Defense

Two former executives of Italian aerospace and defense firm Leonardo have been acquitted in a corruption case.

Airbus has rolled out the first complete A330-based BelugaXL transport aircraft airframe as the firm pushes for the first flight of the airlifter by mid-2018.

The Russian S-400 deal is signed, but Ankara is continuing to pursue joint European air defense studies.

The U.S. tax code received a needed major revamp, but one great concern is the manner in which it will be paid for—and what that could mean for defense budgets going forward.

A think tank report about DOD contract bid protests suggested new “traffic court”-like adjudication of low-level litigation and other minor reforms.

Arianespace is planning a record number of launches in 2018, as the Ariane 5, Soyuz and Vega launchers are expected to total 14 flights.

A former Indonesian Air Force chief has been interviewed by the country’s anti-graft agency concerning irregularities in the purchase of a Leonardo AW101.

The joint venture developing a space-based surveillance system based on ADS-B aircraft position reporting has signed a data services agreement.

Devi Prasad Karnik, director of public relations at the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), did not characterize the change in schedule as a delay. “The earlier stated launch date of January 10 was merely tentative,” he said.

Companies such as Blue Origin, Orbital ATK, SpaceX and United Launch Alliance are jostling to be a part of the future U.S. military spacelift market. Photo: Orbital ATK

The Mexican Navy’s new long-range patrol vessel could be armed with some of the U.S.’s best naval missiles and torpedoes, despite tense relations with the U.S.

The USAF temporarily grounded more than 24 A-10 Warthogs at an Arizona service base late last year after multiple pilots reported hypoxia-like symptoms in flight.

Textron is stretching an ongoing corporate restructuring to include consolidation within the Bell, Textron Systems and Industrial segments.

L3 Technologies is charging ahead with replacing the USAF’s fleet of EC-130H Compass Call electronic attack aircraft with a new business jet-based platform.

Blue Origin is continuing tests of a full-scale BE-4 rocket engine in West Texas, the company said Jan. 8.

UK defense contractor Babcock and Elbit Systems have partnered to bid for the UK’s Air Support to Defense Operational Training live-air training requirement.

Dulles, Virgina-based Orbital ATK was selected by Intelsat to build the Galaxy 30 communications satellite, the first in the constellation’s replacement program, Orbital said on Jan. 8.

Young launched to space for the first time on March 23, 1965, aboard a Gemini capsule nicknamed “Molly Brown."

Officials reportedly are pushing for the acquisition of Boeing EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft.

The Eurosam consortium of MBDA and Thales will work with Turkish defense firms Aselsan and Roketsan on Turkey’s renewed Turkish Long-Range Air and Missile Defense System.

In a further step toward making the takeover of Zodiac Aerospace a reality, Safran has appointed Hélène Moreau-Leroy director of the Zodiac integration project, the Paris-based company announced Jan. 8.

India is moving ahead with its plans to develop a multi-layered ballistic missile defense (BMD) system.

Robert Lightfoot, NASA’s longest serving Acting Administrator and a force in advancing spacecraft propulsion, will receive the 2018 National Space Trophy.

Russia’s defense ministry says its forces thwarted a mass UAV attack in Syria.

The U.S. Air Force is looking at leveraging virtual reality and artificial intelligence to transform pilot training.