France

US approves French E-2D acquisition

The US State Department has approved the possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) of three Northrop Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft and associated equipment to France.

French Army brings forward H160M delivery date

The Aviation Légère de l’Armée de Terre (ALAT, French Army Air Corps) has announced that deliveries of its first Airbus Helicopters H160M Guépard (Cheetah) helicopters will take place in 2026, two years earlier than planned.

D-Day: Aerial Armada

Graham Pitchfork describes the massive airborne assault that paved the way for D-Day

A400M gains Automatic Low-Level Flight Certification

Airbus’ A400M heavy-lift tactical transport has achieved another milestone after the platform gained certification of its Automatic Low-Level Flight capability.

French, Finnish and Swedish fighters conduct combat training

Armeé de l’Air (French Air Force) Dassault Mirage 2000-5Fs – current deployed to Estonia – have conducted combat training with Finnish and Swedish multi-role fighter aircraft.

French A400M lands in New Zealand for the first time

An Armeé de l’Air (AdlA, French Air Force) Airbus A400M Atlas landed in New Zealand for the first time whilst conducting a repatriation mission in support of the nation’s COVID-19 response efforts.

France receives third modernised Atlantique 2

Dassault Aviation has delivered the third Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) to the Direction générale de l’armement (DGA, France’s defence procurement agency), following its modernisation to Standard 6.

Airbus hands over 17th A400M to France

Airbus Defence and Space has delivered its 17th A400M heavy-lift tactical transport to the Armée de l’Air (AdlA, French Air Force).

French/US Navy’s hold cross-deck interoperability exercises

The US Navy’s Nimitz-class USS Dwight D Eisenhower (CVN 69) and the Marine Nationale’s (French Navy’s) FS Charles de Gaulle (R 91) aircraft carriers have held cross-deck interoperability exercises.

nEUROn completes fifth flight test campaign

Dassault Aviation’s nEUROn has completed its fifth flight test campaign, continuing to support the development of the Système de Combat Aérien du Futur (SCAF/Future Combat Air System, or FCAS).

Safran provides FCAS engine details

French-based engine manufacturer, Safran, has released details about the powerplant that will be employed by the Système de Combat Aérien du Futur (SCAF/Future Combat Air System, FCAS).

Demonstrator phase launched for European FCAS

The French, German and Spanish governments have awarded the initial framework contracts (Phase 1A) to a consortium of companies, launching the demonstrator phase for the Système de Combat Aérien du Futur (SCAF, or Future Combat Air System – FCAS).