Aircraft & Propulsion

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

The Kazakhstan Air Defense Forces continues to build up its fleet, greeting the arrival of two Czech-made Aircraft Industries L-410 light utility turboprops at Aktobe airfield on Dec. 5.

The Boeing 747-400 will work in conjunction with Stratolaunch’s Roc carrier aircraft to conduct air launches for hypersonic tests in multiple U.S. locations.

Sweeping changes and streamlining plan targets fourfold profit increase by 2027 and exit from electric propulsion sector.

The uncrewed combat air vehicles that may accompany the Rafale F5 standard will be designed to enter highly defended zones, Dassault's CEO said Dec. 5.

Cambium, a California startup focusing on advanced materials and machine learning for aerospace and defense products, has landed $19 million in venture capital.

A contract dispute between F-35 maker Lockheed Martin and key supplier Howmet Aerospace has become public with a Lockheed lawsuit and a vocal Howmet defense.

OEM NHIndustries has purchased Australia’s spare parts pool and its fleet of NH90s after Canberra decided to withdraw the type over availability and costs.

The UK RAF has selected the BAE Systems Stingray lightweight torpedo to arm its P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.

Portugal appears to be moving toward an acquisition of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, statements by the country’s air chief suggest.

Airbus Helicopters has completed first flight of a helicopter from the German Navy's new fleet of NHIndustries NH90s.

Defense startup Anduril Industries is pitching to get more into the base defense business by unveiling a unique new system.

The acquisition of the first batch of 27 retired SH-60s has been approved, with another 79 possibly to follow in future batches.

Airbus is building a road map of technologies for automated aerial refueling that will pave the way for a second-generation MRTT.

Embraer and Saudi Arabian Military Industries are exploring a potential final assembly line in Saudi Arabia for the C-390 airlifter.

German lawmakers have approved spending for the development of a suppression and destruction of enemy air defenses SEAD/DEAD-capable version of the Eurofighter.

Taiwan’s retirement of the F-5 leaves Thailand and South Korea as the remaining operators of the fighter in the Asia-Pacific region.

A U.S Air Force Bell/Boeing CV-22 Osprey has crashed into the waters off southwestern Japan, killing at least one of the eight on board.

The first flight of Sirtap—which Airbus says will have an endurance of 20 hr. and be certified to fly in segregated airspace—is planned for 2025.

Helped by international players, the UAE has become a regional leader in space.

Hybrid eSTOL flies; sea-based high-speed VTOL; China’s electric regional; Piasecki’s tilt-duct ARES revived.

A preliminary design review for the F-35 Engine Core Upgrade is scheduled by the end of January, paving the way to start the next phase of development.

Slovenia is to purchase six Leonardo AW139M twin-engine medium helicopters from Italy as part of a modernization of Slovenia’s military.

Three F-16s of the 32 purchased by Romania left the Rygge airbase near Oslo on Nov. 28 following upgrade and maintenance to prepare them for Romanian service.

Omni has placed orders for two General Electric CT7-2E1-powered AW189s and will be the Latin American launch customer for the Safran Aneto 1K-powered AW189K.