As a major operator of the H145M, the German armed forces could benefit from a raft of enhancements proposed by the manufacturer Airbus. (Airbus)  Airbus Helicopters has highlighted the latest enhancements it has rolled into the D3 standard of its H145M medium-twin rotorcraft, and is proposing a raft of additional improvements in an effort to attract new operators to the type.  Speaking to Janes and other defence media ahead of ILA 2022, Constance Pinsdorf, senior programme manager H145 governmental business, said that with the current D3 sta...

A CH-47F Chinook destined for the Australian Army is unloaded from a USAF C-5M Super Galaxy aircraft at RAAF Base Townsville on 23 June 2022. (Australia Department of Defence/Corporal Lisa Sherman)  The Australian Army has taken delivery of the last two of four new CH-47F Chinook transport helicopters ordered by the government in 2021. This takes the army's Chinook fleet to 14.  In a press statement, Boeing Australia said that the two helicopters arrived at Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Townsville on 23 June. The company added that t...

Douglas Bush (left), then the Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology, and Timothy Goddette (right), at a ceremony at the Detroit Arsenal in Michigan in May 2021. (Ted Beupre)    Douglas Bush's tenure helping guide and craft defence policy from the legislative side of the government is a driving force behind several key priorities guiding his time as the Assistant Secretary of the US Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology, he recently told   Janes  .   After a handful of ye...

The Iraqi MoD released a video showing a T-50IQ moving down the runway, but not actually taking off. (Iraqi Ministry of Defence)  The Iraqi Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 22 June that one of the Iraqi Air Force's KAI T-50 jet trainer/light combat aircraft had taken off for the first time.  The MoD released a video of armed forces chief Lieutenant General Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah visiting Martyr Muhammad Alaa Air Base next to Baghdad's international airport for an event that was attended by South Korean officials. A T-50 was shown s...

The F-15EX is part of General Brown's “4+1“ fighter fleet force structure. (US Air Force)  US Air Force (USAF) Chief of Staff General Charles Brown said that the decision making regarding the right mix of Boeing F-15EX Eagle II and other fighter jets is part of a balancing act and he is having discussions with Congress on the matter.  “On the force structure piece, this is where we looked at a balance of capability and capacity,” Gen Brown said at a Hudson Institute talk on 22 June. “Not only the F-15EX, what I try not to do is just focus o...

A Spanish Air Force Eurofighter was displayed at the ILA Air Show in Berlin, where it was announced that the country has signed for 20 new aircraft under Project Halcon. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  Spain has signed for 20 new Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft under Project Halcon (Falcon), the manufacturer said on 23 June.  Announced at the ILA Air Show in Berlin, the EUR2.04 billion (USD2.15 billion) deal signed between Airbus and the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency (NETMA) will cover 16 single-seat and four twin-seat jets, wit...

Diehl displayed a model of its Light Attack Remote Carrier concept at ILA 2022. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)    Diehl Defence showcased a weaponised Remote Carrier (RC) ‘loyal wingman' at the ILA Air Show in Berlin, telling   Janes  that the project is geared at the Future Combat Air System (FCAS)/Système de Combat Aérien Futur (SCAF) programme, as well as for current fighter aircraft.     Speaking to   Janes  on 23 June, Sven Katzenstein, Future Technologies Project Manager Targeting Systems, said that, althoug...

A full-scale mock-up of the Eurofighter EK (formerly ECR) was displayed at ILA 2022, complete with an electronic attack pod in the foreground. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  The Luftwaffe's commitment to field an airborne electronic attack (AEA) capability for NATO has slipped by at least three years, with an overdue formal requirement expected to be launched by the Bundeswehr in the coming months.    Industry officials told   Janes  at the ILA Berlin Air Show on 22 June that the previously stated timeline of 2025 for fielding the L...

The B-21 Raider programme is using digital design and collaboration. (Northrop Grumman)  US Air Force (USAF) chief of staff General Charles Brown said on 22 June that he would like to see a collaborative and digital approach continue across the air force following positive results on its use with the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider bomber and LGM-35A Sentinel next-generation intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).  At a Hudson Institute talk, Gen Brown said the collaboration between airmen set to operate the platforms, acquisition officials,...

South Korean rocket KSLV-Ⅱ, also known as Nuri, taking off from its launch pad at the Naro Space Center on 21 June. Nuri is the first domestically developed and launched rocket that has been able to place satellites in orbit. (Korea Aerospace Research Institute via Getty Images)  South Korea's domestically developed rocket has been able to place satellites in orbit in the second attempt.  “Nuri” or KSLV-II – launched from the Naro Space Center located in the southern province of Jeonnam – “successfully” separated and placed a “performance ve...

