Global Air and Space Chief Conference kicks off in London
More than 60 air and space chiefs have gathered in London for #GlobalAirSpaceChiefs26, with ACM Harv Smyth warning the environment is more volatile than in decades and telling delegates "you cannot surge trust".
VR bridge simulator boosts Royal Navy training capacity
Royal Navy sailors are rehearsing Hormuz transits and Russian sub hunts in a VR bridge simulator built by Portsmouth firm Metaverse VR, technology Capita says has doubled the Navy's navigation training capacity.
New F-35As not bought for nuclear role, says Beck
The 12 F-35As the UK is planning to operate are being bought for the conversion unit rather than the NATO nuclear mission, AVM Jim Beck has told #GlobalAirSpaceChiefs26.
New Chinook buy to sustain UK heavy lift beyond 2040
A second Chinook buy will sustain UK heavy lift beyond 2040, the MoD says, though lift capacity faces a temporary dip while older fleets are replaced.
Anduril’s FQ-44 drone fighter moves into production
The U.S. Air Force has selected Anduril for the production phase of its Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, with the company set to deliver an initial batch of production FQ-44 semi-autonomous fighter aircraft.
Drone fighters expected to help defend UK skies in 2030s
Collaborative Combat Aircraft will augment Typhoon and F-35 in the air defence of the UK, the MOD says.
UK awards Europe’s first low-cost drone interceptor deals
Three British SMEs will develop low-cost air defence effectors under a five-nation programme, with the UK the first partner to put suppliers on contract.
Defence and aerospace add £46.8bn to UK economy, ADS says
A two-thirds rise in a decade takes the combined sectors past £46 billion in value added, with defence turnover up 66 per cent, new figures show.
UK F-35 deliveries to pause until the early 2030s
The next batch of F-35 jets for the UK, including all 12 F-35As, will not begin arriving until the early 2030s.
MOD and Treasury clashed over helicopter deal
The Ministry of Defence and the Treasury gave conflicting public signals over the £1 billion New Medium Helicopter contract earlier this year, a select committee member has said.
