The Republic of Lebanon today confirmed the acquisition of six A-29 Super Tucano turboprop aircraft from Embraer Defense & Security and Sierra Nevada Corporation. The contract includes logistics support for aircraft operation as well as a complete training system for Lebanese Air Force pilots and mechanics. The sale was approved in June by the U.S. … Read more
The F-35A Lightning II completed the first three airborne gunfire bursts from its internal Gun Airborne Unit (GAU)-22/A 25mm Gatling gun system during a California test flight, Oct. 30. This milestone was the first in a series of test flights to functionally evaluate the in-flight operation of the F-35A Conventional Take Off and Landing (CTOL) … Read more
Lockheed Martin successfully completed the maiden flight of the F-16V, the latest and most advanced F-16 on the market today. The October 16 flight marks the first time an F-16 has flown with Northrop Grumman’s advanced APG-83 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR), which will deliver a quantum leap in capability … Read more
The India Ministry of Defence has finalized its order with Boeing for production, training and support of Apache and Chinook helicopters that will greatly enhance India’s capabilities across a range of military and humanitarian missions. India will receive 22 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters and 15 CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopters. Both are the newest models … Read more
The Boeing and U.S. Air Force team successfully completed the first flight of a KC-46A tanker aircraft today, taking off from Paine Field at 1:24 p.m. (PST) and landing four hours later at Boeing Field in Seattle. This was the first flight of a KC-46A tanker-configured aircraft, following ongoing flights of the program’s first test aircraft, a … Read more
Ceremonies were held today at the Lockheed Martin F-35 production facility celebrating the rollout of the first F-35A Lightning II for the Norwegian Armed Forces. The event marked an important production milestone for the future of Norway’s national defense. “We all know that the F-35 is not simply another fighter. We know that it is … Read more
Airbus Defence and Space today welcomed the decision of the UK Ministry of Defence to declare that the key contractual milestone known as In-Service Delivery (ISD) has been met following the handing-over of its seventh Airbus A400M new-generation airlifter. The transfer of the aircraft, known as Atlas in UK service, means that the Royal Air … Read more
Boeing delivered the seventh CH-47F Chinook to the Australian Army on August 10th, three weeks ahead of schedule, supporting modernization of Australia’s cargo helicopter fleet and eventually replacing the Commonwealth’s six older CH-47D Chinooks. The seven advanced Chinooks were ordered as part of a U.S. Government Foreign Military Sales agreement with Australia in 2012. “Boeing … Read more
Italy’s first F-35A Lightning II, known as AL-1 and assembled at the Cameri Final Assembly and Check Out (FACO) facility, flew for the first time today marking the program’s first-ever F-35 flight outside the United States. Lockheed Martin F-35 test pilot Bill “Gigs” Gigliotti, lifted off the runway at 1:05 p.m. European Standard Time for … Read more
Airbus Defence and Space is to provide two more Airbus A330 Multi Role Transport Tankers (A330 MRTT) to the Royal Australian Air Force.