Defense and Space

French Minister of Armed Forces Florence Parly signed a contract on Jan. 14 for the development of the Dassault Rafale F4 standard.

Nine Northrop Grumman E-2D airborne early warning aircraft that Japan plans to buy over the coming five fiscal years will cost an average of $242 million each.

China’s Chang’e 4 lunar mission is overcoming the challenges of rough terrain on the far side of the Moon.

SpaceX’s 16th NASA-contracted Dragon cargo mission to the International Space Station splashed down early Jan. 14 in the Pacific Ocean.

Azerbaijan has acquired the Elbit Systems SkyStriker loitering weapon system as part of its plan to acquire autonomous strike capabilities.

Nearly $3 billion worth of venture capital (VC) was invested in space companies in 2018, according to a new update from Space Angels.

Howard Lance, the chief executive and a key architect of the transformation of Maxar Technologies, has resigned immediately and been replaced by Daniel Jablonsky.

BAE Systems said it will sign a lease to open an office at the new Georgia Cyber Center in Augusta.

The office of Brazil’s new president, Jair Bolsonaro, said he would not block Boeing’s proposed purchase of 80% of Embraer’s commercial business, or a separate joint venture to sell KC-390s.

The U.S. Army has announced plans to award Boeing a contract to produce up to 14 new CH-47F helicopters upgraded with advanced rotor blades, an improved drive train and a lightweight fuel system.

Boeing’s purchase of most of Embraer’s commercial aircraft business and rights to sell military KC-390s may be a boon to the former, already the world’s largest aerospace and defense provider, but credit analysts say it will leave the Brazilian airplane maker with a weaker financial profile for the near future.

The Pentagon has released F-35 sustainment affordability constraint data by aircraft variant, according to a report viewed by Aerospace DAILY.

SpaceX successfully launched the Iridium-8 mission via a Falcon 9 rocket on Jan. 11.

India has announced launch dates for the country’s two biggest upcoming space missions: its second Moon mission and its first manned spaceflight.

Croatia and Israel have agreed to cancel the sale of secondhand F-16 fighters to Croatia after Tel Aviv failed to secure U.S. OKs to transfer the aircraft.

A survey of top executives in aerospace, defense and government services found industry leaders expect M&As to increase slightly or remain the same in 2019.

Laos has taken delivery of at least three Yakovlev Yak-130 twin-engine trainers.

Newly released documents reveal the timing, depth and risks posed by the Pentagon’s broad hypersonic weapons plan.

A newly-launched prototyping program could lead to a fleet-wide electronic warfare upgrade for the U.S. Air Force’s more than 900 F-16s.

Outgoing Airbus CEO Tom Enders has urged British parliamentarians to urgently agree on an orderly exit from the European Union.

Textron Systems plans a significant strategy shift into unmanned military platforms, according to the division’s relatively new chief executive.

The office of Brazil’s new president said he would not block Boeing’s proposed purchase of 80% of Embraer’s commercial business, or a separate joint venture to sell KC-390s.

Britain has declared an initial operating capability (IOC) with the short takeoff and landing version of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

David Thompson, co-founder of Orbital Sciences, has been chosen to receive the Rotary National Award for Space Achievement Foundation’s National Space Trophy.

The USAF has accepted the first KC-46A from Boeing after it agreed to fix deficiencies discovered in developmental testing of the Remote Vision System.