Defense and Space

The service wants its legacy airlifters to have laser-based missile defense, modern communications and an engine upgrade.

The F-35’s development program will wrap up one year late in May 2018 and require $1.7 billion more than planned, a new report from the GAO says.

The U.S. Army has awarded Lockheed Martin a multiyear contract worth up to $1.6 billion for full-rate production of the truck-mounted TPQ-53 counterfire radar.

During a call to NASA Astronaut Peggy Whitson aboard the International Space Station April 24, President Trump hinted he might accelerate efforts to reach Mars with astronauts.

Arianespace restarted launch operations April 24 at its spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, where work had been at a standstill during strikes and demonstrations.

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station successfully grappled Orbital ATK’s seventh NASA-contracted Cygnus resupply mission spacecraft early April 22.

The satellite features 12 Ku-band transponders to provide assistance in telemedicine, tele-education, crop productivity and disaster management to the South Asia region.

After modifications to heat critical systems and improve control sticks, the Airbus-sponsored Perlan 2 stratospheric glider has reached 30,615 ft.

Indonesia has ordered Lockheed Martin Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods for its Lockheed Martin F-16s, boosting their interception and ground attack capabilities.

Singapore is upgrading its Boeing AH-64D Apache attack helicopters with new mission systems, apparently as a midlife update for the type.

A top U.S. Army official warns that a year-long continuing resolution would cripple the fledgling Future Vertical Lift effort.

At Arconic, Winston Wolfe is about to meet Gordon Gecko. And the premiere design-and-manufacturing provider could see its strategy changed, along with its CEO.

A memo by Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adam. Bill Moran obtained by Aviation Week directs the commander of the Pacific Fleet to lead an review into recent hypoxia events in U.S. Navy T-45s and F/A-18s.

The U.S. Navy has further restricted flying in the Boeing T-45C Goshawk after one instructor pilot reported headaches after performing dynamic flying in the troubled tandem-seat trainer.

The UK defense ministry has signed a £41 million ($52.36 million) contract that will pave the way for the integration of the MBDA Meteor beyond visual-range air-to-air missile onto the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

The Norwegian government is urging the country’s Parliament to green light Oslo’s membership in the Dutch-led Multinational Multi-Role Tanker Transport Fleet.

Aerojet Rocketdyne has demonstrated a reusable hydrazine monopropellant thruster it prepared for Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner crew capsule.

With dozens of programs springing up to defeat UAV threats, Darpa is trying to nurture revolutionary future counter-UAV technologies.

Liteye Systems and Orbital ATK are pairing their technologies to turn the Boeing AH-64 Apache’s 30-mm chaingun against unfriendly UAVs.

Scientists have been asked to come up with suggestions on what type of satellite and rocket will be required for a Venus probe.

In this week’s Washington Outlook: Navy’s trainer pilots report symptoms of hypoxia, outlook for defense budget showdown, ways to scuttle aircraft sales to Iran and appointees to the Ex-Im Bank.

F-35 to fly with British Typhoons, Dutch F16s and USAF F-15s during UK deployment.

The U.S. Air Force says it still hopes to kick off a multibillion-dollar Bell UH-1N Huey replacement competition this summer and decide a winner in 2018.

Russia’s Soyuz MS-04 crew transport sprinted to the International Space Station early April 20.

An online survey by University of Michigan researchers suggests most people in the U.S. would use them if they become operational.