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...

Special mission variants of Bombardier's Global and Challenger families of business jets fly in formation. (Bombardier Defense)  Bombardier has launched a new maintenance offering for government and military operators of its Challenger- and Global-series business jets. The Smart Services Defense (SSD) programme provides cost-per-flight-hour coverage of airframe system components, landing gear overhaul, and options to meet customer needs, the company said in a 19 February statement.  The programme is intended for Bombardier Defense special mis...

A model of the Gripen E combat aircraft at Saab's headquarters in Stockholm. With the type set to be in Swedish Air Force service through into the 2040s, the country is now looking at what might come after. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (Försvarets materielverk: FMV) has contracted Saab and GKN to provide it with the basis for future fighter decisions based on studies, technology development, and preparations for demonstrators.  Announced on 22 March, the awards will run for two years from the beginning...

The first F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Block III for the US Navy made its maiden flight on 4 June 2020. The latest order will keep the Super Hornet production line open until 2027. (Boeing)  The US Navy (USN) has placed a USD1.1 billion order for 17 new Boeing F/A-18E/F Block III Super Hornets, to procure five single-seat E models and 12 two-seat F models. Delivery is scheduled to begin in late 2026 and continue through early 2027.  The agreement includes “Phase One of the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G technical data package including the operation, mainten...

Taiwan's four GA-ASI MQ-9B SeaGuardians will almost certainly be used to conduct extensive surveillance and reconnaissance over the Taiwan Strait and the Bashi Channel, while monitoring Chinese aircraft incursions into the ADIZ. This is a representative photo of the MQ-9B SeaGuardian. (General Atomics)    The US Department of Defense's (DoD's) award of a second contract to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc (GA-ASI) to deliver four MQ-9B SeaGuardian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Taiwan extends the procurement deadline to 2027...

A file photo of a Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16. The Dutch government has said it will provide EUR150 million in weapons for the F-16s to be transferred to Ukraine, as part of a wider aid package valued at EUR350 million. (US Department of Defense)  The Netherlands has pledged a multimillion-euro aid package to Ukraine comprising weapons for the soon-to-be-delivered Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon combat aircraft, as well as providing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).  The more than...

As they did in ‘Cold Response 2022', US marines are learning to use Bandvagn 206s for Arctic operations in ‘Nordic Response 2024'. (Janes/Michael Fabey)  The Arctic environment has spurred the US Marine Corps (USMC) as the land-component lead for ‘Nordic Response 2024' NATO exercise held in March in Norway to recalibrate the most effective and safest way to move equipment and people, according to Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Fitzsimmons, senior watch officer for the exercise's Combat Operations Center.  “Our infantry manoeuvre element is leaning...

Seen at its unveiling, the Gripen E is being offered to Thailand under a joint bid by the Swedish and UK governments. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  The UK government is backing Saab's bid to sell the Gripen E to Thailand, the manufacturer disclosed on 20 March.    Responding to an image posted by UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Cameron on the same day, showing him climbing into a Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) Gripen C during a trade visit, Saab said that Sweden and the UK would combine their efforts...

A computer-generated image (CGI) showing how, under the ASCEND2LEO programme, Fleet Space's Centauri satellites are being leveraged to develop a low Earth orbit satcom system that can connect defence assets and personnel. (Fleet Space Technologies)  South Australia-based Fleet Space Technologies has demonstrated push-to-talk (PTT) capabilities using a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite as part of an Australian military project on satellite communications (satcom).  Fleet Space implemented a “software update” to its Centauri 4 satellite, currentl...

One of the first three MH-60R helicopters received by the Hellenic Navy on 20 March. The remaining four are to be delivered in 2025. (Dimitris Mitsopoulos)  Greece received the first Lockheed Martin MH-60R Seahawk maritime multimission helicopters on 20 March.  The first three of seven helicopters for the Hellenic Navy (HN) were received by Hellenic Navy Aviation Command (HNAC) at Naval Fort Kotroni in Marathon during a ceremony which was attended by the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and other senior Greek and US government and G...

A CN-235 MPA of the Indonesian Navy at the Singapore Airshow 2016. (Janes/Ridzwan Rahmat)  The US Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) has awarded a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract to upgrade three Indonesian Navy aircraft with enhanced maritime surveillance systems.    Under the contract, Oregon-based Integrated Surveillance and Defense (ISD) will upgrade two Indonesian Navy-operated Dirgantara CN-235-220/CN-235-220 MP maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) and modify one King Air 350i aircraft with “proven maritime surveil...

