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Magazine Issue

Aerospace Daily & Defense Report, January 21, 2026

VOL. 295 NO. 13 January 21, 2026
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The Debrief

Boeing
article

Debrief: Appropriators Tell DOD To Get F/A-XX Straight

Jan 20, 2026
For almost a year, the Pentagon’s pause and review of the U.S. Navy’s F/A-XX program has tested the patience of the competitors.

Daily Briefs

In Brief

Programs

Hedge fund Elliott Investment Management has made an investment in hypersonic flight company Stratolaunch believed to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars Image credit: Stratolaunch
article

Hedge Fund Elliott Invests In Stratolaunch

Jan 20, 2026
The hedge fund Elliott Investment Management has made a “significant” investment in hypersonic flight company Stratolaunch.
aw159
article

Philippines Acquires Six ASW Helicopters

Jan 19, 2026
The Philippines signed a contract for six anti-submarine-warfare helicopters, according to a report detailing the Defense Department's approved acquisitions.
Douglas A-4 Skyhawk
article

Top Aces Awarded German Red Air Operational Training Contract

Jan 20, 2026
Canada’s Top Aces has secured a 10-year, €420 million ($493 million) contract to provide the German air force with adversary red air training services.
MQ-9B SkyGuardian also known as the Reaper or Predator An aerial surveillance drone which can also be armed with a Paveway missile. Photo: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc Contributor: Pictorial Press Ltd
article

GA-ASI Partners With UAE-Based Calidus For MQ-9B Production

Jan 20, 2026
General Atomics-Aeronautical Systems Inc. has signed up an Emirati company to co-produce MQ-9B Sea Guardians.
Vast
article

Vast Station Launch Slips To 2027

Jan 20, 2026
Vast is delaying launch of its Haven-1 demonstration space station from May to the first quarter of 2027, the company said Jan. 20.
italian air force helicopter
article

Italy To Establish Joint Helicopter Training School

Jan 20, 2026
Italy is establishing a rotary-wing flying school to train pilots for all the country’s armed forces, parapublic agencies as well as from overseas militaries.
l-159
article

Czech Ministers Reject Proposals For Ukraine L-159 Transfer

Jan 19, 2026
Czech ministers have rejected proposals made by the country’s president to offer Aero Vodochody L-159 Advanced Light Combat aircraft to Ukraine.
Uvision
article

Israeli System Makes First Cut For U.S. Loitering Munition Deal

Jan 17, 2026
The Israeli-designed Hero-90 became the first man-portable loitering munition to advance in the U.S. Army’s competition for the LASSO contract.
spacerise iris2 rendering
article

SpaceRise Begins Military Ka-Band Service For IRIS²

Jan 20, 2026
The SpaceRise consortium developing the EU's IRIS2 autonomous secure satellite broadband constellation says it has brought military Ka-band service into use.
eurofighter typhoon
article

Qinetiq Wins £205M RAF Contract For Eurofighter Engineering Work

Jan 19, 2026
British defense engineering company QinetiQ has been awarded a five-year contract extension to support the Royal Air Force’s Eurofighter Typhoon fleet.

Funding & Policy

U.S. Capitol
article

U.S. Defense Appropriators Add Funding, Block Several DOD Plans

Jan 20, 2026
Congressional appropriators seek to add $8 billion to the Pentagon’s budget for fiscal 2026 over its request, calling for $838.7 billion.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomes Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled Bin Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan
article

India, UAE Agree To Tighten Defense Cooperation

Jan 20, 2026
India and the United Arab Emirates are working toward a strategic defense partnership following meetings between the leaders of the two countries.

Operations

danish f-16
article

Denmark Retires F-16 Fleet After 46 Years

Jan 19, 2026
Denmark has retired its F-16s, becoming the latest European nation to rely solely on Lockheed Martin’s F-35 as its frontline combat aircraft.

Business

Isar Aerospace
article

Isar Aerospace Sold Out Through 2028 As Military Demand Surges

Jan 19, 2026
The CEO of Isar Aerospace says a strong appetite for launch means the company is sold out through 2028 with more than $10 billion in its business pipeline.
Edge Group logo on monitor/Alamy
article

Edge, Barzan Holdings Launch Cross-Border Joint Venture Plans

Jan 20, 2026
Emirati defense group Edge and Qatar’s Barzan Holdings are to create a joint venture and begin cross border defense industrial cooperation.

Operations

SLS at pad
article

SLS Reaches Launchpad For Fueling Test Ahead Of Artemis II Launch

Jan 18, 2026
NASA’s second Space Launch System heavy-lift rocket, topped with an Orion deep-space capsule, was rolled out to its Kennedy Space Center launchpad on Jan. 17.
long march 3b
article

China Confirms Long March 3B, Ceres 2 Launch Failures

Jan 19, 2026
Two Chinese rockets—CASC's Long March 3B and private launch provider Galactic Energy's Ceres 2—failed in launch attempts on Jan. 17.
A long exposure shot of SpaceX launching the National Reconnaissance Office’s NROL-105 mission on a Falcon 9 rocket on Jan. 16. 2026, from Vandenberg SFB, California, and the return of the booster following stage separation. Credit: SpaceX
article

SpaceX Launches First NRO Mission Of 2026

Jan 20, 2026
SpaceX successfully carried an undisclosed number of satellites to orbit for the National Reconnaissance Office.

Air Forces In Focus

Contracts