CHICAGO --- Boeing completed the acquisition of ForeFlight, a leading provider of innovative mobile and web-based aviation applications. 
 

HAIFA, Israel --- Elbit Systems Ltd. announced today that it completed the acquisition of the assets and operations of the privately-owned U.S. company Universal Avionics Systems Corporation for a purchase price of approximately $120 million. 
 

SYRACUSE, N.Y. --- Lockheed Martin and Cobham are joining forces for the Next Generation Jammer Low Band (NGJ-LB) competition to replace the U.S. Navy's ALQ-99 tactical jamming system currently on the E/A-18 Growler aircraft. 
 

SMi’s 9^th annual Air Mission Planning conference will be taking place in just over a week on the 17^th and 18^th April in London, UK. The event will focus on how air power support systems can be maximised for airborne missions, with Commanders of operational support units, Commanders of fighter wings, Commanders of air lift wings, Air Force Intelligence, Heads of Air C2 and C3, Air C4ISTAR, Head of CIS, Heads of Marketing and Business Development for Mission Systems, Mission Support Systems, Avionics, Air Platforms, Air Systems and more, attending, speaking and presenting at the conference.

The U.S. State Department has cleared a Slovak government request for the potential sale of 14 F-16 Block 70/72 V- configuration combat aircraft. A notification of the potential Foreign Military Sale (FMS) was delivered by the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) to Congress on April 3. 

EVERETT, Wash. --- Boeing recently achieved a major certification milestone following a successful refueling flight between two KC-46 tankers. The company's tanker program has now completed its required Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) fuel on-load testing. 
 

China has made significant achievements in radar and strategic bomber technology, according to scientists working in the fields, adding that its military radars can now detect all kinds of stealth fighter jets and bombers deployed in the Asia-Pacific region. 
 

With the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II, the U.S. has fielded two of the world’s most sophisticated, maneuverable and stealthy fighter jets. They both function as airborne shepherds of America’s flock of older combat aircraft, using their state-of-the-art systems to communicate threats and targets on the ground and in the air.

A scandal is brewing in Brussels over the government's decision to replace its fleet of F-16 fighters, in spite of a 2017 report by Lockheed Martin which found that the planes' service life could be extended by at least another six years. 
 

ROME --- Leonardo has begun deliveries of its new ‘BriteCloud’ decoy to the UK’s Royal Air Force for combat missions following the Ministry of Defence’s formal go-ahead for the new technology. The drinks-can-sized countermeasure, which protects fighter jets from modern radar-guided missiles, will be available for use by Tornado GR4 crews in the near future The RAF will be the first air force in the world to field this new protective technology. 

The United Kingdom has awarded MBDA a £400 million contract for the capability sustainment programme (CSP) of the advanced Brimstone air-to-surface missile, to extend its service life beyond 2030. 
 

SMi reports: BAE Systems to exhibit cutting edge Mission Planning System, Sceptre With just 4 weeks to go until SMi's 9th annual Air Mission Planning & Support conference, taking place in London on 17th and 18th April 2018, SMi would like to provide insight into Gold Sponsor, BAE Systems and what they will be exhibiting in this year's exhibition space.

Raytheon Missile Co., Tucson, Arizona, has been awarded a $523,148,647 fixed-price incentive modification (P00001) to previously awarded contract FA8675-18-C-0003 for Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile (AMRAAM) Production Lot 31. 
 

CINCINNATI, OH --- Lockheed Martin recently awarded GE Aviation a multi-million-dollar contract to upgrade the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air Force’s F-16 data transfer system. The contract involves a redesign of the system and an aircraft retrofit that will extend the life of this capability for the UAE Air Force’s F-16 fleet. 
 

Harris Corporation has been awarded a $161 million contract modification to supply the next production lot of electronic jammers to protect U.S. Navy and Australian F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet aircraft against electronic threats. 

Airbus and the Luxembourg Government have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a framework for increased global long-term cooperation in the areas of cybersecurity, space technologies, remotely piloted aircraft systems as well as rotary wing aircraft. 
 

SEOUL --- Saab, a Swedish defense firm, argued Wednesday that its Swordfish maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) is an optimum model for use by South Korea's Navy, which is seeking to bolster its ability to counter North Korea's submarines, some of which are equipped with ballistic missiles. 
 

