Archive: News & Articles

Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer signed an agreement with the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) on 3 December 2024 at Mostra BID, the National Defense and Security Fair in Brasilia, to deepen collaborative studies aimed at expanding the capabilities of its C-390 Millennium transport aircraft. The studies will be focused on expanding the C-390’s capabilities to conduct intelligence, […]

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) has selected the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) MQ-9B SeaGuardian for its Long Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle programme, GA-ASI announced on 3 December 2024. The number of SeaGuardian platforms to be procured by the JMSDF has not yet been disclosed. The decision follows the JMSDF’s use of SeaGuardian […]

Düsseldorf-based Rheinmetall and Munich-headquartered extended reality (XR) specialist Hologate plan to co-operate closely in the development of innovative future simulation solutions, Rheinmetall announced on 2 December 2024. The strategic co-operation aims to advance developments that are crucial for modern military training. “In a world where the requirements for training systems and methods for educating drivers […]

Helsing, the artificial intelligence (AI) specialist for defence applications, officially unveils its HX-2 Karma intelligent loitering munition on 2 December 2024. Prior to the announcement, there had been much speculation about what Helsing calls a ‘strike drone’ in the press in recent weeks. A connection has been made with the “4,000 armed drones” that the […]

UK-based Babcock International Group and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore military flying training, air base support and engineering opportunities in central, eastern and southern Europe, Babcock announced on 29 November 2024. The MoU was signed at a ceremony held at KAI’s office in Seoul, South Korea, by […]

The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) has celebrated a decade of operations with the Airbus A400M Atlas transport aircraft. A ceremony to mark the occasion was held at RAF Brize Norton, the home of the RAF’s Air Mobility Force, on 14 November 2024. “Since the first of the 22-strong fleet of aircraft was delivered to […]

Turkish unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) manufacturer Baykar has claimed a landmark in naval aviation history with one of its Bayraktar TB3s becoming the first UAV of its class to take off from and then land back onto a short-runway vessel. The flight test took place on 19 November 2024 off the Turkish amphibious assault ship […]

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) has completed the final qualification test for its new 200 hp heavy fuel engine at its flight test facility at El Mirage in California, the company announced on 19 November 2024. The Heavy Fuel Engine (HFE) 2.0 has been designed as a highly reliable low-maintenance engine for unmanned aerial […]

Textron Aviation Defense announced on 25 November 2024 the arrival of five Beechcraft T-6C Texan II Integrated Training System (ITS) aircraft in support of the Vietnam Air Defense Air Force (ADAF) pilot training programme at Phan Thiet Airbase. The delivery is a historic one as these primary trainers are the first of 12 T-6C Texan […]

Boeing is to build 15 additional KC-46A Pegasus aerial refuelling aircraft under a Lot 11 contract award from the US Air Force (USAF) valued at USD 2.38 billion (EUR billion), the company announced on 21 November 2024. The Lot 11 award means that Boeing now has 168 KC-46A multi-mission aerial refuellers on contract globally. “We […]

Romania has signed a letter of offer and acceptance (LoA) to procure 32 Lockheed Martin F-35A Joint Strike Fighters (JSFs) through the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route. A signing ceremony was held in Bucharest on 21 November 2024, with the ‘Protocol on the initiation of the Romanian Air Force Transition Programme’ signed by Romanian […]

Airbus Helicopters has delivered the first of up to 82 H145Ms ordered by Germany’s Bundeswehr at its site at Donauwörth in southern Germany, the company announced on 18 November 2024. The Bundeswehr ordered up to 82 multi-role H145Ms (62 firm orders plus 20 options) from Airbus Helicopters in December 2023: the largest order so far placed for the H145M […]

The US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to South Korea of F-15K aircraft upgrades, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on 19 November 2024. The potential sale, which is worth USD 6.2 billion (EUR 5.95 billion), has been passed to the US Congress for final approval. The Republic […]

As it continues to work through its Strategic Defence Review (SDR), the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is withdrawing a number of ships, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from service ahead of schedule to put its budget and future capabilities on a sounder footing. Addressing the House of Commons on 20 November 2024, UK […]

The development of hypersonic technology is to be accelerated via a new arrangement under the AUKUS strategic partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 18 November 2024. The joint work, under AUKUS Pillar II, will enable the faster development, testing and evaluation of innovative […]

Australian Assured positioning, navigation and timing (APNT) specialist Advanced Navigation and European missile house MBDA have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to co-develop a resilient navigation system integrating MBDA’s NILEQ absolute positioning technology. The co-developed solution will provide resilient absolute positioning for a multitude of airborne platforms, with the MoU seeing the companies foster joint research […]

EuroDASS, the consortium responsible for the Eurofighter Typhoon’s Praetorian defensive suite, unveiled details on the next generation of Typhoon sensing and jamming capabilities on 20 November 2024 following the completion of concept work and technology flight trials. Drawing on Europe’s sovereign electronic warfare (EW) expertise, the EuroDASS partners – Leonardo (in the UK), ELT Group […]

The first guided firing trial of a SPEAR air-to-surface cruise missile has recently been conducted by a joint UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and industry team, the MoD announced on 17 November 2024. The firing, which was conducted on 17 October, took place over the Vidsel test range in Sweden. The guided firing of the […]

A General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) Gray Eagle STOL unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has taken off from a South Korean warship and landed at a ground base in the first-ever such mission for a UAV of that type, GA-ASI announced on 13 November 2024. The mission took place on 12 November 2024, when the […]

After the first official images of China’s J-35A stealth fighter emerged in Chinese media ahead of the aircraft’s official debut at the 2024 China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition (Airshow China), held in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai, the aircraft made its first public flight performance at the show on 12 November 2024. Developed […]

Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky and Rain, a leader in autonomous aerial wildfire containment technology, have successfully demonstrated how an autonomous Black Hawk helicopter can be commanded to take off, identify the location and size of a small fire, and then accurately drop water to suppress it, Lockheed Martin announced in a press release on 11 November 2024. […]