Defense

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

Proposed cuts to stealth fighters and attack helicopters could drop U.S. Defense Department aircraft procurement to modern lows in fiscal 2026.

The USAF will pay the bill to modify a Boeing 747-8 obtained from the Qatari government into a temporary presidential transport aircraft using diverted funds.

To cost-conscious operators who already rely on Huey-based legacy fleets, the 412EPX’s blend of modernity and familiarity may prove attractive.

The Pentagon’s minimal budget request for the U.S. Navy’s next-generation fighter will keep the program limping along as it awaits a decision on its future.

Airbus Defense and Space is helping Hynaero—a startup company created in 2023 in Bordeaux—raise funds to launch a new firefighting amphibian aircraft.

The U.S. strikes on Iran’s Fordow Nuclear Enrichment facility were 15 years in the making.

Continued, extensive cost growth was a main driving factor in canceling the Boeing E-7A Wedgetail for the U.S. Air Force despite previous efforts to lower costs.

The Pentagon’s fiscal 2026 budget request carries the imprint of recent conflicts, with a big investment in air and missile defense systems.

After having demoed the ability to target high-altitude balloons using fighters, the French Air and Space Force will test the capacity at even higher altitudes.

Cessna’s SkyCourier twin-turboprop transport could find a role as a “light strategic transport” aircraft.

Airbus has advanced the development of its firefighting capability for the A400M airlifter after completing a series of test drops and demonstrations in France.

New images circulating on Chinese social media of the Shaanxi KJ-3000 provide further insights into the AEW&C aircraft's configuration and potential capabilities.

With higher output, more orders and new upgrade plans, Eurofighter’s CEO says the program has reached an inflection point.

Can the French-German-Spanish fighter development program be saved? The next few months could be decisive.

With engine upgrades, stealth drone integration and enhanced weapons, France’s Dassault Rafale is evolving for the future—and eyeing new export wins.

Three GOP lawmakers introduced a new measure to authorize a series of new procurement and development efforts for the Golden Dome missile defense shield.

An accurate assessment of the performance of the Boeing GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator in its combat debut in Iran could take several days to complete.

The U.S. followed Israel in striking Iranian nuclear infrastructure, launching the largest B-2 raid ever and dropping its biggest conventional bombs. Listen as editors assess the operation in Iran.

One of two prototypes of Turkish Aerospace Industries’ Anka 3 uncrewed combat air vehicle has been lost after crashing upon landing.

The UK's plans to buy a fleet of F-35As to carry out NATO’s dual capable aircraft nuclear mission have made headlines in the country.

Sweden's new fleet of Saab Gripen E combat aircraft will be built largely without reusing components from earlier models of the fighter, FMV says.

The UK is providing Ukraine with additional surface-to-air missiles, paid for with the interest from seized Russian assets.

Germany and Norway have agreed to jointly procure the Kongsberg Joint Strike Missile that both countries plan to employ on their Lockheed Martin F-35As.

South Korea has completed a series of flight separation tests for its homegrown long-range air-to-ground missile, the Korea Air-Launched Cruise Missile (KALCM).