Ecuador has ordered seven Leonardo AW139M helicopters in a $209.8 million package that includes a presidential VIP transport aircraft.

The fleet is set to lift mobility, troop transport, and operational support across the armed forces. Deliveries are split into three phases from December 2027 to May 2028, with the VIP aircraft reportedly in the first tranche. The AW139M configuration cited for the deal combines an eight-cubic-metre cabin, space for up to 12 fully equipped personnel plus two crew, Level IV armour, and endurance of up to five hours.

The procurement points to a broader force renewal centred on multi-role utility lift and protected command transport.

Electro Optic Systems has completed its acquisition of MARSS and unveiled the combined counter-drone business at Eurosatory in Paris. The deal folds MARSS’s AI-enabled command and control, including NiDAR, into EOS’s effectors to build a layered detect, track and defeat stack.

MARSS continues as an independent subsidiary under Johannes Pinl, while EOS plans a European C2 AI hub in Nice with more than €10 million of investment and up to 150 jobs over three years. The move gives EOS a fuller counter-UAS offer as operators demand integrated architectures, not stand-alone sensors or weapons.

Japan Airlines beteiligt sich mit HAECO, Toyota Tsusho und Sun Group an einem neuen Flugzeug-MRO-Komplex am Van Don International Airport in Quang Ninh. Das Joint Venture soll rund 360 Millionen US-Dollar investieren und den Betrieb 2028 aufnehmen.

Geplant sind Hangarkapazitäten für vier Widebody- und zwei Narrowbody-Flugzeuge zugleich auf etwa 20 Hektar. Der Standort zielt auf den wachsenden Wartungsbedarf in Südostasien und auf weniger Auslagerung in bestehende MRO-Zentren außerhalb Vietnams.

Für die Betreiber ist das mehr als ein Infrastrukturprojekt: Es verschiebt Wartungskapazität, Lieferketten und Know-how in den vietnamesischen Markt.

United Nigeria Airlines has taken delivery of its first two Boeing 737-800NGs, registrations 5N-CFC and 5N-CFB, at Lagos on 13 June 2026. The aircraft are the opening pair in a six-jet package from Southwest Airlines, and the airline has already tied them to a capacity build-up across domestic and regional flying.

The carrier has now moved from paper deal to metal on the ramp, with the 189-seat 737-800s set to anchor near-term fleet growth and simplify induction around a single narrowbody type. The naming of the jets after Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe and Chinua Achebe adds a local branding layer to a transaction driven by feed, utilisation and schedule depth.

More frames are due as the fleet expansion advances.

SpaceNews will host a 25 June discussion on how sensors could protect the United States under the Golden Dome missile-defense concept. The focus is the sensing layer: satellite tracking, threat discrimination, and the communications backbone needed to push data fast enough for intercept decisions.

The event matters because Golden Dome is being framed as a layered architecture, not a single shield. Space-based sensors would work with ground radars, command networks, and interceptors to detect ballistic and hypersonic threats across boost, midcourse, and terminal phases. That puts orbital sensing, processing latency, and resilient data links at the center of the procurement debate.

For suppliers, the signal is clear: the competition is moving from concept to architecture definition.

AutoFlight’s V2000CG CarryAll has become the first eVTOL to secure overseas type validation, after Indonesia’s DGCA issued a Validated Type Certificate for the 2-ton unmanned cargo aircraft. The approval confirms compliance with Chinese and Indonesian airworthiness requirements and clears the aircraft for commercial cargo operations in the Indonesian market.

The move extends the V2000CG beyond its original Chinese certification into a second national regime, a rare step for an autonomous lift-and-cruise platform. With a maximum take-off weight of 2,000 kg, the aircraft is positioned for inter-island freight missions in a market where runwayless logistics has clear utility.

The certification now gives AutoFlight a regulatory bridge into Southeast Asia.

