UK completes initial F-35B procurement
Lockheed Martin has delivered the 46th, 47th and 48th F-35B aircraft to the United Kingdom, fulfilling the initial procurement phase of the programme and completing the first contracted batch of jets for the UK.
Northrop Grumman swaps autonomy software mid-flight
Northrop Grumman has demonstrated a mid-flight swap of autonomy software on its Talon IQ testbed aircraft, transitioning between software from two different companies while maintaining continuous operational performance.
Defence industry warns of paralysis as DIP delay bites
Britain's defence industry is holding back investment, recruitment and planning decisions while it waits for the long-delayed Defence Investment Plan, senior figures told the Scottish Affairs Committee on Wednesday.
British jets scrambled as Russian drones at NATO border
British Typhoon jets were scrambled from Romania and authorised to engage Russian drones near the Ukrainian border in the early hours of Saturday morning, though both aircraft returned to base without firing.
UK rejects suggestion British jets downed Russian drones
UPDATED: The UK has clarified that both RAF Typhoons returned to base without engaging any targets, after Romania's Ministry of National Defence reported the jets were authorised to engage drones near the Ukrainian border and that multiple explosions subsequently followed.
German maritime patrol aircraft deploys to Scotland
A German Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft has been deployed to RAF Lossiemouth for the first time under the Trinity House Agreement.
RAF puts aircraft painting contract out to tender
The MoD has launched a tender for a contract to provide surface finishing and painting services across all RAF fixed and rotary wing aircraft at stations in the UK and overseas, estimated at just under £100 million over a decade.
Former MoD permanent secretary rejects fall guy claim
The former Permanent Secretary of the MoD has pushed back on suggestions he was made the "fall guy" for the Afghan data breach.
UK reaffirms F-35 commitment but questions remain over 138
The UK has committed to 138 F-35s "across the life of the programme" but with only 74 planned in total and 48 already delivered, it remains unclear what the 138 figure actually means or when, if ever, it will be reached.
Meteor F-35 integration shows no signs of urgency
The UK has been trying to arm its F-35s with Meteor since 2019. The US-led programme has now pushed the timeline to the early 2030s.
