Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

Startup Inversion plans to launch Ray, its reentry capsule technology demonstrator, on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Transporter-12 rideshare mission.

French startup Aura Aero has invited suppliers to bid for the first large work packages for its planned ERA 19-seat hybrid-electric regional aircraft.

New drive systems combining hydrogen fuel cells and distributed electric propulsion can be costly to develop.

Taiwan has conducted the first live firing of the ground-launched variant of the Tien Chien II (TC-2) missile.

French defense contractor Turgis Gaillard has begun initial ground tests of its Aarok medium-altitude, long-endurance uncrewed aircraft system.

GKN Aerospace is nearing critical milestones in its H2Gear hydrogen-electric powertrain research and technology project after overcoming supply chain issues.

Vertiport developer and drone operator Skyports has raised more than $110 million in a Series C funding round.

The F-35 Joint Program Office is now targeting acceptance of a long-awaited avionics upgrade for July.

Dark, a developer of a space junk interceptor rocket, has raised a $6 million seed round extension.

The U.S. Navy is now in a “source selection environment” for its future F/A-XX fighter.

The Air Force will receive a classified directed energy system last among the three armed services participating in the High Energy Laser Scaling Initiative.

Aerospace supplier GKN Aerospace is in the final stages of a multiyear restructuring.

Boeing’s first crewed CST-100 Starliner capsule was rolled out to Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral SFS on April 16.

The U.S. Navy is approaching a total of $1 billion in munitions expended in the Red Sea and Eastern Mediterranean.

Continued delays and cost increases to the U.S. Air Force’s planned procurement of the Boeing E-7A Wedgetail are raising eyebrows on Capitol Hill.

Lilium has begun producing battery packs for the first prototype Lilium Jet.

Czech startup Zuri has completed a large-scale ground testbed for its planned five-seat hybrid-electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing air taxi.

Argentina’s government has signed an agreement to purchase 24 F-16 fighters from Denmark in a major step to recapitalize the Latin American country’s air force.

The American military engages targets first with the longest-range interceptor available—the most effective, but also the most costly, a Pentagon official says.

When the Air Force rolled out its 2025 budget request, Secretary Kendall warned due to spending constraints, the service is not moving as quickly as needed.

U.S. aircraft and ships took down scores of drones and missiles, including several before they were launched in Yemen, as part of the broad defense of Israel.

The plan is part of a 51-page MSR Independent Response Team (MIRT) report released by NASA on April 15.

The full details of the multinational, multilayered defense against the Iranian attack are still kept secret.

Lockheed Martin will complete its design of the Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) $17 billion Next Generation Interceptor.

Electric Power Systems (EPS) has unveiled a new battery, the Electric Propulsion ion Core Ecosystem 2.0 (EPIC 2.0), that promises 90 min. of power for flight and 30 min. of reserve power.