Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

The German Parliament has approved spending for the Eurodrone medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft system program, paving the way for a quad-national contract to be signed in the next few weeks.

Joby Aviation plans to deliver two of its electric vertical-lift aircraft to the U.S. Air Force this year for flight testing, to be followed by more in 2022 and potentially 2023 under the Agility Prime program.

The owners of aerospace and defense group Sierra Nevada are creating an independent company to take over the former’s space business, to be called Sierra Space, which will sell to the burgeoning low-Earth-orbit and Moon commercial space markets.

Private space sector jobs reached a nine-year high in 2020, according to new Space Foundation analysis of U.S. government data, with the industry employing 148,000 people, while space-related mergers, buyouts and equity financings totaled $18.2 billion.

EASA has published its final special condition for the certification of electric and hybrid propulsion systems for aircraft.

Lockheed Martin is offering a new line of its LM 400 satellites in response to military plans to develop constellations that have a variety of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), and target-acquisition capabilities.

Ahead of a draft solicitation for Space Development Agency satellites, the Pentagon wants to ensure the interoperability of the products.

Turkey’s indigenous within-visual-range air-to-air missile, Bozdogan/Merlin has scored its first aerial kill in flight trials.

Poland is buying five surplus Lockheed C-130H airlifters and will develop Lask AB as the main operating location for its future F-35s.

Blue Origin simulated pre- and post-launch passenger operations as its 15th suborbital launch of the New Shepard lifted off on April 14.

The exemplary support the French government has provided to the country’s aerospace industry has proved effective damage control.

Astranis, a startup aiming to provide lower-cost broadband service from geostationary orbit, has announced $250 million in new financing.

Israel Aerospace Industries and Thales team to offer IAI’s Gabriel V anti-ship missile to meet a UK need for an interim anti-ship weapon.

Airbus completes low-speed flight-envelope testing of its VSR700 naval rotary-wing uncrewed air system.

Orbital Sidekick, a San Francisco-based startup aiming to offer satellite-based hyperspectral imaging and data analytics for the energy sector and others, has wrapped up a $16 million series A investment round, as expected.

The House Armed Services Committee chairman says the Lockheed Martin F-35 program characterizes its flying-hour cost as “a big problem.”

The House Armed Services Committee chairman wants the U.S. to review national security policy and the White House to release the budget.

A Broad Area Announcement (BAA) entitled “Enhanced Hypersonic Defense,” which the MDA released on April 12, requests companies to submit white papers by May 12 for the Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI) program.

The move announced in a March 17 acquisition notice scratches the original plan to award the contract without a competition to Northrop Grumman Mission Systems.

Bell has created a team of potential suppliers in Germany as it offers its Model 525 helicopter as a platform for the Bundespolizei.

Astrobiotic’s Griffin lunar lander, carrying NASA’s water-hunting VIPER rover, will fly on a Falcon Heavy, perhaps in late 2023.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced an additional 500 troops will be based in Germany by the fall.

Blade Urban Air Mobility has struck a deal with Beta Technologies to secure up to 20 Alia electric air taxis.

Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo opened April 13 with an announcement by Textron Aviation of a special edition Beechcraft Bonanza G36 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the iconic six-seat single-engine piston aircraft.

LONDON—Babcock is mulling the sale of its emergency helicopter businesses as part of a streamlining effort after taking a £1.7 billion ($2.3 billion) hit to its profits.