The Netherlands has received approval from the U.S. State Department for the upgrade and remanufacture of its AH-64D Block II Apache attack helicopters to the AH-64E configuration. While the contract would largely entail work on the helicopter itself, it would also include the replacement of many of the helicopters’ primary electronics systems. The overall deal carries an estimated value of $1.191 billion. 

Today Saab successfully completed the first flight of the GlobalEye Airborne Early Warning & Control aircraft in Linköping, Sweden. 
 

WASHINGTON --- Under Secretary of the Air Force Matthew Donovan visited the Boeing KC-46A Pegasus production and modification facility in Everett, Washington, March 14, 2018, after the latest announcement of a further delay in the first aircraft delivery to the Air Force. 
 

The Pentagon’s estimated cost to develop and purchase Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35 jet, the costliest U.S. weapons program, has stabilized for now, according to a new report to Congress. 

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $1,463,152,389 not-to-exceed modification to a previously awarded advance acquisition contract (N00019-17-C-0001) for long lead material and parts for low rate initial production (LRIP) of F-35 Lightning II air systems in support of the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, non-U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) participants; and foreign military sales (FMS) customers. 

A small team of Royal Air Force personnel based in the United States is preparing the way for the introduction into service of the UK’s new remotely piloted air system (RPAS), the MQ-9B Protector. 
 

TAIPEI --- Taiwan's Air Force on Friday (March 9) announced new upgrades are in the works for its Indigenous Defense Fighters (IDF), including the addition of radar-seeking missiles to enable them to play a role as "Wild Weasels" to destroy enemy anti-aircraft defenses. 
 

SMi Reports: Group Captain Richard J Yates MBE, Chief of Staff Air Battle Staff, RAF to discuss the future of British Air Power at a conference held this April in London. In recent news, UK Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson announced “Britain set to launch Combat Air Strategy” in an effort to maintain world-leading combat air capability and power. Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier stated that this strategy will “ensure that the RAF can continue to remain at the forefront of the high-end airpower technology and innovation we need to deal with future threats” [GOV.UK].

In the final week of February, US and Japanese military and civilian VIPs gathered at Misawa Air Base for a celebration held by the 3rd Air Wing of the Japan Air Self Defense Force to welcome its first F-35A fighter aircraft.

The IAF's Flight Test Squadron is currently performing a series of tests regarding helicopter safety, at the end of which the capability to detect proximity and prevent possible collisions will be integrated into the IAF Helicopter Division 
 

Boeing was recently awarded a $60.9 million hybrid (fixed-price-incentive-firm, firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, and cost-plus-incentive-fee) contract to perform the mission computing upgrade installation and checkout on four Japanese E-767 aircraft and associated ground systems. Work will be performed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; San Antonio, Texas; and Seattle, Washington, and is expected to be completed by December 31, 2022. 
 

Thales welcomes the decision by the Ministry of the Armed Forces to award a contract to integrate Thales's Universal Electronic Warfare Capability (CUGE) on board three Falcon Epicure jets. 
 

ARLINGTON, Va. --- Boeing has been awarded a contract to modernize the U.S. Navy F/A-18 fleet, extending the life of existing Super Hornets from 6,000 to 9,000+ flight hours. In the early 2020s, Boeing will begin installing initial updates to the aircraft that will convert existing Block II Super Hornets to a new Block III configuration. 
 

MOSCOW --- Two Sukhoi Su-57 stealth fighter jets have successfully completed a two-day program of tests in Syria, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told reporters on Thursday. 
 

SAINT-CLOUD, France --- The French Ministry of the Armed Forces announced its decision to award Dassault Aviation the contract for the integration, on three Falcons, of the Universal Electronic Warfare Capability developed by Thales (Epicure program). 
 

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded $148,745,565 for modification P00023 to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract (N00019-17-C-0045). 
 

BENGALURU --- Inching close to Final Operational Clearance (FOC), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited carried out a hot refueling on indigenous Light Combat Aircraft-Tejas followed by a sortie at HAL airport, Bengaluru yesterday. The system performance during the refueling session was in-line with design requirements and was satisfactory. 
 

