IN THE NEWS:
- Airbus is demonstrating technologies that could be utilised in the European Future Combat Air System
- A mammoth $27.2bn deal for Super Hornets and F-35s, offered to Finland
- In France, ten upgraded NH90Tactical Troop Helicopters await delivery
- Huge cargo and paratrooper exercise takes place in the Netherlands
- Raytheon StormBreaker approved for the F-15E

SKYBORG: RISE OF THE ROBOTS - The United States Air Force's Skyborg Program is developing a fleet of unmanned combat aerial vehicles, that will enable the USAF to accompany manned aircraft with quick, decisive actions in contested environments. Rob Coppinger explains why the rise of the robots is not a question of'if', but'how soon?'
STEALTH SPECIAL! - Combat Aircraft Journal celebrates the coming of age of stealth technology with a special 39-page bumper section, dedicated to the secretive world of stealth science and the stunning aircraft it has created.
THE ORIGINS OF STEALTH - Since World War Two, the ability to defeat enemy radar has been the most significant development for military aviation. But as Rob Coppinger illustrates, the very idea of evading radar is far older than the detection technology itself.
F-117A: THE ELUSIVE NIGHTHAWK - Khalem Chapman chronicles why the Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk holds a unique place in the pages of aviation history, as the world's first fully-operational combat aircraft designed to exploit low-observable stealth technology.
B-2 SPIRIT: THE BILLION-DOLLAR BOMBER - Khalem Chapman takes a closer look at Northrop Grumman's B-2A Spirit -arguably the most iconic (and most expensive) aircraft to have entered military service to date.
THE ULTIMATE STEALTH GALLERY - For aircraft designed to fly under-the-radar, they sure can be photogenic! We gathered together some of our favorite stealth aircraft for this 12-page gallery.
THE BATTLE FOR THE B-52 - GE, Rolls-Royce, and Pratt & Whitney are in a three-way fight to outfit the USAF's B-52s with new engines. Whoever wins will power this icon until the 2050s. Special report by Dave Allport.
DO STEALTH HELICOPTERS EXIST? - Helicopters can be made quieter, less obvious to radar, and almost invisible to heat-seeking missiles, but do'Silent Hawks'abound? John Sootheran separates fact from fiction.
QUANTUM RADAR: WILL IT BE THE DEATH OF STEALTH? - Technological advances in radar are said to herald the end of stealth, but a recent review of platforms in development shows it's not so cut-and-dried, as Rob Coppinger discovers.
WARHAWKS: THE BEST NEVER REST - Despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic (and news of a possible move) the USAF's 480th Fighter Squadron, at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany, remains combat ready anywhere, anytime.
THRACIAN VIPER 2020 - NATO forces sharpen their bite as combat fighters from five nations come together for this training exercise in Bulgarian airspace. Alexander Mladenov watches F-16s lining up MiG-29s in their'crosshairs'.
A-10C: A CANNON WITH WINGS - The A-1OC Thunderbolt II is old, ugly... and very deadly. Bertie Simmonds explains why this close air support aircraft affectionally known as the Warthog was built around a giant Gatling gun.
CUTTING EDGE - This month, David Axe explains how the USAF is moving quickly to develop a sophisticated all-encompassing battle software known as ABMS.
THE BATTLE FOR THE B-52 - GE, Rolls-Royce, and Pratt & Whitney are in a three-way fight to outfit the USAF's B-52s with new engines. Whoever wins will power this icon until the 2050s. Special report by Dave Allport.

COVER - A B-2A Spirit stealth bomber receives maintenance for early-morning operations at the 131 st Bomb Wing, Missouri ANG at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. The 131 st has recently been certified to conduct nuclear missions. Our Stealth Special starts on page 18.