Naval Aviation News, the flagship magazine of Naval Aviation since 1917, publishes quarterly online at navalaviationnews.navylive.dodlive.mil.
This special Year in Review collection is comprised of stories featured in Naval Aviation News throughout the year, spotlighting decades of achievement and highlights the people, platforms and partnerships that continue to keep Naval Aviation at the forefront.
We begin with a true giant: the C 130 Hercules. At 70 years old, the Hercules remains as versatile, agile, dependable and enduring as ever. Its longevity is more than a testament to engineering; it reflects the commitment of the aviators and maintainers who keep it mission ready.
Innovation also took center stage as VAQ 133 completed the fleet’s first deployment of the Next Generation Jammer. This milestone marked a leap forward in airborne electronic attack capability and underscored the Navy’s dedication to staying at the forefront of a contested electromagnetic environment.
This year, we also celebrated eight decades of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School producing the world’s finest test pilots, flight officers and engineers. Their work continues to push boundaries, ensuring every aircraft and system meets the highest standards before reaching the fleet.
From the labs of the Naval Research Laboratory—where scientists safeguard naval assets across land, sea and air—to the flight line, where the Super Hornet marked 30 legendary years, this issue showcases the full spectrum of Naval Aviation’s impact and influence.
Perhaps most important, we also honor the people behind the mission: sailors celebrating 250 years of service at sea and ashore, the lifesaving heroics of HSC 25’s search and rescue teams, the critical role fiber optic tech plays in modern avionics and the harrowing account of a sailor’s fight for life in the eye of a storm.
Finally, we look toward the future with the Navy’s Joint Simulation Environment, where Marines and airmen trained together as a joint force for the first time to prepare for the challenges ahead.
| Published: | December 31, 2025 |
Established in 1966 as the successor to the Navy’s Bureau of Naval Weapons, the **Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR)** is headquartered in Patuxent River, Md., with military
and civilian personnel stationed at eight locations across the continental United States and one site overseas.
Naval Aviation News is the United States Navy’s oldest periodical, it stands as the flagship magazine for all things Naval Aviation. The magazine chronicles the development, deployment and transformation of the Navy’s aircraft and heralds the achievements of the men and women who fly and maintain them. Together, they make the U.S. Navy the world’s most powerful, respected and dominant naval force today and far into the future. For over a century, it has been an honor for Naval Aviation News to celebrate and promote the innovation, ingenuity and prowess of the U.S. Navy in flight.
