The Council of the EU has adopted the fifth wave of collaborative projects within the framework of the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO). In total there are 11 new projects with 15 Member states participating. The projects cover six military domains and include critical capabilities. The updated list of projects under PESCO now stands at 68.…
Nordic Nations Agree to Jointly Operate Fighter Jet Fleet
Nordic states are taking steps to deepen cooperation to protect regional airspace. An initiative to create joint fighter jet fleet of 250 aircraft is being discussed against the background of persisting tension in the region, caused by the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which poses threat to security of Scandinavian countries. Measures to deepen…
Hard times for the Russian aviation
The sanctions imposed by the West in response to the Russian military operation in Ukraine have significantly impacted the Russian aviation industry, forcing it to shift its focus primarily to the domestic market. The industry's resilience was achieved through its prolonged and deep integration into the international aviation market, as well as substantial financial injections…
Checkmate by Black Knight
Without doubt, the new fifth-generation Sukhoi light fighter the Checkmate became the main premiere of the MAKS-2021 airshow, which took place in Zhukovsky near Moscow at the end of July 2021. The Debutante Ball The social media campaign launched by Rostec's press service before the opening of MAKS-2021 was second to nearly none in the…
Western Sixth-Generation Air Systems
The new millennium brought with it a new generation of fighter aircraft. The progress between the fourth and the fifth generations was primarily a leap in information technology, but the incorporation of stealth features and cutting down Radar cross section also marked the new generation of fighters. While the number of models that can be…
Thunder is Heard
The Grom (Russian for Thunder) unmanned aerial vehicle exists now in the form of a mock-up and a concept. Preliminary design works began in August 2021, and at this phase the shape of the future combat robot will be specified. But one unique capability of the new UAV has already been announced: it will be…
Indonesian Air Force Purchases 42 Dassault Rafale Fighters
Yusuf Jauhari, Head of Defence Facilities Agency of the Indonesian Ministry of Defence and Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation signed the contract for the acquisition by Indonesia of 42 latest-generation Dassault Rafale aircraft in Jakarta. The Rafale acquisition for the Indonesian Air Force includes a complete turnkey solution, with a comprehensive package…
A-100 ‘Premier’ To Finish Its Flight Tests in 2022
A-100 "Premier" long-range radar surveillance and control aircraft will complete its flight tests this year, Chief Designer of the Vega Group (part of the state tech corporation Rostec) Vladimir Verba stated. [newslist] The next-generation A-100 ‘Premier’ airborne system has been developed on the basis of the Il-76MD-90A aircraft and features a fairing with a unique…
US Shows Its First Unmanned UH-60A Black Hawk
The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) program completed a first ever flight of a UH-60A Black Hawk helicopter without anyone onboard. [newslist] Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, completed 30-minutes of uninhabited flight with the optionally piloted vehicle (OPV). The Black Hawk was retrofitted with Sikorsky MATRIX™ autonomy…
The First Newly-built Tu-160M to Be Received
Denis Manturov, Industry and Trade Minister of Russia reported that Russia’s Defense Ministry will receive the first newly-built Tu-160M strategic missile-carrying bomber until the end of the second quarter of this year for subsequent state trials and operational service. [newslist] During his trip to the Republic of Tatarstan in the Volga area, Manturov visited the…