Defense

After a one-month closure of Europe’s spaceport in Kourou due to labor strikes in French Guiana, Arianespace has successfully resumed launches.

ExecuJet is celebrating the start of a successful year in Africa, with significant increases in activity during Q1 at its South African and Nigerian FBOs.

Greece’s Hellenic Air Force has formally retired its last operational McDonnell Douglas RF-4 Phantoms.

The first short takeoff and vertical landing model F-35 to be assembled outside the U.S. has been rolled out from Italy’s Final Assembly and Check-Out facility.

Boeing’s common-platform concept offers the U.S. Air Force variants of the twinjet family, including the newly developed MAX, to succeed all the aging military quad-jet fleets in line for eventual refinancing strategies.

In this week’s Washington Outlook: Republicans lobby for end to defense budget limits, SpaceX seeks regulatory changes for broadband constellation and will the airlines regulate themselves?

Big data is the big deal in A&D, according to the buzz at recent industry conferences. Challenges remain, but the question is not whether to pay attention, but rather, how.

Closely guarded Global Express could be destined for service with the UAE Air Force.

Ride-hailing giant Uber planes to launch in-demand electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing air-taxi service in Dallas and Dubai in 2020, and has selected partners for development of the technology and infrastructure.

NASA is seeking U.S. companies capable of delivering unmanned payloads to the lunar surface.

The U.S. Navy’s powerful new SPY-6 Air and Missile Defense Radar (ADMR) has been approved for low-rate production at Raytheon’s plant in Andover, Massachusetts.

A LIG Nex1 missile program now cleared for production will extend land-attack capability to South Korea’s frigates.

Avic’s Hongdu works has rolled out an improved version of the L-15 Falcon trainer with greater light-attack capability.

Britain's Financial Reporting Council is looking into the conduct of auditing firm KPMG over its audits of Rolls-Royce’s financial statements during 2009-2012.

Thailand is getting underwater-launched CM-708UNB Sea Eagle missiles as part of the package for the submarine it is buying from China.

Orbital ATK, SpaceX and United Launch Alliance are key contenders for the Air Force’s EELV launch service investments.

Face-to-Face with David Wajsgras, Raytheon’s vice president and president of the Intelligence, Information and Services business unit, and former CFO.

In this week’s roundup: Japan considers missile defense system to counter North Korean threat, State Department approves potential U.S. Foreign Military Sales to New Zealand and Kenya and Russia’s Ka-52K completes first maritime test.

Results of newly completed water-tunnel tests indicate that a cargo door-configured BWB design is viable, providing a vital boost to the project.

The U.S. government has initiated a “block buy” of more than 300 F-35s that will enable its international partners to purchase Lockheed Martin’s Joint Strike Fighter in bulk over three years.

The chief of Boeing’s defense arm is “not thrilled” with the troubled KC-46 tanker program, but is confident the aircraft will be delivered to the USAF this year.

Business boosters at the U.S. Aerospace Industries Association want Washington to designate a senior U.S. government official as a space industry advocate, according to a new report.

A Long March 5 has arrived at its launch base for the second mission of the heavy rocket type, China’s largest, and the first for the country’s big new satellite bus.

Organizers of this year’s Paris Air Show are beefing up security measures following a series of terror attacks in France over the last 24 months.

Japan is urgently studying installation of Aegis Ashore air-and-missile-defense systems in response to the rising threat from North Korea, the Kyodo news agency says.