All Fixed-Wing news
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News
NOAA orders second G550 for Hurricane Hunter fleet
The US government’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will acquire a second Gulfstream G550 configured as a Hurricane Hunter under a $106 million contract with the Savannah-based business jet manufacturer.
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News
US Navy logs first air-to-air kill with EA-18G Growler
A Boeing EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft has scored the type’s first aerial kill while deployed to the Red Sea aboard the US Navy aircraft carrier USS Dwight D Eisenhower.
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Analysis
New Super Hornet missile offers more sting against Chinese kill chains
A new long-range air-to-air missile for the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet will pose a challenge for Chinese aircraft and unmanned air vehicles attempting to target US aircraft carrier battle groups.
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News
P&W completes preliminary design review for F135 upgrade
Pratt & Whitney has completed the preliminary design review under the F135 Engine Core Upgrade (ECU) initiative, setting the stage for improved performance and durability.
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News
Top Aces’ upgraded A-4 Skyhawks already boosting Canadian CF-18 combat training
Top Aces has delivered its first adversary air training sorties for Canada using Douglas A-4 Skyhawks modified with equipment including an active electronically scanned array radar.
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News
USAF plans to retire all T-1A trainers by 2026 and invest money saved in T-7A Red Hawks
The US Air Force (USAF) is attempting to retire its entire fleet of Beechcraft T-1A Jayhawks, including 101 T-1As used by its Air Education and Training Command, by 2026 to save money as part of the command’s undergraduate flight training transformation.
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News
Poland begins probe into fatal M-346 crash
Investigations are under way in Poland after a fatal crash involving a Leonardo M-346 advanced jet trainer.
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News
Pentagon to resume new F-35 deliveries while awaiting full flight certification
The Pentagon will begin accepting new F-35 fighters for the first time in nearly a year, despite manufacturer Lockheed not yet completing flight certification for a new package of hardware and software for the advanced stealth jet.
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News
Ukraine seeks permission to strike Russian territory with donated F-16s
Speaking at the annual NATO summit in Washington DC, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is seeking formal permission to strike military targets within Russian territory, including with F-16 fighters being donated by NATO member states.
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News
Commercial air refuelling provider Metrea acquires entire French KC-135 tanker fleet
The US company will acquire all 14 of the French air force’s Boeing KC-135 tankers, including both the KC-/C-135FR and KC-/C-135RG variants, as Paris transitions to an all-Airbus tanker fleet.
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News
KAI kicks off mass production of KF-21 fighter
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has started mass production of the KF-21 fighter, with the first production aircraft set to enter service at the end of 2026.
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News
Norway ups Ukraine F-16 commitment to six jets
The plus up from Oslo brings the total number of F-16s pledged to Ukraine to 97, with other fighters on offer from France.
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News
Northrop completes Pentagon’s XRQ-73 experimental flying wing
Northrop Grumman has built the experimental XRQ-73 hybrid-electric flying-wing that it has been developing under a secretive US military project.
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News
F-16 deliveries to Ukraine underway as NATO leaders assemble
Speaking in Washington at the annual NATO summit, US secretary of state Anthony Blinken says NATO members have begun the long-anticipated process of transferring the first Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.
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News
Royal Saudi Air Force orders four more A330 MRTT tankers
Riyadh is to increase its fleet of A330 multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) aircraft to 10 examples, after signing a four-unit order with Airbus Defence & Space.
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News
Italy starts acquisition of 24 more Eurofighters
Italy has begun the process of acquiring another batch of 24 Eurofighter Typhoons to replace the oldest examples of the multirole fighter in its fleet.
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News
Brimstone 3 missile deal to boost German Eurofighter capability
MBDA is to assemble Brimstone air-to-surface missiles in Germany for the first time, following its receipt of a contract to equip the Luftwaffe’s Eurofighter combat aircraft.
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News
USAF to deploy F-15EXs, more F-35As to Japan
The US Air Force (USAF) has announced a major upgrade of the combat aircraft to be stationed at strategic air bases in Japan.
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In depth
US regulators sanction former UK, South African test pilots over Chinese military training
The US government has blacklisted more private companies over alleged connections to the training of Chinese military aviators, including two firms operated by former test pilots in the UK Royal Air Force and South African Air Force.
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News
Boeing to maintain Spirit AeroSystems’ defence contracts
The troubled aerostructures manufacturer has become an important supplier of several key US defence programmes, including the air force’s new stealth bomber and the army’s next-generation tiltrotor.