Author: Michael

Belgian Air Chief Major General Thierry Dupont signed the bulkhead of the first of Belgium’s F-35As while visiting Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth factory on 5 June. (Belgian Air Component)
Lockheed Martin has begun building the first F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) for Belgium at its Fort Worth facility in Texas.
The Belgian Air Component (BAC) announced the milestone on 7 June, posting an image of Belgian Air Chief Major General Thierry Dupont signing the bulkhead of aircraft AY-01 two days prior.

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The Kuwait Air Force fields 33 ‘classic’ Hornet combat aircraft (pictured), which it now seeks to operate alongside newer Super Hornet and Eurofighter Typhoon platforms. (DVIDS)
Kuwait is set to continue operating its ‘classic’ Boeing F/A-18C/D Hornet combat aircraft alongside its recently received F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and Eurofighter Typhoons, with a USD1.8 billion support agreement with the US government approved on 13 June.

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The U.S. Army birthday is celebrated each year on 14 June, in commemoration of the formation of the branch all the way back in 1775.
The post Everything you need to know about the US Army birthday first appeared on Sandboxx.
The post Everything you need to know about the US Army birthday appeared first on Sandboxx.

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Work to test elements of the Tempest demonstrator is now under way, including sled testing of the aircraft’s ejector seat system. (BAE Systems)
Testing of components and systems intended for the Tempest Future Combat Air System (FCAS) Flying Technology Demonstrator (FTD) is accelerating at BAE Systems’ Warton site and at the facilities of partners companies around the UK.
Work on the demonstrator was announced in July 2022 by UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, with a declaration of intent for it to fly “within five years”.

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US Pentagon officials unveiled changes to improve the arms sales process. (Getty Images)
The US Department of Defense (DoD) plans to establish a Defense Security Cooperation Service to improve training for personnel who facilitate Foreign Military Sales (FMS), the Pentagon announced on 13 June.
Requests to buy US weapon systems sometimes get bogged down because they do not clearly state what a country wants, or they ask for something the US cannot provide, said Sasha Baker, deputy undersecretary of defence for policy.

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The new agreement between New Zealand and Fiji provides a framework for growing bilateral defence ties. In April New Zealand’s first P-8A Poseidon maritime reconnaissance aircraft was deployed to the South Pacific country in operational trials. (New Zealand Defence Force)
New Zealand and Fiji have signed a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) to strengthen defence ties. The agreement is seen as a response to rising tension in the South Pacific.

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US Air Force F-35A lifts off from MCAS Iwakuni, Japan. Although TR-3-equipped F-35 deliveries are paused, TR-2 deliveries will continue. (US Air Force/Staff Sgt Zade Vadnais)
The US Department of Defense (DoD) will in July stop accepting deliveries of aircraft equipped with Technical Refresh-3 (TR-3) hardware and software, four months after resolving another delivery freeze.

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