The Air Force is working with the Pentagon’s operational test and evaluation office to reconcile concerns raised in a January report about the KC-46 Pegasus, but the service isn’t planning to change the tanker program or test timelines. 

China's air force has marked a great upgrade in its ability to confront threats and even respond first, aviation experts said, as the country's latest stealth jet fighter, the J-20, has joined combat regiments of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). 
 

FORT WORTH, Texas --- Elbit Systems of America, LLC announced that its joint venture with Rockwell Collins, Rockwell Collins ESA Vision Systems, LLC (RCEVS) will incorporate the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System II (JHMCS II) helmet-mounted display into Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) F-16 aircraft. 
 

TOKYO - Japan plans to buy at least 20 additional F-35A stealth fighters over the next six years, some or all of which it may purchase directly from Lockheed Martin Corp in the United States rather than assemble locally, three sources said. 

While the US Air Force is completing another round of cold-weather testing of the F-35A at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, Norway completed a successful verification of the drag chute system at Ørland Air Force Base in Norway February 16th. 
 

WASHINGTON DC / AARHUS, Denmark --– US Air National Guard/Air Force Reserve (ANG/AFRC) recently awarded Terma North America, a subsidiary of Terma - a Denmark based aerospace, defense and security group a $44.3M indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for a 3D-Audio System (3DAS) for their F-16 aircraft. Work will be performed at Terma’s facilities in Denmark, and is expected to be complete by January 2024. 
 

Intended to replace older models of aircraft used by the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps, the F-35 is a fighter aircraft with stealth capabilities that reduce the chance of detection by radar and heat-seeking missiles. The Department of Defense (DoD) plans to spend almost $350 billion (in fiscal year 2017 dollars) from 1994 through 2044 to develop and procure F-35s. The department expects to spend almost twice as much to operate and support the aircraft over their lifetimes; a sizable portion of that spending will go toward the aircraft’s depot-level maintenance.

BRUSSELS --- The Government is committed to both the security and safety of Canadians and the protection of their rights and freedoms. Canada is playing a strong and constructive role in the world by making concrete contributions to international peace and security – including at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). 
 

It’s official: The U.S. Air Force has taken formal steps to implement its stated intention to abandon the JSTARS Recap program. In the Department of Defense’s recently released [financial] year 2019 budget documents, all requests for funding related to JSTARS Recap research, development, testing, and evaluation were dropped, with FY18’s budget of $417.2 million reduced to nothing. 
 

BAE Systems has developed automated, on-board software that enhances mission effectiveness. Today, combat missions are a manual, coordinated effort by operators and pilots using a combination of manned and unmanned vehicles, sensors, and electronic warfare systems that all rely on high-availability networks such as satellite communications and tactical data links. When those networks are interrupted, it leaves warfighters with the inability to effectively communicate and avoid threats during their missions.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI --- GE Aviation recently received approval for its flight management system from the Boeing KC-46 tanker program. The approval is a result of Boeing securing an amended type certification from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the 767-2C aircraft configuration of the KC-46 aircraft. 
 

MUNICH --- Hensoldt will equip Belgian Air Force F-16 fighters with its proven AN/AAR-60 (V) 2 MILDS F missile warning system integrated into Terma's weapon pylon PIDS+ (Pylon Integrated Dispensing System). 
 

The Spanish Army Aviation (FAMET – Fuerzas Aeromóviles del Ejército de Tierra) and the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) which have been involved in different UN-peacekeeping missions and are currently deployed in Mali with Tiger helicopters, are increasing their capabilities with Thales’s rockets to meet their ambitions. 
 

The Boeing Co., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, has been awarded a $60,903,323 hybrid (fixed-price-incentive-firm, firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, and cost-plus-incentive-fee) contract for the mission computing upgrade installation and checkout of four Japanese E-767 aircraft and associated ground systems. 
 

​SINGAPORE/BERLIN - Europe’s new troop transporter may never go into battle with all the promised military capabilities after buyers of the A400M agreed to let Airbus negotiate an opt-out for features deemed too difficult to build. 

