Americas
Lockheed Martin is progressing the development of an in-flight missile data link designed to support real-time targeting of dynamic threats. The Remote Interceptor Guidance – 360 (RIG-360) is designed to utilize data from multiple sensors to provide 360-degree, in-flight updates. With the successful first array assembly, the RIG-360 engineering, manufacturing, and development (EMD) program has entered its second phase.
A single hydraulic component failure caused a B-2A stealth bomber to crash-land at Whiteman Air Force Base in December 2022, resulting in more than $300 million in aircraft damage, according to a US Air Force investigation report released on August 5. The mishap occurred when a CryoFit hydraulic coupling failed during the aircraft’s landing gear extension on Dec. 10, 2022, causing rapid hydraulic fluid loss in both primary and backup systems. The failure forced the crew to perform an emergency gear extension, but the left main landing gear collapsed upon touchdown, dragging the aircraft’s left wing down the runway and igniting fuel that led to two explosions.
Middle East & Africa
Hanwha Systems has completed the rollout of the first mass-produced active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar for South Korea’s next-generation KF-21 fighter jet, marking a significant milestone in the nation’s drive to develop advanced fighter avionics domestically. The rollout ceremony, hosted by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and organized by Hanwha Systems, was held on August 5 at the company’s Yongin R&D Center.
Europe
Spain has decided against purchasing US-made F-35 fighter jets and will instead opt for European-made options, the defense ministry said Wednesday, confirming a report in El Pais newspaper. The decision comes after the tension between Madrid and Washington over Spain’s refusal to raise defense spending to 5.0 percent of economic output, as demanded by US President Donald Trump. El Pais reported earlier Wednesday, citing unnamed government sources, that Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez‘s leftist government had shelved plans to buy the F-35 jets and would explore European alternatives.
Asia-Pacific
South Korea is upgrading its Allied Korean Joint Command and Control (AKJCCS) System to prepare for the potential transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) from the US to Seoul. With a 117.8-billion-won ($84.9 million) budget, the Seoul-developed system will receive its first significant upgrade since its deployment in 2015. The enhanced version is scheduled to be operational by 2029.