Defense and Space

Airbus made two important management appointments on Nov. 21.

Eutelsat has ordered two geostationary satellites from Airbus to replace its existing three Hotbird spacecraft.

A team of six live and 24 virtual UAS has demonstrated the ability to autonomously strike preplanned and pop-up targets without the supervision of a human mission commander, DARPA says.

Airbus Defense and Space Inc. has become the second sat manufacturer awarded a contract under DARPA’s Blackjack program to demo a constellation of low Earth orbit spacecraft.

The IHI XF9-1 achieved its designed output before undergoing the usual tuning process to adjust a new engine for improvements.

The Trump administration has started seeking public input on potential new regulations concerning the exporting of several emerging technologies.

A review of Canada’s CF-18 Hornet operations by auditors has found the fleets are unable to meet operational requirements set by the government.

NASA will commission a wide-ranging review next year of the workplace safety culture within SpaceX and Boeing.

Japanese engineers, working on replacing fasteners with glue, are applying composite to combat-aircraft substructure as well as the skin.

Draper engineers have developed a countermeasure suited for those garbed in pressurized ascent and entry or jumpsuits who find themselves in high-altitude peril.

The European Union has named 17 more cooperative defense research and development programs that will benefit from the EU’s Permanent Structured Cooperation.

Details have emerged on the qualification of Thales’ Talios targeting pod by French procurement agency DGA.

The potential foreign military sales (FMS) of missiles to Japan and munitions kits to NATO are valued at roughly $944 million.

USAFE has begun gearing up for major changes in its UK basing structure in readiness for the arrival of the F-35 and the closure of RAF Mildenhall.

Elbit Systems has formed a JV with Swiss company RUAG to promote the Israeli company’s systems in some European countries and up sales to the Swiss armed forces.

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) has opted to purchase 25 Boeing F-15 Israel Advanced (IA) aircraft, though formal implementation may be delayed by unrelated political turmoil.

Tests have verified aerodynamic and mechanical performance of the bay. Supersonic release is confirmed.

A raging debate over how much a new Space Force will cost taxpayers intensified with the release of a new estimate.

NASA has selected Jezero Crater, an ancient dry lake with diverse landscapes, from among 64 candidates on the red planet as the landing site for its Mars 2020 rover.

European missile manufacturer MBDA has carried out the first firing of its new Marte ER anti-ship missile.

Smaller aerospace fasteners, parts and supply chain services provider Wesco Aircraft is racing to restructure but may already be seeing the effects of the giant acquisition.

Industry is being asked to provide ideas for a key part of the USAF's plan to replace its E-8C J-Stars ground-surveillance fleet with a distributed airborne battle-management system.

The International Space Station’s (ISS) small crew successfully finished greeting back-to-back U.S. and Russian cargo missions early Nov. 19.

The future successor to Northrop’s B-2A and Boeing’s B-1B will be maintained and upgraded from the Air Logistics Center at Tinker Air Force Base outside of Oklahoma City.

Four years after the F-16 received Auto-GCAS, the U.S. Air Force is flight-testing it on the F-35 as the UK looks into introducing the safety system on the JSF.