Richard Thomas
Canadian UAVs and 360iSR offer up joint RPAS training environment
The creation of a NATO-standard training area in the open spaces of Canada, with a direct flight corridor to the British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) range, could offer militaries an air-land training environment with unmanned aerial vehicles up to Class 2 in size
US approves sale of single EA-18G to Australia
Australia’s EA-18G Growler electronic attack fleet could be brought back up to full strength following notice that the US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale of a single aircraft and related equipment for US$125m
Saab third aft section for USAF T-7A flight tests
Saab has shipped its third aft airframe section for use in the T-7A Red Hawk flight test programme for the US Air Force, the latest milestone to be met in the engineering and manufacturing development phase
US Space Force’s SBIRS GEO-6 satellite ready for launch
The production of the US Space Force’s latest missile warning satellite, the Space Based Infrared System Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (SBIRS GEO-6), has been completed ahead of schedule as it readies for launch in 2022
F-35 lands on Japanese vessel for first time
A US Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter has conducted a landing and take-off verification activity with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopter destroyer IS Izumo recently in the waters south of Shikoku Island
Irish Air Corps PC-12 fleet receive improved C2
Defence Forces Ireland has installed the Systematic SitaWare command-and-control (C2) suite on its fleet of four Pilatus PC-12NG aircraft in a move that will improve networked ability and information sharing between the platforms
UK unaffected by F-35 rebaselining
The production rebaseline of the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter programme is not expected to impact the delivery schedule of UK aircraft currently on contract, following the publication in late-September of a revised industrial output by Lockheed Martin
F-35 fighter production rebaseline agreed
The F-35 Joint Program Office and Lockheed Martin have agreed on an F-35 production rebaseline to recover from an aircraft shortfall following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
US Navy awards AGM-88G missile production contract
The US Navy has awarded Northrop Grumman the contract to proceed with low-rate initial production for the AGM-88G Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile Extended Range
Boeing awarded global C-17 sustainment extension
Boeing has been awarded a follow-on contract by the US Department of Defense to help sustain C-17 Globemaster III strategic transport aircraft in a deal that could be worth up to US$23.8bn including potential options and incentives over the next ten years