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

Lockheed Martin Corporation has introduced the Next Generation Glide Body (NXGB), a new hypersonic weapon system designed to drastically reduce unit costs and increase production volume for the U.S. military. The aerospace manufacturers announced the program on June 24, 2026, targeting a preliminary flight demonstration in 2027.

The announcement, detailed in a company press release, represents a strategic pivot toward a manufacturing-first approach in hypersonic development. This shift directly addresses recent U.S. Army budget realignments that prioritize affordable, scalable long-range strike capabilities over legacy, high-cost hypersonic programs.

Shifting away from legacy hypersonic costs

The development of the NXGB follows a significant change in U.S. Army procurement strategy. According to reporting by Aviation Week, the Army revealed plans in April 2026 to move away from future purchases of Lockheed Martin’s Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW). The legacy LRHW program faced criticism for its high flyaway unit cost, estimated between $35 million and $40 million, and a maximum annual production rate limited to 24 missiles.

In response to these constraints, the Army eliminated funding for the LRHW after fiscal 2027. The service branch established a new target, seeking a hypersonic alternative priced at less than $1.5 million per unit by fiscal 2029. Lockheed Martin positioned the NXGB as the direct answer to this demand for affordability and high-volume manufacturing.

Johnathon Caldwell, Vice President and General Manager of Strategic and Missile Defense Systems at Lockheed Martin, stated in the press release that the new system demonstrates a commitment to delivering deterrence that is “not only effective, but affordable and producible at scale.”

Design changes and manufacturing infrastructure

To achieve the required cost reductions and performance metrics, the NXGB incorporates distinct aerodynamic and structural changes compared to its predecessor. Aviation Week notes that the new glide body features a wedge-shaped design. This configuration likely provides a higher lift-to-drag ratio than the conical shape utilized by the older Common Hypersonic Glide Body (CHGB).

Lockheed Martin confirmed the NXGB has successfully completed its Preliminary Design Review. The company is leveraging its existing manufacturing infrastructure in North America, specifically facilities in Huntsville and Courtland, to support the rapid scaling of production.

“NXGB reflects a paradigm shift focusing on design for manufacturing at scale while implementing decades of lessons learned designing, producing and delivering mission-critical systems for the warfighter,” Caldwell said.

AirPro News analysis

We view the NXGB announcement as a necessary course correction for the U.S. defense industrial base regarding hypersonic weapons. The $35 million to $40 million unit cost of the LRHW made it financially impractical for the U.S. Department of Defense to stockpile the weapons in quantities required for a sustained conflict. By targeting a sub-$1.5 million price point, the Army is forcing prime contractors to prioritize modularity and open systems architecture over bespoke engineering. If Lockheed Martin can successfully demonstrate the NXGB in 2027 and meet the Army’s fiscal 2029 pricing targets, the company will likely secure a dominant position in the next generation of U.S. hypersonic procurement.

Sources: Lockheed Martin