Aviation Week & Space Technology

The new battlefield necessitates a short-takeoff, lower-signature—if not fully stealthy—refueling aircraft that moves away from the commercial-derivative tankers of years past, Lockheed Martin says.
Defense

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

By Bradley Perrett
An Australian parliamentary panel calls for “a hedging strategy to address the risk of a capability gap resulting from further delays to the acquisition of the F-35A.”
Aircraft & Propulsion

Christian Scherer named CEO of ATR Aircraft. Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance appoints executives.

By Graham Warwick
Backlogs for new business jets now in development should help shore up deliveries over the next three years

By Graham Warwick
After almost two decades of development, the GPS-based Joint Precision Approach and Landing System is on the final stretch to deployment on U.S. Navy ships that will operate the F-35 JSF and unmanned MQ-25 Carrier-Based Aerial Refueling System
Aircraft & Propulsion

By vacating 50 MHz of L-band spectrum, the FAA and three other federal agencies could land billions in cash for needed infrastructure upgrades—if they can agree on how to do it.
Air Transport

By Thierry Dubois
Although ExoMars mission's landing demonstration may have failed, the orbiter’s mission to search for life will continue.
Space

By Bradley Perrett
The rendezvous and docking of Shenzhou-11, a manned mission launched on Oct. 17, with the Tiangong-2 orbiting laboratory relied on improved technology.
Space

After ditching its Common Vertical Lift Support Platform program in 2013 and shying away from two Black Hawk plans, the Air Force is about to try again to replace the vintage UH-1N Huey.
Defense

By Jen DiMascio
Pentagon should apply sanctions and prepare a military plan to halt deployment of ground-launched cruise missile, they argue.
Aviation Week & Space Technology

By Bradley Perrett
An unannounced slippage in C919 flight testing implies a delay in the undisclosed target for first delivery, which had previously been set for 2019.
Air Transport

By Fred George
Aviation Week Aircraft Evaluation Editor Fred George flies Gulfstream’s in-development G500 and finds the all-new large-cabin business jet offers impressive levels of fuel efficiency, flight-deck sophistication, pilot situational awareness and low noise coupled with natural flying characteristics

By Michael Bruno, Graham Warwick
From Bombardier to Piaggio, business aircraft manufacturers are making changes forced by sustained lower sales in a market besieged by negative pressures.
Business Aviation

By Jen DiMascio
Missions tend to fare better when countries share information and technology. That certainly appeared to be the case last week - from Russia's Soyuz launch , to China's Shenzou mission, Antares's return to flight, and a rocky landing on Mars.
Space

By Jen DiMascio
In this week’s roundup: India buys Russian SAMs; Taiwan begins production of a Patriot-like air defense system; U.S. Air Force prepares to send a powerful telescope to Australia; and Malaysia gets an up-close look at Typhoon fighters.
Defense

By Jens Flottau
ICAO’s Carbon Offset and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation will let airlines grow without being penalized for the environmental damage they cause.
Air Transport

By Michael Bruno
While boosters and skeptics disagree on where the commercial and defense budget cycles are, most say the current business environment is no place for amateurs.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By William Garvey
Can a new trainer lift Enstrom’s fortunes?
Business Aviation

By Guy Norris
Engineers from Glenn Research Center and UTRC will begin wind-tunnel tests of first fan set designed specifically for boundary layer ingestion early next month.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Bradley Perrett
The MA700 is progressing too slowly to make its scheduled first flight in June 2017.
Aircraft & Propulsion

First on the international space station, then in cislunar habitats, NASA is set to begin researching human survivability for travel to Mars.
Space

By Antoine Gelain
Musk’s approach is flawed. If he truly believes that what is at stake is the long-term survival of humanity, then he should not expect to charge people $200,000 for the trip, opines Antoine Gelain.
Space

NASA’s faltering commercial-spaceflight endeavor enjoys a spectacular return to flight of the Orbital ATK Antares launcher laden with supplies for the International Space Station (ISS).