The first of two Textron T-54s delivered to the US Navy, intended to replace the T-44s. The deliveries were announced on 22 April. (US Navy)

US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) accepted delivery of the first two Textron T-54 Multi-Engine Training System (METS) aircraft at Naval Air Station (NAS) Corpus Christi, Texas, the service announced on 22 April. The aircraft are set to begin training students at NAS Corpus Christi's Training Air Wing Four in boreal spring 2025, the US Navy (USN) told Janes .

The USN intends to operate 64 of the Textron King Air 200-based aircraft, which will replace the Textron T-44 as the service's main twin-engine pilot training aircraft. Deliveries are set to run through 2026, and the aircraft is meant to operate until 2055.

“This aircraft brings modernised training to student naval aviators and prepares them for the advanced aircraft they will fly in the fleet,” said Captain Duane Whitmer, USN programme manager.

Sonar 2087 (the variable depth towed body is pictured here) remains the RN surface fleet's principal long-range ASW sensor. SEA's software application is designed to automatically determine the optimum deployment depth of an active sonar projector and the receive array within the water column. (Richard Scott/NAVYPIX)

UK company Systems Engineering and Assessment (SEA) has been tasked to demonstrate a software application designed to enhance the performance of the UK Royal Navy's (RN's) principal surface ship anti-submarine warfare (ASW) sonar system.

In a 16 April announcement, the company said it would work with prime contractor Thales UK to test the software under the umbrella of the RN's ASW Spearhead programme. While SEA has not explicitly identified the potential exploitation, it is understood to be a candidate solution for the Capability Insertion Project (CIP) designed to improve the performance of the Sonar 2087 variable depth low-frequency active/passive sonar system fitted to RN Type 23 frigates.

Türkiye has placed four new contracts for domestically developed aircraft, including the first for the Hürjet Block 1 jet trainer (pictured here) and for the T625 Gökbey helicopter. (Turkish Aerospace)

Türkiye has placed its first contracts for the domestically developed Hürjet jet trainer aircraft and Gökbey helicopter.

A signature ceremony for these and two other manned aerial platforms was held with participants from Turkish Aerospace (TA), the Defence Industry Agency of Türkiye (SSB), the Ministry of Defence (MoD), and the Ministry the Interior on 18 April.

The contract for the procurement of 12 additional Hürjet advanced jet trainer aircraft will see these new Block 1 aircraft supplement four Block 0 planes ordered in December 2022. The Hürjet will replace the Northrop T-38 Talon jet trainer in Turkish Air Force (TuAF) service, and the Northrop NF-5 Freedom Fighter used by TuAF demonstration team Türk Yıldızları.

For the Gökbey, 20 of the T625 helicopters were ordered. Of these, seven are for Land Forces Command, four are for the TuAF, three are for the Gendarmarie, three are for the coastguard, and three are for the Turkish police service.