The World of Aviation

The first of five Airbus Military KC-30A MRTTs is due to be handed over to the RAAF in a ceremony in Madrid on December 22. The aircraft, believed to be A39-003, the third MRTT built and the second to be converted by Qantas Defence Services at Brisbane Airport, is due to be flown to Australia

The US’s Defense Acquisitions Board (DAB) has been briefed on JSF Project Office head Vice Admiral David Venlet’s recommendations for the program, but no announcements are likely to be made for several months. Widely rumoured to include recommendations for an additional 12 months delay in development and up to US$5bn (A$5.2bn) in extra development funding,

The Air 5418 Phase 1 project to integrate the Lockheed Martin AGM-154 JASSM missile with the RAAF’s fleet of F/A-18A/B Hornets has been added to the government’s growing list of Projects of Concern. The JASSM project is now running more than 12 months late due to ongoing integration issues with the missile to the Hornet’s

LAN Cargo has converted an option it was holding for an additional Boeing 777F freighter into a firm order.

Thailand has ordered an additional six JAS-39C Gripen fighters to add to the six it already has on order. The order also includes an unspecified upgrade to the Erieye radar-equipped Saab 340.

Singapore Airlines and Garuda Indonesia have signed a codeshare agreement which will take effect on December 1. Under the agreement, the two airlines will codeshare on a reciprocal basis on Singapore’s three daily and Garuda’s once daily flights between Singapore and Bali.