A Brazilian Air Force P-3AM Orion. Three aircraft are to be upgraded with new wings. (Airbus Military SAS)

The first re-winged Brazilian Air Force Lockheed P-3AM Orion maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) flew on 2 May, the service announced on 13 May, a major step towards improving the P-3AM fleet's readiness rate.

Elements of the wing that were replaced during the rebuild include the top coverings, front and rear spars, and the upper panels of the central wing and fuselage structures.

Brazilian manufacturer Akaer has delivered two additional sets of wings to the Brazilian Air Force, which are being installed in another two aircraft at the Galeão Aeronautical Material Park. The project is scheduled to conclude in October 2024, Akaer said in an announcement. Whether or not Brazil intends to upgrade the P-3AM fleet beyond the three deliveries has not been publicly disclosed.

On 25 October 2018 Akaer was awarded a contract to rebuild the main wings of three Orion MPAs, the company said.

A T-45C Goshawk attached to Training Air Wing (TW) 2 receives fuel aboard the aircraft carrier, USS George H W Bush (CVN 77). The ship is conducting sustainment exercises to maintain carrier readiness. (US Navy)

The US Navy (USN) fleet of Boeing T-45 Goshawk training aircraft has returned to flight following a month-long grounding, according to Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR). The type was grounded on 12 April following an engine malfunction during a training flight; the crew landed safely.

“Preliminary findings, reviewed by NAVAIR and the Naval Undergraduate Flight Training Systems Program Office, suggest the aircraft involved in the incident may have experienced an engine blade failure due to a manufacturing defect on a low-pressure compressor blade,” NAVAIR told Janes on 13 May, noting that the accident investigation was still ongoing.

As of that date, 113 T-45s had been inspected and certified safe to return to flight, said NAVAIR. An additional 41 are undergoing inspections with intent to return them to flight as soon as possible. A total of 154 engines – including spares – had been inspected.

An artist's impression of the ECW ‘loyal wingman' concept for the Luftwaffe being remotely controlled by a Eurofighter EK electronic combat aircraft. (Airbus)

Airbus is to develop a manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) capability to enable the Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft to remotely control ‘loyal wingmen' under the System and Teaming Advanced Research (STAR) programme.

An employment opportunity recently posted by the company for a chief engineer on the project spelled out its key objectives, not just for the Eurofighter but also as a bridge to the Future Combat Air System (FCAS)/Système de Combat Aérien du Futur (SCAF) programme.

As noted in the listing, the project to be undertaken at Airbus Defence and Space's Manching facility in southern Germany sits within the X-Platform Capability Study (XPCS). It is geared towards showcasing a first demonstration of MUM-T on the Eurofighter, with the mid- to long-term goal of introducing command-and-control capabilities onto the aircraft in preparation for FCAS/SCAF.