New York Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing receives HH-60W Jolly Green II

In a ceremony steeped in tradition and brimming with anticipation, the New York Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing welcomed the arrival of its new HH-60W Jolly Green II search and rescue helicopters on Oct. 25th at Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base. This event marks a significant leap forward for the wing, as these advanced aircraft officially replace the aging HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters. The new Jolly Green IIs bring a suite of cutting-edge technologies and capabilities that will redefine the wing’s ability to conduct rescue operations in the most challenging environments.

An HH-60W Jolly Green II search and rescue helicopter assigned to the 106th Rescue Wing conducts a flyover during an HH-60W conversion ceremony at the 106th Rescue Wing based at Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base, Westhampton Beach, N.Y., October 25, 2024. The ceremony celebrated the official conversion of the 106th from the HH-60G Pave Hawk search and rescue helicopter to the HH-60W Jolly Green II. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Sarah McKernan)

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Modi and Sanchez inaugurate C295 assembly line

A new chapter in Indian aerospace opened on Oct. 28 with the inauguration of a final assembly line for the Airbus C295 military transport. The event was a major publicity coup for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with Spanish premier Pedro Sanchez sharing the limelight. Significantly, the Vadodara factory is the first in India to be run by a private company, Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL).


Photo: Airbus
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New leadership in Dhaka may pave way for Rafale deal

France is making a big push to sell its Rafale fighter jets to Bangladesh, hoping to capitalise on a change in leadership in Dhaka, the Sunday Guardian reports. Discussions are progressing with the new caretaker Prime Minister, Mohammad Yunus, who is seen as more receptive to France’s offer than his predecessor, Sheikh Hasina. This comes as Bangladesh seeks to modernise its air force, officially known as the Bangladesh Air Force or BAF.


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Stingray torpedo: P-8A’s new edge in undersea warfare

The U.K., U.S., and Australia are integrating the Stingray Mod 1 lightweight torpedo into their P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft as a key initiative under AUKUS Pillar 2. Ms. Madeline Mortelmans, currently performing the duties of the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans and Capabilities and lead for both pillars of AUKUS within the department, highlighted that AUKUS Pillar 2 is designed to harness the combined industrial and innovation bases of the three nations to ensure that their forces are equipped with cutting edge interoperable military capabilities. This effort, along with Germany’s interest in procuring the Stingray Mod 2 for their P-8A fleet, highlights the growing global interest in this advanced torpedo system made by BAE Systems.


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Bulgaria’s First F-16 Block 70 Takes Flight

On Oct. 22nd, the first of Bulgaria’s F-16 Block 70 fighter jets successfully completed its inaugural flight at Lockheed Martin’s production facility in Greenville, South Carolina. This marks a significant milestone for the Bulgarian Air Force as it modernises its fleet with 16 of these advanced aircraft. OJ Sanchez, vice president and general manager of the Integrated Fighter Group at Lockheed Martin, highlighted the importance of this event, stating, “With the F-16 Block 70, the Bulgarian Air Force will be well-equipped to secure its borders and partner with U.S, European and NATO allies.”


Photo: Lockheed Martin
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