A Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that barely flew is being dismantled in New Mexico, with its parts valued at over $50 million, revealing how supply chain pressures are reshaping aircraft economics.
Aerospace
India’s Rafale deal faces challenges as 30–40% of fighter value lies in software, yet source code access remains restricted.
Canada is evaluating participation in the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) as an observer, signaling a potential shift from its contested F‑35 fighter acquisition.
India has approved a landmark $25 billion military modernization package covering S-400 air defense systems, remotely piloted strike aircraft, and transport planes, marking a major escalation in its air power strategy amid rising regional threats.
The Pentagon’s fiscal 2027 budget requests only 38 F-35As for the U.S. Air Force out of 85 total F-35s, prompting analysts to warn the number is insufficient to reverse the service’s deepening fighter inventory shortfall amid competing modernization priorities.
The United States Air Force (USAF) confirmed that an A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft crashed near the Strait of Hormuz on April 3, 2026, amid escalating military operations in the Middle East.
Boeing advanced its certification efforts as the Boeing 777-9 completed a maximum brake energy test under extreme simulated conditions.
The Pentagon has awarded Pratt & Whitney a $6.6 billion contract to supply F135 engines for upcoming F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program production batches.
Iran claims it shot down a second U.S. F-35 stealth fighter jet over central Iran amid Operation Epic Fury, with pilot survival unlikely.
France funds Rafale F5 alone after UAE exits cost-sharing deal, delaying deliveries and stretching defense budgets under the updated Military Programming Law.