Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

Spanish-Australian startup Dovetail Electric Aviation has announced plans to partner with Netherlands-based Zeusch Aviation to develop hybrid-electric retrofits for the Beechcraft King Air twin turboprop.

Spanish startup Grasshopper Air Mobility has partnered with Swedish delivery service Jetpak to offer uncrewed parcel deliveries in Sweden.

The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) looks to add $30 billion to the Pentagon’s budget, while blocking some aircraft retirements and increasing F-35As.

Pratt & Whitney has released imagery of its digitally designed XA103 next-generation adaptive combat engine and says initial parts production is underway.

Japan’s Marubeni is to resume demonstration flights with Lift Aircraft’s electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) Hexa at the 2025 World Expo in Osaka.

Chinese automaker GAC conducted the first flight of its Govy AirJet winged electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing AirJet on July 3.

The European Space Agency says it has made the first optical communications connection between a ground station and NASA’s Psyche mission.

Leonardo, in a July 10 statement, said it would equip six of the Lockheed Martin C-130Js with laser-based Miysis systems.

An audit of the UK’s F-35 program shows it continues to suffer from delays in deliveries, capability enhancements and reliability shortfalls.

In the July 10 memo, released then redacted, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth outlines a goal of making the U.S. the world’s leader in drone operations.

For the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and the U.S. Air Force, devoting the time and money to build an effective bunker-buster bomb is challenging.

The Pentagon will become the largest shareholder in Nevada-based rare earth producer MP Materials in the latest move by the Trump administration.

U.S. Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, said he will continue blocking indefinitely the transfer of Lockheed Martin F-35s purchased by Turkey during a July 9 hearing.

Despite DARPA’s recent decision to cancel its Liberty Lifter program, amphibious fixed-wing military aircraft seem to be—to one extent or another—here to stay.

Interstellar Technologies has raised a ¥8.9 billion ($61.8 million) Series F round.

News in brief.

NORTHROP has E-2D support award... U.S. NAVY funds rapid cryogenic cooling research... SAUDI space company completes UP42 acquisition...

NASA is planning for the launch of its four-person SpaceX Crew 11 Dragon mission to the International Space Station (ISS) from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Missile programs and procurement are at the heart of a renewed defense cooperation agreement between France and the UK.

Air forces and senior commanders from around 60 countries are set to converge on London next week and the spotlight will be on a recent UK defense review.

Inflight connectivity provider Viasat said it connected with its new ViaSat-3 broadband communications satellite for the first time with a business jet.

The British government is following France in taking a stake in OneWeb-owner Eutelsat, boosting the value of the French satellite service operator.

In response to the disastrous July 4 weekend flooding in the Texas Hill Country, NASA is contributing high-technology airborne responses.

Belgium will halt operations with its land-based NH90 tactical transport helicopters, aiming to replace them in 2026, Defense Minister Theo Francken says.

Swedish company Avioniq is developing an artificial intelligence-driven pilot aid that could help Eurofighter Typhoon crews in air combat.