With its MOU with Secapem Defence Training Solutions, Aeralis is hoping to break into the French ‘Red Air' training market with the modular jet it is developing. (Aeralis)  Aeralis has announced that it has entered the French market, with a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed with a national ‘Red Air' training provider on 26 April.  The MOU will see Aeralis and Secapem Defence Training Solutions (SDTS) explore light fast-jet aviation services in France.  “The MOU is designed to facilitate collaborative working to explore an aircraft serv...

A new electronic warfare aircraft to be developed and built in South Korea could be based on the Dassault Falcon 2000 business jet. The Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF) already operates the Falcon 2000 as an intelligence and surveillance aircraft. (Korean Air)  South Korea has launched a project to develop a new electronic warfare (EW) aircraft using a business jet as the baseline platform.  The project was revealed by South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) on 13 April. According to DAPA, the project was discussed...

Skydweller UAV seen taking off for a flight trial. (Skydweller Aero)    The Skydweller unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is conducting autonomous envelope expansion flights from Albacete, Spain, in anticipation of experimental operations on behalf of US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), Skydweller Aero CEO Robert Miller told   Janes  on 19 April. The aircraft has performed nine test flights so far.   On its most recent flight, on 19 March, Skydweller flew for four hours and reached an 18,000 ft altitude. Although a pilot was aboard...

A Royal New Zealand Navy SH-2G(I) Seasprite helicopter is seen at the 2018 Warbirds Over Wanaka Airshow. The New Zealand Defence Force has issued a tender to replace the platform through the new Maritime Helicopter Replacement programme. (NZDF)  A request for information (RFI) has been released by the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) for its new Maritime Helicopter Replacement (MHR) programme that will deliver a new platform to replace its existing eight SH-2G(I) Seasprite helicopters.  The RFI – published on 24 April – seeks a medium helicop...

Based on data from the Japan MoD, this graphic shows Chinese and Russian air activity around Japan from April 2022 to April 2023. Tokyo said that most of its aircraft scrambles were prompted by Chinese and Russian electronic intelligence aircraft. (Japan Ministry of Defense/Japan Coast Guard/Janes)  Japan reported an increase in air interceptions of Chinese unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in fiscal year (FY) 2022, even as it said that its overall fighter air scrambles had dwindled.  The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) conducted 778 scram...

A RAAF P-8A Poseidon MPA works with the RAN guided-missile destroyer HMAS   Hobart  . The maritime air power provided by the P-8A is integral to lacing together the RAN's capabilities and outputs.  (Commonwealth of Australia)  For a decade or more, Australia has been transforming the outputs of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) through a fleet-wide recapitalisation of its force structure. This process began with the acquisition of two Canberra-class landing helicopter dock (LHD) amphibious assault ships (HMA ships C...

Although USAF B-1B Lancers have previously landed in India, they had not participated in wargames over the Indian subcontinent prior to Exercise ‘Cope India 23'. In this photograph, two Lancers of the 34th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron sit at the Kempegowda International Airport, Bangalore, during the Aero India 2023 show held in February. (US Air Force/Master Sgt Richard Ebensberger)  The debut deployment of US Air Force (USAF) Rockwell B-1B Lancer strategic bombers in India for a combat exercise focuses attention once again on Washington's at...

A Royal Australian Navy MH-60R helicopter carries the Australian national flag during the 2023 Avalon International Airshow. (Commonwealth of Australia)  Australia is to adopt a defence strategy of denial centred on anti-access/area-denial capabilities focused on its northern approaches and its primary regional area of military interest, the country's most significant strategic review in a generation has revealed.  Conducted by former Australian Defence Force (ADF) Chief Angus Houston and former Defence Minister Stephen Smith, and released on...

The US Navy's E-6B Mercury strategic command aircraft. (US Navy)  Northrop Grumman, which is vying to provide the US Navy's E-XX Take Charge and Move Out (TACAMO) strategic command aircraft, recently announced that its team includes Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, Raytheon Intelligence & Space, Crescent Systems Inc, and Long Wave Inc.  “Our team has put a lot of work into the initial plans and designs,” drawing on its extensive experience in developing weapon systems, Henry Cyr, director for multidomain command-and-control (C2) capture programme...

The first production standard L-39NG made its maiden flight on 24 April. (Aero Vodochody)  Aero Vodochody has flown for the first time a production standard L-39NG (Next Generation) aircraft, the Czech manufacturer announced on 24 April.  The flight, which lasted approximately 40 minutes, saw the single-engined twin-seat jet perform a series of manoeuvres to assess its flight characteristics, as well as the functions of the engine, aircraft systems, and avionics.  “The first serial production L-39NG aircraft flight met all expectations,” Aero...

