Aviation News
The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) is set to conduct a critical evaluation of the Saab Gripen fighter jet, focusing on its ability to operate from makeshift airstrips on public highways, the Nation reports. This test, scheduled for February, is a pivotal moment in the RTAF’s assessment of the Swedish-built Gripen E fighter as a potential replacement for its ageing fleet of F-16 aircraft.
Alert5, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
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The Hellenic Air Force has officially taken delivery of its 24th Rafale fighter jet, marking the completion of a significant acquisition program with France. The final single-seat aircraft, bearing the serial number 457, touched down at the 114th Combat Wing in Tanagra, after a non-stop flight from Mérignac, near Bordeaux. The aircraft was promptly handed over to the 332nd Squadron, which operates the advanced French-made fighters.
© Dassault Aviation – C. Cosmao
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Elbit Systems has secured a significant $60 million contract with a NATO European country to supply its advanced ReDrone counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS). This deal highlights the growing concern amongst NATO members regarding the increasing threat of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), and their potential misuse by terrorists and smugglers. Elbit Systems, a leading global defence technology company, is set to deliver the ReDrone system over a three-year period.
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The scene was something out of a disaster movie: doors knocked off their hinges, furniture overturned, and bookshelves toppled, leaving a mess of debris and a lingering question: Is this the future? This was January 2024 on Roi-Namur, the second-largest island in the Kwajalein Atoll, a remote chain of islands in the Pacific Ocean, about 1,100 kilometers north of the equator. According to a report by Aerospace America, this island, home to around 120 US military personnel and contractors, is crucial for operating rocket launch pads, radars, and telescopes, and it forms a key part of the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defence Test Site. But this vital location is now facing a very real threat from the rising seas of climate change.
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The U.S. State Department has approved a significant Foreign Military Sale to Japan, involving the acquisition of 1,200 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs). The deal, estimated at a staggering $3.64 billion, includes both the AIM-120D-3 and AIM-120C-8 variants. This potential sale was officially communicated to Congress by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency on Jan. 2.
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