The F-35 was one of the jets impacted by an ejection seat problem that led hundreds of tactical aircraft to be grounded this summer. (Senior Airman Noah D. Coger/US Air Force)
WASHINGTON — One of my friends has a saying: In journalism, there’s always an aviation angle. And 2022 was no exception.
The world watched in horror as Russia invaded Ukraine, causing massive loss of life and — much less importantly, but still sadly — the destruction of the world’s largest aircraft, the Antonov An-225 Mriya. After two years of canceled summer air shows due to the COVID-19 pandemic, aviation reporters got to go back to the UK for the Farnborough Airshow and Royal International Air Tattoo. And after many, many years of speculation, the B-21 bomber finally made its first public appearance.
I had a blast covering aviation this year, and this list reflects that sentiment. It’s not a list of the most important stories, but a collection of a few that I really enjoyed writing. I hope you enjoy reading them. (Oh, and lest you forget that I’m a Taylor Swift fan, 2022 also marked the release of Taylor’s 10th album, Midnights, so I am once again including song recommendations to go with my favorite stories from the year. See you all at the Eras Tour in 2023!)
[This article is one of many in a series in which Breaking Defense reporters look back on the most significant (and entertaining) news stories of 2022 and look forward to what 2023 may hold.]
1. With Lockheed deal in doubt, Aerojet faces internal crisis
Compared to the scene-stealing world of Big Tech, the defense industrial base keeps its drama close hold. So when a boardroom feud erupted at Aerojet Rocketdyne after Lockheed Martin’s acquisition of the company was blocked by US regulators — a situation that saw Aerojet’s chief executive and executive chairman factions split a deadlocked board while the two publicly campaigned for the other’s ouster — it was an unprecedented event and, in my opinion, an under-covered story.
Aerojet CEO Eileen Drake prevailed after stockholders intervened, and the outcome of that decision could have major implications for the defense industrial base — particularly for the fragile solid rocket motor and hypersonic missile markets.
Song from Taylor Swift’s “Midnights” you should listen to as you read this story: “Karma”.
2. As classified B-21 bomber nears flight, secret facility sees more curious probing
The big B-21 Raider story this year was that the public finally got to see it (albeit from a very limited vantage point). The unveiling came after years of being stuck with only nondescript drawings and digital renderings that failed to sate our curiosity. And while it’s an understatement to say that I was enthusiastically looking forward to the rollout, this article — about security incidents at Air Force Plant 42, the Air Force facility where the B-21 is being built — is the bomber story I probably had this most fun writing.
My favorite thing about it is its colorful cast of characters, everything from weirdos driving through a chain link fence because they claimed they thought they saw a gas station to a dude with a massive camera who likes to take his dog on walks around the facility at 3:30 am every morning.
Song from Taylor Swift’s “Midnights” you should listen to as you read this story: “Anti-Hero”.
3. Meet Phoenix Ghost: The US Air Force’s new drone designed for Ukraine’s war with Russia
Another story that was just a joy to write. In April, the Defense Department announced it would send a new kind of loitering drone called Phoenix Ghost to Ukraine. The weapon system, which the Pentagon later confirmed was born in the Air Force’s secretive Big Safari office, had never been previously disclosed. One of the scant pieces of information that the department revealed about Phoenix Ghost was its manufacturer, a small California-based company called AEVEX Aerospace that specializes in drone fabrication and operations.
Breaking Defense gave its headquarters a call, only to be rebuffed with a brusque “no comment” from a representative who quickly hung up the phone. I am not deterred! I love a mystery! Please tell me more about this drone!
Song from Taylor Swift’s “Midnights” you should listen to as you read this story: “Vigilante Shit”.
4. ‘It has to work’: Inside the military’s race to solve an ejection seat safety conundrum
Over the summer, hundreds of US military planes were grounded due to a problem with the propulsive cartridges inside of ejection seats — a critical, if extremely mundane piece of equipment, that ensures a pilot can safely eject from an aircraft. Although the issue was first discovered in April, the groundings occurred in waves across the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy in July and August, and it was difficult to tell exactly how widespread the problem was.
This deep dive follows a series of scoops by my colleague Justin Katz and myself. It explores why it took the military so long to address a problem they seemingly knew about for months and how extensive the issue really was.
Song from Taylor Swift’s “Midnights” you should listen to as you read this story: “Glitch”.
5. ‘They forget us’: How an Afghan Black Hawk Pilot saw his country collapse from the air
This was the most difficult story I had to write this year, and one of the most rewarding of my entire career. One year after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, I told the story of Col. Salim Faqiri, an Afghan air force pilot who commanded a Black Hawk wing, who fought fiercely against the Taliban as helicopters broke down and couldn’t be repaired, as munitions dwindled, and as pilots in his wing were hunted down and assassinated. Salim is now in the United States with his wife and three daughters, and he dreams of one day being able to fly aircraft again. I hope so too, and I’m honored he shared his story with me.
Song from Taylor Swift’s “Midnights” you should listen to as you read this story: “You’re On Your Own Kid,” probably over the sound of your own tears.
