“Gloves are off” as US Defense Secretary memo calls for sweeping drone procurement reform
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has promised to usher in a new era of “military drone dominance”.
Hungarian government and Embraer representatives attended a ceremony marking the start of production of the first KC-390 for Hungary. (Photo: Embraer)
Embraer on 11 November announced that structural assembly work is underway in Brazil of the first in a pair of KC-390 Millennium multi-mission transport aircraft for Hungary, following the conclusion of a critical design review.
The manufacturer noted in a statement: ‘In the coming weeks, parts will be assembled to generate the structural panels and frames for the main components of the fuselage and semi-wings. The first aircraft is scheduled to be delivered in 2024.’
Hungary ordered two KC-390s plus associated services in November 2020 for an undisclosed price, although Shephard Defence Insight calculates a unit price of $85 million for the aircraft.
The fully NATO-compatible KC-390s will not only use a probe and drogue system to refuel Hungarian Air Force JAS 39 Gripen multirole fighter aircraft, but they will also be capable of performing medevac or humanitarian missions with an onboard intensive care unit.
Additional mission types identified by Embraer include troop transport, precision cargo airdrop and paratroop operations.
Brazil (28 aircraft) and Portugal (five) are the only other confirmed customers for the KC-390 to date.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has promised to usher in a new era of “military drone dominance”.
The possible sale for nine HH-60W by the US government could make Norway the first Foreign Military Sale customer for the rescue and combat helicopter and add to the country’s ongoing acquisition of Sikorsky-made helicopters.
The programme first began in 2023 with Bell and Boeing’s concepts progressing to Phase 1B, in which testing has been carried out over the last year.
The report discloses that while the capability provided by the F-35 is superior to previous UK aircraft, delays from the UK Ministry of Defence on the programme have significantly impacted the country’s warfighting capabilities.
The new ‘Entente Industrielle’ will work on a range of other projects to boost the UK economy and defence industry, including joint development on new high-tech frequency weapons and extended range air-to-air missiles.
The E-7A is one of three aircraft submitted for the South Korean AEW&C II competition, which seeks to acquire four more aircraft of the type for its air force by 2028.