China's first stealth fighter for aircraft carriers is emerging, but a big problem still weighs it down

On the same subject

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  August 19, 2020 | International, Aerospace

  Taiwan signs deal to purchase 66 F-16 jets from Lockheed Martin

  Taiwan has signed an agreement to purchase 66 F-16 jets from Lockheed Martin amid escalating tensions between the US and China. As part of the $62bn deal, Taiwan will procure the latest generation of F-16s to boost its air power. The Pentagon also confirmed the deal without specifying the buyer. According to a Bloomberg report, the deal marks the first sale of fighter aircraft to the Asian island, which China considers to be part of its territory since 1992 when the former US administration approved the sale of 150 F-16s to Taiwan. The latest agreement comes a year after Taiwan received approval from Washington for the purchase. After the potential deal was announced last year, China issued a strong response and said that the deal will violate the one-China principle. During the past year, the relationship between the US and China further deteriorated over the Covid-19 pandemic, 5G technology, Hong Kong and trade impasse. Lockheed Martin has an initial order of 90 F-16 jets, the delivery of which is scheduled for late 2026. https://www.airforce-technology.com/news/taiwan-66-f-16-jets/

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  September 18, 2018 | International, Land

  Arquus to adapt additional 1,200 unarmored vehicles for French military use

  By: Pierre Tran PARIS — France on Sept. 5 ordered from Arquus a 1,200-strong batch of VT4 Mk2 light tactical vehicles for the French armed forces, the Direction Générale de l'Armement procurement office said. That is the second batch of VT4 four-wheel drive cars ordered by the DGA, which placed an initial order for 1,000 Mk1 units in December 2016. The planned total fleet of VT4 vehicles is 4,380 units, based on a modified version of the Ford Explorer car, for the Air Force, Army, Navy and support services, a DGA spokesman said Sept. 17. The first of a batch of 500 units are due for delivery this year, with a second 500-strong batch to be shipped in 2019, he added. A first shipment of the VT4 will go to the Army, the DGA said in a Sept. 6 statement. “To effect this, the DGA put in a place a procedure to execute the program in the most timely manner,” the procurement office said. This swift delivery is part of the government's drive to transform the DGA in acquiring equipment, the office added. Full article: https://www.defensenews.com/land/2018/09/17/arquus-to-adapt-additional-1200-unarmored-vehicles-for-french-military-use

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  November 27, 2019 | International, Aerospace, C4ISR

  Boeing, NATO to announce $1B contract for AWACS upgrades

  ByChristen McCurdy Nov. 26 (UPI) -- NATO and Boeing will formally announce details of a $1 billion contract Wednesday for upgrades to Airborne Warning and Control System planes, the alliance said Tuesday. The Wednesday contract will be signed in a formal ceremony at Melsbroek Airport in Brussels with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Sir Michael Arthur, President of Boeing International in attendance. Stoltenberg confirmed to reporters last week that NATO was on the verge of inking a deal to modernize the AWACS fleet. He did not say what upgrades were needed. "I can confirm that we will sign a contract upgrading, modernizing the AWACS fleet," Stoltenberg said last week ahead of a meeting of NATO ministers of foreign affairs. "This reflects the importance of modernizing our capabilities, including our common capabilities, as the AWACS fleet is." NATO operates 14 AWACS planes, which detect enemy missiles and aircraft in NATO airspace, were introduced in 1982. The alliance intends to keep them in service until 2035. The alliance has used them to patrol the Mediterranean Sea and in missions against the Islamic State. NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu also tweeted last week that the upgrades, in addition to receipt of the first of five Global Hawk surveillance drones in Sicily, "reflects how NATO is investing in high-tech capabilities." While NATO is expected to replace the E-3 fleet after 2035, Stoltenberg did not indicate how that could happen aside from referencing the incoming Global Hawks as part of a modernization. https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2019/11/26/Boeing-NATO-to-announce-1B-contract-for-AWACS-upgrades