Defense and Space

By Tony Osborne
Tunisia is to be the first foreign customer for Turkish Aerospace’s (TAI) Anka medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned air system.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Tony Osborne
Switzerland now has armed aircraft on duty around the clock for air policing duties, boosting the readiness of the country’s air force.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Steve Trimble
Michele Evans, the executive vice president for Aeronautics at Lockheed Martin, died on Jan. 1, the company said.
Supply Chain

John Schmidt
COVID-19 may force companies to change their supply chains, workforces and digital resilience.
Program Management

By Steve Trimble
The 81-13 vote by the Senate easily exceeded the 67-member majority needed for the chamber to override a presidential veto and follows a similarly overwhelming vote by the House of Representatives.
Budget, Policy & Operations

AUSTRALIA announced plan to acquire two more P-8As from Boeing via FMS contract with US Navy, increasing fleet to 14.
Defense and Space

AUSTRALIA has declared Initial Operational Capability (IOC) for its F-35As, and is the seventh country to do so; RAAF currently has fleet of 33 F-35As
Defense and Space

By Maxim Pyadushkin
Arianespace has successfully delivered the French CSO-2 Earth observation satellite into Sun-synchronous orbit aboard a Russian-built Soyuz ST-A medium-lift launch vehicle.
Space

By Lee Hudson
The fiscal 2021 defense policy bill veto override vote has been delayed in the Senate because it is instead focused on passing additional COVID-19 relief for individuals.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Piotr Butowski
The first Su-57 Felon fighter appears to have been handed over to the Russian Ministry of Defense this month, with reports from spotters as the only confirmation.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Michael Bruno
If successful, the deal bolsters Lockheed against large primes while providing the best outcome for AJR after overhaul in recent years.
Supply Chain

By Lee Hudson
The House voted 322-87 on Dec. 28 to override President Donald Trump’s veto of the $740.5 billion fiscal 2021 defense policy legislation, and the Senate plans to vote on the measure Dec. 29.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Steve Trimble
Lockheed Martin announced on Dec. 28 that it had delivered 120 F-35As in 2020, a year complicated by supply chain disruptions of the program’s global production system.
Supply Chain

By Steve Trimble
All Defense Department offices have been ordered to comb through five years of internal costs related to FMS cases, according to a Defense Security Cooperation Agency memo.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Tony Osborne
With just seven days before the end of the Brexit transition agreement, the UK and the European Union have finally agreed on a future trading relationship.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Michael Bruno
The remaining core of defense electronics specialist Sparton finally has a new strategic owner, with the U.S. subsidiary of Israel’s Elbit Systems agreeing to buy it for $380 million, the companies announced Dec. 23.
Sensors & Electronic Warfare

By Lee Hudson
The House plans to reconvene Dec. 28 for a vote to override the decision, while the Senate is scheduled to return for business Dec. 29.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Mark Carreau
Denver-based Voyager Space Holdings, Inc. plans to acquire a majority stake in XO Markets and its largest subsidiary, Houston-based Nanoracks, which earlier this month launched the commercial Bishop airlock to the International Space Station.
Space

The decision late Dec. 22 by the U.S. Government Accountability Office blocks Raytheon’s repeated attempts to force the SDA to start over by issuing a new request for proposals.
Space

Aviation Week Staff
Japan approved its fiscal 2021 defense budget of ¥5.34 trillion ($51.6 billion) on Dec. 21 with a sliver of an increase at 0.5% over the fiscal 2020 amount.
Budget, Policy & Operations

Aviation Week Staff
The Japanese Defense Ministry on Dec. 18 formally announced it has selected Lockheed Martin to provide “system integration support” to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in developing its F-X fighter.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Steve Trimble
The authorization for the possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) valued at $128.1 million came after the State Department accepted a letter of request from the Kazakhstan government.
Sensors & Electronic Warfare

By Tony Osborne
NATO is hoping to declare an initial operating capability for its Alliance Ground Surveillance fleet of Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawks in early 2021 after plans were delayed by the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Tony Osborne
Saab is studying life extension options for Sweden’s Gripen fighter fleet after the country’s government approved plans to keep the type in service beyond 2030.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Steve Trimble
A new contract to replace five CC-150 multirole tanker-transports operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force has started a process to qualify companies to enter a competition.
Aircraft & Propulsion