Defense

DSEI, the integrated defence and security exhibition, is set to be the key date in the diary for Middle Eastern defence companies.

Thailand’s air force has contracted for two additional Airbus H225M Caracal helicopters, with a further order possible.

The outgoing chief of the U.S. “Mighty Eighth” Air Force has thrown his support behind a reengining of the Pratt & Whitney TF33 turbofan-powered Boeing B-52 heavy bomber.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) first next-generation Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, GOES-R, is set to launch early next month.

The U.S. Army has no interest in arming its Boeing AH-64E Apache gunships with the MBDA dual-mode Brimstone ground attack missile.

Germany and France are to partner on the creation of a special mission unit flying the Lockheed C-130 Hercules.

Karem Aircraft says its optimum-speed tiltrotor proposal for the U.S. Army’s upcoming Future Vertical Lift Medium does not need as much horsepower as its competitors.

Raytheon, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin “will dominate the defense electronics market” in that order until almost 2025, Teal Group analysts predict.

The Proton Medium variant will use the standard Proton M configuration with six engines on the first stage.

NASA has agreed to pursue improvements in the agency’s handling of classified information, including the training of those responsible for overseeing self-inspection processes.

Korea Aerospace Industries expects to deliver two FA-50s to the Philippines this year, working toward filling an order for 12 of the light attack aircraft by next year.

An Indian air force Jaguar fighter crashed in western India on Oct. 3.

Australia has launched development of its future submarine class, contracting DCNS to proceed with detail design.

Indonesia is not looking to replace four Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) aircraft it has lost in crashes since 2010.

AirTanker, the consortium created to deliver and operate the U.K. Royal Air Force’s (RAF) fleet of Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transports, has declared itself fully operational after achieving its Full Service Date (FSD) milestone.

A Kenya Air Force Force helicopter with officers on board crashed in Eldas, Wajir county on September 30.

The British High Court has given permission for police to access U.K. Air Accident Investigation Board files relating to the crash of a vintage jet fighter at the Shoreham Airshow that killed 11 people.

Europe’s long mission to the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko came to an end Sept. 30 when controllers deliberately crashed it into one of the deep “pits” on the object’s surface.

Airbus Defense and Space has performed the first receiver trials for its C295 twin-turboprop airlifter tanker kit.

In a first for autonomous technology, Lockheed Martin successfully launched a small, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) called Vector Hawk from an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) during a U.S. Navy exercise in August.

Leonardo-Finmeccanica’s program to supply two AW159 Wildcat helicopters to the Philippines navy is on track, with delivery due in 2018.

If the case for NASA’s journey to Mars is to close, those launching on the initial long voyages must count on the supplies and safeguards they can take with them as well as more advanced life support systems.

The company said the aircraft flew for two hours and 30 minutes testing new equipment and the type’s autonomous functions.

Smuggled American-built helicopters are displayed publicly at Wonsan show.

According to the Defense Department’s pricing czar, the crux of the military’s concern is about use, or access, to the know-how IP – not necessarily its ownership.