Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) has started flying B-1B Lancer pilots in contractor-operated light business jets from Abilene, Texas, under a prototype the command expects to give each pilot approximately 100 additional flying hours a year without requiring additional B-1 aircraft or military maintenance personnel.

The Bomber Supplemental Trainer for Aircrew Readiness (BSTAR) initiative launched during the first week of November 2026, AFGSC said in an article published on November 5, 2026. A Dyess Air Force Base B-1 pilot completed the inaugural military training flight on November 2. Two days later, Gen. S.L. Davis, commander of AFGSC, and Maj. Gen. Ty Neuman, commander of Eighth Air Force and the Joint-Global Strike Operations Center, participated in observer flights to evaluate the new capability firsthand.

How the BSTAR model works

BSTAR runs on a contractor-owned, contractor-operated model. XSTAR Aviation provides the aircraft, instructor pilots, maintenance and scheduling, and the flights operate from Abilene Regional Airport (ABI). According to AFGSC, they do not require additional B-1 aircraft or military maintenance personnel. The command’s article does not name the business jet type, the number of aircraft or pilots involved, the value of the arrangement or the length of the prototype period.

The sorties focus on fundamental aviation skills: instrument procedures, mission planning, aircraft handling and crew resource management. AFGSC said that while flight simulators remain essential for practicing complex systems and mission scenarios, live flying gives pilots experience with changing weather conditions, air traffic and real-time decisions in the cockpit. The AirPro Atlas record for Abilene Regional lists runway 17R/35L at 7,208 feet and runway 17L/35R at 7,198 feet.

For one B-1 pilot, the inaugural flight was a chance to practice skills that carry over to the bomber. “Flying in different conditions, working through instrument procedures and making decisions in real time reinforces skills we rely on as pilots,” the pilot said, according to AFGSC.

A supplement to bomber sorties, not a replacement

AFGSC stressed that BSTAR complements existing B-1 training rather than replacing it. The flights do not substitute for B-1 sorties or reduce the requirement for bomber aircraft availability, and B-1 sorties remain essential for mission-specific tasks including aerial refueling, tactical employment and weapons delivery.

“Combat-ready aircrews are built on foundational airmanship, sound decision-making and time in the air,” Davis said. He added that the command expects BSTAR to provide additional flying opportunities that complement the specialized training pilots receive in the B-1 “at a much lower cost.” AFGSC did not give cost figures.

Neuman tied the extra flying to bomber flight hours:

“BSTAR increases airmanship, which translates to safer, more effective and lethal B-1 operators, while preserving B-1 flight hours for our specialized, mission-specific training.”

Col. Robert Sturgill, the 7th Bomb Wing and installation commander at Dyess, framed the value in terms of time in the air: “I want our pilots flying as much as possible,” he said, adding that BSTAR provides that opportunity without taking away from the training pilots need in the bomber. The initiative adds a training layer for a fleet that AirPro News has followed through the B-1B’s modular pylon upgrade and a Lancer’s return from depot regeneration.

Where the BSTAR contractor comes from

XSTAR Aviation says on its website that the company grew out of the BSTAR study, conducted under the leadership of AFGSC, which identified gaps in traditional aircrew training. XSTAR is a subsidiary of SBCC and manages contractor-owned, contractor-operated aircraft, providing turnkey training solutions to the Department of Defense.

Its listed leadership includes Chief Executive Officer Gerald Goodfellow, a retired US Air Force brigadier general, along with retired Lt. Gen. Carl Schaefer and retired Maj. Gen. Evan Dertien. The company describes its service as “a cost-effective alternative to traditional flight training methods” and lists “increased sustainment and absorption of aircrew into the bomber force” among its aims. Its website does not name the aircraft types it operates.

What AFGSC will measure

Throughout the prototype period, BSTAR sorties will be tracked and debriefed, and aircrew feedback will be used to refine flight profiles and evaluate training effectiveness, according to AFGSC. The findings will help the command determine whether supplemental flight training can play a broader role in developing combat-ready B-1 aircrews.

Embraer has appointed Fokker Services Group as an Authorized Service Center for the C-390 Millennium, giving the independent aerospace services provider the maintenance and support role for the Royal Netherlands Air Force’s new military transport fleet as it enters service.

Embraer announced the appointment in a press release dated November 3, 2026, from Hoofddorp, the Netherlands. According to the release, Fokker Services Group will help bring the Dutch C-390 fleet into operational service and will provide on-site technical and operational assistance, including Field Service Representatives (FSRs), to support a smooth entry into service, high availability and mission readiness. The release does not give the contract’s duration or value.

What the service center role covers

Under the appointment, Fokker Services Group will deliver maintenance and support for the Royal Netherlands Air Force’s C-390 Millennium aircraft. The release focuses on the entry into service phase, with on-site technical and operational assistance that includes Field Service Representatives.

“We are proud to be appointed as an Authorized Service Center for the C-390 Millennium,” said Roland van Dijk, CEO of Fokker Services Group. He said the role recognizes the experience and capabilities of the company’s teams.

“We are pleased to announce this partnership with Fokker Services Group,” said Frederico Lemos, Chief Commercial Officer of Embraer Defense & Security. Lemos said the milestone reflects customer confidence in Embraer and is intended to create long-term value in the Netherlands.

Fokker Services Group operates five facilities across Europe, Asia and the Americas, according to the release. It serves regional, narrow-body and wide-body platforms in the commercial, VIP, cargo and defense markets, with services that include modifications and engineering, component and material services, airframe maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) including lease transitions and painting, and aircraft completion and conversion for executive, VVIP and special mission aircraft.