AirAsia X is set to debut the Airbus A321LR on Northeast Asia services in late October 2026, starting with one-time Kuala Lumpur flights to Busan, Osaka Kansai and Seoul Incheon. The schedule filing points to a narrowbody long-haul trial across sectors of about five to seven hours, with the aircraft coded 32Q on the affected rotations.

The pattern reads like an operational proving run rather than a full route conversion. If the deployment holds, it gives AirAsia X a path to displace some A330-300 capacity on thinner medium-haul markets while tightening trip economics and fleet flexibility.

Air Caraïbes und Aéro Biodiversité haben in ihrem neuen 2025er Bericht mehrere erstmals nachgewiesene Arten auf Flughafengelände in Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint-Martin und Cayenne bestätigt. Erfasst wurden unter anderem die Pflanze Comméline dressée, der Kleine Rohrdommel, die Libelle Micrathyria aequalis und ein Anolis; die Standorte der Funde wurden in der Zusammenfassung nicht einzelnen Flughäfen zugeordnet.

Die Daten stützen das seit 2022 laufende Programm, das Biodiversitätsmanagement und Flugbetrieb auf den Plattformen Guadeloupe Maryse Condé, Martinique Aimé Césaire, Saint-Martin Grand-Case und Cayenne Félix Éboué verbindet. Für Betreiber liefert das einen belastbaren Hinweis: Airport-Flächen können als Habitate und ökologische Korridore wirken, ohne die operative Sicherheit aus dem Blick zu verlieren.

United Airlines has put a Stars and Stripes special livery on a Boeing 737-800 and Boeing 787-10 to mark America’s 250th anniversary. The reveal, staged at Washington Dulles International Airport on 15 June 2026, ties brand visibility to patriotic messaging and the carrier’s Military Pilot Program.

Both aircraft were painted in Amarillo, Texas, and will carry commemorative plaques for active-duty service members and veterans. United framed the rollout as part tribute, part talent pipeline: it says about 600 military pilots have joined since 2024, with another 500 expected by the end of 2027.

The livery gives United a high-visibility cue ahead of America 250. It also extends the airline’s military recruitment play into a premium-brand setting.

Lockheed Martin and GM Defense have signed a memorandum of understanding to widen U.S. production capacity, with munitions supply chains at the front of the agenda.

The companies will work on three tracks: strengthening defense supply chains, advancing manufacturing and design, and using GM’s commercial plant base and high-rate production methods to expand output where needed. Lockheed wants to pair its weapons-production experience with GM’s automotive engineering and throughput discipline to speed delivery of critical systems.

The deal stops short of naming products, sites, or financial terms, but it positions GM as a non-traditional industrial partner for future missile and interceptor ramp-ups.

U.S. airlines spent $6.47 billion on jet fuel in April, a 78% jump from a year earlier even as consumption slipped 2.6%. The average price reached $4.11 a gallon, up from $2.31 in April 2025, leaving operators with a cost spike that outpaced traffic growth.

Fuel is now moving faster than capacity discipline can absorb. With the summer peak ahead, carriers face tighter margins, more fare pressure, and less room to offset volatility through network or fleet tweaks.

Chile has cleared Abra Group’s acquisition of SKY Airline, removing the final domestic competition hurdle for the transaction. The decision advances Abra’s plan to fold the Santiago-based low-cost carrier into its wider Latin American platform while keeping SKY’s brand and operating structure intact.

The approval follows prior clearance in Brazil and leaves the deal on a short runway toward closing, with integration timing still tied to remaining regulatory and documentation steps. For Abra, the move deepens its footprint in Chile and tightens coordination across its Gol and Avianca network.

The transaction now shifts from regulatory review to execution.

Riyadh Air ya tiene autorización del Departamento de Transporte de Estados Unidos para operar vuelos de ida y vuelta con ese país. La decisión elimina una barrera regulatoria para la expansión internacional de la aerolínea saudí y abre la vía para servicios transatlánticos una vez que entren en línea sus entregas y demás permisos operativos.

