Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

The U.S. Space Force is conducting market research for a potential foreign military sale (FMS) to Canada for command-and-control (C2) capabilities.

The second of three new Viasat broadband satellites lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, late Nov. 13.

Germany is set to provide funding for a Eurofighter Typhoon upgrade plus additional helicopters and air defense missiles after approval from its parliament.

The Embraer KC-390 and Saab Gripen E have concluded inflight refueling trials with the Brazilian Air Force.

China’s three Shenzhou-20 astronauts returned to Earth on Nov. 14 after a suspected debris strike rendered the original return capsule unsafe.

European Space Agency member states convene later this month for their triennial summit to hammer out funding plans.

The French supply chain is back on its 2019 pre-pandemic activity levels and even surpassed them in 2024, aerospace lobby GIFAS says.

Airbus sees potentially sufficient demand for its new A330neo-based military refueling aircraft to warrant a doubling of output.

Virgin Galactic has refined its projection for the start of private astronaut flights to sometime in the final quarter of 2026.

News in brief.

PRATT has $1b F100 award... LOCKHEED gets JASSM FMS award... M-TRON appoints new CEO...

Next week’s Dubai Air Show comes in the midst of significant shifts in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) military aircraft market.

The Wolf amendment restricts but doesn’t totally prohibit NASA and the White House Office of Science and Technology from using federal funds to collaborate with China. But should it be repealed?

Striking union members will begin returning to work Sunday, Nov. 16. Around 3,200 members went on strike Aug. 4.

Venture capital funding in American defense startups is on track for its best year ever, according to private market data firm PitchBook.

Ten months after its inaugural flight, a Blue Origin New Glenn rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral SFS Nov. 13.

Amazon has rebranded its Project Kuiper satellite internet constellation to “Amazon Leo,” signaling that it is moving from R&D toward commercial operations.

A DARPA award to Space Kinetic Corp. is advancing space-based missile defense through the development of the Longbow system.

RTX argues that fielding a Golden Dome capability quickly means relying on systems that are currently fielded.

Sierra Space plans to return its first Dream Chaser to its manufacturing facility for modifications aimed at securing national security flight services.

Virgin Atlantic has secured $745 million in financing backed by its Heathrow landing slots, with plans to help fund upcoming fleet and cabin upgrades.

The 43-day government shutdown and Pentagon acquisition reforms may slow the U.S. Navy’s accelerated push to field a new jet trainer.

France is developing ground-based systems to protect its satellites, French President Emmanuel Macron said Nov. 12.

France has published images of its newly-upgraded ASMPA-R nuclear-tipped standoff missile for the first time, following a successful second firing.

SES has agreed to use the Endurance docking satellite made by Infinite Orbits to extend the life of one of the communication sat service company’s spacecraft.