Canada favours Boeing C-17
Canada has announced US$15 billion worth of new equipment aimed to make the Canadian Forces easier to deploy and achieve more deployment sustainability.
Boeing has been identified as the preferred supplier with the C-17 airlifter and CH-47 Chinook heavy lift helicopter.

French fighter squadron
The French Air Force has a full operational squadron of Rafale F2 multi-role fighter aircraft. The five two-seat and 15 single-seat aircraft are at St Dizier Air Force Base, Provence.
The squadron is already identified for major exercises in the region and may deploy to Afghanistan as early as 2007.

Boost to military capability
South Korea is set increase its defence capability with US$150 billion earmarked to introduce advanced weapon systems.
The plan calls for money to be spent on advanced missiles, the F-15K fighter aircraft, an air base headquarters in Osan, and a 35,000 reduction in military personnel.

NZ to buy MRH 90 helos
New Zealand is one step closer to purchasing MRH 90 helicopters, with the New Zealand Ministry of Defence entering formal negotiations with NH Industries.
The Royal New Zealand Air Force will replace its ageing fleet of 14 UH-1H Iroquois with up to eight MRH 90 helicopters from 2009.

Galaxy to remain workhorse
Lockheed Martin’s new modernised C-5M Super Galaxy strategic airlifter will provide relief to already over-stretched US Air Force air transport assets.
The acquisition of the modernised C-5 will help ensure the USAF’s is able to effectively move massive amounts of cargo until 2040.

Latest Gripen in Alaska
The Swedish Air Force (SwAF) debuted its latest JAS 39C/D version of the Saab Gripen fighter aircraft at the live flying exercise ‘Red Flag Alaska’ in August.
Their objective was to gain experience in the planning, execution, maintenance and logistic aspects of expeditionary air operations operating the JAS 39C/D.

Secret Polecat UAV unveiled
Lockheed Martin has revealed that it has secretly built and flown a large, high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle - a ‘third-generation’ of unmanned platforms in the US.
Nicknamed Polecat, it has a laminar flow wing that confers high aerodynamic efficiency, and a very low observable radar cross-section.

Information sourced from Jane’s Defence Weekly

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