La compañía, respaldada por Arabia Saudí, busca construir una red global desde Riad y entrar en un corredor donde la capacidad, la conectividad y la asignación de franjas pesan tanto como la flota. El permiso cubre el marco comercial; no fija pares de ciudades ni calendario de inicio.

Para el sector, el siguiente paso es convertir esa licencia en rutas efectivas.

Air Canada inauguró en 16 de junio de 2026 su primer espacio premium en el aeropuerto Jean Lesage de Quebec con un nuevo Air Canada Café de 97 plazas. La sala ocupa 336 metros cuadrados, opera con Plaza Premium Group y se convierte en el séptimo café de la red. El acceso queda restringido a pasajeros domésticos elegibles, incluidos miembros Aeroplan 50K y superiores, Star Alliance Gold, titulares de tarjetas premium Aeroplan y clientes de Business Class en vuelos de Air Canada o Star Alliance.

La instalación añade asientos orientados a productividad, energía en cada puesto y puertos USB-C para equipos móviles y portátiles. Air Canada la integra en su programa plurianual de modernización de salas y refuerza su apuesta por Quebec. El despliegue fija un nuevo estándar operativo en YQB y amplía la huella premium del operador en Canadá.

Arianespace kept its Ariane 6 launch on schedule for 17 June after a strike at the Guiana Space Centre ended the previous day. CEO David Cavaillolès said the base was fully operational again and all launch indicators were green.

The dispute, led by the UTG union, had blocked site access since 15 June, but management and union talks produced a deal on 16 June. Local media said the settlement included a 1.6% rise in social minimums and fuel allowances of €100 to €300.

The mission is set to lift off from Kourou in French Guiana during a window opening at 12:53 CET. That keeps Ariane 6 on track for another commercial ramp-up flight.

Mach Industries secured a DIU contract on 16 June 2026 to serve as the aircraft integrator for the RIMES program, a U.S. Navy and DIU initiative deploying long-range maritime strike drones from austere locations. The hybrid-electric Atlas drone, developed with Whisper Aero, achieves a one-way range of 1,400 nautical miles and carries 1,000-pound munitions comparable to F/A-18 loads. Whisper Aero’s JetFoil system enables silent operation from Destroyer-class vessels, addressing limits in single-use missile magazines and at-sea replenishment. DIU withheld contract value details, confirming Mach is not the sole awardee. This reusable strike option redefines expeditionary naval power projection.

Lockheed Martin and GM Defense have signed a memorandum of understanding to push more defense work through commercial manufacturing. The deal links Lockheed Martin’s production know-how with General Motors’ high-rate industrial base, with the first focus on supply chains, manufacturing and design capability, and added production capacity.

The companies will start by examining ways to accelerate production readiness and apply commercial methods to defense requirements, but they have not named programs, parts, or contract value. The structure points to an early-stage industrial partnership rather than a live supply agreement, leaving room for future work on munitions, components, and other high-volume defense output.

For the sector, the signal is clear: capacity, not platform design, is now the immediate prize.

Riyadh Air has joined the International Air Transport Association and moved onto CO2 Connect at the same time. The Saudi carrier now sits inside the industry body’s airline network while gaining flight-by-flight emissions calculations based on actual fuel-burn data.

The move aligns the new national carrier with common operational and sustainability standards as it scales its international schedule. It also gives corporate buyers and passengers a cleaner emissions reference than generic estimation models, which should matter as procurement teams tighten reporting and scope 3 scrutiny.

For Riyadh Air, the membership is less branding than infrastructure: market access, data discipline, and airline-system legitimacy.

LATAM Airlines Group secured Best Cabin Service in South America at the 2026 APEX Best Awards, extending its standing in a category driven by passenger ratings. The award was announced in Dublin during the APEX FTE EMEA conference, where APEX said the 2026 results drew on verified feedback from more than one million flights across more than 600 airlines.

