Military Aircraft Procurement   Orders   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Airbus  
FlightGlobal • Greg Waldron

Indonesia inducts Airbus A400M and Dassault Rafale into service as Prabowo accepts multi-platform strategic defense equipment

Indonesia has formally brought two key components of its airpower modernisation into service: the Airbus Defence and Space A400M tactical transport and the Dassault Aviation Rafale fighter. The moves were marked alongside an acceptance ceremony for multi-platform strategic defense equipment at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in Jakarta.

2026-05-18T22:24:06.519735-07:00
Helicopter   Sikorsky   Military Aircraft Procurement   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Defense Deals  
Yonhap News Agency • Song Sang-ho

U.S. approves possible sale of MH-60R helicopters, AH-64E Apache upgrades to S. Korea

By Yonhap News Agency: WASHINGTON, May 18 (Yonhap) -- The United States has authorized a potential sale to South Korea of MH-60R multi-mission naval helicopters and an AH-64E Apache chopper upgrade program, the State Department said Monday, noting the proposed sale will help enhance the Asian ally's defense capabilities.

Also: Defense Daily and asianmilitaryreview.com
2026-05-18T13:32:52.052283-07:00
Military Aircraft Procurement   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact   Defense Deals   Defense Policy  
Reuters

U.S. State Department approves possible sale of Apache helicopter support services to India

By Reuters: The ​U.S. State Department ‌on Monday said it ​had ​approved a possible sale ⁠of ​Apache helicopter support ​services and related equipment to ​India for ​an estimated cost ‌of $198.2 ⁠million.

Also: ANI News Agency and Times of India
2026-05-18T13:24:21.538583-07:00
UAV Development & Drone Programs   North America   Military Aircraft Procurement   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact   Defense Policy  
FlightGlobal • Ryan Finnerty

More than 40 US aircraft lost during Iran air campaign combat: report

By FlightGlobal: The tally includes 24 MQ-9A Reaper drones, seven KC-135 tankers and several fighter types. The US military lost or suffered significant damage to 42 aircraft during the aerial bombing campaign against Iran, which is currently in a tenuous ceasefire.

2026-05-18T10:39:20.544451-07:00
AI   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Space Defense & Militarization   Policy & Regulation  
SpaceNews.com • Sandra Erwin

Inside Golden Dome’s push to court commercial tech firms and investors

By SpaceNews.com: WASHINGTON — Pentagon officials overseeing Golden Dome are trying to convince commercial space founders, venture investors and software companies that missile defense can be built more like a modern technology platform than a traditional weapons system.

2026-05-18T07:24:29.397169-07:00