LOCATIONS
LAND
20 Apr 26. Honeywell (NASDAQ: HON) today announced plans to expand manufacturing of its F124 jet engines at its Phoenix Engines campus by adding on-site assembly. The newly built Honeywell F124-GA-200 engines will power the Beechcraft M-346N candidate for the U.S. Navy Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS), which is expected to be contracted by the Navy in 2027.
By adding engine manufacturing in Phoenix, Honeywell will now be able to co-locate production of the F124 on site alongside the existing engineering and design center in support of the UJTS program. Through the UJTS, the U.S. Navy is seeking to replace its T-45 training jets with a new combination of aircraft and simulators with the Navy planning to procure more than 200 aircraft.
“Honeywell’s Phoenix Engines campus has produced tens of thousands of world-class engines and auxiliary power units over more than 75 years,” said Dave Marinick, president, Engines & Power Systems, Honeywell Aerospace. “We’re proud to start building our F124 engines in Phoenix as we support the U.S. Navy in its new jet trainer program.”
To support the Navy in the UJTS, Textron Aviation Defense and Leonardo have also entered into a teaming agreement to meet the Navy’s requirements for its new jet trainer. The Beechcraft M-346N is part of a proven integrated training system based on the original M-346 aircraft developed by Leonardo. If Textron Aviation Defense is awarded the contract by the Navy, the aircraft will be assembled at Textron Aviation Defense’s East Campus in Wichita, Kansas. Honeywell’s engine for the Beechcraft M-346N is expected to begin assembly at its Phoenix Engines campus beginning in 2027, with more than 400 expected to be built over the next 13 years. The engine contains parts from 12 U.S. states.
Today, there are more than 100 M-346 aircraft in service, all powered by Honeywell F124 engines. The F124 and Augmented F125 engine family has flown more than 1.5 million hours in military service in both coastal and desert environments worldwide.
MARITIME
21 Apr 26. Babcock completes major maintenance programme supporting UK carrier capability Babcock International Group (Babcock), the defence company, has returned the Royal Navy’s flagship aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, to operational readiness following completion of a planned maintenance programme at Rosyth. The programme involved thousands of hours of engineering work to inspect, maintain and enhance the ship’s critical systems, including propulsion, stabilisation and wider repair and renewal activity. This work is essential to enable the Royal Navy to deploy to sea when required. Delivered by a highly skilled workforce of engineers, technicians and project specialists at our Rosyth site – one of the largest waterside manufacturing and repair facilities in the UK – the programme demonstrates Babcock’s ability to support one of the Royal Navy’s most complex warships. Sustaining this capability supports high-value jobs and helps maintain the specialist skills needed to keep the UK’s fleet operational. Phil Craig, Managing Director of Marine Programmes at Babcock, said: “This programme of work ensures that the carrier continues to meet the operational demands placed upon her. “At a time of increasing global uncertainty, the availability and capability of the UK’s aircraft carriers is more important than ever. This milestone reflects both the strength of collaboration and the depth of expertise required to sustain the Royal Navy’s most complex warships.” At 65,000 tonnes, the Queen Elizabeth-class carriers (HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales) are the largest and most complex warships ever operated by the Royal Navy. This maintenance period represented the fourth successful dry docking of a Queen Elizabeth-class carrier at Rosyth in seven years. HMS Queen Elizabeth will shortly begin a period of sea trials before returning to front-line duties with the Royal Navy, contributing to the UK’s ability to project maritime power and respond to global requirements.
AIR
MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT
PERSONNEL
U.S. APPOINTMENTS
15 Apr 26. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Roger B. Turner Jr. for reappointment to the grade of lieutenant general, with assignment as commander, 16 Apr 26.
15 Apr 26. U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific and commanding general, Fleet Marine Force Pacific, Camp H. M. Smith, Hawaii. Turner is currently serving as commanding general, III Marine Expeditionary Force and commander, Marine Forces Japan, Okinawa, Japan.
