Adventurers listed the freedom to make their own decisions as the top motivation for travelling solo (35%), followed by the peace and relaxation a solo trip offers (33%), ease of planning (21%) and not having to consider the opinions of companions (18%)
Two thirds of British travellers find planning and booking holidays overwhelming(Image: Marriott International / Cover Images)
Two thirds of British travellers find planning and booking holidays overwhelming, with “decision fatigue” one of the biggest sources of stress – and 56% exhausted by the trip before it even begins.
New research found that much of the tension comes from holiday group chats, with 59% admitting trip planning has caused problems in the past.
Around 25% have given up on a break altogether after a deluge of messages but no decisions.
Causes of arguments included scheduling, budgets, finding and booking hotels and researching destinations and activities, according to the research by Moxy Hotels.
The rise of decision fatigue has helped fuel a growing desire to holiday solo, with 53% ditching travelling companions to travel alone
Adventurers listed the freedom to make their own decisions as the top motivation for travelling solo (35%), followed by the peace and relaxation a solo trip offers (33%), ease of planning (21%) and not having to consider the opinions of companions (18%).
Sandra Schulze-Potgieter, vice president, premium, select & midscale brands, Europe, Middle East & Africa at Marriott International, said: “At Moxy Hotels, we understand that decision-making can be exhausting – especially when planning with a group.
“That’s why we’re championing the joy of solo travel: giving guests the freedom to do what they want, when they want, without compromise. With our playful design, social spaces, and hassle-free experience, Moxy makes me-time feel anything but lonely.
The global hotel brand has developed spaces specifically designed to encourage solo travel, including social public areas, lounges and libraries and its “small but smart” bedrooms.
Britain’s favourite solo travel destinations
From buzzy breaks to cultural classics, we’re embracing solo travel and going it alone. These are the top ten cities we love to explore without family or friends in tow.
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
A Ukrainian attack on the aircraft manufacturer Beriev’s facility in Taganrog in southwestern Russia overnight appears to have knocked out a unique laser testbed aircraft, the A-60, and at least one more. While the most recent status of the A-60 program remains unclear, the attack once again underscores Ukraine’s ability to strike high-value Russian military aircraft on their airfields, a capability that has been bolstered through the addition of long-range cruise missiles, as well as an expanding inventory of attack drones, both large and small.
Videos posted to social media reveal the immediate aftermath of the attack, with a significant blaze illuminating the night sky. At least one video shows a burning aircraft, which appears to be the unique A-60, an aircraft based on a converted Il-76MD Candid transport. Its identity was subsequently confirmed by satellite imagery, which also revealed the destruction of another airframe, apparently a testbed associated with Russia’s new airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platform.
🇺🇦Ukrainian Armed Forces struck an experimental Russian A-60 aircraft — a laser weapon carrier — at the airfield in Taganrog during the night
During the project, only two prototypes of this experimental system were built in the USSR.
There are differing accounts of whether Ukraine used drones or cruise missiles to attack the factory airfield at Taganrog/Tsentralnyy in the Rostov region, a facility that has also been struck in the past. According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, both Bars jet-powered long-range one-way attack drones and Neptune cruise missiles were employed. As you can read about here, Ukraine has been steadily increasing the range of the land-attack versions of the Neptune missile, which is derived from an anti-ship cruise missile. Meanwhile, the Bars is one of a growing series of Ukrainian munitions that blur the line between drones and traditional cruise missiles, and which also includes the Peklo ‘missile drone’.
Confirmed by Ukraine’s General Staff: the rare Russian A-60 airborne laser aircraft was likely destroyed in a strike on the Beriev plant in Taganrog. Also hit: drone factory “Molniya,” oil terminals in Novorossiysk, Tuapse refinery, and an S-400 launcher. pic.twitter.com/yaz74Y592k
The second A-60 test aircraft, the 1A2, appears to have been destroyed in the overnight attack on Taganrog. Beriev
The Russian Telegram news channel Astra confirmed that drone strikes had caused a fire at Taganrog/Tsentralnyy, while eyewitness accounts from the area also point to at least one aircraft left burning on the flight line. The Fighterbomber account on Telegram, which is closely connected to the Russian military, also reported the destruction of the A-60.
Russian aviation-linked channel Fighterbomber confirms the A-60 laser lab aircraft was destroyed in the Taganrog strike. The plane reportedly hadn’t flown since 2016 and was claimed abandoned. About 50 drones and three missiles hit the airfield. While they claim no losses to… pic.twitter.com/NuZ9mzPFvl
Subsequent satellite imagery of the airfield confirms that, as well as the A-60, clearly identified by its signature tail-section hump, another aircraft was also destroyed. This may have been an A-100 AEW&C platform, or more likely, the A-100LL test aircraft related to the same program, evidenced by the rear-fuselage supports for the main radome, which is not fitted. Meanwhile, damage is also visible to buildings associated with the Beriev facility.
In addition to the A-60 flying laboratory, a regular Ilysuhin Il-76 transport plane was also destroyed as a result of Ukrainian strikes on the Taganrog Yuzhny Air Base last night.
— Status-6 (Military & Conflict News) (@Archer83Able) November 25, 2025
FIRMS data confirms two separate fires in Taganrog after yesterday’s Ukrainian drone/missile attacks, one at the Beriev Aircraft Company and one, likely, at industrial interprise Natek-Neftekhimmash, manufacturing heating equipment. https://t.co/JPgO7NIdUZpic.twitter.com/gYf4QOvE15
The strike on Taganrog/Tsentralnyy was part of a wider series of Ukrainian attacks on Russian targets in Krasnodar Krai and the Rostov region overnight. Local officials and Telegram news channels reported that key military infrastructure was among the targets.
The governor of the Rostov region, Yury Slyusar, also confirmed an attack on Taganrog, but did not mention the specific target. According to Slyusar, Ukrainian attacks in the region damaged several homes, a warehouse, and an external gas pipeline. He also said three people were killed and eight people were injured in the attack.
Taganrog/Tsentralnyy, which is co-located with the Taganrog-Yuzhny military airfield, is the main facility of the Beriev Aircraft Company. While best known for its amphibious aircraft designs, Beriev is also responsible for converting special-purpose aircraft, among them the A-50 and A-100 AEW&C platforms and the A-60. Beriev also uses this facility to conduct deep maintenance of Tu-95MS Bear-H strategic missile carriers as well as Tu-142 Bear-F/J long-range maritime patrol aircraft. This also makes it a prime target for Ukraine.
The prototype A-100 airborne early warning and control aircraft. Rostec
As we have discussed in the past, the A-60 was originally developed by the Soviet Union starting in the mid-1970s as a way of combating high-altitude balloons. It was fitted with the carbon dioxide (CO2) laser gun, thus creating the Dreyf (Drift) system for combating aerostats.
The first experimental A-60 took to the air in 1981. The aircraft’s laser was housed in the cargo hold. On the fuselage spine, there was a large fairing covering a mirror system, which directed the laser ray onto the target. The laser had a range of 25 miles and was able to ‘shoot’ for a total of 50 seconds, at least according to the design specification; reportedly, the actual firing time was only 11 seconds.
