Reuters
• Che Pan, Ryan Woo
China’s People’s Liberation Army Southern Theater Command conducted joint air and naval combat drills around Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, describing the exercises as a response to regional instability. The patrols were intended to test combat readiness and reinforce China’s territorial defense capabilities.
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China’s People’s Liberation Army Southern Theater Command conducted joint air and naval combat drills around Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, describing the exercises as a response to regional instability. The patrols were intended to test combat readiness and reinforce China’s territorial defense capabilities.
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India’s IndiGo will discontinue its widebody operations from Oct. 25 and end its ACMI agreement with Norse Atlantic Airways on Oct. 31, returning five Boeing 787-9s. The decision brings an early end to the budget carrier’s long-haul experiment after difficulties operating European routes.
Australia, the United States and Japan have formalized a trilateral agreement to strengthen air logistics cooperation among their air forces. The accord signals deeper operational coordination between the three partners, potentially improving the ability to move personnel, equipment and supplies across the region.
LOT Polish Airlines will launch a year-round Warsaw Chopin–Hanoi route on March 31, 2027, operating three times weekly with Boeing 787 aircraft. The service will become the carrier’s fifth long-haul destination in Asia, with tickets already on sale.
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Air India, Japan’s SkyDrive and Suzuki Motor Corporation signed an MoU to assess eVTOL aircraft for time-critical medical logistics in India, including air ambulance applications in congested cities. Separately, SASMOS HET Technologies and The ePlane Company agreed to support EWIS development for the e200X eVTOL.
IndiGo Managing Director Rahul Bhatia said the airline expects to wait until around 2030 before making its next major aircraft purchase, giving it time to assess next-generation aircraft technologies. Bhatia also defended IndiGo’s 66% domestic market share and outlined the carrier’s growing role in India’s international tourism strategy.
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BAE Systems is expanding its industrial presence in India as New Delhi pursues defense self-reliance, while New Zealand begins acquiring a long-range surveillance UAV. In the UK, TEKEVER and iCOMAT are scaling collaboration around AR5 production, underscoring the growing emphasis on sovereign supply chains and indigenous aerospace technologies.
A U.S. Navy aircraft carrier arrived in Da Nang, Vietnam, for a rare port call, highlighting deepening security ties between Washington and Hanoi as Vietnam navigates rising maritime tensions with China. The visit signals growing strategic importance for the region’s defense relationships and naval presence.
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