Air news

SICRAL 3 satellite programme reaches critical design review, details on future optical and satcom projects

By Olivia Savage 08 November 2023
Thales Alenia Space is responsible for the entire SICRAL 3 telecommunications system, space segment (SICRAL 3A and 3B), as well as the design, production, and integration of the UHF, SHF, and Ka-band payloads. Meanwhile, Telespazio is managing the development of the ground segment. (Thales Alenia Space)    Italy's geostationary (GEO) satellite communications programme SICRAL 3 (Italian System for Secure Communications and Alerts) has reached the critical design review stage, with the satellites – 3A and 3B – expected to launch from 2026...

IFC 2023: Spain rows back earlier stated interest in F-35

By Gareth Jennings 07 November 2023
A model of the F-35 was displayed at the IQPC International Fighter Conference in Madrid. Tellingly, it featured Czech markings rather than those of the host country, Spain. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  Spain has rowed back its previously stated interest in procuring the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II as a potential partial replacement for its current Boeing EF-18 Hornet and McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II aircraft.    Having told   Janes   in November 2021 that it had requested information on both the conventional take-off a...

IFC 2023: Luftwaffe maps out vision for electronic warfare ‘loyal wingman'

By Gareth Jennings 07 November 2023
With the Luftwaffe to field the Eurofighter EK in the electronic attack role, a mock-up was showcased at the ILA Berlin Airshow 2022. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  The German Luftwaffe intends to operate its Eurofighter Elektronischer Kampf (EK) electronic warfare (EW) aircraft alongside a dedicated unmanned ‘loyal wingman', it was disclosed on 6 November.  Commanding General of Air Force Forces Command, Lieutenant General Günter Katz, revealed the Electronic Combat Wingman (ECW) in a briefing slide presented at the IQPC International Fighter Conf...

IFC 23: Poland sets out future F-35 ‘loyal wingman' plan

By Gareth Jennings 07 November 2023
The Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat is one of the international ‘loyal wingman' programmes being considered by Poland for its Harpii Szpon programme. (Commonwealth of Australia)  Poland is assessing the market as it looks to field an unmanned ‘loyal wingman' for its future fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II combat aircraft, the Deputy General Commander of the Polish Armed Forces said on 6 November.  Speaking at the IQPC International Fighter Conference (IFC) 2023 in Madrid, Major General Cezary Wisniewski said the Ministry of National Defence...

Defense & Security 2023: Norinco to supply Sky Saker FX80 UAV to Thai army

By Jon Grevatt 07 November 2023
Thailand has signed a contract with Norinco to become the first international customer of the Chinese company's Sky Saker FX80 UAV, a scale model of which was displayed at the Defense & Security 2023 exhibition in Bangkok. (Janes/Jon Grevatt)  China North Industries Corporation (Norinco) has signed a contract with the Royal Thai Army (RTA) to supply its fixed-wing/vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) Sky Saker FX80 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the company has confirmed.    A Norinco official told   Janes  on 7 November at th...

USAF to assess need for ‘post-F-16' affordable mass

By Gareth Jennings 07 November 2023
With the F-16 providing the US Air Force with its affordable mass, the service will shortly begin considering what follows the aircraft type in the future. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  The US Air Force (USAF) is to shortly begin assessing its longer-term requirement for an “affordable” aircraft that it can operate in the post-Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon timeframe.  Speaking under the Chatham House Rule, an official said the work will begin in the coming few years to field a combat aircraft type with a cost per flight hour that is sustain...

Kratos unveils Thanatos unmanned aerial vehicle

By Zach Rosenberg 07 November 2023
Artist's concept of the Kratos Thanatos UAV. (Kratos)  Kratos Defense and Space has unveiled an image of its Thanatos unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) but declined to provide further information about the concept or its potential uses.  “Among the new opportunities we are pursuing, we are in discussions with a customer and hope to be under contract next year related to certain other Kratos tactical drone systems, including Thanatos,” said Kratos president and CEO Eric DeMarco on a 2 November call with investors.  An artist's concept of the vehic...

