Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

The China Manned Space Agency said Feb. 11 it successfully conducted a launch-abort test of the Mengzhou crew capsule using the new Long March 10 rocket.

Countries in the Middle East and North Africa have invested heavily in small arms, munitions and complex weapons over the past three years, with Aviation Week data making it the largest market segment after military aircraft.

The European Union has unveiled a plan to address growing concerns among member states about malicious drone operations.

Eutelsat has secured about $1.2 billion in export credit backing for its order for 440 Airbus-made satellites for its OneWeb LEO broadband constellation.

The 2026 Marine Aviation Plan lays out an ambitious vision in four five-year blocks, with the last one starting in 2041 and simply labeled "next generation."

DirecTV is objecting to elements of the U.S. Federal Communication Commission’s decision late last year to allow SpaceX to expand its Starlink constellation.

The U.S. Space Force is working to advance its protected tactical satellite communication (satcom) efforts with boosted prototypes.

United Launch Alliance’s leaders expect to support nearly two dozen missions in 2026 with its two launch vehicles.

The National Reconnaissance Office has awarded the first of three new contracts for commercial remote sensing solutions embracing multiple phenomenologies.

NASA has awarded Voyager Technologies a $24.5 million contract to provide full-service mission management services to the International Space Station.

The French ministry of armed forces is pushing its prime contractors to ramp up weapons production.

NASA and SpaceX on Feb. 10 once again pushed back the launch of the four-person Crew-12 mission to the International Space Station due to weather conditions.

The U.S. Marine Corps has selected General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. to participate in its Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program.

Hexcel, which supplies advanced composites to more than 100 military aircraft, sees growing demand for its products globally as countries hike defense spending.

Turkish Aerospace Industries' Gokbey utility helicopter could be assembled in Saudi Arabia if a signed agreement progresses.

JetZero is continuing talks with potential propulsion partners on the unique engine requirements of its blended-wing-body (BWB) airliner.

Lockheed Martin has paused deliveries of the C-130J airlifter due to a problem with certifying a new communications upgrade.

European startup Hypersonica says it has successfully conducted its first hypersonic missile flight test as the company emerges from stealth.

Airbus Helicopters inaugurated a new helicopter logistics center in Singapore that will serve as its primary parts distribution hub for the Asia-Pacific region.

The land platforms sector may not represent the largest segment within the MENA defense market, but it has become increasingly indicative of regional efforts to localize military procurement.

Airbus says it will augment its space-based SAR imagery provision through a teaming agreement with Japan’s Synspective to boost resolution and revisit rates.

Indra says it will introduce upgrades for MBDA’s Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile that should extend the data link range and increase resilience.

Swedish space company AAC Clyde Space plans to double the satellite fleet for ship tracking, while still mulling growth for its Earth-observation constellation.

A Saudi Arabian final assembly line for rotorcraft could become a long-awaited reality through a memorandum of understanding.

Arabia Saudi Arabia has passed the halfway mark in reaching its target of localizing the procurement of defense equipment.