Author: FlyMarshall Newsroom

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Israel has approved the purchase of two additional fighter jet squadrons from the United States, adding to its fleet of F-35I stealth jets and F-15IA multirole fighters in deals valued at tens of billions of shekels. The Times of Israel reported on May 3, 2026 that a defense procurement committee made up of senior ministers approved the plan over the weekend of May 2-3, 2026. The agreement covers a fourth F-35I squadron from Lockheed Martin and a second F-15IA squadron from Boeing. Lessons from the Iran conflict The procurement follows Israel’s recent 40-day conflict with Iran, known as Operation Roaring…

The US Air Force’s B-52 Commercial Engine Replacement Program has completed its Critical Design Review, clearing the way for the first two B-52H Stratofortress bombers to be modified into the future B-52J configuration.  The review, announced by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) on May 4, 2026, marks one of the most important technical milestones in the long-running effort to replace the bomber’s 1960s-era Pratt & Whitney TF33 engines with modern Rolls-Royce F130 turbofans.  The CDR brought together independent experts from the US Air Force, Boeing, and Rolls-Royce to assess the complete system design before major modifications begin. According to…

The Army is introducing a new unit to train troops on drone and electronic warfare in Germany, even as the Pentagon prepares to pull thousands of troops from the region. The new company is designed to act as an opposing force, or OPFOR, against troops training at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, testing the capabilities of U.S. and allied troops by using a combination of infantry tactics with new technology modeled on modern conflict. It is unclear if the unit will remain — or have enough troops to train — after the Defense Department’s drawdown takes effect. The…

Singapore Airlines (SIA) will introduce Starlink Wi-Fi for passengers travelling on its Airbus A380 and A350-900 long-haul aircraft from 2027. On May 4, 2026, the serial Skytrax World’s Best Airline winner announced it would introduce Starlink’s low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite‑based broadband service across its Airbus fleet. The first Singapore Airlines customers will be able to begin accessing onboard Starlink in the first quarter of 2027, with completion of the project scheduled by the end of 2029. “Fast, seamless connectivity is, today, an essential part of the travel experience. Singapore Airlines already offers the world’s most comprehensive complimentary in-flight Wi-Fi…

KYIV, Ukraine — Lithuania, a NATO state bordering Russia and Belarus, bought 48 Merops interceptors from American manufacturer Perennial Autonomy on April 22, becoming the latest NATO country to buy into the $15,000 per-shot counter-drone system.The pilot purchase, made without competitive bidding, follows earlier Merops deployments and training with Polish and Romanian forces along NATO’s eastern flank.The system is an example of a new crop of drone countermeasures marketed under an ultra-low-cost mantra that promises to even out a longstanding imbalance in air defense: Intercepting aerial threats like drones is exponentially more expensive than launching them.It’s a brave new world…

I’m not hugely bothered by the change as such, though I’m consistently amazed by the areas that British Airways focuses on, while touting how it wants to be premium (thanks to PYOK for flagging this). British Airways Club Europe loses headrest coversClub Europe is the name of British Airways’ regional business class product. As is standard in Europe, this simply consists of economy seats with blocked middle seats, and improved food, drinks, and service.There’s also a curtain between business class and economy, and those in business class have received a headrest cover on their seat, to sort of visually differentiate…

Israel’s first Boeing KC-46 Pegasus tanker, designated “Gideon” in Israeli service, has completed its maiden flight in US skies, the Israeli Ministry of Defense announced on May 4, 2026. The aircraft is the first of six KC-46 tankers procured by the Israeli Air Force and is expected to be delivered in June 2026.  First of six aircraft on order  The sale of up to eight KC-46 Pegasus was approved by the US State Department in 2020 with an estimated value of $2.4 billion. Boeing was awarded a $930 million contract in 2022 for the first four aircraft, and Israel exercised options for two additional airframes in 2025, bringing the confirmed fleet size to six. …

In November 2024, Singapore Airlines announced a huge investment into its premium passenger experience, which will see the introduction of all-new cabin products, plus the expansion of first class. These cabins will be retrofitted on dozens of Airbus A350s, and will also be available on newly delivered Boeing 777-9s in the future. Interestingly, the product was initially supposed to roll out in the coming weeks, but there has still been no product reveal, or anything along those lines. There’s now an update, as this project has just been delayed substantially, and we won’t see our first retrofitted aircraft enter service…

Textron Aviation’s fleet launch partner NetJets has received its first three Cessna Citation Ascend executive jets following type certification at the end of last year. On May 5, 2025, Cessna’s owner Textron announced that delivery of the first Citation Ascends had been completed marking the first private fleet operator to add the aircraft to its portfolio. NetJets was named the fleet launch customer for Textron’s Citation Ascend in September 2023, when the two firms signed an agreement for up to 1,500 Cessna Citation aircraft. “The Citation Ascend represents our continued investment in supporting NetJets customers well into the future,” said…