An early study for the Dreyf airborne combat laser system. NPO Almaz
The targeting system consisted of a Ladoga radar with an upward-directed five-foot-diameter Cassegrain antenna fitted under a large bulbous fairing in the aircraft’s nose and a laser locator. A balloon could be detected and tracked from 31 to 44 miles.
The Ladoga radar for the A-60 aircraft in the museum of the Phazotron-NIIR company in Moscow. Piotr Butowski
During one test in 1984, the A-60 flying at an altitude of 32,800 feet damaged a balloon over the Volsk aerostat research center, 430 miles southeast of Moscow.
In 1988, the first A-60 was destroyed in an accidental fire at the Chkalovsky test airfield near Moscow. In 1991, tests commenced with the second experimental aircraft. After two years, however, the trials were suspended due to a lack of funding. By now, the threat from high-altitude balloons had also evaporated.
According to Piotr Butowski, a long-time Russian aerospace observer and TWZcontributor, Russia revived the A-60 project in late 2002, now with the plan to use the laser gun to ‘blind’ the infrared sensors of reconnaissance satellites.
The A-60 at Beriev’s Taganrog airfield in May 2021. Other aircraft in this photo are an Il-80 airborne command post, a Be-12 amphibian, and a Yak-40K business jet. Google Earth
Flight trials of the reworked second A-60 then resumed around 2006, with the official goal of the program being “to counteract infrared surveillance sensors on the ground, the sea, in the air, and in space.”
In late 2019, Russia’s deputy defense minister Alexsei Krivoruchko said that “work is underway on high-power lasers of various types. It is planned to put it on an airplane in the coming years.”
Dep def minister Alexei Krivoruchko said Krasnaya Zvezda on 28 Dec 2019, “work is underway on high-power lasers of various types. It is planned to put it on an airplane in the coming years”. It is not known whether the A-60 destroyed today was already fitted with a laser gun.
Since then, it’s unclear what, if any, progress the program made, and whether the A-60 that was hit during the attack overnight was actually equipped with a laser weapon.
It is likely that Ukraine was primarily attempting to target Russia’s prized A-50 and A-100 AEW&C aircraft.
These vital assets have already taken a beating during the war in Ukraine, with two examples shot down and another damaged by a drone strike. Russia’s radar plane problems have been exacerbated by difficulties in fielding the new-generation A-100 AEW&C platform, a situation that has led to a proposal to restart production of the A-50. As we have discussed in the past, the viability of relaunching production of these high-value aircraft is questionable, to say the least.
Again? Again! The Ukrainian Air Force destroyed another enemy A-50 long-range radar detection and control aircraft, worth $330 million.
“These aircraft can provide a unique ‘look-down’ air ‘picture’ that can extend deep into Ukrainian-controlled territory, depending on their patrol zone. From the outset, the A-50 was designed to detect low-level cruise missile attacks, and the same capability means it can potentially spot Ukrainian drone attacks, too, as well as low-flying fighter sorties. They also provide command and control and situational awareness for Russian fighters and air defense batteries. Ukrainian authorities also assess that Russia uses A-50s to help plan and execute its own cruise missile attacks.”
Prior to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia was estimated to have nine A-50s, including a number of modernized A-50Us, in active service. As it stands, the best-case scenario puts seven of these aircraft in active service as of today.
Provided the other aircraft destroyed overnight was the A-100LL (or even an A-100), then the damage inflicted on the Russian radar plane fleet will have been even more significant. The A-100 program has already been hampered by sanctions and has yielded just one operational-standard aircraft so far. Losing the A-100LL, which has been used to prove the new systems for this aircraft, will likely have a significant effect on the progress of the program.
Aside from Taganrog/Tsentralnyy, overnight Ukrainian drone strikes also occurred in Novorossiysk, in Krasnodar Krai, according to reports from Russian officials and media.
Officials tell me Ukraine’s SBU and GUR and military special forces units attacked the port of Novorossiysk, the second largest oil export center in Russia and the main base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet with drones overnight. They claim strikes on an oil terminal and Russian… pic.twitter.com/J0s4PMI7Ap
The governor of Krasnodar Krai, Veniamin Kondratyev, said that the region “was subjected to one of the longest and most massive attacks” since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He claimed that six people were injured and at least 20 homes were damaged in the attack.
The Russian news channel Astra reported that a drone struck a high-rise building close to a Russian military unit operating S-400 air defense systems. This was presumably the Kuban Red Banner Regiment military base, which came under a previous Ukrainian drone attack earlier this month.
A video posted to social media by a resident of Novorossiysk showed what appears to be a Russian air defense missile hitting a high-rise building in the city, after failing to intercept an incoming drone.
A video of the moment when a Ukrainian long-range OWA-UAV imapcted a multi-storey residential building in the city of Novorossiysk, southern Russia, tonight.
The drone likely fell off its course due to the work of Russian electronic warfare systems. pic.twitter.com/ZHoUSorV6E
— Status-6 (Military & Conflict News) (@Archer83Able) November 24, 2025
Novorossiysk has repeatedly found itself in Ukraine’s sights, its value as a target being derived from its military status, as well as its use as a major transshipment point for oil. The port handles over two million barrels of oil per day, meaning that it’s responsible for roughly five percent of global maritime oil supplies. Meanwhile, the port is also now home to much of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, providing it with something of a safe haven, after its warships were essentially forced out of waters closer to Crimea following a concerted Ukrainian campaign waged against them.
In total, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that Russian forces shot down 116 drones over the Black Sea and 76 over Krasnodar Krai overnight. These claims have not been independently verified.
Ukrainian strikes have repeatedly targeted Russian aircraft at their home bases deep inside the country, as well as in occupied Crimea. Most dramatically, Operation Spiderweb, the large-scale Ukrainian drone strike against airbases across Russia in June of this year, targeted Moscow’s fleet of strategic bombers. On that occasion, a reported 117 drones were launched against at least four airfields.
While the full results of the overnight attack on the airfield at Taganrog/Tsentralnyy remain unclear, it seems that, at the very least, Russia’s sole A-60 and another aircraft were put out of action. Since the status of the A-60 program remains mysterious, its long-term effect is hard to determine. The damage to the A-100 program will likely be a harder blow, especially in the short term. Regardless, the A-60 and the A-100LL were both unique assets, and their losses will be hard, if not impossible, for Russia to replace anytime soon.
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
Boeing, Saab, and BAE Systems have teamed up to offer the T-7A Red Hawk advanced jet trainer to the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force. With a plan to build the jets in the United Kingdom, the partnership aims to deliver a successor to the Royal Air Force’s current fleet of BAE Systems Hawks from 2030. Saab was already deeply involved with the T-7A as an original partner to Boeing.
The three companies announced today that they had signed a letter of intent to work together on the British requirement for a new advanced jet trainer. The proposal puts the T-7A — developed for the U.S. Air Force — at the center of a training system that will employ synthetic training alongside live flying.
