Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

PRATT & WHITNEY has $6.7b U.S. Air Force contract for F119 engine sustainment for F-22 aircraft.

Boeing is beyond the point of no-return in its price-dumping trade dispute against Canada’s Bombardier, company representatives told reporters Dec. 15, and the results are expected to be cemented by Washington officials the week of Dec. 18.

President Donald Trump’s National Security Strategy prioritizes sustaining the U.S. nuclear arsenal and building up capability in missile defense, space and cyberspace.

Bell Helicopter’s third-generation tiltrotor prototype, the V-280 Valor, achieved first flight at the company’s plant in Amarillo, Texas, on Dec. 18.

Thales is fleshing out its expansion into so-called digital offerings with a Dec. 17 announcement that it will buy digital security company Gemalto.

To list an event, send information in calendar format to Donna Thomas at [email protected]. For a complete list of Aviation Week Network’s upcoming events, and to register, visit www.aviationweek.com/events (Bold type indicates new calendar listing.)

Stratolaunch Systems successfully conducted the first taxi tests of the company’s enormous six-engine, air-launch rocket carrier aircraft on Dec 17.

A committee of British MPs is urging the UK’s defense ministry to undertake a comprehensive review of its equipment spending.

ArianeGroup has started building the first Ariane 6 launcher, scheduled to lift off in July 2020.

A high-temperature airflow test site designed to evaluate a key technology in the Reaction Engines’ hypersonic air-breathing combined cycle Sabre rocket engine is under assembly.

The Swedish government has signed a $47.5 million contract with Saab to ensure that more of the country’s new fleet of Gripen E fighters are new-build aircraft.

Canada is providing nearly $42 million to space companies, almost all of which will go to MDA, for the Mobile Servicing System on the space station.

A high-temperature airflow test site designed to evaluate a key technology in the Reaction Engines’ hypersonic air-breathing combined cycle Sabre rocket engine is under assembly at Front Range Airport near Watkins, Colorado.

The International Space Station received new opportunities to display its versatility as an orbiting testbed early Dec. 17, with the berthing of SpaceX's 13th NASA-contracted Dragon resupply vessel and 4,800 lb. of crew supplies, science experiments and technology demonstrations.

Three U.S., European and Russian astronauts and cosmonauts descended safely to Earth aboard their Soyuz MS-05 early Dec. 14 to conclude a 139-day tour of duty aboard the International Space Station.

The Pentagon will start ramping up its investments in safer and more reliable cluster munitions that don’t leave unexploded ordnance lying around the battlefield.

SpaceX wrapped up its 2017 East Coast launch manifest on Dec. 15 with a cargo run to the International Space Station for NASA.

Spacesuit researchers are working on a rescue system that would use automated navigation to help a spacewalking astronaut return to safety in an emergency.

Earth-i intends to launch 15 satellites in batches of five, starting in early 2019.

NATO is stepping up its protection of vital undersea cables in the face of a new unconventional threat from Russia, Britain’s defense chief says.

NASA must do better at focusing on the health risks astronauts will face if they are to live, work and explore beyond low Earth orbit for extended periods, an assessment says.

Two Russian Su-25s on Dec. 13 flew into coalition airspace on the east side of the Euphrates River near Abu Kamal, Syria, violating verbal agreements.

The U.S. Air Force has chosen Northrop Grumman’s wide-area surveillance radar for its future J-Stars platform over Raytheon’s “Archimedes” sensor.

RAYTHEON has $302.4m U.S. Navy contract for 618 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) air-to-ground missiles (AGM-154 Block III C), containers, component parts/support equipment (spares) and engineering technical assistance for the government of Saudi Arabia.

If sales of Russian equipment flagged during 2016, the country is working hard to reverse the trend, trying to heavily market its S-400 air-defense system.