The French Air Force is set to receive a major upgrade to their Rafale combat aircraft in 2026 with the introduction of an AI-equipped Talios targeting pod. The new pod, developed by Thales, will mark the first time a French combat aircraft will carry a system that makes “intensive use” of deep learning technology.
Category: Air Force
Outgoing Finnish Air Force chief confident in F-35 program’s success
Maj. Gen. Juha-Pekka Keränen, outgoing Commander of the Finnish Air Force, recently offered insights into Finland’s progress toward transitioning to the F-35A. The first aircraft are due to arrive in Finland in late 2026, with full operational capability (FOC) scheduled for the end of 2030. Keränen is confident that the ambitious transition timeline, which sees the Boeing F/A-18C/D Hornet phased out completely by 2028, will be met. He was quoted as saying, “I see no major obstacles ahead of us – on a large scale we’re doing well and I’m pleased with the progress of the program.”
Photo: Finnish Air Force
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Elbit’s WACHUD to replace outdated displays in USAF F-16 Block 40/42 jets
Elbit Systems of America has scored a major win with the U.S. Air Force, securing an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contract with a ceiling of $89 million for replacing outdated Head-Up Displays (HUDs) in the service’s F-16 Block 40/42 fleet. The contract, announced on Nov. 21, calls for the installation of Elbit’s Wide-Angle Conventional Head-Up Display (WACHUD) in place of the existing Diffractive Optic HUDs currently in use. The first delivery order, worth over $57.5 million, was placed in September 2024, with work scheduled to be carried out at Elbit America’s Talladega, Alabama facility and systems expected to be delivered by September 2027.
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New Zealand’s C-130J touches down in Antarctica for the first time
The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) has begun a new chapter in its long history of supporting Antarctic operations with the first flight of its new C-130J Hercules to the icy continent on Nov. 26.
Photo: RNZAF
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Romania bolsters NATO’s eastern flank with F-35 acquisition
Bucharest is set to become the 20th nation to join the F-35 program after inking a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) for 32 F-35A Lightning II fighters.
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