The Alpha 900 UAV seen here in BAKAMLA livery at Indo Defence 2022. (Janes/Ridzwan Rahmat)  Madrid-based Alpha Unmanned Systems (AUS) has established a licensed manufacturing partnership with Indonesian company PT Indadi Venyro in a bid to expand the former's footprint across Southeast Asia.    The partnership agreement was established in April 2023 after PT Indadi Venyro agreed to invest in AUS as a minority equity partner, said the companies in a joint statement provided to   Janes  on 20 April.   Besides licensed manuf...

The Leonardo ECRS Mk 2 radar seen next to the Eurofighter test aircraft ZK355/BS116. The combination is expected to fly for the first time in 2024. (BAE Systems)  Leonardo has delivered the first European Common Radar System Mark 2 (ECRS Mk 2) to be integrated aboard the UK Royal Air Force's (RAF's) fleet of Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft.  Announced on 21 April, the milestone saw the handover of the first ECRS Mk 2 to BAE Systems, which will integrate the unit onto Eurofighter test aircraft ZK355/BS116 ahead of the first flight planned...

ProHeli CEO Valerii Copeichin shows President Museveni around the MRO facility at Nakasongola Air Base. (State House (Uganda))  Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni attended a ceremony on 18 April to mark the completion of the first helicopter overhaul at a new facility in the country.  Ugandan television showed Museveni inspecting the helicopter maintenance, refurbishment, and overhaul (MRO) facility at Nakasongola Air Base and watching a Mi-24P taking off. Unusually for a Ugandan helicopter, it was fitted with dust filters over its engines, s...

Seen for the first time on imagery released by the MoD on 18 April, this UK Reaper is fitted with two cheek-mounted sensor arrays (one on each side of the aircraft). A previously classified blade antenna can also be seen fitted to the underfuselage. (Crown Copyright)  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has released imagery of the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc (GA-ASI) MQ-9A Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) fitted with a previously undisclosed new payload.  Released on 18 April to coincide with a media event at the Royal Air Forc...

The KF-21 prototype launched an InfraRed Imaging System-Tail control (IRIS-T) on 4 April. (Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA))  Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) has successfully test-fired an AIM-2000 InfraRed Imaging System-Tail control (IRIS-T) missile from its KF-21 fighter aircraft for the first time.  The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced this maiden launch of the IRIS-T missile from the KF-21 in a video on 7 April. The launch represents the expansion of the KF-21's armaments testing programme. T...

The JGSDF operated a relatively small force of 40 UH-60JA helicopters. The crash of a UH-60JA off Miyakojima on 6 April is the first recorded by the army. (Japan Ground Self-Defense Force)  A Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) helicopter has crashed north of Miyako Island while conducting a patrol.  In a press conference in Tokyo on 6 April, General Yasunori Morishita, chief of staff of the JGSDF, said that the Sikorsky (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries) UH-60JA Black Hawk vanished from radar screens on Thursday afternoon. Gen Morishita said...

The Philippine Air Force is likely to get the first of its newly ordered Dirgantara NC212i transport aircraft in 2025. (PT Dirgantara Indonesia)  The Philippines has signed a contract to acquire six additional PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) NC212i aircraft.  The acquisition will allow Manila to complete its light‐lift fixed-wing aircraft (LLFWA) requirement. The country already operates two NC212is, which it acquired in June 2018.  According to PTDI, the aircraft procurement contract was signed at the offices of the Philippines Department of...

Poland received from Germany five MiG-29s, which are now cleared for transfer to Ukraine. (Janes)  Germany has approved the transfer to Ukraine of five MiG-29 ‘Fulcrum' fighter aircraft that it sold to Poland in 2003. Berlin announced the move on 13 April, saying the re-export approval will allow Polish President Andrzej Duda to fufil his pledge to transfer all of his country's MiG-29s to Ukraine.  “I am pleased to announce that we can promise our Polish partners the delivery of five MiG-29s from former [East German Army] stocks to Ukraine,”...

Chief Executive of DSTA, Mervyn Tan. (DSTA)    With a total land area    of 730 km  2  , Singapore is the smallest country in South East Asia. However, its military might betray its size as the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF)...

The UK has released additional funding for the Tempest future fighter. (Team Tempest)  The United Kingdom has released a further tranche of funding for the Tempest, announcing an additional multimillion-pound investment in the future fighter aircraft it is developing under the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP).  Announced on 14 April, the GBP656 million (USD823 million) contract was awarded to BAE Systems as the UK prime contractor for the GCAP programme that was launched with Italy and Japan in December 2022. This contract extension forms p...