Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

NASA’s Crew-12 mission has docked to the U.S. segment of the ISS, returning the orbital lab’s fulltime population to seven for the first time since Jan. 14.

General Atomics is hoping to build U.S. Navy interest in its MQ-9B SkyGuardian uncrewed aircraft system through an upcoming leasing program with the service.

High-speed aircraft developer Hermeus has begun taxi tests of its Pratt & Whitney F100-229-powered Quarterhorse Mk. 2.1 supersonic flight demonstrator.

The U.S. Navy is handing over 10 Bell TH-57 Sea Ranger helicopters to the Sri Lanka air force, the service announced.

Turkey’s Defense Industries Agency has released imagery of the second prototype of the indigenous Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) Kaan fighter.

India is targeting greater than 50% localization of components for future Dassault Rafale fighters made in-country, Defense Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has confirmed that his government spent additional money to reserve slots on more Lockheed Martin F-35As.

Axiom Space has announced $350 million in investments to develop a commercial successor to the International Space Station and a new generation of spacesuits.

The procurement of Safran Hammer bomb kits for Ukraine follows on from a broader strategic partnership between Norway and France that was agreed to last summer.

Safran says it has acquired French resilient PNT specialist Syntony as part of a broader move among to deal with the scourge of GPS jamming and spoofing.

German defense electronics firm Hensoldt has tested a scaled demonstrator of its proposed High Altitude Drop Infiltrating System (HADIS) disposable autonomous supply glider.

Joint venture Quantum Frontline Industries says it has delivered the first Linza 3.0 drones made in Germany to the Ukrainian armed forces.

Against the backdrop of rapidly rising global defense expenditure, one trend has gone largely unnoticed: In 2025, the U.S. share of global spending fell to its lowest level for decades.

European efforts to develop a future medium airlifter are steadily moving toward a concept, an Airbus official says, but he warns that if the program is to move into development, the number of nations and partner industries will need to be narrowed down.

A multinational, four-member replacement team lifted off onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket Feb. 13 to begin a 34-hr. ride to the International Space Station.

Denmark will provide its Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighters to support Arctic Sentry, a new NATO mission in the region.

Eutelsat has cancelled the order for the Thales Alenia Space-made Flexsat Americas satellite due to concerns about competition for LEO systems.

Flight tests of an experimental low-drag laminar flow stub wing section are underway at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.

Rocket Lab will launch a hypersonic test mission for the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) no earlier than late February, the company announced Feb. 12.

Howmet Aerospace posted 21% defense sales growth in the fourth quarter, driven by engine demand from both advanced and legacy fighter jets.

Anduril plans to soon begin flying YFQ-44A prototypes controlled by Shield AI mission autonomy software in the U.S. Air Force’s CCA program.

NASA on Feb. 12 selected Long Beach, California-based Vast to conduct its first private astronaut mission aboard the International Space Station.

Aviation Week’s recently released 2026 Military Fleet & MRO Forecast identifies open requirements for the delivery of 6,513 new-build military aircraft worth $250 billion over the next decade.

—Arianespace achieved a double-first with the inaugural flight of the Ariane 64 launcher configuration and satellite deployment.

The war in Ukraine has evolved into combat dominated by the use of drones.