Aircraft & Propulsion

Lockheed is not giving up on the Royal Thai Air Force F-16A/B replacement program, despite the service already saying it has selected the Saab JAS 39E/F Gripen.

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

Aviation Week's Steve Trimble is just back from a trip to Israel, including its northern border. Listen to his observations from the frontline and what the fighting tells us about the future of warfare.

Variants of the 737 are active with 21 non-U.S. militaries and figure prominently into these nations’ transport and maritime capabilities.

The Royal Netherlands Air Force is set to become the second European air arm after Norway’s to depend entirely on the F-35 for combat aircraft operations.

Airbus will be converting a secondhand A330 into a technology testbed for its Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) product.

The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has confirmed the long-rumored procurement of the Sino-Pakistani JF-17 Thunder combat aircraft by Azerbaijan.

WindBorne started a six-month contract with the Navy in July to provide “subseasonal forecasting” and optimize its model for cyclone prediction.

Flight tests of the aircraft–the third to be built–began on Sept. 25.

Singapore's Defense Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) and U.S.-based Skydio have agreed to collaborate on autonomous uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) R&D.

Radian Aerospace of Seattle has unveiled the first prototype of its single-stage-to-orbit spaceplane.

The Boeing subsidiary’s proposed version of the Liberty Lifter demonstrator features a 213-ft. wingspan and the ability to carry up 50,000 lb. of cargo.

The UK’s military space efforts are not matching the change in the threat and more may need to happen, a Royal Air Force official says.

The German Space Command is exploring the possibility of launching an active in-orbit space defense project not unlike what France is pursuing.

Responses to the RFI are expected to feature an eclectic mix of solutions to the problem.

StandardAero announced the launch of its initial public offering (IPO) process on Sept. 23, seeking to raise $1.1 billion at a valuation of up to $7.5 billion.

General Atomics AeroTec Systems has begun final assembly of the first wing for the Do228 NXT, four years after acquiring the program from Switzerland’s RUAG.

The flights were meant to show the aircraft could be used for logistics missions in austere environments.

The Italian Navy is studying the long-term concept of employing uncrewed aerial systems as a possible airborne early warning (AEW) platform for its aircraft carriers.

Aircraft WT001 got airborne from Birmingham Airport, England, shortly before 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 20.

The fifth T-7A will be delivered from Boeing in St. Louis to Edwards AFB, California, in mid-October.

The USAF secretary is targeting an F-22 replacement's per-unit cost near that of an F-35 or F-15EX .

Increasingly, defense plans in Europe are converting to contracts for Lockheed Martin’s F-35 and Eurofighter’s Typhoon, giving industry executives on both sides of the Atlantic reason to be optimistic.

The Combined Line Engineering facility at Lossiemouth, Scotland, has been built alongside the Atlantic Building.

PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) sees itself focusing on special-mission conversions for its CN-235 turboprop transport aircraft, as it looks to keep it relevant in the international market.