Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

Long-running efforts to bring the Russian Beriev Be-200 amphibious aircraft into the U.S. for firefighting have taken a step forward.

The Israeli Defense Ministry denied on Sept. 13 an Arabic media report that Israel sold one battery of Iron Dome rocket defense systems to Saudi Arabia.

New-build Bell AH-1Z attack helos built for Pakistan are being kept in storage due to the U.S. government’s decision to suspend military aid to the country.

Israel Aerospace Industries has signed an agreement with a startup company to make satellites that can service other satellites in space.

NASA plans to brief industry Nov. 1-2 on the first of its planned “Grand Challenges” to promote public confidence in the safety of urban air mobility (UAM).

The FAA has issued updated guidance advising U.S. aircraft operators to exercise caution when flying in or near the Tehran Flight Information Region.

Lockheed Martin is looking to invest in Australian startups working in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and space and satellite imaging.

LEOSAT ENTERPRISES says it has signed commercial prelaunch agreements worth more than $1 billion.

Sikorsky-owned PZL Mielec has delivered an M28 utility transport to the Ecuadorian army, the company announced Sept. 10.

Spanish ministers have approved the purchase of up to 23 more NH90 utility helicopters and may soon OK a program to buy new Chinook transport helicopters.

NASA’s Orion Crew Parachute Assembly System executed an 11-parachute deployment sequence over the U.S. Army Proving Ground in Yuma, Arizona, early Sept. 12.

The Swiss government has begun gearing up for a referendum that will allow the public to decide whether Switzerland should modernize its air defenses.

The imminent restart of manned spaceflights from U.S. soil raises questions for Europe, Arianespace CEO Stephane Israel said.

The multiple-launch accord that satellite operator Eutelsat has signed with launch service provider Arianespace marks the first commercial contract for Ariane 6.

Coalition air forces backing the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria are likely to remain committed for several years, a commander says.

Upgrades to Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) are a possibility, the defense department in Canberra said.

The Indonesian police force has taken delivery of a single Airbus C295 airlifter, four months ahead of schedule.

In a bid for improved aircraft availability, the French minister of the armed forces is reorganizing maintenance contracts for the country’s military aircraft.

DARPA plans to invest more than $2 billion in artificial intelligence efforts, according to agency director Stephen Walker.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 successfully placed the Telestar 18 Vantage/APSTAR 5C communications satellite in a geostationary transfer orbit early Sept. 10 following launch from Cape Canaveral.

Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Moorestown, New Jersey, is being awarded an $11,603,840 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for operational and support services to the Aegis Combat System and its elements.

The USMC is looking to upgrade its Sikorsky CH-53E fleet with a stabilized approach, hover and landing capability for operations in degraded visual environments.

Development of the UH-X upgrade of the Bell 412 utility helo by Subaru is on schedule, partly thanks to limited development ambitions and specification changes.

Iridium Next, Iridium’s replacement constellation with improved capability for global communications, is close to completion.

The U.S. Air Force has revived a decade-old concept for a new version of the AGM-158 Jassm with potentially five times more range than the original version.