The first F/A-18 to undergo the Service Life Modification (SLM) programme has been redelivered to the US Navy by Boeing.
The SML is extending the service life of the Super Hornet from 6,000 to 7,500 flight hours. Future modification plans in the early 2020s will enable the jets to fly 10,000 hours and incorporate the new Block III capabilities.
The Block III conversion will include enhanced network capability, conformal fuel tanks, an advanced cockpit system, signature improvements and an enhanced communication system.
There are now 15 Super Hornets in the SLM programme on production lines in St Louis and San Antonio. It takes 18 months to complete modifications on an F/A-18, although that time will be driven down to one year as the programme progresses.
The second SLM jet will deliver by the end of the month, and Boeing will deliver the third F/A-18 in April.
The use of air power by both sides in the ongoing conflict has been extensively focused on, influencing policy and procurement around the world. But are the lessons from the front line universally applicable, or should other nations be planning for very different scenarios?
Six Super Tucano aircraft were ordered in July 2024, with Paraguay the fifth South American country to add the aircraft to modernise its fleet.
The takeover of the Italian firm by Baykar solidifies the company’s efforts to forge closer ties with Italian industry, bolsters its partnership with Leonardo to produce UAVs and secures its foothold in Europe.
The F-15EX Eagle II had already been singled out for further funding in January 2025, when it was chosen to replace the A-10 aircraft for the US National Guard.
Spain’s Defence Minister told the Senate Defense Commission on 27 June of the decision to acquire Turkish Aerospace Industries’ (TAI) trainers as the country seeks to replace its Northrop F-5M aircraft.
The company has tested over 15 mission sets for the drone, with the rotorcraft used to demonstrate the viability of armed forces utilising large uncrewed aerial systems’ (UAS) for autonomous missions in the future.
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