Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

News in brief.

Howmet Aerospace said Dec. 22 it is buying the Consolidated Aerospace Manufacturing fastener and fittings business from Stanley Black and Decker.

DARPA wants to harness the noisy radio frequency environment of the ionosphere.

The market for crewed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft, as well as for maritime patrol, will reach $23 billion through 2034.

Hydrogen-electric propulsion developer ZeroAvia has revealed a shift in strategy.

Honeywell's aerospace segment will record a $470 million financial charge in Q4 2025 for Flexjet-related litigation payments.

Skyryse has completed the first flight of a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter equipped with its SkyOS automated flight control system.

United Launch Alliance President and CEO Tory Bruno has resigned after more than a decade of leading the Boeing-Lockheed Martin joint launch venture.

Six years have passed since Northrop Grumman won an opportunity to upgrade the system on the U.S. Air Force fleet of Lockheed Martin F-16s.

The U.S. Air Force announced Dec. 22 that it has designated the Northrop Grumman Project Talon uncrewed aircraft prototype the YFQ-48A.

Textron Aviation Defense has finalized its first contract to deliver two Beechcraft T-6JP Texan II trainers to Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force.

The wind-tunnel trials tested active control of a high-aspect-ratio wing while controlling the thin, flexible wing’s response to maneuver loads and gusts.

Vertical Aerospace has rolled out the third and final VX4 full-scale engineering prototype for its planned Valo eVTOL air taxi.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) suffered another mishap with its H3 rocket when the second stage malfunctioned during a Dec. 22 mission.

Isar Aerospace said it is gearing up for a second launch attempt of its Spectrum rocket, completing 30-sec. integrated static test firings for both stages.

NASA's Jared Isaacman is eager to expedite the Artemis program and that the agency needs to make best use of the ISS' remaining life to seed business for its commercial follow-ons.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has signaled a desire to revitalize the agency’s aeronautics program, calling for more experimental X-planes.

French President Emmanuel Macron has said the country will proceed with plans to build a new aircraft carrier.

South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace finalized a contract with Estonia to supply the Baltic state with the K239 Chunmoo tactical surface-to-surface missile system.

News in brief.

The U.S. Air Force has expanded the pool of competitors vying for the second increment of Collaborative Combat Aircraft.

A NASA safety panel is set to recommend that the agency reexamine the mission objectives of the crewed Artemis III Moon landing mission.

Leonardo Helicopters has completed the long-awaited first flight of its Next Generation Civil Tiltrotor Technology Demonstrator.

Rocket Lab is making its missile defense development debut as the SDA awarded the company one of four contracts for the next phase of its Tracking Layer

Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace of Norway plans to acquire Zone 5 Technologies, a U.S. maker of low-cost cruise missiles.