IFC 2023: Spain may roll out LTE upgrades across wider Eurofighter fleet

By Gareth Jennings 07 November 2023
Under current fielding and procurement plans, the Spanish Air and Space Force will have 96 Eurofighters that may be fitted with LTE enhancements. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  Spain may retrofit Long Term Evolution (LTE) enhancements for the Eurofighter combat aircraft (C.16 in national service) to its wider fleet, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) told   Janes  on 6 November.   Timed to coincide with the IQPC International Fighter Conference 2023 (IFC 2023) in Madrid, the MoD response to a   Janes  question on Spanish Air and Space Forc...

IFC 2023: Airbus details Eurofighter Halcon standards for Spain

By Gareth Jennings 07 November 2023
A model of a Halcon II Eurofighter displayed at IFC 2023. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  The Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft to be delivered to the Spanish Air and Space Force (Ejército del Aire y del Espacio: EdAE) under the Halcon II procurement programme will be at the Tranche 4+ standard, Airbus confirmed on 6 November.  Speaking at the IQPC International Fighter Conference (IFC) in Madrid, Marco Gumbrecht, head of Combat Air Systems, Airbus Defence and Space, said that with 20 Halcon I aircraft to be built at the Tranche 4 standard, the 25...

Defense & Security 2023: Thailand takes delivery of KGGB kits

By Jon Grevatt 06 November 2023
The Royal Thai Air Force has recently completed an exercise using its newly inducted Korean GPS-Guided Bomb (KGGB), a model of which is pictured above at the Defense & Security 2023 exhibition in Bangkok. (Janes/Jon Grevatt)    The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) has taken delivery of an initial batch of Korean GPS-Guided Bomb (KGGB) kits, an official from manufacturer LIG Nex1 told   Janes  at the Defense & Security exhibition in Bangkok on 6 November.   The official also confirmed that the RTAF has held its first exercise us...

Canada claims unsafe PLA interception of helicopter

By Akhil Kadidal 06 November 2023
The HMCS   Ottawa  's CH-148 helicopter lowers supplies onto the flight deck of the USS   Ralph Johnson  (DDG 114) in the South China Sea on 10 September. HMCS   Ottawa  is currently on deployment in South East Asia as part of Canada's commitment to increase the number of Canadian warships annually deployed to the Indo-Pacific region from two to three, starting from 2023.  (US Navy)  Canada's Department of National Defence (DND) has said that Chinese combat jets aggressively intercept...

Defense & Security 2023: ATIL unveils DP18A UCAV

By Jon Grevatt 06 November 2023
The DP18A UCAV – developed by Thai firm ATIL – has a top speed of 200 km/h, an endurance of 12 hours, and an operation radius of 200 km. (Janes/Jon Grevatt)  Thai firm Aero Technology Industry Company Limited (ATIL) has unveiled a new X-tail unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) at the Defense & Security 2023 exhibition in Bangkok.  The company said the DP18A UCAV is a “tactical attack UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] for reconnaissance, surveillance, [and] intelligence gathering” that can also provide “real-time strikes against enemy targets”....

SDAM demonstrator completes at-sea trials from French FREMM frigate

By Richard Scott 03 November 2023
At-sea trials of the VSR700/SDAM were undertaken from the frigate   Provence   between 2 and 9 October.   (Naval Group)  Airbus Helicopters, Naval Group, and France's Direction générale de l'armement (DGA) procurement agency have completed a first trial of the Airbus VSR700 vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aircraft system (UAS) from a French Navy multimission frigate (Frégate multimission: FREMM).    Conducted from the Aquitaine-class ship   Provence  in early October, the week-long te...

