Defense and Space

A ground-based laser weapon has shot down multiple air-launched missiles in a successful test of a surrogate for a planned aircraft-mounted demonstrator.

Lockheed Martin says there is a path to achieve the Defense Department’s $25,000 flight hour stretch goal for the F-35A by 2025, although Pentagon officials disagree.

The largest trade association representing U.S. aviation manufacturers is calling on the U.S. Senate to confirm three nominees to the Export-Import Bank’s board of directors.

U.S. policy changes regarding Iran and Venezuela have reached the point where analysts and planners may need to think more about implications in 2019-21.

F-35 "Sidekick" lets it haul more firepower; India plans next milsat launch; U.S. lawmakers want more Space Force information; UK’s new defense minister

The Pentagon admits its $25,000 flight hour stretch goal for the Lockheed Martin F-35A is unrealistic to attain by fiscal 2025.

A new missile defense interceptor quietly entered development by the U.S. Air Force in fiscal 2019 under a four-year, $632 million prototyping program.

A planned upgrade will enable F-35s to control unmanned aircraft systems by 2023, just as the U.S. Air Force's AI-enabled Skyborg UAS should be ready for operations.

Despite hopes of flying the aircraft during the Turkish Republic’s centenary in 2023, the company now is planning to fly in 2026.

BAE Systems says the demonstration “ensures the UK has the right technologies and skills in place for the future,” and suggests they could be used on the UK’s Future Combat Air System.

The 10 min., 10 sec. mission marked the 11th test flight for the Kent, Washington-based launch services company’s New Shepard rocket.

India’s national space agency plans to launch its latest radar imaging satellite, Risat-2BR1, by the end of this month.

Cobham Aerospace Communications said it has successfully bench tested a proof-of-concept satellite communications (satcom) system for unmanned aircraft that represents a step change in transmitting high-bandwidth video by satellite. &

After an internal review, the Army drills basic pilot skills before training with virtual reality and in classified scenarios.

Will the U.S. Army finally replace the OH-58D’s armed scout capability with a long-term solution?

House appropriators are frustrated by a lack of information coming from the Defense Department on the Space Force.

Aerojet Rocketdyne continues to show a “solid” business performance, financial analysts said about the company’s latest quarterly report, but its financials have yet to take off.

A device called Sidekick will allow a U.S. Air Force or Navy version of the F-35 to carry six AIM-120 missiles internally instead of four.

Harris Corp.’s and L3 Technologies’ latest quarterly earnings are building expectations for their upcoming merger.

Britain has appointed its first female defense secretary, Penny Mordaunt, following the firing of Gavin Williamson.

Icelandic authorities have begun using an Israeli-made Hermes 900 unmanned aircraft system to patrol the island’s exclusive economic zone.

The U.S. Navy secretary says the service will refuel the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), which was slated for an early retirement because of budget constraints.

Northrop Grumman is to debut the Firebird optionally piloted intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft at the Royal International Air Tattoo in the UK in July.

“The dilemma now is what to purchase first, as the budget will not be enough for the parallel acquisition of the two types,” a senior Israeli source told Aerospace DAILY.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan warned in a speech April 30 that the F-35 program would “collapse” if the U.S. government follows through on threats to eject Turkey from the multi-national program.