AeroTime
• Clement Charpentreau
Dassault Aviation signed a cooperation agreement with AED Cluster Portugal after formally entering Portugal’s competition to replace 24 F-16AM/BM fighters. The campaign places Rafale and Eurofighter alongside Saab’s separate GlobalEye agreement with Canada in a broader push for defense-industrial partnerships.
F-16
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Dassault Aviation signed a cooperation agreement with AED Cluster Portugal after formally entering Portugal’s competition to replace 24 F-16AM/BM fighters. The campaign places Rafale and Eurofighter alongside Saab’s separate GlobalEye agreement with Canada in a broader push for defense-industrial partnerships.
A U.S. Air Force investigation found that misaligned variable vanes disrupted airflow in the engine of a Thunderbirds F-16CM during a formation-training flight near Trona, California. The resulting compressor blade failure caused an unrecoverable loss of thrust, forcing the pilot to eject before the aircraft was destroyed.
Airbus plans to submit an unsolicited, financing-backed Eurofighter Typhoon proposal to Portugal in late October or early November, positioning the European fighter against Lockheed Martin’s F-35. Lisbon is seeking to replace 28 upgraded F-16Ms and has yet to select a successor.
The U.S. Air Force plans to replace the Modular Mission Computer on Block 40, 42, 50 and 52 F-16s with a Next-Generation Mission Computer. The upgrade is part of a broader modernization effort that includes the APG-83 radar and is intended to sustain the fleet into the 2040s.
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Dassault Aviation has signed a memorandum of understanding with AED Cluster Portugal to explore cooperation opportunities tied to the Portuguese Air Force’s future fighter renewal. The agreement strengthens Dassault’s industrial positioning as Portugal considers options to replace its F-16 fleet with Rafale aircraft.
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A U.S. Air Force F-16 assigned to Spangdahlem Air Base in western Germany crashed Tuesday while attempting to land after a routine training or local mission. The pilot ejected safely before impact and was receiving medical treatment; the base’s F-16CM fleet supports the “Wild Weasel” mission.
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Finland has received its first two F-35A fighters at Rovaniemi, beginning the domestic phase of a program targeting full operational capability by 2030. The milestone comes as Germany’s first aircraft rolls off the line and Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway expand cooperation on aircraft, weapons, maintenance and personnel.
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An F-16 assigned to the Texas Air National Guard’s 149th Fighter Wing crashed in Grand Traverse County, Michigan, during a training mission on Sept. 17. Radio traffic indicated a possible bird strike; the pilot ejected safely and was reported in stable condition.
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