Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

A JAXA resupply spacecraft departed the ISS Nov. 7 and prepared to deploy the experimental HTV-7 Small Re-entry Capsule (HSRC).

Leonardo Helicopters has issued safety directives to operators of its AW169 helicopter to inspect tail-rotor components following a fatal crash.

Roberto Battiston, who has led the Italian Space Agency since May 2014, said he was stripped of his position, effective immediately.

Two new radars exhibited this week by electronics contractor Cetc reveal a new interest in wide-area fire control sensors for Chinese fighters.

The Avic Advanced Heavy Lifter (AHL) helicopter has grown again, to the point that it is now 40% heavier than when first described nine years ago.

Chinese launcher builder Calt is studying designs for a rocket for manned missions beyond Earth orbit.

An Avic division says the JF-17 fighter is now equipped with the world’s first air-cooled radar with an active electronically scanned array (AESA).

Australia expects its Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightnings to have a maritime strike capability by the end of 2023.

Competitors will be required to conduct two separate launches to low Earth orbit within weeks of each other from two different sites.

Another round of new, stealthy-looking unmanned aircraft systems made a biannual debut at China’s largest air show, but this time with a key difference.

Elbit Systems is expected to complete the acquisition of state-owned Israel Military Industries (IMI) next week for $520 million.

LOCKHEED MARTIN has $130.4m U.S. Navy contract in support of F35 Block 4 Pre-modernization Phase II effort.

In addition to China’s Zhuhai Airshow, this week sees a flurry of planned space activity.

JLL-Midnight Sun IFMS, LLC, Kotzebue, Alaska, is awarded a $30,408,548 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for base operations support services at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, and outlying areas.

Seven years after Europe signed the contract to supply the service module for NASA’s Orion spacecraft, the system arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on Nov. 6.

A Soyuz launcher operated by Arianespace in Kourou, French Guiana, is to place the MetOp-C atmospheric observation satellite into orbit in a bid to further improve weather forecasts.

Studies between the ESA and European smallsat launch firm Orbex concluded that a smallsat launch site in Portugal’s Azores would be economically and technically viable.

An AVIC-owned J-10B testbed demoed in a flying display showed China’s new mastery of extreme aerial maneuverability aided by an experimental thrust vectoring control system.

A new stealth UAV program unveiled at Airshow China could represent a significant step toward the Peoples Liberation Army Air Force acquiring an AEW capability.

A Chinese company has unveiled a ground-launched and supersonic anti-ship missile called the CM-401.

A Chinese mining firm has entered the market for supersonic cruise missiles by unveiling ground- and air-launched versions of a ramjet-powered weapon at Airshow China.

A new UAS equipped with a conformal, load-bearing AESA radar for early warning made its debut on Nov. 6 at China’s largest aviation event.

Norwegian auditors have criticized Oslo’s procurement of the NH90 naval helicopter over the delays to its service entry, high operating costs and low reliability.

Turkish media has reported that the U.S. manufacturer will provide its F110 turbofan, which normally powers the Lockheed Martin F-16, for the prototypes and possibly a batch of early production aircraft.

Dynetics is to build two small satellites to demonstrate tactical space support payloads for the U.S. Army.