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UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO

 

19 Mar 25. UK’s first batch of 48 F-35B jets nears completion. The UK’s first batch of F-35B Lightning II jets is on track for full delivery, with the final aircraft expected to arrive by 2026, according to a parliamentary response from the Ministry of Defence. Responding to a question from Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty, Defence Minister Maria Eagle confirmed that “the declaration of Full Operating Capability for the first procurement phase is scheduled to occur no later than 31 December 2025, with graduation as a Government Major Projects Portfolio programme by 31 March 2026.”

She added that “the first procurement phase of 48 aircraft continues to be delivered, with 37 aircraft received to date and delivery of the 48th aircraft due by programme graduation.”

The F-35B, a short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the fifth-generation fighter, is central to the UK’s carrier strike capability, operating from both RAF bases and the Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers. While the first 48 aircraft are nearing full operational status, the UK has yet to confirm the timeline for further F-35B orders beyond this initial batch. The total fleet size is expected to increase, though procurement details remain under discussion. (Source: News Now/https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/)

 

18 Mar 25. UK’s Type 23 frigates rack up billion-pound upkeep bill since 2014. The UK Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigates have soaked up more than £1bn ($1.3bn) in upkeep costs since 2014, with the new replacement Type 26 and Type 31 frigates still years away from entering service.   Just eight of an original class of 16 Type 23 frigates are still in service with the Royal Navy. Of the original 16, three vessels were sold to Chile in the mid-2000s and of those in UK service, five have been decommissioned. Of the five decommissioned Type 23s, three were axed in 2024 alone as the UK government sought to cut costs, with the frigates increasingly expensive to maintain. In a 17 March 2025 written parliamentary response, UK Defence Procurement Minister Maria Eagle stated that £941.2m had been spent on the delivery of Type 23 frigate upkeeps completed since 2014, with a further £63.7m contractually committed for the delivery of T23 maintenance programmes.

“These are a planned series of upkeep periods in order to maintain ship condition and to introduce, where appropriate, capability updates,” Eagle said.

In addition, Eagle said the eight Type 26 frigates were expected to enter service “between 2028 and 2035”, which aligns with previously stated timelines. Meanwhile, the five Type 31 frigates were planned to be in service by the “early 2030s”, with the first, HMS Venturer, possibly in the 2027-28 timeframe.

The exact expected out-of-service dates (OSD) for the remaining Type 23 frigates is guarded by the UK Ministry of Defence, although vessels are thought to be scheduled to leave service through to 2035, the last being the newest Type 23, HMS St Albans, commissioned in 2002. Each ship of the class was originally intended to have an 18-year service life before replacement, but this has been extended through a series of refits and recertifications. In line with vessel class certification rules, the OSD of warships can be extended for a maximum of six years following completion of each upkeep maintenance programme. According to 2023 data, from 2011-2017 each of the then 13 Type 23 frigates underwent a LIFEX or refit period, with the duration of each programme ranging from 12 months up to 36 months. From 2018 onwards this increased to between 37-49 months. The cost to refit and maintain the ageing class is also a factor, with HMS Iron Duke’s 2023 refit costing more than £100m. By comparison, in the financial year 2023-24, £100m was allocated for Type 23 refits, according to official figures. (Source: naval-technology.com)

 

18 Mar 25. Fleet Solid Support Ships on track for 2032 delivery. The UK’s three new Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ships are expected to enter service by 2032, according to a government response to a parliamentary question from James Cartlidge MP. Maria Eagle, Minister of State for Defence, provided an update on several major Royal Navy shipbuilding programmes, stating that “each of the Ships Programmes are progressing” and confirming expected timelines:

* Type 26 frigates are set to enter service between 2028 and 2035.

* Five Type 31 frigates are planned to be operational by the early 2030s.

* Three Fleet Solid Support ships will be delivered by 2032.

The Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ships will be critical to sustaining Royal Navy carrier strike and amphibious operations, replenishing the fleet with fuel, ammunition, and supplies while deployed at sea. The vessels are being built by Team Resolute, a consortium led by Navantia UK, Harland & Wolff, and BMT, with construction taking place at shipyards in Belfast and Spain. Alongside updates on the FSS ships, Eagle confirmed that the Multi-Role Support Ship (MRSS) programme—designed to replace Albion-class amphibious assault ships and Bay-class landing ships—is still in the concept phase. She stated:

“The Multi-Role Strike Ship programme continues to progress through the Concept Phase. The Outline Business Case is due for submission mid-2025 which will detail the schedule for future contract award milestones.” (Source: News Now/https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/)

 

18 Mar 25. UK to increase nuclear submarine docking capability. The UK government has confirmed that a strategy is in place to upgrade infrastructure to accommodate the Royal Navy’s new Dreadnought-class nuclear submarines, but details remain classified for security reasons. In response to multiple parliamentary questions from Graeme Downie MP, Defence Minister Maria Eagle stated that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is upgrading existing naval bases and dockyards to support the repairs and maintenance of the four planned Dreadnought-class ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs). However, further details cannot be disclosed due to operational security concerns.

Eagle stated: “For operational security reasons, further details cannot be released as to do so could be used to undermine the security and capability of our Armed Forces.”

Despite concerns over rising defence costs, the government reaffirmed its commitment to delivering the four Dreadnought-class submarines within the original £41 bn budget, which includes a £10 bn contingency fund. The first of class, HMS Dreadnought, remains scheduled to enter service in the early 2030s.

According to Eagle: “The programme remains on track to manufacture four Dreadnought-class submarines within the original cost estimate of £41bn, consisting of £31bn and a contingency of £10 bn.” (Source: News Now/https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/)

 

14 Mar 14. Starting point for agreeing profit rates on crucial defence contracts announced and contract profit rate analysis published. The Secretary of State for Defence has announced his determination of the baseline profit rate and capital servicing rates for 2025/26. The Secretary of State for Defence has today (14 March 2025) announced his determination of the baseline profit rate and capital servicing rates, in line with the SSRO’s recommendation. These rates are used in the process for agreeing the contract profit rate on defence contracts awarded by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) in the absence of a competitive process. The SSRO welcomes his decision to accept our recommendation. The baseline profit rate for 2025/26 is 8.56%. This has risen from the 2024/25 rate of 8.24% predominantly due to higher profits in the benchmark companies we use in our assessment. The SSRO has also published analysis of non-competitive contracts that fall within the SSRO’s oversight. The graph below provides an illustration of the rates of profit available in the single source regime. It shows that currently, contract profit rates agreed at the outset of a contract can typically be between 6% and 17% and are on average 9.47%. Contractors can, and do, earn significantly higher profit rates when they take on risk and perform well throughout the contract duration, but they can also earn less when they fail to perform. For 2023/24, contractors reported on average going on to earn a higher rate of profit than was originally agreed, earning or forecasting to earn a profit rate of 11.57%. Our assessment provides the flexibility for the MOD to agree contract profit rates which are globally competitive, based on relative risk sharing, whilst ensuring there remains the incentive for contractors to seek opportunities to outperform or increase efficiency and productivity, in return for higher profits. The range of contract profit rates is comparable to those earned by the MOD’s main suppliers on their broader portfolio of business and to those offered by the MOD’s counterparts in other countries. In addition, the capital servicing rates approved today help ensure a fair and reasonable return on capital for investors. In making this year’s assessment of the rates, the SSRO has considered current economic conditions, such as changes in the cost of borrowing, and the performance of the companies used in benchmarking comparable activities akin to those undertaken in non-competitive defence work, which underpins the baseline profit rate. The SSRO’s assessment of the appropriate rates to be used in calculating the contract profit rate for qualifying non-competitive defence contracts during the 2025/26 financial year are both robust and appropriate supporting the SSRO’s aims to ensure good value for money in government expenditure and fair and reasonable prices for contractors. The SSRO continues to work with the MOD – including as part of the current Strategic Defence Review and development of the new Defence Industrial Strategy – in considering how the single source contracting regime should evolve to deliver better outcomes for defence and the wider UK economy. This work is informed by the SSRO’s engagement with those utilising the regulatory framework, both MOD and industry, and the feedback they provide. The rates will apply to qualifying non-competitive defence contracts that use the pricing formula, entered into from 1 April 2025 and can be found in The Gazette and in the SSRO’s guidance on the baseline profit rate and its adjustment: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-the-baseline-profit-rate-and-its-adjustment-version-82 (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