In the same regional slate, Azul took Best Overall Airline, GOL Linhas Aereas won Food & Beverage and Wi-Fi, and Aerolineas Argentinas led Seat Comfort. The result reinforces LATAM’s cabin proposition across service and onboard experience, and keeps pressure on competitors as passenger-led benchmarking tightens.

Hop-A-Jet Worldwide Jet Charter has added a Cessna Citation X to its managed fleet, extending aircraft management beyond its long-standing Bombardier base. The move gives the Fort Lauderdale operator a faster, longer-range business jet type and broadens the portfolio it can place under management for owners.

The Citation X marks the first confirmed step in a wider fleet strategy. For operators, the shift points to a more diversified managed-aircraft mix and a stronger position in the upper-end charter market. More type additions would deepen that repositioning.

Global Jet Capital closed BJETS 2026-1, a business jet asset-backed securitization that raised about $659 million. The deal extends the firm’s BJETS program, now in its ninth ABS issuance, and lifts total assets securitized to roughly $6.7 billion.

The transaction was split into three note tranches and backed by cash flows from 28 aircraft loans and leases tied to 16 business jet models across 20 industries. It drew 41 investors, including 12 new to the program, and kept servicing with Global Jet Capital.

The placement shows the bizjet ABS market still clearing size. More supply is likely if investor demand holds.

A Bombardier Challenger 601 ended up on a road under construction near Asaba International Airport after a missed approach on 10 June. The aircraft, operated by VMO Aero Ltd, reportedly touched down on a 7,000-foot highway stretch beside the runway, then departed for Lagos and drew regulatory scrutiny over the subsequent movement and crew actions.

The episode puts approach stability, runway geometry, and airport perimeter control back under the microscope at Asaba. For operators, it is a reminder that one unstable approach can become an airside and regulatory event in seconds.

The FBI disrupted an alleged plot to attack the UFC Freedom 250 event on the White House South Lawn with explosive-laden drones and sniper fire. Five suspects are in custody, with investigators saying the plan was broken up before the event drew the crowd into a kill zone.

Federal filings name Tycen Proper, 19, of Ohio, and describe a multi-state network that used encrypted chats, venue maps and target lists. The alleged scheme aimed to trigger panic with drone strikes, then hit fleeing attendees and high-value targets. The case underlines how small, armed unmanned systems can compress reaction time at tightly restricted federal venues.

The investigation is still active, and the security gap now sits with attribution, network mapping and access to weaponised drone supply chains.

Malaysia has ordered 18 CAESAR 155mm self-propelled howitzers from KNDS, closing a procurement track that has stretched for years. The deal was formalised at Eurosatory in Paris and pairs the order with technology transfer and local assembly through Advanced Defense System, giving Malaysia a domestic integration and sustainment base.

The contract makes Malaysia the 15th CAESAR customer and the third Indo-Pacific operator after Indonesia and Thailand. KNDS has not disclosed the contract value. The package strengthens Malaysia’s artillery fleet while anchoring more of the programme inside its defence industry.

No reliable source confirms Germany’s imminent six Global 8000 electronic warfare aircraft order. The only verified Bombardier Global 8000 delivery in Africa occurred on 16 June 2026 to BUA Group, not to the German Bundeswehr. Secondary reports link the African delivery to Nigerian billionaire Abdul Samad Rabiu, chairman of BUA Group, aligning with Bombardier’s official announcement. The RSS item referencing Germany seeking six Global 8000-based electronic warfare aircraft is a different story, unconfirmed by current official sources. Operators and procurement managers should treat the German deal as unverified until corroborated by authoritative channels. The sector awaits formal confirmation before adjusting strategic assessments.

