Tara Copp

AP Writer

Latest in Aerospace
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October 1, 2026
Fighter jet in flight with afterburners creating orange flame trail against blue sky
Airbus Valkyrie Uncrewed Combat Aircraft Takes Off for First Test Flight
October 14, 2026
Futuristic silver aircraft with streamlined design flying over desert landscape and distant mountains
Air Force, Northrop Grumman Break Ground on B-21 Production Facility
October 14, 2026
Lockheed Martin logo and text on modern white office building facade with blue glass windows
Lockheed Martin to Add Over 1,000 Jobs in Colorado
October 12, 2026
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Hywings Take Off
Aerospace
H3 Dynamics Flies Its Hydrogen Propulsion Aircraft for First Time
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Aerospace
Navy Declares Initial Operational Capability for Boeing’s HAAWC
This combination of photos provided by the North Korean government, shows what they say military operation held during Nov. 2-5, 2022, in North Korea. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified.
Aerospace
North Korea: Missile Tests Were Practice to Attack South, U.S.
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More from Tara Copp
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A station button pages QA or engineering and logs the wait. No Wi-Fi needed.  
October 1, 2026
Smoke billows after an Iranian missile struck an oil refinery in Haifa, northern Israel, early Monday, June 16, 2025.
Safety
Israeli Strikes Damage Iran's Underground Nuclear Site
Iran maintains its nuclear program is peaceful.
June 17, 2025
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during an event with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in Washington.
Aerospace
Trump Selects Concept for $175 Billion 'Golden Dome' Missile Defense System
Golden Dome is envisioned to detect and stop missiles at all four major stages of a potential attack.
May 22, 2025
A 13-year-old private Boeing aircraft that President Donald Trump toured on Saturday to check out new hardware and technology features, and highlight the aircraft maker's delay in delivering updated versions of the Air Force One presidential aircraft, takes off from Palm Beach International Airport, Feb. 16, 2025, in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Aerospace
Defense Department Accepts Boeing 747 from Qatar for Trump's Use
Critics estimate overhauling the aircraft would cost over $1 billion in taxpayer dollars.
May 22, 2025
Salvage crews work on recovering wreckage near the site in the Potomac River of a mid-air collision between an American Airlines jet and a Black Hawk helicopter at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, in Arlington, Va.
Aerospace
Trump Begins Firings of FAA Staff Just Weeks After Fatal DC Plane Crash
Impacted workers were hired for FAA radar, landing and navigational aid maintenance.
February 18, 2025
Elon Musk listens during an event in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump at the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Washington.
Operations
Trump Administration Tries to Bring Back Fired Nuclear Weapons Workers in DOGE Reversal
One of the hardest hit offices was a plant where workers reassemble warheads.
February 17, 2025
In this photo provided by the U.S. Army, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, tours the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Scranton, Pa., Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024.
Operations
Ukraine's Zelenskyy Visits Pennsylvania Ammunition Plant to Thank Workers and Ask for More
Zelenskyy has been pushing the U.S. for permission to use longer range missile systems.
September 23, 2024
A Boeing 737 Max jet, piloted by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) chief Steve Dickson, prepares to land at Boeing Field following a test flight on Sept. 30, 2020 in Seattle.
Aerospace
8 Things to Know About Boeing Agreeing to Plead Guilty to Fraud in 737 Max Crashes
The plea deal is not yet a sure thing, however.
July 9, 2024
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy poses for a photo after his interview with The Associated Press in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023.
Laws & Regulations
Zelenskyy Will Address U.S. Military as Funding for Weapons Runs Out
President Joe Biden has asked Congress for $61.4 billion for wartime funding.
December 11, 2023
In this photo provided by Japan Coast Guard, debris believed to be from a U.S. military Osprey aircraft is seen off the coast of Yakushima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture in Japan Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023.
Aerospace
Osprey Flights Suspended after Fatal Crash of U.S. Air Force Aircraft
The U.S. Osprey crash killed at least one of the eight crew members.
November 30, 2023
In this image provided by the U.S. Air Force, wind turbines spin near the Malmstrom Air Force Base missile launch site Alpha-03 in Geyser, Mont., in August 2023.
Energy
Air Force Asks Congress to Protect Nuclear Launch Sites from Wind Turbines
The branch said wind turbines could be dangerous for military helicopter crews.
November 7, 2023
This undated artist rending provided by the U.S. Air Force shows a U.S. Air Force graphic of the Long Range Strike Bomber, designated the B-21.
Aerospace
Pentagon Debuts Its New Stealth Bomber, the B-21 Raider
It's the first new American bomber aircraft in more than 30 years.
December 2, 2022