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.
LONDON — The European Defense Agency (EDA) is pushing ahead with plans for a joint European aerial refueling tanker force as it moves to reduce Europe’s reliance on the U.S. military. The agency – which is promoting the wider use of pooling and sharing of military aircraft such as tankers and transport aircraft – is expecting replies in mid-May from Airbus Defense and Space and Boeing to a request for information it issued in January on the A330 multi-role tanker-transport (MRTT) and the Boeing KC-46.
LONDON — Fighter pilots have built experience with refueling from a range of tankers during an exercise in the Netherlands. The European Defense Agency (EDA) and European Air Transport Command (EATC)-run European Air-to-Air Refueling Training (EART14) program took place between March 31 and April 11 at Eindhoven air base, Netherlands, alongside a major NATO exercise, Frisian Flag.
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has certified Airbus Helicopters’ new version of the EC145 light twin-engine helicopter. EASA certification for the EC145 T2 covers single-pilot, instrument flight rules (IFR) and night-vision goggle operation, the manufacturer says. EASA has not yet published the certification documents on its website, due to the Easter break.
