All articles by Ryan Finnerty – Page 13
-
NewsBell nears completion of final Osprey for US Air Force
Rotorcraft manufacturer Bell expects to deliver the final CV-22 variant Osprey tiltrotor for the US Air Force in the coming months, as the company moves toward winding down production on the pioneering aircraft.
-
AnalysisTextron hints at unmanned capability for FLRAA tiltrotor
Textron, parent company of rotorcraft manufacturer Bell, says the US Army wants to incorporate unmanned flight capability into the next-generation tiltrotor known as the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft.
-
AnalysisBell secures Osprey production though 2027, spanning gap until FLRAA work begins
The rotorcraft manufacturer confirms that an order from the US Navy for five CMV-22 Osprey variants will sustain the Amarillo, Texas production line through 2027, around the same time work on the US Army’s next-generation tiltrotor is expected to ramp-up at the site.
-
NewsItaly to purchase AeroVironment Jump 20 as Shadow replacement
The $46 million contract will see the vertical take-off and landing uncrewed aerial vehicles replace Italy’s Textron RQ-7 Shadow, mirroring an effort underway in the USA.
-
AnalysisNorthrop losses on B-21 climb to $2bn as company seeks to ‘accelerate’ production
The defence manufacturer says the loss results from changes made to its B-21 manufacturing process aimed at achieving “accelerated production rates” on the next-generation stealth bomber.
-
In depthLockheed will not protest Boeing win in USAF sixth-generation fighter effort
Although the military airframer was unsuccessful in its bid to produce the US Air Force’s forthcoming sixth-generation fighter, Lockheed Martin plans to incorporate design features from the prototype into the F-35 chassis for an aircraft that can deliver “80% of sixth-generation capability” at a reduced price.
-
NewsKratos adding landing gear-equipped XQ-58 to inventory amid growth in uncrewed fighter scope
The US Air Force appears to have expanded its goals for a planned fleet of uncrewed fighters beyond the initial concept of a “disposable” aircraft to a model featuring affordable and reusable jets.
-
AnalysisCommercial satellite operator Maxar offering GPS-denied navigation solution
Amid rising concern about the vulnerability of GPS navigation signals to jamming — based on observations from Ukraine and the Middle East — Maxar has developed an airborne navigation tool that does not rely on GPS.
-
NewsUS Air Force considers replacing MESA radar on future E-7 fleet
As Boeing begins production on the first prototype of the US Air Force’s planned fleet of E-7A airborne early warning and control jets, the service is exploring what advanced technologies it may incorporate into the final design, including advanced sensors, communications and electronic warfare countermeasures.
-
AnalysisTrump Administration takes aim at reforming sluggish arms export system
The creaking bureaucracy associated with the USA’s Foreign Military Sales system has long been the subject of criticism from Pentagon leaders and defence industry executives.
-
NewsUS approves Philippines to acquire TH-73 trainer helicopters
The $120 million package covers Manila to begin negotiating to purchase an unspecified number of the Leonardo trainer helicopters.
-
NewsBelgium floats additional F-35 buy if aircraft can be assembled in Europe
Belgium is increasing defence expenditures to meet NATO targets and defence minister Theo Francken suggests Brussels could direct some of those funds toward acquiring additional F-35 stealth fighters – if the jets are assembled outside the USA.
-
NewsFirst F-16V arrives in Bulgaria
The first of 16 planned Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 fighters has arrived in Bulgaria, as the NATO member seeks to recapitalise its combat fleet and phase out Soviet-origin aircraft.
-
In depthGeneral Atomics planning modular family of uncrewed fighters
With plans to show off its offering for the US Air Force at the upcoming Paris air show, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems says it is taking a modular approach to the autonomous fighter concept that will allow customers to easily pick and choose different capabilities for their fleets.
-
NewsAustralia confirms ‘informational’ meeting with GCAP fighter partners
The head of capability for the Royal Australian Air Force says his office received an informational briefing from the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) consortium – a trilateral initiative between the UK, Italy and Japan to develop a sixth-generation fighter.
-
AnalysisRAAF to deliver options for fielding uncrewed fighters by year’s end
The service’s head of capabilities says that by the end of 2025 the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) aims to provide the Australian government with options for procuring a future fleet of uncrewed fighter aircraft, with the indigenously developed Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat being a strong contender.
-
NewsRAAF marks 15 years since delivery of the first Super Hornet
Although the F/A-18F Super Hornet was originally envisioned as a stopgap while the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) fielded the fifth-generation Lockheed Martin F-35A, the service’s air commander now says Australia is seeing great benefits to “generational interactions” between the two fighter types.
-
NewsAustralian air force ‘not concerned at all’ about F-35 ‘kill switch’
Amid global concerns about the American-made stealth fighter’s vulnerability to US politics, a senior officer with the Royal Australian Air Force says his service remains fully confident in its fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35s.
-
NewsBombardier inks deal for two Challenger 650s to fill Australia surveillance mission
The deal between Bombardier Defense and Australian lessor Principle Finance was inked at the Avalon air show near Melbourne.
-
NewsSikorsky ramps up Australian military helicopter deliveries
The Australian Defence Force is expanding its combined fleet of Sikorsky rotorcraft, including naval MH-60R Seahawks for the navy and land-based UH-60 Black Hawks for the army.