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  The last of the original 67 Apache AH1 helicopters were formally withdrawn from service during a...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...

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...