The first T-7A Red Hawk arrives at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on November 8, 2023. U.S. Air Force photo by Todd Schannuth Todd Schannuth
Synthetic work is an increasingly important part of flying training, with the latest training systems offering a blend of live, virtual, and constructive (LVC) elements. This approach reduces costs while allowing students to practice tactics and capabilities that would otherwise be impossible using an exclusively live environment, as you can read more about here.
The proposal is pitching the training system to prepare pilots for fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-generation fighters — the Royal Air Force’s Typhoon, F-35, and forthcoming Tempest, respectively.
“The strong partnership between Boeing and Saab developed the T-7 to be the world’s best solution for future pilot training,” said Lars Tossman, head of Saab’s Aeronautics Business Area. “By working with BAE Systems, Saab believes the U.K. can gain a worthy successor to the Hawk that is the right choice for pilots for decades to come.”
If selected for the Royal Air Force requirement, the T-7As will undergo final assembly in the United Kingdom, in an effort led by BAE Systems. This would ensure the company remains involved in the production of jet trainers in the future, after the Hawk production line ended in 2020.
Hawk T1s of the Red Arrows provide a flypast over Windsor Castle to mark President Donald Trump’s State Visit to the United Kingdom, on September 17, 2025. Crown Copyright AS1 Iwan Lewis RAF
If chosen as the Royal Air Force’s next jet trainer, the T-7A would replace the Hawk T2, which is due to be retired by 2040. It would almost certainly also be the frontrunner to replace the service’s aging Hawk T1s, which continue to serve with the Red Arrows aerobatic display team, and are set to do so until withdrawn around 2030.
The partnership is also looking to use the same approach to “support future international pilot training opportunities,” which could help the T-7A secure export orders that have so far proven elusive.
“Our new collaboration with Boeing and Saab will enable us to present a compelling offer to the U.K. Royal Air Force and our global customers, leveraging the latest tech innovation in training systems and a world-class jet trainer aircraft,” said Simon Barnes, the group managing director of BAE Systems’ Air sector. “We’re committed to ensuring this solution offers the best overall outcome for the nation to support the U.K.’s combat air readiness and deliver economic benefit.”
A three-ship flight of Hawk T2s from RAF Valley, on July 5, 2024. Crown Copyright AS1 Alex Naughalty
This document stated that the Hawk T1 and Hawk T2 “should be replaced with a cost-effective fast jet trainer. The current flying training arrangements for fast jets must be urgently revised to optimize capacity, building in maximum use of contractors and provision for training overseas students.”
U.K. military flying training is undertaken in three phases. Phase one involves initial recruitment and selection and basic military training, and is carried out within individual service commands. Phase two is known as the Military Flying Training System (MFTS), part of which is overseen by a private contractor, Ascent Flight Training Management. This phase takes pilots from introductory instruction and progresses them into specialized streams, including fast jet and rotary.
Finally, phase three involves pilots training on specific frontline aircraft such as Typhoon or F-35 within an Operational Conversion Unit (OCU).
As part of phase two, the Royal Air Force operates 28 Hawk T2 jets that train both its own and Royal Navy fast-jet pilots at RAF Valley in Wales, before they progress to an OCU.
An F-35B from No. 207 Squadron, Royal Air Force, the Lightning Operational Conversion Unit at RAF Marham on March 16, 2024. Crown Copyright AS1 Butler RAF
While the ‘second-generation’ Hawk T2 only entered service in 2009, the Hawk T1, now used exclusively by the Red Arrows, is much older, having first entered service in 1976.
Other contenders to replace the Royal Air Force Hawk include the TF-50, a version of the Korea Aerospace Industries T-50 offered by Lockheed Martin. At the Defense and Security Equipment International (DSEI) exhibition held in London in September of this year, Lockheed Martin displayed a model of the TF-50 in Red Arrows colors.
A model of a Lockheed Martin TF-50 advanced jet trainer displayed in Red Arrows colors during the Defense Security Equipment International (DSEI) at London Excel on September 9, 2025, in London. Photo by John Keeble/Getty Images John Keeble
Meanwhile, British aerospace startup Aeralis is offering a clean-sheet modular jet trainer, which it plans to build in Scotland. While Aeralis has yet to win any orders for its products, it has been provided with funding from the Royal Air Force’s Rapid Capabilities Office. The service’s Chief of the Air Staff has also said in the past that the company’s approach was something the RAF was “very interested in.”
A model of an Aeralis advanced jet trainer displayed during the Defense Security Equipment International (DSEI) at London Excel on September 9, 2025, in London. Photo by John Keeble/Getty Images John Keeble
That the Hawk T2 needs replacement has been clear for some time now, with the relatively young fleet already suffering from well-documented availability issues, which have had an adverse effect on the training pipeline.
In 2022, a fault was reported within the Hawk T2’s Adour powerplant, reducing the planned design life of each engine from 4,000 to 1,700 hours, leading to an average of just eight serviceable aircraft being made available each day throughout fiscal years 2022 and 2023.
In 2023, the entire Hawk T2 fleet was temporarily grounded after an engine-related incident on the runway.
Among others, these issues have resulted in a need to train British pilots overseas to make up the shortfall, at a considerable cost. This has included buying training slots in Italy, Qatar, and with the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program (ENJJPT) in the United States.
U.S. Air Force T-38C Talon jet trainers assigned to the 90th Flying Training Squadron, above Wichita Falls, Texas, July 21, 2022. The 90th FTS is part of the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program (ENJJPT), which has also trained Royal Air Force pilots. U.S Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joseph Pick Tech. Sgt. Joseph Pick
Meanwhile, an update on the T-7A’s progress was provided by Steve Parker, president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space and Security, at a pre-show media roundtable ahead of the 2025 Dubai Airshow in the United Arab Emirates that TWZ attended.
Parker identified “really good performance this year” for the T-7A, which should see the first operational example delivered to the U.S. Air Force at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, next month. Parker added: “We’ve got the first ground-based training simulators already stationed at the base and operational, and the program is doing well in its flight test; we are really seeing some good progress there.”
“We’re about 78 percent through test points at Edwards Air Force Base, so making good progress,” including having started high-angle-of-attack testing, Parker added. “The feedback from the United States Air Force has been great, both the testers as well as folks who’ve flown it from the Air Force […] We think it’s going to be a game-changer. Once we get it into the air with our main user, it’s going to sell itself.”
However, full entry into service is now not expected until 2027, a delay of over four years. Earlier this year, we reported on information that emerged about serious and potentially dangerous deficiencies with the emergency ejection system on the T-7A. This followed environmental testing of the aircraft, which also exposed new problems. More generally, the U.S. Air Force has been working with Boeing to fix or otherwise mitigate a host of issues with the T-7A, which, as well as delays, prompted a shakeup of the overall plans for the program. You can read more about what has been disclosed in the past about T-7A testing in this previous TWZ feature.
When asked about export prospects for the T-7A, Bernd Peters, vice president of business development and strategy for Boeing Defense, Space and Security, confirmed that the current focus is on delivering the 351 jets on order for the U.S. Air Force. However, he noted that “customers around the world are watching and seeing the program and the potential that it has, particularly when you think about the [Middle East] region.”
Peters said that Boeing is “definitely having conversations” with potential T-7A customers in the Middle East and identified what he said was “significant potential” for the trainer with “just about any operator that flies an F-15, an F-16, or an F-35 around the world.”