FlightPath3D has released a white paper arguing that in-flight moving maps should function as a digital homepage, not a static cabin graphic. The paper links that shift to connected-cabin strategy, with airlines using seatback and mobile interfaces to keep passengers inside their own ecosystem as onboard Wi-Fi expands.

The document covers the modern passenger journey, a six-touchpoint connectivity framework, four platform layers map vendors need to support, and a 10-point audit for RFPs. It positions software, rather than bandwidth alone, as the lever for brand control, monetisation and differentiation.

For operators, the message is clear: the map is becoming a front-end product, not a background feature.

Prophesee has raised €20 million and launched Mantara, a fully integrated event-based drone detection and tracking system built from sensor chip to embedded AI processing. The Paris release frames the move as a shift toward a full-stack dual-use civil and defence strategy, with Critical Path Ventures leading the financing and existing shareholders joining the round.

Mantara is designed for low-latency detection in low light, cluttered environments and against fast, erratic targets, with applications spanning airports, stadiums, ports, energy sites and counter-UAS operations. Prophesee also introduced Hearth, its new software backbone, which replaces OpenEB and the Metavision SDK and supports continuous updates, sensor fusion and migration from earlier applications.

The raise gives Prophesee capital to scale a product line now aimed squarely at security and defence procurement.

Airbus Defence and Space has started work to turn French A400Ms into a multi-mission ISR and airborne command platform. The Parallel Mission System adds a new mission management system, tactical situational awareness consoles in the cargo hold and an optronic sensor, giving crews the ability to coordinate ground troops, Tiger and Caracal helicopters, and fighter jets while managing drones and missiles launched from the aircraft.

The first French aircraft is scheduled for installation in 2027, followed by flight testing in 2028. Airbus is also studying further A400M options, including long-range jamming, a mothership role for drone and missile release, a 40-tonne payload increase and firefighting. That points to a broader shift from tactical transport to modular combat support.

Canada and Italy have launched negotiations for the Royal Canadian Air Force to acquire Leonardo M-346 advanced jet trainers. The talks were opened by Mark Carney and Giorgia Meloni at the G7 summit in Évian, linking the aircraft to Canada’s effort to rebuild sovereign lead-in fighter training after the CT-155 Hawk fleet was retired.

The government says the M-346 would give the RCAF state-of-the-art training hardware and reduce reliance on overseas pipelines. No quantity, value, delivery schedule or contract award has been set, so the file remains at negotiation stage. Leonardo now has a direct path into Canada’s military training market, and the next milestone will be commercial terms, not political signaling.

Air Canada hat am Flughafen Québec City Jean Lesage seine erste Air Canada Café eröffnet und dem Standort damit erstmals ein dediziertes Premium-Loungeprodukt gegeben. Die Anlage bietet 97 Sitzplätze auf 336 Quadratmetern, wird von Plaza Premium betrieben und ist als siebte Café-Station des Konzerns positioniert.

Das Format setzt auf Selbstbedienung, lokale Produkte, eine vollständige Bar und Strom an jedem Platz, inklusive USB-C-Anschlüssen. Für Air Canada schließt sich damit ein weiterer Baustein der mehrjährigen Lounge-Modernisierung an, die Premium-Angebote auch jenseits der großen Hubs verdichtet.

Für YQB verschiebt sich damit der Standard im Bodenprodukt; weitere Stationen dürften folgen.

Lufthansa Technik Philippines baut in Clark ein zweites Base-Maintenance-Zentrum für Widebody-Flugzeuge auf. Der Standort am Clark International Airport umfasst 157.000 Quadratmeter, soll bis zu neun Flugzeugstände aufnehmen und ab 2028 in Betrieb gehen.

Das Joint Venture mit MacroAsia investiert einen dreistelligen Millionenbetrag und rechnet mit rund 1.200 Facharbeitsplätzen. In Manila bleibt der bestehende Standort am Ninoy Aquino International Airport das Rückgrat der laufenden Maintenance-Kapazität, ergänzt um die neue Basis in Pampanga.

