Lockheed Martin F-16

Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.

Argentina’s government has signed an agreement to purchase 24 F-16 fighters from Denmark in a major step to recapitalize the Latin American country’s air force.

Portugal’s air force chief says his service has begun exploring a transition from F-16s to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

About three years before its first scheduled fielding, the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft fleet has a new group of F-16-based testbed aircraft.

In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Romania has significantly increased its defense spending, allocating 2.5% of its GDP and placing it among the highest spenders within NATO. To maintain its role in enhancing alliance security, the Romanian Air Force has embarked on several fleet recapitalization initiatives.

NATO has marked 20 years since establishing its Baltic Air Policing mission.

The U.S. Air Force will soon begin modifying an F-16 to evaluate autonomy software and artificial intelligence.

The end of the F-16’s operational service in the Netherlands has moved a step closer with the type’s withdrawal from domestic air policing operations.

Of the 215 used fighters expected to transfer ownership in the coming decade, 132 of them (about 61%) will be F-16s, according to Aviation Week’s Fleet Discovery Military database.

Poland has submitted a letter of request to Washington for a midlife upgrade for the country’s Lockheed Martin F-16s.

Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen signed a letter of intent to finalize the deal later this year in Denmark.

A Turkish indigenous active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar has taken to the air for the first time in an F-16, local defense officials announced.

The U.S. government says it welcomes a decision this week by a new Argentinian government to acquire an undisclosed number of used F-16s from Denmark.

The U.S. has approved Poland’s purchase of more than 800 air-launched cruise missiles as part of a buildup of the country’s weapons stocks.

Embraer and Singapore’s ST Engineering say they will expand their collaboration in defense beyond the service and engineering of the C-390 transport aircraft.

In response to the rapidly changing strategic environment in the region, the Royal Thai Air Force has released an updated White Paper outlining investment priorities through 2037.

The integration will allow the Navy to experiment with autonomous capabilities as it continues developing concepts for crewed-uncrewed teaming capabilities.

Readers write about the F-16, NATO assets for Ukraine, and air traffic control training and supervision. Plus: Behind the Scenes at the Singapore Airshow.

Bahrain formally accepted delivery of the first of 16 jets a year ago, but the fighters remained in the U.S. to complete certification testing.

The U.S. Air Force is putting its Lockheed Martin F-35A through its paces in the type’s most complex deployment to the Asia Pacific.

RTAF has released a white paper on new procurement requirements, including fighter replacements, domestically produced munitions and anti-drone technology.

The country’s ministers, engineers and industry leaders have waited almost 14 years for the 13-min. first flight of the prototype Kaan on Feb. 21.

Every dollar of aircraft production underpins at least another dollar of supplier activity in all tiers.

President Erdogan says he has discussed the next steps on finalizing Turkey's procurement of additional Lockheed Martin F-16s with U.S. lawmakers.

Readers write about aircraft production standards, nuclear bomb coverage, AI, private jets, future airliners and radar warning receivers.