An artist's impression of the Chinook in German service, shown at ILA 2022. (Boeing via Janes/Gareth Jennings)  Boeing is pressing to get under contract the CH-47F Chinooks that Germany recently selected for its Schwerer Transporthubschrauber (STH) requirement, programme officials said on 22 June.  Speaking at the ILA Berlin Air Show, Michael Hostetter, vice-president, Boeing Defense, Space & Security, Germany, said that following the 1 June selection decision by the German Bundeswehr, he was “very much looking forward” to getting these helic...

The Luftwaffe formally received its first A321 liaison aircraft at ILA 2022. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  The Luftwaffe formally received into service its first Airbus A321neoLR passenger aircraft during a ceremony at the ILA Air Show on 23 June.  The event, which was attended by senior officials from the German Ministry of Defence (BMVg), the Luftwaffe, Airbus, and Lufthansa Technik, saw the handover of the first of two aircraft to be used for medium- to long-haul liaison and aero-medical evacuation (medevac) duties.  Previously designated A321-...

With the first of six new Hercules aircraft for Germany displayed at ILA 2022 (pictured), the second is to arrive in the coming days. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  Lockheed Martin is progressing Germany's KC/C-130J Hercules programme, with the arrival of the second aircraft into Évreux-Fauville Air Base in northern France, in the coming days.  Speaking at the ILA Berlin Air Show on 22 June, Tony Frese, Lockheed Martin's vice-president, Air Mobility and Maritime Missions, said that aircraft 55+02 will arrive at the home of the joint Franco-German C...

The AGM-88E AARGM on a Royal Australian Air Forces's EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft (Northrop Grumman)    The US Department of State has approved a possible sale of AGM-88E2 Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missiles    (AARGMs) to Australia for an estimated cost of USD94 million.   In its 21 June notification to the US Congress of the possible sale, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said that the deal covers up to 15 AARGM control sections and missile guidance sections, up to 15 High-Speed Anti-Radiat...

An artist's impression of the F-35 in Luftwaffe markings, shown at ILA 2022. (Lockheed Martin via Janes/Gareth Jennings)  Lockheed Martin and the Joint Program Office (JPO) have accelerated their efforts to finalise Germany's contract to procure the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), a senior official noted on 22 June.  Speaking at the ILA Airshow in Berlin, JR McDonald, vice president of F-35 strategy and business development at Lockheed Martin, said that discussions are ongoing to determine the German government's operational and...

The Norwegian DMA has signed a large multi-year framework agreement with Teledyne FLIR Defense for their Black Hornet 3 nUAS. (Teledyne FLIR Defense)  The Norwegian Defense Materiel Agency (DMA) has signed a multi-year framework agreement with Teledyne FLIR Defense for an undisclosed number of Black Hornet 3 nano unmanned aerial systems (nUASs), the Norwegian government announced on 21 June.  According to the announcement, the framework agreement has a maximum value of NOK475 million (USD48.2 million), during a four-year period, after which...

IAI has developed Scorpius-SP based on the configuration of its ELL-8222 pod (pictured above). (Janes/Patrick Allen)  Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has secured a contract to provide their Scorpius-SP airborne electronic warfare (EW) self-protection jammer pods to an undisclosed country in Asia.  The “multimillion-dollar deal” has been finalised to enhance the capabilities of the concerned country's air force, IAI said in a media release on 21 May.    IAI had not responded to  Janes  request for more information regarding...

Allies with carriers could be interested in an updated version of the MQ-25 UAV. (US Navy)  Boeing said foreign partners could be potential customers for its updated MQ-25A Stingray unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).  “Sixty-nine [platforms] is the programme of record [for the US Navy (USN)], but obviously there's options to update this and make it do other missions and other customers might be interested,” Boeing’s Jim Young, MQ-25 chief engineer, told reporters on 16 June.  According to Young, there were options for other US services as cust...

A full-scale mock-up of the Eurofighter ECR, dubbed Eurofighter EK, was showcased for the first time at ILA 2022. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  Germany is expected to shortly authorise development of the Eurofighter Electronic Combat Role (ECR) aircraft, following the type's selection for the Luftwaffe in March.  The ILA Berlin Air Show running from 22 to 26 June is likely to provide the German government with the occasion to formally launch the Eurofighter ECR project, which was first touted back in 2019, having decided to acquire the aircraft al...

With Germany set to massively increase its defence spending, aviation projects, such as replacing the Luftwaffe's Tornado aircraft with the F-35 (both seen here at ILA 2022) and additional Eurofighters, are the big winners. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  Combat aviation across all three of the German armed forces is set to receive the biggest share of a dramatically increased national defence budget.  Announced earlier in 2022 in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the EUR100 billion (USD107 billion) Söndervermögen (special fund) uplift will...