Defense and Space

By Lee Hudson
The U.S. Marine Corps has opted to pursue an unmanned family-of-systems instead of having one large expensive air vehicle.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Irene Klotz
The Air Force is expected to announce this summer which companies will supply national security space launch services beginning in 2022.
Space Symposium

Brief news items of interest to aerospace & defense professionals.
Defense and Space

By Tony Osborne
Airbus UK and Rolls-Royce have joined a list of companies that have responded to a British government call for the rapid production of medical ventilators to treat people suffering with the COVID-19 virus.
Supply Chain

By Molly McMillin
Organizers have postponed the Arsenal of Democracy Flyover and related events in Washington from May until September, given concerns related to COVID-19.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Steve Trimble
Raytheon is developing new air- and ground-launched versions of the Coyote Block II interceptor for small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) as production ramps up to support surging U.S. Army demand and a newly approved export license.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Tony Osborne
Berlin’s ILA Air Show has become the latest international event to fall victim to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Michael Bruno
Jim Taiclet, a relative outsider, could herald big changes at Lockheed as the Pentagon’s top contractor changes CEO.
Supply Chain

By Jen DiMascio
Alfred “Al” Worden, the command module pilot on the Apollo 15 mission to the Moon, died in his sleep on March 18 in Texas.
Space

By Lee Hudson
The U.S. Air Force has postponed the second demonstration of the Advanced Battle Management System from April to June because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Irene Klotz
A SpaceX Falcon 9 booster, making an unprecedented fifth flight, successfully dispatched another 60 Starlink websats into orbit, then failed to touch down on a drone ship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
Space

By Molly McMillin
Textron Aviation is instituting rolling four-week furloughs for most of its U.S. employees in response to the coronavirus pandemic and to adjust production to anticipated market demand, the company said.
Marketplace

By Mark Carreau
As NASA struggles with cost and schedule challenges in the development of the Space Launch System and Orion crew capsule, it is facing similar difficulties with another key piece of hardware, the Mobile Launcher.
Space

By Guy Norris
Atlanta-based hypersonic aircraft developer Hermeus has completed scaled static and high-speed laboratory tests of a turbine-based combined cycle (TBCC) engine prototype up to Mach 5 and is working on near-term plans to test transition between engine modes.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Lee Hudson
The U.S. Army has awarded Sikorsky $97 million and Bell $84 million for Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft competitive demonstration and risk reduction (CD&RR), the service’s project manager said.
Vertical Lift

By Lee Hudson
U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper has notified Congress that the Pentagon will provide federal health officials with 5 million respirator masks and 2,000 specialized ventilators to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Bradley Perrett
LIG Nex1 is this year beginning a fourth phase in its effort to develop an advanced fighter radar, aiming at reducing the size of transmission and reception units so it can squeeze more power into the nose of a combat aircraft.
Sensors & Electronic Warfare

By Steve Trimble
Eighteen months after Boeing/Saab team won the T-X contract, the T-50 and M-346 continue to compete for USAF deals.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Michael Bruno
Boeing called for the U.S. government to provide a minimum of $60 billion in aid to the aerospace manufacturing community in response to the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis that has cratered air travel and could trigger a worldwide recession.
Aerospace

By Irene Klotz
CAPE CANAVERAL -- NASA on March 17 ordered all employees to work at home, with only mission-critical personnel being allowed on locations throughout
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Steve Trimble
A U.S. Army civilian has tested positive for the COVID-19 disease at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, the home of several aviation- and space-related acquisition, research and testing organizations, base officials said on March 17.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Guy Norris
Launch provider Rocket Lab is being considered by NASA for certification to loft higher value payloads on future research and demonstration missions following initial space agency approval to launch low-cost, small satellites.
Commercial Space

By Jen DiMascio, Lee Hudson
As the Pentagon and defense companies begin to encourage workers to telecommute when possible, the department has begun conducting daily calls with defense trade associations to discuss the impact of COVID-19, according to a Pentagon spokesman.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Graham Warwick
A coating that could cloak objects from infrared sensors by controlling their thermal radiation has been demonstrated by researchers at U.S. universities, with funding support from the U.S. Air Force and Navy.
Sensors & Electronic Warfare

By Tony Osborne
The French Air Force has issued a tender to lease up to 20 Airbus H225 twin-engine heavy helicopters to meet an urgent need to replace its aging Aerospatiale SA330 Puma helicopters.
Aircraft & Propulsion