The commercial market was dominant in 2015, with few new military programs. The FAA closed out the year with a rushed task force to set recommendations for registering the inundation of commercial “drones.”

Jails fear UAV smuggling; France leads UAV smallsat launcher; Darpa aims for ubiquitous lidar; Roke takes cellular to high altitude; Airbus Perlan glider moves to new test phase.

With its arrival at Incirlik air base Dec. 10, the Luftwaffe is preparing missions over Syria. Luftwaffe Brig.Gen. Andreas Schick, commander of the German contingent in Incirlik, declared upon arrival with a 40-strong advance party, "As of today, we are ready for operations."

The U.S. export credit agency is back but needs a board of directors. Meanwhile, the fight continues over Russian RD-180 rocket engines.

Two Tornado Recce aircraft of Taktischer Luftwaffengeschwader (Tactical Air Force Squadron) 51 "Immelmann" took off from their base in Jagel Dec. 10 for Incirlik, Turkey, from where they will fly missions over Syria in support of the international coalition fighting the so-called Islamic State.

This week's big talking points in aerospace and defense, including a successful third round of flight tests for BAE Systems' Taranis Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle.

Ukraine’s Antonov has struggled since the collapse of the Soviet Union and suffered from the recent schism with its biggest customer, Russia, but the manufacturer is making a comeback with new designs and upgrades.

Gallium nitride semiconductors are upgrading electronic warfare, easing communications and improving radar.