Boeing does not anticipate a slowdown of the KC-46, MQ-25 or T-7 aircraft programs even though the company had to close facilities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, senior executives say.
Boeing is acknowledging that changes to the 737 MAX will not earn FAA approval until after mid-year at least, with both the return-to-service timing and broader macroeconomic landscape driving how quickly production rates increase.
The U.S. Air Force has expanded its interest in emerging electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft to encompass vehicles able to carry one-two people or more than 500 lb. of cargo.
Boeing still is negotiating with the Trump administration over receiving U.S. bailout funds, but company leaders believe they can maintain investor-grade ratings and see a sustainable financial path to when its commercial aircraft business returns to growth in 3-5 years.
The Pentagon’s plan to dramatically redesign the Boeing KC-46A Pegasus vision system is responsible for the bulk of an $827 million charge for the program in the first quarter.
Boeing is facing a novel coronavirus-related setback to the VC-25B presidential transport program, causing the company to recognize a $168 million impact in the first quarter.
Manufacturers of high-altitude pseudo-satellites (HAPS)–stratospheric balloons and unmanned aircraft–are touting a multibillion-dollar market opportunity in telecommunications, Earth observation and weather prediction.
Fielding a technology that can expand the use of additive manufacturing in parts production, startup Velo3D has secured $28 million in Series D funding, taking total financing raised so far to $138 million.
Saudi Arabia has given approvals to local company Intra Defense to start producing unmanned air vehicles, with the company expected to deliver 40 platforms in five years.
The spread of the novel coronavirus has changed the way the Defense Department views its supply chain and the military is beginning to understand where the industrial base is “hyper efficient but very brittle,” according to the U.S. Navy acquisition executive.
The Trump administration has unveiled significant new export restrictions on China that limit U.S. aircraft systems, sensors and electronics, essentially trying to keep away products that may go to any end user affiliated with the Chinese military.
For all those who believe that things come in threes, there now is the third failed mergers and acquisition (M&A) deal attributable to COVID-19 in April alone.
The U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency has awarded Maxar Technologies $20 million in contracts for land-cover classification and change-detection services.
France has begun the first phase of developing an unmanned aircraft systems traffic management architecture called “Hubspace” that it plans to deploy by 2023 to manage drone traffic nationwide.
Germany’s Aerospace Industries Association has sided with Airbus and called on the government to accelerate the procurement of Eurofighters as a replacement for the Panavia Tornado.
Startup Skyryse is flight testing the software for the first application of its FlightOS automation system as it progresses toward certification of the aircraft-agnostic fly-by-wire (FBW) architecture on its first platform.