“We do think that there is a significant opportunity, particularly as we begin to ramp up deliveries to the United States Air Force and some of those other nations begin to think through how they want to recapitalize their trainer fleet and close the gap on pilot shortage,” Peters added.
Other export prospects could lie in a light fighter development of the T-7A, something that we have discussed in detail in the past. Previously, the U.S. Air Force looked at the possibility of an ‘F-7’ light fighter variant or derivative of the Red Hawk as one option to supplant at least a portion of its F-16C/D fleet. Some kind of missionized or light combat aircraft version of the T-7A could fare better when offered for export.
While details of the partnership between Boeing, Saab, and BAE Systems were not provided at the pre-show media roundtable, Peters also said that Europe was earmarked for T-7A sales, especially in the 2030 to 2035 timeframe. “Europe is one where I view that there’s a significant opportunity for us to be able to address not just existing Hawk fleets, but other fleets that might be out there,” Peters said.
As to the question of whether Boeing’s manufacturing capacity will be able to cover aircraft for both the U.S. Air Force and potential export customers, Parker struck an optimistic note.
Pointing to the company’s full-size determinant assembly (FSDA) approach, which reduces build time by moving drilling to the component fabrication process, making it more controlled and efficient, Parker said it would be possible to “scale up to very large volumes” for the T-7A.
“We’re going to go well above, potentially 100 aircraft a year, and we’ll be able to scale that up further if we need to go there,” Parker said. “Right now, we’ve got good capacity that will satisfy the United States Air Force, as well as other customers, right through into the early 2030s without having to put any more capital sort of into the system for that.”
A version of the T-7 is also in the running for the U.S. Navy’s Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS) competition, which seeks to replace the aging T-45 Goshawk — a type that was also developed from the BAE Systems Hawk.
Of course, should the United Kingdom choose the T-7A to replace its Hawks, the prospect of an additional final assembly line would allow production to be ramped up even further, to help fulfill more export orders.
For now, however, the U.K. government hasn’t allocated funds for its new advanced jet trainer, but with the Red Arrows’ Hawks requiring a successor by 2030, time for a decision is fast running out.
With searches for ‘avoid jet lag’ soaring, travel experts have revealed the perfect time to fly
Isobel Pankhurst Audience Writer
09:29, 23 Nov 2025
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Fly at the right time to avoid jet lag(Image: Thicha Satapitanon via Getty Images)
Anyone heading off for some winter sunshine this festive period might find themselves fretting about jet lag – particularly if you’re travelling somewhere quite distant. According to Google Trends data, searches for ‘avoid jet lag’ have rocketed by 9,900% over the past month, with holidaymakers worried this could ruin their break.
But dodging jet lag could be as straightforward as picking the ideal departure time, according to specialists at Go2Africa. They recommend booking your flight to arrive at a local time between 2pm-5pm, which means you’ll touch down in optimal conditions with plenty of daylight exposure and the chance to remain alert until bedtime. This sets you up for a properly synchronised body clock throughout your getaway.
Circadian rhythm alignment
One explanation for why your arrival time can help prevent jet lag is that it allows your body’s circadian rhythm sufficient time to adjust to external signals like light and darkness.
Any sudden shift, such as crossing time zones during air travel, can throw this alignment off balance and trigger jet lag symptoms.
Strong reset signal
“Light is the strongest signal to the body that it needs to reset”, the specialists explain. “Strategic exposure or, of course, avoidance, changes your circadian phase, supercharging the reset of your internal body clock.”
Daylight and wakefulness
The experts add: “Getting to your destination between the hours of 2pm and 5pm local time is perfect as you have enough daylight to reset your body clock, but it’s not so late that you will struggle to stay awake until bedtime. Arriving too early (morning) risks falling asleep prematurely or being awake for too many hours before night, confusing your clock.”
Other ways to beat jet lag
If you can’t manage to touch down at the ideal time, there are still plenty of methods to reduce your chances of suffering from jet lag.
The first approach is to slowly modify your sleep pattern at least three days before you travel. Achieve this by hitting the hay 30 to 60 minutes earlier each evening.
Another suggestion is to maximise your light exposure by stepping outdoors into natural sunlight as quickly as possible once you’ve landed.
Though if you touch down during the evening hours, experts recommend steering clear of harsh lighting (particularly screens) for an hour or two before your local bedtime.
During your first complete day at your destination, synchronise your meals, wake-up time and sleep schedule with the local timezone, as your body’s digestive rhythm also plays a crucial part in your circadian system.
Sleeping patterns as well as eating habits can both be severely affected by jet lag.
According to experts at Go2Africa, there are a few ways to try and avoid the worst symptoms of jet lag.
One is choosing the correct flight time before a long journey.
They advise booking a flight that lets you land between 2pm and 5pm, as it allows exposure to daylight which can help stave off the effects of jet lag.
Not only that, but it also means you have enough time to try and adjust before going to sleep at the location’s natural time.
Otherwise there is also the three-day rule, which you need to do before you even get on a flight.
This is particularly for anyone travelling east, as this is when you are more likely to have to go to bed earlier rather than later.
To try and get used to this, it is advised to adjust your sleep schedule three days before you travel.
This is advised to be as much as one hour per day, so you find it easier to sleep at a more sociable time on holiday.
And this is then the same when flying westwards but instead to sleep an hour later.
Of course this isn’t the easiest, trying to fall asleep earlier than you are used to.
But even as little as 30 minutes per day can still make a difference.
IF you want winter sun, without the long flight, then you’re in luck as a group of islands are about to be much easier to travel to.
Cape Verde is just five hours from the UK, yet has highs of 27C even in winter.
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New flights are being launched to Africa’s answer to CaribbeanCredit: AlamyCape Verde is made up of 10 islands, although Sal and Boa Vista are the most touristyCredit: Alamy
Not only that, but there is just one hour time different so you won’t be getting any jet lag when you land.
The African islands were made popular with Brits after TUI launched holidays years ago.
The new route will start on May 1, 2026, with three flights a week.
Cape Verde is often nicknamed “Africa‘s answer to the Caribbean” because of its beautiful beaches.
While made up of 10 islands, the two that are more popular with Brits and have direct flights from the UK are Sal and Boa Vista.
If you want the hottest month to travel, head to the islands in September when they have highs of 31C, although they rarely drop much below 20C throughout the year.
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When it comes to Sal, it is known for both its sandy beaches and its watersports.
She said: “For those who like a bit of adrenaline, there’s kite-surfing along the aptly named Kite Beach (you’ll need strong arms), plus quad-biking on the desert landscape that makes up the bulk of the inner island.
“But for us, our break was all about relaxing — and we did just that on a four-hour catamaran cruise along the coast of Sal, where away from the shore the waters were calm enough for a dip.
“These beautiful beaches, as well as adventure activities and watersports, were all within a short drive of our hotel, the Riu Palace Santa Maria, south of the island of Sal and near the idyllic beach town of Santa Maria.”
While Sal’s capital is Espargos, the main tourist centre is the town of Santa Maria, where you will find all of the restaurants and bars.
