Aircraft & Propulsion

Aviation Week rode along on the KC-135 as it participated in the last scheduled day of flying as part of AMC’s massive Mobility Guardian 2025 exercise.

Gulfstream has delivered the last two G650 large-cabin, long-range business jets to the Italian Air Force, ending the jet’s 13-year run.

The UK is adding trials of high-altitude balloons to its effort deploy stratospheric capabilities for intelligence gathering and communications functions.

Indonesia has committed to purchasing 48 of the Turkish Aerospace Industries Kaan combat aircraft, becoming the type's first export customer.

The Royal Thai Air Force has deployed two Saab JAS 39C/D Gripens alongside a pair of Lockheed Martin F-16A/Bs to conduct precision air strikes against Cambodian military targets, as armed clashes along the border enter a third day.

France has begun test flights of a Dassault Aviation Falcon 8X due to serve as its future signals intelligence aircraft.

Taiwan’s military will procure 48,750 drones over the next two years from domestic manufacturers, according to a government tender notice published this week.

Turkish Aerospace Industries has revealed the redesign of its 12-metric-ton T925 utility helicopter.

Turkish Aerospace Industries has received the first major government order for the Gokbey utility helicopter, securing a deal for 57 from the military.

India says it has begun test firings of an indigenously developed air-to-ground missile from a quadcopter.

An F-35B damaged 2.5 years ago during a crash landing will be fixed and returned to the fleet, says the Air National Guard pilot who ejected from the aircraft.

Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.

Work is progressing on the UK’s big delta-wing fighter demonstrator, designed to derisk development of the trinational Global Combat Air Program.

Electric seagliders could enable distributed, stealthy operations across the Indo-Pacific theater.

For more information about Aviation Week Intelligence Network’s (AWIN) 2025 Military Fleet & MRO Forecast and other Aviation Week data products, please see: https://pgs.aviationweek.com/forecast

In total, nearly 150 more Bayrkatar TB2 UAVs are expected to enter service in the coming decade.

Adm. Daryl Caudle, the nominee to be the U.S. Navy's next Chief of Naval Operations, has warned against not proceeding with the F/A-XX fighter program.

The United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) first domestically produced warplane appears to be making steady progress towards service entry.

South Korea has identified MUM-T as a critical enabler for future attack helicopter operations, as KAI's Marine Attack Helicopter continues validation trials.

The Royal Thai Air Force has deployed six Lockheed Martin F-16A/B fighter jets in response to cross-border rocket and artillery attacks by Cambodian forces.

Airbus has kicked off flight trials of the militarized version of the H160 helicopter in development for the French Armed Forces.

“We have no lessons to learn from arrogant industrialists,” says Defense Minister Theo Francken in response to Dassault's comments about Belgium and FCAS.

A joint U.S./UK program is testing safety technology on the Lockheed Martin F-35 that is aimed at avoiding collisions between military and civilian aircraft in the air.

A Turkish uncrewed aircraft system developer has secured orders from the country’s military for a rotary-wing logistics platform.

The Indian Army has taken delivery of its first three Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopters following a 15-month delay in the original delivery schedule.