Julien Mercier, Author at DEFENSE-AEROSPACE

U.S. Navy’s SM-6 Missile Line at Risk Without Reconciliation Bill Funding

The U.S. Navy built its Fiscal Year 2026 weapons plan around one assumption. Congress will pass a one-time reconciliation bill that adds billions to the base defense budget. Inside that bill sits most of the money for 139 Standard Missile-6 interceptors. The

July 2, 2025

Aircraft Propulsion

Italian Air Force Orders 54 EJ200 Powerplants from EUROJET for Upcoming Eurofighter Batch

EUROJET Turbo GmbH has agreed to deliver up to fifty-four new EJ200 engines for the Italian Air Force's forthcoming batch of twenty-four Eurofighter Typhoons. Defense officials confirm the deal was signed in Rome with the NATO Eurofighter & Tornado Management Agency (NETMA)

June 30, 2025

AI & Autonomy

How the Air Force Is Using Sentinel Funds to Convert a Qatari 747-8 into Interim Air Force One

The Air Force just pulled part of its Sentinel missile budget and pointed it at a different job: turning a Qatari Boeing 747-8 into a stop-gap Air Force One. The switch appeared in a Senate hearing on June 26. Secretary of the

June 28, 2025

Helicopters

Poland Receives First AH-64D Apaches to Prepare for Guardian Fleet

Three AH-64D Apache attack helicopters landed this morning at the 56th Air Base in Latkowo, near Inowrocław. They taxied to the ramp in quick succession, rotors still spinning while ground crews signaled them into place. Defense officials confirm these aircraft now belong

June 17, 2025

Missiles / Drones / Directed Energy

China’s Expanding Drone Arsenal Reveals Strength of Civil-Military Integration

The first taxi runs of Jiutian’s SS-UAV “drone mothership” at a private airfield in Sichuan on 16 June reflect how far China’s unmanned programs have moved in a single decade. According to industry sources, technicians completed telemetry checks in less than six

June 17, 2025

12 additional FA-50PH light combat aircraft

Asia-Pacific

Philippines Secures 12 Advanced FA-50PH Jets in $700 Million South Korea Deal

The Philippine Department of National Defense (DND) has approved a fresh contract for 12 additional FA-50PH light combat aircraft from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). The agreement, signed in the first week of June and publicly confirmed on 10 June 2025, is valued

June 12, 2025

Aircraft

AE 1107C Hits 500-Hour Mark Inside V-22 Fleet

The T406 engine reached a solid 500-hour record on one Osprey in mid-August last year. It happened during normal line ops, not a test flight. The count feels modest next to jetliner totals, yet inside tiltrotor work it signals tough stamina. Dust

December 27, 2024

Naval Systems

Singapore Launches Fifth Littoral Mission Vessel RSS Indomitable

The Republic of Singapore Navy rolled out RSS Indomitable, its fifth Independence-class Littoral Mission Vessel (LMV). The slip at Benoi Yard filled fast with brass, engineers, and overseas guests keen to see what fresh hull adds to regional sea security.

September 4, 2024

AI & Autonomy

KAI Completes Deliveries of MUH-1 Helicopters to Korean Marine Corps

The Republic of Korea Marine Corps now holds the last MUH-1 Marineon helicopter in its hands. KAI moved the final airframe out of Jinju on 28 June 2023. A quick hand-off sign-sheet, few salutes, then crews rolled the machine onto a low-loader.

December 29, 2023

Electronic Warfare

Russia’s Avangard Glide Weapon Reaches Mach 27, Kremlin Claims

Russia says its new Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle slices through air at Mach 27—about 33 000 km/h. Officers call it a “shift point” for global power, though they spoke carefuly. Analysts in Moscow add that the craft twists faster than most shields

December 13, 2023

Julien Mercier

U.S. Navy’s SM-6 Missile Line at Risk Without Reconciliation Bill Funding

Italian Air Force Orders 54 EJ200 Powerplants from EUROJET for Upcoming Eurofighter Batch

How the Air Force Is Using Sentinel Funds to Convert a Qatari 747-8 into Interim Air Force One

Poland Receives First AH-64D Apaches to Prepare for Guardian Fleet

China’s Expanding Drone Arsenal Reveals Strength of Civil-Military Integration

Philippines Secures 12 Advanced FA-50PH Jets in $700 Million South Korea Deal

AE 1107C Hits 500-Hour Mark Inside V-22 Fleet

Singapore Launches Fifth Littoral Mission Vessel RSS Indomitable

KAI Completes Deliveries of MUH-1 Helicopters to Korean Marine Corps

Russia’s Avangard Glide Weapon Reaches Mach 27, Kremlin Claims

Authors

Julien Mercier

Clara Nguyen

Priya Shah

Michael Adler

Lena Kovacs

Diego Ramos

Peter Johansson

Lucas Meyer