Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

A $95 million Israeli spacecraft has slipped into an elliptical lunar orbit in preparation for a touchdown attempt on the Moon’s surface on April 11.

Preparations for a potential no-deal Brexit have cost the UK aerospace industry as much as £500 million ($660 million), analysts have suggested.

For the second time, an automated Russian Progress resupply mission has reached the International Space Station on an accelerated, two-orbit trajectory.

Aerospace and defense supplier Thyssenkrupp said on April 3 it will stand up a metals- and plastic-focused Additive Manufacturing TechCenter Hub in Singapore.

The U.S. Air Force is preparing for the first of five flights in 2019 aboard new commercial small satellite launchers.

India plans to buy 24 MH-60R anti-submarine helicopters manufactured by Lockheed Martin at an estimated cost of $2.6 billion.

The Joint Strike Fighter Caucus is asking congressional appropriators and authorizers to OK the buy of 102 F-35s, 24 more than the DOD sought in fiscal 2020.

Aviation maintenance and logistics provider Vertex Aerospace is busy announcing new U.S. military contracts.

The U.S. defense electronics market will be worth at least $148.77 billion through 2028, Forecast International projects in a new report.

Airbus said it will sell its stake in composites-specialist and aerostructures provider Alestis Aerospace of Miranda de Ebro, Spain, to aerostructures and engine parts supplier Aciturri of Spain.

U.S. Strategic Command on April 3 formally declared initial operational capability for the Nuclear Command, Control and Communications Enterprise Center.

Helicopter operator PHI International is partnering with Ideagen, a UK-based software developer, to deliver risk management tools for helicopter safety.

Raytheon and Lockheed Martin have teamed to pursue the FAA-led Spectrum Efficient National Surveillance Radar (SENSR) requirement.

RAYTHEON/LOCKHEED MARTIN JAVELIN JV has $18.5m U.S. Army contract for Javelin missile Spiral 3 component qualification and system design.

This week sees another barrage of Pentagon budget hearings on Capitol Hill, including U.S. Army and Air Force leadership going before the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) Tuesday morning.

DynCorp International LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded $114,891,439 for modification P00033 to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N0042117C0033).

Brazilian company Akaer has unveiled a concept for its new Mosquito close air support aircraft.

A pair of flight tests of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner space taxi will not take place until August and November of this year.

A scramjet will power a future hypersonic cruise missile that will replace France’s current air-launched nuclear deterrent.

Principals of the Aireon joint venture on April 2 formally announced the launch of the company’s satellite-based air traffic control (ATC) surveillance system.

The USAF has paused acceptance of the Boeing KC-46A Pegasus for a second time because additional foreign object debris was discovered on one of the tankers.

Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan is dialing back the threat to withhold Lockheed Martin F-35 equipment delivery to Turkey.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine called out last week’s “Shakti” anti-satellite test (ASAT) by India as he addressed an April 1 agency Town Hall gathering.

Turkish Aerospace is planning to offer its new Anka-Aksungur twin-engine, medium-altitude, long-endurance UAS to potential customers in 2020.

The defense manufacturing sector should see 5% sales growth in 2019 and may not peak until 2021, according to the latest supply chain survey from Canaccord Genuity.