Für Airlines in der Region verschiebt sich damit zusätzlicher Heavy-Maintenance-Slot in den Philippinen. Clark gewinnt damit weiter an Gewicht im asiatisch-pazifischen MRO-Markt.

Katalyst Space secured $12 million in a funding round led by Geodesic Capital to advance its GEO servicing demo mission ahead of the NASA Swift reboost launch. The capital will support the LINK robotic spacecraft, which is scheduled to launch later this month on a Pegasus XL rocket from Kwajalein Atoll to rendezvous with and boost the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. This mission marks the first commercial robotic docking with an unprepared government satellite, demonstrating critical on-orbit servicing capability for future space operations. The sector now sees validated private investment accelerating practical orbital life-extension technologies tied to active NASA science assets.

Honeywell has formally approved the spin-off of its aerospace business, keeping the separation on track for 29 June, when Honeywell Aerospace is due to begin regular-way Nasdaq trading under HONA. The distribution is set to give record holders on 15 June one Aerospace share for every two Honeywell shares, with when-issued trading under HONAV already in place. After the deal, the parent will trade as Honeywell Technologies under HON, followed by a 1-for-2 reverse split. For operators and suppliers, the clean break creates two public companies with sharper capital allocation and tighter portfolio focus.

Tiny first-person-view drones drew attention on the final day of ILA Berlin 2026, shifting the show’s centre of gravity toward attritable systems and low-cost airpower.

The Drone Pavilion turned the Defence Park into a live market signal, with autonomous swarms, capability demos and direct access to military buyers. At the same time, the air show’s space lane linked ESA’s debris-reduction agenda with student-built satellite concepts, underscoring how the sector is pairing tactical UAV growth with orbital sustainability and dual-use innovation.

The message is clear: European aerospace is now selling drones and space resilience in the same hall.

Lufthansa Technik baut am Clark International Airport einen zweiten Base-Maintenance-Standort in den Philippinen auf. Der neue Hangar-Komplex soll bis zu neun Widebody-Bays auf 157.000 Quadratmetern bieten und ab 2028 den Betrieb aufnehmen.

Das Vorhaben läuft über Lufthansa Technik Philippines, das Joint Venture mit MacroAsia. Geplant sind Investitionen im dreistelligen Millionen-Dollar-Bereich und rund 1.200 neue Facharbeitsplätze. Clark ergänzt damit die bestehende Manila-Basis, die seit mehr als 25 Jahren läuft, und erweitert das Portfolio um den Boeing 787 neben A330, A340, A350, A380 und B777.

Für die Region entsteht damit ein zusätzlicher Heavy-MRO-Knoten für Langstreckenflotten.

Ein Luftfrachtfehler hat den österreichischen Zulieferer FACC in St. Martin im Innkreis mit einem extremen Fehlrouting konfrontiert: In acht gekühlten Boxen lagen menschliche Überreste statt der erwarteten Teile. Die Sendung war aus den USA über München eingetroffen und sollte nach Deutschland in ein Forschungslabor gehen.

Die Polizei schloss eine Straftat aus und ordnete die Boxen dem medizinischen Forschungsverkehr zu. Für FACC bleibt der Fall ein logistischer Ausreißer mit klarer Botschaft: Bei internationalen Spezialsendungen entscheidet jede Schnittstelle über Sicherheit, Haftung und Chain of Custody.

The B-52 crash at Edwards Air Force Base is a reminder that this airframe still sits inside the U.S. test and deterrence architecture. The bomber was on a routine test mission supporting radar modernization, carrying eight people, when it went down shortly after takeoff and was judged not survivable.

That mission profile explains the platform’s durability: the B-52 remains a flying systems-integration bench for sensors, mission kits, and weapons work, not just a legacy strike asset. Edwards depends on that sort of long-range, high-payload test article, and the fleet continues to cover missions no modern replacement has fully absorbed.

