France

By Tony Osborne
Missile programs and procurement are at the heart of a renewed defense cooperation agreement between France and the UK.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Helen Massy-Beresford
France’s government has confirmed that restrictions at Paris Orly airport will come into force.
Airports & Networks

By Tony Osborne
The Lancaster House defense and security treaties between France and the UK will “scale up,” reflecting the international threat picture, Macron says.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By William Moore
The ban applies to domestic flights where a viable train alternative exists with a sub-2.5-hr. travel time; the directive was made official in May 2023.
AWIN Knowledge Center

By Robert Wall
French defense procurement agency DGA says it is buying 1,000 Sorona micro-drones from Harmattan AI.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Mark Carreau
Four academics have been awarded a prize for proposing the creation of a Panel on Asteroid Orbit Alteration.
Operations & Safety

By Helen Massy-Beresford
Eight countries have formed a coalition to advocate for expanded flight taxation globally.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Tony Osborne
NHIndustries aims to extend the NH90’s frontline role with a Block 2 upgrade, which could help position it for NATO’s rotorcraft needs in the 2040s.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Graham Warwick
Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.
Aircraft & Propulsion

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

By Thierry Dubois
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.
Budget, Policy & Operations

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

By Robert Wall, Tony Osborne
Can the French-German-Spanish fighter development program be saved? The next few months could be decisive.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Tony Osborne, Robert Wall
A new sense of urgency is fueling European tanker, transport and special-mission initiatives.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Robert Wall
France has demonstrated the ability to target high-altitude balloons using fighters as the government pushes to prepare for operations in that domain.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Jens Flottau
Politics has returned to airline decision-making, potentially leading to suboptimal fleets and higher pricing.
Manufacturing & Supply Chain

By Graham Warwick
UK eVTOL startup Sora Aviation has been awarded two government-supported research projects totaling £2.1 million ($2.8 million).
Advanced Air Mobility

By Helen Massy-Beresford
A French union representing air traffic controllers has filed a strike notice for the start of the French school summer vacation.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Victoria Moores
France is partnering with both Kazakhstan and Malaysia under two separate civil aviation cooperation agreements.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Thierry Dubois
Dassault Aviation is exhibiting a small-scale model of the Vortex, a reusable spaceplane it is proposing for dual-use civil-military applications.
Space Exploration

By Robert Wall
Eutelsat, whose OneWeb system competes with SpaceX’s Starlink, is raising $1.6 billion with backing from the French government.
Satellites

By Robert Wall
The French government has launched several military space efforts, spanning space situational awareness initiatives to nanonsatellites.
Budget, Policy & Regulation

By Graham Warwick
Two years after the EcoPulse hybrid-electric propulsion demo made its public debut at the Paris Air Show, some of the firms involved have formed a consortium.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Ben Goldstein
French startup Aura Aero has received $200 million in financing from the state of Florida to build out a 500,000-ft.2 assembly plant.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Tony Osborne
Aalto, Airbus’ high-altitude pseudo-satellite spinoff, will support French military efforts to better understand the stratosphere as a warfighting domain.
Satellites