France

Major French rotorcraft manufacturer Helicopteres Guimbal is set to grow its product portfolio with the development of a five-seat turbine helicopter.

The combat cloud being designed to tie all the elements of the Future Combat Air System is more important than the ailing fighter element of the endeavor, argues the Chief of Staff of the French Air and Space Force.

The French Air And Space Force is working on improving air base defenses against drones.

French air accident bureau BEA has released its final report on the tailstrike of an Air Calédonie-operated ATR 72-200 at Ouvéa-Ouloup Airport in December 2024.

Dassault Aviation has been gradually increasing the production rate of the Rafale fighter, aiming for four aircraft per month in 2029.

Dassault Aviation CEO Éric Trappier has rejected a German idea for a two-fighter approach in the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program.

France will grow its nuclear weapons stockpile and open deterrence exercises to European neighbors, President Emmanuel Macron has said.

Studies toward composite materials able to withstand higher temperatures for applications in an engine’s environment are in full swing.

Safran Aerosystems has acquired MCA, a specialist in metallic parts for fuel systems.

France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the UK have agreed to pursue lower-cost air defense interceptors jointly.

Airbus has described 2026 as a “year of testing” for the latest addition to its portfolio, the H140 twin-engine light helicopter.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz wants the military to do a proper requirements assessment for a potential next-generation fighter.

The procurement of Safran Hammer bomb kits for Ukraine follows on from a broader strategic partnership between Norway and France that was agreed to last summer.

Several European countries have signed an agreement to jointly develop long-range loitering munitions, the German defense ministry said.

An incident involving a Hop!-operated Embraer E170 at Toulouse Airport on May 11, 2024, prompted inspection of the entire fleet and ensuing part replacements.

France’s next aircraft carrier will rely on multiple uncrewed aircraft systems, making their combination central to operations.

Eutelsat has secured about $1.2 billion in export credit backing for its order for 440 Airbus-made satellites for its OneWeb LEO broadband constellation.

The French ministry of armed forces is pushing its prime contractors to ramp up weapons production.

German aerospace lobby BDLI is calling for a dual-fighter strategy under FCAS, effectively urging France and others to go separate ways while maintaining the veneer of cooperation.

Airlines serving the Brazil-France market are set to gain new flexibility after the countries reached agreement on a modernized air services framework.

France’s navy has ordered more uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) from Airbus Helicopters.

France warship builder Naval Group and UAS developer Turgis Gaillard are exploring the development of a carrier-borne version of the latter’s Aarok MALE UAS.

ArianeGroup is accelerating the production of strap-on boosters to ramp up the launch cadence of the two-booster Ariane 62 and four-booster Ariane 64 versions.

With the Airbus H160M set to embark on French navy warships in the 2030s, work has begun to prove the rotorcraft’s compatibility with operations at sea.

German chancellor Friedrich Merz says Berlin and Paris will make a decision in a few weeks on whether to jointly pursue a future combat aircraft.