Supply Chain   Europe   Military Aircraft Procurement   Orders   Aircraft Manufacturing (OEMs)   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Workforce & Skills Development  
FlightGlobal • Dominic Perry

UK awards £1bn New Medium Helicopter contract to Leonardo for 23 AW149s

The UK has awarded Leonardo a £1 billion contract for 23 AW149 helicopters under the New Medium Helicopter (NMH) programme, with airframes to be built at Leonardo’s Yeovil facility. The deal secures roughly 3,300 jobs and confirms the AW149 as the MoD’s NMH selection.

Also: UK Defence Journal
2026-03-01T05:34:42.656693-08:00
UAV Development & Drone Programs   Europe   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact   Defense Policy  
AeroTime • Clement Charpentreau

Sweden: Russian ship Zhigulevsk launched drone near French carrier Charles de Gaulle during transit in Swedish waters

By AeroTime: Sweden says the drone disabled near the French carrier Charles de Gaulle was launched from the Russian vessel Zhigulevsk during its transit in Swedish waters.

Also: UK Defence Journal and seawaves.com
2026-03-01T02:21:16.394192-08:00
Helicopter   Europe   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact   Export Controls & Trade Compliance   Defense Policy  
AeroTime • Clement Charpentreau

French NH90s Back Belgian Forces in Boarding and Seizure of Sanctioned Russian Tanker

By AeroTime: Belgian forces, backed by French Navy NH90 helicopters, boarded a sanctioned tanker in the North Sea, the ship is now in Zeebrugge for seizure.

Also: ANI News Agency and defencetoday.com
2026-03-01T02:52:27.520415-08:00
Aircraft Carrier   ATC   Middle East   Airports   Airline Industry & Market Trends   Aviation Safety & Regulation   Airport Infrastructure & Air Traffic Management   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact   Defense Policy   Airlines  
Air Data News • Ricardo Meier

U.S. and Israel Conduct Joint Strikes on Iran Amid Major U.S. Military Buildup

By Air Data News: The United States and Israel launched joint military strikes against Iran on Saturday, February 28, with U.S. President Donald Trump confirming the start of.

Also: AirForceTimes, Air & Space Forces Mag, Dj's Aviation, Aviation24, Reuters, Skift, FlightGlobal, Aviation Week, DVIDS / U.S. DoD, One Mile at a Time, Simple Flying, Aviation.travel and 63 more
2026-02-28T01:31:34.874761-08:00
Air Cargo & Freight Logistics   Airports   Military Aircraft Procurement   Accident   Aviation Safety & Regulation   Airport Infrastructure & Air Traffic Management  
Reuters

Bolivian Air Force C-130 crashes in El Alto, killing 15 and scattering banknote cargo

By Reuters: The death toll has risen to 20 in the crash on Friday evening of a Bolivian Air Force Hercules aircraft during bad weather in the city of El Alto, near Bolivia's capital La Paz, AFP reported citing police.

Also: aviationnews.eu, Simple Flying, c-130.net, brazilnews.net, defensemirror.com, news.ssbcrack.com, newsable.asianetnews.com, the-independent.com, globalnews.ca, abcnews.com, The Independent, Aviation24 and 15 more
2026-02-27T17:01:24.686448-08:00
Saudi Arabia   Satellite   Middle East   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact   Defense Policy  
Reuters • Catherine Cartier, Eleanor Whalley, Maria Laguna

Satellite imagery shows rise in tankers and support aircraft at Saudi base used by US amid tensions with Iran

By Reuters: Satellite images showed a rise in the number of military support aircraft including refuelling tankers at a Saudi airbase used by the U.S. military during a four-day period in February, as Washington built forces in the region amid tensions with Iran.

Also: India Defense News, Economic Times and 4 more
2026-02-27T09:26:19.641378-08:00