 

EUROPE

 

18 Mar 25. Macron speeds up Rafale warplane orders as France invests in nuclear deterrence. President Emmanuel Macron said France would order additional Rafale warplanes in the coming years and invest nearly 1.5bn euros ($1.6bn) into one of its air bases to equip its squadrons with the latest nuclear missile technology. Jolted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and U.S. President Donald Trump’s more confrontational stance towards traditional Western allies, European countries are hiking defence spending and seeking to reduce dependence on the United States. Macron, who has initiated a doubling of the French defence budget over the course of his two mandates, has recently set an even higher target, saying the country should increase defence spending to 3-3.5% of economic output from the current 2%. He has also offered to extend the protection of France’s nuclear weapons, the so-called nuclear umbrella, to other European countries. “We haven’t waited for 2022 or the turning point we’re seeing right now to discover that the world we live in is ever more dangerous, ever more uncertain, and that it implies to innovate, to bulk up and to become (Source: Google/Reuters)

 

15 Mar 25. Portugal wary of Trump’s NATO policy in pick of fighter jets. Portugal could replace its ageing American-made F-16 fighter jets with European jets rather than F-35s following U.S. President Donald Trump’s policy shifts, the country’s defence ministry said on Friday. Defence Minister Nuno Melo told Portugal’s Publico newspaper the unpredictable nature of Trump’s policy towards NATO and Europe could determine the country’s pick of aircraft. “The recent U.S. stance in the context of NATO and the international geostrategic dimension, makes us think what are the best options, because the predictability of our allies is a factor to be reckoned with,” he said. Trump’s apparent lurch toward Russia in his second term in the White House has shocked traditional NATO allies in Europe. Trump has also demanded that Europe’s NATO members ramp up their defence spending and questioned his country’s predominant bankrolling of NATO. (Source: Reuters)

 

USA

 

21 Mar 25. Boeing wins contract for NGAD fighter jet, dubbed F-47. The Pentagon has awarded the long-awaited contract for the Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance future fighter jet, known as NGAD, to Boeing, President Donald Trump announced Friday. The sixth-generation fighter, which will replace the F-22 Raptor, will be designated the F-47, Trump said. It will have “state-of-the-art stealth technologies [making it] virtually unseeable,” and will fly alongside multiple autonomous drone wingmen known as collaborative combat aircraft.

 

16 Mar 25. US Air Force seeks ground-air, air-air C-UAS capabilities against small drones. The US Department of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center has issued a Request for Information (RFI) from sources that have counter-UAS capabilities against drone groups 2/3 (can identify capability across other UAS groups).

According to the RFI: “The capability must be ground-to-air or air-to-air employed.  This capability may be autonomous or pseudo autonomous.  This capability must have the ability to demonstrate All-Up Round capability at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) six (6) no later than 30 June 2025.

“EBD requires an effective and cost efficient air-to-air weapon system.  Submittal of a ROM is not mandatory but highly encouraged.  Describe government furnished support/equipment required for demonstration. All respondents must provide a capability statement detailing their ability to deliver the specified products or have the business relationships to fulfill the requirements. Capability statements shall address the following items:

“1. Design Maturity. Describe current TRL of your design.  Describe any ground testing conducted of system components.  Describe any flight testing conducted of system components.  Is the design tested against MIL-STD-810 environmental requirements? Is the design ready to transition to production?  Describe the employment environment (e.g. min/max range, altitude etc.) Seeker characteristics (size, new fuze or existing, etc.)

“2. Safety/Lethality Assessments. If design has explosives, provide experience with MILSTD-1316 requirements.  Experience with AF/Navy safety processes in accordance with DAFI 91-205 and OPNAVINST 8020.14B.  Have explosive devices been used in other DOD operational systems?  Has arena testing been conducted on the warhead?  Is lethality data available against the target set (drone groups 2/3)?

“3. Logistics. Experience with AF/Navy munitions packaging, handling, and storage requirements.  Experience with developing technical data source material.  Are CFR 49 qualified containers available for transporting and storing the system and/or components?

