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F-35 Training Centre cost surges to $1.2 Billion at Fort Smith

Posted on March 21, 2025 by alert5

Fort Smith’s burgeoning role in global F-35 fighter pilot training has taken on sharper definition, with the price tag for the training centre now estimated at $1.2 billion, a notable climb from earlier projections of around $800 million. This development at Ebbing Air National Guard Base was brought into focus during a recent meeting of the Fort Smith Regional Airport Commission, where the scope and timeline of the ambitious project were further detailed.

The 33rd Fighter Wing and Ebbing Air National Guard Base welcomed the arrival of the first two Polish Air Force F-35A Lightning II
aircraft at Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Fort SMith, Arkansas on December 23, 2024. This marks a significant milestone in the Foreign Military Sales training program and highlights the strong partnership between the U.S. and Poland. The aircraft’s arrival will kickstart Polish pilot training at Ebbing ANGB, beginning in January 2025. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by A1C Miles Chrisman)

Australia’s ‘Biggest defense export’: JORN radar heads to Canadian Arctic

Posted on March 19, 2025 by alert5

In a move signaling a determined assertion of Arctic sovereignty amid a shifting global security landscape, Canada has announced a significant partnership with Australia to deploy a cutting-edge early warning radar system. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, during his inaugural domestic tour to Iqaluit, Nunavut, revealed the initiative to build an Arctic Over-The-Horizon Radar system in collaboration with Canada’s “long-standing defence and security partner,” Australia. This project, underpinned by a Canadian investment exceeding $6 billion already earmarked in the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) modernisation plan, aims to bolster Canada’s capacity to “detect and respond to both air and maritime threats over our Arctic, faster and from further away,” ultimately ensuring the safety of all Canadians.

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Last Battle of Britain pilot, John ‘Paddy’ Hemingway, dies aged 105

Posted on March 18, 2025 by alert5

John “Paddy” Hemingway, the last surviving pilot who fought in the Battle of Britain, has passed away peacefully at the age of 105. The Royal Air Force (RAF) confirmed the death of Hemingway, who was a distinguished member of “the Few” that defended Britain’s skies during the Second World War.

See page for author, OGL 3, via Wikimedia Commons
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South Korean KUH-1 destroyed by Heron UAV

Posted on March 18, 2025March 18, 2025 by alert5

A South Korean Army Heron unmanned air vehicle collided with a parked KAI KUH-1 Surion helicopter at an Army aviation base in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, on Mar. 17th, at approximately 1 p.m.. The collision ignited a fire that completely destroyed both the drone and the helicopter. Fortunately, no casualties were reported as a result of the incident. This event occurred a mere 11 days after a South Korean Air Force KF-16 fighter jet bombing mishap in Pocheon.

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Japan Eyes Long-Range Missile Deployment on Kyushu Amid Regional Tensions

Posted on March 17, 2025 by alert5

Japan is considering deploying long-range missiles on the southwestern island of Kyushu as part of the country’s efforts to acquire “counterstrike capabilities” to hit enemy targets in the event of an emergency, Kyoto News reported. The deployment is expected to commence at the end of the next fiscal year in March 2026.

防衛省 (Ministry of Defense), CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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