Defense

When it comes to modernizing a U.S. Navy cruiser – even in phases – getting the ship ready is a mission unto itself.

The U.S. export credit agency is back but needs a board of directors. Meanwhile, the fight continues over Russian RD-180 rocket engines.

Congressional restrictions on U.S. space activities have left the European Space Agency in a better position to guide international space cooperation, ESA’s new director general says.

France ordered its third MQ-9 Reaper system on Dec. 7, a three-UAV acquisition to be delivered in 2019.

System-performance improvements should allow space-based ADS-B provider Aireon to offer ANSPs with both terrestrial and oceanic ADS-B surveillance capabilities.

Semiconductor technology that would eliminate bulky optical telescopes and enable lightweight, low-cost light detection and ranging (lidar) sensors for foliage penetration, collision avoidance, robotic vision and optical communications is to be developed under a new five-year, $58 million Darpa program.

Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division at Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu, California, earlier this month hosted a live-fire test of the Standard Missile-3 Block IIA missile.

The U.K.’s unmanned combat air vehicle technology demonstrator, Taranis, has completed a third round of flight trials.

As the Pentagon gets ready to buy new submarines, bombers and missiles to support the U.S. nuclear strategy, the hunt for national funding continues to help cut costs of the SSBN boomer-submarine fleet.

Russian Helicopters says it has delivered five Mil Mi-171Sh military transport rotorcraft to the Bangladesh defense ministry.

Sagem has joined with AOI-Aircraft Factory to offer its Patroller unmanned vehicle to the Egyptian armed forces.

Gallium nitride semiconductors are upgrading electronic warfare, easing communications and improving radar.

Gallium nitride and ceramic composites have their mettle tested in the name of missile research.

Saab says it began testing a gallium-nitride fighter radar more than a year ago and has verified that the sensor is ready for production, although the complete system has not flown.

A customer-supplier model based on mutual trust and long-term commitment is the key.

Antonov diplomatically refers to the situation with Russia as an “interruption of cooperation with the northern neighbor."

U.S.-European wargames in Virginia; Germany receives Airbus helos for special forces; Northrop tests counter-UAV system with U.S. Army; Ilyushin delivers heavy-lift transporter to Russian air force.

A U.K. defense electronics firm has been selected to develop a data link capable of transmitting real-time imagery and video from high-altitude UAVs using 3G cellular standards technology.

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station successfully grappled Orbital ATK’s latest Cygnus cargo mission capsule early Dec. 9.

Airbus Helicopters has delivered its first H125 AStar single-engine helicopter from its newly established assembly line in Columbus, Mississippi.

Airbus Helicopters is performing flight tests of Turbomeca’s Ardiden 3C turboshaft engine on its prototype H175/EC175 for its Chinese partner.

Amphibious warfare defensive weaponry could present the U.S. Marine Corps with unique obstacles in getting people and materiel from ship to shore, a CRS report notes.

Regular operations of the Akatsuki/Venus Climate Orbiter are targeted for April 2016, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency reported.

Vice Adm. Thomas Rowden, the U.S. Navy Surface Force Commander, is starting to better hone his concept on distributed lethality.

Key members of the U.S. Navy and Royal Malaysian Navy sub forces met at Polaris Point, Guam, to review and establish plans for joint training and exercises.