SANDY HOOK, Conn. - Lockheed Martin has completed production of all F-16 Block 70 fighters for Bulgaria and Slovakia's initial fleets at Lockheed Martin's facility in Greenville, South Carolina. The aircraft were delivered via the U.S. government's Foreign Military Sales program.

Slovakia has taken delivery of 14 aircraft, including 12 single-seat F-16Cs and two dual-seat F-16Ds. Production for Bulgaria includes an initial batch of eight aircraft, including six Cs and two Ds. The Bulgarian Air Force placed an order for a second batch of aircraft, including four Cs and four Ds, in September 2023. This second batch will be delivered at a later date.

These new F-16 fleets give Bulgaria and Slovakia the capability to provide national air defense and support NATO air policing with a modern, fully interoperable fighter. The new F-16s connect directly to NATO systems and support the same mission sets already flown by F-16 operators across Europe.

Prior to ordering the F-16, both Bulgaria and Slovakia operated the Soviet-designed Mikoyan MiG-29 "Fulcrum" as their primary fighter jet. Both nations are former Warsaw Pact members and have relied on Soviet-era hardware since the Cold War. The F-16 Block 70 acquisition is their major step toward modernizing their fleets to NATO standards.

The F-16 Block 70/72 features the APG-83 AESA radar, which shares 95% software commonality and 70% hardware commonality with the F-35's radar. The aircraft also includes conformal fuel tanks, a modern digital cockpit, a 12,000-hour service life and the life-saving Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto GCAS).

The distinction between Block 70 and Block 72 fighters is the engine powering the aircraft. Block 70 F-16s are powered by the GE Aerospace F110-GE-129, and Block 72 aircraft by the Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229.

Lockheed Martin says there are more than 700 F-16s operating in Europe, and Bulgaria and Slovakia will gain access to established training pipelines and existing logistics support networks.

Source: Lockheed Martin
Associated URL: https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2025-12-15-Lockheed-Martin-Completes-Production-of-Initial-F-16-Block-70-Fleets-for-Bulgaria-and-Slovakia

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Rolls-Royce has begun testing the AE 1107F turboshaft engine that will power the U.S. Army’s Bell MV-75 tiltrotor. Derived from the proven AE 1107 family, the new engine will equip prototype MV-75 aircraft currently under development ahead of a future production decision. Testing is underway at Rolls-Royce’s Indianapolis campus.

The AE 1107F is 80 percent common with the AE 1107C engine used on the V-22 Osprey, a fleet with more than one million flight hours and over 1,000 engines delivered, giving the MV-75 a low-risk propulsion baseline. A key design change from the V-22 is the elimination of fully rotating engine nacelles. On the MV-75, the engines remain fixed while only the rotors and gearboxes tilt, improving reliability.

Bell expects the first of eight prototypes to fly and be delivered in 2027, with the Army planning to field the MV-75 by 2030.

Source: Flight Global
Associated URL: https://www.flightglobal.com/helicopters/rolls-royce-begins-testing-ae-1107f-engine-for-us-armys-new-mv-75-tiltrotor/165721.article
Author: Ryan Finnerty 

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A multi-year investigation by the US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) has determined that material failure was a causal or contributing factor in 58% of the serious safety incidents involving the V-22 Osprey fleet between 2021 and 2025. Released on December 12, the review was prompted by a series of fatal crashes, including incidents in Australia and Japan. The report highlights a growing "cumulative risk posture" for the aircraft, noting that while the Program Office identified many of these material risks, limitations in funding and urgency delayed necessary fixes, allowing risks to accumulate.

Specific mechanical issues identified include a metallurgical weakness in the proprotor gearbox, blamed for the "Gundam-22" crash off Japan, and a "hard clutch engagement" problem that still lacks a permanent material fix. Critically, the report reveals that in five of the seven incidents involving material failure, the specific technical problems were already known to authorities but had not been sufficiently resolved before disaster struck.

Despite efforts to mitigate these risks through new flight procedures and sensor upgrades, NAVAIR warns that these measures have been insufficient. The pace of material retrofits is described as dangerously slow; for instance, the Marine Corps' retrofit of the gearbox components is proceeding at a rate that would take over eight years to complete the full fleet. The report concludes with a stark warning that without immediate, decisive action to address these hardware deficiencies and improve procedural compliance, the V-22 program is likely to face further catastrophic outcomes.

Source: Flightglobal
Associated URL: https://www.flightglobal.com/helicopters/material-failure-involved-in-more-than-half-of-serious-osprey-safety-incidents-since-2021/165692.article