Kratos continues to develop its XQ-58 Valkyrie drone to meet new customer requirements. The Valkyrie demonstrator made its first flight in March 2019 (pictured). (US Air Force)  Kratos saw significant revenue growth in 2023 and is investing internally for future programmes. Revenues of USD1.04 billion resulted from 15.5% growth and 12.6% organic growth compared with 2022, according to a company statement on 13 February.  In the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2023, Kratos saw revenues of USD237.8 million from 9.8% growth and 7.3% organic growth compa...

The New Zealand Defence Force has procured the Skydio S2+ UAS to help meet its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capability requirements. (Skydio)  The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is developing its remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) and unmanned aircraft system (UAS) capabilities through a series of experiments with a range of products.  Units in the NZDF across the three services have been purchasing or leasing single platforms for testing and demonstrations to inform future military requirements.  A spokesperson from...

DrN-35DH hexacopter at the Singapore Airshow 2024. (Janes/Prasobh Narayanan)  Singapore's ST Engineering displayed its DrN-35DH unmanned aircraft system (UAS) at the Singapore Airshow 2024 held from 20 to 25 February.  The DrN-35DH is an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR)-capable hexacopter and is a larger derivative of the company's in-production DrN-15 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).  According to the company, the DrN-35DH features improved safety and precise location-tracking capability compared with the DrN-15 enabling th...

Spanish company Indra will produce an H225M Full Mission Simulator for the Republic of Singapore Air Force. (Indra)  The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) will receive an H225M Full Mission Simulator (FMS) from Spain-based company Indra.  In an announcement to coincide with the Singapore Airshow 2024, Indra said on 20 February that it had been awarded a contract to develop and produce the new simulator. “The contract includes post-delivery support, technical assistance, and options for future expansion.”  Indra could not provide addition...

NATO forces conducted amphibious landings during ‘Cold Response 2022'. The alliance's ‘Nordic Response' will build on these operations. (Janes/Michael Fabey)    Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS   Gunston Hall  (LSD 44) arrived in Harstad, Norway, on 21 February to embark Finnish and Swedish forces, which will combine with the French forces that joined the ship in Portsmouth, UK, to conduct amphibious training exercises in Norway, the US Navy (USN) said in a release.   Gunston Hall  will be joined by Italia...

Aero Vodochody has completed deliveries of the first batch of L-39NGs to the Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF). The company is also focusing on selling the aircraft to Thailand. (Aero Vodochody)  Aero Vodochody AS has delivered its first batch of L-39NG trainer and light-attack aircraft to the Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF), with remaining deliveries expected to be completed in 2024.  Vietnam ordered 12 L-39NG aircraft in February 2021. Filip Gunnar Kulštrunk, executive vice-president and chief commercial officer of Aero, told Janes that d...

A Nepalese Army CN235-220, seen here while it was about to depart Bandung for Nepal in 2019. The Indonesian Army is scheduled to receive three examples of the CN235-220 in a similar configuration. (PT Dirgantara Indonesia)  State-owned aerospace company PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) has received a contract for three more CN235-220 aircraft from the country's Ministry of Defence (MoD).    The USD85 million contract was inked on 30 November 2023 and the aircraft will be delivered to the Indonesian Army's Aviation Centre in the troop tran...

Malloy Aeronautics T-150, flown during a live demonstration at the company's factory in Maidenhead in February 2024, is being acquired by the Royal Marines and Japan for experimentation and trials. (Crown Copyright)    The T-150 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) manufactured by UK-based company Malloy Aeronautics has been acquired by the Royal Marines and Japan, UK's Minister for Defence Procurement James Cartlidge announced to   Janes   and other media representatives on 22 February.   Speaking at the Defence Drone Strategy la...

Croatia took over official ownership of six Rafale combat aircraft from France on 23 February. (Croatian MoD)  Croatia has taken over formal ownership of the Dassault Rafale combat aircraft to be received from France.  The Croatian Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced the development on 23 February, saying it now owns the first six of 12 Rafales it has ordered.  This milestone came about five months after the first Rafale was handed over to the Croatian MoD during a ceremony at the French Air and Space Force (Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace: AAE...

The Minister for Defence Procurement, James Cartlidge, unveiling the UK's Defence Drone Strategy at Malloy Aeronautics factory in Maidenhead in February 2024. (Crown Copyright)  The UK unveiled its Defence Drone Strategy on 22 February to accelerate the adoption and development of unmanned systems across air, sea, and land for the armed forces.  Backed by GBP4.5 billion (USD5.6 billion) worth of investment over the next decade, the strategy aims to enable rapid experimentation and development of unmanned systems, unify the front-line commands...

