IDSI's Visionflex Direct View curved LED display showcased at I/ITSEC 23. (Giles Ebbutt)  New display technology using LED (light emitting diode) panels, which offer advantages over traditional projector-based systems, was evidenced at the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) 2023 in Orlando.    Immersive Display Solutions Inc (IDSI) showcased its Visionflex Direct View (DV) curved LED display. Andrew Jamison, IDSI general manager – special projects, told   Janes   that the display consi...

Australia's fleet of Airbus A330 (KC-30A) MRTTs is receiving improved communications, tactical datalink, and encryption systems to bring the fleet to the latest “enhanced A330 MRTT” standard. (Commonwealth of Australia)  The first Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Airbus KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) has received a communications and cyber upgrade.  Australia's fleet of seven KC-30As are having their secure high-frequency (HF) and very-high frequency (VHF) radios, encryption device, and tactical datalink systems enhanced under the...

Poland began receiving into service the first of its Leonardo AW101 Merlin helicopters on 8 December. (General Command of the Polish Armed Forces)  Poland has begun inducting into service the first of four Leonardo AW101 Merlin helicopters it ordered in 2019 to satisfy its anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and combat search-and-rescue (CSAR) requirements.  The Polish Navy and the General Command of the Armed Forces announced the milestone on 8 December, saying that three helicopters are now with the Naval Aviation Brigade at Darłowo. The fourth of...

The PLAAF has introduced an augmented reality (AR)-assisted maintenance programme for an air brigade newly equipped with SAC J-16 aircraft, coupled with “intelligent” warehousing to improve sustaining and support. This photo shows a J-16 in flight during the 2022 Zhuhai Air Show. (Qian Baihua/VCG via Getty Images)  Another Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) air brigade has converted from legacy aircraft to new 4.5-generation Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) J-16 fighter aircraft. During the transition, the brigade also adop...

The first of 34 F-35A aircraft for Belgium was formally presented on 10 December 2023. (Lockheed Martin)  Belgium formally received its first Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) during a roll-out ceremony at the Fort Worth production facility in the United States.  Aircraft AY-01/FL001 was presented to the Belgian government and military leaders on 10 December, ahead of delivery to the international F-35 training school at Luke Air Force Base (AFB) in Arizona in early 2024.  News of the handover came days after the B...

EW officers monitor a simulated test in the Central Control Facility (CCF) at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. The CCF is used to oversee EW mission data flight-testing. Portions of their missions are likely to expand under the new Air Force Cyber Command. (US Air Force)    Members of the trilateral security co-operative between Australia, the UK, and the US (AUKUS) have agreed to kick off    collaborative development of advanced combat technologies, with an eye towards commonality and interoperability, beginning with electroni...

The UK stood up 809 NAS as its second front-line F-35B unit at RAF Marham on 8 December 2023. (Janes/Gareth Jennings )  The UK stood up its second operational squadron for the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning combat aircraft on 8 December.  The Royal Navy's (RN's) 809 ‘Immortals' Naval Air Squadron (NAS) was reconstituted at the home of the Lightning Force at Royal Air Force (RAF) Marham in Norfolk.  The squadron joins the RAF's 617 ‘Dambusters' Squadron as the UK's two front-line units for the ‘fifth-generation' short take-off and vertical la...

A visual comparison of the new Taurus KEPD 350K-2 (in foreground) and KEPD 350K precision-attack cruise missiles. The KEPD 350K-2 uses a new wing design and improved dynamics to retain the 500 km range of the older and larger KEPD 350K. (Janes)  A smaller version of the Taurus Systems KEPD 350K air-launched precision‐attack cruise missile being planned for the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) FA-50 fighter aircraft could enter production two years after full-scale development is launched.  Designated as the KEPD 350K-2, this all-weather-capab...

The first of 28 Royal Netherlands Air Force AH-64D Apaches to be converted to the latest AH-64E standard seen at its rollout in March 2022. (Netherlands Ministry of Defence)  The first Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopters to be remanufactured to the latest AH-64E Apache Guardian standard have arrived back in the Netherlands.  The Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) said on 7 December that the first two of 20 helicopters to be operated in the Netherlands (a further eight will be sent to Fort Cavazos – formerly Fort Hood – in Texas f...

The US Air Force said that the Bell Boeing CV-22B involved in the mishap was an aircraft from the 353rd Special Operations Wing. The unit operates its CV-22Bs from Yokota Air Base near Tokyo. (US Air Force)  The US Air Force (USAF) and US Navy (USN) grounded their respective V-22 fleets on 6 December, the services said in separate statements. The grounding follows the 29 November crash of a USAF CV-22 near Yakushima, Japan.  “Preliminary investigation information indicates a potential materiel failure caused the mishap, but the underlying cau...

