Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

News in brief.

LOCKHEED gets Israeli F-35 support award... LEONARDO selects new helo rescue hoist for AW139... U.S. NAVY orders AARGM-ER IMUs...

NASA safety panel flags risks in Artemis missions and ISS transition as the workforce shrinks to 1960s levels.

Ukraine tests domestically produced FP-7 ballistic missile with 200 km range for border strikes against Russian forces.

SpaceX’s 33rd NASA-contracted Dragon resupply mission to the International Space Station executed a successful splashdown early Feb. 27.

A larger capital budget for the Indian armed forces mean they may now get the resources they require to get their modernization back on track.

Singapore will acquire three G550-based maritime surveillance aircraft with Oron-like radar systems to complement its P-8A Poseidon fleet.

NASA is rebooting its Artemis lunar exploration initiative, adding a new docking mission and scrapping plans for heavier-lift Space Launch System rockets.

GKN Aerospace expands UAV development beyond Sweden, targeting NATO demand with new US/UK projects as defense spending rises.

Rocket Lab says a manufacturing fault caused the failure of a Neutron rocket Stage 1 tank in January and has now pushed the inaugural flight for the launcher to late this year.

The Pentagon used a counter-drone system to down what it called a “seemingly threatening” uncrewed air system, drawing concerns from lawmakers about potential risks to civil airspace.

A faulty component in a circuit board was likely a major contributing factor in the fatal accident of a Sikorsky S-92 two years ago.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions said late Feb. 26 that it plans to raise $1 billion gross via a share sale of its common stock.

A BAE Systems 146 airliner used for atmospheric research by UK scientists is to be grounded permanently following a review of the program.

Weapons manufacturer Mac Jee and Brazil's Institute of Aeronautical Technology have signed a partnership agreement to develop the RATO-14X space launch rocket.

A Chinese space company is releasing imagery revealing key details of the U.S. military buildup in the Middle East.

A new U.S. military satellite built to track objects in cislunar space could fly by the end of 2026.

Boeing and CFM remain on track to have an NTSB-recommended modification finalized that will address concerns with the Leap-1B load reduction device safety system.

A pair of deputy managers have taken the reins of NASA’s portfolio of low-Earth-orbit programs

NASA is expected to soon disclose the next steps in its evolving strategy to develop commercial low Earth orbit successors to the International Space Station.

The U.S. Space Force has launched a prototype maneuverable satellite to train for on-orbit offensive and defensive activities.

The U.S. Army has launched a bidding process for the Future Interceptor (FI) contract award.

A nearly $50 million contract award from the U.S. Navy will field an early version of the low-cost Blackbeard missile by November 2027.

Phantom Space, a would-be small rocket launch provider, has bought key assets and intellectual property from Vector Launch, another would-be provider.

BlackSky has cut some near-term constellation expansion plans for its new Gen-3 imagery satellite deployments.