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Rheinmetall delivers Skyranger 30 verification model to Bundeswehr

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Rheinmetall has handed over the first Boxer-mounted Skyranger 30 cannon-based air defence vehicle to the German Bundeswehr, marking a crucial step in the nation’s efforts to bolster its mobile air defence capabilities. The delivered system is a verification model, intended for use in the Bundeswehr’s rigorous approval process, and is a prototype of the systems that will follow. This delivery signals significant progress in the country’s air defence modernisation program, against a backdrop of growing threats from unmanned aerial vehicles and other airborne weapons.


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Firefighter stands watch over Black Hawk Crew Chief after Potomac crash

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Sean Wathen, a probationary firefighter with the D.C. Fire Department and a former Marine, stood guard over the body of Staff Sgt. Ryan O’Hara for approximately four hours after the soldier was recovered from the Potomac River. O’Hara was the crew chief of the U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter that collided with an American Airlines flight near Reagan National Airport on Feb. 5th.


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Airbus to study Future Maritime Patrol Aircraft for France

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The French Defence Procurement Agency, known as the Direction Générale de l’Armement, has awarded a significant contract to Airbus Defence and Space, in partnership with Thales, for a risk-assessment study concerning France’s next-generation maritime patrol aircraft. This 24-month contract follows an earlier architecture and feasibility study launched at the end of 2022, indicating a continued push towards modernising the nation’s maritime surveillance capabilities.


Graphic: Airbus
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Taiwan seeks six E-2D Hawkeyes

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Amidst a backdrop of escalating regional tensions and a palpable sense of urgency, Taiwan has made a formal request to the United States for six E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft, local media reported. The request occurs at a time when the E-2D production line is active, fulfilling orders for both Japan and France, which may facilitate a smoother acquisition process.

220505-N-KD414-0130 An An E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, assigned to the “Black Eagles” of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 113, stands by during a sunset onboard Point Mugu Apr. 30, 2022. NBVC is comprised of three distinct facilities: Point Mugu, Port Hueneme, and San Nicolas Island. It is the largest employer in Ventura County and actively protects California’s largest coastal wetlands through its award-winning environmental programs.

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