FlightGlobal
• Greg Waldron
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) expects to deliver eight KF-21 fighters to the South Korean air force by end-2026 and anticipates a follow-on South Korean order for an additional 80 aircraft. The company’s outlook also tracks with ongoing talks in Indonesia for the jet’s next export steps.
Air Data News
• Ricardo Meier
By Air Data News: Military transport aircraft enters real-world firefighting operations for the first time using a 20-tonne retardant Airbus-developed firefighting kit for the A400M Atlas has entered operational service for the first time as France battles a series of wildfires that have swept across parts of the country in recent days.
AeroTime
• Clement Charpentreau
By AeroTime: The UK MOD awarded Lockheed Martin UK £20 million for Project Bowline, a hypersonic target flying above Mach 5, with a 2027 flight test in the Hebrides.
Axios
• Colin Demarest
By Axios: "Based on the world right now and where the money's being spent, it's no surprise.".
AeroTime
• Ian Molyneaux
By AeroTime: The President of Romania, Nicușor Dan, has confirmed that a Romanian Air Force F-16 shot down a drone that entered the country's airspace.
Axios
• Lucinda Shen
By Axios: The defense startup was valued at $61 billion in January.
New York Times
• Julian E. Barnes, Maggie Haberman, Tyler Pager
By New York Times: The threat led the Secret Service to urge President Trump to fly out of Turkey on a different plane, raising questions about the security of the Qatari-donated jet.
New York Times
• Eric Lipton, Maggie Haberman, Tyler Pager
By New York Times: A New York Times investigation found that President Trump’s push to speed delivery of the aircraft led to ballooning costs and trade-offs in safety features.
