The Mirage 2K N ended its service among the FAS (French strategic forces ) this week:

hier après-midi, le Mirage 2000N a tiré sa révérence sur la BA 125 d’Istres (13) et avec lui, symboliquement quelque part, une génération d’aviateurs à l’occasion de ce “départ à la retraite” d’une machine ayant assuré 30 ans de service dans les Forces aériennes stratégiques (FAS).

Une trentaine d’avions mis en service au dernier standard K3, une vingtaine opérationnels en 2015 qui laisseront à leur tour leur place aux Rafale, ” ce retrait sera progressif, puisqu’il restera opérationnel jusqu’à la rentrée
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[on the 26th of June], the Mirage 2000N bowed out of the BA 125 Istres (13) and with him, symbolically somewhere, a generation of airmen on the occasion of this “retirement” of a machine that has provided 30 years of service in the Strategic Air Force (SAF).

Some thirty aircraft put into service at the latest K3 standard, twenty operational in 2015 that will leave their place in the Rafale, “this withdrawal will be progressive, since it will remain operational until the return

Source:
La depeche.fr

Canberra to buy six MQ-4C Tritons

The initial A$1.4 billion ($1 billion) deal includes one MQ-4C, as well as a A$200 million programme with the US Navy for development, production, and sustainment of the aircraft, says prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.
[…]
Also included in the $1.4 billion cost is a A$364 million investment in new facilities at RAAF Edinburgh and RAAF Tindal, ground control systems, support, and training.

Source:
FlightGlobal.com

France, Germany Teaming Up to Build Superfighter

I’am so scared that nobody see how passé this would look like in 2040. C’mon, a squad of heavy drones supported by a low terrain skimming manned heavy fighter ruling the fight…. That’s so Hollywood ’84, Iceman [or Clint]! Ppl need to get fresh minded: we have VLO stealth, we have hyperstealth, we have robot and swarms… WTF are we going to up anything with a robotic F-117, wire controlled from a 20y late F-35 wanaBee?!!

I am sorry but this is not the state of affair. I am clearly giving some hard hints about what’s going on here and I have reported here and on SPF some more materials (as other did). Lullabies whispered into some Parisian cabinets won’t change a single thing. Let’s hope that someone with at least a dregree in accountancy has an eye on what France spend into that.
France would have had a chance if an entire industry won’t have turned its back to the modernity of aerial combat a decade and a half ago. EoA

You don’t read what I am writing: the Waloons industry wants a modern design, now. For those that have a voice in this process, there is nothing about Any oppositions b/w both communities. Those that want to see a clash b/w them to play their partitions are fooling only themselves.

Sorry Alex, I have no remembrance of that one. Have you tried browsing thread’s attachments?

Malaysia to finally collect critical MH370 debris

Malaysia has agreed to collect two pieces of critical debris from MH370 that were found almost two years ago and were the subject of an alleged assassination.
The two pieces, discovered by local villagers, reinforce the high-speed crash theory, according to wreck hunter Blaine Gibson.
The pieces – one from the interior, the other a fin of the engine – were found in September 2016 by local villagers at beaches on Madagascar.
[…]
The two items were due to be picked up in August last year by Zahid Raza, the Honorary Malaysian Consul in Madagascar, when he was assassinated

Source:
AirlineRatings.com

RiP 🙁

Well, this was known (and discussed here or there) but such clauses are generally included to protect the buyer from having to commit to something either that is too expensive or that does not fill reasonably the expectation expressed in the RFP.
Are we there? NO. Absolutely not.

Nobody will turn a monolithic kind of decision making into clever management. History has blown its way up to us today 😉