South Korea oversaw 42 offset projects worth USD771.8m in the last five years, according to a new report by DAPA. Of the 46 Korean offset beneficiaries, SMEs received the lion’s share of value – but next-generation technologies often remain elusive.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s state visit to France has sparked commotion among contractors vying for the country’s decade-old requirement for 16 fighter aircraft. France’s Dassault Aviation and Sweden’s Saab have refined their offers for industrial cooperation while America’s Lockheed Martin has drawn attention to its cost advantages.
Airbus has confirmed that the A321neo aircraft, assembled at the Tianjin Final Assembly Line (FAL) since last year, will be exported and delivered to Hungary’s Wizz Air. The deal marks the first time a Chinese-assembled A321neo will be exported to a European client.
The Czech Republic and Ukraine have finalised a memorandum of understanding to jointly research and manufacture small arms, ammunition, and armoured vehicles. The news comes as Ukroboronprom, Ukraine’s defence-industrial vehicle, undergoes a complete overhaul.
Germany is set to join the F-35 supply chain with the manufacture of centre fuselages, wing skins, and sensor systems in-country. Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman have partnered with Rheinmetall to build a plant in Weeze, western Germany, in a move which will support supply chain gaps dating back to 2019, according to aviation experts.
Barzan Holdings, Qatar’s defence-industrial consolidation vehicle, has reportedly approved “technical and administrative arrangements” to facilitate the transfer of advanced electronic warfare (EW) technologies from at least two US companies.