The Australian and UK F-35 Reprogramming Laboratory has opened at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.
The Reprogramming Laboratory is a joint partnership between Australia and the UK. It will produce Mission Data Files (MDF) for Australian and UK F-35s, which compile information about the operating environment and assets in an area, before being loaded onto the aircraft pre-flight using a portable hard drive.
The laboratory will support Australian and UK F-35s by developing, verifying, validating and issuing F-35 MDFs for Australian and UK-fielded F-35s. Both countries are co-funding and supporting the capability under a 50/50 funding arrangement.
Australia’s Minister for Defence, Linda Reynolds, said this new capability will enable the F-35 to be a ‘smart’ aircraft.
‘Combined with the aircraft’s advance sensor suite, this provides the pilot with a clearer battlespace picture,’ Reynolds said. ‘Today’s opening is a key milestone in the delivery of this programme to the Australian Defence Force.’
Australia’s F-35A is expected to achieve Initial Operating Capability in December 2020, and Final Operating Capability in late 2023.
AFSOC has revealed a new Block II variant of the OA-1K Skyraider II featuring rapid deployment and reassembly capabilities designed to support expeditionary special operations missions.
The UK MoD said it would narrow down the competitors from four to two later in the year, with those selected going on to develop the prototype drone that will operate as loyal wingman to the British Army’s Apache AH-64E helicopters.
The UH-60M is the latest variant of the UH-60, a workhorse multirole helicopter that continues to attract further orders from across the globe. With further modernisation upgrades underway, the platform is expected to remain in operation until 2050.
The DroneShield US subsidiary is rapidly expanding its manufacturing footprint in the country and has expedited the process to double its domestic production capacity in at least four months.
The Pentagon has sent an amendment to the Office of Management and Budget, according to Pete Hegseth, including funds for the procurement of E-7 Wedgetails in FY2027.
As Europe confronts its most unstable security environment since the Cold War, defence planners recognise that advanced, dependable and flexible Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) are central to a force that competes and prevails on today’s battlefield.
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