In a recent demonstration to the ADF, Fleet Space Technologies applied the Beagle waveform technology to deliver push-to-talk capabilities using its Centauri 4 LEO satellite (pictured). (Fleet Space Technologies)  South Australia-based Fleet Space Technologies has used communications waveform technology Beagle to demonstrate satellite-enabled push-to-talk (PTT) capabilities to the Australian Defence Force (ADF).  Janes  understands Beagle is a design framework developed by Australian company Safety from Space to generate efficient radio...

The Japan MoD has disclosed two airborne ELINT flights by Chinese PLA aircraft near Japanese airspace on 26 and 27 March 2024. (Japan Ministry of Defense/Janes)  A Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Guizhou WZ-7 Xianglong (Soaring Dragon) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was observed near Japanese airspace over the Sea of Japan (East Sea) for the first time.  This high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) UAV appeared from the direction of the “continental area” on “the morning of 26 March 2024”, the Japan Ministry of Defense (MoD) said.  A map is...

The first production Tejas Mk 1A takes off from the HAL airport in Bangalore on 28 March 2024. (HAL)    Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has test-flown its first production Tejas Mk 1A Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). However, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is unlikely to get the aircraft until mid-2024, an industry source told   Janes  .     According to HAL, the first production aircraft, serial no LA-5033, conducted an 18-minute successful sortie from the HAL airport in Bengaluru on 28 March. HAL intended to deliver at l...

Oron arriving at Nevatim Air Base in April 2023. (Israeli Air Force)  The Oron intelligence-gathering aircraft is carrying out missions in support of Operation ‘Iron Swords' against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Israel Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced on 26 March.  “The aircraft became operational quickly for use in Operation ‘Iron Swords' and has already recorded hundreds of operational flight hours and close to 100 sorties,” the MoD said in a statement.  Developed by the MoD's Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D), Israe...

This concept image of China's new attack helicopter, tentatively designated as Z-21, is based on photographs of the prototype aircraft in flight. (Janes)  China is developing a new attack helicopter that appears to be in the same weight class as the US Boeing AH-64 Apache and the Russian Mil Mi-28 Havoc.  Images of the new helicopter, which emerged on Chinese social media in March 2024, show an aircraft that is larger than the People's Liberation Army's (PLA's) in-service AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Changhe Aircraft Industr...

Rocket Lab's Electron launch vehicle taking off from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on 21 March. The rocket carried a US satellite, which includes an experimental communications payload developed by the NZDF. (Rocket Lab)  The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has launched an experimental communications payload into orbit with the help of a research satellite developed by the US Navy's (USN's) Naval Postgraduate School (NPS).  This communications payload, named ‘Korimako', will “allow defence scientists to conduct space communicati...

A screenshot from an Aselsan video showing its new AESA radar in an anechoic chamber prior to flight trials aboard an F-16. (Aselsan)  Aselsan revealed on 16 March that its domestically developed active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar made its maiden flight onboard a Turkish Air Force Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon combat aircraft.  The test was performed on 15 February aboard a test aircraft that also featured a mission computer developed by Aselsan.  The radar was designed with gallium nitride (GaN)-based chip technology, an...

With many older aircraft coming to the end of their service lives, such as the F-4E Phantom II pictured, the Hellenic Air Force is to consolidate its combat types under plans announced by the country's defence minister. (Janes/Jamie Hunter)  Greece is to retire and sell off many of its older combat aircraft types under a “radical overhaul” of the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) announced by the government on 25 March.  Speaking on national media to mark Greece's Independence Day, Defence Minister Nikos Dendias said that the number of combat aircraft...

Seen here in Italian service, the AW169M will soon be fielded by North Macedonia alongside the AW149 under a deal finalised on 26 March. (Bundesheer Fotos)  North Macedonia finalised its agreement to acquire eight new battlefield lift helicopters from Leonardo on 26 March, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on the same day.  The deal to buy four AW149 and four AW169M helicopters was signed between the North Macedonian Minister of Defence, Slavjanka Petrovska, and the vice-president of Leonardo, Cesare Cacha, in Skopje.  The milestone cam...

One of four Reaper UAVs now operated by the RNLAF. As well as doubling its fleet to eight, the Netherlands plans to upgrade its Reapers with a raft of enhanced capabilities. (Royal Netherlands Air Force)  The Netherlands is to equip its General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) MQ-9A Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with a raft of enhancements over the next three years, the manufacturer said on 27 March.  Following previously disclosed plans by the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) to double its fleet size from four to eight...

