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AeroTime • Clement Charpentreau

Israeli UH-60 Black Hawk detaches during CH-53 recovery lift, crashes in Gush Etzion; no injuries

An Israeli Air Force UH-60 Black Hawk crashed in Gush Etzion after detaching from a CH-53 recovery lift following an earlier emergency landing, the IDF said. The incident — attributed to a harness failure during the airlift — resulted in no reported injuries.

2026-01-16T04:11:25.247372-08:00

Vertical Mag

U.S. Army plans to buy up to 1 million drones over 2–3 years

2026-01-16T02:53:42.744802-08:00

Reuters

Royal Navy's Proteus completes maiden flight — UK's first full‑size autonomous ASW helicopter

2026-01-16T04:11:05.120839-08:00

Airbus

France awards contract to Airbus Helicopters and Naval Group for six VSR700 naval UAS

2026-01-16T03:09:31.141035-08:00

News Timeline

Air Data News

Saab assembles first of four additional JAS 39C Gripens for Hungary Hungary has revealed the first of four additional Saab‑assembled JAS 39C Gripen fighters for the Hungarian Air Force. The assembled airframe is the opening aircraft in a four‑jet augmentation to Hungary’s existing Gripen fleet, with three further airframes to follow.

2026-01-16T04:19:14.846977-08:00

Saab assembles first of four additional JAS 39C Gripens for Hungary

AeroTime

Israeli UH-60 Black Hawk detaches during CH-53 recovery lift, crashes in Gush Etzion; no injuries An Israeli Air Force UH-60 Black Hawk crashed in Gush Etzion after detaching from a CH-53 recovery lift following an earlier emergency landing, the IDF said. The incident — attributed to a harness failure during the airlift — resulted in no reported injuries.

2026-01-16T04:11:25.247372-08:00

Israeli UH-60 Black Hawk detaches during CH-53 recovery lift, crashes in Gush Etzion; no injuries

Reuters

Royal Navy's Proteus completes maiden flight — UK's first full‑size autonomous ASW helicopter Leonardo's Proteus — the Royal Navy's first full-size autonomous rotary‑wing demonstrator — completed its maiden flight from Predannack airfield. The Proteus RWUAS is intended for anti‑submarine surveillance, high‑risk missions and to support manned–unmanned teaming as the RN trials a hybrid air wing.

2026-01-16T04:11:05.120839-08:00

Royal Navy's Proteus completes maiden flight — UK's first full‑size autonomous ASW helicopter

Airbus

France awards contract to Airbus Helicopters and Naval Group for six VSR700 naval UAS

2026-01-16T03:09:31.141035-08:00

France awards contract to Airb

Vertical Mag

U.S. Army plans to buy up to 1 million drones over 2–3 years Senior U.S. Army officials announced late last year plans to buy up to one million drones over the next two to three years as the service pivots toward uncrewed operations. The figure is a dramatic increase from the roughly 50,000 drones the Army currently purchases annually.

2026-01-16T02:53:42.744802-08:00

U.S. Army plans to buy up to 1 million drones over 2–3 years

DefenseNews.com

USMC seeks near‑sixfold prototyping boost to test partner drones and MQ-9 payloads The Marine Corps wants to increase its rapid prototyping fund by nearly six times in 2023 to accelerate trials of partner unmanned systems and new payloads for MQ‑9 Reaper aircraft. The effort is aimed at fast‑tracking integration, evaluating subordinate UAS concepts and fielding capabilities more quickly.

2026-01-16T01:51:55.035041-08:00

USMC seeks near‑sixfold prototyping boost to test partner drones and MQ-9 payloads

FlightGlobal

Royal Danish Air Force to retire final F‑16s; Skrydstrup farewell set for 18 January The Royal Danish Air Force will hold a farewell event at Skrydstrup air base on 18 January as it retires its final Lockheed Martin F‑16s, formally ending decades of F‑16 operations in Danish service and marking a transition in the service’s fighter fleet.

2026-01-16T00:28:19.886376-08:00

Royal Danish Air Force to retire final F‑16s; Skrydstrup farewell set for 18 January

Payload

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CesiumAstro wins $200M EXIM loan with J.P. Morgan to scale U.S. defense satcom manufacturing CesiumAstro secured $200 million in financing from the Export-Import Bank of the United States, with J.P. Morgan as partner, the largest loan under EXIM's Make More in America program. The funds will expand Texas manufacturing and accelerate the company's national‑security SATCOM and defense services.

2026-01-15T23:10:38.307896-08:00

CesiumAstro wins $200M EXIM loan with J.P. Morgan to scale U.S. defense satcom manufacturing

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Israeli UH-60 Black Hawk detaches during CH-53 recovery lift, crashes in Gush Etzion; no injuries

U.S. Army plans to buy up to 1 million drones over 2–3 years

Royal Navy's Proteus completes maiden flight — UK's first full‑size autonomous ASW helicopter

France awards contract to Airbus Helicopters and Naval Group for six VSR700 naval UAS

News Timeline