Textron Aviation Defense Secures First Contract to Deliver Beechcraft T-6 Texan II Integrated Training System to Japan

 

Textron Aviation Defense Secures First Contract to Deliver Beechcraft T-6 Texan II Integrated Training System to Japan

WICHITA, Kan., Dec 23 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Textron Aviation Defense LLC, a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, today announced that the company has finalized its first contract to deliver the Beechcraft T-6JP Texan II integrated training system to Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), in coordination with Kanematsu Corporation. The initial contract includes two Beechcraft T-6JP Texan II aircraft and instructor pilot and aircraft maintainer training materials. Deliveries of the first two aircraft are scheduled for 2029, with additional contracts anticipated.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251221925354/en/ 

The Beechcraft T-6 Texan II is designed and manufactured by Textron Aviation Defense LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Textron Aviation Inc.

“This contract marks a pivotal step in strengthening Japan’s next-generation pilot training capabilities,” said Travis Tyler, president and CEO, Textron Aviation Defense. “We’re honored to support the Japan Air Self-Defense Force with a proven, interoperable training system that’s trusted by air forces around the world and tailored to meet Japan’s mission requirements for decades to come.”

With more than 1,000 aircraft in service and over 5 million flight hours logged, the T-6 Texan II is the world’s most widely adopted integrated training system. Now including Japan, it supports pilot training across 15 nations, pilots from 40 countries at two NATO flight schools and multiple U.S. military branches.

Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force’s choice of the Beechcraft T-6 Texan II platform reflects confidence in Textron Aviation Defense’s military training systems.

About the Beechcraft T-6 Texan II

The Beechcraft T-6 Texan II is the world’s premier military flight trainer. Backed by more than 95 years of experience delivering more than 255,000 aircraft worldwide, the Texan II’s low acquisition, operating and sustainment costs enable global air forces to fast-track pilot production. With an installed base that more than quadruples its closest competitor, the family of Beechcraft T-6 Texan II aircraft has been the world’s number one integrated training system (ITS) for more than 20 years. The Texan II capitalizes on an active production line with an industry-leading Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) rating of 10 as well as a proven supply chain.

About Textron Aviation Defense LLC

With a legacy of thousands of proven Beechcraft and Cessna Integrated Training Systems produced and missionized in America’s Heartland since WWII, military customers turn to Textron Aviation Defense when they need airborne solutions for their critical missions. Provider of the world’s foremost military flight trainer, Textron Aviation Defense equips militaries worldwide and leads in low acquisition, sustainment and training costs. The Beechcraft T-6 Texan II fleet of more than 1,000 aircraft has logged more than 5 million hours across two NATO military flight schools and fifteen countries since 2001. Textron Aviation Defense is a subsidiary of Textron Aviation Inc. For more information, visit www.defense.txtav.com

About Textron

Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell, Cessna, Beechcraft, Pipistrel, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, and Textron Systems. For more information, visit: www.textron.com.

Certain statements in this press release may project revenues or describe strategies, goals, outlook or other non-historical matters; these forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update them. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the efficacy of research and development investments to develop new products or unanticipated expenses or delays in connection with the launching of significant new products or programs; and risks related to U.S. Government contracts as described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251221925354/en/ 

Contact

Media Contact:
Doug Scott
+1.316.347.0116
dscott2@txtav.com
txtav.com 

Source : Textron Inc. 

--BERNAMA 

HARMAN Acquires ZF's ADAS Business For 1.5 Bln Euros To Boost SDV Platform

 

Mathias Miedreich, CEO of ZF Group; Young Sohn, Chairman of the Board of Directors, HARMAN and Senior Advisor, Samsung Electronics; and Christian Sobottka, Chief Executive Officer and President, Automotive Division, HARMAN, sign a definitive agreement for HARMAN to acquire ZF’s ADAS business – strengthening HARMAN’s leadership in software-defined vehicles and advancing a unified safety-to-experience platform for automakers worldwide.

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 24 (Bernama) -- HARMAN International, a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) business of ZF Group for 1.5 billion euros, strengthening its position in the fast-evolving software-defined vehicle (SDV) market. (1 Euro = RM4.77)

The acquisition includes ZF’s automotive compute platforms, smart cameras, radars and ADAS software, significantly expanding HARMAN’s capabilities in assisted and automated driving technologies, according to a statement.

“The industry is at an inflection point where safety, intelligence and in-cabin experience must converge through a unified computing architecture,” said HARMAN Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and President, Automotive Division, Christian Sobottka, adding that the deal positions the company to deliver more context-aware and personalised vehicle experiences.

Meanwhile, ZF Group CEO, Mathias Miedreich said the transaction enables it to unlock the growth potential of its ADAS business while supporting debt reduction and sharpening its focus on core technologies.

