Defense

Thailand is going ahead with a controversial order for submarines from China that is probably driven in part by a desire for closer relations with Beijing.

Something about ancient Mars is not adding up, and it’s not for lack of trying.

H0LiCOW, an international collaboration of astronomers, has developed an independent estimate for the Hubble Constant.

Airline profits may ease as fuel costs rise, the business jet market is likely to get “less bad,” and signs bode well for defense sector growth.

Introducing new, lighter helmet posed challenges for manufacturer Martin-Baker’s F-35 ejection seats.

The supersized Raytheon/MHI Standard Missile-3 Block 2A is on track for deployment in 2018 following a successful intercept test.

Air National Guard MQ-9 Reaper units could soon be flying more observation missions along the U.S. border.

A Japanese space experiment designed to demonstrate a method of de-orbiting man-made space debris failed to deploy a key test component.

India plans to launch a new navigation satellite in the second half of this year to replace an Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System spacecraft experiencing technical problems.

The U.S. Air Force will not begin drawing down the legacy A-10 fleet until 2021 at the earliest.

The U.S. Army is seeking information on a multifunction electronic warfare pod to be carried by the General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle unmanned aircraft.

Thales has delivered the first of up to seven Fulmar X mini-UAVs to Malaysia, with the rest to be handed over this year.

As part of its Tern maritime UAV program, Darpa is pursuing a new method of launching and recovering conventional fixed-wing UAVs on small-ship flight decks.

DARPA has awarded five contracts for the first phase of a program to develop a radio-frequency system capable of adaptively and flexibly switching among communications, radar and electronic-warfare modes.

The UK Maritime Coastguard Agency has begun studies into introducing an unmanned aircraft to assist in search and rescue operations by the end of 2019.

Alan Warnes takes a look at the maritime surveillance situation in Africa and finds it to be somewhat patchy.

Kratos has two armed combat drones and a number of secret projects under development for the Pentagon. Its newest design could reach China from Guam.

UTC Aerospace Systems struggled to recover from the setback of losing the F-35 ejection seat competition to Martin-Baker, but with the first customers in hand for its latest ACES 5 the company is targeting domestic and international opportunities.

The Pentagon wants an unmanned refueling capability to extend the range of the carrier air wing.

The U.S. Air Force’s F-35A made its debut at the toughest Red Flag yet, and not only dominated the air space but made the legacy aircraft in the force package even deadlier, according to pilots.

The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee is urging the Pentagon to prioritize aircraft modernization in a supplemental budget request expected by March 1.

An expected boost to U.S. defense spending under President Donald Trump may last only five years, if that long, and the snapback to lower budgets could be harsher than before.

Boeing will fabricate the berthing mechanism for the commercial airlock that NanoRacks is developing to attach to the International Space Station.

NASA’s Osiris-Rex asteroid sample return spacecraft scan two Earth-Sun Lagrange points for the presence of Trojan asteroids this month.

The 21-in.-dia. Standard Missile-3 being cooperatively developed by the U.S. and Japan has intercepted its first ballistic missile target.