Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

Although the reconciled 2017 defense policy bill drops proposed plus-ups for fighter aircraft procurement, the House Armed Services Committee chairman is hopeful the incoming President Donald Trump administration will boost funds to pay for the additional hardware.
Defense and Space

By Jay Menon
The first developmental flight of India’s heaviest rocket—the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-Mk. 3-D1)—is expected in the first quarter of 2017, a senior government official says.
Defense and Space

By Marhalim Abas
Singapore is set to deploy a radar-equipped aerostat that will provide continuous surveillance of air and sea some 200 km (120 mi.) beyond its borders.
Defense and Space

By Jay Menon
An Indian army helicopter crashed while attempting to land at a base, killing two pilots and an officer.
Defense and Space

XCOR AEROSPACE and IMMORTAL DATA INC. entered licensing agreement to commercialize ShipsLog data acquisition software developed for XCOR Lynx space plane.

Congressional hearings resume in Washington this week.

General Atomics - Aeronautical Systems Inc., Poway, California, has been awarded a $39,777,423 modification (0009) to previously awarded contract FA8620-15-G-4040.

Compromise defense authorization language would provide more money for readiness and higher troop levels instead of plus-ups for fighter aircraft procurement.
Defense and Space

Lawmakers have essentially rejected a Senate effort to kill the F-35 Joint Program Office and split the fighter's upgrade effort into a separate acquisition program.
Defense and Space

The U.S. Air Force is asking Congress for relief from a likely continuing resolution (CR) for the next-generation KC-46 tanker to avoid paying a steep penalty to Boeing.
Defense and Space

The 2017 defense authorization bill will include compromise language that splits the Pentagon’s office for acquisition, technology and logistics into a new undersecretary of research and engineering and an undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment.
Defense and Space

By Mark Carreau
After a dozen years in orbit about giant Saturn, the Cassini spacecraft is set to embark on a “ring grazing” session as the lead-in to a mission “Grand Finale.”
Defense and Space

By Molly McMillin
The Polish Ministry of National Defense has signed a contract to buy two Gulfstream 550 aircraft, with delivery in 2017.
Defense and Space

By Tony Osborne
Oslo plans to buy five P-8s to replace six P-3 Orions and three Dassault Falcon 20 electronic warfare aircraft.
Defense and Space

By Tony Osborne
BAE Systems has completed the first flights of the first two Eurofighter Typhoons destined for Oman.
Defense and Space

By Bradley Perrett
Australia is putting renewed efforts into what has been a neglected national capability in electronic warfare.
Defense and Space

By Michael Bruno
Spirit AeroSystems CEO and President Tom Gentile will not cop to a turnaround for the leading aerostructures provider, but the relatively new chief executive is happy to point out his Wichita company has entered a new moneymaking era.
Defense and Space

By Graham Warwick
A developer of commercially available unmanned aircraft detection systems has unveiled a portable rifle-style jammer that blocks video and forces the drone to land safely and without damage.
Defense and Space

By Mark Carreau
Results of a study may help to narrow the cause of the blurred vision experienced by many long-duration astronauts.
Defense and Space

By Tony Osborne
An independent report into the construction of Britain’s warships has recommended that a new generation of light frigates for the Royal Navy should be built by another British shipyard or an industrial alliance rather than solely by BAE Systems.
Defense and Space

F-22 fighter maintainers are already tackling an issue with the fleet’s stealth coating that, if left untreated, could cause the radar-evading material to peel off the aircraft.
Defense and Space

The Pentagon has awarded Lockheed Martin $1.3 billion to continue production of the next batch of F-35s.
Defense and Space

Israel’s security cabinet has unanimously approved the purchase of an additional 17 F-35s.
Defense and Space

By Mark Carreau
Orbital ATK’s sixth NASA-contracted Cygnus resupply mission to the International Space Station came to its anticipated end late Nov. 27.
Defense and Space

By Thierry Dubois
The European Data Relay System (EDRS), also known as SpaceDataHighway, entered into service last week.
Defense and Space