NATO’s eastern flank via Ukraine and solidifying diplomatic ties with South America. By transferring these assets rather than scrapping them, Denmark has maximized the geopolitical value of its hardware down to the very last flight hour.

Sources

• The War Zone
• Flight Global
• Defense News
• Militarnyi

This article summarizes reporting by Yahoo News / The Jerusalem Post and Yonah Jeremy Bob.

IAF Stealth Fleet Nears Completion of First Procurement Phase

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) has successfully expanded its fleet of fifth-generation fighters with the arrival of three new F-35i “Adir” jets. According to reporting by Yahoo News and military correspondent Yonah Jeremy Bob, the military aircraft landed at Nevatim Air Force Base on Sunday, January 18, 2026. This delivery brings the total number of operational F-35s in the Israeli inventory to 48.

The arrival marks a significant milestone in a long-standing procurement agreement between Israel and U.S. defense giant Lockheed Martin. As noted in the primary report, the current deal covers 50 aircraft in total. With 48 now on Israeli soil, the IAF is only two airframes away from completing this initial acquisition phase. These final two jets are expected to arrive later in 2026.

Operational Deployment and Squadron Integration

Upon arrival at Nevatim Air Base in southern Israel, the new stealth fighters are slated for integration into the IAF’s existing operational infrastructure. Defense analysis indicates that the fleet is distributed among key units, including the 140th “Golden Eagle” Squadron and the 116th “Lions of the South” Squadron.

Strengthening the “Adir” Fleet

The F-35i, known in Israel as the “Adir” (Mighty One), serves as a central pillar of the country’s multi-front defense strategy. The delivery on Sunday reinforces the IAF’s ability to conduct long-range missions and maintain air superiority in a contested region. According to the source report, the IDF confirmed the landing, emphasizing that the purchase is part of a multi-year strategy to raise the fleet count from 25 to the full complement of 50.

“The IDF announced on Sunday that three F-35i aircraft have landed at Nevatim Air Force Base… which increases Israel’s quantity of F-35 aircraft to 48.”

, Yonah Jeremy Bob, via Yahoo News

Technical Specifications and Future Procurement

While the base airframe is manufactured by Lockheed Martin in the United States, the F-35i variant is unique globally due to extensive Israeli modifications. These enhancements allow the IAF to tailor the platform to specific regional threats.

Indigenous Systems Integration

Industry data confirms that the “Adir” is the only F-35 variant that integrates a custom Electronic Warfare (EW) suite on top of the standard avionics. Developed by Elbit Systems, this overlay allows the IAF to counter advanced surface-to-air missile systems. Furthermore, the aircraft features a “plug-and-play” architecture for Israeli weaponry, including Rafael’s SPICE precision bombs and Python-5 air-to-air missiles.

Expansion to 75 Aircraft

While the current delivery brings the count to 48 out of an initial 50, the procurement pipeline remains active. In June 2024, Israel signed a subsequent agreement worth approximately $3 billion to acquire an additional 25 F-35 jets. This third squadron will eventually bring the total Israeli fleet to 75 aircraft by the late 2020s or early 2030s. Deliveries for this new tranche are projected to begin in 2028.

AirPro News Analysis

The arrival of these three airframes represents more than just a logistical update; it signals the maturity of the F-35 program within the IAF. Initially viewed as a “future asset,” the Adir has transitioned into a battle-proven workhorse, having seen extensive utilization in recent conflicts including the Iron Swords War. The ability to integrate three new jets immediately into operational rotation suggests that the IAF’s maintenance and logistical pipelines at Nevatim have stabilized, allowing for a seamless absorption of new inventory.

Furthermore, as the fleet approaches the 50-jet mark, we anticipate a shift in focus from basic fleet building to advanced capability expansion, specifically regarding the integration of external fuel tanks and conformal fuel tanks to extend range for potential long-distance operations without aerial refueling.

Sources

Sources: Yahoo News / Jerusalem Post