Expect highs of 27C even in DecemberCredit: Alamy
Expect to hear the famous morna music playing out across the beach as well.
While Sal is the more popular island, there is also the quieter Boa Vista.
Popular activities include sandboarding and stargazing, but you can expect far fewer tourists.
The Sun’s Deputy Travel Editor Kara Godfrey, who earlier this year, said: “While less built up, it also means barely any crowds with laid back bars and restaurants.
“Even some of the beaches felt like the Maldives or Thailand – bright white sands with basically no one else there.”
One of the most famous is Santa Mónica, often being named one of the world’s best beaches.
New York Jets cornerback Kris Boyd remains in critical but stable condition a day after being shot in the abdomen in midtown Manhattan.
The New York Police Department has released surveillance images of a suspect wanted in connection with the shooting, which took place at approximately 2:06 a.m. Sunday in front of 156 West 38 St. in the Midtown South precinct.
“The sought individual is described as male, medium complexion,” the NYPD said in a statement emailed to The Times. “He was last seen wearing a black cap, black sweatshirt, black pants, multi-colored sneakers, and carrying a black bookbag.”
According to the NYPD, the suspect fled on foot traveling eastbound on West 38 St. Emergency medical services responded to the incident, the police said, and transported a 29-year-old male victim to NYC Health and Hospitals/Bellevue in critical but stable condition.
The office of New York Mayor Eric Adams was one of the first to identify Boyd as the victim.
“I am praying for New York Jets player Kris Boyd and his loved ones,” Adams wrote Sunday on social media. “Although we’ve gotten shootings to historic lows in our city, we must continue to work to end gun violence. Too many young lives have been tragically altered and cut short by this epidemic.”
The Jets, who had a bye in this week’s NFL schedule, said Sunday in a statement: “We are aware of the situation involving Kris Boyd and will have no further comment at this time.”
Boyd was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the seventh round of the 2019 draft and has also played for the Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans. Known primarily as a special teams player, Boyd signed a one-year, $1.6 million deal with the Jets this past offseason but was placed on the season-ending injured reserve list on Aug. 18 with a shoulder injury.
On Sunday, Jets linebacker Jermaine Johnson and defensive tackle Harrison Phillips offered prayers for their teammate on social media.
“Everybody please send prayers to my brother and teammate Kris Boyd and his family!!!” Johnson wrote. “Lord please hold your healing hand over Kris and guide him back to health and safety. Lord I ask that you please just get him through this safely.”
Phillips wrote: “Father God, we come to you right now, asking for your healing power over KB. You are a God of miracles. Lord, place your mighty hand on him as he fights lord God. Guide every doctor, nurse, and surgeon who touches him lord. Give his family strength! Kris is a fighter and we’re all here for him.”
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The Dutch Ministry of Defense has announced that NATO nations have dropped their plan to buy Boeing E-7A Wedgetail as the alliance’s next airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platform. The decision comes after South Korea rejected the E-7 for its own AEW&C program and would appear to open the NATO door to Saab’s rival GlobalEye, which France has already said it intends to buy.
In a statement today, the Dutch Ministry of Defense said that the Netherlands, “together with a number of partner countries,” has decided not to purchase the six E-7s. These aircraft were expected to partially replace the 16 Boeing E-3A Sentry Airborne Warning And Control Systems (AWACS) aircraft that are operated by the NATO Airborne Early Warning & Control Force (NAEW&CF), home-stationed at Geilenkirchen Air Base in Germany.
NATO E-3s on the flight line at Geilenkirchen Air Base. Melanie Becker/Luftwaffe
The Dutch Ministry of Defense said that the E-7 program has lost its “strategic and financial basis,” and confirmed the United States had withdrawn from the program in July, resulting in “significant changes” to the alliance’s AWACS replacement program.
The statement added that the members are now exploring alternatives for replacing the AWACS fleet.
“The goal remains to have other, quieter aircraft operational by 2035,” said State Secretary for Defense of the Netherlands, Gijs Tuinman. The minister was referencing the fact that the E-3s will reach the end of their service life in 2035 and have been criticized for their excessive noise signature.
State Secretary for Defense of the Netherlands, Gijs Tuinman, meets with soldiers operating a leased German Leopard tank in Amersfoort on May 14, 2025. Photo by Vincent Jannink / ANP / AFP VINCENT JANNINK
Originally, the Netherlands was one of seven partner members in the AWACS replacement program, alongside Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Norway, Romania, and the United States. Apart from the United States, which stepped away in July, it’s unclear from the Dutch statement whether any of the other partners decided to depart the program. However, the statement says that the “remaining countries” are now “looking for new partners.”
Regardless, at this stage, it seems highly unlikely that Boeing and the E-7 will find a way back into NATO’s plans.
That would appear to leave European rival Saab and its GlobalEye AEW&C platform, which is based on a Bombardier Global 6000/6500 long-range bizjet airframe.
A prototype Saab GlobalEye aircraft. Saab Anders Bergstrand
In his statement, Dutch defense minister Tuinman also appeared to suggest that a European solution would be preferred, with Saab being the only realistic candidate.
“The withdrawal of the United States also demonstrates the importance of investing as much as possible in European industry,” Tuinman said.
A Saab spokesperson provided TWZ with the following statement today:
“We are aware of media reports related to NATO’s AWACS program. There is a significant increase in global interest for GlobalEye, and we believe GlobalEye makes an excellent solution for many countries that need long-range detection and identification capabilities of objects in the air, at sea, and over land. We are open to discuss and explore how our technology can support the needs of our potential customers.”
In its favor is the fact that the GlobalEye has already been earmarked by France to replace its E-3F Sentry fleet.
At the Paris Air Show this summer, Saab and the French defense procurement agency, the Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA), signed a joint declaration of intent regarding the sale of two GlobalEye aircraft to France, plus two options.
“Our solution will enable France to maintain full sovereign control of its airborne early warning and control capability,” Micael Johansson, President and CEO of Saab, said at the time.
A pair of Saab GlobalEye aircraft over Sweden. Saab
Sweden, now also a NATO member, has placed orders (two firm and two options) for the GlobalEye, too, while Saab also pitched the aircraft to Denmark and Finland, with a view to them potentially jointly operating the type.
NATO had not yet placed a firm order for the six E-7s, but back in 2023 had announced its plan to “take steps toward acquiring” those aircraft, via U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) channels. This was the first part of an effort known as Initial Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (iAFSC).
The original NATO decision in favor of the E-7 had been made after a “rigorous assessment process,” including an assessment of requests for information (RFI) and price and availability (P&A), and studies of previous E-7 acquisition programs, namely in Australia, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The United Kingdom is already well underway with its E-7 procurement, but this program has been dogged by delays and cost overruns and has been trimmed to just three aircraft.
The U.K. Royal Air Force’s first E-7 Wedgetail AEW1 flies over the English countryside. Crown Copyright AS1 Iwan Lewis RAF
At the time, NATO had determined that the E-7 was “the only known system currently capable of fulfilling the strategic commands’ essential operational requirements and key performance parameters and available for delivery within the timeframe required.” This decision has now been turned on its head, apparently spurred by the U.S. decision to withdraw from the NATO program.
