Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

Bahrain formally accepted delivery of the first of 16 jets a year ago, but the fighters remained in the U.S. to complete certification testing.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Angus Batey
Presenting the firm’s 2023 results to journalists here March 6, Trappier acknowledged some issues with Rafale supply chain delays.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Steve Trimble
The “Rubble to Rockets” (R2) program first emerged in a public invitation sent out by DARPA for an Industry Day scheduled on March 18.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Graham Warwick
Skyports Infrastructure is to develop the UK’s first vertiport testbed at Bicester Motion, a former Royal Air Force airfield in Oxfordshire.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Mark Carreau
NASA raised the number of its active duty astronauts eligible for missions from 38 to 48 on March 5 with the graduation of its 2021 class of 10 candidates.
Space

By Irene Klotz
SpaceX completed a pair of overlapping Falcon 9 missions on March 4.
Commercial Space

By Garrett Reim
L3Harris’s missile-tracking infrared satellite payload has passed its preliminary design review (PDR).
Space

By Chen Chuanren
The U.S. Air Force is putting its Lockheed Martin F-35A through its paces in the type’s most complex deployment to the Asia Pacific.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Ben Goldstein
Joby Aviation says it has acquired an existing facility at Dayton International Airport in Ohio to begin initial parts manufacturing.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Chen Chuanren
The models are the result of a 2018 memorandum of understanding (MOU) aimed at pooling engineering resources.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Tony Osborne
The plan also includes the creation of a European Defense Industry Program.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Helen Massy-Beresford
Thales said it expects to complete the acquisition of cockpit communications specialist Cobham Aerospace Communications (AeroComms) in 2024.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Chen Chuanren
Beijing is continuing to grow its war chest, set to increase defense spending by 7.2% year-on-year to 1.67 trillion yuan ($231.36 billion).
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Thierry Dubois
Daher is gearing up to test large components made from thermoplastic composites and pitch them for future commercial aircraft.
Emerging Technologies

By Mark Carreau
Three NASA astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut arrived at the ISS early March 5 with the autonomous docking of the SpaceX Crew-8 Dragon Endeavour capsule.
Space

By Mark Carreau
NASA’s Planetary Science Division is hopeful it can craft a new operating plan for the Mars Sample Return mission by July.
Space

By Molly McMillin
The FAA has granted a light-sport aircraft airworthiness exemption to Pipistrel’s two-seat, high-wing Velis Electro.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Irene Klotz
The acquisition is expected to close on April 1.
Commercial Space

By Irene Klotz
A compromise appropriations bill for fiscal 2024 keeps most funding for NASA’s Artemis lunar exploration initiative intact.
Space

By Garrett Reim
NASA has canceled its ambitious On-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing 1 (OSAM-1) project after technical problems, cost overruns and delays.
Space

By Graham Warwick
Ultraquiet propulsion developer Whisper Aero is proposing a concept for a 100-seat battery-electric regional airliner.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Graham Warwick
The funding from investors Breeze Invest and Konos Holdings boosts CycloTech toward its goal of raising €53 million this year.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Graham Warwick
U.S. startups Transcend Air and MagLev Aero are collaborating on the potential application of MagLev’s frictionless electric propulsor technology.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Tony Osborne
Emirati defense group Edge has teamed with Spain’s Indra to create a “major industry player” in the development and production of radar systems in the UAE.
Sensors & Electronic Warfare

By Graham Warwick
Spanish aerostructures and engine components supplier Aciturri is to acquire a stake in Dovetail Electric Aviation.
Aircraft & Propulsion