A North Macedonian Mil Mi-17 ‘Hip' helicopter being used for fire-fighting duties. The country is to shed its offensive air-combat capabilities, in favour of new helicopters that will perform military and civil support duties. The ageing Mi-17s will also be retired. (Igor Bozinovski )  North Macedonia will axe the air combat power of the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia (Armija na Republika Severna Makedonija: ARSM), instead focusing on acquiring a multirole helicopter fleet for military and civil support.  Defence Minister Slavjanka P...

An artist's impression of the Boeing P-8A Poseidon in Royal Canadian Air Force colours and markings. (Boeing)  Canada has issued a letter of request (LOR) to the US government for the Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime multimission aircraft (MMA).  The Canadian government announced the LOR on 27 March, saying it is seeking 16 aircraft for its Canadian Multi-Mission Aircraft (CMMA) requirement to replace the ageing Lockheed CP-140 Auroras of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).    “A request for information (RFI) was released in February 2022...

A Northrop Grumman MQ-8C aboard the USS   Jason Dunham   in 2021.  (Northrop Grumman)  Despite the US Navy's (USN's) recent cuts, entirely divesting the MQ-8B and cutting the follow-on MQ-8C fleet to eight operational helicopters, Northrop Grumman anticipates a bright future for the Fire Scout unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).  Both Northrop Grumman and the USN are focused on expanding the MQ-8's role. The helicopter was built to give Littoral Combat Ships (LCSs) an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR...

With this new Belgian MOU, the NATO Multinational MRTT Unit will field 10 KC-30M tanker-transport aircraft by the time deliveries are complete in 2027. (Royal Netherlands Air Force)  Belgium has formalised the procurement of a second Airbus A330-200 Multirole Tanker Transport (MRTT) as its contribution to the NATO Multinational MRTT Unit (MMU).  Minister of Defence Ludivine Dedonder signed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the additional aircraft on 24 March, bringing the Multinational MRTT Fleet (MMF) to 10 aircraft once deliveries a...

Turkey provided a first look at the new TB3 UCAV, ahead of its formal reveal at the Teknofest event in Istanbul to be held from 27 April to 1 May 2023. (Baykar)  Turkey's Baykar has showcased its Bayraktar TB3 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) ahead of its upcoming first flight.  Images posted online by the manufacturer on 27 March showed for the first time the larger and more capable successor to the TB2.  “Counting the days to [its] first flight”, Baykar’s Chairman of the Board of Directors, Selçuk Bayraktar, posted from his official Tw...

A Swedish Gripen and Finnish Hornet combat aircraft conducting joint manoeuvres. Together with Denmark and Norway, the two countries will combine their combat aviation assets with a joint Nordic operational concept agreed upon in a letter of intent. (Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty Images)  The Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden have agreed on “seamless co-operation” between their respective air forces, with a letter of intent (LOI) announced on 23 March.  Signed on 16 March by the commanders of the four air forces, and in...

A screenshot from a Slovak Air Force video released on 23 March, showing the first four MiG-29s being prepped ahead of their transfer to Ukraine. (Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic)  Slovakia has transferred the first of its MiG-29 ‘Fulcrum' combat aircraft to Ukraine, with the aircraft being flown from Sliač Air Base to an undisclosed location in the neighbouring country.  Slovakian Minister of Defence Jaroslav Naď announced the transfer on 23 March, saying the first four aircraft had been handed over.  “May they save many lives and help U...

With the IOC that was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic now declared, the MMU is working towards full operating capability in 2024. At that time, 10 KC-30M aircraft will provide Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Norway with 10,000 flight hours per year. (NSPA)  NATO declared initial operating capability (IOC) for its Multinational Multirole Tanker Transport (MRTT) Unit (MMU) on 23 March.  The event at Eindhoven Air Base in the Netherlands was hosted by the Minister of Defence of the Netherlands, Kajsa Ollon...

A file photo of a USAF RC-135W Rivet Joint SIGINT aircraft of the type that flew the length of the Finnish-Russian border on 23 March. (USAF)  Finland is to allow intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft of “key international partners” to operate in its national airspace, it was announced on 23 March.  The announcement by the Finnish government coincided with a surveillance flight flown by a US Air Force (USAF) L-3 RC-135W Rivet Joint signals intelligence (SIGINT) aircraft that was seen on flight tracker services routing...

China's project goals for the domestically developed WS20 engine include greater thrust, reliability, and fuel efficiency compared with Russian engines currently powering the XAC Y-20A transport aircraft. (Janes)  China's domestically developed Shenyang WS20 engine for the Xi'an Aircraft Corporation (XAC) Y-20 transport aircraft appears to be ready for operational service.  Images on Chinese social media in mid-March show an airborne Y-20 equipped with four WS20 two-shaft high bypass ratio turbofan engines. The aircraft, which was painted in...

