Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

The White House says it “strongly objects” to a provision in the Senate’s fiscal 2019 defense appropriations legislation that would eliminate $209 million in launch funding for the Space Test Program-4 (STP-4) mission.

Turkey will soon sign contracts to develop the infrastructure for a satellite launch capability.

Intel Corp. debuted a “beacon” capability for identifying and tracking small drones during an Aug. 15 event hosted by the Choctaw Nation near Durant, Oklahoma.

The U.S. Army is seeking information on autonomous cargo aircraft for use in a prototyping program to investigate the operational impact of unmanned resupply on sustaining ground forces.

Israel’s navy will acquire the Barak-8 air and missile defense system, jointly developed with India to safeguard its economic zones and strategic facilities.

China has confirmed that its Chang’e 4 mission to the far side of the Moon will be launched this year, setting December as the specific target.

Boeing is preparing the KC-46A tanker for the start of initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) in 2019.

U.S. truck maker Workhorse Group has completed flight testing of the first proof-of-concept (PoC) version of its SureFly “electric helicopter.”

The first of six Airbus A330 MRTTs for the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) arrived on Aug. 14, two weeks before the service’s 50th anniversary.

A Philippine Air Force Hercules C-130T airlifter has been converted into a maritime patroller with two surveillance kits donated by the U.S.

Northrop Grumman’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Battle Command System (IBCS) was put through its paces during a recent five-week U.S. Army test at sites in New Mexico, Texas and Alabama, the company announced Aug. 15.

BOEING has $16m U.S. Air Force contract for C-32 (Air Force Two) interior refresh, to make it more closely resemble the presidential section of the VC-25A (Air Force One).

Malaysia continues to grow as a low-cost aerospace supply chain node, as well as a potential marketplace for business aviation and commercial transport.

Two spacewalking cosmonauts trekked through a planned 6 to 7 hr. of science and technology activities outside the International Space Station on Aug. 15.

There will be a Defense Acquisition Board meeting this fall that nails down the cost and schedule of the F-35 Block 4, the Pentagon acquisition chief says.

The U.S. Air Force has deployed F-22 Raptors to Poland in what is the largest deployment of fifth-generation fighters into Eastern Europe yet.

Turkish Aerospace (TAI) is gearing up to offer its Anka medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) unmanned air system to Indonesia.

Stratolaunch Systems rolled out its giant twin-fuselage, air-launch rocket carrier aircraft in California for more preflight tests on Aug 3.

The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Aeolus satellite mission promises to become the first to provide low-altitude Earth wind profile data on a global scale.

The U.S. Navy opened an Innovation Hub (iHUB) this month at the Naval Air Warfare Command Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) in Patuxent River, Maryland.

The USAF has awarded Lockheed Martin a $2.9 billion contract to make three next-generation missile warning satellites destined for geosynchronous orbit.

LOCKHEED MARTIN has $480m U.S. Air Force contract for air-launched rapid response weapon critical design review, test and production readiness support.

Officials from the U.S. and Sweden on Aug. 10 formalized the agreement for Sweden to purchase Lockheed Martin’s Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missiles and related support equipment.

The dramatic demand to train a new generation of commercial and military pilots is boosting the bottom line of Canada’s CAE.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) is not dropping its idea to consolidate Japan’s aircraft industry.