Discussions on work share agreements for the sixth-generation GCAP fighter aircraft are scheduled to start in March 2024. (BAE Systems)  Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom are in talks on the preliminary design of the sixth-generation Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) aircraft, with discussions on the division of responsibilities for the overall programme expected to start in March.    A spokesperson for Japan's Acquisitions, Logistics and Technology Agency (ATLA) told   Janes   on 29 February that the three countries “have...

An artist's rendition of Sierra Space's T2TL low Earth orbit satellite prototype for the PWSA. (Sierra Space)  Arizona-based sensor payload company GEOST is betting big that improved focal plane fidelity, coupled with artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled imagery processing at the edge, will be the solution for the new fire-control payload being developed for the Pentagon's Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA).  GEOST – a subsidiary of LightRidge Solutions – and the Space Development Agency (SDA) in February reached a deal for GEO...

The XQ-67A in flight (location unknown). (GA-ASI)  General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) has flown the XQ-67A unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for the first time, the company announced on 29 February.  “Flight demonstration of this system is a major first step towards showing the ability to produce affordable combat mass,” said Trenton White, Air Force Research Laboratory's (AFRL's) Off-Board Sensing Station (OBSS) programme manager, in a statement announcing the flight.  The flight took place on 28 February at GA-ASI's Gray Butte Flight...

The first KC-130J for the Luftwaffe departs the Marietta production facility in the US, bound for the joint Franco-German C-130 squadron in France. (Lockheed Martin)  The first Lockheed Martin KC-130J tanker-transport aircraft for the Luftwaffe was delivered to the joint Franco-German C-130 air-transport squadron at Évreux-Fauville Air Base in northern France on 28 February.  The first of three German KC-130Js departed the company's Marietta production facility in Georgia for the ferry flight to France, where it joined three Luftwaffe C-130J-...

A Royal Australian Air Force F-35A Lightning II aircraft takes off with a payload of GBU-12 bombs during an exercise in 2021. Singapore is procuring eight F-35A airframes in addition to the 12 F-35Bs announced earlier. (Commonwealth of Australia)  Singapore will procure eight conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) variants of the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighter aircraft in addition to the 12 F-35B short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) versions it is acquiring.  The matter was confirmed by Singapore's Defence Minister Ng Eng...

Leonardo and Bell are to leverage their respective AW609 (pictured) and V-22/V-280 tiltrotors for the NATO NGRC programme. (Leonardo)  Leonardo and Bell signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on 29 February geared at evaluating tiltrotor options for the NATO Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability (NGRC) programme.  The European and US companies will pool their combined tiltrotor knowledge on the AW609 and V-22 Osprey/V-280 Valor respectively, as they look to secure the fifth concept study of the NGRC effort to develop the next generation o...

The Indian MoD is procuring an undisclosed number of Jaga unmanned aerial vehicles (pictured) from Noida-based IG Drones to enhance the surveillance capabilities of the Indian Armed Forces. (IG Drones)  Noida-based IG Drones has secured a contract from the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) to provide its 5G-enabled Jaga unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to enhance the surveillance capabilities of the Indian Armed Forces.  A spokesperson for IG Drones told Janes on 28 February that the company plans to complete the supply of an undisclosed number...

CASIC is enhancing its Sky Hawk low-observable UAV for improved stealth characteristics and greater range. (Janes)  China's Tianying (Sky Hawk) tailless low-observable, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has started flight-testing following upgrades to its primary parameters. According to Chinese state-owned media, the changes improve the UAV's stealth characteristics and endurance.  Developed by the No 3 Research Institute of the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC), the Sky Hawk has been designed to conduct stealth-based reco...

Seen at a media event at the type's Wattisham Airfield home operating station, the AH-64E will soon be declared to be ‘operationally ready' by the British Army. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  The British Army is to declare its Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopter force to be “operationally ready” in the coming days, a senior official said on 28 February.  Speaking at the IQPC International Military Helicopter (IMH) 2024 conference in London, the official who was presenting under the Chatham House Rule said that with 38 of 50 remanufactur...

Repair work on attack submarine USS   Boise  is just one of the programmes that could be at risk during a year-long continuing resolution restricting funding.  (Newport News Shipbuilding)  Officials for the US Navy, US Air Force, and US Army painted a grim picture for the services if they are saddled with a full-year Continuing Resolution (CR) and unauthorised supplemental funding for fiscal year (FY) 2024 during a 28 February round-table media briefing at the Pentagon.  “I'm so very concerned about where we are...

