Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

By Mark Carreau
Russia’s Progress MS-06 resupply mission capsule carried out an automated docking at the International Space Station’s Russian segment early June 16.
Defense

By Bradley Perrett
China is making fairly quick progress in research aimed at eventual development of a reusable lifting-body space launcher.
Defense

By Bradley Perrett
Assembling a spacecraft in space appears to be a continuing option for China’s proposed manned lunar missions, one that would avoid the need to build an enormous Moon rocket.
Defense

The vice chief of naval operations expects U.S. Navy student pilots grounded for months due to a spate of hypoxia-like cockpit incidents in the T-45 trainer will return to flight in the next few weeks.
Defense

The clocks on the first spacecraft in India’s navigation satellite constellation have encountered technical problems, putting at risk the country’s plans to make the system available for public use by early next year.
Defense

HUNTINGTON INGALLS INDUSTRIES launched 16th Virginia-class submarine Indiana.

China is making strides in its precision nuclear submarines, ballistic missile forces and weapons, among other advancements.

By Guy Norris, Molly McMillin
Valence Surface Technologies expects to see double-digit growth over the remainder of the decade as it ramps-up output to meet sustained growth in key defense programs.
Defense

By Guy Norris
Virgin Orbit, the newly created small satellite launch Virgin Group company, is nearing completion of the first “pathfinder” LauncherOne test rocket.
Space

By Guy Norris
The California Air National Guard has relocated operations of its remotely piloted MQ-9 Reaper fleet from Victorville in the Mojave Desert to March Air Reserve Base.
Defense

By Jen DiMascio
Qatar and the U.S. signed an agreement for the purchase of $12.1 billion in F-15QA fighters.
Defense

By Graham Warwick
The largest wind tunnel in the world has been damaged and shut down after wall panels detached and struck the drive fans on June 9.
Defense

By Jen DiMascio
The FAA has granted a supplemental type certificate for an updated digital avionics and cockpit for L3 Technologies’ AT-802L Longsword surveillance/light attack aircraft.
Defense

By Tony Osborne
Swedish aerospace and defense company Saab has completed the first flight of its prototype E-model Gripen fighter jet.
Aircraft & Propulsion

FINCANTIERI acquired majority stake in ISSELNORD of Italy.

Lufthansa has placed an order for 25 Cirrus Aircraft SR20s for its primary training fleet.

By Kim Minseok, Bradley Perrett
North Korea has reconnoitered the U.S. Army’s newly installed Thaad battery at Seongju in South Korea with a small, pilotless aircraft, the joint chiefs of staff in Seoul say.
Defense

As the Pentagon struggles to determine what’s behind a spike in hypoxia-like cockpit incidents across several U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force fleets, Cobham believes it may have a groundbreaking new method of pinpointing the root cause.
Defense

By Graham Warwick
After significant delays, the Pentagon has awarded umbrella contracts potentially worth more than $2 billion in total to continue the provision of unmanned aircraft services to deployed forces.
Defense

The U.S. Marine Corps is considering expanding its planned Bell-Boeing MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor fleet to 380 aircraft from 360.
Defense

The U.S. Marine Corps will adopt Raytheon’s 500-lb. GBU-49 to enable the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II to strike fast-moving and maneuvering targets sooner than expected.
Defense

By Michael Bruno
Total aerospace and defense employment in the U.S. dipped last year, falling back to roughly 2011 levels, according to a new report from the Aerospace Industries Association.
Defense

By Tony Osborne
The London-based Royal United Services Institute suggests the £2 billion budget for the upgrade of the UK’s six Sentry aircraft could better spent on a new platform.
Defense

The U.S. Navy says its planned fleet of 160 Boeing EA-18G Growlers is enough for now, but several factors could see that number increase.
Defense

By Bradley Perrett
China's proposed Long March 9 Moon rocket would be powerful enough to send an object rather larger than the U.S. Lunar Module to the Moon’s surface.
Defense