Aircraft & Propulsion

Recent trials of UAV operations from a carrier validate that such systems can increasingly replace missions handled by crewed platforms, Adm. Ben Key says.

Poland is set to acquire four U.S.-supplied aerostats equipped with AEW radars with detection ranges of around 186 mi., the country’s defense ministry says.

Upcoming talks could set the stage for Belgium to step up from “observer” to “partner” status on the Franco-German-Spanish future combat air system project.

Russian Helicopters is working on major subsystems for China’s new Advanced Heavy Lifter (AHL) helicopter, Russian First Vice Premier Denis Manturov confirmed.

Saudi Arabia is seeking full partner status as it decides what future combat aircraft program to join, with a decision possible within months.

BAE Systems sees a pathway to keeping the Global Combat Air Program on its development timeline despite elections in the UK that could slow decision making.

An ocean world some 450 million mi. from Earth is a tantalizing candidate for life.

LINKOPING, Sweden—The first flight of Saab’s twin-seat Gripen F has been pushed into 2025, following a change in the priorities of the Brazilian Air Force customer.

Aurora Flight Sciences has unveiled a refined concept for a fan-in-wing high-speed vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft.

The Singapore Defense Ministry says an F-16's "pitch rate gyroscopes gave erroneous inputs to the flight control computer," causing it to crash in early May.

Though the New Shepard capsule returned to the company’s West Texas spaceport with one of its three main parachutes not fully inflating.

Italy could join Germany and Spain in making a top-up order for the Eurofighter combat aircraft, industry officials have said.

Australia’s new defense strategy includes pricey acquisitions for both the Australian navy and air force, but data from Aviation Week’s Fleet Discovery Military tool suggest that a commensurate increase in aviation-related contract opportunities may not be in the offing.

The review assessed the X-59 project’s approach to safety and hazard analysis.

Lockheed Martin could potentially park 84 F-35s in temporary storage before receiving approval to resume deliveries with a new software update, the GAO says.

Airbus Helicopters test pilots are eagerly awaiting approval to begin higher-speed flights with the company’s Racer compound rotorcraft demonstrator.

A USAF F-16C crashed shortly after takeoff in South Korea in 2023 after power outages caused a series of failures to instruments in the aircraft’s cockpit.

Project Ealing is able to detect, track and engage UAS threats up to 1 km (half a mile) away, and work is ongoing to boost its range, the UK MOD says.

Partners in the Eurodrone program have completed the preliminary design review for the twin-engine medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) uncrewed air system.

Hypersonic test company Stratolaunch conducted a “shakedown” flight of its Roc carrier aircraft on May 15.

BAE Systems has been awarded one of the first contracts to mature technologies to support the development of the Eurofighter’s Long-Term Evolution.

The German Air Force has undertaken a first flight of its Israel Aerospace Industries Heron TP uncrewed aircraft system in German airspace.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and IHI Corporation could maintain U.S. Air Force Lockheed Martin F-16s and Boeing F-15s based in Japan.

The conflict in Ukraine is reshaping Poland’s air force, but the service is facing challenges as it grows.

With FARA canceled and FLRAA’s design changed, U.S. Special Operations Command is adjusting its own modernization goals.