Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

Sensor and weapon maker Raytheon is re-entering the unmanned-aircraft platform business with the acquisition of Sensintel, a development of small UAS for intelligence and special operations markets.

Responding to questions in Parliament, defense equipment minster Philip Dunne told MPs that recent trials with the Honeywell Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System II (TCAS II) had found that more modifications were required to aircraft hardware and software to ensure compatibility with Tornado avionics.

NASA’s Commercial Crew Program faces safety risks because of a lack of transparency, according to the latest annual assessment of the agency’s programs by the independent Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP).

The service is using a virtual “demo space” called Strike Group Defender: The Missile Matrix to prepare sailors for how to handle missile attacks.

The Saint-Cloud, France-based aircraft maker delivered 66 Falcon jets last year compared to 77 in 2013. And as was the case in 2013, Dassault delivered 11 Rafale combat aircraft last year to the French armed forces.

China will probably refrain from any deals with its neighbor that will cause possible rifts with the U.S., an Asia expert says.

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers DDG 89 USS Mustin and DDG 56 USS John S. McCain just concluded a series of bilateral training exercises with the South Korean navy in international waters east and west of the Korean peninsula.

LONDON—An eleventh person has died following the crash of a Hellenic Air Force (HAF) F-16 Fighting Falcon at an airbase in Spain. A French serviceman

GENERAL DYNAMICS earned $737m on revenues of $8.4b in Q4 2014. Full-year 2014 earnings were $2.7b on revenues of $30.9b. AUSTRALIA’s first F-35A pilot

/site-files/aviationweek.com/files/uploads/2015/01/asd_01_29_2015_dossier1.pdf B-1B Lancer Specifications (See pp. 7-10 for full B-1 Program Dossier) Designation: B-1B Manufacturer:

Definition: The B-1B Lancer (a.k.a. "The Bone") is a U.S. long-range, heavy bomber. It was produced by Rockwell International and is currently sustained by Boeing.

The Jan. 28 contract modification is worth $382.9 million for three missions. It is part of a $4.7 billion “bulk buy” contract including a guarantee of 36 engine cores – 28 missions – for ULA.

Domingo Ureña-Raso, who oversaw development of the Airbus A400M, has been forced to resign because of delays in getting the airlifter into service.

The Indago will provide intelligence on hot spots and fire lines at night when manned aircraft are not permitted to fly.

While the Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (Sewip) appears to be going well, more realistic testing is needed for the system, Director, Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) says in its annual report, released earlier this month.

Boeing and the U.S. Army are in discussions on multiyear procurement of the upgraded AH-64E Apache.

Such a requirement would “impede” on air-defense missions and operations already performed by the Aegis combat systems aboard Navy destroyers and cruisers, a Navy official says.

Boeing had committed itself to building another 10 of the airlifters, and has sold three of this final batch so far.

Members of the new senior management team at aerospace and industrial conglomerate United Technologies Corp. (UTC) might be old, but they are pleasing Wall Street with movements toward growth.

PARIS—Airbus Helicopters says it will fly the first prototype of its new X4 twin-engine medium helicopter later this year, after achieving power-on

BOEING has $296m foreign military sales contract for eight AH64E Apache attack helicopters for Indonesia; work to be performed in Mesa, AZ, completed

Gulfstream continues to see strong demand for its products. Sales in last year’s fourth quarter, in fact, were higher than in any quarter in more than three years, the company said.

Noting that the 747-8 is the only platform "manufactured in the United States [that] when fully missionized meets the necessary capabilities established to execute the presidential support mission," Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said competition will be sought at the subsystem level for the program.

The Scorpion military twin-engine jet is receiving significant interest from potential international customers, Textron Chairman and CEO Scott Donnelly says.

The German defense ministry has reactivated the Euro Hawk program, though the project’s final shape remains unclear.