Defense and Space

The UK defense ministry has launched a competition to find what it calls novel, robust and cost-effective technologies to deal with the unmanned air system threat.

Adding satellite manufacturing services to Rocket Lab’s technical portfolio was part of the plan from Day 1, founder and CEO Peter Beck tells Aerospace DAILY.

NASA astronaut Anne McClain and Canadian Space Agency astronaut David Saint-Jacques conducted a 6 1/2-hr. spacewalk outside the ISS on April 8.

Switzerland has begun flight evaluations of the combat aircraft bidding to be the country’s next fighter.

A Boeing F-15E has started the flight test phase for a critical new electronic warfare system for hundreds of the twin-engine fighters, including the proposed F-15X model, the manufacturer announced on April 8.

Leonardo and the Polish defense ministry have signed offset deals in preparation for the awarding of a contract for new AW101 naval helicopters.

Harris Corp. has won an $84 million contract from the Space Enterprise Consortium to build an experimental satellite.

Britain plans to send UK-based F-35 Joint Strike Fighters to Cyprus for a training deployment this summer.

Landspace is working toward firing a complete TQ-12 engine in May following verification of the methane-burning system’s power pack in a hot test.

Israeli companies have completed the initial design of external fuel tanks for the Israeli Air Force’s (IAF) F-35 Adir stealth fighter.

Russia’s plan to transfer control of its S-300 air defense missile batteries in Syria to Syrian control is sparking concern among Israeli forces.

Westcott facility for Reaction Engines core testing takes British high-speed rocket propulsion research back to its post-war roots.

Without adequate funding, the Pentagon is looking at ways to sustain its weaponry for the long term.

High-temperature, Mach 3.3 test paves the way for a hypersonic run for Reaction Engines pre-cooler.

Additional funding will allow the Sikorsky CH-53K heavy-lift helicopter program to continue developmental testing after several deficiencies were identified.

The Polish government has entered negotiations to purchase up to 32 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters.

The Italian government has frozen plans to continue development of Piaggio’s P.1HH Hammerhead unmanned air system just weeks after agreeing to save it.

NASA’s search for commercial alternatives to send an Orion capsule on a flight test around the Moon revealed an interesting configuration for future lunar missions: pairing a SpaceX Falcon Heavy with a ULA upper stage.

Japan’s Hayabusa 2 probe successfully released a plastic explosive charge onto the boulder-strewn surface of its target asteroid Ryugu late April 4.

South Korea’s first two operational Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightnings will go into service next month, the defense ministry said following their arrival in the country.

Elbit Systems of America will buy Harris Corp.’s night-vision business for $350 million when the latter closes its merger with L3 Technologies, the companies announced April 5.

Production of Gripen E for Brazil is starting, but selection of an air-to-air missile for the model is still pending.

The request for information (RFI) provides the competitive field with the first glimpse of the Army’s detailed requirements for replacing the 40-year-old UH-60 design.

The Russian Defense Ministry received the first serial Ilyushin Il-76MD-90A heavy transport aircraft (serial number 0109) in a handover April 2 at the Ulyanovsk-based Aviastar-SP facility.

The U.S. Air Force has awarded a roughly $42 million contract to Sierra Nevada for A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft maintenance and training for the Afghanistan Air Force through 2023.