Defense

Malaysia’s largest military aircraft fleet modernization effort is the procurement of 36 FA-50 light combat aircraft.

The UK Defense Ministry is exploring the potential acquisition of a new ground- and sea-launched Medium-Range Precision Strike (MPRS) capability.

The U.S. State Department approved Denmark to buy some 200 of the RTX AIM-120D-3 for $744 million, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced Oct. 29.

Tekever, a provider of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), has signed an MoU with Droneway, a distributor of civil and tactical drones in Morocco and North Africa.

European uncrewed aircraft systems developer Tekever is scouting a location for a U.S. site in a global expansion push as it teams up with Droneway.

Catic is promoting the vehicle-mounted Laser Arrow system to jam or disrupt some airborne sensors and air-to-ground weapons.

Australia will invest an initial $208 million to establish a local production facility for Lockheed Martin Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems.

China has sent its Shenzhou-19 astronauts into space, with the Long March-2F Y19 carrier rocket lifting off from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Oct. 30.

Aviation News, as our publication used to be known, showcased the Fairchild Military Cargo Plane on the cover of its October 30, 1944 issue, during its first flight. The Fairchild C-82 Packet was powered by two Pratt & Whitney 18-cylinder R-2800-22 engines with a takeoff horsepower of 2,100 each. The plane had a range in excess of 3,500 miles and is in the 50,000 pound class.

Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has delivered the first T625 Gokbey utility helicopters to the country’s military police.

The Defense Department Inspector General on Oct. 29 released an investigation into Boeing’s performance-based logistics contract for the C-17.

Nigeria’s Air Force has topped up its fleet of Leonardo AW109 Trekker utility helicopters with the purchase of 10 aircraft, the service has confirmed.

Sikorsky has won a contract from the U.S. to build more than 70 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters to be exported to Austria, Brazil, Greece, Sweden and Thailand.

The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force has grounded its fleet of Bell Boeing V-22 Ospreys following a hard landing incident.

Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Airbus have inaugurated the Final Assembly Line (FAL) complex for the Airbus C295 aircraft in Vadodara, India.

The UK has set out to recruit a dedicated national armaments director.

Concordia Technologies has been involved in missile and hypersonic weapons programs led by the Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency.

Lockheed Martin has claimed the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program will deliver more economic benefit to the UK than any other current or future combat aircraft program.

Airshow China comes Nov. 11-14 to Zhuhai, the stage for a biennial showcase of the country’s ever-expanding aviation and space industries.

TATA ADVANCED SYSTEMS and AIRBUS inaugurated C295 assembly line in Vadodara, India to deliver 40 aircraft from facility to the Indian Air Force as part of order for 56 (16 delivered from FAL in Seville, Spain) to replace legacy Avro fleet.

The A&D industry’s critical minerals supply chain is in a precarious position given its reliance on Chinese imports, panelists say at the Zero Gravity summit.

The Turkish government has announced a further increase to its 2025 defense budget, pushing spending to its highest level against GDP for 17 years.

Airbus says India-assembled C295s will start rolling off the local production facility in 2026, as it disclosed the inauguration of the Vadodara FAL in Gujarat.

L3Harris’ Viper Shield—the only modern F-16 electronic warfare system currently in production—harnesses the power of software to give pilots and commanders the edge in an increasingly contested battlespace.

The U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale to Taiwan of Nasams and two additional air defense radar systems.