“4. Airworthiness (Air-to-Air Only). Experience with AF/Navy airworthiness requirements.  Has the system or similar system flown on AF/Navy platforms, either in test or operationally?  Are there any other DOD systems this has been integrated on?  Has the weapon been fielded operationally?  If so, provide full details to each question for this section.

“5. Manufacturing Maturity. Do you have the capability to manufacture this product?  At what Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) has this been demonstrated?  Would it be manufactured in the U.S.?  What is the current maximum production capacity per month? Describe ability to increase capacity, if any, along with tooling and ROM to achieve increases up to 2,000 units/year.  Address willingness to provide Unlimited/Gov’t Purpose Rights on the design for the Gov’t to pursue other/additional manufacturing sources.

“6. Support Equipment: Is support equipment required (list type, quantities, and cost)? Provide ratio of weapon units to support equipment.

“7. Maintenance: If periodic maintenance is required, please state the interval. If maintenance is not required, please specify.  Is shelf life a part of maintainability?”

For more information:

https://media.licdn.com/dms/document/media/v2/D4E1FAQGgY0EnNdfDew/feedshare-document-pdf-analyzed/B4EZWa0c.cH0AY-/0/1742059198997?e=1743033600&v=beta&t=VXdQ-XZ27SbZr-7xAUxmRS3odQeTt6en9NHuLZY_bSE (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)

 

11 Mar 25. US Air Force issues RFI for C-sUAS technologies. The United States Air Force (USAF), Acquisition Management and Integration Center, in support of the Headquarters Air Combat Command’s Future Operations Division, is seeking information regarding vendors that can provide counter-small uncrewed aerial system (C-sUAS) capabilities. Issued on March 10, the request for information (RFI) says that USAF requires a C-sUAS that is fully developed and ready to deploy to multiple installations now and that the system must be scalable to at least five installations.

“The Air Force requires a radar and or acoustic detection system, EO/IR sensors to slew and cue systems, RF counter capability systems, and a C2 open infrastructure integration system that will effectively locate, track, identify, and defeat UAS operating over AF installations,” the RFI states.

“The Air Force is also interested in C-sUAS that include defeat options such as directed energy and low collateral effects interceptors (drone-on-drone). The C-sUAS required capabilities include ability to locate, track, identify, defeat up to 3,500 ft AGL. It is highly desirable that the C-sUAS can integrate with and is interoperable with other C-sUAS systems. Desired capabilities include AI and Machine Learning, UAS Radar up to 8-10 km, Electro Optical/Infrared cameras with slew to cue, effective RF and counter GPS/PNT capability, and open infrastructure C2 system to pull elements together in a fused system.”

Interested parties are requested to respond by 09:00 EDT on March 17. For more information: https://sam.gov/opp/9814140af51e45f59f3386bb377b8462/view (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)

 