The loss will feed directly into safety, schedule, and modernization reviews.

Vietnam Airlines has appointed ECS Group as its cargo GSSA in South Korea. The move gives ECS Group sales and service responsibility across a market Vietnam Airlines views as one of its largest cargo lanes in Asia, with coverage extending to general cargo and specialised shipments.

The mandate goes beyond bookings. ECS Group will handle capacity management, operational coordination, digital services and customer support, linking Korea with Vietnam and onward markets as the carrier pushes freight growth tied to electronics, semiconductors, auto parts, pharmaceuticals and e-commerce.

For operators, the signal is clear: Vietnam Airlines is tightening local market access to protect yield and lift cargo penetration across its Asian network.

Gogo has cleared a new retrofit path for Dassault Falcon 7X and 8X operators after Dassault Falcon Jet MRO secured FAA and EASA STCs for the Galileo HDX antenna. The approval lets the business jets take the electronically steered HDX system, tied to Eutelsat OneWeb, with Gogo citing service speeds up to 60 Mbps and global inflight connectivity across cabin and cockpit.

The result expands certified upgrade options for long-range Falcon fleets and gives buyers a cleaner aftermarket route for LEO-based connectivity. It also strengthens the case for avionics-heavy cabin refurbishments, where installed connectivity now factors into residual value and dispatch flexibility.

Safran has named Daniela Schwarzer as an independent director, effective 1 July 2026, after Patricia Bellinger stepped down from the board and the Appointments and Compensation Committee for family reasons.

Schwarzer will serve the balance of Bellinger’s term through the end of the 2028 Annual General Meeting, with shareholder approval still due at the 2027 AGM. Safran said the board’s independence ratio remains 66.7% and gender balance stays at 50%. The move also follows the appointment of Chloé Raison as French State Representative, replacing Céline Fornaro.

The board keeps its governance mix intact, but the 2027 vote will formalise the transition.

Safran has launched Land OmniGuard, a counter-drone solution for operational environments. The new land-focused system extends the company’s anti-UAS portfolio into force protection, battlefield security and critical-site defence, targeting detection and neutralisation of drone threats in mobile and fixed deployments.

The launch signals continued investment in electronic warfare tools that pair sensing with effectors rather than relying on disruption alone. For operators, the issue now is integration: range, sensor fusion, mobility and command-and-control fit will determine whether Land OmniGuard becomes a procurement option or stays a showcase platform.

The Army’s Ivy Mass exercise showed that electronic attack does not have to be obvious to work. At Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site, the 4th Infantry Division and NGC2 teams ran division-scale command and control through combined jamming, space, GPS and cyber pressure while soldiers initially treated failures as routine network faults.

The result was a sharper lesson than outright blackout: partial degradation created doubt, slowed the blue force response and exposed gaps in both equipment and tactics. Commanders also pushed dispersion hard, leaving the force uncomfortably dispersed to reduce detectability while preserving comms. The next test comes at Project Convergence in July.

Canada has opened negotiations to buy Leonardo’s M-346 advanced jet trainer, after Mark Carney and Giorgia Meloni met on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains. The move puts the Royal Canadian Air Force on a path toward a new lead-in fighter training platform as Ottawa pushes its Build-Partner-Buy procurement model.

The government said the aircraft would give the RCAF access to state-of-the-art training hardware and strengthen sovereign training capacity. It disclosed no fleet size, pricing, contract structure, or delivery schedule. Leonardo has already sold M-346 T Block 20 aircraft to ITPS Canada, creating a domestic training footprint ahead of any federal order. The talks now set up a broader contest over Canada’s next trainer baseline.

MBDA and Safran Electronics & Defense have entered the final phase of negotiations with France’s DGA for the THUNDART long-range land strike system, replacing the aging LRU rocket artillery. The 150 km precision strike weapon, designed and produced entirely in France, operates in contested environments with GNSS loss resistance and integrates natively with the ATLAS fire management system. A 50/50 joint venture will accelerate development, targeting operational capability by 2030, with potential range extensions to 300 km and multi-platform integration for NATO allies.

