Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) have completed a $50 million modernization program for five Kfir fighter aircraft, culminating in a successful test flight at SLAF Base Katunayake on June 11, 2026.

The upgrade brings the aging fleet to the Kfir C12 standard, integrating advanced avionics and a modern glass cockpit to extend the operational life of a platform originally developed 50 years ago. IAI officially announced the program’s completion in a press release on June 14, 2026.

Fleet overhaul and technical upgrades

Signed in June 2021, the $50 million agreement covered the comprehensive overhaul of four Kfir C2 and C7 variants, along with one TC2 trainer aircraft. The SLAF’s No. 10 Fighter Squadron, known as the “Lion Cubs,” has operated the Kfir since 1996. The fleet saw heavy utilization during the Sri Lankan civil war, which concluded in 2009. This extensive operational history led to a requirement for structural refurbishments and system replacements to address obsolete components.

Executed jointly by IAI and SLAF technical personnel, the modernization replaces legacy systems with a new mission computer, an updated autopilot, and advanced navigation and communication suites. The transition to the Kfir C12 standard also enhances the aircraft’s precision weapon deployment capabilities, transforming the legacy jets into more capable multirole combat platforms.

Extending the lifecycle of legacy platforms

The successful test flight on June 11, 2026, marked the operational return of the upgraded fighters. IAI executives highlighted the engineering achievement of keeping a half-century-old design relevant in modern combat environments.

“The Kfir represents a significant chapter in Israel’s aerospace industry and reflects the technological and engineering capabilities that have characterized IAI for decades,” said Boaz Levy, Chairman of IAI. “The successful modernization of the Sri Lanka Air Force fleet demonstrates how advanced technologies can be integrated into proven platforms to address evolving operational requirements and modern battlefield challenges.”

“Seeing the Kfir continue to fly operationally for more than 50 years after its development is a testament to engineering excellence and to IAI’s long-standing ability to modernize and extend the life of advanced combat aircraft,” added Moshe Levy, CEO of IAI.

AirPro News analysis

We view the SLAF Kfir modernization as a prime example of cost-effective fleet management for nations operating legacy combat aircraft. By investing $50 million to upgrade five existing airframes, Sri Lanka avoids the prohibitive capital expenditure required to procure new multirole fighters. This program also reinforces IAI’s position in the global military MRO market, demonstrating the company’s capability to integrate modern avionics into older airframes. As defense budgets tighten globally, we expect to see continued demand for similar life-extension programs that maximize the utility of proven platforms.

Sources: Israel Aerospace Industries

Lockheed Martin is advancing resilient Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) capabilities by integrating its modernized GPS satellite technology with next-generation quantum navigation sensors. The defense contractor detailed the strategic integration in a feature published on June 24, 2026, highlighting a system designed to ensure unbroken positioning for military operators in contested or GPS-denied environments.

Traditional GPS signals can be disrupted by physical structures, severe space weather, or adversarial jamming. To counter these vulnerabilities, Lockheed Martin is pairing satellite data with quantum sensors that operate independently of external signals by relying entirely on internal measurements. This combination allows the GPS network to establish a reliable baseline while quantum technology continuously refines the positioning data.

Modernizing the GPS constellation

The foundation of this hybrid navigation approach relies on the ongoing modernization of the United States military satellite network. Lockheed Martin produces the GPS III and upcoming GPS IIIF satellites, which introduce significant upgrades over legacy spacecraft to maintain signal integrity in hostile electronic environments.

According to the company, GPS III satellites deliver up to eight times the anti-jamming power of previous generations. The subsequent GPS IIIF satellites will increase this anti-jamming capability up to 63 times through Regional Military Protection (RMP) beam-focusing techniques. Beyond military applications, these modernized satellites incorporate specialized emergency signal processing for Civilian Search & Rescue operations and a Nuclear Detection System to monitor global treaty compliance.

Transitioning quantum technology to the field

To complement the satellite network, Lockheed Martin is accelerating the deployment of quantum technology from laboratory environments to operational hardware. This effort is supported by multiple United States Department of Defense (DoD) initiatives aimed at fielding functional prototypes.

On March 12, 2025, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) awarded a contract to Lockheed Martin, alongside quantum technology companies Q-CTRL and AOSense, to prototype a Quantum-enabled Inertial Navigation System (QuINS). The QuINS platform utilizes matter-wave interferometry to calculate a vehicle’s position, speed, and orientation based entirely on internal measurements, rendering it immune to external signal jamming.

