A Luftwaffe Eurofighter on the flightline at the 2022 ILA Berlin Airshow. The service has told Janes that it does not yet know how many additional aircraft it will buy to replace the 90 Tornados being retired. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)

The German Luftwaffe has not yet determined how many new combat aircraft it is to acquire to replace its fleet of Panavia Tornados, a senior service official told Janes on 2 May.

Responding to a request for clarification and confirmation of the 85 new aircraft figure previously given by industry officials, Commanding General of Air Force Forces Command, Lieutenant General Günter Katz, said the Luftwaffe had never formally declared a one-for-one replacement of the Tornado, and that “a new target number does actually not exist”.

The German Army's re-established air defence force is scheduled to receive Skyranger 30 air-defence systems in 2026. (Rheinmetall)

The German Army announced on its website on 30 April that it is re-establishing its air defence force, initially based in Lüneburg, northern Germany.

The force was disbanded in 2012 but is being re-established as part of the Bundeswehr's refocus on national and alliance defence. Initially, the force will be equipped with Skyranger 30 air-defence systems mounted on Boxer armoured vehicles, providing mobile short-range air defence. This capability will be operated jointly with the IRIS-T SLS (Surface Launched Short Range) air-defence system being procured by the Luftwaffe, the German Air Force.

In addition to the Skyranger 30 procurement, the Bundeswehr has begun identifying personnel for the Germany Army's air defence force, with training scheduled to begin in 2024. A co-ordination and control staff will be established in 2025.

The first unit is scheduled to receive Skyranger 30 systems in 2026, with the completion of the establishment of the air defence force planned by 2028.

Airbus's unmanned UH-72 concept, displayed at Modern Day Marine 2024. (Janes/Zach Rosenberg)

Airbus unveiled a conceptual unmanned version of the company's UH-72B at Modern Day Marine 2024, which it intends to pitch to the US Marine Corps (USMC) to fulfil its expected unmanned ship-to-shore cargo carrier requirement.

Airbus has been working on the concept for roughly one year, Carl Forsling, senior director for business development and strategy at the company's US branch, told Janes at Modern Day Marine on 1 May.

“We're doing this in response to a Marine Corps requirement under [middle tier acquisition] for rapid prototyping,” Forsling said. Such programmes are intended to field prototypes within two to five years. “We're confident that using an off-the-shelf modification of [our] platform, we can meet those timelines.”

The company's pitch is based partially on commonality with the US Army's UH-72 versions. The service operates more than 400 such helicopters for stateside training and transport, according to Janes All the World's Aircraft: Development & Production , and would allow the US Department of Defense to take advantage of economies of scale.