Archive: News & Articles

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. […]

Sweden and Brazil have signed a letter of intent (LoI) under which Sweden indicated its interest in buying Embraer C-390 Millennium airlifters while Brazil stated that it plans to procure additional Saab Gripen E/F fighters. The LoI was on 9 November 2024 by Swedish Defence Minister Pål Jonson and Brazilian Defence Minister José Múcio in […]

The US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to South Korea of four E-7 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on 4 November 2024. The proposed sale, which is worth an estimated USD 4.92 billion (EUR 4.6 billion), has been passed to […]

Italy’s Leonardo has signed a contract with the Italian General Command of the Port Authorities – Coast Guard for the supply of an ATR42-600 MP maritime patrol aircraft (MPA), the company announced on 8 November 2024. The acquisition, the value of which was not specified, forms part of the General Command’s plan to renewal its […]

European missile house MBDA successfully completed the first test-firing of its Teseo MK2/E evolved anti-ship missile on 14 October 2024 as part of a multi-year development programme for the Italian Navy, the company reported on 4 November. The Teseo MK2/E is a new-generation missile that MBDA says “brings a substantial improvement in the anti-ship capabilities […]

Saab’s Gripen E fighter has made its multi-national military exercise debut with an appearance at the 2024 Cruzeiro do Sul Exercise (CRUZEX) in Brazil. Held from 3 to 15 November out of Brazil’s Natal Air Base in Rio Grande do Norte, CRUZEX is one of the largest operational air exercises in the Southern Hemisphere, involving […]

UK-based maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) specialist Marshall has been named as the first Lockheed Martin-approved centre of excellence for centre wing box replacements on the C-130 transport aircraft. Leaders from both companies gathered to mark the achievement during the 2024 Hercules Orion Conference, held in Atlanta, Georgia, from 21 to 24 October near the C-130 […]

The US Navy’s Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) at the Naval Air Station North Island complex in San Diego, California, has completed the final maintenance on its last legacy F/A-18 Hornet, US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) reported on 31 October 2024. The F/A-18A/B Hornet fleet entered operational service with the US Marine Corps (USMC) and […]

The US government has awarded Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky business a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) contract to provide 35 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters for the Hellenic Army, Lockheed Martin announced on 29 October 2024. The US State Department approved an FMS covering the 35 UH-60Ms and related equipment for Greece on 15 December 2023 in a […]

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) has collaborated with BAE Systems to demonstrate unique electronic warfare (EW) capabilities remotely controlled via a secure, jam-resistant Link 16 network on an MQ-20 Avenger unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the company announced on 31 October 2024. The Avenger is a jet-powered platform used extensively as a test bed for autonomous […]

Embraer announced on 1 November 2024 that it will provide training solutions for the C-390 Millenium tanker/transport aircraft to the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF). The agreement includes a full flight simulator and a cargo handling station trainer developed with Rheinmetall as well as a computer-based trainer developed with ETI. The companies expect the training […]