Archive: News & Articles

The UK Royal Navy’s Carrier Strike Group 25 (CSG25), which departed for its eight-month Operation ‘Highmast’ deployment on 22 April 2025, is benefitting from the Crowsnest Airborne Surveillance and Control (ASaC) programme reaching full operating capability at the end of March 2025. Of the nine Royal Navy Merlin HM2 helicopters deployed to be the eyes and ears […]

The first AW149 multi-role helicopter produced entirely in Poland has successfully completed its maiden flight, manufacturer PZL-Świdnik and the Polish Ministry of National Defence (MND) have announced. The helicopter underwent its inaugural test flight on 14 April 2025 as part of the aircraft’s type acceptance test procedure (ATP), which confirms the aircraft conforms to the […]

Turkish unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) manufacturer Bayar announced on 23 April 2025 that it has completed further successful flight tests with a Bayraktar TB3 UAV off the Turkish amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu. On 22 April a Bayraktar TB3 completed four sorties from TCG Anadolu as part of fully autonomous take-off and landing tests from […]

The first Bulgarian Air Force Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 fighter arrived at the country’s Graf Ignatievo Air Base on 13 April 2025, signalling the beginning of F-16 operations in Bulgaria. Bulgaria has ordered a total of 16 F-16s, having signed an initial letter of acceptance (LOA) for eight F-16s in 2019 and then a […]

The US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to the Philippines of TH-73A training helicopters and support, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on 15 April 2025. The potential sale, which is estimated to be worth USD 120 million (EUR 105.6 million), has been passed to the US Congress […]

The Spanish Air and Space Force has commissioned its first A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft under a contract for three such aircraft signed in November 2021. According to an Airbus announcement on 11 April 2025, the aircraft was delivered from the A330 MRTT aircraft conversion centre in Getafe and will be operated by the […]

The US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Australia of AIM-120C and AIM-120D Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs), the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on 9 April 2025. The proposed sale, which is worth an estimated USD 1.04 billion (EUR 0.92 billion), has been passed to the […]

US unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) manufacturer General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) and South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace have agreed to collaborate on the development and production of UAVs for the global defence market, GA-ASI announced on 8 April 2025. The joint effort follows the successful completion of a major flight demonstration in November 2024 when […]

The US arm of Israeli loitering munition (LM) specialist UVision Air has acquired Trim Robotics, which develops highly manoeuvrable next-generation rotary-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)/LMs. The acquisition, which was announced by UVision on 7 April 2025, strengthens the company’s portfolio by integrating its Hero series of LMs with Trim’s innovative quadcopter-based LM system, which UVision […]

During its 2025 deployment to the Indo-Pacific a UK Carrier Strike Group will be supported by a fleet of nine all-electric uncrewed quadcopters produced BAE Systems’ Malloy Aeronautics subsidiary for the first time, BAE Systems announced on 8 April 2025. The Malloy Aeronautics T-150 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) will be used to transport supplies such […]

On 1 April 2025 a detachment of six Swedish Air Force (SwAF) Saab Gripen fighters embarked on the SwAF’s first NATO enhanced Air Policing mission from the territory of another ally since Sweden joined the alliance on 7 March 2024. The Swedish Gripens, from the SwAF’s Norrbotten Wing, joined the Polish Air Force and a […]

The US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to the Philippines of F-16C/D Block 70/72 fighters, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on 1 April 2025. The proposed sale, which is worth an estimated USD 5.58 billion (EUR 5.1 billion), has been passed to the US Congress for final […]

Brazil’s Embraer and South African company Denel have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen their strategic partnership, with a particular focus on Embraer’s KC-390 tanker-transport aircraft. The MoU was signed on 3 April at the 2025 LAAD Defence and Security exhibition in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, by Chris Boshoff, group executive and CEO […]

Leonardo has taken a step forward in the development of the enhanced Block 20 version of its M-346 advanced jet trainer/light combat aircraft (AJT/LCA) with the unveiling of a new cockpit for the aircraft. The new cockpit, which features a large area display (LAD), was officially presented at the Defence iQ Military Flight Training 2025 […]

The Japanese Ministry of Defense (MoD) is to begin research and development of a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in Fiscal Year (FY) 2025, the ministry has indicated.   The VTOL UAV is envisaged for operation by Japan Ground Self-Defence Force (JGSDF) units. The detailed specifications such as flight range and […]

Norway has become the first partner nation in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme to complete its programme of record for the jet, Lockheed Martin announced on 1 April 2025. The JSF fleet of the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) was completed with the delivery of the air force’s 51st and 52nd F-35As. Norway […]

The Portuguese Air Force (Força Aérea Portuguesa – FAP) is to join Embraer and the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) in collaborative studies to identify potential adaptations to Embraer’s KC-390 Millennium tanker-transport aircraft to perform intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, the Brazilian aerospace manufacturer announced on 1 April 2025. The announcement was made at a […]

UK security technology company OSL announced on 2 April 2025 the successful completion of the final phase of Project HADO (High-Intensity Autonomous Drone Operations): a UK Research and Innovation-funded research and development initiative aimed at enabling secure, repeatable beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations across UK airspace. The milestone marks the conclusion of more […]

Sweden has officially committed to acquiring four C-390 Millennium multi-mission airlifters from Embraer, the Brazilian aerospace manufacturer announced on 1 April 2025. The announcement, which secures the necessary production slots for the Swedish aircraft, was made on the first day Brazil’s 2025 LAAD defence and security exhibition in the presence of Peter Sandwall, state secretary […]

Airbus Defence and Space subsidiary Survey Copter unveiled a new vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) version of its Aliaca unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at the 2025 Special Operations Forces Innovation Network Seminar (SOFINS), held in Bordeaux, France, from 1 to 3 April. In its VTOL configuration, the Aliaca tactical UAV is equipped with four propellers […]

Israeli airborne protection specialist Bird Aerosystems has successfully obtained Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) approval for the installation of its Airborne Missile Protection System (AMPS), which incorporates the SPREOS directional infra-red countermeasures (DIRCM) system, on Airbus A319-based VIP transport aircraft, the company announced on 31 March 2025. The certification enables Airbus A319 aircraft already equipped with […]