An MH-139A Grey Wolf prepares for take-off at its testing base at Duke Field, Florida, on 22 February 2024, en route to its first duty base at Malmstrom AFB, Montana. (USAF)  The US Air Force (USAF) has cut its planned purchase of Boeing MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopters from 74 to 42, according to budget documents released on 11 March, with the programme's projected budget cut from USD2.55 billion to USD1.42 billion.  The fiscal year (FY) 2025 USAF Justification Book – a list of all the unclassified USAF programmes and budgets – lists the servic...

The fifth KAI KF-21 prototype takes on fuel from a Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF) A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) on 19 March 2024. This image is a screenshot from a Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) video of the event. (DAPA)  The Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KF-21 Boramae has successfully completed its first in-flight refuelling (IFR) test.  South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said the milestone was set by the fifth KF-21 prototype on 19 March. The aircraft “took off from the runw...

One of two UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters that were delivered to Croatia on 3 February 2022. With a further two following from the same batch, Croatia has now signed for eight more helicopters. (Croatian Ministry of Defence)  Croatia has signed for eight additional Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawks, bringing its total fleet to 12 helicopters.  Announced by the Croatian Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the United States Embassy in Zagreb on 13 March, the deal came about three weeks after the US Department of State granted approval for the procurement on...

A USAF Boeing KC-135R refuels a flight of F-15C Eagles. (US Air Force)  The US Air Force (USAF) is seeking commercial satellite communications (satcom) options for its fleet of KC-135 aerial refuellers, with plans to allow these aircraft global, real-time access to the Pentagon's classified and unclassified networks.  USAF officials issued an initial list of strategic requirements to industry for the KC-135 Commercial Satellite Communication Access to Non-Secure Internet Protocol Router (NIPR) and Secure Internet Protocol Router (SIPR) Networ...

Bombardier has unveiled its Smart Services Defense programme to provide fixed cost-per-flight-hour support for its Challenger and Global families of business jets. Above is a computer-generated image of Bombardier's Global business jet family. (Bombardier)  Bombardier has launched a new maintenance offering for government and military operators of its Challenger- and Global-series business jets. The Smart Services Defense (SSD) programme provides cost-per-flight-hour coverage of airframe system components, landing gear overhaul, and options t...

Seen on the flightline at RAF Valley in Wales, the Hawk T2 is due to be retired from UK service in 2024. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is weighing how to deliver pilot training after its planned retirement of the BAE Systems Hawk T2 (Mk 128) aircraft in 2040, with options to be presented later in 2024.  Answering questions in the House of Commons on 15 March, Minister of State at the MoD James Cartlidge said the Royal Air Force (RAF) had started its post-Hawk analysis, with several options for the continuation of p...

The UK has 28 Hawk T2 trainer aircraft, of which between six and 11 were recorded as being serviceable throughout February 2024. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has reported extremely low serviceability rates for the BAE Systems Hawk T2 trainer aircraft that it uses to train its fast jet pilots.  Answering questions in the House of Commons on 13 March, Minister of State for the Armed Forces at the MoD James Heappey disclosed that for February the serviceability rate for the advanced jet trainer aircraft had varied fr...

A file photo of AASM Hammer guided bombs (in their imaging infrared seeker configuration) of the type Russia now claims to have intercepted over Ukraine. (Safran)  Russia has claimed to have intercepted a Safran Armement Air-Sol Modulaire (AASM) Hammer launched at its forces in Ukraine.  Russian state-controlled media reported the claim on 6 March, quoting the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation as saying that ground-based air defences had shot down a single guided bomb “in the zone of a special military operation”.    The repo...

The Djiboutian Air Force is to operate a pair of Grand Carvan EX aircraft (pictured), which the US is selling as part of a wider effort to increase security around the Horn of Africa. (Textron)  Djibouti is to receive two Textron C-208B Grand Caravan EX aircraft as the United States looks to enhance security across the Horn of Africa.  US Army Contracting Command awarded the contract on 13 March, with the manufacturer disclosing that the aircraft will be owned and operated by the Djiboutian Air Force (Force Aerienne du Djibouti: FAD).  “The t...