Development continued when Q-CTRL announced its selection for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Robust Quantum Sensors (RoQS) program on August 27, 2025, with Lockheed Martin serving as a subcontractor. At the 2026 Joint Navigation Conference, the partner companies presented technical progress on Phase 1 of the QuINS program, which involves testing a purpose-built sensor equipped with a laser and electronics package optimized for dynamic environments.

Lockheed Martin emphasized the necessity of this dual approach in its June 24 publication.

“GPS determines the initial ‘big picture’ position, providing the range of known locations with civilian global Earth coverage. Quantum sensing refines that picture, delivering pinpoint accuracy in conjunction with GPS signals, even in contested environments.”

AirPro News analysis

The integration of quantum inertial navigation with modernized GPS represents a critical shift in aerospace engineering, particularly for military aviation and unmanned aerial systems operating in contested airspace. As electronic warfare and GPS spoofing become standard adversarial tactics, reliance on external radio frequency signals is a known vulnerability. By moving quantum sensors out of the laboratory and into dynamic flight environments, we are observing the foundational steps toward fully autonomous, unjammable navigation systems. While the current focus remains on defense applications, the successful miniaturization and ruggedization of matter-wave interferometry packages will likely influence future commercial aviation navigation standards.

Sources: Lockheed Martin

The U.S. Space Force has awarded The Boeing Company a contract valued at up to $2 billion to manufacture two new narrowband communications satellites, a procurement designed to extend the operational life of the military’s Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) constellation through 2035.

Space Systems Command (SSC) announced the award on June 24, 2026, and Boeing confirmed the agreement in a June 25 press release. The contract represents a shift in the program’s industrial base, as Boeing secured the Phase II production order over incumbent Lockheed Martin Corporation, which built the original five MUOS satellites launched between 2012 and 2016.

Modernizing secure military communications

The MUOS constellation provides secure Ultra High Frequency (UHF) and Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) communications for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and allied forces. The system is designed to maintain connectivity in challenging operational environments, including dense urban areas, difficult terrain, and severe weather conditions.

According to reporting by DefenseScoop, the Space Force is transitioning away from legacy user equipment that relied on the Cold War-era Ultra High Frequency Follow-on (UFO) constellation. As a result, the two new Boeing satellites will not carry the legacy UFO payload, allowing the design to focus entirely on modern WCDMA capabilities.

DefenseScoop also cited Erin Carper, Acting Space Force Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Satellite Communications and Positioning, Navigation, and Timing, who stated the award strengthens global communications infrastructure and ensures joint and coalition partners have the tools required for advanced military communications.

Production timeline and constellation extension

Boeing will perform the manufacturing work at its facility in El Segundo, California, utilizing the company’s 702MP medium-class spacecraft platform. The first satellite delivery and earliest launch are scheduled for 2031, with the second satellite slated for launch no earlier than 2032.

“For the people who depend on this connectivity, the need is clear: secure communication that works in demanding conditions,” Sam Greaves, Vice President of Boeing Space Mission Systems, said in the company’s press release. “Our team knows this mission and is ready to help the customer extend and improve a system they count on every day.”

The procurement follows a competitive design phase. Breaking Defense reported that in 2024, the Space Force awarded $66 million Phase 1 design contracts to both Boeing and Lockheed Martin for the MUOS Service Life Extension program. The new satellites, designated Space Vehicles 6 and 7, will sustain the constellation’s capabilities until the military fields a fully next-generation narrowband architecture.

AirPro News analysis

Boeing’s victory in the MUOS Service Life Extension program is a notable disruption of an established incumbent’s position in military space procurement. Lockheed Martin served as the prime contractor for the original MUOS program since 2004, successfully delivering the current operational fleet. By selecting Boeing for Space Vehicles 6 and 7, the Space Force has demonstrated a willingness to leverage competitive prototyping phases to pivot away from legacy providers if a competing design offers a more favorable alignment with current requirements. The decision to omit the legacy UFO payload from these new satellites also highlights a broader Department of Defense strategy to force the retirement of outdated ground equipment and accelerate the adoption of modern, resilient waveforms across the joint force.

Sources: The Boeing Company