Hensoldt announced on 28 May that it had secured a contract with the German Air Force to equip its fleet of 90 Tornado fighter aircraft (pictured) with encryptable Mode 5-capable LTR 400 transponders for IFF.
Panavia Aircraft, the industrial consortium for the development of the Tornado, has placed an initial order for 42 transponders worth several million euros. Panavia also plans to convert over 100 other German Air Force platforms.
NATO member nations are obliged to upgrade their IFF systems to Mode 5 standard in order to maintain effective interoperability between allies. The LTR 400 transponder is already qualified for use by the German Air Force and is currently used on all Airbus military helicopters.
The consortium has given details on the next-generation of sensing and jamming capabilities on the Eurofighter Typhoon without needing to update the airframe, according to the group’s partners.
The Romanian government has formalised a deal to purchase 32 F-35A aircraft from the US. The jets will not be expected to be operational in Romania until 2030.
At the G20 summit in Brazil, the three countries reaffirmed their commitment to the trilateral Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), with a nod given to potentially widening the participation out to other countries.
UK defence secretary John Healey has announced the cancellation and decommissioning of naval and air force platforms to enable the government to “re-invest money in the armed forces” ahead of the upcoming Strategic Defence Review.
The US Air Force will transition away from its ageing A-10 aircraft in 2025, in favour of updating and enhancing its F-16, and introducing F-15EX and F-35 Lightning II jets in the region.
BAE Systems Air business has reaffirmed its commitment to the Typhoon programme as union representatives from the company urge the UK government to order 24 Typhoon jets.
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