A file photo of an Italian Reaper unmanned aircraft. The country is upgrading its fleet to the latest Block 5 standard. (GA-ASI)  The Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare Italiana: AMI) has flown its first Block 5 version of the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) MQ-9A Reaper unmanned aircraft system (UAS).  The manufacturer announced the milestone on 5 December, saying the first flight of the remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) took place some weeks earlier on 9 November.  “The new RPA was delivered to the [AMI], along with a n...

The Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) is improving the capabilities of its Wing Loong II unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to handle multiple applications.    During a recent flight demonstration of the UAV for the state-owned newspaper,  Global Times  , Li Yidong, chief designer at AVIC Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), said the applications of the Wing Loong series of UAVs “are still expanding”.   The demonstration showed the Wing Loong II's ability to climb, cruise, and operate at low altitude. Li said, “In the future, the [UAVs]...

Sweden has now received back into service seven NH90 search-and-rescue helicopters following an upgrade programme. (Swedish Air Force)  Sweden has received back into service the final NHIndustries (NHI) NH90 – Helikopter (HKP) 14 in national service – search-and-rescue (SAR) helicopter upgraded to the final operating capability (FOC) standard.  NHI announced the milestone on 5 December, saying the last of seven SAR-configured NH90 Tactical Troop Transport (TTT) helicopters to be upgraded in partnership with Patria had been delivered back to t...

With many of its European allies, including Norway (pictured), fielding the F-35A, Portugal is now eyeing the type also. (Royal Norwegian Air Force)  The Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II aircraft could emerge as the next combat aircraft in the inventory of the Portuguese Air Force (FAP).  The Chief of Staff of the FAP, General João Guilherme Rosado Cartaxo Alves, described the F-35A as the preferred choice to replace the Lockheed Martin F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcon on 27 November.  Speaking at the SAE Media Group Military Airlift and Air-to-Ai...

The US Air Force said the Bell Boeing CV-22B involved in the mishap was an aircraft from the 353rd Special Operations Wing. The unit operates its CV-22Bs from Yokota Air Base near Tokyo. (US Air Force)  A Bell Boeing CV-22 Osprey of the US Air Force (USAF) has crashed in Japanese waters.  In a statement later on 29 November US Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) said the CV-22B Osprey from the 353rd Special Operations Wing was involved in the “mishap”.  The aircraft was “performing a routine training mission off the shore of Yakushim...

An Embraer rendering of the KC-390 shows the aircraft with the emblem of the Republic of Korea Air Force's 251st Tactical Air Support Squadron (of the 5th Tactical Transport Wing), which is based at Gimhae, near the southern city of Busan. (Embraer)  The South Korean government has announced that it has selected the Embraer KC-390 Millenium transport aircraft for its Large Transport Aircraft-II (LTA-II) acquisition programme.  The decision was made during the 157th Defense Acquisition Program Committee meeting on 4 December, according to the...

A mock-up of the Eurodrone displayed at the Paris Air Show 2023. Japan has now joined the programme as an observer. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  Japan has attained official observer status on the Eurodrone project, the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) announced on 30 November.  The letter of approval was presented in Berlin by OCCAR Executive Administration Director Joachim Sucker to the Japanese Ambassador to Germany, Hidenao Yanagi.  Also known as the European medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) remotely piloted air system...

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket (pictured) launched South Korea's first military reconnaissance satellite on 1 December. The satellite is expected to strengthen the RoK Armed Forces' early warning capabilities against potential North Korean threats. (SpaceX)  South Korea has launched its first military reconnaissance satellite using SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket.  The Falcon 9 rocket carrying the reconnaissance satellite was launched from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on 1 December, South Korea's Ministry of National Defense (MND) announc...

Despite concerns over submarine-building capacity to meet AUKUS Pillar 1 needs, AUKUS countries are moving ahead with Pillar 2 efforts. (Janes/Michael Fabey)  While questions remain about the ability of Australia, the UK, and the US (AUKUS) to meet submarine requirement commitments for their AUKUS Pillar 1 agreement, the trio of defence partners detailed more specific Pillar 2 ambitions on 1 December.  Defence and government officials underscored plans aimed to better develop technology related to autonomous operations, electronic warfare (EW...

A Republic of Korea Air Force Lockheed Martin F-35A drops a GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bomb during a training exercise in November 2022. (South Korea MND)  The US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sales (FMS) of munitions for South Korea's Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning IIs.  In an announcement on 1 December the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said that the South Korean government had requested the purchase of a range of air-launched munitions for the Republic of Korea Air Force's (RoKAF's) F-35. The...