Steadicopter's Black Eagle 50E electric-powered unmanned aerial vehicle is designed for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations from land and naval locations. (Steadicopter)  Israeli-based Steadicopter Ltd is improving its Black Eagle and Golden Eagle series of rotary-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (RUAVs) and positioning them for the larger Asia-Pacific (APAC) market.  Itai Toren, CEO of Steadicopter, told Janes during Singapore Airshow 2024 that the company is improving its Black Eagle 50 and 25 series of RUAVs and increasi...

Hungary is to bring its Gripen fleet up to 18, with the addition of a further four aircraft announced on 23 February. (Janes/Patrick Allen)  Hungary is to increase the size of its fleet of Saab Gripen combat aircraft, with a deal announced on 23 February for an additional four airframes.  With 14 Gripen C/D aircraft having been leased from Sweden in 2001 and entering service in 2006, Saab has said that it has signed an agreement with the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) for four additional Gripen Cs for the Hungarian Air Force (H...

A C-2A Greyhound launches from the USS   Theodore Roosevelt  in 2017. C-2As are back on west coast carrier decks after the grounding of their replacement, the CMV-22B.   (US Navy)  The US Navy (USN) has paused the retirement of the C-2A Greyhound carrier onboard delivery (COD) aircraft as it works to bridge the immediate gap left by the grounding of its successor CMV-22B Osprey tiltrotor.    C-2As from Naval Air Station Norfolk's Virginia-based Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 40 (VRC 40) are now deployed to...

The Black Hawk helicopter, seen here in armed configuration. Indonesia is acquiring 22 units of the helicopter type. (Lockheed Martin)  Indonesia's Ministry of Defense (MoD) appears to have downsized a programme to equip the country's armed forces with Sikorsky S-70M Black Hawk helicopters.    A copy of the contract-related documents provided to   Janes  by an industry source at Singapore Airshow 2024 indicates that the Indonesian Army will now receive a total of 22 airframes instead of the 24 that was initially announced by t...

Denmark will send the first of its F-16s to Ukraine in the third quarter of 2024. (Royal Danish Air Force)  Ukraine is to field the first of its promised Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon combat aircraft “this summer”, the Danish Ministry of Defence (MoD) said on 22 February.  In a release updating the progress of the ‘F-16 coalition' of which it is a member, Denmark said that work to prepare the first former Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF) aircraft is now under way, with their transfer to Ukraine expected in the third quarter (Q3) of 2024....

The Z-10ME, seen here at Singapore Airshow 2024. (Janes/Ridzwan Rahmat)  Beijing's state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) is marketing an export variant of its Changhe Aircraft Industries (Group) Company Z-10 attack helicopter at Singapore Airshow 2024.    Dubbed as the Z-10 ME, the helicopter is being shown overseas for the first time, an AVIC representative who spoke to   Janes  at the airshow has confirmed.   The airframe is being positioned for customers in the Southeast Asian and Middle East regions...

MD Helicopters has changed the designation of its MD 530F to the TH530 or AH530 depending on whether it is a trainer or a light combat platform. (MD Helicopters)    MD Helicopters (MDH) has relaunched its MD 530F rotorcraft as the TH530 and AH530 for the military trainer and light attack markets respectively, a company spokesperson confirmed to  Janes  .     The move to rebadge MDH's version of the ‘Little Bird' came some 11 months after the company told  Janes  in March 2023 that it was consolidating the dif...

ST Engineering AirX has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with Eurasia Mobility Solutions for an order of up to 10 AirFish wing-in-ground (WIG) craft. (ST Engineering)  ST Engineering is considering military sales for its AirFish 8 wing-in-ground (WiG) effect craft even as it announced on 21 February that it had received a letter of intent (LOI) for its first commercial order.    Designed to take off and land on water, the AirFish 8 has been developed as a commercial WiG craft capable of carrying up to 10 passengers, including crew members...

The Portuguese Navy is progressively introducing unmanned systems. Shown here are the OGS42VN VTOL UAV for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, and a UAV mobile ground control station. (Victor Barreira)  As part of its ambitious effort to widen the use of unmanned systems, the Portuguese Navy has established a squadron-sized unit for the operation of military-grade unmanned systems.    The new unit, called ‘X31', was officially stood up on 9 February. It is subordinated to naval command and will be responsible for ope...

A model of the N219 at Singapore Airshow 2022. (Janes/Ridzwan Rahmat)  State-owned aerospace company PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) has secured its first-ever contract for the N219 twin-turboprop aircraft with a military customer.    A company representative who spoke to   Janes  at Singapore Airshow 2024 has confirmed that a USD68 million contract for six airframes was signed with the Indonesian Ministry of Defence (MoD) in November 2023. All six units will be delivered to the Indonesian Army.   PTDI's N219 aircraft deri...