There remains the possibility that NATO might forego buying a crewed AEW&C platform altogether.
When the E-7 acquisition plan was first announced, NATO said it was “an initial element to mitigate the risk of airborne surveillance and control capability gap,” but the Wedgetail would be just “one contributing element […] to the overall Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC) system of systems capability.”
This indicated that the alliance ultimately planned to field the E-7 within an integrated network of sensors, also including drones, and other aircraft types that can operate in a surveillance-gathering capacity, and space-based systems.
In a graphic that NATO provided alongside the original E-7 announcement, the Wedgetail was shown as one part of a multifaceted surveillance enterprise that also included uncrewed airborne surveillance (illustrated with a NATO RQ-4D Phoenix high-altitude long-endurance drone), space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), maritime-based ISR, land-based radar, and MILSATCOM. Also featured were a digital backbone and combat cloud, while a final segment is left empty, suggesting the potential for other platforms or capabilities to be added at a later date.
NATO
Overall, NATO’s future AEW&C vision had some similarities with the U.S. Air Force’s plans in this domain.
Increasingly, the U.S. Air Force has viewed the E-7 as a solution to bridge the gap between the retirement of its own aging E-3s and a future space-based radar capability and other classified systems.
In general, the U.S. military has increasingly been looking at the possibilities for future distributed space-based networks that would ultimately exist as large, meshed constellations that could persistently surveil the skies of nearly the entire globe, opening up a whole new set of tactics and situational awareness capabilities. At the same time, these would be more resilient and less vulnerable than traditional surveillance assets. The Pentagon is also looking at ways to rapidly replace any satellites that are destroyed or otherwise rendered inoperable, reflecting the fact that even space-based assets are far from invulnerable to hostile actors.
It is far from clear what kind of progress NATO might have made in the development of radar-equipped satellites that could provide capabilities similar to crewed AEW&C aircraft. Also questionable is whether European NATO allies would be able to afford such a system, although buying into the U.S. constellation could be an option. Outside of the classified realm, meanwhile, many countries, as well as private companies, now publicly operate various space-based radars, albeit primarily for imaging purposes.
Concept image of a future U.S. Air Force E-7A Wedgetail AEW&C jet. Boeing
The program remained in limbo until this week, when the federal government shutdown lifted and appropriators approved spending for the U.S. Air Force’s E-7 program. The next tranche of funds, just under $200 million, will ensure that research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) for the E-7 continues, alongside rapid prototyping activities. Remaining procurement funding from fiscal 2025 is directed to be allocated to the RDT&E effort.
There are, meanwhile, increasing concerns about the survivability of crewed surveillance aircraft like the E-7. While these kinds of platforms may be more relevant in the European scenario, there remain questions as to whether aircraft like these can get close enough in wartime to be effective at all.
Potentially, NATO could forego buying an interim crewed AEW&C platform altogether, although previous statements from officials make this sound less likely.
Referring to the choice of the E-7 for the alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General, said in 2023: “Surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft are crucial for NATO’s collective defense, and I welcome allies’ commitment to investing in high-end capabilities. By pooling resources, allies can buy and operate major assets collectively that would be too expensive for individual countries to purchase. This investment in state-of-the-art technology shows the strength of transatlantic defense cooperation as we continue to adapt to a more unstable world.”
Once again, should NATO decide to move forward with an alternative crewed AEW&C aircraft, the GlobalEye would appear to be the only realistic option given the timeframe.
It is notable, meanwhile, that interest in these kinds of aircraft is currently growing in the European region, a direct result of the growing threat from Russia, combined with other operational contingencies that demand broad-area surveillance and airspace control.
The sudden emergence of Russian drones as a threat within NATO airspace has further underscored the value of AEW&C assets, which have a critical look-down capability against uncrewed air vehicles as well as cruise missiles. Aircraft like these can keep watch over the alliance’s eastern flank to monitor Russian military aircraft and missiles, as well as potentially hostile movements on the ground and at sea.
Time will tell what path NATO follows as it sets about replacing its veteran E-3s, which are now getting so old that their availability will likely continue to degrade toward 2035. In another blow for Boeing, the E-7 would seem to be out of the picture as a NATO AWACS successor. If the alliance does opt for a crewed AWACS solution, the GlobalEye could end up playing a much bigger role across NATO.
Nov. 5 (UPI) — The crash of a UPS plane in Louisville, Ky., has disrupted the shipper’s air cargo headquarters, delaying some deliveries.
UPS Worldport halted processing of packages on Tuesday night after the crash.
The first flights resumed about 24 hours after the crash. CNN reported 10 flights took off within 30 minutes just before 5 p.m. CST.
The Louisville site serves as UPS’ main processing location in the United States. Planes arrive from throughout the nation. The packages are sorted and then they go on other planes to their destinations.
The air cargo operations are also connected to the ground network.
On a typical day, more than 300 UPS flights depart from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport with about 2 million packages.
They are processed at the 5.2 million-square-foot facility, according to UPS.
Each hour, more than 400,000 packages are sorted with 20,000 workers at the site.
A spokesperson told The New York Times that the company’s goal is to be back to normal Thursday morning.
On Wednesday morning, the carrier said its Second Day Air shipping service was canceled for the day.
Later Wednesday, UPS said delivery commitments were pushed back.
The money-back guarantee “is suspended for all packages either shipped from or delivered to the United States until further notice,” UPS said.
UPS said contingency plans are in place “to help ensure that shipments arrive at their final destinations as quickly as conditions permit.” The plans weren’t explained.
The company has regional hubs in Atlanta, Dallas, Miami, Philadelphia and Rockford, Ill. In past disruptions, including bad weather, flights were rerouted to other facilities, the Lexington Herald Tribune reported.
“UPS is committed to the safety of our employees, our customers and the communities we serve,” the carrier said. “This is particularly true in Louisville, home to our airline and thousands of UPSers. Everyone in our company is deeply saddened by this horrible aircraft accident and our airline’s first duty is to recovery, aid and victim support.”
The U.S. Post Office and Amazon use UPS for some of their shipments.
The disruption occurred ahead of the busy holiday shipping season.
The other main carrier, FedEx, has a hub in Memphis, Tenn., with 484,000 packages handled each day. Last October, the company unveiled a new automated sorting facility that spans 1.3 million square feet, including handling bulky, non-conveyable shipments.
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The best images we’ve seen so far of the German Luftwaffe’s PEGASUS signals intelligence (SIGINT) aircraft reveal key details of the unique airframe adaptations made to the Bombardier Global 6000 bizjet platform it’s based on. The photos were shared with TWZ by @CorreaPhtgphy, who captured them earlier this year, in Abilene, Texas.
The aircraft, the first of three for the Luftwaffe, made its first flight from Bombardier’s facility in Wichita, Kansas, on October 23, 2024. Initial flight testing is underway in Wichita, with the work being conducted by pilots from the Bombardier Flight Test Center (BFTC).