The Bird AeroSystems defensive aids installation fitted to an A319 airliner (pictured here) of an undisclosed European operator. (Bird AeroSystems)  Bird AeroSystems has fitted its aircraft defensive aids system (DAS) for an undisclosed European A319 operator, likely the Hungarian Air Force (HuAF).  The Israeli company said on 27 March that its Self Protection Radar Electro-Optic System (SPREOS) directed infrared countermeasure (DIRCM) and Aeroshield Missile Protection System (AMPS) had been fitted to multiple A319 aircraft for an undisclosed...

A screenshot from an Aselsan video showing its new AESA radar in an anechoic chamber prior to flight trials aboard an F-16. (Aselsan)  Aselsan's new active electronically scanned array (AESA) Nose Radar has completed its maiden flight onboard the Turkish Air Force's (TuAF's) Lockheed Martin F-16 Block-30 fighter jet.  According to Aselsan on 26 March, the indigenously developed radar is designed to support both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions and offers capabilities such as multitarget detection and tracking, beyond-visual-range missile...

Saab has been contracted to deliver its Arexis electronic suite for the Luftwaffe's Eurofighter EK aircraft, a mock-up of which was displayed at the ILA Berlin Air Show in 2022 (pictured). (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  Airbus Defence and Space (DS) has contracted Saab to deliver its Arexis electronic warfare (EW) suite for the Luftwaffe's Eurofighter Elektronischer Kampf (EK) requirement, the Swedish company announced on 26 March.  The award came about nine months after Saab was selected in June 2023 by the Luftwaffe, along with its German partner...

After 23 years of service that has seen it conduct combat operations in Afghanistan and Libya, the WAH-64 Apache Longbow AH1 has been retired from the British Army. It is being replaced by the AH-64E V6 Apache Guardian. (Janes/Patrick Allen)  The British Army has retired its AgustaWestland-Boeing WAH-64 Apache Longbow AH1, at the same time declaring the AH-64E Version 6 (V6) Apache Guardian successor attack helicopter to be “operationally ready”.  The last of the original 67 Apache AH1 helicopters were formally withdrawn from service during a...

Aircraft BK35 seen at RAF Marham shortly after its arrival on 20 March. With deliveries to the UK of TR-2 standard aircraft now complete, the arrival of TR-3 standard aircraft should commence later in the year. (Crown Copyright)  The UK has received its final Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning combat aircraft to be delivered at the Technology Refresh-2 (TR-2) standard, the manufacturer confirmed to Janes on 25 March.  The Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced the arrival of the two jets on 20 March. Lockheed Martin told Janes that BK (the factory...

US B-52 Stratofortress crews look at an AGM-183 ARRW during a hypersonic weapon familiarisation briefing at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, on 27 February. The yellow bands on the missile indicate that it is a live round. (USAF/Staff Sgt. Pedro Tenorio)  The US Air Force (USAF) launched the last AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) on 17 March, completing the hypersonic missile's formal test programme. ARRW has a chequered test history, and although the test likely succeeded in meeting its goals, the USAF has yet to decide whethe...

The CT-155 Hawks are retired, and despite the RCAF's plans it remains unclear when fighter pilot training will return to Canada. (BAE Systems)  The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) has retired its fleet of BAE Systems CT-155 Hawk fighter lead-in training aircraft, according to a 4 March release by the service.  The NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) operated 17 CT-155s from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, with the first delivered in 2000.  “With the Hawk reaching the end of its service life after 20 years, Canada, along with many countries is face...

Hours after the Polish Ministry of National Defence reduced the heightened air defence of its eastern border by its own (including the F-16 pictured) and allied combat aircraft, a Russian cruise missile violated the country's airspace en route to striking western Ukraine. (Polish MND)  A Russian cruise missile launched against a target in Ukraine briefly violated Polish airspace, hours after the NATO country reported a reduction in the threat level on its eastern border.  The Polish Ministry of National Defence (MND) confirmed the incident in...

The Brazilian Navy has organised to better modernise its forces with programmes such as the development of the Riachuelo-class submarines, the lead ship shown here. (Brazilian Navy)  The Navy Directorate-General for Material (Diretoria-Geral do Material da Marinha: DGMM) of the Brazilian Navy has designed a new plan to better organise its role in the modernisation of the service, the DGMM told Janes.  This modernisation, known as the ‘The Navy of Tomorrow', is guided by the Navy Strategic Plan 2040, which establishes strategic programmes to p...

Having originally intended to extend the service lives of 30 Hornets by 2025, Switzerland will now perform the work on just 15 by 2027. (Janes/Patrick Allen)  Switzerland's service life extension programme (SLEP) for its fleet of Boeing F/A-18C/D Hornet fighters is to be rolled out to a fewer number of aircraft and is taking longer than originally intended.  The Swiss Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection, and Sport (VBS) said on 22 March that, while much of the upgrade work had already been completed on the Swiss Air Force's 30 Hor...