Defense News

Aerial Firefighting Helicopter Asia-Pacific (APAC)

AeroTime • Clement Charpentreau

Japan Expands Overseas Firefighting Mission With Chinooks Aboard JS Kunisaki

Japan is expanding its first overseas military firefighting mission by splitting its Chinook fleet between the landing ship JS Kunisaki and a port in Indonesia. The deployment will support firefighting operations off Kalimantan while extending Japan’s regional disaster-response footprint.

1 Source

2026-09-21T04:51:06.555049-07:00

UAV Development & Drone Programs Europe Military Aircraft Procurement Defense Industry & Major Contractors

FlightGlobal • Dominic Perry

Tekever and UK MoD sign Corvus contract

By FlightGlobal: Developer will supply an initial batch of six AR5 uncrewed aerial vehicles to the British Army under five-year deal.

Also: Urban Air Mobility News

2 Sources

2026-09-21T02:20:03.012140-07:00

Missile Systems & Strategic Weapons Defense Budgets & Spending Space Defense & Militarization Defense Policy

SpaceNews.com • Sandra Erwin

Pentagon plans phased Golden Dome buildout through 2035

By SpaceNews.com: WASHINGTON — Gen.

1 Source

2026-09-21T00:00:42.899121-07:00

Europe Military Aircraft Procurement Aircraft Manufacturing (OEMs) Defense Industry & Major Contractors

AeroTime • Clement Charpentreau

Europe weighs modernizing Antonov An-124 or building its own C-17 successor

By AeroTime: An EU-funded study identifies two options to avert Europe's heavy airlift gap: modernizing the Antonov An-124 or developing a new European aircraft.

1 Source

2026-09-20T23:52:33.944426-07:00

China

FlightGlobal • Greg Waldron

China’s J-50/XDS may be testing new radar

By FlightGlobal: Fighter prototype underlines China's aggressive push for new capabilities. Recent images from China indicate that flight testing continues with a secretive, tailless fighter developed by AVIC Shenyang.

1 Source

2026-09-20T20:04:56.368702-07:00

Supply Chain Military Aircraft Procurement Aviation Safety & Regulation Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact Export Controls & Trade Compliance Defense Policy

Bloomberg • Anthony Capaccio

F-35 Parts Diversion to Hong Kong Under Probe in US Congress

By Bloomberg: A US House committee that oversees defense policy is investigating the diversion of potentially sensitive F-35 fighter jet components this year from Australia to Hong Kong, a spokesperson said.

FlightGlobal

Australian F-35A components appear to go missing in Hong Kong

CNA

Australia Defends F-35 Technology Controls After Report of Parts Diverted to Hong Kong

Also: wonderfulengineering.com and defensemirror.com

5 Sources

2026-09-20T18:05:07.249881-07:00

Satellite Defense Industry & Major Contractors Space Defense & Militarization

Payload • Victoria Woodburn

DIU and SSC Announce Joint GHOST-R Mission

By Payload: DIU and SSC announced GHOST-R, a joint effort to bring low-cost reconnaissance to GEO under SSC's RG-XX program.

1 Source

2026-09-20T20:54:47.164541-07:00

Satellite Space Force AI Commercial Space Space Policy & International Cooperation Space Defense & Militarization Space Debris & Traffic Management

SpaceNews.com • Sandra Erwin

Space Force expands use of commercial satellites to track electronic interference

By SpaceNews.com: WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force is expanding the use of commercial satellites to detect and locate GPS jamming and other electronic interference, turning what began as an experiment into a standing global operation.

Also: defence-blog.com, satnews.com and keeptrack.space

4 Sources

2026-09-20T03:50:33.033125-07:00

Japan Expands Overseas Firefighting Mission With Chinooks Aboard JS Kunisaki

Tekever and UK MoD sign Corvus contract

Pentagon plans phased Golden Dome buildout through 2035

Europe weighs modernizing Antonov An-124 or building its own C-17 successor

China’s J-50/XDS may be testing new radar

F-35 Parts Diversion to Hong Kong Under Probe in US Congress

Australian F-35A components appear to go missing in Hong Kong

Australia Defends F-35 Technology Controls After Report of Parts Diverted to Hong Kong

DIU and SSC Announce Joint GHOST-R Mission

Space Force expands use of commercial satellites to track electronic interference

Japan puts Chinook to sea aboard JS Kunisaki off Kalimantan

Tekever and UK MoD sign Corvus contract

Pentagon plans phased Golden Dome buildout through 2035

Europe weighs modernizing Antonov An-124 or building its own C-17 successor

DIU and SSC Announce Joint GHOST-R Mission

China’s J-50/XDS may be testing new radar

US Air Force fighter drones to join large-scale combat exercise for first time

A.I. Gone Rogue? Trump Proposes Not New Rules but an ‘A.I. Force.’

Houthis claim attacks on ‘sensitive sites’ in Saudi Arabian capital

ASELSAN tests electronic warfare pods on Bayraktar TB2 drones

First Finnish F-35As arrive as Germany begins production and four European operators pursue a shared-fleet model

US Air Force to field Collaborative Combat Aircraft in large-scale exercise for first time

ASELSAN demonstrates ANTIDOT electronic-warfare and FULMAR 200 SAR pods on Bayraktar TB2s

HAV pitches Sentinel Hawk Airlander 10 for Pentagon ISR missions

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