Aircraft & Propulsion

The U.S. Air Force plans to launch two new unmanned combat air vehicles in the fiscal 2023 budget request, the service confirmed on Dec. 6. The aircraft would be designed to operate as unmanned partners to manned fighters, such as the Lockheed Martin F-35, F-22 and the future Next Generation Air Dominance system, Air Force officials say.

Adversary air operator Draken International is to purchase F-16s from Norway to support its U.S. training contracts.

A likely B-21 debut in 2022 could spur a wave of B-2 and B-1 retirements.

The U.S. Air Force’s entire fleet had a mission-capable rate of 71.53% in fiscal 2021, a slight drop from 2020’s total rate of 72.74%.

The contract is significant for both countries and is France’s largest-ever arms export deal.

The Ka-62 variant started flight trials in 2017.

The cooperation agreement signed in Rome on Dec. 2 covers the supply of 18 Leonardo AW169M helicopters.

The upgrade is Honeywell’s answer to a move by GE Aviation to offer the more powerful T408 turboshaft engine as a future upgrade option.

A consortium of Bombardier, Raytheon and Springfield Air has purchased the five-strong fleet of modified Bombardier Global business jets.

The service’s ongoing effort to connect its simulators is the Simulator Common Architecture Requirements And Standards program.

The four-nation Eurodrone has been designed to allow capability growth as nations eye new missions for the MALE UAS.

The decision leaves the Lockheed Martin F-35A Block 4 and Saab Gripen E in the competition for the Future Fighter Capability contract.

The new software-based mission system is necessary as the Compass Call fleet transitions to the Baseline 4 capability by 2025.

The new, three-phase process is the first major change to Navy strike pilot training in more than 50 years.

Service leaders said changes to the maintenance community have helped the rates climb.

The Royal Danish Air Force is claiming to be the first air service to operate electric-powered aircraft.

Chinese show of force near Taiwan; LaPlante to lead Pentagon acquisitions; SOCOM orders 6 Chinooks; and the U.S. finishes posture review.

The F-35 Mission Rehearsal Trainer-Lightning Integrated Training Environment (MRT LITE) is about one-eighth the size of the full-mission simulator.

A recent massive, global exercise by the U.S. Navy is shaping how the service wants to approach future training systems.

Airbus has begun development work on an autonomous automatic air-to-air refueling capability for its Airbus A330 MRTT.

Boeing will build six more MH-47G Block II Chinooks for U.S. Army Special Operations Command.

Airbus Helicopters remains hopeful of securing a contract to upgrade Europe’s Tiger helicopters, despite German interest in the Apache.

Airbus Helicopters is offering its manned-unmanned teaming kit for international sale as live testing enters its second phase.

The Royal Australian Air Force has closed the curtains on its Boeing F/A-18A/Bs after 36 years of service.

DRDO Chairman G. Satheesh Reddy says the nation has a road map to boost weapon sales dramatically in five years.