Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

By Mark Carreau
A study of meteorites on Mars suggests its harsh, cold conditions have been 10 and possibly 10,000 times drier than those on Earth for millions of years, which suggests a low probability of extant life.
Defense

By Jay Menon
India now plans to launch the so-called South Asian satellite next March.
Defense

Tactical Air Support (TacAir) is to become the world’s largest private operator of Northrop F-5s after snapping up the Royal Jordanian Air Force’s remaining inventory of 21 single and dual-seat E/F models, including spare parts and engines.
Defense

By Tony Osborne
U.S. helicopter operator Erickson has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, citing the volatility currently hurting the helicopter market.
Business Aviation

By Molly McMillin
Spirit AeroSystems is looking at ways to grow its core aerostructures business, which could include business jet, regional jet, military and space programs, the company’s top executive said during a speech at a Wichita Aero Club luncheon here Nov. 10.
Defense

By Mark Carreau
Could the Photonic Laser Thruster (PLT) be the catalyst for eventual high-speed human travel throughout the Solar System?
Defense

By Molly McMillin
Layoffs continue at Textron Aviation, with an undisclosed number of employees at its Cessna Aircraft facility being dismissed Nov. 10 as the company continues to reduce costs.

By Graham Warwick
Air BP is to buy 50 million gal. of sustainable jet fuel annually for 10 years as part of a $30 million investment by energy company BP in biofuels producer Fulcrum BioEnergy.

Lockheed Martin and a cast of supporting companies held what the company said was a first-of-its-kind public demonstration of multiple unmanned aircraft systems.
Defense

Two single-seat Marine Corps F/-A-18 Hornets collided off the coast of San Diego, California.
Defense

By Tony Osborne
European leaders are cautious over the shape of Trump’s foreign policy.
Defense

SAAB has SEK119m Swedish Defense Material Administration (FMV) order for Targo helmet-mounted display system for Swedish air force Gripen E fighters.

Honeywell International Chairman and CEO Dave Cote continues to defend his company’s failed bid early this year to take over United Technologies Corp. (UTC).

View the Fleet Snapshot: Worldwide Typhoon, Tornado and Gripen Fighter Fleets chart in PDF format.

By Thierry Dubois
An Ariane 5 launcher is scheduled to propel four Galileo satellites into orbit on Nov. 17, marking the first-ever quadruple launch for the navigation constellation.
Defense

By Michael Bruno
The Western aerospace & defense sector is likely to be in shock for months to come as it tries to figure out what a Trump administration means.
Air Transport

By Tony Osborne
Defense Conseil International, the French defense ministry’s international training company, is planning to expand its helicopter fleet to meet foreign training demands.
Defense

By Jay Menon
India is progressing toward launching its second lunar exploration mission, Chandrayaan-2, with the start of some ground tests and other events planned in the coming months.
Defense

A Denver-based startup is drawing investor attention with plans for a relatively inexpensive mass-produced spacecraft bus that would use a proprietary “isolation system” to enable its use with any payload in its weight class on any launch vehicle.
Defense

By Tony Osborne
Turkey has not only managed to field indigenous armed UAVs but has also sent them into harm’s way.
Defense

AAI Corp., Hunt Valley, Maryland, was awarded a $206,561,704 cost-plus-fixed-fee foreign military sales (Australia) contract.

As all eyes watch the U.S. presidential election Tuesday, space advocates agree that Congress will have a big role to play in the inevitable space policy debate that will follow.

RAYTHEON has $177.9m U.S. Navy contract for 186 Evolved Seasparrow Block I missiles, plus spares and support. Includes foreign military sales to Spain, Thailand, UAE.

NASA’s Langley Research Center plans to purchase ADS-B In avionics for three Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-900ERs, in order to begin operational testing of a NASA-developed fuel- and time-saving software application in revenue operations, starting in early 2017.

By Tony Osborne
A consortium of BAE Systems and other local partners will play a key role in the support of the F-35 in the Pacific region.
Defense