![balloon shoot-down](/sites/default/files/styles/crop_freeform/public/2023-12/ad2024-defense_1-us_air_force.jpg?itok=J_AhFQfX)
Balloon shoot-down
A high-altitude balloon that originated in China was shot down by a U.S. Air Force Lockheed Martin F-22 off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 4 after it had entered U.S. airspace near the Aleutian Islands on Jan. 28 and drifted across North America carrying an intelligence-gathering payload.
![Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70](/sites/default/files/styles/crop_freeform/public/2023-12/ad2024-defense_2-lockheed_martin.jpg?itok=Sfxt7q17)
F-16 Block 70
The first Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 was delivered to the Royal Bahraini Air Force on March 10 from the new F-16 final assembly line in Greenville, South Carolina. The first of 16 for Bahrain, the aircraft is the first of 147 new-build Block 70/72s on backlog for seven countries.
![Turkish Aerospace Industries Hurjet advanced jet trainer](/sites/default/files/styles/crop_freeform/public/2023-12/ad2024-defense_3-turkish_aerospace_industries.jpg?itok=oZDJyV0E)
TAI Hurjet
Turkish Aerospace Industries’ (TAI) Hurjet advanced jet trainer made its first flight on April 25. Powered by a single General Electric F404, the Hurjet is the first crewed jet aircraft developed in Turkey and follows the Hurkus turboprop trainer. The Hurjet is planned to replace Turkey’s Northrop T-38s.
![TAI TF-X indigenous fighter prototype](/sites/default/files/styles/crop_freeform/public/2023-12/ad2024-defense_4-turkish_aerospace_industries.jpg?itok=EBmhQ6rD)
TAI Kaan
Turkey’s TAI TF-X indigenous fighter prototype was rolled out and formally named the Kaan ("king") on May 1, when the first flight was planned by the end of 2023, powered by a pair of General Electric F110 engines. Deliveries to the Turkish Air Force, to replace its F-16s, are planned to begin in 2028.
![Simorgh light military transport aircraft](/sites/default/files/styles/crop_freeform/public/2023-12/ad2024-defense_5-irna.jpg?itok=HS9N0T-5)
Iran Simorgh
Iran’s first indigenous light military transport aircraft—the Simorgh—made its initial flight on May 30. Developed by the Iran Aviation Industries Organization, the aircraft is derived from the 50-seat IrAn-140 regional turboprop assembled locally under license from Ukraine’s Antonov in the 2000s.
![Boeing T-7A Red Hawk](/sites/default/files/styles/crop_freeform/public/2023-12/ad2024-defense_6-us_air_force.jpg?itok=769mhcHL)
Boeing T-7A
The first of three Boeing T-7A Red Hawk engineering and manufacturing development aircraft made its delayed first flight on June 28, arriving at Edwards AFB, California, to begin testing in November. Boeing won a $9.2 billion contract to supply 351 T-7s in 2018, when service entry was planned for 2024.
![JetZero blended wing body demonstrator](/sites/default/files/styles/crop_freeform/public/2023-12/ad2024-defense_7-jetzero.jpg?itok=-HpTtlVe)
JetZero BWB
In August, the U.S. Air Force Operational Energy Office awarded startup JetZero a $235 million cost-sharing contract to build a full-scale blended wing body demonstrator for flight in 2027. The aircraft is intended as a precursor to proposed midsize commercial airliner and military tanker/transport derivatives.
![EC-37B Compass Call](/sites/default/files/styles/crop_freeform/public/2023-12/ad2024-defense_8-l3harris-bae_systems.jpg?itok=OnYSV3rD)
EC-37B Compass Call
L3Harris and BAE Systems delivered the first EC-37B, a Gulfstream G550 outfitted with electronic attack equipment from the EC-130H Compass Call, to the U.S. Air Force in September. The Air Force plans to “cross-deck” systems from existing EC-130Hs to at least 10 EC-37Bs.
![Lockheed Martin Multi-Role Tanker Transport](/sites/default/files/styles/crop_freeform/public/2023-12/ad2024-defense_9-lockheed_martin.jpg?itok=OnCWF-cb)
KC-135 Recapitalization
Lockheed Martin in October exited the competition to replace the U.S. Air Force’s fleet of Boeing KC-135 tankers, disbanding the LMXT team offering a version of Airbus’ A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT). Airbus is now pursing the program on its own with a U.S.-produced A330 MRTT.
![Israel Aerospace Industries Arrow 3 interceptor](/sites/default/files/styles/crop_freeform/public/2023-12/ad2024-defense_10-israel_aerospace_industries.jpg?itok=lxSqjZlJ)
IAI Arrow 3
Israel Aerospace Industries’ Arrow 3 interceptor made its combat debut on Oct. 31 by successfully shooting down a long-range ballistic missile over the Red Sea, likely launched from Houthi-controlled Yemen. Israel Defense Forces first deployed the Arrow 3 in 2017.
![Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider](/sites/default/files/styles/crop_freeform/public/2023-12/ad2024-defense_12-matt_hartmann.jpg?itok=dkzUAuXv)
B-21 Raider
The U.S. Air Force’s Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider made its first flight Nov. 10, flying from Palmdale to Edwards AFB in California to begin testing. Northrop was awarded the B-21 development contract in October 2015 and rolled out the first aircraft on Dec. 2, 2022.
![Embraer C-390 Millennium](/sites/default/files/styles/crop_freeform/public/2023-12/ad2024-defense_13-embraer.jpg?itok=jDQeipsZ)
C-390 Millennium
Brazil’s Embraer capped an eventful year for export of its C-390 Millennium transport with the December selection by South Korea to supply three aircraft. This followed selection by the Czech Republic in October and Austria in September. The first exported C-390 entered service with Portugal in October.
![fighters in the sky](/sites/default/files/styles/crop_freeform/public/2023-12/ad2024-defense_14-bae_systems.jpg?itok=95Dd4faS)
GCAP
Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) partner nations planning a sixth-generation fighter—Italy, Japan and the UK—on Dec. 14 agreed to create a UK-based international government organization to run the program. An industrial joint venture is set to follow in 2024 with joint development to be launched in 2025.
From the shoot-down of a Chinese spy balloon to the first flight of the U.S. Air Force’s B-21 stealth bomber, the F-16’s return to production and Turkey’s indigenous trainer and fighter debuts, 2023 was an eventful year for defense aviation.