Flight-control and head-up display changes make landing a Super Hornet on a flightdeck less stressful on the pilot.

Darpa wants to separate payloads from platforms to distribute air warfare; Army offers prizes for lasers that can shoot down mortars and UAVs; Robotic copilot gets a head start; UAV hitches Antarctic balloon ride to 23-km. altitude; Air Force wants a radar that can communicate, navigate and jam.

As the FAA approves commercial operations of unmanned aircraft systems in the U.S., which industry sectors are taking the lead, and whose UASs are they using? Aviation Week takes a look at who and what is being approved under the FAA’s so-called Section 333 process

Cut unwisely now and pay dearly later is the message from U.S. Defense Department science and technology leaders, who fear spending caps threaten development of advanced capabilities that will be needed in future decades.

The digital economy is seeping into every corner of the aerospace and defense industry, and it is just the beginning.

Two German teams are working on a military-funded program that could lead to a world first: an operational air-defense laser.

The technology exists to physically take command away from a pilot and is in operation with the U.S. Air Force.

Mid-size UAV with max-size endurance; Predator-class persistent ISR for small ships; U.S. polysonic tunnel gets a refresh; Israeli AESA guides Lockheed counter-rocket laser; Amazon’s FAA-certified UAS is “obsolete”