Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

By Steve Trimble
Lockheed Martin completed the preliminary design of its candidate for the Long Range Standoff cruise missile six months before the U.S. Air Force’s decision to award the $4.5 billion program to rival Raytheon Technologies, the service said on April 20.
Missile Defense & Weapons

Brief news items of interest to aerospace & defense professionals.

The Pentagon is investing $133 million to increase U.S. N95 mask production by 39 million over the next 90 days to combat the spread of the novel

By Guy Norris
As the airframers go, so goes the aircraft engine industry.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Sean Broderick, Chen Chuanren
Haeco Cabin Solutions, responding to a surge in cargo demand as passenger-aircraft belly capacity has been reduced during the coronavirus pandemic, is fast-tracking development of several products designed for carrying freight in passenger cabins.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Lee Hudson
The Pentagon predicts there will be a three-month slowdown for major defense acquisition programs because of impacts related to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Tony Osborne
Norway plans to purchase long-range air defense systems and a new fleet of tactical helicopters as part of an uptick in defense spending.
Defense

By Irene Klotz
NASA has appointed the agency’s chief economist, Alexander MacDonald, to serve as program executive for CASIS, the NASA-backed Florida nonprofit that oversees the U.S. National Laboratory portion of the International Space Station.
Defense

By Molly McMillin
CAE, a Canadian manufacturer of aviation training simulators, is recalling temporarily laid-off employees as it plans to produce 10,000 ventilators to help in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
Marketplace

By Graham Warwick
Zipline drones are delivering COVID-19 test samples collected from rural clinics in Ghana to laboratories in the capital Accra and Kumasi, the country’s second-largest city.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Tony Osborne
Norway and the U.S. will cooperate on advanced ramjet technologies for future missile developments.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Mark Carreau
2I/Borisov, the second comet of extrasolar origin to approach the Sun in recent years, brought with it an unprecedented glimpse into the chemistry of the planet-forming protoplanetary disc surrounding another star.
Space Symposium

By Steve Trimble
The U.S. Air Force has selected Raytheon Technologies to develop the Long Range Stand-off cruise missile and surprisingly ended a competition with Lockheed Martin for the $4.54 billion program nearly two years early.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Tony Osborne
The Italian Army is ordering 15 Leonardo AW169M twin-engine aircraft to fulfill a requirement for a light utility helicopter.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Tony Osborne
Germany has informed the U.S. of its plans to order a fleet of Boeing Super Hornets to replace the Panavia Tornado, an April 19 De Spiegel news magazine report says.
Aircraft & Propulsion

Selected U.S. military contracts for April 13 U.S. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY General Electric Aviation, Cincinnati, has been awarded a maximum $138,237

Brief news items of interest to aerospace & defense professionals.

This week in Washington, the U.S. Congress may vote on another COVID-19 relief bill. Meanwhile, Thursday should see the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9

By Steve Trimble
The Russian government has commissioned the Sukhoi and Mikoyan design bureaus to study aerodynamics for a new lightweight fighter, a Russian news report said on April 16.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Lee Hudson
Boeing is preparing to reopen operations at its Philadelphia facility April 20 after being closed for 17 days because of the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Lee Hudson
The U.S. Air Force is facing a slowdown at its aviation depots, while the U.S. Navy is looking to ramp up work at its aircraft repair facilities as the novel coronavirus spreads.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Steve Trimble
A U.S. Air Force experiment with a low-cost, jet-powered, light fighter tailored for allied countries is still on the agenda more than a year after the cancellation of an acquisition program for a turboprop-powered Light Attack Aircraft, Lt. Gen. David Nahom said on April 16.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Irene Klotz
NASA and SpaceX are targeting May 27 for a crewed test flight of the Dragon 2 spacecraft to the International Space Station, the first human orbital space launch from the U.S. since the end of the shuttle program in 2011.
Space

By Thierry Dubois
Rocket Factory Augsburg, a would-be launch service provider and part of Germany’s OHB group, sees a market for a small reusable rocket that would offer low launch costs and enable improved satellite designs.
Commercial Space

By Bill Carey
Attorney General William Barr has issued guidance describing a process by which Department of Justice agencies can seek approval to use counter-drone systems to protect designated assets and facilities from rogue unmanned aircraft.
Advanced Air Mobility