Peter Johansson

How Non-F-35 NATO Countries Could Host and Repair Lightning II Jets Locally

How Non-F-35 NATO Countries Could Host and Repair Lightning II Jets Locally

Royal International Air Tattoo, Fairford – Michael Williamson, who heads Lockheed Martin International, says that several NATO members not flying the F-35 have come to the company with questions about what it would take to set up repair options for the jet at their own bases. This logic is straightforward: when an F-35 has to divert because of weather or combat damage, the crew shouldn’t have to wait for a transport plane or move the jet over a border just for repairs.

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Rheinmetall Skyranger 30 Debuts at LandEuro 2025 to Counter Drone Swarms

Rheinmetall Skyranger 30 Debuts at LandEuro 2025 to Counter Drone Swarms

LandEuro 2025 opened on 16 July at the Rhein-Main Congress Centre in Wiesbaden, drawing delegations from twenty-seven nations and a broad cross-section of the European defense industry. Germany’s Rheinmetall used the forum to introduce a production-standard Skyranger 30 turret mounted on an 8×8 Boxer chassis. According to industry sources, senior procurement officers from at least seven NATO members attended the live firing showcase at a nearby Bundeswehr range on the eve of the exhibition.

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Macron Accelerates France’s Defence Budget to €64 Billion by 2027

Macron Accelerates France’s Defence Budget to €64 Billion by 2027

President Emmanuel Macron has moved France’s defense-budget targets forward by three years. He told senior commanders on Sunday that annual outlays will reach €64 billion in 2027, not 2030, doubling the 2017 baseline of €32 billion. Defense officials confirm that the shift adds €6.5 billion across 2026-27 on top of figures already voted by Parliament.

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U.S. Defense Firms at Le Bourget Outline Step One Using NASAMS, THAAD for Golden Dome

U.S. Defense Firms at Le Bourget Outline Step One Using NASAMS, THAAD for Golden Dome

The Paris Air Show gave America’s biggest defense suppliers a global stage to describe how they would fold familiar missiles, radars and command-and-control networks into President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome homeland-defense plan. They argued that starting with hardware already in service will cut cost and time, but even their upbeat briefings could not hide a basic truth: no one yet knows exactly who will run integration, how the money will flow, or whether a space-based interceptor layer can be fielded by 2028.

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U.S. Army Commences 2025 Production of IFPC Increment 2 to Strengthen Mid-Tier Air Defense

U.S. Army Commences 2025 Production of IFPC Increment 2 to Strengthen Mid-Tier Air Defense

The Army has given the green light to start low-rate production of its Indirect Fire Protection Capability Increment 2 system this October. Defense officials confirm that the signed acquisition decision memorandum cleared the final gate after a quick turn-around review on 28 June. According to industry sources, Dynetics, a Leidos company, received the first production task order hours later. The order covers eight launchers, two battle management kits, and initial spares worth about $385 million.

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Cubic Secures Long-Term 8 Milion Boost for Joint Readiness Training Center

Cubic Secures Long-Term $468 Milion Boost for Joint Readiness Training Center

Cubic Corporation has picked up a hefty, fresh slice of work at Fort Polk. A new extension, capped at about 468 milion dollars, keeps its teams locked in with the Army’s Joint Readiness Training Center for up to ten more years. The baseyear runs now, and nine option years sit in line. This step carries on a partnership first inked back in 2007 and, frankly, it shows how much trust the Army holds in Cubic’s way of shaping live training.

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Z-20 Helicopter Pushes Ahead in PLA Service

Z-20 Helicopter Pushes Ahead in PLA Service

China’s medium-lift Z-20 is no longer a paper plan. Pilots in several PLA brigades now fly the grey-green machines every week. Beijing says the type is home-grown, tuned for thin air over Tibet, and ready for sea duty as well. Western watchers still argue the airframe copies the U.S. UH-60, yet fresh photos show details that do not match the older Black Hawk. The debate rolls on, but the helicopter keeps logging hours.

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