Several details that operators and maintenance shops would look for are not in the release: which Fokker Services Group facility will handle the work, how many Field Service Representatives will be assigned, and when the support begins. The release also does not say whether the appointment extends to the Austrian and Swedish aircraft bought under the Dutch-led contract described below.

Where the Dutch C-390 program stands

The C-390 succeeds the C-130 in the Royal Netherlands Air Force, according to the Dutch Ministry of Defence. In a news release dated November 11, 2025, the ministry said Embraer had started building the first C-390 for the Netherlands. The Netherlands, Austria and Sweden are buying 13 aircraft together: 5 for the Netherlands, 4 for Austria and 4 for Sweden. The Netherlands is the lead nation, and the other participants are joining on the Dutch contract and its conditions.

The ministry said production takes about 2 years. Building the airframe takes 8 months, followed by the installation of systems such as the flight management system and self-protection systems, and Dutch companies in Woensdrecht will complete the aircraft. The first aircraft is expected to be delivered at the end of 2027 and the last in 2029, according to the ministry.

AirPro News has followed the Dutch program as it takes shape, from Embraer’s agreements with Dutch companies to the design review for the aeromedical system and Marshall’s extended C-130H support contract, which covers the current fleet until the C-390 arrives.

The aircraft Fokker will support

Embraer describes the C-390 Millennium as the most modern military transport in its class. According to the manufacturer, it carries 26 tons of payload, which Embraer says is more than other medium-sized military transports, flies at 470 knots and can operate from temporary or unpaved runways.

Embraer lists the aircraft’s missions as cargo and troop transport, airdrops, medical evacuation, search and rescue, firefighting and humanitarian work. When fitted with quick-installation air-to-air refueling (AAR) equipment, it can act as a tanker or as a receiver, according to the release.

Embraer, headquartered in Brazil and founded in 1969, has Commercial and Executive aviation, Defense & Security, and Agricultural Aviation businesses. The company says it has delivered more than 9,000 aircraft.

The Airbus A320 ATRA fitted with a Eurofighter nose has completed its commissioning flights at the Airbus site in Manching, Germany, and is now operational as the flying test bed for the Eurofighter’s new E-Scan radar. Airbus said on November 6, 2026, that the commissioning flights were the final step in the validation phase.

The aircraft, owned by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), carries the Eurofighter Common Radar System Mk1 that will equip new Eurofighters for Germany and Spain. Testing the radar on an airliner instead of a fighter lets engineers watch the hardware and software in real time from workstations in the cabin, and Airbus said in January 2025 that the A320 has a shorter clearance process and longer endurance than a Eurofighter.

Which Eurofighters get the radar

“The upcoming Eurofighters of the German Quadriga and Tranche 5 as well as the Spanish Halcón programmes will be equipped with a new radar called the Eurofighter Common Radar System Mk1,” said Erik Lorch, Head of the E-Scan Mk1 Programme at Airbus. Airbus said the current focus is on equipping these jets, with retrofits of Eurofighters already in service also planned.

The radar is an active electronically scanned array (AESA), also known as E-Scan. “This radar greatly enhances the capabilities of the Eurofighter in both air-to-air and air-to-ground operations,” Lorch said.

Radar maker HENSOLDT, which developed the ECRS Mk1 with Indra, said in October 2025 that about 200 of the radars will be delivered to the German and Spanish Air Forces in total. HENSOLDT announced at the time that NETMA and Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH had signed a contract for 20 new Eurofighter Tranche 5 aircraft for the German Air Force, which will carry the radar as the Quadriga fleet already does. AirPro News has reported on the German order for 20 new Eurofighters.

How the A320 was converted

To carry the Eurofighter nose, the A320 fuselage was reinforced and hundreds of metres of data cables were laid, according to Airbus. A liquid and air cooling system was installed to regulate the temperature of the radar, and the cabin holds several workstations where specialists see everything the radar provides to the pilot as well as a full view of what is happening under the nose.

“It is a distinguished platform that has already spent years flying as a research aircraft,” said Sebastian Ritz, who leads the A320 Flying Test Bed Programme at Airbus Defence and Space. “We can monitor how the hardware performs and also test new software versions or features,” he said. “The insights we generate will inform and accelerate the maturation and further development of the system.”

The modified aircraft first flew on January 21, 2025, over DLR’s airfield in Braunschweig, Germany. In its story on that flight, Airbus said the nose had been developed and assembled specifically for the test aircraft by its engineers in Manching. Engineers and mechanics from Airbus Defence and Space and Airbus Commercial Aircraft designed the new front section and reinforced the airframe, and all modifications followed the procedures of the type-certification holder, Airbus Commercial Aircraft in Toulouse. That first flight with the Eurofighter nose was made without an active radar, to test basic airworthiness.

Why test a fighter radar on an airliner

Airbus E-Scan radar project manager Thomas Hirsch said in January 2025 that the aircraft was being operated with DLR and the German Armed Forces “to test a new radar for the Eurofighter and bring it to maturity.” He added: “The A320 ATRA has a significantly shorter clearance process and can stay in the air longer than a Eurofighter.” Airbus said airborne testing on an A320 starts earlier, runs faster and lasts longer than it would on a Eurofighter, which significantly speeds up radar development.

After the first flight, the radar went through extensive ground tests before the commissioning flights. “During the recent commissioning flights, we confirmed that the aircraft and the radar also perform effectively in the air,” Ritz said. “This was the final step in the validation phase, and the E-Scan Mk1 flying test bed is now operational.”

Airbus said the A320 ATRA, short for Advanced Technology Research Aircraft, will now become a regular presence on the flight line at Manching as development of the Eurofighter’s E-Scan radar continues. The company has not published a schedule for the remaining test flights.