Seen at a media event at the type's Wattisham Airfield home operating station, the AH-64E will soon be declared to be IOC by the British Army. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  The British Army is to declare its Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopter force to be “operationally ready” in the coming days, a senior official said on 28 February.    Speaking at the IQPC International Military Helicopter (IMH) 2024 conference in London, the official who was presenting under the Chatham House Rule said that with 38 of 50 remanufactured airframes now...

The IAF seeks to acquire the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft Mk 1A to replace its ageing MiG-21 fleet. The Mk 1A has a greater payload and fuel capacity than the earlier Mk 1 aircraft (pictured), plus improved avionics and cockpit features. (Indian Air Force)  Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is preparing the first two units of the improved Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk 1A for delivery to the Indian Air Force (IAF) in March.  A source in HAL told Janes that the company aims to deliver the first two aircraft by 31 March. “The IAF has req...

Germany is acquiring 60 Chinook helicopters, for which the first engine contract has now been placed. (Boeing via Janes/Gareth Jennings)  Germany has placed the first award related to its procurement of Boeing CH-47F Block II Chinook Standard Range (SR) air-to-air refuelling (AAR)-capable heavy-lift helicopters, contracting Honeywell to provide the engines.  Announced on 26 February, the award covers 105 T55-GA-714A engines for the EUR6.98 billion (USD7.57 billion) Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme to deliver 60 Chinook ER helicopters to...

Jordan is to field four Grand Caravans upgraded in an ISR configuration in addition to the six already in service (pictured) with the Royal Jordanian Air Force. (Janes/Patrick Allen)  IOMAX is preparing to deliver to Jordan the first of four new Cessna C-208B Grand Caravan EX aircraft to be upgraded with an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) system, a company spokesperson told Janes on 27 February.  The first aircraft will be presented to the Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) at a ceremony at the company's Mooresville facilit...

Despite setbacks with the US Army, Lockheed Martin will continue to develop and offer its X2 technologies to the international market. (Lockheed Martin)  Lockheed Martin is to continue developing its X2 technologies for the international market despite suffering setbacks with its offerings to the US Army.    Speaking to   Janes  ahead of the IQPC International Military Helicopter (IMH) 2024 conference in London running from 27 to 29 February, Jay Macklin, business development director at Lockheed Martin's Sikorsky subsidiary,...

The MDH MD 530F, as it was designated then, was showcased at IQPC International Military Helicopter (IMH) conference in February 2023. Now known as the TH/AH530, it is again being promoted at the IMH 2024 event, with the company telling   Janes  it expects to close sales of “several dozen” platforms in Eastern Europe alone.  (MDH via Janes/Gareth Jennings)  MD Helicopters (MDH) expects to sell “several dozen” of its TH530 and AH530 rotorcraft to Eastern Europe, with strong interest in the trainer and light attack...

With the Black Hawk set to remain in US Army service through to the 2070s, Lockheed Martin says the helicopter can serve as a bridge through to future rotorcraft now being developed. (Janes/Patrick Allen)  Lockheed Martin is touting its S-70 Black Hawk medium-lift helicopter as a bridge to next-generation rotorcraft now being developed, with new technologies intended to take it out to 2070.    Speaking to   Janes   ahead of the IQPC International Military Helicopter (IMH) 2024 conference in London, Jay Macklin, business develop...

Gas emanates from a leak on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea in September 2022 following sabotage to the pipeline. Concerns are growing about seabed infrastructures security. (Swedish Coast Guard)  Arctic countries need to recalibrate the way they oversee and protect subsea infrastructure in the Arctic regional waters, given the increasing interest in augmenting the pipelines, cabling, and related equipment that make up these networks and recent actions off Nordic coasts, according to Rolf Einar Fife, Norwegian ambassador to t...

The UK government has formally launched the second half of the NMH procurement process to replace the Puma HC2, with the release to industry of the invitation to negotiate on 27 February. (Janes/Patrick Allen)  The UK government has launched the second half of its New Medium Helicopter (NMH) programme to replace the Airbus SA 330E Puma HC2 in military service.  Speaking at the IQPC International Military Helicopter (IMH) 2024 conference held in London from 27 to 29 February, Minister of State for Defence Procurement at the Ministry of Defence...

Kencoa Aerospace displayed a 1:10 scale model of its 100 kg payload UAV. (Janes/Prasobh Narayanan)  Kencoa Aerospace, a company based in Sancheon, South Korea, displayed a model of its amphibious multicopter unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at the Singapore Airshow 2024 held 20–25 February.  Speaking to Janes, a Kencoa Aerospace official said the UAV – named KV-1 – has a 100 kg payload carrying capacity and can be adapted for cargo and firefighting applications. The UAV can be used for military and civilian applications, the company said.  The U...