The government is considering operating F-35B fighter jets from about fiscal 2026, in an effort to utilize airports on remote islands and thereby improve the nation’s capability to defend the isles, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned. 

BEIJING --- China's Su-35 fighter jets for a joint combat patrol mission in the South China Sea area and its latest J-20 stealth fighters' commission in combat service will maintain airspace safety in the new era, a military expert said Saturday. 
 

Rear Admiral RJ Nadkarni, VSM, Chief of Staff, Headquarters, Southern Naval Command inaugurated the ‘Integrated Automatic Aviation Meteorological System (IAAMS)’ at INS Garuda on 09 February 2018. INS Garuda is the fourth air station to have been installed with this integrated system. 
 

DENVER --- A vigilant “Dragon Shield” airborne surveillance system developed by Lockheed Martin for the Finnish Defence Forces has achieved final operational capability. The milestone was achieved after the final flight test of the system, which evaluated compliance of the aircraft to civilian and military airworthiness requirements as well as system requirements verification. 
 

BAE Systems has been selected by Lockheed Martin to modernize head-up displays (HUD) on F-16 aircraft for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Armed Forces, replacing the fleet’s analog system with advanced digital technology. The HUD, which sits directly in a pilot’s line of sight, is a see-through display that presents real-time, flight-critical information without obstructing his or her view of the outside world. 
 

Ground based trials to demonstrate the release of a full-sized store from an aircraft payload bay have successfully taken place thanks to a bespoke rig built at our site at Warton, Lancashire. 
 

BENGALURU, India --- With its increased thrust towards technology development, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited has achieved a milestone with the first flight of Hawk-i with indigenous Real Time Operating System (RTOS) developed by it. 
 

AARHUS, Denmark --- RNLAF joins U.S. Air National Guard/Air Force Reserve, the Royal Danish Air Force, and Belgian Defence as users of the Terma AAMS solution, which has been fielded and combat proven since 2009. 
 

SMi reports: Hear from Belgian Air Component at SMi’s Air Mission Planning conference as they take strategic step towards increased air power The US has approved the potential sale of 35 F-35A Lightning IIs to Belgium, thereby improving their presence in the air power community and increasing future operations with their allies. Belgium will be well represented at the upcoming Air Mission Planning conference, with Lieutenant Colonel Erik Vandebroek from the Belgian Air Component presenting on day 1. Lt. Col. Vandebroek will expand upon the importance of mission planning and air power in the 21st century, accentuated by the latest move step towards 5th generation air power [Defense News].

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. --- CH-53K King Stallion successfully lifted (and set down) a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) during a demonstration, Jan. 18. 
 

Like a prizefighter needing a sparring partner between bouts, next-generation fighter aircraft and their operators require constant testing and training. They simply cannot wait until they face a real air-to-air engagement to find out if critical self-defense systems actually work. This is especially true for the many advanced electronic warfare systems being installed on the latest aircraft. Accurate simulation is the only way to provide that much-needed sparring partner. 
 

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Lockheed Martin's Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) – Extended Range (ER) achieved full operational capability on the F-15E Strike Eagle, flown by the U.S. and allied nations' air forces. 
 

The UK Royal Air Force has predicted 2018 will be the ‘Year of the Typhoon’ with weapons upgrades transforming the aircraft into the most capable fighter in the world.
 

WASHINGTON --- The Air Force recently assembled a cross-functional group, known as an enterprise capability collaboration team, to explore how the service will continue to lead, operate and integrate electronic warfare throughout the electromagnetic spectrum. 
 

Poland has planned that 32 attack helicopters will be acquired through the Kruk procurement programme. Nonetheless, the conclusions of the Strategic Defence Review document suggest that needs related to this type of armament bear even greater relevance, the Polish MoD says. 
 

WASHINGTON --- Following the Light Attack Experiment conducted in August 2017, the Air Force announced its intention to continue experimenting with two non-developmental aircraft, the Textron Aviation AT-6 Wolverine and the Sierra Nevada/Embraer A-29 Super Tucano, from May to July 2018 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. 
 

XI(F) Squadron Typhoons, from RAF Coningsby, are taking part in Exercise Red Flag 18-1, the world’s largest and most complex air combat exercise. Based at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, XI(F) Squadron will operate alongside participants from the U.S Air Force, U.S Navy, U.S. Army, U.S Marine Corps and the Royal Australian Air Force. 
 

