Aircraft Deliveries

First Dutch AH-64E arrives at Gilze-Rijen

The first AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopter for the Royal Netherlands Air Force’s (RNLAF’s) No 301 Squadron landed at Gilze-Rijen Air Base – the unit’s home-base – for the first time on March 14

US to accelerate UH-60M deliveries to Australia

When the decision was made to expedite the withdrawal of its MRH-90 Taipan helicopters, the Australian Army Aviation Corps (AAAC) was left with a significant capability gap, which was partly filled through expedited UH-60M deliveries, including the accelerated delivery of nine additional Black Hawks by March 2024

USAF’s 305th RQS welcomes first Jolly Green II

The USAF’s 305th Rescue Squadron (RQS) – a component of Air Force Reserve Command’s (AFRC’s) 943rd Rescue Group (RQG) – joined the HH-60W Jolly Green II family on February 1, when the first aircraft (21-14521) arrived at Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona

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Portugal receives first second-hand P-3C Orion from Germany

The Força Aerea Portuguesa (FAP; Portuguese Air Force) received the first of six former Marineflieger (German Navy)-operated P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) on February 9

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Ethiopia acquires Su-30K fighters and Akinci drones

The Ethiopian Air Force (EAF) has taken delivery of two Russian-built Su-30K Flanker-F multi-role fighters and an unspecified number of Turkish-made Bayraktar Akinci unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAVs)

Albania receives first Black Hawks from US Army

A pair of surplus UH-60A Black Hawk battlefield utility helicopters, which were formerly operated by the US Army, were delivered to Rinas Air Base, near Tirana in Albania, on January 13

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Brunei welcomes first two C295MWs

The first two Airbus C295MW medium-lift tactical transport aircraft for the Royal Brunei Air Force departed Airbus’ facility at Sevilla-San Pablo Airport in Spain on their delivery flight to Brunei on January 18

RNLAF’s third F-35A unit welcomes first Lightning II

The first F-35A Lightning II fifth-generation multi-role stealth fighter for the Royal Netherlands Air Force’s (RNLAF’s) No 312 Squadron arrived at Leeuwarden Air Base on January 11

Slovak Air Force receives first two F-16 Block 70s in the US

Lockheed Martin announced on January 10 that it had successfully delivered its first two F-16 Block 70 Fighting Falcon fighters to the Slovak Air Force at its production facility in Greenville, South Carolina

USAF welcomes second batch of F-15EX Eagle IIs

Delivery of the second batch of new F-15EX Eagle II fighters to the USAF got underway on December 20, when two examples of the type arrived at Eglin AFB in Florida following a ferry flight from Boeing’s production facility at St Louis Lambert International Airport in Missouri