Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

By Steve Trimble
Lockheed Martin executive OJ Sanchez will become the new head of the Skunk Works division in January, succeeding John Clark after a nearly three-year term.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Garrett Reim
Amateur engineers may usher in a new era of space, in which rocketry is no longer the reserve of well-funded, well-staffed operations.
Launch Vehicles & Propulsion

By Garrett Reim
SatVu, a London-based startup infrared satellite company, has received an infusion of £20 million ($25.4 million) from a funding round and an insurance payout.
Satellites

By Guy Norris
Neptune Aviation Services has announced plans to develop an A319 air tanker modification program to augment and eventually replace its firefighting BAe 146s.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Robert Wall
Lockheed Martin does not expect to sign the contract for two lots of F-35 production before year-end, although it could incur costs and book revenue.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Matthew Fulco
China banned the export of gallium, germanium and antimony to the U.S. on Dec. 3, targeting critical minerals integral to the aerospace and defense industry.
Supply Chain

By Steve Trimble
General Atomics has confirmed the Japanese Navy’s decision to buy 23 MQ-9Bs as part of a program to reduce purchases of crewed maritime patrol aircraft.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Mark Carreau
Strategic partners Ad Astra Rocket and Space Nuclear Power are seeking to advance high-power nuclear electric propulsion technologies for missions to Mars.
Space Exploration

By Guy Norris
The Blue Condor project is a research effort to study the impact of hydrogen on contrail formation using a modified glider powered by a hydrogen-fueled turbojet.
Emerging Technologies

By Ben Goldstein
Archer says it is pressing forward with its planned strategic partnership with Stellantis despite the resignation of CEO Carlos Tavares.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Robert Wall
Spire Global has named its chief operating officer, Theresa Condor, as CEO and bolstered its executive ranks as the space business aims to move past turmoil.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Robert Wall
Israel is spending about $40 million on uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) and related communications gear from Elbit Systems.
Supply Chain

By Chen Chuanren
India is looking to add Link-16 datalinks to its ongoing Sikorsky MH-60R procurement, requesting MIDS-JTRS from the U.S.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Brian Everstine
The service on Dec. 2 released images of an F-16 from the 40th Flight Test Squadron at Eglin AFB, Florida, releasing the weapon over the Gulf of Mexico.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Vivienne Machi
The spacecraft were launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 3:10 a.m. EST, supported by the U.S. Space Force’s Launch Delta 30.
Satellites

By Brian Everstine
So far, the U.S. has committed more than $62 billion in military assistance to Ukraine since Joe Biden took office as president in 2021.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Ben Goldstein
Vertical’s near-term funding concerns were resolved on Nov. 25.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Steve Trimble
It turns out that battling the Ukrainian military and Western sanctions for three years eventually takes a toll on a national economy.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Tony Osborne
As of Dec. 1, Zagreb has temporarily handed over the peacetime protection of Croatia’s airspace to Hungary and Italy.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Tony Osborne
HX-2 was unveiled by the company on Dec. 2.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Chen Chuanren
The South Korean ministry of national defense did not provide specifications of the missile’s performance.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Tony Osborne
The UK’s new defense industrial strategy will prioritize domestic companies to build a resilient national supply chain, the British Defense Secretary says.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Robert Wall
Argentina and Israel are looking for ways to tighten defense cooperation, including in uncrewed air systems.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Robert Wall
The French government and Safran are in talks about upgrading the M88 engine for the Dassault Rafale combat aircraft, in part to sustain industrial know-how.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Chen Chuanren
The U.S. has approved the sale of F-16 and APG-83 SABR radar spares totaling $320 million to Taiwan.
Budget, Policy & Operations