Defense

As China and Russia flex their military muscles in space, Western defense officials are becoming punchier in their mindset around those operations.

Dassault Aviation presented the first United Arab Emirates (UAE) Rafale combat aircraft at Istres air force base (South France) at the end of January. This first Emirati F4 Rafale, will remain at Dassault Aviation’s Flight Test Centre for flight tests.

The EU and U.S. have agreed to return to zero tariffs on aircraft and components in a move that will come as a relief to a European aerospace industry that had been planning for the worst.

The Austrian military is buying 315 Magni-X quadcopter drones with deliveries planned to begin in August.

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.

The U.S. Air Force confirmed on July 25 that it is pursuing the acquisition of a cruise missile similar to the Ukraine-bound Extended Range Attack Munition (ERAM).

The Missile Defense Agency is looking for fresh options to develop a theater-based ground radar that would support the nascent Golden Dome for America program.

Diversified supplier Hexcel is upbeat about market opportunities from rising defense budgets in the U.S. and internationally.

Boeing will start assembling the first of four production representative test vehicles of the T-7A Red Hawk advanced jet trainer for the U.S. Air Force.

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.

The Australian Defense Force on July 25 fired its first Lockheed Martin PrSM missile, as it continues the induction of its new Himars capability.

Turkish technology company Havelsan and Romania-based technology company Karel Europe have signed an MoU to develop solutions based on advanced technologies in the defence sector aiming to provide integrated, high-tech solutions to meet the needs of the Romanian defence industry.

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

The Pentagon has awarded RTX a $32.5 million contract to set the stage for full-rate production of the U.S. Marine Corps medium-range intercept capability.

Washington has given the green light to a potential $4.67 billion deal to supply the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (Nasams) to Egypt.

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.

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.

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

Defunding the Boeing E-7A program would present considerable technical and operational risk for the U.S.

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.