Archive: News & Articles

The Slovak defence minister has indicated that the Embraer C-390 Millennium airlifter is the best option for Slovakia’s future military transport requirements, Embraer has reported. The news came on 10 December 2024, when Slovak Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák, on a visit to Brazil, signed a letter of intent with the Brazilian Ministry of Defence paving […]

Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky business has been selected by the US Marine Corps (USMS) to demonstrate the maturity and capability of its Matrix flight autonomy system, Lockheed Martin reported on 11 December 2024. Operationally relevant demonstration flights during 2025 using Sikorsky’s Optionally Piloted UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter will inform the USMC’s Aerial Logistics Connector programme. The demonstrations […]

The Eurofighter consortium has awarded BAE Systems a GBP 133 million (EUR 161.6 million) contract to further develop its Striker II helmet-mounted display (HMD), the company reported on 11 December 2024. Under the new contract the four-nation Eurofighter consortium – which combines companies from Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK – has tasked BAE Systems […]

The US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to the Netherlands of AIM-120D3 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs), the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on 6 December 2024. The proposed sale, which is estimated to be worth up to USD 807 million (EUR 767 million), has been passed to […]

Teledyne FLIR announced on 4 December 2024 that Gremsy, a leading provider of advanced gimbals and payloads, has become the latest collaborator in the Thermal by FLIR programme: a co-operative product development and marketing effort supporting manufacturers that use Teledyne FLIR thermal cameras in their products. Gremsy integrates the Boson radiometric thermal camera module as […]

The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded BAE Systems’ FAST Labs research and development organisation a USD 12 million (EUR 11.35 million) contract as part of the High Operational Temperature Sensors (HOTS) programme, the company announced on 9 December 2024. The HOTS programme will help develop microelectronic sensor technologies capable of high-bandwidth, […]

Bell Textron Inc announced on 4 December 2024 that it has completed wind tunnel testing at the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) at Wichita State University in support of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA’s) Speed and Runway Independent Technology (SPRINT) programme. This test phase follows successful evaluation of Bell Textron’s innovative ‘Stop/Fold’ rotor system […]

The United Kingdom has become the first international customer for Northrop Grumman’s Common Infrared Countermeasures (CIRCM) system, the company announced on 4 December 2024. Ten of the 14 Boeing H-47 Chinook Extended Range (ER) heavylift helicopters that the UK Ministry of Defence announced it was ordering in March 2024 will be fitted with CIRCM systems, […]

Japan’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 29 November 2024 that it has selected US-based Textron Aviation Defence’s Beechcraft T-6C Texan II turboprop trainer as the replacement for the Fuji T-7 primary trainers currently operated by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF). While Textron teamed with Japan’s Kanematsu Corporation to offer the T-6C, the other […]

The US Army has ordered three additional CH-47F Block II Chinook heavylift helicopters under a Lot 3 contract award, valued at USD 135 million (EUR 127.7 million), Boeing announced on 4 December 2024. The contract award follows the US Army’s announcement in February 2024 that it is moving forward with full-rate production of the CH-47F […]

Lockheed Martin Skunk Works and the Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO) of the UK Royal Air Force (RAF) have completed the first-ever live F-35 classified data share with a non-US command-and-control (C2) system, Lockheed Martin announced on 4 December 2024. The effort, dubbed Project Deimos, involved a real-time, live-fly demonstration in which an F-35 Lightning II fighter flying from Lockheed […]

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 […]