Aircraft & Propulsion

U.S. Air Force moves forward on LRSO and GBSD without a competitive bidding process.

Embraer and Boeing are entering into a bitter public fight over who is responsible for the end of the proposed commercial aircraft joint venture, Boeing Brasil Commercial.

The release of the second draft on April 24 by the Air Force Lifecycle Management Center moves the competition closer to a formal bidding phase scheduled to begin later this year.

Ask the Editors: Defense Editor Steve Trimble responds.

The handover to the military came after six months of ground and flight trials performed by UAC employees at the Kazan Aviation Plant.

The Grumman C-2A has entered a planned fleet retirement process, beginning with the last flight in March.

The delivery completes a 15-year, 608-aircraft production run.

For KAI’s KUH-1 Surion helicopter program specifically, the delivery schedule and planned production quantities remain unchanged, a spokesperson says.

Underpayment by Indonesia toward development of the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KF-X has prompted urgent discussions in South Korea, media there report.

China’s EHang has partnered with the city of Hezhou in Guangxi province to build the first dedicated vertiport for its autonomous air vehicles.

A Northrop Grumman-supplied cockpit upgrade for the U.S. Army’s UH-60 fleet has passed a key testing milestone ahead of a planned full-rate production decision, the company announced on April 22.

How Lockheed exceeds expectations; Italians may buy AW169; U.S. Air Force fuel-saving solution; Russia studies light fighter.

After handing over distribution of its Quantix commercial drone to a Canadian specialist, AeroVironment has launched a military version of the highly automated small unmanned aircraft system (UAS) for its core defense customers.

NASA's New Frontiers mission edges closer to sampling the asteroid Bennu.

Germany will order a combined fleet of Eurofighters and U.S.-made F/A-18 Super Hornets to replace its aging Panavia Tornado.

The Italian Army is ordering 15 Leonardo AW169M twin-engine aircraft to fulfill a requirement for a light utility helicopter.

Germany has informed the U.S. of its plans to order a fleet of Boeing Super Hornets to replace the Panavia Tornado, an April 19 De Spiegel news magazine report says.

A U.S. Air Force experiment with a low-cost, jet-powered, light fighter tailored for allied countries is still on the agenda more than a year after the cancellation of an acquisition program for a turboprop-powered Light Attack Aircraft, Lt. Gen. David Nahom said on April 16.

With Lockheed Martin’s U-2S poised for a comprehensive avionics upgrade that will position the spy plane at the heart of the U.S. Air Force’s ambitious next-generation airborne battle management plan, Aviation Week senior editor Guy Norris and defense editor Steve Trimble join executive editor Graham Warwick on Check 6 to discuss what appears to be a new lease of life for the famed Dragon Lady.

Northernmost U.S. fighter base gives F-35 unique training environment in strategic location.

Deemed to be an essential service, defense manufacturing avoids pandemic shutdowns.

F-15QA’s vertical climb; a new Space Acquisition Council; how to deter China and Russia; and defense execs advise White House.

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

The U.S. Army plans to beef up legacy aviation platforms for future multidomain fight.

A linchpin of the Army’s aviation modernization is still on track, but pressure is growing.