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.
The Irish government says it will consider a report that urges the country to consider acquiring combat aircraft to provide a national air policing capability.
The U.S. Air Force is kicking off its effort to replace the E-3 Sentry AWACS, releasing a request for information for its replacement on Feb. 8 that calls for two prototypes by 2028.
Two new-build Falcons will be acquired, replacing the long-serving BAe 146 regional airliners that have been used for the RAF’s Command Support Air Transport (CSAT) mission.
Potential military missions for the aircraft include “island hopping and distributed cargo logistics in the Indo-Pacific theater or operations in areas with limited infrastructure like Africa,” an Electra executive says.