Israel   Military Aircraft Procurement   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact   Defense Policy  
The Aviationist • David Cenciotti

Israeli F-35I shoots down Iranian Yak-130 over Tehran — first confirmed F-35 air-to-air kill

The Israel Defense Forces said an Israeli Air Force F-35I “Adir” shot down an Iranian Yakovlev Yak-130 over Tehran on Wednesday, marking the first confirmed air-to-air kill by an F-35. The Israeli military described the engagement as a historic milestone in combat aviation.

Also: newsable.asianetnews.com, defensemirror.com and aerospaceglobalnews.com
2026-03-04T01:14:57.533662-08:00
Europe   Military Aircraft Procurement   Aircraft Manufacturing (OEMs)   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Defense Policy   Airbus  
Reuters

Dassault warns Future Combat Air System (FCAS) is 'dead' unless Airbus agrees to cooperate on next‑generation fighter

By Reuters: The head of French warplane maker Dassault Aviation said he had taken note of what he described as Airbus' refusal to work with it on a next-generation fighter, and that the FCAS project would be "dead" unless that stance changed.

Also: Daily Sabah, Economic Times and spacewar.com
2026-03-04T02:02:50.752788-08:00
AI   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Policy & Regulation   Export Controls & Trade Compliance   Cybersecurity (Cyber Threats & Protection)   Defense Policy  
Reuters • Alexandra Alper, Courtney Rozen, Mike Stone

Pentagon order prompts Lockheed and other defense contractors to purge Anthropic AI from supply chains

By Reuters: U.S. defense contractors, like Lockheed Martin , are expected to follow the Pentagon's order to purge Anthropic's prized AI tools from their supply chains, government contracting and technology attorneys said, even though the Trump administration's ban on their use may fail in court.

Also: defaeroreport.com
2026-03-03T16:22:04.297389-08:00