Defense

BAE Systems says it has a “robust roadmap” for its distributed aperture semi-active laser seeker (Dasals) technology beyond the widely used Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System guided rocket.

The first flight of NASA’s heavy-lift Space Launch System rocket, slated to put an unmanned Orion capsule into orbit around the Moon for Exploration Mission 1, is now targeted for launch in late 2019.

The U.S. Army plans to instrument a tandem-rotor Dragonfly Pictures DP-14 to assess whether a UAV can be built to support human life while airborne.

The U.S. Navy says its fighter squadrons have been fully equipped with the service’s first-ever networked-enabled air-to-ground glide bomb, the Raytheon AGM-154C-1 Joint Standoff Weapon.

Russia’s automated Progress MS-07 successfully docked with the six-person International Space Station early Oct. 16.

Transport Canada has confirmed that a SkyJet Beechcraft King Air A100 collided with a drone on Oct. 12 while on approach to Quebec City’s Jean Lesage International Airport.

Aerovel’s Flexrotor long-endurance vertical-takeoff-and-landing unmanned aircraft has completed a 32-hr., 8-min. flight, landing with more than 3 hr. worth of fuel remaining.

Florida is to establish a biofuel supply chain based around brassica carinata, a non-edible plant that has already been used to produce 100% bio-derived jet fuel.

Scaled flies Model 401; Yamaha goes multicopter; Flirtey flies defibrillators; Spike tests supersonic design; DARPA taps Aerojet for TBCC; Dubai’s firefighting UAV.

MBDA’s missile programs are benefiting from a joint research initiative that involves participants from industry and academe.

Latvia ordered three of the long-range air surveillance radars in 2015, and the first two are now fully built.

The Indonesian Navy’s chief of staff, Adm. Ade Supandi, accepted delivery of the three aircraft at a ceremony at the Juanda naval airbase in Surabaya on Oct. 13.

About 30 gigabytes of sensitive data were stolen from a small Australian defense contractor, including details on Lockheed Martin’s F-35 and C-130 transport aircraft, and Boeing’s P-8 and Joint Direct Attack Munition smart bomb.

Mysterious new issues are causing British aerospace and structures manufacturer GKN to warn about financial shortcomings at its Aerospace and automotive-focused Driveline business units.

Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia have launched the air surveillance operations to complement existing maritime patrols in an area that overlaps the territorial waters of each country.

New Zealand-based utility aircraft manufacturer Pacific Aerospace has pleaded guilty to indirectly exporting aircraft parts to North Korea.

A Spanish Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon pilot was killed when his aircraft crashed while returning from a flyby over Madrid.

In being acquired by Boeing, Aurora Flight Sciences sees a path to turn its research into products, which had eluded the innovative but small company.

The MBDA Meteor and Diehl IRIS-T missiles will equip the KAI KF-X, which is also getting a two-seat version. Aircraft dimensions have expanded.

The service will double down on the development of next-generation missiles, combat vehicles and rotorcraft to regain warfighting advantage.

In this week's Washington Outlook: The Eastern European nation is rebuilding its industrial base, Pentagon acquisition chief will cede power to services, another spat about how open the skies should be, and a way to form national regulations for UAS.

The MV-22 Osprey recently completed its first roundtrip Pacific crossing.

The planned Oct. 12 launch of the latest Progress cargo capsule to the International Station was halted moments before liftoff at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Airbus Helicopters wants the U.S. military services to consider adopting the latest military variant of the civil EC145, the H145M.

Space market research specialist Euroconsult is forecasting 300 satellites weighing more than 50 kg (110 lb.) will be launched every year until 2026.