Royal Bahrain Air Force takes delivery of three Bell 505 helicopters

In February 2023, Bell Flight, delivered three Bell 505 helicopters to the Royal Bahrain Air Force at its Mirabel facility, marking the first time that the Kingdom of Bahrain has received this particular model. The country has previously operated Bell 212 and various generations of AH-1 attack helicopters. The delivery was carried out during an inspection and acceptance event.


Photo: Textron
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Spain acquires another 16 PC-21 trainers

The Spanish Air Force has officially inked a deal to acquire an additional 16 PC-21s, reinforcing their pilot training division with more Pilatus trainer aircraft. Having decided to purchase 24 PC-21s in early 2020, this recent development now solidifies Spain’s position as the largest PC-21 operator in Europe.


Photo: Pilatus
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Airbus A400M project in turmoil as Madrid signals cancellation

Madrid’s unresolved orders for the Airbus A400M airlifter, the biggest defense project in Europe, are in turmoil and may have a significant impact on aviation investment in one of Airbus’s co-founding nations. Sources in the defense sector have disclosed that Spain is becoming increasingly hesitant about delivering the remaining 13 planes from their initial order of 27, indicating that the Spanish Air Force may not require them. This implies that only 14 A400M cargo planes will be in service with the Spanish Air Force.

Primer A400M del Ejército del Aire (29483711676)
Ejército del Aire Ministerio de Defensa España, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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KF-21 starts night flight testing

KF-21 Boramae, produced by Korea Aerospace Industry, has successfully completed its first night flight test, following the first prototype’s maiden flight in July of last year, with a gap of seven months. The KF-21 program is a major step forward for South Korea’s domestic aerospace industry, as it aims to develop a domestically produced advanced multi-role fighter aircraft, which can replace its aging fleet of F-4 fighter jets currently in service.

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Iran unveils production line for homegrown Yasin training jet

Iran has launched the mass-production line for its domestically-developed training jet, Yasin. The new jet trainer was unveiled during a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by senior military officials, including Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani. The Defense Minister explained that the Yasin is capable of carrying out various tactical aerial warfare actions, such as close air support (CAS), in addition to combat missions.

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