Aviation Week & Space Technology

Speed matters on this week’s podcast as technical editor Graham Warwick talks to senior editor Guy Norris about his story on Boeing’s reusable hypersonic demonstrator concept and the rapidly evolving developments in hypersonics over the past year since he broke the story about the U.S. losing its lead in this increasingly important area of defense technology.

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Emirates new order “underscores Airbus’ commitment to produce the A380 at least for another 10 years,” says departing sales chief John Leahy.

Super Puma replacement may be rescoped for multirole mission as commercial market tumbles.

Rocket Lab’s Electron small-satellite launcher blasted off from New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula on Jan. 20 for a second test flight.

While ATR is working on an advanced vision system, lighter seats and a short-takeoff-and-landing version, it must help customers with a regional pilot shortage.

Vertical-lift OEMs warn that the best helicopter safety standards and production processes will be inadequate to ensure success of urban eVTOL air taxi market.

Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.

The U.S. targets China and Russia in its latest defense strategy, but what’s to stop both powers ganging up against Washington?

Pilot safety, pilot retention and responses to a commentary on President Trump's defense posture dominated the recent reader exchanges.

Aviation Partners Boeing promoted Mike Stowell to president and CEO. ManTech International Corp. promoted George J. Pedersen to executive chairman.

Airbus Helicopters prepares to launch a drone-based urban package-delivery trial service developed with partners in Singapore.

The military has much aging equipment and ammunition that needs to be replaced or upgraded.

Rotorcraft will become a focus of Thailand’s military imports in coming years.

The South Korean army rejected the bulky Surion as inappropriate for the attack mission, but the marines regard it as a candidate for the role.

Are London and Paris balking at the high costs associated with the UCAV demonstrator’s development?

India tests nuke-capable ICBM; court allows U.S. Army/Airbus sole-source deal; U.S. OKs Belgium F-35 sale; weapons tests on Russia’s most advanced fighter.

Boeing needs to be able to offer what is likely to become a small twin-aisle aircraft at a very low price in order to capture some of the market.

Proposed acquisitions for the Philippines Air Force include fighters, additional light trainers, airlifters and light-attack aircraft.

The Navy continues to evolve and mature the Fire Scout maritime patrol UAV despite a limited number of deployment opportunities on the Littoral Combat Ship.

VSR700 program will turn a two-seat training helicopter into unmanned observer.

European Union planning demonstration of unmanned technologies, including naval UAVs.

U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine describes a domain-wide system that would continuously monitor the airspace to identify risks.

Rating commercial crew vehicles on their chance of flight fatality turns out to be a nuanced art and science.

Systems Technology demos a machine-learning approach to maneuvering UAVs on carrier decks by recognizing the same gestures used to direct human pilots.