Defense

India tests nuke-capable ICBM; court allows U.S. Army/Airbus sole-source deal; U.S. OKs Belgium F-35 sale; weapons tests on Russia’s most advanced fighter.

Proposed acquisitions for the Philippines Air Force include fighters, additional light trainers, airlifters and light-attack aircraft.

The U.S. Navy has tapped Orbital ATK to develop the first anti-radiation missile designed for internal carriage on the carrier-based F-35C Joint Strike Fighter.

All options are on the table at multi-industrial giants United Technologies Corp. and General Electric (GE), top executives said Jan. 24.

Described by the Defense Department as a “new intercontinental, nuclear-armed, undersea autonomous torpedo,” the weapon's development was first revealed in 2015 when a diagram of an ocean-going vessel leaked to the press.

Britain is mulling holding on to some of its Army infrastructure in Germany to provide a potential deterrent to a more aggressive Russia.

SpaceX’s first Falcon Heavy rocket roared to life on Jan. 24 for a long-awaited static test hotfire.

Swedish defense firm Saab is vehemently denying reports that it would split from a deal with Embraer to build Gripens fighters for Brazil if a tie-up between the Brazilian airframer and Boeing goes ahead.

Jakarta is behind in its monetary contributions. The finance ministry has refused to authorize a payment of $124.5 million due at the end of 2017 for the program.

Myanmar has agreed to buy six Sukhoi Su-30 Flanker fighters, Tass news agency reports.

The Navy continues to evolve and mature the Fire Scout maritime patrol UAV despite a limited number of deployment opportunities on the Littoral Combat Ship.

VSR700 program will turn a two-seat training helicopter into unmanned observer.

European Union planning demonstration of unmanned technologies, including naval UAVs.

Bombardier has made a last-ditch attempt to reopen the U.S. investigation into pricing of the C Series, but may have been misled by reporting on the increased range Embraer is now quoting for the E190-E2.

Raytheon is preparing for another consequential intercept tests of its newly developed Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block 2A exoatmospheric interceptor.

Indonesia is considering the Eurofighter Typhoon and Lockheed Martin F-16V, industry sources say, with the Saab Gripen and Dassault Rafale also considered likely candidates.

The International Space Station's crucial arm received a much-anticipated upgrade during a Jan. 23 spacewalk by NASA astronauts Mark Vande Hei and Scott Tingle.

Deliveries of Korea Aerospace Industries Surion utility helicopters to the Republic of Korea Marine Corps have begun.

The Vulcain 2.1 engine, which will power the main stage of the Ariane 6 launcher, completed a successful first test firing on Jan. 22.

A squadron of A-10 Warthog touched down at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, Jan. 19 to join the newest phase of the 16-year war against the Taliban.

Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan is implementing a series of congressionally mandated measures that effectively strip the U.S. Air Force of much of its space authority, and may develop a roadmap for establishing a separate military department for space activities.

Systems Technology demos a machine-learning approach to maneuvering UAVs on carrier decks by recognizing the same gestures used to direct human pilots.

Jakarta is behind in its contributions to KF-X, known in Indonesia as IF-X, and the finance ministry refused to authorize a payment due at the end of 2017. Photo: Cpl. Casey Gaul/Australian Defense Department

The federal deficit and interest rates threaten to constrain the Pentagon’s budget.

Boeing leverages X-43, X-51 and XB-70 design legacy to challenge Lockheed Martin for future hypersonic strike/reconnaissance role.