Always on Target
Geopolitics on Fliegerfaust: international developments and strategic context intersecting with aerospace, defense, and the global economy.
Canadian surveillance aircraft worth a quarter-billion dollars are now flying from a base in Ontario — so why were they built in Texas? Canadian surveillance aircraft: That question sits at the heart of a growing debate over how Canada spends its defence dollars abroad. Essentially, the country’s own aerospace sector looked on from the sidelines.
FCAS fighter program — is Europe’s most ambitious defence project collapsing under the weight of its own ambition, or can a last-minute restructuring save it from a €100 billion industrial divorce? FCAS fighter program: On February 19, 2026, Airbus Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Guillaume Faury offered a remarkably candid proposal. He told reporters in Toulouse
Gulfstream certification: has Transport Canada finally cleared the G500 and G600—and does that cool a trade fight that briefly put Bombardier’s Global Express in the crosshairs? Gulfstream certification: On February 20, 2026, Reuters reported that Transport Canada has now certified General Dynamics’ Gulfstream G500 and G600 business jets, citing a Transport Canada type-certificate data sheet
Gripen deal Canada: does an “85%” rumour mean Ottawa is ready to sign—or just ready to signal? Earlier, on November 14, 2025, Reuters reported that Saab was in talks with the Canadian government and Bombardier about building the Saab JAS 39 Gripen under licence in Canada, with talk of roughly 10,000 jobs and Bombardier confirming
Russia revives retired aircraft: what is forcing airlines to pull Tu-204s, Il-96s and Boeing 747s out of storage in 2026? First, the demand picture is not a collapse. Russia is still moving large passenger volumes across a vast domestic network. The fleet picture is tightening. Age, sanctions, and delayed domestic production are converging on the
Canadian aircraft decertification: is Transport Canada really blocking Gulfstream—and can a U.S. president “decertify” Canadian-built aircraft in retaliation? First, the stakes are not abstract. They sit on U.S. ramps, fly U.S. passengers, and support U.S. missions. (Read our follow-up story: Gulfstream certification: Transport Canada clears G500 and G600) Next, the claim at the center of
Discombobulator secret weapon: what is it—and did it really help U.S. forces seize Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas? First, the name sounds like a prop from a spy parody. Yet the claim attached to it sits inside a real, high‑stakes event: the U.S. raid that captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. On January
Tocumen Airport expansion: can Panama City’s Aeropuerto Internacional de Tocumen (IATA code: PTY; ICAO code: MPTO) stay ahead of demand as it targets up to 22.6 million passengers in 2026? First, the numbers look big because they are big. Panama’s main gateway closed 2025 with 20.98 million passengers (+9% vs 2024), then publicly projected 2026
UPDATE #2: Bombardier Gripen Canada: what changed after our November 10, 2025 report asked whether Canada might actually build the Saab Gripen at home? New information has also raised the stakes Notably, on November 10, we published our first look at the Bombardier–Saab idea (to read first). At the time, the concept still lived somewhere
Canada gold reserves: how did Canada, a G7 country, go from holding more than 1,023 tonnes of gold to holding none—and why does that decision look even more reckless in today’s risk environment? How did Ottawa go to just 68 ounces recorded on March 31, 2016—and still choose to hold none today? Moreover, the question