HARMAN said the transaction advances its “Consumer Experiences. Automotive Grade.” strategy, which aims to integrate safety, assisted driving, connectivity and in-vehicle intelligence through centralised vehicle architectures that meet automotive-grade standards.

By combining ZF’s ADAS portfolio with HARMAN’s flagship Digital Cockpit solutions, the company plans to accelerate the development of centralised compute platforms that unify driving assistance, safety and user experiences on a shared architecture, reducing system complexity and enabling faster innovation cycles for automakers.

Approximately 3,750 ZF employees across Europe, the Americas and Asia are expected to transition to HARMAN following the close of the transaction, which is anticipated in the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals.

Upon completion, HARMAN will integrate the acquired ADAS capabilities into its centralised compute and digital cockpit roadmap, reinforcing its role in shaping next-generation intelligent and connected vehicles. The parties highlighted a continued commitment to supporting existing customer programmes.

-- BERNAMA

​AM Best Revises Outlook to Positive for Min Xin Insurance Company Limited

HONG KONG, Dec 22 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- AM Best has revised the outlooks to positive from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “bbb+” (Good) of Min Xin Insurance Company Limited (MXIC) (Hong Kong).

These Credit Ratings (ratings) reflect MXIC’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

The revision of the outlooks to positive from stable reflects the stronger level of parental support that MXIC is expected to receive over the intermediate term. The expected parental support includes significant capital injections and profitable business expansions from group-related channels and risks.

MXIC is 100% owned by its immediate parent, Min Xin Holdings Limited (MXHL), a holding company listed via Hong Kong Stock Exchange for over 40 years. MXHL is majority owned by its ultimate parent, Fujian Investment & Development Group Co., Ltd. (FIDG), a Chinese state-owned enterprise and the investment platform of the Fujian provincial government. AM Best believes MXIC’s parents have sufficient capability to provide the expected explicit and implicit support.

AM Best believes the willingness to provide support is in place, and is evident by an escalated level of capital injections. The parent companies also support MXIC’s profitable expansion into group-related business. MXIC has recently established its new bancassurance partnership with an associated bank under MXHL that is located in Hong Kong. Besides leveraging the support from FIDG, the company is exploring inward business opportunities from FIDG-related risks in Chinese Mainland. If this materialises, such elevated, sustained parental support could enhance MXIC’s credit fundamentals over the longer term.

The company’s balance sheet strength assessment of strong is underpinned by its risk-adjusted capitalisation level, which was at the strongest level as of year-end 2024, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR). Despite the limited size of its capital & surplus, MXIC has achieved substantial growth in its capital over the past decade, mostly attributable to capital injections and full retention of net profit. Other supporting factors include its healthy regulatory solvency position, good liquidity and appropriate reinsurance arrangements.

AM Best views MXIC’s operating performance as adequate. The company has maintained a stable top-line since 2022, and a positive bottom line over the years. In 2024, the company delivered a net profit of HKD 13.8 million with a return-on-equity ratio of 4.2%. The company’s profitable bottom line was primarily driven by a steady investment return, mainly supported by favourable interest and rental income. Conversely, MXIC’s underwriting profitability has been thin over the years, largely attributable to its high expenses relative to the small premium scale.

Established in 1974, MXIC is a long-standing player in Hong Kong and Macau’s non-life insurance markets. Whilst maintaining a diversified underwriting portfolio in property damage, motor, employees’ compensation, travel and accident, MXIC remains a small player in Hong Kong and a mid-sized player in Macau. As of year-end 2024, approximately 60% of its premium is generated from Macau, leveraging on its affiliated bancassurance channel in Macau to source profitable property fire business.

Positive rating actions could occur if the expected upscaled support that MXIC receives from its parent materialises and leads to a sustainable enhancement of its current credit fundamental. Negative rating actions could arise if there is material deterioration in the company's operating profitability or the risk-adjusted capitalisation.

Ratings are communicated to rated entities prior to publication. Unless stated otherwise, the ratings were not amended subsequent to that communication.

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best’s website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best’s Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best’s Credit Ratings, Best’s Performance Assessments, Best’s Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best’s Ratings & Assessments.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specialising in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright © 2025 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251219020851/en/ 

Contact

Aaron Li
Associate Financial Analyst
+852 2827 3426
aaron.li@ambest.com

Lucie Huang
Senior Financial Analyst
+852 2827 3414
lucie.huang@ambest.com

Christopher Sharkey
Associate Director, Public Relations
+1 908 882 2310
christopher.sharkey@ambest.com

Al Slavin
Senior Public Relations Specialist
+1 908 882 2318
al.slavin@ambest.com

Source : AM Best

--BERNAMA 

​Fushi Technology Partners with Jumbo to Build Long-Term Growth Momentum with One-Stop Customer Loyalty Solution

SHENZHEN, China, Dec 19 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fushi Technology has officially launched its CRM membership management product for Jumbo.

