Defense and Space

Defense contractors try new cost-capability trades to unlock Asia-Pacific deals
Defense and Space

By Tony Osborne
Surplus U.S. Army Black Hawks are finding new roles in logging, construction and firefighting.
Air Transport

By Kevin Michaels
The companies’ significant business overlap would have raised major concern with regulatory authorities, and even if it had been approved, the merger would have faced the wrath of customers.
Air Transport

By Guy Norris
The pace of testing KC-46A mission systems, exterior lighting and ultimately aerial refueling will accelerate after March 8.
Defense and Space

By Guy Norris
A Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Airbus KC-30A tanker-transport is conducting refueling tests in the U.S. with F-15 and F-16 aircraft following successful tanking trials with an Edwards AFB, California-based C-17 from the U.S. Air Force’s 412th Test Wing.
Defense and Space

By Jen DiMascio
Air Force Secretary Deborah James listed seven key subcontractors on the B-21 bomber program March 7, including Pratt & Whitney, the likely maker of the engine for the long-range aircraft.
Defense and Space

By Bradley Perrett
Growth in Chinese military spending will fall markedly below economic expansion this year, official figures suggest, while the country separately undertakes reforms to its forces intended to overcome some of their most deep-seated problems.
Defense and Space

Technology and heritage from Orbital ATK’s parent companies are giving the ViviSat satellite servicing a kick-start to operations as early as 2018, with the first customer for a life-extension mission planned in 2018.
Defense and Space

By Tony Osborne
Swiss independent helicopter manufacturer Marenco Swisshelicopter is preparing to begin industrialization of its SKYe SH09 single-engine light helicopter.
Defense and Space

By Tony Osborne
U.S. engineering firm BLR Aerospace is developing aerodynamic improvements for Airbus’ Ecureuil/Astar family of helicopters.
Defense and Space

By Tony Osborne
Rolls-Royce marked Heli Expo 2016 here by reaching agreements with Enstrom and newcomer Innova, as well as securing additional applications with MD Helicopters.
Defense and Space

While the U.S. has already been operating within its operational missile reach, China’s continued weapons buildup on artificial island features could give the country much greater control of the South China Sea and its trading lanes, says Adm. Harry Harris, the Pacific Commander for the U.S.
Defense and Space

By Graham Warwick
Low-speed wind-tunnel tests confirm handling qualities and powered-lift benefits of unconventional Hybrid Wing Body transport configuration.
Defense and Space

By Graham Warwick
Singapore’s submersible UAV; DLR’s unmanned repairman; lightweight allows get a LIFT; AT&T, Intel to connect UAVs; Solar Impulse flying again.
Defense and Space

After continued questions about reliability and related issues with the Remote Multi-Mission Vehicle, the U.S. Navy has put the brakes on the RMMV and is working toward developing other countermine (MCM) systems.
Defense and Space

Norfolk Naval Shipyard has successfully completed USS Maryland’s (SSBN 738) engineered refueling overhaul (ERO), U.S. Navy officials say.
Defense and Space

SpaceX notched another commercial satellite launch March 4 after apparently coming to grips with a problem with its superchillled propellants that thwarted two Falcon 9 launch attempts in February.
Defense and Space

An ad hoc coalition of a dozen industrial and academic organizations with an interest in spaceflight plans to press its case for a steady course in U.S. space spending and policy across the political spectrum in the coming election.
Defense and Space

By Graham Warwick
Aurora Flight Sciences’ LightningStrike vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) X-plane will be “very challenging to demonstrate, but has the potential to move the technology needle farthest” for vertical flight, says Darpa program manager Ashish Bagai.
Defense and Space

By Tony Osborne
The U.K. and French governments have agreed to spend €2 billion ($2.19 billion) on the development of a joint unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) demonstrator to fly by around 2025.
Defense and Space

The U.S. Navy's current operations of the CVN-74 USS John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group in the South China Sea is sending a message to U.S. allies, friends and potential adversaries.
Defense and Space

The U.S. Navy says it recently conducted a successful demonstration of the surface-to-air Standard Missile-6 Block I (SM-6 Block I) from DDG 53 USS John Paul Jones off the Hawaiian coast.
Defense and Space

The U.S. Navy needs to re-evaluate the way it uses contract guarantees to hold contractors responsible, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) says.
Defense and Space

By Tony Osborne
Airbus is proposing using stepped options to arm dual-use helicopters.
Defense and Space

By Guy Norris, Tony Osborne
MD’s Tilton sets ambitious targets for new single and twin light helicopters.
Defense and Space