Aircraft & Propulsion

Thailand’s cabinet has approved THB369 million ($10.4 million) for the Royal Thai Air Force to make infrastructure preparations in anticipation of a potential F-35A acquisition.

More missiles for Ukraine; USAF looks to speed Wedgetail buy; Canada’s Snowbirds grounded; Joby expands Agility Prime work.

The U.S. Air Force’s short-lived “Digital Century Series” plan appears to be dead for future manned fighters, but the service says the plan’s focus on rapidly iterating designs could be relevant for its future drones.

The Royal Canadian Air Force has grounded its CT-114 Tutor fleet as an investigation continues into an Aug. 2 mishap that damaged one of the Snowbird display team’s aircraft.

Joby Aviation has signed a potential $45 million expansion of its contract with the U.S. Air Force’s Agility Prime program.

AVIC says it has completed the first flight of the AR-500CJ uncrewed air system.

International sales would depend on Seoul allowing the release and export of certain UAS technologies and capabilities.

Pursuing higher speed and longer range for regional air mobility, Canadian startup Horizon Aircraft is preparing to fly a 50%-scale model of its planned Cavorite X5 hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

A Lockheed Martin F-16CG from Aviano Air Base, Italy, had its main landing gear fail during a training flight on March 2, causing the jet to land on its belly and sustain more than $6 million in damages—the latest in a series of landing gear failures in the fleet.

UK officials are establishing the MQ-9B International Cooperative Program to foster closer collaboration between operators.

The U.S. Navy has officially handed over the first of three modified CN-235-220M maritime patrol aircraft to the Royal Malaysian Air Force.

New contracts would end a long-running dry spell for orders of the six-metric-ton AW159 Wildcat naval helicopter.

Turkish Aerospace wants to achieve TF-X fighter and Hurjet milestones on March 18, 2023.

UK-based uncrewed aircraft system development house Blue Bear says it has developed a beyond-visual-line-of-sight communication bridge to link with air vehicles too small to carry a BVLOS communication system.

Beijing said the drills are being conducted in response to Pelosi’s visit and will last until Aug. 7.

The F-35 and Typhoon are soaring, while development of Franco-German FCAS and sales of the Swedish Gripen lag.

South Korea is becoming Poland’s new defense partner, as the NATO nation rearms in the face of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

An L3Harris/AirTractor team has been selected to supply 75 weaponized versions of the AT-802 crop duster to Air Force Special Operations Command after winning the $3 billion contract for the Armed Overwatch program.

L3Harris has completed safety-of-flight testing on the integrated core processor (ICP) upgrade for the Lockheed Martin F-35, the company said July 20.

Ahead of China’s People’s Liberation Army Day on Aug. 1, the PLA has released numerous videos of its military capabilities.

The U.S. Army has contracted with Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research to develop a digital twin for its AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, a move that will allow it to build parts faster and at lower cost, officials say. It is the third program of its kind between the Army and NIAR. NIAR previously created “digital twins” or 3D engineering for the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter and the M113 armored personnel carrier.

Air Combat Command has developed requirements for an Adversary Aircraft-Unmanned Experimental system, and plans to share the document with a set of selected companies within the next few weeks.

The Czech Republic and Poland will begin policing the airspace of neighboring Slovakia as early as September.

Serial production of Aero Vodochody's new trainer is now “running at full speed.”

“Outside the F-35, not a single anomaly has been discovered worldwide as a result of the forensic investigation which continues at pace, ” a Martin-Baker official said.