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The US Army recently confirmed its plans to thin out its active duty aviation ranks, cutting 6,500 positions as it phases in unmanned systems. The changes are slated to begin in the coming months and continue through fiscal year 2027. Currently, about 30,000 soldiers serve in aviation roles ranging from pilots to support crews. By the time the cuts are finished, roughly one in five of those positions will be gone. Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy announced that the FAA met and exceeded its goal for hiring air traffic controllers for Fiscal Year 2025 by bringing on 2,026 new controllers. The goal was 2,000 controllers, and the
The UAS Experienced A Total Loss Of Engine Power And Began An Uncommanded Descent
On August 20, 2025, at about 0632 Alaska daylight time, a Platform Aerospace VA 001 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), N246VU, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident on a beachside cliff near Ninilchik, Alaska. The aircraft was unmanned. The aircraft was operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations as a Public Use Armed Forces Aircraft on a Certificate of Authorization (COA) Waiver. According to the operator, the airplane was returning to Kenai Municipal Airport in Kenai Alaska after a 72-hour continuous flight to Shemya Island.
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