Slovakia is to receive new AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters in exchange for transferring its MiG-29s to Ukraine. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  Slovakia is to receive Bell AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters from the United States, in exchange for transferring its MiG-29 ‘Fulcrum' fighter fleet to Ukraine.  Slovak Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď made the announcement on 22 March, saying that 12 helicopters would be provided, as well as Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire II air-to-surface missiles.  “Thanks to our responsible defence policy, relationship with...

The T901-GE-900 prototype engine installed at General Electric's test facility. (General Electric)  Delivery of the General Electric T901 engine to the US Army is now scheduled for boreal fall of 2023, General Electric said in a statement, delayed from spring 2023.  The delivery has been delayed several times; the spring 2023 date was a delay from a then-projected November 2022 delivery.  The army intends to test the engines and simultaneously deliver one engine each to Bell Helicopters and Sikorsky in early fiscal year (FY) 2024. Both compan...

The introduction of SAC J-11s in the China's flight academies has allowed the PLAAF to enhance the combat readiness of its graduating pilots. The aircraft in this photograph is shown taking off for a training session in eastern China's Zhejiang province in late August 2021. (Feature China/Future Publishing via Getty Images)  China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force (PLAAF) and the PLA Navy (PLAN) are recruiting women to “strengthen the quality” of the “pilot talent pool”, state-owned media has said.  The PLAN announced in February tha...

Despite Norway saying it is axing its NH90 programme in favour of the MH-60R Seahawk, NHI says that it will fix the outstanding problems at no cost to the country. (Royal Norwegian Air Force)    NHIndustries (NHI) has offered to fix for free the issues that have caused Norway to cancel its NH90 helicopter programme, a senior official told   Janes  and other defence media on 17 March.   Speaking at the handover of the 500th NH90 to the international programme in Marignane, southern France, NHI president Axel Aloccio said th...

The AH-64E Apache Longbow. (Boeing)  On 17 March, the US Army ordered 115 remanufactured AH-64 Apache attack helicopters and placed options for an additional 15, as well as orders for 54 Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers, for USD1.9 billion.  The US remanufacture will upgrade the AH-64Ds to the AH-64E version 6 (v6) standard. The AH-64 v6 entered US Army service in 2021.  The FMS sales are to Australia and Egypt, according to the US Department of Defense (DoD) contract announcement. The official breakdown was not immediately available, b...

The latest concept art of the Aeralis modular aircraft, released to mark the signing of a contract with ShinMaywa at DSEI Japan 2023. (Aeralis)  The UK-based Aeralis signed a contract with Japanese company ShinMaywa to collaborate on the implementation of digital engineering processes for military aircraft design and manufacturing in Japan.  Using digital engineering, the UK firm has developed the Aeralis modular aircraft system that can perform a range of training and operational tasks, the company's business development director Richard Eas...

The TF-X/MMU made its first engine runs on 17 March. (Turkish Aerospace)  Turkish Aerospace (TA) marked and announced upcoming major milestones for its four primary combat aviation programmes during Turkey's Gallipoli ‘Victory Day' on 18 March.  TA president and CEO Temel Kotil announced developments pertaining to the Turkish Fighter Experimental (TF-X)/National Combat Aircraft (MMU), and the Hürjet advanced jet trainer aircraft, as well as noting upcoming milestones for the ATAK 2 attack helicopter, and the ANKA 3 low-observable unmanned aer...

Slovakian MiG-29s are soon to be in the service of the Ukrainian Air Force, according to an announcement made by the country's prime minister on 17 March. (Slovakian Ministry of Defence)  Slovakia has followed Poland's decision to send MiG-29 ‘Fulcrum' combat aircraft to Ukraine, with the government announcing that it is to transfer its entire fleet.  Slovakian Prime Minister Eduard Heger said on 17 March that 13 MiG-29s that are no longer used operationally by the Slovak Air Force are to be gifted to Ukraine. His announcement came a day afte...

The 500th NH90 for the international programme was handed over to the French Army on 17 March. The programme has 97 more to deliver under current orders. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  NHIndustries delivered the 500th NH90 helicopter during a ceremony at the Marignane production facility in southern France on 17 March.  The consortium comprising Airbus Helicopters (62.5%), Leonardo (32%), and Fokker Aerostructures (5.5%) marked the milestone some 16 years after customer deliveries began, handing over the latest helicopter to the French Army.  “[On...

A screenshot taken from the onboard camera of a USAF MQ-9A Reaper UAV as it is harassed by a Russian Su-27 Flanker fighter over the Black Sea on 14 March. Despite the Reaper eventually being destroyed, the RAF says it continues to operate its manned aircraft in the region, “in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organization rules”. (US DoD)  The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) continues to operate in the Black Sea region, despite the recent downing of a US Air Force (USAF) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) off the coast of Ukraine....