Aircraft & Propulsion

Turkish Aerospace Industries’ Aksungur twin-engine, medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft system has entered service with the Turkish navy, the first customer for the platform.

Korea Aerospace Industries is working to improve the low observable capability of its new KF-21 fighter, although the plan has yet to be approved by the Ministry of National Defense and defense procurement agency DAPA.

The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) is putting its new Boeing CH-47F Chinooks through their paces, validating capabilities at the annual Exercise Wallaby in Australia.

The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. has successfully tested what it is calling the world’s most powerful integral solid-rocket booster.

The propeller-driven trainer and light-attack aircraft is designed to replace South Korea's KT-1.

A decade-long investment by Nammo in solid-fuel ramjets has proven the feasibility of the technology for artillery applications.

The U.S. Air Force wants a new missile warning and directed infrared countermeasure system on its new HH-60W Jolly Green II combat rescue helicopter to replace the original equipment that meets requirements but does not meet current and future threats.

The U.S. Air Force has cleared its troubled KC-46 to operationally refuel F-15s and F-16s as part of its ongoing rollout of interim capability releases for the tanker.

For more than a year, investors and observers of the leading A&D company have been perplexed.

UK and Italy may take a different Eurofighter development path than Germany and Spain, as the four nations pursue next-gen fighter plans.

The U.S. Air Force wants industry to tell it how much of a shortfall there is in its tanker capacity to bolster a potential contract for commercial air refueling, with a deadline of June 2023.

Saab has committed to expanding its presence in Finland even if the company does not win the country’s HX fighter contest.

The Netherlands has formally opened its testing facilities for maintenance of the F-35 engine, the first such engine depot outside of the U.S.

The incident comes days after the country requested a dozen more of the type under U.S. foreign military sales.

GBU-72 penetrator clears tests; U.S. Army UH-60 negotiations; Serbia to buy Airbus aircraft; and Chinook rotor blade upgrades in doubt.

Leidos is offering the Bombardier Challenger 650 as a fleet replacement or contractor-operator service for the U.S. Army’s RC-12X Guardrail Common Sensor.

Sikorsky is in talks with three more nations about possible sales of the CH-53K King Stallion heavy-lift cargo helicopter, following a deal with Israel and the ongoing competition in Germany.

A funded effort to deliver a new turboshaft engine for the U.S. Army up to 12 months early has eroded to yield about half to one-fourth of the planned time savings, a GE Aviation official said on Oct. 13.

Romania has selected the Polish-made Black Hawk helicopter to fulfill a requirement for a fleet of medium/heavy rotorcraft to be used by the country’s emergency services agency.

Further development is on hold for the Advanced Composite Rotor Blade for the Boeing CH-47F Block II Chinook, a company official said Oct. 12.

Los Angeles-based startup Exosonic will develop a concept for a purpose-built, supersonic unmanned aircraft system (UAS) under a 15-month, $750,000 U.S. Air Force contract, the company announced Oct. 12.

The U.S. Army and Sikorsky are in negotiations on what is expected to be the final multiyear procurement contract for the UH-60 Black Hawk, with an award expected early next year.

The Sikorsky/Boeing Defiant X demonstrator, the team’s entrant for the U.S. Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft, has flown to a speed of 247 kt., with the engine showing some limited power left to go faster, the companies said Oct. 12.

Serbia’s government has said it will soon sign agreements with Airbus to purchase two C295 airlifters and increase its buy of H145 light helicopters.

The Pentagon should couple a blended-wing body with advanced engines to create a new standard for transport aircraft.