Aircraft & Propulsion

AVIC publicly showcased its Cloud Shadow VTOL uncrewed aircraft during Lunar New Year celebrations, highlighting both the platform and its teaming capability.

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

With demand booming in commercial and defense aviation, why are Airbus programs in turmoil?

The top airman talks with Aviation Week about his focus on increasing immediate readiness and addressing “change fatigue.”

After a relatively slow decade in terms of export success, the Saab Gripen program appears to be experiencing a renaissance.

The FAA is phasing out a major radar modernization program that is running late and well over budget.

In a surprise leadership change, Ursa Major has named Chris Spagnoletti as the company’s CEO effective immediately.

Airbus Helicopters has inaugurated the next final assembly line for its H125 single-engine light helicopter in India.

The orderbook for De Havilland Canada’s new Canadair DHC-515 waterbomber has been swelled by an order from the company’s home province of Alberta.

Embraer says it would establish a C-390 MRO facility in India with local partner Mahindra Group if the government there buys the airlifter.

Airbus says it is ready for a two-fighter approach under the Franco-German-Spanish Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project.

In 15-20 years, the U.S. Marine Corps aviation fleet must evolve again. A new strategy document offers a first glimpse of the next wave of aircraft development.

New deals at the World Defense Show aim to translate the Saudi Vision 2030 ambitions into a tangible helicopter manufacturing ecosystem.

After years of underinvestment, the tide is finally turning for the Hellenic Armed Forces, with the government pledging last year to inject €25 billion ($29 billion) into defense.

Airbus has described 2026 as a “year of testing” for the latest addition to its portfolio, the H140 twin-engine light helicopter.

Hypersonic test company Stratolaunch has completed back-to-back launches of two Mach 5-plus, rocket-powered Talon-A vehicles from two different carrier aircraft in the space of just fourteen days.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz wants the military to do a proper requirements assessment for a potential next-generation fighter.

A proposal to increase the size of the B-21 Raider program of record depends on getting U.S. Air Force approval to accelerate deliveries.

European missile-maker MBDA has secured a backlog of orders now valued at around €44 billion ($52 billion), joint venture partner BAE Systems disclosed Feb. 18.

BAE Systems' sales growth generated in Europe is poised to accelerate after with the business there now surpassing the British defense company’s sizable Saudi Arabian activities.

Production of JetZero’s BWB demonstrator is underway, beginning with assembly of the pressurized cockpit section and forward fuselage.

Aging aircraft, potential new fighter buys and a long-discussed service merger leave the Royal Saudi Air Force at a strategic inflection point.

Spain has added a signals intelligence capability to its General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) fleet.

An air-launched missile-carrying UAS developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems for DARPA’s LongShot project has been designed the X-68A.

The EU plans to establish what it calls a Military Mobility Transport Group in a move that could be a boon to Airbus by paving the way for more A400M orders.