Author: FlyMarshall Newsroom

France’s defense procurement agency, the DGA, has awarded a production contract to Airbus Helicopters and Naval Group for six VSR700 uncrewed aerial systems (UAS). As announced by Airbus on January 16, 2026, the French Navy is set to begin operating them from 2028.  The contract marks the transition of the VSR700 from a demonstrator and test asset into a serial product for the French Navy under the SDAM (Système de drone aérien de la Marine) program. The effort is intended to provide major surface combatants with an organic vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) drone, to extend surveillance and identification ranges beyond the horizon.  Airbus Helicopters described the award as the “next phase” of the program,…

Reports of mass layoffs at ForeFlight have spread quickly across social media and pilot forums, prompting concern about the future of one of general aviation’s most widely used flight planning platforms.  The reports surfaced this week through posts on Facebook, Reddit, and other online communities, including messages attributed to current and former ForeFlight employees. Several posts describe abrupt job losses communicated by email and claim that engineering and support teams were affected. Neither ForeFlight nor its new owner has publicly confirmed the scope of the layoffs.  ForeFlight and Jeppesen became part of a new standalone company after Boeing completed the sale of its Digital Aviation Solutions business…

The Czech Republic is preparing to supply Ukraine with combat aircraft capable of intercepting incoming drones, as confirmed by Czech President Petr Pavel in Kyiv on January 16, 2026, speaking after talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.  Pavel did not name the aircraft type but said that Prague could provide “several medium combat planes” in a “relatively short time,” describing them as effective against drones.  According to Pavel, Prague is also considering providing early-warning systems, including passive radar technology, as Ukraine expands its layered defenses against long-range drone attacks.  L-159 ALCA, the most likely candidate  Reuters linked Pavel’s remarks to the Czech-made subsonic Aero L-159, which Pavel publicly floated as a potential transfer option in 2023.  …

René Armas Maes is an international consultant specializing in airline and business aviation restructuring, strategic planning, revenue optimization, and cost reduction.  René began his career as a Senior Analyst at Simat, Helliesen & Eichner in New York City, where he advised global airlines, airports, regional aviation operators, and business aviation clients. Today, he collaborates with airlines, business aviation operators, and airports worldwide, serving as an instructor for IATA and ACI in airline and airport management. He also holds an MBA from the John Molson School of Business in Montreal, Canada.  This is a co-authored article in collaboration with Andreas Velmachos, Senior Engineer and…

The British Royal Navy has successfully completed the maiden flight of the Leonardo Proteus, the UK’s first autonomous full-size helicopter. On January 16, 2026, the Royal Navy announced that the demonstrator, built exclusively for its use, had operated from Predannack airfield in Cornwall. In September 2025, Leonardo’s Managing Director of Helicopters UK, Nigel Colman, told AeroTime at DSEI in London that the Royal Navy wanted to see Proteus fly “this year”. During its first flight, Proteus undertook a short test routine which saw the aircraft operate its own flying controls independently, while under supervision from test pilots. Royal Navy The…

MILAN – French troops part of the United Nations Interim Force countered a hostile drone in southern Lebanon by deploying French-made jamming rifles that repelled the craft back toward Israel.Earlier this month, footage circulated on social media showing a group of UNIFIL forces stationed in the southern part of Lebanon pointing a jammer at the sky in an apparent operation against a drone.The French military command confirmed to Defense News that the personnel shown in the video, filmed by a local resident on Jan. 5, 2026, are French UNIFIL peacekeepers. They were on foot patrol at the time, when a…

Singapore’s Changi International Airport (SIN) has announced that it will accommodate more than 600 additional flights to 15 Chinese cities during the upcoming Lunar New Year period, as travel demand between Singapore and China continues to surge. Operating between February 1 and March 8, 2026, the additional flights will double the supplementary capacity offered during the same period in 2025, according to Changi Airport Group (CAG). Six airlines – Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Loong Air, Spring Airlines, and Xiamen Airlines – will operate the extra services, offering travelers a mix of destinations and price points. Air…

The Marine Corps general tapped to lead U.S. military operations in Latin America told lawmakers Thursday that he stands ready to oversee an expanded presence that began ahead of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro’s capture — but he doesn’t know how long that enhanced focus will last.If confirmed by the Senate, Lt. Gen. Francis Donovan will take over U.S. Southern Command, replacing Navy Adm. Alvin Holsey, who retired last year amid increasing scrutiny over the Trump administration’s deadly strikes on alleged drug boats in the region, a remarkable extension of American power in Latin America.U.S. troops earlier this month deposed and…

Pilots working for the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have been conducting test flights of the C919 commercial airliner from Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) in Shanghai. According to The South China Morning Post, the flights form part of COMAC’s bid to have the C919 certified by Western regulators and open new business avenues in foreign markets. EASA confirmed to Reuters that “validation activities” involving the C919 had been carried out by way of test flights. The South China Morning Post learned details of the test flights from a source with knowledge of the development, who also claimed that…

BERLIN — The European Commission this week formally proposed a €90 billion ($104.4 billion) loan package for Ukraine spanning 2026 and 2027, with a novel condition that Kyiv must prioritize purchasing weapons and military equipment from European manufacturers.The package allocates roughly €60 billion for military assistance and €30 billion for “general budget support,” according to the Commission’s announcement. The European preference clause − which requires Ukraine to buy from EU member states, associated countries like Norway and Iceland, or Ukrainian producers when available − represents Brussels’ most explicit attempt yet to leverage aid flows to bolster Europe’s defense industrial base.…