Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

France and Germany have agreed on a program schedule for its planned Future Combat Air System.

IRIDIUM SATELLITE LLC has $9.1m U.S. Navy contract for commercial satellite-based network services for the Department of Defense.

Moscow’s National University of Science and Technology has built a prototype electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) air taxi for Russian startup Bartini.

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Thales Alenia Space has this week completed a design review for its Stratobus surveillance and communications airship program.

Moscow’s National University of Science and Technology (NUST) MISiS has built a prototype eVTOL air taxi for Russian startup Bartini.

India has issued a letter of request to the U.S. government to buy 24 MH-60 anti-submarine warfare helicopters for its navy at an estimated cost of $2 billion.

Defense electronics company ESG has conducted a manned-unmanned teaming demo with the German military in which a UMS Skeldar R-350 VTOL UAS operated with a manned Bell UH-1D helo.

Dispensing with propellers and turbines, the first flights of an aircraft with solid-state propulsion have been conducted by researchers at MIT.

The International Space Station (ISS) marked two significant milestones in November.

Morocco now has a second satellite in orbit for Earth observation after an Arianespace-operated Vega launcher lofted Mohammed VI-B on Nov. 20.

After waiting one year for an upgraded F-35 ejection seat, female pilot Capt. Kaitlin Clugston began flying the fifth-generation fighter jet in May.

Airbus made two important management appointments on Nov. 21.

Eutelsat has ordered two geostationary satellites from Airbus to replace its existing three Hotbird spacecraft.

A team of six live and 24 virtual UAS has demonstrated the ability to autonomously strike preplanned and pop-up targets without the supervision of a human mission commander, DARPA says.

Airbus Defense and Space Inc. has become the second sat manufacturer awarded a contract under DARPA’s Blackjack program to demo a constellation of low Earth orbit spacecraft.

Austrian aerostructures manufacturer FACC has formed a strategic partnership with Chinese autonomous air taxi developer EHang to prepare the vehicles for production.

NORTHROP GRUMMAN has $489.9m U.S. Air Force contract for three RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 30i air vehicles for Japan.

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) soon will decide whether to continue manufacturing business jets, as the company’s new aviation group forms its strategy.

The Trump administration has started seeking public input on potential new regulations concerning the exporting of several emerging technologies.

A review of Canada’s CF-18 Hornet operations by auditors has found the fleets are unable to meet operational requirements set by the government.

NASA will commission a wide-ranging review next year of the workplace safety culture within SpaceX and Boeing.

BAE Systems Jacksonville Ship Repair, Jacksonville, Florida (N00024-17-D-1007); Colonna Shipyards Inc., Norfolk, Virginia (N40027-17-D-1008); and Metro Machine Corp., Jacksonville, Florida

Japanese engineers, working on replacing fasteners with glue, are applying composite to combat-aircraft substructure as well as the skin.

Draper engineers have developed a countermeasure suited for those garbed in pressurized ascent and entry or jumpsuits who find themselves in high-altitude peril.