The U.S. Air Force is planning large spending increases for the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider as the bomber moves closer to its first flight and more aircraft enter production.

The U.S. Air Force wants to end production of its next-generation combat rescue helicopter earlier than planned, reducing the program of record by about one-third as it looks to future threats.

The U.S. Air Force, having been previously blocked by Congress from retiring MQ-9 Reapers that are heavily used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, is trying a different approach in the fiscal 2023 budget request released March 28.

“We must all prepare ourselves for the fact that we have a neighbor presently ready to use force to assert its interests,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in a radio interview.

Safran Helicopter Engines is proposing final assembly and testing of Aneto 1K engines for Leonardo’s AW149 in the UK if the rotorcraft and the engine are selected for the UK defense ministry’s New Medium Helicopter (NMH) requirement. 

Airbus has selected GE Aviation’s Catalyst turboprop engine as the powerplant for the Eurodrone medium-altitude long-endurance uncrewed air system.

The South Korean military carried out kill chain training on the same day as North Korea’s latest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test on March 24.

Switzerland plans to have as many as 28 of its Lockheed Martin F-35s built in Italy, becoming the third customer to build the Joint Strike Fighter in Europe.