21 June 2022
by Gareth Jennings
With Germany set to massively increase its defence spending, aviation projects, such as replacing the Luftwaffe's Tornado aircraft with the F-35 (both seen here at ILA 2022) and additional Eurofighters, are the big winners. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)
Combat aviation across all three of the German armed forces is set to receive the biggest share of a dramatically increased national defence budget.
Announced earlier in 2022 in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the EUR100 billion (USD107 billion) Söndervermögen (special fund) uplift will see a further EUR33.4 billion specifically committed to air domain projects across the German Air Force, Army, and Navy.
“Some of the projects are already shown in the individual plan 14, [while] some of them will be expanded and transferred to the special fund in 2023,” the Bundeswehr said.
18 April 2024
by Gareth Jennings
The chiefs of the RAF and RAAF reconstituting their respective 80 Squadrons during a joint ceremony at Eglin AFB in the US. (Crown Copyright)
The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) stood up their respective 80 Squadrons on 17 April to serve as US-based data units for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).
Announced by the RAF, the two separate but linked squadrons were reconstituted during a joint ceremony at Eglin Air Force Base (AFB) in Florida.
“At the event, the [UK] Chief of the Air Staff, [Air Chief Marshal] Sir Richard Knighton, and [Australian] Chief of the Air Force Air Marshal Robert Chipman, formally awarded the dormant 80 Squadron number plates for each service to their respective teams within the Australia, Canada, and United Kingdom Reprogramming Laboratory [ACURL],” the RAF said.
17 April 2024
by Jeremy Binnie
One of the new Z-9WE helicopters at Malabo airbase. (Partido Democrático de Guinea Ecuatorial)
The Armed Forces of Equatorial Guinea (FAGE) is now operating two new Harbin Z-9 helicopters, the country's ruling Democratic Party (Partido Democrático de Guinea Ecuatorial: PDGE) revealed on 9 April when it reported that Vice-President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue had inspected the aircraft.
The PDGE released photographs showing the vice-president with at least one of the new helicopters at a location that could be identified as the airbase at Malabo International Airport. It was fitted with a gimballed electro-optical system under its nose and pylons for weapons that can include guns, rockets, and anti-tank missiles.
The Z-9 is the Chinese-made version of the Airbus AS365 Dauphin. The PDGE identified the new helicopters as the Z-9WE variant. It added that Equatorial Guinea is considering acquiring additional combat helicopters.
The FAGE was not previously known to have any Chinese aircraft in its fleet, which consists almost entirely of Soviet-era types.
For more information on the Z-9, seeHAIG (Airbus Helicopters) Z-9 Haitun .
17 April 2024
by Akhil Kadidal
The KAI T-50 is a tandem-seat multirole trainer aircraft that is in service with Indonesia, South Korea, and Thailand. (KAI)
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has proposed a sale of T-50 multirole trainer aircraft to the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF), which seeks to acquire new combat aircraft from fiscal year (FY) 2025.
A KAI spokesperson told Janes on 17 April that the proposal for the T-50TH variant was submitted in November 2023. The T-50TH is being pitched for the possible acquisition programme as the RTAF “has already purchased and operates the same model [of aircraft]”, the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that the T-50TH is being proposed as it is a multirole aircraft that “is not only suitable for advanced training but also capable of real combat in urgent situations”.
Janes understands that KAI's proposal is in response to an unofficial request for proposals (RFP) issued by the RTAF in the second half of 2023. In its 2024 White Paper, the RTAF detailed a plan to procure 12–14 fighter aircraft to replace ageing Lockheed Martin F-16A/Bs of its 102 Squadron from FY 2025 to FY 2034.
Combat aviation across all three of the German armed forces is set to receive the biggest share of a...
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