14 Mar 14. Defense Innovation Unit picks four firms to test one-way drones. The Defense Innovation Unit announced Friday it’s awarding contracts to four companies to prototype long-range, single-use drones that can launch quickly, carry a range of payloads and operate in low-bandwidth conditions. The vendors include two U.S. based companies, Dragoon and AeroVironment, and two Ukrainian firms, unnamed due to safety concerns. The Ukrainian firms are each partnered with a U.S. software company, one with Swan and the other with Auterion. All four firms will test demonstrate their capabilities in April and May, and DIU will make its selections soon after. The program, called Artemis, was initiated last year by Congress following demand from operators in U.S. European Command and Indo-Pacific Command for low-cost, expendable drones as well as counter-drone capabilities. As part of a supplemental spending package for Ukraine, lawmakers allotted the U.S Defense Department around $35 m and directed it to identify and test low-cost uncrewed systems that can navigate and communicate through jamming and spoofing attempts. The intent was to move fast and prove that these systems could be ready to field much faster than a traditional, yearslong defense acquisition program. The Pentagon’s acquisition and sustainment office delegated the expendable-drone requirement to DIU last August, according to Trent Emeneker, the organization’s lead for the effort. In just three months, DIU solicited proposals, selected 16 promising concepts and staged an initial demonstration last December. Nine of the proposed systems were flight-ready and, from those, officials chose four to advance to the prototyping phase. Emeneker told Defense News that DIU picked proposals that took different tacks at addressing the need. While there was a requirement for a flight range of at least 50km, two of the drones have a range of about 100km and the other two can fly more than 1,000km. In its solicitation, DIU said the vehicles should be hard to detect and track, have several pathways for two-way communications and be equipped with mission planning software. It also called for modular systems that can integrate new hardware or software in a matter of hours. The smaller systems DIU is considering cost under $20,000 each, Emeneker said, while the price for the larger drones is closer to $70,000, depending on the cost of things like cameras and other subsystems as well as the number of systems DOD ends up buying. The goal, according to DIU, is “mass deployment,” though it’s not clear how many drones the department will buy. As part of its evaluation, DIU will consider each vendor’s production capacity and how quickly it can deliver in large quantities. Emeneker noted that one of the Ukrainian firms is already producing nearly 200 systems each month to support operations against Russian invading forces. Unlike most other projects DIU takes on, Artemis didn’t originate with an acquisition office, but was a congressional interest item, so the organization doesn’t have a natural transition partner to buy and field the drones it selects. Emeneker said DIU has pitched the project to a number of program offices that are working on programs with similar requirements, but it’s been a challenge to get the services to buy in — and disrupt their current work — before the prototypes have flown.

“We have to prove we can do it, and if we can’t do it, then I don’t blame people for not signing up,” he said. “But when we prove we can do it — I’m confident we will — we have to get that message out of, ‘Hey, this solution works today. It’s at the right price point, it is ready, it’s combat proven.’” (Source: Defense News)

 

REST OF THE WORLD

 

18 Mar 25. Indian Army deploys Vehicle Mounted Infantry Mortar System near LAC. The Indian Army has deployed an unknown number of Mahindra Defence Systems Limited’s (MDSL’s) 4×4 Vehicle Mounted Infantry Mortar Systems (VMIMSs) near the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The Indian Army’s Trishakti Corps announced the deployment on its official social media account on 14 March. According to the service, the VMIMS is deployed in the northeastern state of Sikkim, which shares a border with China, Bhutan, and Nepal. The Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) published a request for proposals (RFP) in January 2023, seeking to fast-track the acquisition of 50 automated infantry mortar systems mounted on 4×4 high-mobility light vehicles for the Indian Army. MDSL’s VMIMS was selected by the MoD to fulfil this requirement. Janes reported in 2024 that the deliveries of the VMIMS commenced in 2023 and were scheduled to conclude by the end of 2024. The VMIMS comprises Milanion NTGS’ Alakran-L automated, deployable mortar system fitted with an 81 mm barrel mounted onto the rear of a 4×4 Armored Light Specialist Vehicle (ALSV) built by MDSL. Milanion NTGS told Janes in 2024 that the VMIMS requires a crew of two to operate. It can accommodate 72 81 mm mortar bombs, with 36 mortar bombs stowed in compartments located on each side of the vehicle behind its armoured cab. The 81 mm mortar has a range of 7.2 km and a maximum rate of fire of 20 rds/min. (Source: Janes)

 

