Americas
The US Air Force has begun ground testing for two unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) developed under the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. The air force revealed that the YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A test vehicles are currently undergoing tests for their propulsion systems, avionics, autonomy integration and ground control interfaces to prepare the systems for flight testing later this year. All tests are currently taking place at the Beale Air Force Base in California, hosted by the CCA Aircraft Readiness Unit. The aircraft will be flown minimally and maintained at a flight-ready status.
Textron Systems has hit a major milestone with its XM204 top attack munition, successfully completing first article testing with the US Army. The evaluation took place at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona, where the munition underwent a series of trials to assess its target engagement and self-destruct capabilities.
Middle East & Africa
Iraq has received two H225M Caracal medium-lift helicopters from Airbus as part of a 14-helicopter deal signed last year. The helicopters were delivered to the Iraqi Ministry of Defense in Baghdad and are scheduled to be handed over to the Iraqi Air Force within the month. Both aircraft are set to enter service in June. The next six units are scheduled to arrive between June and October, with the final batch arriving by early 2026.
Europe
Asia-Pacific
Lockheed Martin’s Rotary and Mission Systems division in Moorestown, New Jersey, has received an additional $9.96 million to support a previous Navy contract. The funding will go toward continued engineering work, software updates, maintenance, integration, logistics, and deployment support for the AEGIS combat system, which is already in use or being delivered to the Navy. This contract includes funding from two US allies: Japan is contributing 69% (about $6.83 million), and South Korea is contributing 31% (about $3.13 million). All work will be carried out in Moorestown and is expected to be finished by December 31, 2025. The US Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, DC, is overseeing the contract, which was awarded on April 28, 2025.