PiLogic has signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory to test its satellite fault-detection and failure-prediction software on spacecraft electrical and power subsystems.

The company will integrate its Exact AI inference engine to flag anomalies, infer failure modes, and recommend corrective actions, while AFRL provides access to a satellite testing platform for operationally relevant validation. PiLogic says the system blends engineering models, physics-based relationships and probability theory to move beyond threshold-based diagnostics and support explainable root-cause analysis. The work is already running on two terrestrial flat sats, with an orbit path still open.

The arrangement pushes the software from concept into lab-backed testing, a step that could shape how operators assess AI for mission assurance.

Ryanair has attacked the EU’s revised air passenger rights deal after lawmakers agreed that fares must display hand luggage from the first booking screen. The carrier said the change forces higher headline prices and will distort fare comparison, even as the rule still leaves room for cheaper tickets for passengers who travel without extra cabin bags.

The provisional package keeps the three-hour delay trigger, compensation of €250, €400 and €600, and rights to rerouting or reimbursement after cancellations and denied boarding. It also adds tighter fare transparency, free adjacent seating for children under 14, and no charge for printed boarding passes or name corrections.

Formal approval still lies ahead, but the commercial impact is already clear.

EDGE Group has launched EDGE Europe in Paris, giving the Abu Dhabi defence group a French-registered platform with a Chaillot headquarters and an engineering and manufacturing hub in Bordeaux.

The move shifts EDGE from an export-led presence to a local European structure built around government engagement, partnerships, investment, design, integration and rapid development. Chairman Faisal Al Bannai framed Europe as a defining market for sovereign capability, while chief executive Hamad Al Marar said operators there want European solutions and that a local base is needed to compete for the next wave of demand.

The Paris launch formalises a wider footprint that already includes Milrem Robotics and other regional stakes. It also positions EDGE to compete deeper in European supply chains.

Royal Air Maroc has added wet-leased Airbus A330-900neo capacity on its Casablanca-Montreal service for June. The aircraft, Corsair-operated as F-HETE under an ACMI deal, is scheduled on AT208 and AT209 from 12 to 21 June on a reduced pattern, then daily from 22 to 26 June.

The 352-seat jet gives the carrier a short-term lift on a long-haul sector where premium and economy demand can swing sharply. Its deployment also offers schedule resilience while Royal Air Maroc preserves network continuity without a permanent fleet change.

Poland has frozen the handover of its remaining MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine until a bilateral drone-technology arrangement is completed. Deputy Defence Minister Cezary Tomczyk said the aircraft will move only after the technical terms of the exchange are finalized, with Warsaw seeking Ukrainian UAV know-how and battlefield experience in return.

The deal covers a partial transfer, likely six to eight jets from a fleet of 14, not the full inventory. Ukraine would absorb the aircraft quickly because they fit its Soviet-era logistics, while Poland uses the delay to leverage combat-proven drone expertise as it expands its own unmanned capability.

The transfer is on hold, not off the table.

Gilat Satellite Networks will buy most of Comtech Telecommunications’ Satellite & Space Communications segment for $157.5 million in cash, with $10 million paid at signing. The boards of both companies approved the transaction unanimously, and closing is targeted for the end of 2026, subject to CFIUS, FTC and DOJ review.

The deal excludes Comtech’s cyber and services business and leaves Comtech reshaped around public safety technology. For Gilat, it adds U.S. defense exposure, troposcatter beyond-line-of-sight capability and a deeper footprint across GEO, MEO and LEO programs, while pushing combined annual revenue above $700 million.

The transaction sharpens the sector’s defense-satcom consolidation and gives Gilat a larger platform for complex space and military connectivity work.