Americas
The Pentagon has once again grounded its entire fleet of V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft. This comes after a worrying incident at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico on November 20, where a CV-22 Osprey experienced a near-crash shortly after takeoff. Initial investigations suggest that weakened metal components in a critical part may have been a contributing factor. The decision to pause all Osprey flights came as a recommendation from Vice Adm. Carl Chebi, the head of Naval Air Systems Command, which oversees the Osprey program for the military. This incident bears a striking resemblance to a fatal crash off the coast of Japan in November of the previous year. In that crash, eight Air Force Special Operations Command personnel lost their lives when similar weakened metal components caused the Osprey’s transmission to fail catastrophically in mid-flight.
Saab has snagged a noteworthy contract, worth $48 million, to supply its cutting-edge Giraffe 4A radar systems to the U.S. Air Forces in Europe. Deliveries of these mobile, multi-function radar systems are expected to commence in 2027 with BAE Systems Technical Solutions & Services Inc. serving as the prime contractor for this award. The Giraffe 4A is set to play a crucial role in bolstering the US Air Force’s long-range surveillance capabilities and strengthening airbase air defence across Europe. This advanced radar, built on Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) technology, is a highly mobile system designed to modernise how the Air Force conducts expeditionary combat airfield surveillance operations. Erik Smith, President and CEO of Saab in the U.S., highlights the system’s versatility, stating that the Giraffe 4A will “modernise the U.S. Air Force’s expeditionary combat airfield surveillance operations and strengthen sensing capabilities, addressing a critical need overseas”.
Middle East & Africa
Amidst the power vacuum left by the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, both Israel and the US have wasted no time in conducting airstrikes within Syria. The Israeli air force conducted hundreds of airstrikes across Syria, targeting sites linked to chemical weapons production and Iranian-backed militia groups, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). The Israeli government claims the strikes are aimed at preventing these weapons from falling into the hands of extremist groups who might try to exploit the chaos following Assad’s overthrow. The airstrikes are also seen as a pre-emptive measure to secure Israel’s borders and protect its citizens from potential threats emanating from Syria.
Europe
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems won a $12.9 million contract modification to exercise an option for continued sustainment of the Italian Air Force MQ-9 unmanned aerial system program fleet. Work will be performed in Poway, California; Italy; and Kuwait, and is expected to be completed by January 31, 2026. This contract involves Foreign Military Sales to Italy. Foreign Military Sales in the amount of $12,960,098 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center is the contracting activity.
Asia-Pacific
An Australian warship has test-fired a US Tomahawk cruise missile, officials said Tuesday, hailing a “major milestone” in the country’s decade-long plan to beef up its fleet in the face of an Asia-Pacific arms race. HMAS Brisbane fired the Tomahawk on December 3 off the west coast of the United States, Australia’s government said in a statement, making it one of only three countries alongside the US and Britain to acquire and fire the missile.
