AeroTime
• Clement Charpentreau
Bangladesh has prepared draft negotiation documents for a potential purchase of China’s J-10CE fighter jets, alongside Turkish attack helicopters, as part of an air force modernization effort. The procurement is being considered for fiscal 2026–27 and remains dependent on securing budgetary support.
Military Aircraft Procurement
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Bangladesh has prepared draft negotiation documents for a potential purchase of China’s J-10CE fighter jets, alongside Turkish attack helicopters, as part of an air force modernization effort. The procurement is being considered for fiscal 2026–27 and remains dependent on securing budgetary support.
Exercise Baltic Trust 2026 in Latvia demonstrated how NATO forces can connect incompatible counter-UAS systems into a shared operational picture and conduct a live intercept. Separately, the Royal Netherlands Navy launched a concept-development program with Destinus to integrate Hornet B2 interceptor drones with warships.
The U.S. has approved a potential sale of Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System rockets to Italy, a deal intended to bolster the Italian Air Force’s ability to counter drones. The notification adds an air-launched precision weapon to Italy’s evolving response to the growing unmanned threat.
High activity
The sole-source, 11-year IDIQ contract covers virtually every element of Boeing’s F-15 Eagle Crest program, including new production, upgrades and sustainment. Its Foreign Military Sales scope names Japan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia and Poland as potential customers.
The Navy disclosed RTX’s AIM-424 Malice, a long-range air-to-air missile with a stated reach beyond 250 nautical miles, while summer exercises demonstrated stealth bomber-launched anti-ship weapons and unmanned boats. The service is also seeking a new air-launched torpedo for submarine-hunting missions.
Saab is continuing to pursue a Gripen E sale to Canada and has promised to establish a domestic final assembly line if it wins an Ottawa contract. The offer comes as fighter demand grows and Saab prepares to increase production rates.
Chinese J-16 fighter jets engaged French-made Rafale fighters during the Eagles of Civilization 2026 drills in Egypt, marking the first reported exercise encounter between the two aircraft types. The event brings Chinese and French combat aviation into direct training contact in an important regional setting.
An Indonesian Air Force Su-30MK2 overran the runway at Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in South Sulawesi during a post-overhaul test, reportedly after a braking-system failure. The military crew escaped injury, and the incident did not disrupt commercial flight operations at the airport.
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