Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

Customers now "demand smaller, smarter and cost-effective weapons that can hit ad-hoc moving targets," an Elbit official says.

Spirit exhibited the Advanced Structures Technology and Revolutionary Architectures panel, a full-scale demonstration fuselage panel using their new proprietary architecture, at the Paris Air Show.

Airbus Helicopters is to fly a conventional helicopter using an electric backup system in 2020 as part of flight trials with the French Ministry for Transport.

L3 and Saudi Arabia signed joint venture agreement for electro-optical and infrared and special mission systems projects June 18.

The U.S. Air Force wants to purchase up to five new Bombardier Global 6000 business jets, designated as E-11s.

View the Aviation Week Forecasts:Western Scout Helicopter Deliveries/Retirements By Family 2019-2028 chart in PDF format.

Iran shot down a U.S. Navy Broad Area Maritime Surveillance-Demonstrator (BAMS-D) while the unmanned aircraft was flying in international airspace, the Pentagon has confirmed.

L3 and Saudi Arabia signed joint venture agreement for electro-optical and infrared and special mission systems projects June 18.

The first ground runs of the modified Tecnam P2006T light aircraft took place with electric motors and propellers installed.

Lockheed Martin is developing a new air-dominance missile for the U.S. Air Force and Navy with significantly greater range than the AIM-120 Amraam as a counter to China’s new PL-15 weapon, a top U.S. Air Force official says.

“This is the strongest rebuke of [Saudi Arabia] and its leaders since I joined the Senate,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), first elected in 1992.

The U.S. Defense Department’s top sustainment official says a $25,000 cost per flight hour target for the Lockheed Martin F-35A remains achievable by 2025.

Professional association and standards-writer SAE International says it is forming a new committee for applied artificial intelligence (AI) in aviation systems.

As the unit flyaway cost of the Lockheed Martin F-35 dramatically decreases, Boeing argues that the F-15EX will remain a competitive option for the USAF.

Pilots will have to be trained to operate the ageing Tornado platform for at least another decade. But investment in training has not kept pace with the many changes made to the platform.

A company official says first flight for the new type is imminent.

Iran shot down a U.S. Navy Broad Area Maritime Surveillance-Demonstrator aircraft while the UAS was flying in international airspace, the DOD has confirmed.

The Royal Thai Air Force has become the first international customer to update its C-130H transport fleet with the Rolls-Royce T56 Series 3.5 engine upgrade.

GENERAL ATOMICS AERONAUTICAL SYSTEMS has $91m U.S. Air Force contract for UK MQ-9A fleet repair and maintenance services.

Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan will not move forward with his confirmation process after allegations of a 2010 domestic incident surfaced in a news report.

The companies said the agreement combines Raytheon’s expertise in supplying the FAA’s Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System and AirMap’s as a service supplier for the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability.

A California startup developing an electric kinetic launch system has signed its first launch contract, with the Pentagon's Defense Innovation Unit.

Boeing Defense, Space and Security Chief Executive Leanne Caret said the “time was right” to move the company’s space launch HQ.

The National Academy of Sciences says the launch of an IR space observatory is urgently needed to track Near Earth Objects that could threaten Earth.

The Danish company announced it will cut as many as 30 employees by the end of June, with reductions targeted at administrative and manufacturing overhead.