Aircraft & Propulsion

The engine manufacturers developing the powerplant for the manned fighter component of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) are to create a joint venture to develop the engine.

Sweden is proposing to replace Finland’s F/A-18 Hornets on a virtual one-for-one basis by offering 64 Gripen fighters for Helsinki’s €9 billion ($10.9 billion) HX fighter requirement.

Finland fighter bids submitted; Air Force One’s costs rise; Pentagon’s R&D nominee; and Top Aces win renewal.

Australia could receive four new Boeing CH-47F helicopters transferred from the U.S. Army inventory under a Foreign Military Sale, the Defense Security and Cooperation Agency said on April 29.

Even with the adverse impacts of the novel coronavirus on the airline industry, the U.S. Marine Corps is still losing the competition for pilots and maintainers.

Finland has received the best and final offers from governments in the bidding for the country’s HX fighter contest.

A newly formed company is planning to offer aggressor training services with Mirage 2000s that it hopes to receive by year-end.

After a blistering congressional hearing, Aviation Week editors break down some of the F-35 program’s recent struggles and cost issues to develop the program and maintain and operate the fighter.

The cost to develop, sustain and operate the multibillion-dollar F-35 fighter is mounting, and senior House Democrats are pushing back.

How does the F-35 program close a roughly 25% delta between actual and objective sustainment costs within four years, which implies a 7% annual reduction on average each of the next four years?

Over the next 12 months, the U.S. Marine Corps intends to develop options for the commandant on whether the reserve forces should operate the MQ-9 or an unmanned logistics long-haul aircraft to better compete with China and Russia in the 2030s.

A U.S. military version of Logos Technologies’ BlackKite ultralight wide-area motion imaging sensor has completed two weeks of flight testing on the Insitu RQ-21A Blackjack small tactical unmanned aircraft.

The U.S. Air Force has grounded the B-1B fleet after identifying a “discrepancy” with an augmenter fuel pump filter housing.

Lockheed Martin has disclosed that the company waived $60 million in fees because of delays in F-35 Technology Refresh-3 and Block 4 development.

Slovakian pilots have test flown Aero Vodochody’s L-39NG jet trainer as part of a proposal for strategic cooperation between Prague and Bratislava.

The Royal Netherlands Air Force has resumed flights with its Lockheed Martin F-35s a day after a temporary grounding prompted by concerns over engine wear.

The Pentagon has directed a “strategic pause” on transitioning the F-35’s autonomic logistics information system to a new, cloud-based network because of funding cuts.

From replacing the Tornado fighter to buying new unmanned aircraft systems, a look at potential deliveries.

There are mixed opinions among the services on how to make the fifth-generation fighter affordable.

The Netherlands has temporarily halted operations with its Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter fleet over concerns about engine wear.

The first MH-60R helicopter for the Indian Navy flew for the first time in Owego, New York, where Sikorsky is producing the aircraft, U.S. Naval Air Systems Command said in a tweet.

The F-35 program is facing 3% cost growth of the F135 engine in Lot 15 because of Turkey’s ouster from the program.

Qatar’s air force is to become the second military customer for Pilatus’ PC-24 business jet, the Swiss manufacturer has revealed.

European industry is finally within reach of beginning development on a MALE UAS to compete with offerings from U.S. and Israel.

General warns of Chinese space prototype; U.S. Army wants FVL upgrades; Singapore’s new operational tanker; and T-7 aft fuselage arrives.