Israeli company launches new manpack C-UAS solution

By Olivia Savage 03 November 2023
Netline's C-Guard Modular ManPack RF jammer counters both UASs and IEDs and is based on the C-Guard series of C-IED systems. (Netline Communications Technologies Ltd)  Israel-based Netline Communication Technologies launched its new manportable counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) called C-Guard Modular ManPack on 31 October.    The radio frequency (RF)-based jammer provides on-the-move, omnidirectional, tactical protection to counter UASs as well as protect forces from improvised explosive devices (IEDs), a company spokesperson told...

Chile to upgrade F-16s to M6.6 standard

By Zach Rosenberg 03 November 2023
The Chilean Air Force Lockheed Martin F-16AM Fighting Falcon fighter. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  Chile has awarded Lockheed Martin USD177 million to perform M6.6 tape upgrades on its F-16 fleet. The 31 October award was conducted via the US Department of Defense (DoD) Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme.  The upgrades, which include identification friend-or-foe (IFF) transponders and Link-16 datalinks, are to be installed on Chile's full fleet of F-16s, Lockheed Martin told Janes on 1 November.  “The M6.6 programme will modernise the entire...

Update: MBDA Deutschland offers more applications for Enforcer missile system

By Nicholas Fiorenza 03 November 2023
MBDA Deutschland is offering more applications for the Enforcer missile system, including anti-tank, air-launched, and V/SHORAD versions. (MBDA)  MBDA Deutschland presented international journalists visiting the company on 27 October with more applications for the Enforcer missile system being procured by the Bundeswehr for its Leichtes Wirkmittel 1800+ requirement for a lightweight, day/night, precision-guided, shoulder-launched 89 mm weapon with a range of more than 1,800 m. The new applications are anti-tank, air-launched, and very short-...

IAF moving Su-30s to ex-MiG-21 squadron

By Akhil Kadidal 03 November 2023
The Indian Air Force is seeking to withdraw all Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 Bison aircraft from service in 2025. (Indian Air Force)  The Indian Air Force (IAF) is transferring Sukhoi Su-30MKIs from other operational squadrons to ensure that a former Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 squadron remains in active service.  On 31 October the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced that the IAF's No 4 Squadron (Oorials) was converting from MiG-21s to Su-30MKIs.  A senior officer in the IAF told Janes that the Su-30MKIs re-equipping No 4 Squadron are not newly...

DRDO progresses weaponised Archer UAV

By Akshara Parakala & Raghuraman C S 02 November 2023
A scale model of the ADE Archer (SRUAV-W) pictured at ADMS 2023. (Janes/Akshara Parakala)  India's Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) – an agency under the state-owned Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) – has disclosed new details about the development and testing of its new Short-Range Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-Weaponised (SRUAV-W) – also known as ‘Archer'.    An ADE official told   Janes   at the eighth Aerospace and Defence Manufacturing Show (ADMS), which was held in Bangalore from 26 to 27 October...

Israeli F-35 shoots down Houthi cruise missile

By Gareth Jennings 02 November 2023
Footage released on 2 November by the Israeli Air Force showing the moments before an F-35I shoots down a Houthi cruise missile. (Israeli Air Force)  An Israeli Air Force (IAF) Lockheed Martin F-35I Adir combat aircraft shot down a cruise missile fired from Yemen by the Iranian-backed Ansar Allah group, known as Houthis.  The IAF announced the event on 2 November, releasing F-35I electro-optical targeting system (EOTS) footage of the engagement.  “In recent days, the IAF's control and detection systems identified a cruise missile launched fro...

RAF reforms 42 Sqn as joint P-8A, E-7A operational conversion unit

By Gareth Jennings 02 November 2023
The first training sortie for the reformed 42 Squadron was flown on 26 September. (Crown Copyright)  The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) has reformed 42 Squadron as a joint operational conversion unit (OCU) for its Boeing 737-based aircraft, it announced on 1 November.  Most latterly the former OCU for the BAC Nimrod MR2 maritime patrol aircraft before its disbandment in 2010, 42 Sqn was stood up at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland on 21 September. This is the station from where both the Boeing P-8A Poseidon MRA1 maritime multimission aircraft (MMA) and...
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