The U.S. Department of State approved a potential Foreign Military Sale to Austria on June 17, 2026, for 12 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters, 26 T700-GE-701D engines, and associated equipment at an estimated value of $1.50 billion. The defense procurement expands Austria's existing rotary-wing fleet to improve national capabilities in disaster relief, alpine search and rescue, and domestic civil protection. By integrating advanced navigation, communication, and defensive subpackages, the acquisition ensures greater logistics and operational interoperability with both regional partners and U.S. military frameworks. Read full defense news at this link... The proposed sale of twelve UH-60M helicopters would significantly expand Austria’s Black Hawk fleet, which already includes 9 S-70A-42 Black Hawks. (Picture source: US DoD) Read more... from World Defence News https://ift.tt/MuJA32D via IFTTT
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that U.S. defense firm Shield AI has offered Poland an industrial role in its X-BAT autonomous uncrewed combat aircraft program and proposed the establishment of a regional F-16 engine sustainment hub in the country. This dual-track proposal aims to integrate Polish aerospace manufacturers into the early production cycle of runway-independent, next-generation combat assets before serial manufacturing begins. Simultaneously, the initiative seeks to establish a centralized European maintenance facility for the General Electric F110 engine family to support distributed NATO air operations on the eastern flank. Read full defense news at this link... During Eurosatory 2026, Shield AI displayed a redesigned 45% scale model of the X-BAT, which abandoned the original cranked-kite planform and adopted a straight leading edge with greater sweep, producing a sharper arrowhead-shaped flying wing configuration. (Picture source: Army Recognition) Read...