18 Mar 14.Canada Lays Out Indirect Fires Modernization. The Canadian Government on 12 March 2025 released its request for information (Rfi) formally laying out its requirements of its Indirect Fires Modernization for the Canadian Army. The need to update the forces artillery and indirect fire support capabilities has been recognized and actively discussed since at least 2020. Observations of the dominant role that these systems are exhibiting in the conflict in the Ukraine has raised awareness of not only the need to modernize but also the vulnerability of the forces current inventory which consists of towed guns. Canada’s active force artillery consists of the M777 155mm towed howitzer which was favoured over the heavier M198 which it replaced beginning in 2002. It has a standard gun crew of eight and can be externally sling transported by the CH-47 helicopter, towed by medium tactical trucks and air transported by C-130 and similar cargo aircraft. It has been widely field with artillery units of light infantry brigades. Its limitation as evident in its use by Ukraine forces is that its standard ammunition is out ranged by other cannon and its under two and one-have minute displacement time, although respectable, has been demonstrated to still be too long too often on the battlefield. This increased vulnerability is reflected in the priority being given to inherent mobility and capability for rapid, independent operation in the Canadian Forces requirements. The Canadian Army Land Warfare Centre had actually predicted the importance of “agility” in its 1991 Close Engagement study paper. It foresaw a complex, dynamic, volatile, and uncertain battlefield on which smaller groups would be operating far more dispersed fashion. It also viewed the next adversary would be a “near-peer” opponent equipped with aircraft, drones, sophisticated communications, cyber and artillery. This new environment would necessitate significant changes particularly in the role and deployment of indirect fires. The Canadian Indirect Fires Modernisation (IFM) programme is the number two priority within the Army’s modernization efforts. The requirement calls for the acquisition of both tube artillery and mortars with an emphasis on mobility. On the artillery side this will include eighty to ninety-eight 155mm 52 calibre self-propelled 155mm howitzers to replace the thirty-three in service M777 towed systems. In addition, the plan reflects the fielding of up to ninety-nine 120mm mortars mounted in some manner in the LAV 6.0 ACSV wheeled armoured vehicle and up to eight-five 81mm mortars mounted a light tactical vehicle. (Note an option with all mortars as 81mm has also been suggested). The plan also retains the towed C3 and/or LG105 105 mm howitzers currently in use in reserve units. The Rfi lays out the essential capabilities sought by the Army in each of these indirect fire systems. Not only is emphasis given to the engagement aspects of range, lethality, and survivability but also to the system’s ability to operate in close concert with the Canadian Army’s LAV based Mechanized Brigade Group. As a result, the requirement calls out self-propelled driving range of 450 km and a road-march speed of 80 kmph that would be essential to keeping up with and supporting this manoeuvre force. In this there are distinct parallels to the German Army Medium Brigade concept built around the Boxer 8 X 8 which has chosen the KNDS RCH-155 wheeled self-propelled howitzer for its artillery support.  The howitzer requirement itself reflects the longer tube 52 calibre and performance which would be considered standard in today’s systems including digital controls, automation, autonomous position/location, and compatibility with advanced ammunitions. The Rfi also currently includes the ability for the howitzer to fire on the move. This could significantly reduce the number of candidate artillery solutions. The 120mm mortar requirement on the LAV is more general, however, it too could be provided with an “on-the-move” as well as a direct assault firing capability which is offered in the Patria NEMO. Such additional capabilities could of significant benefit in forward deployed systems. The IFM efforts has included computerized battlefield simulations to analyse options. The Rfi requests responses by April which could result in a further refinement. Although IFM and its complementary Long Range Precision Fires are considered priority second only to Ground Based Air Defence, full funding for the programme has not yet reportedly been secured. This is clearly a concern especially with the Army standing up its Lativa Brigade commitment. An acquisition of an initial twenty self-propelled guns could be conducted to meet near-term operational needs. The LFM and the Rfi are steps in the right direction in addressing the Canadian Army’s needs on the current and future battlefield. How well these proceed to fruition is now the question. (Source: Armada)

 

