SAAB   Europe   Military Aircraft Procurement   Aircraft Manufacturing (OEMs)   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Policy & Regulation   Asia-Pacific (APAC)   Defense Deals  
Air Data News • Ricardo Meier

Thailand’s Gripen E/F: Saab begins assembling the first fighters in Linköping for RTAF F-16 replacement

Royal Thai Air Force officials visited Saab in Sweden to review progress on Thailand’s Gripen E/F acquisition. Saab says production has started, with assembly of the first jet beginning at the company’s Linköping facility under the program aimed at replacing RTAF F-16 Block 15 aircraft.

2026-05-14T14:16:27.813591-07:00
F-16   Leadership   Military Aircraft Procurement   Defense Budgets & Spending  
Aviacionline • Gastón Dubois

Argentina Decommissions A-4AR Fightinghawk Fleet Amid F-16 Integration

By Aviacionline: The Argentine Air Force officially grounded its A-4AR Fightinghawk fleet this Thursday, closing a 30-year chapter of military aviation to focus all institutional resources on the incoming F-16M Fighting Falcon.

2026-05-14T09:32:03.466000-07:00
Military Aircraft Procurement   Orders   Aircraft Manufacturing (OEMs)   Defense Industry & Major Contractors  
FlightGlobal • Craig Hoyle

Peru signs contract for fifth C-27J, as Leonardo logs order for its 100th Spartan transport

By FlightGlobal: Latin American operator will add fifth Spartan to its airlifter fleet. Peru has placed an order to take a fifth C-27J Spartan tactical transport, with its contract with Leonardo also marking the airframer’s 100th sold example of the twin-turboprop type.

2026-05-14T09:53:28.796088-07:00
Military Aircraft Procurement   Aircraft Manufacturing (OEMs)   Boeing  
Aviation Today • Frank Wolfe

Less Than $400 Million Needed to Modify VC-25B Bridge Aircraft, USAF Estimates

By Aviation Today: The nearly decade-long program to develop and field two VC-25B Air Force One planes by Boeing has a price tag thus far of more than $4.2 billion, but the service estimates that the cost to modify the 747-8i formerly used by Qatar’s emir to be used as a VC-25B bridge aircraft is less than $400 million.

2026-05-14T09:30:10.040896-07:00