Based in London, Tony covers European defense programs. Prior to joining Aviation Week in November 2012, Tony was at Shephard Media Group where he was deputy editor for Rotorhub and Defence Helicopter magazines. Tony has covered avionics, unmanned vehicles, the supply chain and cyberwarfare.
The aircraft—which has been carrying out development flying for more than a decade—received Russian certification from the Federal Air Transportation Agency on Dec. 30.
The £369 million ($547 million) contract will support the U.K. Royal Air Force’s C-130Js until 2022, despite the recent decision in the U.K.’s Strategic Defense and Security Review to keep 14 of the aircraft in service until 2030.