16 Apr 26. Army Maj. Gen. Constantin E. Nicolet for appointment to the grade of lieutenant general, with assignment as director, Warfighter Support, Office of the Under Secretary of War for Intelligence and Security, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Nicolet currently serves as special assistant to the Under Secretary of War for Intelligence and Security, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
16 Apr 26. Air Force Maj. Gen. Christopher J. Niemi for appointment to the grade of lieutenant general, with assignment as deputy chief of staff, Strategy, Design and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Niemi is currently serving as the military deputy, Air Force Futures, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
15 Apr 26. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Keith D. Reventlow for appointment to the grade of lieutenant general, with assignment as director for Logistics, J-4, Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Reventlow is currently serving as commanding general, Marine Corps Logistics Command, Albany, Georgia.
16 Apr 26. Army Maj. Gen. Monte L. Rone for appointment to the grade of lieutenant general, with assignment as commanding general, First U.S. Army, Rock Island, Illinois. Rone currently serves as commanding general, 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley, Fort Riley, Kansas.
16 Apr 26. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. George B. Rowell IV for appointment to the grade of lieutenant general, with assignment as deputy commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H. M. Smith, Hawaii. Rowell is currently serving as director, J-5, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H. M. Smith, Hawaii.
16 Apr 26. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Thomas B. Savage for appointment to the grade of lieutenant general, with assignment as deputy commandant, Training and Education, and commanding general, Training and Education Command, Quantico, Virginia. Savage is currently serving as commanding general, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California.
16 Apr 26. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. James B. Wellons for appointment to the grade of lieutenant general, with assignment as deputy commandant for Programs and Resources, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Wellons is currently serving as special projects officer to the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
15 Apr 26. Marine Corps Col. Peter D. Houtz for appointment to the grade of brigadier general. Houtz is currently serving as assistant judge advocate general of the Navy, Office of the Judge Advocate General, Office of the Secretary of the Navy, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C.
16 Apr 26. Air Force Col. Deane E. Thomey for appointment to the grade of brigadier general. Thomey is currently serving as the deputy director of Air National Guard Operations, Air National Guard Readiness Center, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.
16 Apr 26. Navy Vice Adm. John F. Wade for reappointment to the grade of vice admiral, with assignment as senior military assistant to the Secretary of War, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Wade is currently serving as commander, Third Fleet, San Diego, California.
16 Apr 26. Navy Rear Adm. Douglas L. Williams, for appointment to the grade of vice admiral, with assignment as director for Strategic Systems Programs, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C. Williams is currently serving as director for Test, Missile Defense Agency, Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
INDUSTRY
PERSONNEL
EUROPE APPOINTMENTS
20 Apr 26. Terma is reinforcing its Space Division leadership with the appointment of Mats Warstedt as Senior Vice President, supporting the company’s ambition to accelerate growth and position the business for its next phase.
U.S. APPOINTMENTS
20 Apr 26. DEFSEC Technologies Inc. (TSXV: DFSC) (TSXV: DFSC.WT.U) (NASDAQ: DFSC) (NASDAQ: DFSCW) (“DEFSEC” or the “Company”) today announced that David Ibbetson, former General Manager of General Dynamics Mission Systems International (“GDMS”) has joined DEFSEC’s board of directors.
Mr. Ibbetson has more than 35 years in the Aerospace and Defence Industry, and 25 years with General Dynamics, where he served in progressively senior executive roles, most recently as the General Manager of the international division of General Dynamics Mission Systems, headquartered in Ottawa, Canada. Mr. Ibbetson successfully lead operations throughout Canada, United Kingdom, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Turkey and the UAE, delivering major US and Canadian programs such as Land C4ISR, CH-148 Cyclone and CP-140 Aurora Integrated Mission System and exporting products and systems into immense programs of the UK Ministry of Defense and other allied nations’ militaries. (Source: PR Newswire)
——————————————————————————————————————–