18 Mar 25. Riyadh rejects J-35, shuns Beijing for Saudi Air Force plans. Reports from Indian media suggest that Saudi Arabia has declined an offer to purchase China’s J-35 stealth fighter jet, a development that could impact Beijing’s ambitions to expand its influence in the Middle East arms market. According to a recent article by india.com, this decision reflects Riyadh’s preference for aligning with Western defense partners, specifically through ongoing talks with the United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan to develop a sixth-generation fighter jet. No official confirmation has emerged from Saudi or Chinese authorities to verify the claim, leaving the situation open to speculation. The news, if accurate, raises questions about China’s strategy to position itself as a major arms supplier in the Gulf region and Saudi Arabia’s long-term military procurement plans. This story unfolds against a backdrop of shifting geopolitical alliances and a competitive global aerospace market, where advanced fighter jets play a pivotal role in national security and international relations. The india.com report, published earlier this month, frames Saudi Arabia’s apparent rejection of the J-35 as a setback for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s efforts to persuade Gulf nations to shift from American-made weaponry to Chinese alternatives. The article cites unnamed experts who argue that Beijing saw the J-35 as a potential game-changer, capable of challenging U.S. dominance in the Middle East arms trade. China has been actively marketing the J-35, a fifth-generation stealth fighter developed by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, at regional defense exhibitions, including the International Defence Exhibition in Abu Dhabi earlier this year. There, Chinese officials described the aircraft as comparable to the U.S.-made F-35, emphasizing its lower cost and export-friendly design. Saudi Arabia, with its substantial defense budget and strategic location, was viewed as a prime target for this outreach. Despite these efforts, Saudi Arabia’s military procurement history suggests a cautious approach to Chinese strategic assets. The kingdom has acquired some Chinese equipment, such as drones, and engaged in joint military exercises with Beijing, but it has refrained from committing to major platforms like fighter jets. Instead, Riyadh has relied heavily on Western suppliers, particularly the United States, for its air force, which includes F-15 Eagles and Eurofighter Typhoons. The India.com report points to discussions at the G-20 summit in India, where Saudi officials reportedly advanced negotiations with the UK, Italy, and Japan for a next-generation fighter under the Global Combat Air Programme [GCAP]. These talks, now said to be in an advanced stage, indicate a preference for cutting-edge technology from trusted allies over the unproven J-35. To understand the significance of this potential decision, it’s worth examining the J-35 itself. The aircraft, also known as the J-35A in its export variant, represents China’s second foray into fifth-generation stealth technology, following the J-20 Mighty Dragon, which remains exclusive to the People’s Liberation Army Air Force. (Source: Google/https://bulgarianmilitary.com/)

 

18 Mar 25. The Royal Thai Air Force Announces Major Defense Upgrades. The Royal Thai Air Force Plans to Procure Aerial Refueling Tankers, Armed UAVs, and Advanced Air Defense Systems. During the 88th Anniversary of the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF), Air Chief Marshal Phanphakdee Phattanakul revealed that RTAF is making significant strides toward becoming a force capable of joint operations with regional counterparts while also enhancing its ability to support civilian populations. Guided by the principle of “efficiency and quality over quantity”, the RTAF is committed to strategic resource management in force preparation, multi-dimensional development, and modernization— despite budgetary constraints. As outlined in the Air Force White Paper, key modernization initiatives include:

* Procurement of next-generation fighter aircraft to replace aging platforms

* Acquisition of aerial refueling aircraft to extend operational reach and endurance

* Integration of armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to enhance combat effectiveness

* Procurement of a medium- and long-range integrated air defense system

 

18 Mar 25. Colombia to decide which NATO fighter jets to buy within months, minister says. Colombia will decide within months from which NATO country it will purchase fighter jets, new Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez said, acknowledging that illegal armed groups have taken advantage of peace efforts to strengthen themselves militarily. Colombia has been looking to replace its fleet of more than 30-year-old Israeli Kfir planes for more than a decade and is considering U.S.-made F-16s, Sweden’s Gripen and France’s Rafale, Sanchez said in a Sunday interview. Make sense of the latest ESG trends affecting companies and governments with the Reuters Sustainable Switch newsletter.

“This is an issue of sovereignty. We cannot leave Colombia unprotected in this capacity,” said Sanchez, a former air force general who left the military to take up his ministerial post.

He would not say how much Colombia will spend on the planes or how many it will buy, but the government said in 2023 it had a $3.65 bn budget to purchase some 16 planes. (Source: Reuters)

 

18 Mar 25. Canada reviews fighter deal, says it relies on US too much for security.

* Summary

* Canada reviews $13.29bn fighter jet contract amid trade war with US

* Canada’s defense spending under pressure from US, aims closer to NATO target by 2030

Canada is looking for possible alternatives to its deal to buy U.S. fighter jets in part because it relies too much on the United States for security, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Monday.

Carney made the comments just days after ordering a review of a C$19-bn ($13.29 bn) contract for 88 F-35 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin (LMT.N). Canada is locked in a trade war with the United States.

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Canada’s defense ministry says the contract remains in place and Ottawa has made a legal commitment of funds for the first 16 F-35 aircraft. Carney made clear Canada would seriously look elsewhere. (Source: Reuters)

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