YINCHUAN, China --- China's homemade Caihong-4 (CH-4) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) conducted a six-day multi-type ammunition live-fire test successfully in January in northwestern China. 
 

HILL AFB, Utah --- The U.S. Air Force recently awarded Lockheed Martin an $81 million Technology Maturation and Risk Reduction (TMRR) contract to provide a design and functional prototype to replace the aging Airborne Launch Control System aboard the E-6B Mercury Airborne Command Post. 
 

HANSCOM AFB, Mass. --- Phase one of a $1.6 billion, decade-long upgrade and sustainment effort for five Royal Saudi Air Force E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft began with a $240 million contract award. 
 

ARLINGTON, Va. --- The F-35 enterprise recently approved a strategy to accelerate the implementation of anti-collision software five-years earlier than originally planned.
 

The Israel Air Force is to decide in a few months between purchasing a third squadron of F-35 fighter jets or the F-15I, which, while less advanced, has other advantages. 

So far, the story of the US F-35 fighter aircraft in Norway has been a drama of epic proportions. Soon after the first jets landed on Norwegian soil, it was discovered that the expensive warplanes designed to be the backbone of Norway's defense lack adequate protection and will have to be stored in tents for lack of hangars. 
 

MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan --- Blue skies and snowy mountains welcomed the first operational Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-35A Lightning II during an arrival ceremony at Misawa Air Base, Jan. 26. 
 

On Thursday, 25 January 2018, the Director of OCCAR signed a Letter of Intent concerning the joint optimisation and development of the A400M capability within the remit of EATC with the EATC Commander, MG Pascal Chiffoleau and the EDA CE, Mr Jorge Domecq at EATC headquarters in Eindhoven. 
 

SMi reports: SMi's Air Mission Planning and Support conference 2018, which will have a unique focus on F-35 air power capabilities. The UK, US and Norway are continuing to move forward with F-35 air power projection. The Lightning II is continuously being tested in the harshest conditions, being able to operate the F-35A in these situations enables operators to have complete superiority in the air. Together, the Norwegian and US Air Forces recently tested out the handling qualities of the F-35A with a Norwegian-made drag chute, ensuring the operational stealth capabilities of the jet in extreme conditions [f35.com].

Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, today opened Marand Precision Engineering’s F-35A Lightning II Vertical Tail manufacturing facility in Moorabbin, Victoria. 
 

China has deployed its new electronic-warfare aircraft in its recent combat maneuvers, a move many military experts believe will help boost Chinese naval power in the disputed South China Sea. 
 

Canada recently became the 26th member of a multinational air services agreement that includes North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and European Union (EU) countries. 
 

Defence and security company Saab and Avioniq Awareness Sweden AB are teaming to jointly promote Avioniq’s innovative threat evaluation system, Rattlesnake, with Saab’s offering of Air and Airborne Command and Control Systems. 
 

CHERRY POINT, N.C. --- The F-35 Patuxent River Integrated Test Force team brings the U.S. Marine Corps’ F-35B one step closer to initial operational test and evaluation as they wrap up testing of the F-35B STOVL envelope with sloped surface vertical landing tests January and February at Marine Corps Auxiliary Landing Field (MCALF) Bogue, N.C. 
 

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's South China Sea Fleet deployed a "new type of electronic warfare aircraft" in its recent combat maneuvers, a move to greatly enhance the navy's capabilities in modern warfare to safeguard the country's sea rights, said Chinese military experts. 
 

MELBOURNE, Fla. --- The U.S. Air Force has selected Harris Corporation to provide engineering support services for the electronic warfare (EW) systems onboard the international variant of the F-16. The contract was awarded during the second quarter of Harris' fiscal 2018. 
 

As part of the Israel-Italy Reciprocal Procurement Agreement, the Israeli Ministry of Defense and Israel Aerospace Industries have delivered the Second CAEW G550 aircraft to the Italian Air Force. 