The first of three PEGASUS SIGINT jets for the Luftwaffe, seen at Abilene, Texas. @CorreaPhtgphy
The centerpiece of the PEGASUS (which stands for Persistent German Airborne Surveillance System) is the Kalætron Integral SIGINT suite from the Hensoldt company. The first PEGASUS initially took to the air without this mission suite, integration of which is being led by Lufthansa Technik Defense, together with Hensoldt and Bombardier Defense.
However, the aircraft already has the various green-colored fairings associated with the PEGASUS sensors. On each side of the fuselage is an oval-shaped fairing, while below the fuselage is a larger fairing with two distinct bulges, fore and aft. Additionally, smaller green areas atop the tailfin and below the wings suggest further antennas may be located here, too.
A close-up of the main antenna arrays on PEGASUS. @CorreaPhtgphy
According to Hensoldt, Kalætron Integral will be a “comprehensive strategic asset for wide-area reconnaissance, mastering the challenges posed by today’s electromagnetic spectrum.” It will be able to hoover up electromagnetic intelligence from hostile radar emitters (ELINT) as well as enemy communications (COMINT). Electromagnetic emissions will be collected with “exceptional accuracy [and] high sensitivity” over frequencies ranging from below 30 MHz to 40 GHz.
Aided by the Global 6000’s relatively high-altitude flight profile, the Kalætron Integral sensors will be able to detect emissions at ranges up to 250 miles, the manufacturer says. This provides the aircraft with a significant standoff capability, helping keep the jet and its onboard operators further away from enemy air defense systems. Still, line-of-sight restricts even the best sensors and enemy air defenses are only going to have longer and longer reach as time goes on.
A schematic illustration of the Kalætron Integral in a bizjet airframe, with a different antenna configuration to that found on PEGASUS. Hensoldt
On the jet, the operators’ job is intended to be made easier through the use of machine learning and AI algorithms. These should help filter through intercepted emissions, prioritizing them, and speeding up the decision-making process. The end result will bring together intelligence gathered from a variety of different platforms in a rapidly updated electromagnetic order of battle.
The origins of the PEGASUS program lie in plans to supersede the German Navy’s former Breguet Atlantic SIGINT aircraft with a more modern platform. The last SIGINT-configured Atlantic, an aircraft type that was mainly used to roam around the Baltic Sea, was retired in 2010.
A German Navy Breguet Atlantic. Bundeswehr
The original plan was to replace the Atlantic SIGINT with an adaptation of the Global Hawk drone, the RQ-4E Euro Hawk. Five of these drones were planned to be fielded, each equipped with an Airbus-developed SIGINT system known as ISIS.
European aviation authorities repeatedly refused to certify the RQ-4E to fly over the continent. This, combined with major cost overruns and long delays, saw the program abandoned in 2013, after one of the drones had been flown. Plans to sell the one-off aircraft to Canada collapsed, and the RQ-4E is now set to become a very costly museum exhibit.
The first RQ-4E Euro Hawk. Northrop Grumman
For a brief time, the German Ministry of Defense looked at buying another Global Hawk derivative, the U.S. Navy’s MQ-4C Triton, which was developed from the outset for civil certification.
That plan was also abandoned, and the German Armed Forces now pin their hopes on the PEGASUS, an all-new crewed SIGINT platform.
At one point, the Luftwaffe had expected to get its hands on its first RQ-4E under the Euro Hawk program in 2012.
Finally, in 2021, Hensoldt was awarded the contract to supply its Kalætron Integral system for three PEGASUS jets, with the first of these aircraft now under flight test.
Once flight tests with the SIGINT suite are completed, further integration work will take place in Hamburg, Germany. Here, Lufthansa Technik Defense will also be in charge of certification.
Already, there are signs that Germany might increase its PEGASUS order to help meet a growing demand for airborne SIGINT products.
Speaking to the media last year, Jürgen Halder, vice-president of airborne SIGINT at Hensoldt, said: “If you look at the current geopolitical situation, even though any [one] aircraft can persistently monitor a vast area, there are unfortunately too many hot spots globally. So, we expect an additional rise [in aircraft numbers] to be coming eventually.”
A close-up of the nose of the PEGASUS. @CorreaPhtgphy
Halder continued: “Discussions are starting in a very early phase, but it’s apparent that three aircraft are not sufficient, especially if you consider that the Euro Hawk program had already included much higher numbers of aircraft.”
For now, the first three German PEGASUS aircraft are due to be delivered between 2026 and 2028, and to become operational in 2027.
Germany can also look forward to expanding its airborne intelligence-gathering capabilities with the arrival of the first P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. While these eight aircraft will be primarily used for anti-submarine warfare, they can also act in an electronic intelligence collection role, with their standard electronic support measures (ESM) suite able to detect and geolocate enemy air defenses and monitor its overall electronic order of battles. Furthermore, the P-8 lends itself to modifications, such as the host for a secretive radar system, the AN/APS-154 Advanced Airborne Sensor, or AAS, although this has never been exported.
The first of eight P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft for the German Navy arrives at Berlin-Brandenburg Airport today, November 7. Bundeswehr/Christoph Kassette
For now, Germany’s PEGASUS further underlines how the Global 6000 series is becoming one of the most popular choices for military special missions adaptations. In September of this year, South Korea confirmed its choice of the Global 6500 as the platform for its new airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, as you can read about here. Meanwhile, GlobalEye AEW&C aircraft, based on Global 6000 platforms, have been ordered by Sweden and the United Arab Emirates.
Concept artwork of the future South Korean AEW&C aircraft, based on a Global 6500 airframe. L3Harris
The military success of the Global 6000 series reflects the growing importance of business-jet-type aircraft for ISTAR missions. Platforms like these are becoming increasingly cost-effective, thanks in no small part to steady improvements in jet engine technology, and their popularity has been proven out by the U.S. Air Force, which opted for a Global 6000-based solution for its E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) program.
The first Global 6500 delivered to the U.S. Army for the HADES program. Bombardier
Nevertheless, with all these crewed, bizjet-based ISTAR platforms, there remain very real reservations about their survivability and even their utility during a conflict, especially during the types of high-end warfare that could be fought in the future against a near-peer adversary. Even when provided with external protection, the survivability of these aircraft in more contested airspace is very questionable. At the same time, while new sensors certainly offer improved capabilities, such aircraft may very well have to get within range of longer-range air defense systems to gather useful intelligence.
Overall, growing tensions in Europe and the Indo-Pacific region, and the increasing likelihood of NATO nations and their allies having to face peer or near-peer adversaries in future contingencies, mean that there is a particular appetite for platforms that can help keep track of hostile electromagnetic orders of battle and enemy communications. With that in mind, and considering the effi the Global 6000 series and similar bizjet-based solutions look set to find other customers in the special missions realm for the foreseeable future.
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Perhaps the most extraordinary-looking aircraft to have taken to the air in many years, the X-59 Quiet Supersonic Technology experimental test aircraft, or QueSST, has made its first flight. Much is resting on the test program that has now been kicked off, with the future of supersonic passenger flight arguably dependent on its successful outcome.
The first flight took place at the U.S. Air Force’s Plant 42 in Palmdale, California. Photographer Matt Hartman has shared pictures with us of the X-59 after its departure from Plant 42, as seen at the top of this story and below.
