The U.S. government will donate additional Bell AH-1Z and UH-1Y helicopters to the Czech Republic as the Eastern European country bolsters its armed forces in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

The U.S. Air Force is beginning discussions with the Army and Navy on ways to collaborate to better protect its bases, especially in the Pacific region, under a new focus on base defense as it looks for different ways to safeguard its installations at home.

The U.S. Air Force is the only one of three services to ground the Bell Boeing V-22, with the Marine Corps and Navy saying they will keep the tiltrotor flying with precautions.

The Czech Republic has handed design organization approval for Russian-built helicopters operated by the Czech military to maintenance, repair and overhaul and training organization LOM Praha, after the Russian government suspended maintenance certificates of several helicopter repair organizations across Eastern Europe.

The U.S. Air Force has grounded its Bell-Boeing CV-22 fleet due to issues with the tiltrotor’s gearbox causing multiple safety incidents, including one as recent as last weekend.

In the summer of 2021, the U.S. Air Force appeared to have a clear schedule for its refueling future: continued deliveries of Boeing’s KC-46 for the next several years, a “bridge tanker” KC-Y to follow starting in 2029 and then the next-generation KC-Z to follow beginning in the mid-2030s.

The aircraft will participate in the biennial multi-national air exercise Pitch Black led by the Royal Australian Air Force.

The pilot or co-pilot deviated from the planned route, entered a valley at low level and then banked the aircraft at angles far beyond the MV-22B’s limit for maintaining altitude.