The Philippine government has cleared the funds for its armed forces to acquire as many as 32 Sikorsky/ PZL Mielec S-70i Black Hawks, just as Manila completes the delivery of its sixteenth Black Hawk. 

A routine maintenance inspection of the Royal Canadian Air Force helicopters detected cracks on the tails of 19 CH-148 Cyclones.

The share price of AeroVironment plummeted more than 27% on Dec. 7 after the defense contractor and UAV specialist throttled back its financial forecast for fiscal 2022, citing supply chain issues, staffing shortages and delayed federal budget making.

Lawmakers’ compromise version of the fiscal 2022 defense policy bill calls for a large increase to the Pentagon’s budget, providing more aircraft and a big jump in the fund aimed at deterring China.

The U.S. Army is planning to deliver 24 of its 35 top modernization priorities by fiscal 2023, and if budget restrictions necessitate it the service will look first at cutting legacy systems and then so-called enduring programs to protect the new ones.

The U.S. Air Force has cleared the KC-46 to refuel five more aircraft types as part of a rollout of interim capabilities before the tanker is fully operational.

The U.S. Air Force’s MQ-9 is the only aircraft with the right capabilities for over-the-horizon surveillance and airstrikes in Afghanistan, though the service is phasing out the drone and giving U.S. Central Command fewer aircraft to fly the missions. But CENTCOM’s head of operations said he still agrees with the USAF plan.

Finland’s defense forces have reportedly opted for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter as the country’s future combat aircraft.