Australian Tigers operate overseas for first time

Australia has deployed its Airbus Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH) overseas for the first time, with a detachment participating in joint training exercises with Malaysia.
Four Australian Army Tiger ARHs were airlifted to the Royal Malaysian Air Force (TUDM) air base at Subang on a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Boeing C-17A Globemaster III strategic airlifter on 21 April, before embarking for training exercises aboard the HMAS Canberra landing helicopter dock (LHD) amphibious assault ship.
Australia operates 22 Tiger ARH helicopters, with deliveries running from December 2004 through to December 2011. The ARH is a hybrid variant of the Tiger that is based on the French HAP (Hélicoptère d'Appui et de Protection), with an undernose Giat 30-781 30 mm cannon, roof-mounted sight, and provision for underwing 70 mm rocket pods, but with added anti-tank capability.
Apart from being the first overseas deployment of the Tiger, the exercises aboard HMAS Canberra mark a major milestone for the helicopter given that until very recently Australian auditors were recommending that it not be operated aboard ships due to performance limitations.
Gareth Jennings- Jane's 360

Eighth KC-46A Pegasus tanker aircraft to the U.S. Air Force

Boeing said on 20 April that it has delivered the eighth KC-46A Pegasus tanker aircraft to the U.S. Air Force.
McConnell houses Airmen that are certified on both the KC-135 and the KC-46. Even with the addition of the KC-46, the fuel shop will continue to maintain the KC-135.
defence-blog

Romania to buy additional F-16 fighter jets from Portugal

According to media reports in recent weeks, Romanian Armed Forces decided to buy five F-16 fighter jets from Portugal.
Romania will buy five more F-16 aircraft from Portugal and the acquisition procedure could be completed this year, according to Romanian defense minister.
Romania Insider has reported on 19 April that Romania bought 12 F-16 multirole aircraft from Portugal in 2013 and will buy five more to have a complete squadron of 17 fighters.
The five F-16s will be second-hand, modernized in Portugal.
Commenting on the news that the U.S. is considering selling F-35 fighters to five new nations, including Romania, Romanian defense minister said that, at the moment, this would be “a bit too much” for Romania.
defence-blog

Japan reassures US on F-35 purchase despite crash

The recent crash of an F-35A stealth fighter jet will not stop Tokyo's plans to buy more of the aircraft, which is crucial to strengthening defense capabilities and maintaining a strong relationship with its ally, the U.S., Japan's defense minister said after meeting his American counterpart.
The Japanese government is positioning the mainly U.S.-developed F-35 as the backbone of its air force, replacing aging F-4s and F-15s that have become difficult to keep up to date. After its initial order of 42 F-35As, the cabinet last year approved plans to buy another 105 jets. This includes 42 F-35Bs, which are capable of vertical takeoff and landing and could be deployed from a destroyer that Japan is converting into an aircraft carrier.
nikkei

State Owned Indonesia Pertamina Company wants to buy Airbus A400 to be operated by subsidiary

State-owned oil and gas holding company Pertamina plans to buy Airbus A400 aircraft to be operated by PT Pelita Air Service (PAS), an airline owned by Pertamina and PT Pertamina Pedeve Indonesia, an official has said.
State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) Ministry undersecretary for financial, survey and consulting services Gatot Trihargo did not reveal details on the plan, such as the number of aircraft to be purchased.
The official said Indonesia had used the Airbus A400 for natural disaster mitigation in the past.
With the new planes, PAS could transport cargo to Papua as well as other remote regions, the official noted, adding that the plane was expected to arrive this year or next year.
thejakartapost

Greece wants to buy 3 MQ-9s

The Greek Defense Ministry has reportedly agreed to buy three US-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), commonly referred to as drones, in order to boost its defense capabilities and improve reconnaissance over the Aegean.
According to a report on ANT television station on Wednesday, the deal, estimated to be approximately 50 million euros, involves the purchase of the General Atomics “MQ-9 Reaper” (also called the “Predator B”) and the construction of two ground control stations.
greekreporter

Poland signs contract for four AW101s for Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) Missions

Leonardo announced today that it has signed a contract valued at approximately 380 mln EUR (1.65 bn PLN) that will significantly enhance the Polish Navy’s helicopter capability. Through its fully owned Polish company and main industrial presence in the country, PZL-Świdnik, Leonardo will supply four AW101s and a comprehensive integrated logistics and training package to the Polish Ministry of National Defence (MoD).
PZL-Świdnik, acting as the prime contractor and responsible for the entire contract execution.
leonardocompany

Pentagon eyes F-35 sales to Spain amid tensions with Turkey in F-35 deal: U.S. official

The United States is considering expanding sales of Lockheed Martin Corp-made F-35 fighter jets to five new nations including Romania, Greece and Poland as European allies bulk up their defenses in the face of a strengthening Russia, a Pentagon official told Congress on Thursday.
In written testimony submitted to the U.S. House of Representatives and seen by Reuters, Vice Admiral Mathias Winter - the head of the Pentagon’s F-35 office - said that “future potential Foreign Military Sales customers include Singapore, Greece, Romania, Spain and Poland.”
News of the new customers coincides with U.S. tension with F-35 development partner Turkey over Ankara’s plans to buy a Russian missile defense system.
Foreign military sales like those of the F-35 are considered government-to-government deals where the Pentagon acts as an intermediary between the defense contractor and a foreign government.
Other U.S. allies have been eyeing a purchase of the stealthy jet including Finland, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates.
reuters

