Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

Air National Guard MQ-9 Reaper units could soon be flying more observation missions along the U.S. border.
Defense

By Mark Carreau
A Japanese space experiment designed to demonstrate a method of de-orbiting man-made space debris failed to deploy a key test component.
Defense

By Guy Norris
As part of its plan to field a Quiet Supersonic Transport low-boom flight demo, NASA has issued a call for interested companies to submit a “capability statement.”

By Jay Menon
India plans to launch a new navigation satellite in the second half of this year to replace an Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System spacecraft experiencing technical problems.
Defense

The U.S. Air Force will not begin drawing down the legacy A-10 fleet until 2021 at the earliest.
Defense

By Graham Warwick
The U.S. Army is seeking information on a multifunction electronic warfare pod to be carried by the General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle unmanned aircraft.
Defense

By Marhalim Abas
Thales has delivered the first of up to seven Fulmar X mini-UAVs to Malaysia, with the rest to be handed over this year.
Defense

By Graham Warwick
As part of its Tern maritime UAV program, Darpa is pursuing a new method of launching and recovering conventional fixed-wing UAVs on small-ship flight decks.
Defense

By Graham Warwick
DARPA has awarded five contracts for the first phase of a program to develop a radio-frequency system capable of adaptively and flexibly switching among communications, radar and electronic-warfare modes.
Defense

By Tony Osborne
The UK Maritime Coastguard Agency has begun studies into introducing an unmanned aircraft to assist in search and rescue operations by the end of 2019.
Defense

FINLAND, NORWAY and SWEDEN’s air forces will host multinational Arctic Challenge Exercise 2017 in the airspace over the northern areas of the host countries May 22 to June 2.

Nineteen Republicans in Congress are appealing to President Donald Trump to exempt military acquisition from the current hiring freeze for all federal civilian workers.

Feb. 6-8—Second Annual SmallSat Symposium, Silicon Valley 2017, Mountain View, California. For more information go to http://smallsatshow.com/

The U.S. Air Force’s F-35A made its debut at the toughest Red Flag yet, and not only dominated the air space but made the legacy aircraft in the force package even deadlier, according to pilots.
Defense

The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee is urging the Pentagon to prioritize aircraft modernization in a supplemental budget request expected by March 1.
Defense

By Michael Bruno
An expected boost to U.S. defense spending under President Donald Trump may last only five years, if that long, and the snapback to lower budgets could be harsher than before.
Defense

Boeing will fabricate the berthing mechanism for the commercial airlock that NanoRacks is developing to attach to the International Space Station.
Defense

By Mark Carreau
NASA’s Osiris-Rex asteroid sample return spacecraft scan two Earth-Sun Lagrange points for the presence of Trojan asteroids this month.
Defense

The 21-in.-dia. Standard Missile-3 being cooperatively developed by the U.S. and Japan has intercepted its first ballistic missile target.
Defense

By Tony Osborne
Safran has begun studies into the use of hybrid power on helicopters as a solution to cut fuel consumption.
Defense

By Jen DiMascio
The Navy has asked Congress to buy one fewer Triton UAV to pay for cost overruns in development.
Defense

By Tony Osborne
BAE Systems has confirmed it will debut a prototype of its Advanced Hawk concept at the Aero-India airshow later this month.
Defense

By Michael Bruno
Google’s parent company Alphabet is saying so long to its former Skybox Imaging unit, which it bought in 2014.
Defense

Raytheon Standard Missile 3 Block 2A achieves success in first Missile Defense Agency (MDA) tests in Hawaii.
Defense

NORTHROP GRUMMAN has $35.8m U.S. Air Force contract to construct a new 45,900-sq.-ft. coatings facility at Air Force Plant 42.