On November 14, 2017, four decades of continuous production of the Fighting Falcon (F16) ceased at Fort Worth, Texas. The facilities are being relocated to South Carolina and would take approximately two years to become fully functional. They will provide maintenance support for the existing fleet of F16s till their phase out. So far, Lockheed Martin, the company that now owns the F16, in conjunction with multiple production lines in Belgium, the Netherlands, Turkey, Japan and South Korea, has delivered 4588 F16s to 26 countries.  

Carrier Strike is central to the Government's plans for Britain's future defence. It incorporates two Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers, new F-35 Lightning II jets and a new radar system—Crowsnest. 
 

SALZBURG, Austria --- The highest level of security in Davos: US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron will travel to this year's World Economic Forum. In total, around 3,000 decision-makers from politics, business and science are expected in the Swiss canton of Graubünden next week. The security of the Davos conference near the border is shared by the Swiss and Austrian Air Forces. 
 

A helmet which allows pilots to "look through" the F-35, the world's most advanced fighter jet, is "absolutely" worth the money, an engineer has said. 
 

Congress wants to keep the A-10 flying. Lawmakers have repeatedly demonstrated their commitment to maintaining a dedicated ground attack aircraft and, more importantly, an effective close air support capability. They have done so through legislation in successive National Defense Authorizations Acts since 2013. In the most recent NDAA, Congress authorized $103 million for the Air Force to complete the job of installing urgently needed new replacement wings on the A-10 fleet. 
 

After her recent visit to INS Vikramaditya, the aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy, Raksha Mantri Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, on her visit to Air Force Station Jodhpur, took to the skies in the formidable Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft of 31 Squadron. 
 

Two Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Super Hornets have flown the Australian Air Task Group’s final strike mission over Iraq. 
 

The first to cut through an unusual afternoon fog was the sound that seemed like a swarm of millions of insects angrily buzzing in unison. Then, the nose of a C-130 popped through that dense whiteness followed by 32 spinning blades creating the ominous sound. 
 

The Lynx helicopter has had a long and distinguished career with the British Army stretching back nearly 40 years. 
 

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii --- Six B-52H Stratofortress bombers and approximately 300 Airmen from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, are deploying to Andersen AFB, Guam, in support of U.S. Pacific Command’s Continuous Bomber Presence mission. 
 

ORLÉANS, France --- Florence Parly, France's minister of the Armed Forces, officially welcomed the country's first C-130J Super Hercules aircraft to the Armée de l'Air's 62st Transport Wing with a ceremony at Orléans-Bricy Air Base today. Government officials from France and the United States also attended the ceremony, along with representatives from Lockheed Martin. 
 

Two T-160 strategic bombers carried out a scheduled flight over neutral waters of Barents, Norwegian, and Northern Seas. The long-range bombers were escorted by MiG-31 fighters. 
 

Today (Mon 15 January), RAF Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) Typhoon aircraft scrambled from RAF Lossiemouth to monitor two Russian planes approaching UK airspace. The Russian Blackjack Tupolev Tu-160 long-range bombers were not talking to air traffic control, making them a hazard to all other aviation. 
 

New MTA units, formed in December 2017, have begun to consolidate their military collectives to ensure high combat readiness for performing the assigned tasks. 
 

AMARI AIR BASE, Estonia --- Twelve F-16 Fighting Falcons from the Ohio Air National Guard landed at Amari Air Base, Estonia, Jan. 14, as part of a Theater Security Package in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve. 
 

The Chinese Air Force has deployed its best combat plane - the J-20 stealth fighter jet - to conduct exercises with other advanced jets. 
 

ABBOTSFORD, BC --- Cascade Aerospace Inc. has been awarded a contract for the avionics modernization of one Fuerza Aérea Mexicana (FAM) L-100 (C-130) Hercules aircraft. This contract follows on the recent delivery of two modernized C-130K Hercules aircraft delivered to the FAM and fitted with advanced digital avionics from Rockwell Collins. 
 

SMi reports: Discuss, debate and learn from NATO partners & allies at SMi’s Air Mission Planning & Support conference 2018 As NATO partners & allies ended 2017 by taking steps to improve air power superiority, as illustrated by exercises Blue Flag, Optic Windmill and the Spartan Series, SMi invites attendees to discuss, debate and learn from these experts at Air Mission Planning & Support in London on 17th & 18th April 2018. The conference this year will have a unique focus on the complexity of managing varied air mission planning and support systems and key strategies, not only to procure and acquire new systems, but also how to best upgrade, modernise and improve existing platforms for modern day warfare and operations. 

