In Pictures: Top Aerospace & Defense Stories, Jan. 09, 2023

January 10, 2023

Retired NASA Science Satellite Re-enters Earth’s Atmosphere

Credit: NASA. NASA’s Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS), which spent 21 years collecting data about how the planet absorbed and radiated energy from the Sun, re-entered the atmosphere on Jan. 8.

The Weekly Debrief: F-35 Program Sneaks Major Radar Upgrade Into Block 4

Credit: Northrop Grumman. Five years after Lockheed Martin launched the estimated $15 billion Block 4 Follow-on Modernization program for the F-35, some of its most important capabilities, including possibly a new active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, are only now coming to light. 

Starship Orbital Flight Test ‘Highly Likely’ By March, Musk Says

Credit: SpaceX

Starship

SDA Solicits Ballistic, Hypersonic Missile Telemetry For NeXT Sats

Credit: Northrop Grumman. The Space Development Agency (SDA) is soliciting a system for its National Defense Space Architecture (NDSA) Experimental Test Bed (NExT) constellation to track test launches of ballistic and hypersonic missiles.

U.S. Transfers Third And Final C-130 To Niger

Credit: Embassy in Niger photo. The U.S. on Jan. 4 transferred the third and final Lockheed Martin C-130H to Niger, completing the African nation’s small airlift fleet.

NASA Names A.C. Charania New Chief Technologist

Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky. NASA has named A.C. Charania the agency’s new chief technologist.

Public Consultation Begins In UK For BVLOS Drone Delivery Program

Credit: Open Skies Cornwall. A consortium of 10 entities funded by the UK government has embarked on a public consultation ahead of a program of beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone delivery flights later this year. 

Czech Republic Increasing Defense Spending

Credit: Gerry Metzler. The Czech Republic has committed to increasing defense spending to 2% of gross domestic product (GDP).

Leonardo UK Names Higgins New Chairman, Chief Executive

Credit: Leonardo. Leonardo’s UK business has a new chairman and chief executive after the sudden departure of Norman Bone.

Canada Finalizes Long-Awaited Deal For CF-18 Replacement

Credit: Lockheed Martin. Canada has finalized a C$19 billion ($14.2 billion) agreement to buy 88 Lockheed Martin F-35As over the next eight years, completing a circuitous, 13-year selection process to replace its fleet of Boeing CF-18s.

RAF Begins Using Draken Red-Air Aggressor Service

Credit: Draken Europe. The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) has begun using a red-air aggressor service provided by Draken Europe.

TF-X First Flight Could Take Place In 2023, CEO Suggests

Credit: Mark Wagner/Aviation Images. Turkish Aerospace CEO Temel Kotil has hinted that a first flight of the country’s indigenous combat aircraft, TF-X, could be brought forward to the end of this year.

Russia Used Su-57s Over Ukraine, UK Ministry Of Defense Says

The defense ministry cites satellite imagery from Dec. 25 showing several Su-57s at the Akhtubinsk air base.

Credit: Alex Beltyukov

Retired NASA science satellite re-enters Earth’s atmosphere and Starship Orbital flight test ‘highly likely’ by March, Musk says. Take a look at these and more in our daily roundup of aerospace & defense news.

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