Fushi is a leading AI services provider for merchants & consumers in Asia, offering comprehensive, full-scenario SaaS solutions to businesses worldwide.

Jumbo is a renowned chain seafood brand founded in Singapore in 1987, famous among customers for its signature Singapore-style Chilli Crab and Black Pepper Crab. The brand has now expanded its presence to countries including China, Vietnam, and Thailand.

This membership management product is built upon Fushi's self-developed, all-in-one intelligent customer loyalty and marketing automation platform. It is designed to enhance Jumbo's capability in managing customer assets, further improve customer retention rates, and create a seamless dining experience for their users.

Through Fushi's CRM solution, Jumbo can achieve deep integration across its multiple restaurant outlets, allowing diners to accumulate points and redeem rewards across venues. By incorporating multiple service features and reward mechanisms such as integrated loyalty points, e-vouchers, and mobile ordering, the solution helps Jumbo optimize the entire consumer journey from reservation to payment.

According to public data, the Southeast Asian region, with a population of over 600 million and high penetration of mobile payments, offers broad prospects for the F&B and retail markets. However, local merchants commonly face challenges such as high customer acquisition costs, low conversion rates, and difficulty in measuring marketing ROI. Recognizing this market gap, Fushi precisely addresses it by providing digital tools that empower merchants to shift their operational focus from "traffic acquisition" to "existing customer value maximization." This enables refined operation and value enhancement of customer assets, helping merchants gain a competitive edge and overcome growth bottlenecks in the rapidly evolving market.

The successful deployment of this collaborative product not only signifies important market recognition for Fushi's CRM offerings, but also signals that forward-thinking dining brands like Jumbo are adopting advanced SaaS tools to build sustainable growth momentum. This trend is expected to open up even broader market prospects for Fushi.

Isabel Liu
Email: isabelliu@yeahka.com
Phone: +86 18340816726 

SOURCE: Shenzhen Fushi Technology Co., Ltd.

--BERNAMA 

Kioxia SSDs Compatible With Microchip's Adaptec SmartRAID 4300 Accelerator

 

KIOXIA CD8P Series Data Center SSD, KIOXIA CM7 Series Enterprise SSD, and KIOXIA CD8 Series Data Center SSD 

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 18 (Bernama) -- Kioxia Corporation announced that three of its solid-state drives (SSDs) have been successfully tested for compatibility and interoperability with the Adaptec SmartRAID 4300 Series RAID storage accelerator card from Microchip Technology Inc.

The SSDs are 2.5-inch KIOXIA CM7 Series Enterprise PCIe 5.0 NVMe 2.0, KIOXIA CD8P Series Data Center PCIe 5.0 NVMe 2.0 and KIOXIA CD8 Series Data Center PCIe 4.0 NVMe 1.4.

According to Kioxia in a statement, the Adaptec SmartRAID 4300 accelerator supports up to 32 NVMe SSDs, with each drive directly connected to the central processing unit (CPU) via its own dedicated channel.

This architecture eliminates the PCIe bottleneck typically associated with a traditional single x16 host interface, allowing each SSD to operate at peak performance.

The design delivers high throughput and input/output operations per second (IOPS), making it well suited for data-intensive enterprise and data centre applications.

Kioxia said the successful testing underscores the importance of ecosystem collaboration and interoperability in enabling seamless integration of current and next-generation data centre technologies.

A global leader in memory solutions, Kioxia is engaged in the development, production and sale of flash memory and SSDs, providing products and systems that deliver value to customers and society.

-- BERNAMA

Hilton, Explora Journeys Launch Luxury Ocean Loyalty Tie-Up

 

Hilton and Explora Journeys announce an exclusive collaboration as part of the debut of Hilton Honors Adventures.

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 (Bernama) -- Hilton and Explora Journeys, the ultra-luxury ocean travel brand of MSC Group, have unveiled an exclusive partnership that brings high-end cruising into Hilton’s global loyalty ecosystem, marking Hilton’s first major expansion into luxury ocean travel.

Hilton president, global brands and commercial services, Chris Silcock said the partnership creates the perfect moment to introduce Hilton Honors Adventures, opening new ways for members to explore iconic and lesser-known destinations through elevated experiences.

Meanwhile, Explora Journeys president, Anna Nash said this partnership unites two brands committed to thoughtful travel, meaningful connection, and deep discovery.

She added that the collaboration blends the freedom of ocean travel with personalised, well-being-focused hospitality.

Central to the collaboration is the debut of Hilton Honors Adventures, a new extension of Hilton’s award-winning guest loyalty programme focused on immersive, adventure-driven travel, according to a statement.

Beginning summer 2026, Hilton Honors members will be able to earn and redeem Points on Explora Journeys’ voyages spanning the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Caribbean and beyond. Explora Journeys currently operates two ships, with plans to grow its fleet to six vessels by 2028.

