Defense

Advanced rotorcraft have been flown by Changhe and Harbin, helicopter manufacturers within AVIC.

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

Navy aviation forces await the downselect for the sixth-generation fighter, citing the need for future air superiority and sea control.

A new rendering of Boeing’s proposed F/A-XX design provided to Aviation Week indicates the company may be incorporating parts of its design for the U.S. Air Force’s F-47.

The development of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft represents a convergence of tech, creating opportunities for local organizations.

When lawmakers return to Capitol Hill after Labor Day, they will be staring down a government shutdown deadline.

The Defense Security and Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the export deal, setting up a 30-day clock for lawmakers to review the proposed sale.

The U.S. Air Force plans to buy the Northrop Grumman APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) to replace and upgrade the existing sensor in certain C-130s.

About 98 aircraft are expected to enter Belgian military service in the coming decade, with 43 from requirements that are currently open and quite new.

The U.S. Navy is now planning to field two key long-range missiles for its aircraft by fall of 2026, a further delay to both programs

GE Aerospace named two new propulsion systems that will be offered to power DARPA’s proposed Next Generation Responsive Strike (NextRS) demonstrator aircraft.

Lynas Rare Earths’ Pentagon-backed Texas plant is struggling even as the Australian company is expanding elsewhere to reduce dependency on China for strategic metals.

Alef Aeronautics is to begin testing the integration of its roadable vertical-takeoff aircraft at two small public-use airports in California.

Russia has selected the thrust rating for its new heavy turbofan engine which will be installed on both future commercial and military platforms.

L3Harris says it has secured a deal to provide the self-protection suite for Poland’s Lockheed Martin F-16 fleet.

NATO anticipates that all of its 32 members will meet its longstanding target to spend 2% of GDP on defense, though only three meet the revised 3.5% target figure.

Aselsan is making a $1.5 billion investment in new facilities to support development of Turkey's Steel Dome air defense system and increase production capacity.

Defense companies are bracing for risk as the Pentagon signals it may require self-funded prototypes for space-based interceptors.

Saab is in talks with potential customers over the sale of a new, low-cost counter-drone interceptor that aims to fill a gap between gun-based air defenses and more expensive missiles.

Flight testing for the U.S. Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft began with the YFQ-42A taking off for the first time.

The U.S. Space Force is seeing new ground-based capabilities come online, deploying new satellites on orbit by the end of the year, and plotting the future of its space-based surveillance layer.

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) wants to rush a new interceptor through development.

The $28.4 billion that defense technology startups raised from venture capital through June puts the sector on track for one of its best years ever.

The U.S. Navy has seen its highest mishap rate in 11 years in 2025, as the service’s air forces commander says he is pushing to reduce the rate.

The answer to how many B-21s the U.S. Air Force will field is not one that will come soon.