FCC   F-16   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact   Export Controls & Trade Compliance   Defense Deals  
Reuters

Turkey seeks early progress to lift U.S. sanctions to enable expedited F-35 purchase

Turkey’s foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, said Ankara hopes to reach a result soon on lifting U.S. sanctions, tied to its desire to purchase F-35 fighter jets. He added there should be no defense-industry restrictions between allies, framing the issue as a pathway to normalize procurement.

2026-07-10T08:29:46.346237-07:00
Helicopter   Leadership   Aviation Safety & Regulation   Defense Policy  
AeroTime • Clement Charpentreau

Hegseth vows to ‘fix’ US Army Apache pilots suspension over July 4 beach flybys

By AeroTime: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he will ‘fix’ the suspension of eight SCNG Apache pilots who flew low across crowded beaches on July 4, 2026.

Also: Washington Post, The Hill, The Independent, CBS News, The Guardian and 5 more
2026-07-10T04:15:57.673675-07:00
Military Aircraft Procurement   Missile Systems & Strategic Weapons   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact   Defense Deals   Defense Policy  
Bloomberg • Firat Kozok, Selcan Hacaoglu

Turkey Seeks Russian OK for S-400 Exit to Unlock F-35 Purchase

By Bloomberg: Turkey is seeking Russia’s consent to transfer air defense systems it bought from Moscow to a third country, an effort aimed at clearing the way for the purchase of US-made F-35 fighter jets.

2026-07-10T03:29:19.809506-07:00
UAV Development & Drone Programs   AI   Military Aircraft Procurement   Missile Systems & Strategic Weapons   Defense Budgets & Spending   Defense Industry & Major Contractors  
AeroTime • Clement Charpentreau

US awards laser weapon deals for drone, missile defense

By AeroTime: The US Department of War awarded nLIGHT and Lockheed Martin Aculight $86 million to develop containerized laser weapons against drones and cruise missiles.

Also: marketforecast.com, Unmanned Airspace and defenseadvancement.com
2026-07-10T01:58:52.441351-07:00
Military Aircraft Procurement   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Workforce & Skills Development  
Air Data News • Ricardo Meier

B-21 automation drives USAF plan to retrain bomber crew officers as pilots

By Air Data News: The US Air Force (USAF) has confirmed that the B-21 Raider will operate with a two-pilot crew, a configuration made possible by the aircraft's advanced automation that has prompted the service to find a new role for officers who traditionally filled other cockpit positions in legacy bombers.

Also: AirForceTimes, Military Times and interestingengineering.com
2026-07-10T01:45:09.814901-07:00