Azerbaijan looks set to become a customer of Leonardo’s M-346 advanced jet trainer following the signing of agreements between Azeri and Italian ministers.

Making Airbus the Spanish lead for the development of the European Future Combat Air System would have relegated Spanish industry to “tasks of lower added value,” Indra’s chairman and CEO says.

The first depot maintenance job on a Pratt & Whitney F135 module outside the U.S. has been performed by TAE Aerospace, the Australian company that is supporting the engine in the Asia-Pacific region.

Australia and Boeing are declining to disclose exactly where the company and its suppliers are building prototypes for the Airpower Teaming System (ATS), a loyal-wingman drone program that could lead to production of at least hundreds of units. 

A National Academies study of advanced aerial mobility requested by NASA concludes the commercial cargo market is likely to be an early adopter of autonomous air vehicle technology for rural cargo operations, including “middle mile” distribution and “last mile” package deliveries. 

As the U.S. Army pursues an aggressive schedule to downselect to two vendors for an armed aerial scout replacement by the end of March, Sikorsky is arguing the company’s S-97 Raider-X is an affordable option for the service.

Elbit Systems announced on Feb. 18 the winning of a $670 million contract that it could describe only cryptically as a “defense solution” for a country in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Super Hornet is the last of the five Western types participating in the trials.