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OCTOBER 2023 news
Defense Aviation and Aerospace Industry |
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The Royal Air Force (RAF) received its first Protector RG.1 drone, which was transported from the General Atomics facility in California to the United Kingdom on September 29, 2023. This acquisition is part of the UK's initiative to modernize its drone fleet.
Northrop Grumman was awarded a contract by the U.S. Navy to evolve the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye cockpit and computing architecture with Delta System Software Configuration 6 (DSSC 6) through 2028.
On October 2, 2023, the Croatian Air Force officially took possession of its first Rafale F3R fighter jet during a ceremony at Mont-de-Marsan Air Base in France. This acquisition is part of a larger deal signed in November 2021, where Croatia agreed to purchase 12 second-hand Rafale F3R jets, including two two-seaters, from France for a total of just over one billion euros. This marks Croatia's largest defense investment since its independence in 1991.
According to Michel Cabirol in La Tribune on October 2, 2023, French company Turgis & Gaillard entered into an agreement with Ukrainian company Antonov to produce its Aarok drone in Ukraine. The agreement was formalized during a visit by France's Minister of the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu, to Kyiv. The Aarok drone, unveiled at the Paris Air Show 2023, has been classified as a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) drone and is expected to be deployed in Ukraine in the near future.
According to Business Insider India, in a twist that could be straight out of a spy novel, Russia is reaching deep into its Cold War playbook to counter Ukraine's cutting-edge maritime drone technology. Believe it or not, the Russian Navy is deploying its Beriev Be-12 amphibious aircraft—vintage models that first took to the skies when the Beatles were still together—to tackle the modern dilemma of Ukrainian naval drones. These drones have become a thorn in the side of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, and Moscow is betting that its upgraded but aged Beriev Be-12s can rise to the challenge.
The Dutch government has announced plans to increase its contribution to the NATO Mission in Iraq (NMI) by deploying three Boeing CH-47F Block II Chinook helicopters and 120 personnel for a one-year period starting in May 2024. This latest version of the legendary Chinook offers enhanced performance, versatility, and defensive capabilities.
On October 1, the arrival of the first four Danish F-35A Lightning II fighters at Skrydstrup Air Base, Denmark, was celebrated with great enthusiasm by the Kingdom of Denmark and Lockheed Martin.
The seventh edition of the 'European Spartan Exercise,' a dedicated training program for the C-27J Spartan military transport aircraft, commenced today, embarking on two weeks of intensive joint training. This exercise is being held at the 90th airlift base in Otopeni, Romania, and features participation from four nations: Romania, Bulgaria, Italy, and Lithuania. This time, the European Spartan Exercise will focus on Tactical air transport, including air Medevac operations.
Saab has presented the first Saab 340 to the customer during a ceremony in Linköping. The event took place in Linköping on 29 September, just two months after Poland placed an order for two AEW aircraft.
