The Weekly Debrief: Newly Revealed Study Shows C-130 Risk, Possible CRAF Change

By Brian Everstine Jan 17, 2023
The request showed the current service leadership’s view of the venerable yet aging Hercules.
Budget, Policy & Operations

House Appropriators Omit Additional F-35s In Draft Legislation

By Lee Hudson Jun 29, 2021
For the first time in years, the House Appropriations defense subcommittee has proposed funding only the number of F-35s that the Pentagon asked for in fiscal 2022 instead of providing dollars for extra aircraft.
Budget, Policy & Operations

HASC Chairman Spares GBSD In Fiscal 2022 Budget Battle

By Lee Hudson Jun 29, 2021
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-Wash.) has vowed not to kill the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent and is urging lawmakers to fully fund the Adaptive Engine Transition Program to mitigate F-35 woes.
Missile Defense & Weapons

NASA Chief Promises More Moon, Mars Cost, Schedule Details

By Mark Carreau Jun 23, 2021
Congress can anticipate a detailed cost and schedule assessment for NASA’s efforts to return human explorers to the Moon under the Biden administration’s version of the Artemis initiative to establish a sustained human lunar presence and prepare for expeditions to Mars by the end of this year, agency Administrator Bill Nelson says.
Space

Boeing Readies Fix For T-7A Wing Rock, Narrows Schedule Slip

By Steve Trimble Jun 18, 2021
A Boeing statement released late on June 17 add critical details to the initial reports based on the Congressional testimony a day earlier by Gen. Charles Brown, U.S. Air Force chief of staff, and a follow-up statement by the Air Force press desk. 
Light Attack and Advanced Training

Tech, Supplier Issues Push Boeing T-7A Behind Schedule

By Steve Trimble Jun 16, 2021
Parts shortages and technical issues, including a newly discovered wing rock problem, have delayed the development phase of the Boeing T-7A trainer…
Light Attack and Advanced Training

The Weekly Debrief: Loss Of Second B-52 Defensive Crew Member Looms

By Steve Trimble Jun 14, 2021
A $10.2 million line item in the Air Force’s budget request for fiscal 2022 proposes to eliminate the EWO station inside the B-52, reducing the crew to a B-1B-like four. 
Defense and Space

Facing Cancellation, SOFIA Observatory Probes Star Formation

By Mark Carreau Jun 14, 2021
This could be final year of observations with SOFIA as the White House 2022 budget proposal for NASA calls for the cancellation of the airborne observatory.
Space

AFRICOM, NORTHCOM Seek Satcom Capability In Fiscal 2022 Wish List

By Lee Hudson Jun 10, 2021
Despite being responsible for two very different areas of the world, U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Northern Command are both seeking additional funding in fiscal 2022 for satellite communications, according to documents obtained by Aerospace DAILY.
Budget, Policy & Operations

SOCOM Wants CV-22 Funds; Southcom Seeking Helos

By Lee Hudson Jun 10, 2021
U.S. Special Operations Command is seeking $286 million in unfunded priorities in fiscal 2022, with $245 million of that total covering two CV-22 attrition reserve aircraft modifications, while U.S. Southern Command is seeking funds to purchase six Bell helicopters for Guatemala, according to documents obtained by Aerospace DAILY.
Budget, Policy & Operations

MDA, NORTHCOM Seek Additional Funds for Cruise Missile Defense

By Jen DiMascio Jun 10, 2021
U.S. Northern Command and the Missile Defense Agency have included a $27 million addendum to their fiscal 2022 budget requests for a cruise missile defense sensor.
Budget, Policy & Operations

Acting SecNav Proposes Canceling Sea-Launched Nuclear Cruise Missile

By Lee Hudson Jun 08, 2021
Acting U.S. Navy Secretary Thomas Harker has directed the service to defund nuclear sea-launched cruise missile development in fiscal 2023, according to a memo obtained by Aerospace DAILY.
Missile Defense & Weapons

U.S. Defense Programs To Watch

By Lee Hudson Jun 07, 2021
Aircraft procurement takes a hit in the Pentagon’s fiscal year 2022 budget request.
Aerospace & Defense

The Week In Technology, June 7-11, 2021

By Graham Warwick Jun 07, 2021
NASA subsonic X-plane; Joby rooftop vertiports; Eve’s eVTOL partner; Electric Euroglider; airport hydrogen flight; JAXA’s rolling robot.
Emerging Technologies

NASA Spending Plan Focuses On Science, Commercializing LEO

By Mark Carreau Jun 06, 2021
White House opts to stay the course in space exploration.
Space

USAF Scales Back ABMS To Support Regular Capability Delivery

By Lee Hudson Jun 04, 2021
The U.S. Air Force has restructured the Advanced Battle Management System program in a manner that will allow the service to communicate more clearly on Capitol Hill and to regularly deliver new capability.
Sensors & Electronic Warfare

USAF Moves C-32A Research Funding To Supersonic Transport

By Steve Trimble Jun 04, 2021
An early funding stream to support a Boeing C-32A replacement for the U.S. Air Force could be shut down, with the remaining balance of funds transferred to another program supporting development of commercial supersonic transports.
Aircraft & Propulsion

Pentagon May Become Early Adopter Of Rocket Cargo

By Lee Hudson Jun 04, 2021
The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory has selected the Rocket Cargo project—determining the viability of using large commercial rockets for military logistics—as the fourth vanguard program and believes SpaceX is not the sole provider of the new technology.
Space

Space Force Requests $832 Million In Fiscal 2022 Unfunded Priorities

By Lee Hudson Jun 04, 2021
The U.S. Space Force is seeking $832 million for unfunded priorities in fiscal 2022 to protect systems in orbit today, evolve to more resilient architectures, develop a warfighting punch and grow new missions, according to a document obtained by Aerospace DAILY.
Defense and Space

The Week in Defense, June 4-10, 2021

By Jen DiMascio Jun 04, 2021
U.S. Navy cancels JSOW-ER; SM-6 misses target; Brazil’s Air Force may cut KC-390; USAF buys jet for BACN; GA-EMS cross-link contract.
Missile Defense & Weapons

Hypersonic Weapons Make Big Gains In Biden Budget

By Steve Trimble Jun 04, 2021
Four years after entering a prototyping phase, the Pentagon is ready to move an expanding group of hypersonic weapons into production.
Budget, Policy & Operations

NASA Unveils Strategy For Post-ISS Platforms And Habitats

By Irene Klotz Jun 04, 2021
NASA lays out transition plan for future low-Earth-orbit operations.
Space

Fiscal 2022 U.S. Army Federal Budget Request

Jun 03, 2021
A line-by-line breakdown of the Department of the Army's procurement and R&D spending in a single, coherent document organized by program and…
Budget, Policy & Operations

U.S. Air Force Submits $4.2 Billion Unfunded List

By Lee Hudson Jun 02, 2021
The U.S. Air Force is seeking $4.2 billion to pay for unfunded requirements in the fiscal 2022 budget request, including aircraft procurement dollars for 12 F-15EX jets, according to a document obtained by Aerospace DAILY.
Aircraft & Propulsion

Top-Line U.S. 2022 Defense Budget

Jun 02, 2021
The U.S. 2022 proposed Defense Department budget is broken down by service. Separate breakdowns are shown for personnel, operations and maintenance,…
Budget, Policy & Operations