Defense

Airbus continues to stand by its case to keep the UH-72A Lakota as the U.S. Army’s primary helicopter trainer.

Kratos Defense has hinted that the XQ-58 Valkyrie has a possible future as a launch platform and host in Taiwan.

Several startups came onto the scene in the mid- to late 2010s touting the promise of hydrogen-electric propulsion for zero-emission regional aviation.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has hinted that Saudi Arabia could be on the cusp of becoming a partner on the Turkish Kaan fighter program.

Diehl says it has secured several contracts with the German government that help underpin production ramp-up of its IRIS-T missile.

International competitors see an uptick in interest for military equipment amid uncertain American trade policy.

Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.

Listen in as editors report from the Singapore Airshow, sharing what they've been hearing about different military programs in the evolving geopolitical environment.

According to Aviation Week’s recently released 2026 Military Fleet & MRO Forecast, the F-35 Lightning II represents by far the largest military aircraft program in terms of deliveries over the decade with a at least 1,468 aircraft due to be delivered to 18 different operators.

The first operational unit for the Boeing F-47 is planned for Nellis AFB in Nevada, with the facilities scheduled be ready by the end of fiscal 2033.

The Pentagon has called for a new generation of sensor and tracker systems to guide a future constellation of space-based interceptors into incoming missiles.

Patria has begun assembling Pratt & Whitney F135 engines in country as part of Finland’s procurement of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

The Eurofighter is set to receive its first external changes to the airframe since the first prototype flew in 1994.

Saab CEO Micael Johansson says NATO may decide on an E-3 AWACS replacement this year, for which the Swedish company is offering its GlobalEye.

The Bangladesh Air Force expressed strong interest in Korea Aerospace Industries’ Light Armed Helicopter, sources familiar with the talks tell Aviation Week.

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. says it is in “active discussions” with the Indian Air Force to start delivering the delayed Tejas Mk.1A light combat aircraft.

The Israeli government has awarded Elbit Systems 400 million shekels to equip incoming Sikorsky CH-53K heavy-lift helicopters for the country’s air force.

Airbus Helicopters, Singapore’s Defense Science and Technology Agency and the RSAF have conducted their first MUM-T trial between an H225M the Flexrotor UAS.

RSAF's phased path—retire the C-130Bs, extend the life of the Hs, defer a full replacement—signals the Super Hercules may no longer be the default successor.

L3Harris expects a USAF production decision on a C-130H cockpit modernization program this year.

Saab expects partner Embraer to deliver the first Gripen E from a new Brazilian assembly line to the country’s air force before April, a company exec says.

ST Engineering and Lodd Autonomous signed agreements for the DrN-600 UAS to be trialed in the Middle East and Hili cargo eVTOL to be marketed in Asia-Pacific.

Aviation Week’s Jens Flottau and Robert Wall give their final analysis of Singapore Airshow 2026.

Boeing says it is using internal funding to continue some work on integrating the GE Aerospace T901 engine onto its AH-64E Apaches despite a U.S. Army plan to end the program.

Saab plans next year to fly a fighter-sized uncrewed aircraft to begin airborne testing of technologies that would support a future combat aircraft program.