Thailand’s light attack helicopter program has seen some progress after the U.S. Army awarded Boeing a contract to build AH-6i helicopters for the Southeast Asian nation.
Airbus is confident that it will finally secure FAA certification of its H160 twin-engine medium rotorcraft later this year, more than two years after European approval was granted for the aircraft.
As the U.S. Army heads toward selecting a winner of its Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft competition by mid-2022, the Sikorsky/Boeing team is continuing to flesh out the capabilities of its offering with new flight-test milestones for the SB-1 Defiant demonstrator.
Airbus says it will continue to maintain a “strong position” in defense despite apparent pressures from European investors over the company’s environmental, social and governance credentials.
Switzerland says it has completed the first of two phased upgrades to its McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C/D legacy Hornet fleet to ensure the type can soldier on through to 2030.
Another shoe has dropped in the competition to supply the U.S. Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA), with Sikorsky and Boeing selecting Honeywell’s 7,500-shp HTS7500 engine to power their contender, the Defiant X coaxial rigid-rotor compound helicopter.
Karem Aircraft is studying a version of its optimum speed tiltrotor concept aimed at providing a common solution to both U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Future Vertical requirements, although both continue to evolve.
In a discussion of upcoming competitions, Boeing Defense, Space and Security CEO Leanne Caret confirmed that the company will offer its E-7 Wedgetail for the U.S. Air Force’s search for a replacement for the E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft.
