The French Procurement Agency, Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA), has chosen the Pilatus PC-7 MKX as the new training system for the French Air and Space Force. The fleet of 22 PC-7 MKX aircraft will be used to deliver basic training for military pilots, with deliveries set to commence in 2027. In early 2025, Babcock
CCC, Canada’s government to government contracting agency, has reported the signing of a government-to-government (G2G) contract with Montenegro’s Ministry of Defence for maintenance and repair (MRO) services provided by Bell Textron Canada, a Textron company. This agreement will support the continued operation of Montenegro’s Bell 505 and 412 helicopters, originally acquired in 2020 through a
Pratt & Whitney has been awarded a three-year contract worth up to US$1.5 billion to sustain F119 engines, which power the U.S. Air Force’s F-22 fighter jets. The contract aims to enhance readiness and reduce costs for a fleet of over 400 engines that have logged more than 900,000 flight hours. “The F119’s readiness and
Safran Defense & Space (Safran DSI) has secured a contract with Bell Textron, a subsidiary of Textron Inc., to provide advanced onboard and ground flight testing solutions for six aircraft under the U.S. Army’s future long-range assault aircraft (FLRAA) programme. This agreement marks a major milestone in the development of next-generation vertical-lift capabilities. Safran DSI
Pratt & Whitney has successfully completed the detailed design review of its Next-Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) system in collaboration with the U.S. Air Force. This milestone marks a significant step towards developing the XA103 prototype ground demonstrator, which is expected to undergo testing in the late 2020s. The review was conducted entirely in a collaborative
Embraer has officially commenced structural assembly of Austria’s first C-390 Millennium aircraft. The milestone was marked by a formal ceremony at Embraer’s Gavião Peixoto production facility, attended by representatives from the Austrian government. The C-390 Millennium is regarded as the best in its class, featuring a maximum payload of 26 tonnes, a top speed of
The Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) has placed an order for 17 CH-47 Block II Chinook Extended Range helicopters as part of its fleet modernisation efforts, replacing some of its CH-47 JA aircraft. These helicopters will be co-produced by Boeing and Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI), continuing a longstanding collaboration between the two companies. Since the 1980s,
Lockheed Martin has officially delivered the first F-16 Block 70 fighter jet to Bulgaria, marking a significant milestone in the nation’s ongoing initiative to modernise its Air Force. The handover was celebrated in a formal ceremony last Friday, January 31, in Greenville, South Carolina, where the aircraft is manufactured. The event was attended by Bulgaria’s
Textron Aviation Defense has announced, in collaboration with the Kanematsu Group, that the Beechcraft T-6 Texan II integrated training system (ITS) has been chosen to modernise pilot training for the Japan Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF). Japan now joins 14 other nations that have adopted the T-6 Texan II, expanding a global fleet of over 1,000
Aviation services and technology firm Draken has secured its operations at Teesside Airport for the next four years after signing a renewed agreement with the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The £173 million (US$216 million) contract will see Draken continue to support military training with the Royal Air Force (RAF), reinforcing its long-standing role in UK
