All Fixed-wing articles
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News
Top US Air Force official rides in front seat of autonomous F-16
Secretary of the US Air Force Frank Kendall flew in the lead seat of the service’s X-62A Variable In-flight Simulation Test Aircraft (VISTA), a specially modified Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter being used to test and develop artificial intelligence and autonomy capabilities.
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Analysis
Ottawa touts progress on defence spending despite missing 2% NATO target
The government of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is lauding a C$40 billion plan to boost military spending, particularly in the Arctic region, while downplaying the country’s failure to achieve the NATO standard of committing the equivalent of 2% of gross domestic product toward defence expenditures.
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News
New footage details Ukrainian F-16 pilot training in Denmark
Video footage has been released showing pilot training activities being provided to Ukrainian air force personnel using Lockheed Martin F-16s, just months before Kyiv is expected to begin operating the western fighter.
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News
German navy maintainers get ready for P-8A Poseidon introduction
The first technicians tasked with supporting the German navy’s future fleet of Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft are mid-way through a course being delivered via Lufthansa Technical Training.
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Aurora advances in DARPA competition to build high-speed VTOL X-plane
The Boeing subsidiary received an additional $25 million for its fan-in-wing vertical take-off and landing aircraft being designed for the Speed and Runway Independent Technologies X-plane competition.
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News
A400M partners approve ‘game-changing’ TP400 engine support contract
Europe’s OCCAR defence procurement body has signed a contract with Europrop International covering the continued in-service support of TP400 engines powering Airbus Defence & Space A400M tactical transports for the programme’s six launch nations.
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News
Final assembly advances on first F-35A ‘Husarz’ for Polish air force
Poland’s lead Lockheed Martin F-35A has entered the latter stages of final assembly in the USA, as the type has gained the name ‘Husarz’ (Hussar) for service with the European nation. Lockheed on 29 April released images of a first Polish air force F-35A in assembly at its Fort Worth ...
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Analysis
USAF awards Sierra Nevada contract for replacement ‘Doomsday’ aircraft
Officially known as the Survivable Airborne Operations Center, the new aircraft will replace the Boeing E-4B Nightwatch jet capable of commanding the USA’s nuclear arsenal.
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News
Saab boss Johansson upbeat on Aeronautics unit opportunities
Saab’s Aeronautics business unit enjoyed a strong first-quarter performance, with highlights including a Gripen C sale to Hungary and the transfer of a first Saab 340-based airborne early warning aircraft to Poland.
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Analysis
Revelations provide more questions than answers about Chinese bombers
The Xian H-6 and H-20 bombers have made headlines of late, but China’s efforts to build its long-range strike capabilities remain shrouded in mystery.
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News
Croatian air force welcomes its first six Rafale fighters
Croatia’s first six of 12 Dassault Aviation Rafales were transferred to Velika Gorica near Zagreb on 25 April.
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Tanker, T-7A charges continue to impact Boeing’s defence unit
Boeing’s defence unit incurred losses of $222 million against a pair of fixed-price contracts in the first quarter of this year, but was buoyed by strong order performance during the same period.
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News
Saab delivers fourth GlobalEye surveillance aircraft to the UAE
The United Arab Emirates’ fourth GlobalEye surveillance aircraft departed Saab’s Linkoping modification site on 18 April.
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News
Leonardo lands new combat air mission data deal with UK
Leonardo has secured a 10-year contract to deliver continued combat air mission data management services to the UK Royal Air Force (RAF).
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News
Netherlands, Poland cleared for AARGM-ER missile purchases
The US Department of State has approved requests from two European NATO nations to acquire Northrop Grumman AGM-88G Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile – Extended Range (AARGM-ER) weapons, via potential deals worth almost a combined $2 billion.
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News
F-35 deliveries set for third-quarter resumption in interim ‘combat training’ standard, Lockheed says
Lockheed Martin is confident that it will be able to resume deliveries of its F-35 stealth fighter in the third quarter of this year, with the US Department of Defense to begin by taking updated aircraft in an interim “combat training-capable” standard.
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News
NASA prepares to retire DC-8 airborne laboratory
Described by the American space agency as the “largest flying science laboratory in the world”, the modified DC-8 airliner was in service with NASA for 37 years, supporting a wide range of scientific missions with a configurable sensor package.
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News
Textron Aviation Defense and Leonardo tout M-346 as ‘low-drama’ solution for US Navy UJTS bid
Textron Aviation Defense and partner Leonardo believe their offer of the latter’s M-346 Master and integrated training system will offer the US Navy a proven, low-risk solution as the service gears up to replace its aged fleet of Boeing T-45 Goshawk jet trainers.
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News
USAF launches show of force with 12 B-2 sortie
The flight, which incorporated nearly two-thirds of the stealth bomber fleet, was part of annual drills meant to test the US Air Force’s ability to generate sorties with Washington’s only nuclear-capable bomber capable of penetrating modern air defences.
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News
US Navy considering adding Sierra Nevada to Blue Water Maritime Logistics UAS
The US Navy (USN) has been in discussions with Sierra Nevada about adding the company to the service’s Blue Water Maritime Logistics Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) programme.