Surveillance Balloon, Likely Chinese, Lingering Over U.S., DOD Says
The Pentagon announced the discovery on Feb. 2
[email protected]… Thu, 02/02/2023 - 23:00
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Spain Planning Phased Fighter Acquisition

By Tony Osborne Feb 02, 2023
Spain is set to acquire additional Eurofighters and an unnamed fifth-generation fighter–likely the F-35–as part of a new program.
Aircraft & Propulsion
RAF Chief Wants To Restore Planned Wedgetail Fleet To Five Aircraft
A 2021 review cut the UK's planned Boeing E-7 Wedgetail fleet from five aircraft to three.
guy.ferneyhoug… Thu, 02/02/2023 - 15:36
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Turkish Aerospace Completes First Engine Run On Hurjet
Video shows a rollout and spooling up of the Hurjet advanced jet trainer's General Electric F404 engine at Turkish Aerospace's facility in Ankara.
guy.ferneyhoug… Thu, 02/02/2023 - 12:07
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RAF A400M Will Absorb Retiring Hercules Missions By June
The service has had to compress development of C-130J missions onto the A400M.
[email protected]… Wed, 02/01/2023 - 23:19
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GA-ASI Publicly Lobbies For MQ-9 Exports To Ukraine

By Steve Trimble Feb 01, 2023
GA-ASI CEO Linden Blue is clearly frustrated with the lack of mandatory U.S. government approval to export the highly controlled weapon systems. 
Aircraft & Propulsion
RAF Training Pipeline Improving After 'External Shocks,' Chief Says
Throughput of the UK Royal Air Force’s pilot training pipeline is improving, the head of the service has insisted.
[email protected]… Wed, 02/01/2023 - 22:37
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Aurora Joins Design Competition For DARPA Liberty Lifter

By Steve Trimble Feb 01, 2023
Aurora Flight Sciences has revealed an eight-propulsor, monohull design for the DARPA Liberty Lifter program.
Aircraft & Propulsion

Switzerland Finishes Hornet Avionics Upgrade Work

By Tony Osborne Feb 01, 2023
Switzerland has completed a series of avionics upgrades for its McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornets.
Aircraft & Propulsion
GKN Invests In Gripen Engine Maintenance Facilities
The investment will support maintenance of the General Electric F414 engines that equip Sweden’s new Gripen E fighters and older F404 engines on its Gripen C/D.
guy.ferneyhoug… Wed, 02/01/2023 - 14:07
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Bell Unveils Military Special Mission Mod Kit Program

By Guy Norris Feb 01, 2023
Bell Textron is developing military modification kits for its commercial helicopters, targeting nations with urgent security needs but limited defense budgets.
Aircraft & Propulsion
Will Japan Second-Guess The P-1 Maritime Patrol Aircraft?
The life-cycle cost for the jet-powered aircraft jumped 68% from 2008 to 2021.
andrea.copleys… Wed, 02/01/2023 - 09:00
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Asia-Pacific Staff
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U.S. Air Force Targeting Next-Generation Refueler By 2040

By Brian Everstine Jan 31, 2023
The U.S. Air Force wants an innovative refueling system to better operate in contested environments with a goal of operations beginning in 2040.
Aircraft & Propulsion
Biden Rejects Supplying F-16s To Ukraine
U.S. President Joe Biden appeared to dismiss the possibility of directly providing Lockheed Martin F-16s to Ukraine.
[email protected]… Tue, 01/31/2023 - 02:17
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USAF Orders More KC-46s As Program Works Cargo, Fuel Issues

By Brian Everstine Jan 30, 2023
The KC-46’s developmental history is a story of U.S. Air Force work-arounds.
Aircraft & Propulsion
The Weekly Debrief: Why A Pair Of Conformal Fuel Tanks Changes The Early Role Of The F-15EX
As it currently stands today, all future F-15EXs delivered to the Air Force will look noticeably different than the first two prototypes.
[email protected]… Mon, 01/30/2023 - 20:39
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Airbus, DGA Advance VSR700 Flight Testing

By Tony Osborne Jan 30, 2023
The flights over water pave the way for the first landings of the VSR700 onto a French Navy frigate, currently planned for the end of Q1 2023.
Aircraft & Propulsion

China Hints At More Y-20 Variants A Decade After First Flight

By Chen Chuanren Jan 30, 2023
A decade since first flight in January, 2013, China's AVIC is looking at more missions for the Xian Y-20 strategic airlifter.
Aircraft & Propulsion
B-21 Profit Warning Draws Mixed Reviews On Wall Street
Although any losses remain theoretical, some market analysts no longer expect Northrop to make any profit on early B-21 production lots.
[email protected]… Fri, 01/27/2023 - 19:59
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AMC Wants To Launch 100 UAVs From Single KC-135 Stratotanker

Jan 27, 2023
The U.S. Air Force’s Air Mobility Command wants a plan within two months to launch 100 UAVs from a single aging KC-135 Stratotanker.
Aircraft & Propulsion
French Defense Agency OKs AASM Munition For Rafale Use
France’s defense materiel agency has cleared a new 1,000-kg (2,204-lb.) version of the Safran AASM munition for use on Dassault Rafale fighters.
[email protected]… Fri, 01/27/2023 - 17:42
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Sikorsky Eyes Commercial Future For X2 Co-Axial Helicopter Tech

By Garrett Reim Jan 26, 2023
Sikorsky is looking ahead to applying its X2 coaxial rigid-rotor compound helicopter technology to commercial aircraft.
Aircraft & Propulsion

Boom Breaks Ground On Overture Factory

By Guy Norris Jan 26, 2023
Work on the site gets underway almost exactly a year after Boom Supersonic announced it had selected Greensboro as its production, test and delivery facility.
Manufacturing & Supply Chain
Italy Contracts Industrial Partners For Future Combat Aircraft
The agreements come just more than a month since the GCAP enterprise was formed.
[email protected]… Thu, 01/26/2023 - 17:53
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Northrop Warns Of Possible Losses On B-21 Production

By Steve Trimble Jan 26, 2023
The potential loss would reflect inflationary pressures and the impact of supply chain disruptions on the first five lots of low-rate production.
Aircraft & Propulsion