Russia would be Turkey’s ‘first best choice’ for fighter jets if its F-35 plan flops

If U.S. officials were to expel Turkey from the multinational group that builds the F-35 Lightning II, Turkish defense officials said they likely would pursue Russian fighter jet technology.
Washington has threatened to expel Ankara from the multinational program if Turkey deploys the Russian-made S-400 surface-to-air missile system on its soil.
If Turkey accepts the S-400, “no F-35s will ever reach Turkish soil. And Turkish participation in the F-35 program, including manufacturing parts, repairing and servicing the fighters, will be terminated, taking Turkish companies out of the manufacturing and supply chain for the program.
defensenews

USAF F-35A deploys to Middle East for first time

The Air Force’s most advanced fighter jet has, for the first time, been deployed to the Middle East.
U.S. Air Forces Central Command said in a release that F-35A Lightning IIs from the 388th Fighter Wing and the 419th Fighter Wing, both at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, arrived at Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates Monday.
The F-35′s arrival comes a little more than a month after B-1B Lancer bombers completed their deployment at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which left the Air Force with no bomber presence in the Middle East. The joint strike fighters will bolster the Air Force’s firepower in the region as the coalition carries out airstrikes against the Taliban in Afghanistan and scattered remnants of the Islamic State.
airforcetimes

RAF AIRCREW HAVE COMMENCED FLYING PHASE OF TRAINING FOR P-8A POSEIDON

RAF aircrew have commenced the flying phase of training to fly the Poseidon MRA Mk1 (P-8A), the UK’s new maritime patrol aircraft.
Pilots, Weapons System Officers and Weapons Systems Operators have entered the simulator and flying phase of their six-month course. Meanwhile engineering personnel are similarly progressing through their course at Naval Air Station Jacksonville in Florida.
The personnel, from CXX Squadron at RAF Lossiemouth, are being trained by a mix of US Navy and RAF P-8A ‘seedcorn’ one-way exchange instructors on a course which covers a substantial range of topics. This includes being trained to fly at medium and low level over the sea, so that the mission crew can train in Anti-Submarine Warfare and Anti-Surface Warfare.
raf

The US and Japan still can't find a missing F-35, and its 'secrets' may be in danger

The US and Japan have been conducting a tireless, around-the-clock search for a missing F-35 for a week, but so far, they have yet to recover the downed fighter or its pilot. A life is on the line, and the "secrets" of the most expensive weapon in the world are lost somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.
A Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter flown by 41-year-old Maj. Akinori Hosomi disappeared from radar last Tuesday, April 9. No distress signal was sent out as the aircraft vanished roughly 85 miles east of Misawa Air Base.
The disappearance is the first crash of the F-35A and the first time a third-party user has lost an F-35, making this a uniquely troubling situation for everyone involved.
businessinsider

Russia completes deliveries of SU-35 fighter aircraft to China

Russia has completed the delivery of 24 Sukhoi Su-35 'Flanker-E' multirole fighter aircraft to China's People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).
Russian defence conglomerate Rostec had previously been quoted as saying that China had received the first 4 Su-35 platforms in 2016 and a further 10 in 2017 as part of a contract for 24 aircraft estimated to be worth about USD2.5 billion.
In November 2015, Rostec announced that Beijing had signed the contract to purchase the Su-35s, making China the first foreign customer of the Russian-built aircraft, which is claimed to be an upgraded and highly manoeuvrable '4++ generation' fighter with characteristics and performance close to those of upcoming 'fifth-generation combat aircraft'.
The Russian-Sino agreement reportedly includes not only the sale of the aircraft but also the delivery of, among other things, ground support equipment and spare engines
janes

Canada's fighter jet tender competition takes off next month again

The politically charged competition to replace Canada's aging fleet of fighter jets will rocket forward at the end of May as the federal government releases a long-anticipated, full-fledged tender call.
There are four companies in the running: Saab of Sweden, Airbus Defence and Space out of Britain, and the American firms Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
Once the request for proposals is released, the manufacturers will have until the end of the year to submit bids.
It was the former Conservative government that kicked off the effort to replace the three-decade-old CF-18s in 2010, an attempt that was shot down in a dispute over the way the F-35 fighter was selected.
The program became mired in politics when the Liberals promised during the 2015 election campaign not to buy the stealth jet. A final decision will now have to wait until after this fall's election.
cbc.ca

Hungary, augmented by the United Kingdom and Spain, will lead 50th NATO Baltic Air Policing detachment

Hungary is scheduled to be the lead nation for NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission at Šiauliai, Lithuania, together with augmenting nations Spain and the United Kingdom.
From May 2019 Hungary will take over the lead of NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission deploying their JAS-39 Gripen fighter aircraft to Šiauliai, Lithuania. This is the second time since 2015 that Hungary will deploy their Gripen fighters and an air force detachment to lead the mission out of Lithuania.
The Spanish Air Force will also fly their F-18 fighters out of Šiauliai Air Base; their detachment augments the mission under NATO’s Assurance Measures. This is the sixth time Spain has deployed under the mission – twice as lead nation in 2006 and 2016 and three times as augmenting nation at Ämari in 2015, 2017 and 2018.
The Royal Air Force is the second augmenting nation and will fly their Eurofighter aircraft out of Ämari Air Base in Estonia. The United Kingdom was the third nation to lead the mission in 2004 and have since augmented once in Siauliai in 2014 and twice in Ämari in 2015 and 2016.
nato