Design and testing of the Ka-27M was carried out by Kamov at its Moscow facility in the 2000s followed by production at the KumAPE plant in Kumertau.

Noted on the ramp at Kinshasa in late 2016 was Congolese Air Force Douglas DC-8-55(F) 9T-TCN, probably the last flying military DC-8 in the world.

Flight testing continues at Leonardo Helicopters Yeovil facility, Somerset, with first upgraded Merlin HC4 ZJ122/F for the Royal Navy's Commando Helicopter Force based at nearby Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton.

Taiwanese F-16V 93-0702/ED (c/n TA-01) is one of two currently undergoing weapons testing with Lockheed Martin at Fort Worth, Texas. The aircraft is seen loaded with two 250 lb Mk 81 bombs carried on multiple ejector racks.

Wearing Bundeswehr test side number 98+51, the first Marineflieger NH90 NTH (c/n NGEN01) made its first flight at Donauworth on December 8, 2016.

Flight deck of the Marineflieger's NH90 NTH.

CityJet has ordered ten Bombardier CRJ900s, which will be used by the Irish carrier to provide wet-lease services for SAS out of Copenhagen.

An Alpha Jet B1+ assigned to AJETS 2/8 landing at BA120 Cazaux.

After the Belgian Air Component Alpha Jets leave Cazaux in 2018, the aggressors of Escadron d’Entrainement 3/8 ‘Cote d’Or’ will be one of two Alpha Jet squadrons remaining in Armee de I’Air service.

Luftwaffe A400M 54+07 is seen landing at Cologne Airport on February 1, 2017 to collect material and personnel for airlift to Pristina, Kosovo and Incirlik Air Base in Turkey.

A400M 0037/F-RABJ (msn 037), the first operational A400M to participate in Exercise VOLFA undergoes inspection at Mont-de-Marsan after a triple bird strike to its left wing.

Aeroflot Sukhoi SSJ-100 Superjets lined up at Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport during the type's grounding.

The RAAF's 35 Squadron received its initial operational capability declaration on December 16, 2016.

Three 35 Squadron C-27Js parked on the flight line at RAAF Base Amberley.

The second A350-1000, F-WWXL (msn 71), kicks up spray as it departs a wet Toulouse on its first flight. This aircraft will complete 500 hours of the 1,600 test flight hours required to certify the A350-1000.

MiG-35S 702, a pre-production example for the Russian Air Force, on display at Lukhovitsy on January 27, 2017.

Two-seat MiG-35UB 712 takes off on a demonstration flight at Lukhovitsy airfield on January 27, 2017.

Three Egyptian MiG-29Ms were placed on display at Lukhovitsy in various stages of production.

MiG-35S 702 loaded with an R-77 (AA-12 Adder) radar-guided medium-range air-to-air missile on each inner pylon; six R-73 (AA-11 Archer) short range air-to-air missiles on all other underwing pylons; plus, an I-220/KE navigation-targeting pod under the starboard air inlet.

Mitsubishi Regional Jet JA22MJ (c/n 10002) takes off from Grant County International Airport in Washington, where the three MRJ flight test aircraft are based at the Moses Lake Flight Test Centre.

The Beechcraft AT-6 is a light attack variant of the Texan II trainer and maybe a possible contender for the yet-to-be defined US Air Force OA-X programme.

Bell Helicopter has delivered the first fully customised aircraft from its new European Customisation and Delivery Centre in Prague with the handover of three emergency services-configured Bell 429s to the Slovakian company Air Transport Europe.

Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet is a likely contender for the Indian Navy's Multi Role Carrier Borne Fighter programme.

An F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 86 (VFA 86) ‘Sidewinders’ on the flight deck of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69).

To meet the demands of training extra pilots for the F-35B Lightning II, 727 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) based at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, Somerset is now providing elementary flying training (EFT) for the first time, relieving the burden on the traditional EFT training bases at RAF Cranwell and Barkston Heath in Lincolnshire. Two Royal Navy student pilots commenced EFT on the squadron's Grob Tutor T1 fleet in January 2017. The squadron confirmed EFT will be available to potentially four students per course, with a maximum of 12 per year under existing arrangements. Successful candidates will then move to RAF Cranwell to complete their training. Pilots graduating from the 727 NAS course will be selected to fly either frontline helicopters or fast jets.

Boeing 747-400 N117UA (c/n 28810), pictured here on approach to London Heathrow, is one of 20 jumbos in service with United Airlines - all will be retired by the airline by the end of this year.

VX-23 F-35B test aircraft BF-01 loaded with a symmetric external load comprising two AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and four GBU-12 laser-guided bombs during DT III on board the USS America. One of the test team’s objectives for DT III was to conduct vertical landings and short take-offs with symmetric and asymmetric external loads carriage.

The F-35 detachment of Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron 1 (VMX-1) based at Edwards Air Force Base, California embarked three F-35Bs on board the USS America for the type's third set of F-35B ship trials, referred to as Developmental Test III (DT III), from October 28 through November 17, 2016.

Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) is proposing acceleration of the F-35 Lightning II production, concentrating on fielding US Marine Corps F-35Bs.

A VMFA-121 F-35B Lightning II conducts a vertical landing at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni on February 3, 2017.

The Rough Raiders performed a diamond four flyover to mark the F-35C's arrival at Lemoore on January 25, 2017.

Due to the stiffness of the landing gear struts, particularly the nose gear, taxiing in the F-35C results in excessive jarring of the aircraft and often requires pilots to stop if they need to make changes using the touchscreens on the cockpit displays.

Two VFA-125 F-35C Lightning IIs taxy to the parking spots at Naval Air Station Lemoore on January 25, 2017. The pilots were greeted by Commander Naval Air Forces, Vice-Admiral Mike Shoemaker.

A VFA-101 F-35C Lightning II approaches the USS George Washington during DT III as flight deck crew look on.

VFA-101 F-35C Lightning II BuNo 169302/NJ125 launches from the number one catapult on the USS George Washington.

Elements of the Beluga XL core airframe are taken to Airbus’s L34 hangar at Toulouse for the start of integration for the first aircraft.

The first A330-900, seen here in the Toulouse paint shop, is due to fly in the first half of this year.

The Congress has passed a waiver to the continuing resolution so procurement of the Boeing KC-46A Pegasus tanker can continue.