Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

In late May Taiwan finally approved a new special budget for defense, ensuring that the country’s defense budget will continue to be augmented by supplemental funds beyond 2026.

NASA has awarded four additional Commercial Lunar Payload Services contracts to a trio of companies developing lunar landing services.

Two NASA astronauts successfully replaced a malfunctioning wrist joint on the International Space Station’s robot arm during a more-than-7-hr. spacewalk.

Propulsion startup company Beehive Industries has revealed a goal to produce up to 8,000 jet engines for drones and uncrewed aircraft systems a year.

It is the FAA’s first step in addressing President Trump’s June 2025 executive order directing the agency to reestablish the U.S. lead in high-speed flight.

Ukraine ordered 16 single-seat Saab Gripen E fighters on June 30 for SEK 24.6 billion ($2.54 billion) for delivery in three-four years.

Canada’s Dominion Dynamics has raised a $100 million Series A round to further develop its Scout CCA and AuraNet command-and-control platform for the Arctic.

The Pentagon’s decision to significantly downsize the office tasked with oversight of weapons testing created risk, a new watchdog report says.

Aevex will scale up production of a long-range precision strike platform under a $50 million contract from the U.S. Air Force.

Israel says it has put upgrades of its Iron Dome short-range air defense systems through its paces, including the integration of the laser-based Iron Beam.

South Korea plans a second spaceport to boost launch capacity and reduce foreign dependence with operations targeted for 2028.

The tri-national Global Combat Air Program has emerged as the biggest winner from the UK government's Defense Investment Plan, although the funding comes at the cost of retiring helicopter and intelligence-gathering fleets as the military shifts some of those missions to uncrewed systems.

Thales Alenia Space has secured an order from a Qatari satellite services provider for a geostationary orbit spacecraft.

SSC Space says it is targeting 2028 for the first launch of Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket from the Esrange Space Center, a delay from earlier plans.

Shanghai-headquartered Cosmo Leap says it has completed a pre-cooling test of the natural circulation system for liquid methane on its Leap-1 reusable rocket.

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The Week Ahead In Aerospace & Defense

The Kopin Corporation, an electronics manufacturer, has received orders for its First Person Viewer from several companies participating in the Pentagon's Drone Dominance Program.

Anduril is playing a role in the development of the U.S. Marine Corps’ version of a Collaborative Combat Aircraft.

The U.S. Navy will soon begin soliciting for prototypes of a new family of missile interceptors and related technologies to replace the RTX-built Standard Missile series.

A high-speed, extended-range air intercept missile based on solid fuel ramjet propulsion could soon enter development in Norway.

The Dutch government has issued a defense planning document to lay out in broad terms how the pledge to spend more on defense will translate into greater military capability.

As JetZero’s blended wing body demonstrator takes shape, the airframer is touting a new milestone for future certification, as it targets a commercial entry into service in the early 2030s.

The UK Defense Ministry has begun releasing details of procurement plans associated with the country's long-awaited Defense Investment Plan.

NASA has selected 41 proposals from 37 companies to advance tech to establish a sustainable human presence at the Moon to prepare for human expeditions to Mars.