Russia’s defense spending will begin to decrease for the first time in a decade, but the drop-off is coming at a time when its forces are showcasing their strength.
Japan’s fiscal 2017 defense budget request asks for a 2.3% increase over 2016’s, continuing the upward trajectory that began when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took power in December 2012.
The South Korean parliament has refused a defense ministry request to spend 30% more on Lockheed Martin F-35 acquisition in 2017 than originally planned.
Gyroplane specialist Groen Aeronautics has begun development of an optionally piloted autogyro aimed at the market for a simple, low-cost and high-payload vertical-takeoff-and-landing unmanned aircraft. &
The U.S. Air Force has launched its highly-anticipated T-X next-generation trainer competition, issuing a request for proposals on Dec. 30 that will likely be answered by five or six industry team already vying for the $16.3 billion contract opportunity.
Turkish Aerospace Industries will market its indigenous clean-sheet twin-engine utility helicopter under the designation T-625, company officials have confirmed.
The Serbian government is to order nine H145M helicopters from Airbus as it pushes to modernize the country’s defenses after years of under investment.
Leonardo acquires full control of Sistemi Dinamici in a bid to widen its unmanned helicopter portfolio and consolidate its capabilities as a systems integrator.
The U.S. Air Force has launched another multi-billion dollar aircraft competition, this time to replace its fleet of second-hand Boeing 707-300-based Northrop Grumman E-8C Jstars tank hunters that first deployed as part of Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
The Tu-154B-2 belonging to the Russian air force had stopped off in Sochi en route to Russia’s coastal airbase in Latakia, Syria, but went down less than one mile (1.5 km) from shore moments after takeoff.
AIRBUS HELICOPTERS and THALES TDA ARMEMENTS have Occar contracts covering upgrade of 24 French Tiger HAD aircraft to Mk. 2 configuration. BOEING has $207.5m U.S. Navy contract for 51 full-rate production Lot 90 Harpoon weapon systems, components, and spares for Egypt (20); Korea (19); and Brazil (12).
Air Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa will take over as India’s chief of air staff on Dec. 31 following the retirement of Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha. Dhanoa will be the 25th chief of the IAF since India’s independence in 1947. The appointment was formally announced Dec 17. He was commissioned in the IAF in June 1978 as a fighter pilot. The Air Marshal has mainly flown the MiG-21 but has experience across the entire spectrum of IAF fighter aircraft, from the Jaguar to the MiG-29 and Su-30 MKI.
The company plans to launch either a Roketsan UMTAS anti-tank weapon or the Cirit 70mm lightweight missile from one of the prototype Hurkus-As before the IDEF 2017 defense show in Istanbul.
n 140 characters, President-elect Donald Trump has registered U.S. interest in re-entering a Cold War-style nuclear buildup to counterbalance Russia, tweeting that the U.S. must “greatly strengthen and expand” its strategic arsenal.
AIRBUS HELICOPTERS INC. has U.S. Army contract worth up to $967m over five years for spare parts, material and engineering support for UH-72A Lakota helicopters.
Ukraine’s defense and space establishment continues to move away from its prior reliance on Russia’s industrial base with the rollout of the first prototype of Antonov’s An-132 transport aircraft. The Dec. 20 ceremony in Kiev included President Petro Poroshenko as well as officials from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The aircraft, made without Russian content, can fly at 28,000 ft., with a payload of 9.2 tons. It uses two Pratt & Whitney 150A engines and Dowty’s six-bladed R408 propeller system. Honeywell is providing avionics.
North America In November the Pentagon awarded Lockheed Martin $1.3 billion to continue production of the next batch of F-35s as negotiations drag on to finalize a huge contract worth up to $7.2 billion for 90 aircraft. The $1.3 billion will cover costs incurred on long-lead work for the 10th batch of F-35s under a contract vehicle known as an undefinitized contract action. As Lockheed awaits the final Lot 10 contract award, the cash will help ensure there are no gaps in the production line.
