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AH-64E Deploys
Credit: U.S. Army
AH-64E
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F-35 Misses Debut
A fire caused by an engine failure in an F-35A in June forced a grounding that caused the Joint Strike Fighter to miss its international debut at two major events in the U.K.
Credit: Lockheed Martin
Credit: Lockheed Martin
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Scorpion Makes Debut
Barely six months after its first flight, Textron AirLand’s private-venture Scorpion light-attack/reconnaissance aircraft prototype crossed the Atlantic in July to make its international debut at both the Royal Air Tattoo and Farnborough International Airshow in the U.K.
Credit: Textron
Credit: Textron
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Africa’s Ahrlac Flies
Designed and developed by South African defense firm Paramount Group, working with Aerosud, the Advanced High Performance Reconnaissance Light Aircraft (Ahrlac) made its first flight on Aug. 13.
Credit: Paramount Group
Credit: Paramount Group
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Back to Iraq
Even as forces were being withdrawn from Afghanistan—the U.S. and U.K. ended combat operations there in October—a U.S-led coalition began air operations in August against Islamic State forces in Iraq and Syria. This saw the combat debut of the stealthy F-22 (pictured), as a strike aircraft.
Credit: U.S. Air Force
Credit: U.S. Air Force
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South Korea Buys—and Cancels
South Korea formally selected the F-35A in September, with plans to buy 40 for delivery from 2018, but in November Seoul canceled a contract with BAE Systems to upgrade 132 KF-16s (pictured) because of cost concerns.
Credit: South Korea National Defense Ministry
Credit: South Korea National Defense Ministry
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USAF Receives Super Tucano
After a contentious contest won by Sierra Nevada Corp., the first of 20 U.S.-assembled Embraer A-29 Super Tucano light air support aircraft for the Afghan air force was delivered to the U.S. Air Force in September to enable pilot training to begin.
Credit: U.S. Air Force
Credit: U.S. Air Force
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Brazil Signs for Gripen
Brazil signed a contract in October for 36 Saab JAS 39E/F Gripen NGs for delivery in 2019-24, with the potential to increase to 108 aircraft by 2032. Brazil will help develop the two-seat -F and integrate its own missiles on the Gripen.
Credit: Saab
Credit: Saab
![](/sites/default/files/styles/crop_freeform/public/gallery_images/KC-390%20rollout%20Embraer.jpg?itok=eBZYMNQ1)
KC-390 Rolls Out
Its development funded by the Brazilian air force, the KC-390 was rolled out by Embraer on Oct. 21. The IAE V2500-powered twin-turbofan tanker/transport is expected to fly early in 2015.
Credit: Embraer
Credit: Embraer
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F-35C Arrives on Deck
The F-35C carrier variant of Lockheed Martin’s Joint Strike Fighter completed its first sea trials in November. A test aircraft is shown conducting arrested landings and catapult launches on the USS Nimitz.
Credit: Lockheed Martin
Credit: Lockheed Martin
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Japan Picks E-2D AEW
Japan selected Northrop Grumman’s E-2D Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft in December, becoming the first export customer, and confirmed plans to buy Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey tiltrotors and Northrop Grumman
RQ-4B Global Hawk unmanned aircraft.
Credit: U.S. Navy
Credit: U.S. Navy
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A-10 Fights On
As the year drew to a close, Congress passed a 2015 defense budget that blocks, at least temporarily, the U.S. Air Force's plans to retire close-air-support A-10s (pictured), as well as E-3s and U-2s. The A-10s joined U.S. strikes against Islamic State forces in November.
Credit: U.S. Air Force
Credit: U.S. Air Force
From the combat debut of the F-22 and a congressional block on retiring the A-10 to milestones and setbacks for the F-35 program, here are some of the key military-aircraft events in 2014.