To mark the launch, Hilton Honors members can access a limited-time preview offer through June 7, 2026, featuring exclusive benefits on all Explora Journeys itineraries, with 16 curated sailings highlighted for added value and early access ahead of full Points integration.

The initiative builds on Hilton Honors’ reach of more than 235 million members worldwide and complements its portfolio of over 9,000 properties, including more than 1,000 luxury and lifestyle hotels, while extending loyalty benefits into fast-growing experiential travel segments.

With ocean travel gaining momentum among travellers seeking slower, more immersive journeys, the Hilton-Explora alliance positions both brands at the intersection of luxury hospitality, experiential travel and loyalty innovation.

-- BERNAMA

Bitget Launches Gold, Forex and Commodities Markets for Crypto Users

VICTORIA, Seychelles, Dec 17 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bitget, the world’s largest Universal Exchange (UEX), today announced the launch of the private beta for Bitget TradFi, a new cross-market feature that gives crypto users direct access to global forex, metals, commodities, indices, and stock CFDs using USDT as margin. Selected users are now able to test this new feature with limited early-access capabilities.

The addressable market is vast. According to the Bank for International Settlements, global FX turnover has reached around $9.6 trillion per day, up nearly 30% from 2022, while OTC interest-rate and FX derivatives trade in the trillions daily and sit on top of more than $700 trillion in notional outstanding. Retail access to this activity is increasingly delivered via CFDs, with the global CFD broker market estimated at $5.6 billion in 2025 revenues and projected to almost double by 2035. Bitget TradFi positions the exchange to tap into this growing segment by bringing it onto the same rails as digital assets.

TradFi allows existing Bitget users to trade major FX pairs, gold and other mainstream CFD products from the same platform they already use for spot, futures, copy trading and tokenized stocks. All positions are margined and settled in USDT, removing the need for separate broker accounts, local bank wires or currency conversions. The product combines deep institutional liquidity, tight spreads and leverage of up to 500x within a framework regulated by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) of Mauritius. The platform’s fee structure is also designed to be highly competitive, with rates starting as low as $0.09 per lot and VIP users enjoying some of the industry’s most favorable trading conditions.

"The shift in wealth management is happening now, assets that were previously only available on certain niche markets are now on Bitget. This is historic; crypto, stocks, gold, forex and commodities now coexist under a single system. This is what an universal exchange merging wealth management under a roof looks like, it's now present day finance," said Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget.

The launch builds on Bitget’s strong track record in bridging TradFi and crypto. Earlier this year, the platform’s tokenized U.S. stock futures surpassed $10 billion in cumulative trading volume, showing sustained demand for 24/7, USDT-settled exposure to traditional assets. Bitget TradFi extends that model from equity derivatives into the broader FX and CFD universe, allowing users to move capital fluidly between crypto, tokenized stocks and macro markets inside a single interface.

By turning one platform into a gateway to both digital and traditional instruments, Bitget TradFi advances the company’s UEX strategy: making global markets more accessible, capital-efficient and borderless for people everywhere.

For more details, visit here.

About Bitget

Established in 2018, Bitget is the world's largest Universal Exchange (UEX), serving over 120 million users with access to millions of crypto tokens, tokenized stocks, ETFs, and other real-world assets, while offering real-time access to Bitcoin price, Ethereum price, XRP price and other cryptocurrency prices, all on a single platform. The ecosystem is committed to helping users trade smarter with its AI-powered trading tools, interoperability across tokens on Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and BNB Chain, and wider access to real-world assets. On the decentralized side, Bitget Wallet is an everyday finance app built to make crypto simple, secure, and part of everyday finance. Serving over 80 million users, it bridges blockchain rails with real-world finance, offering an all-in-one platform to on/off ramp, trade, earn, and pay seamlessly.

Bitget is driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships, such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World's Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM markets. Aligned with its global impact strategy, Bitget has joined hands with UNICEF to support blockchain education for 1.1 million people by 2027. In the world of motorsports, Bitget is the exclusive cryptocurrency exchange partner of MotoGP™, one of the world’s most thrilling championships.

For more information, visit: Website | Twitter | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord | Bitget Wallet

For media inquiries, please contact: media@bitget.com

Risk Warning: Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to our Terms of Use.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9680eab9-c3da-41f5-af21-8b4d908b1b1d 

SOURCE: Bitget Limited

DISCLAIMER: BERNAMA MREM are not accountable for any causes of website defacement, misuse, or illegal activities connected to cryptocurrency, blockchain, tokenisation, or bitcoin. This material should not be considered as guidance or an opinion, as it does not constitute financial or investment advice. Use this information at your own risk; we are not liable for any losses or damages caused by the republication of this article.