ARLINGTON, Va. --- The vast, global networks of the Defense Department are under constant attack, with the sophistication of the cyber assaults increasing, the director of Defense Information Systems Agency said here today. 
 

Demark and Italy are to keep the skies of the Baltic safe as part of NATO’s Air Policing mission in the region. Danish F-16 jets will fly from Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania, while Italy’s Eurofighters will operate in a supporting role from Ämari in Estonia. Allies have been taking turns to police Baltic airspace since 2004, when Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania joined NATO. 
 

“5th Generation Air C2 and ISR” provides tangible recommendations about improving Air C2 and ISR systems, their integration, collaboration and Information & Communication Technology (ICT) at the tactical level, including the possible application of a combat cloud, and towards F-35 employment and follow-on development. 
 

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Ground Force has put two Y-9 transport planes into service, a move that reflects its aspiration to build stronger strategic projection capabilities. 
 

TINKER AFB, Okla. --- A 507th Air Refueling Wing KC-135 Stratotanker here is fulfilling a critical role within the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard in the testing and fielding efforts to employ an operational Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures-based pod defensive system. 
 

A signing ceremony for a contract award related to the Multinational Multi-Role Tanker Transport Fleet (MMF) Programme was held on 17 December, in Rehovot, Israel. 
 

COATESVILLE, Pa. --- Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company, delivered two S-70i Black Hawk helicopters to the County of Los Angeles at a ceremony in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. 
 

BAE Systems and The University of Manchester set to change the future of aircraft design with unique flight control technology 
 

SMi Reports: USAFE-AFAFRICA Warrior Preparation Centre and US Air Force to discuss the F35 amongst their European Allies at SMi’s Air Mission Planning and Support conference U.S. Air Forces in Europe this week brought together about 50 senior military fliers and planners from eight nations, all with a stake in the newest and most expensive fighter aircraft on the block. The two-day forum, on the F-35 fighter jet, served to enable those to share lessons learned and build common approaches that will support integrated flying operations…. “It’s been a long time since the U.S. and some of its European allies and partners gained a new aircraft system around the same time” said Maj. Gen Timothy Fay, USAFE-AFAFRICA vice commander.  SMi’s Air Mission Planning and Support conference taking place on 17th and 18th April 2018, in London, will bring together USAFE-AFAFRICA Warrior Preparation Centre and US Air Force where they will discuss the F-35 fighter jet amongst their European Allies. 

GDC Middle East was recently awarded a contract by Sierra Nevada Corporation to upgrade two King Air 350 aircraft to Special Mission (ISR) aircraft. The two King Air 350s will receive radar, secure communications, datalinks, and optical sensors as part of the upgrade. Further modifications will be made to the aircrafts’ cabins, wiring harnesses, and cockpits. 
 

Russia has approved a draft agreement with Egypt for Russian warplanes to use Egyptian military bases, in a move allowing Moscow to increase its military presence in the Middle East. 
 

SMi reports: UK RAF to provide strong host nation support at SMi’s Air Mission Planning and Support conference in April 2018 SMi's Air Mission Planning and Support conference, taking place on 17th and 18th April 2018 in London, will explore the technology and strategies necessary to take air mission planning into the next generation, providing agile end-to-end mission support to air crews. The conference will deliver an examination of emerging technologies in key areas, presented by industry and research leaders. This will be combined with operational case studies and key programme updates from commanders and military project leaders, to develop key requirements and solutions for enhancing air mission planning and execution.

SMi reports: The agenda has been released for SMi’s Air Mission Planning and Support conference, taking place in London on 17th and 18th April 2018 The Air Mission Support market is active and operationally relevant as ever. With an aversion to placing boots on the ground in combat zones such as Syria and Iraq, air power is increasingly relied upon to project force. Commanders and procurers of air assets continue to seek new means of enhancing the combat effectiveness of their platforms. To do so, effective mission planning, real time support, and de-briefing is required.