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FlightGlobal • Greg Waldron

RMAF conducts 3‑hour maiden test flight of TAI Anka‑S MALE UAV from Labuan

On 3 April the Royal Malaysian Air Force flew its first Turkish Aerospace Industries Anka‑S medium‑altitude, long‑endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle: a three‑hour test sortie from Labuan air base. The flight precedes delivery and is intended to bolster Malaysia’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability.

2026-04-05T22:01:11.491000-07:00

FlightGlobal

Boeing revives AH-6i light-attack gunship, modernizing a 35‑year‑old Little Bird lineage

2026-04-05T01:27:20.105891-07:00

The Intercept

US A-10 Downed Near Strait of Hormuz While Rescuing Crew After F-15E Loss

2026-04-03T09:16:15.174965-07:00

Wall Street Journal

US F-15E shot down over Iran in Operation Epic Fury; CSAR ongoing

2026-04-03T10:51:19.454508-07:00

News Timeline

FlightGlobal

RMAF conducts 3‑hour maiden test flight of TAI Anka‑S MALE UAV from Labuan On 3 April the Royal Malaysian Air Force flew its first Turkish Aerospace Industries Anka‑S medium‑altitude, long‑endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle: a three‑hour test sortie from Labuan air base. The flight precedes delivery and is intended to bolster Malaysia’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability.

2026-04-05T22:01:11.491000-07:00

RMAF conducts 3‑hour maiden test flight of TAI Anka‑S MALE UAV from Labuan

FlightGlobal

Boeing revives AH-6i light-attack gunship, modernizing a 35‑year‑old Little Bird lineage Boeing has revived the AH-6i light-attack gunship, modernizing a 35‑year‑old concept derived from Hughes' Defender/OH‑6 Cayuse. The move targets a compact, lower-end gunship role beneath the AH‑1 class, echoing the Defender's historic export appeal to customers such as Iraq, Israel, South Korea and the Philippines.

2026-04-05T01:27:20.105891-07:00

Boeing revives AH-6i light-attack gunship, modernizing a 35‑year‑old Little Bird lineage

SpaceNews.com

GIT named Iridium Certus service provider to support U.S. DoD and government satcom needs GIT Satellite Communications has become an Iridium Certus service provider and will support U.S. Department of Defense and other government customers with hardware platforms, airtime and data services. The designation positions GIT as a supplier channel for Iridium Certus connectivity to U.S. government satcom users.

2026-04-03T21:15:43.061210-07:00

GIT named Iridium Certus service provider to support U.S. DoD and government satcom needs

FlightGlobal

USAF pulls KC-135 from boneyard for possible reactivation after tanker losses in Iran campaign The U.S. Air Force has transferred a retired KC-135 Stratotanker out of long-term storage, a move that signals possible reactivation after several tanker losses tied to the ongoing U.S.–Israeli air campaign against Iran. Open-source flight tracking shows the aircraft leaving the boneyard, suggesting expedited sustainment steps.

2026-04-03T12:15:34.553320-07:00

USAF pulls KC-135 from boneyard for possible reactivation after tanker losses in Iran campaign

Wall Street Journal

US F-15E shot down over Iran in Operation Epic Fury; CSAR ongoing A U.S. Air Force F‑15E Strike Eagle was downed over Iran during Operation Epic Fury — the first fighter loss in a five‑week campaign that has generated roughly 13,000 combat sorties. Two crew reportedly ejected; combat search‑and‑rescue with Black Hawks and a C‑130 is underway amid mixed recovery reports.

2026-04-03T10:51:19.454508-07:00

US F-15E shot down over Iran in Operation Epic Fury; CSAR ongoing

AINonline

Brazil unveils first domestically assembled Saab Gripen F-39E; 14 more to follow Brazil unveiled its first domestically assembled Saab Gripen F-39E, the lead of a 15‑aircraft production batch for the Brazilian Air Force. Officials said 14 additional F‑39Es will be completed locally, marking a significant milestone in Brazil's fighter acquisition and domestic aerospace industrialisation.

2026-04-03T10:12:34.789859-07:00

Brazil unveils first domestically assembled Saab Gripen F-39E; 14 more to follow

The Intercept

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US A-10 Downed Near Strait of Hormuz While Rescuing Crew After F-15E Loss On April 3 a US Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II crashed near the Strait of Hormuz while conducting rescue operations for the crew of an F-15E that had been shot down. Multiple reports tie both losses to Iran-related fighting in the region, marking rare combat attrition of US aircraft.

2026-04-03T09:16:15.174965-07:00

US A-10 Downed Near Strait of Hormuz While Rescuing Crew After F-15E Loss

SpaceWatch Global

Culture, Not Cash, Is Europe’s Biggest Obstacle to Rearmament Defense budgets are expanding at a pace not seen in decades, but pouring money into armed forces won't deliver capability unless procurement culture changes. National silos, risk-averse acquisition practices, and duplicated projects blunt the impact of extra funding and slow urgent rearmament.

2026-04-03T03:00:03.394639-07:00

Culture, Not Cash, Is Europe’s Biggest Obstacle to Rearmament

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RMAF conducts 3‑hour maiden test flight of TAI Anka‑S MALE UAV from Labuan

Boeing revives AH-6i light-attack gunship, modernizing a 35‑year‑old Little Bird lineage

US A-10 Downed Near Strait of Hormuz While Rescuing Crew After F-15E Loss

US F-15E shot down over Iran in Operation Epic Fury; CSAR ongoing

News Timeline