The X-59 in flight. Matt HartmanAnother view of the X-59 in the skies above Palmdale, California. Matt HartmanThe X-59 seen as it took off from Plant 42. Matt Hartman
It has been planned that after the X-59’s first flight, it will be moved to NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center, which is collocated with Edwards Air Force Base in California, for further test flights.
Ahead of the first flight, NASA had outlined its plans for the milestone sortie. This would be a lower-altitude loop at about 240 miles per hour to check system integration. It will be followed by the first phase of flight testing, focused on verifying the X-59’s airworthiness and safety. During subsequent test flights, the X-59 will go higher and faster, eventually exceeding the speed of sound.
Although there were no public announcements, the first flight had been expected earlier this month but was scrubbed for unknown reasons. TWZ has reached out to NASA for more information in relation to today’s flight.
Rollout of the X-59 at the Skunk Works facility within Palmdale on January 12, 2024. NASA screencap
“In just a few short years, we’ve gone from an ambitious concept to reality,” NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy said at the time. “NASA’s X-59 will help change the way we travel, bringing us closer together in much less time.”
The first flight was preceded by integrated systems testing, engine runs, and taxi testing.
Taxi tests began at Palmdale this summer, marking the first time that the X-59 had moved under its own power. NASA test pilot Nils Larson was at the controls for the aircraft’s first low-speed taxi test on July 10, 2025.
NASA test pilot Nils Larson lowers the canopy of the X-59 during ground tests at Palmdale in July 2025. Lockheed Martin
The X-59 project was kicked off back in 2016, and NASA had originally hoped that the aircraft would take to the air for the first time in 2020. The targeted first flight then slipped successively to 2023, to 2024, and then to this year.
Among other issues, NASA blamed the schedule slip on “several technical challenges identified over the course of 2023,” which the QueSST team then had to work through.
Once at Armstrong, the X-59 will be put through its paces as the centerpiece of NASA’s Quiet Supersonic Technology mission. This is an exciting project that TWZ has covered in detail over the years.
The main goal of QueSST is to prove that careful design considerations can reduce the noise of a traditional sonic boom to a “quieter sonic thump.” If that can then be ported over to future commercial designs, it could solve the longstanding problem of regulations that prohibit supersonic flight over land.
The only genuinely successful supersonic airliner was the Anglo-French Concorde. Even that aircraft had an abbreviated career, during which it struggled with enormously high operating costs and an ever-shrinking market.
Even before Concorde entered service, however, commercial supersonic flight over the United States had been prohibited, under legislation introduced in 1973. Even the U.S. military faces heavy restrictions on where and when it can operate aircraft above the speed of sound within national airspace. Similar prohibitions on supersonic flight exist in many other countries, too.
An earlier rendering showing the X-59 in flight. Lockheed Martin
NASA’s test program aims to push the X-59 to a speed of Mach 1.4, equivalent to around 925 miles per hour, over land. At that point, it’s hoped that its unique design, shaping, and technologies will result in a much quieter noise signature.
The second phase of the QueSST program will be about ensuring that the core design works as designed and will include multiple sorties over the supersonic test range at Edwards Air Force Base.
The third and final phase will be the Community Response Study, in which the X-59 will be flown over different locations in the United States. Individuals in those different communities will provide feedback on the noise signature via push notifications to cell phones.
A colorized schlieren image of a small-scale model of the X-59, taken inside NASA Glenn Research Center’s Supersonic Wind Tunnel during a boom test. NASA
At one time, the third phase was planned to take place between 2025 and 2026, but, as previously outlined, the program as a whole has now been delayed.
In the past, we have looked at some of the remarkable features that make the X-59 a test jet like no other.
Most obviously, there is its incredibly long nose, which accounts for around a third of its overall length of 99.7 feet. Meanwhile, its wingspan measures just under 30 feet. The idea behind the thin, tapering nose, which you can read about in detail here, is that the shock waves that are created in and around the supersonic regime will be dissipated. It is these shock waves that would otherwise produce a very audible sonic boom on the ground.
A head-on view of the X-59 before it received its paint scheme. Lockheed Martin via NASA
The X-59’s nose also dictates its unusual cockpit arrangement, with the pilot being located almost halfway down the length of the aircraft, with no forward-facing window at all. The pilot instead relies on the eXternal Vision System (XVS), which was specially developed for the aircraft, to see the outside world. This makes use of a series of high-resolution cameras that feed into a 4K monitor in the cockpit, something that we have also discussed in depth in the past.
Components of the XVS. NASAA graphic render of the inside of the X-59 cockpit, including the XVS. Lockheed Martin
Another noteworthy feature is the location of the X-59’s powerplant, on top of the rear of the fuselage, which ensures a smooth underside. This is another part of the jet that has been tailored to address supersonic shockwaves, helping prevent them from merging behind the aircraft and causing a sonic boom. The powerplant itself is a single F414-GE-100 turbofan, a variant of the same engine found on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.
The X-59’s single F414-GE-100 turbofan engine is installed. NASA/Carla ThomasThe X-59’s afterburner lights up the dusk at Palmdale, California. Lockheed Martin/Gary Tice Garry Tice
Meanwhile, various items found on the X-59 are more familiar. For example, the canopy and elements of the pilot’s seat are taken from the T-38 Talon, the landing gear is borrowed from an F-16, and the life-support system is adapted from that used in the F-15 Eagle.
If all proceeds as planned with the QueSST program, NASA should be able to demonstrate that the rules that currently prohibit commercial supersonic flight over land, both in the United States and elsewhere, can be adjusted.
However, whether that potential regulatory change is enough to spur the successful development of future commercial high-speed aircraft designs remains a big question.
After all, aside from Concorde, the quest to successfully introduce a supersonic passenger transport is one that has otherwise been littered with failures. Many will now be pinning their hopes on the X-59 helping to reverse that trend.
Update: 4:20 PM Eastern –
Lockheed Martin has now put out a press release about the X-59’s first flight. As planned, the aircraft has now arrived at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center.
“The X-59 performed exactly as planned, verifying initial flying qualities and air data performance on the way to a safe landing at its new home,” according to the release. “Skunk Works will continue to lead the aircraft’s initial flight test campaign, working closely with NASA to expand the X-59’s flight envelope over the coming months. Part of this test journey will include the X-59’s first supersonic flights, where the aircraft will achieve the optimal speed and altitude for a quiet boom. This will enable NASA to operate the X-59 to measure its sound signature and conduct community acceptance testing.”
Lockheed Martin
“We are thrilled to achieve the first flight of the X-59,” O.J. Sanchez, Vice President and General Manager of Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works, said in a statement. “This aircraft is a testament to the innovation and expertise of our joint team, and we are proud to be at the forefront of quiet supersonic technology development.”
“X-59 is a symbol of American ingenuity. The American spirit knows no bounds. It’s part of our DNA – the desire to go farther, faster, and even quieter than anyone has ever gone before,” Sean Duffy, Secretary of Transportation and acting NASA Administrator, also said in a statement. “This work sustains America’s place as the leader in aviation and has the potential to change the way the public flies.”
