Defense

Germany is set to join the Netherlands, Norway and Poland in the creation of a European multinational tanker force flying the Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport.

Germany is considering retaining at least 24 C-160 Transall airlifters due to concerns that the defensive aids suite on its A400Ms will not be ready for service.

Certain existing U.S. Navy aircraft, Pentagon radar systems and advanced communications networks can help the DOD map out successful electronic warfare acquisitions, a CSBA report says.

The DOD must alter the way it prepares to fight with – and buy for – electronic warfare, the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments says.

NASA’s Journey to Mars envisions a U.S. role in a human “return to the Moon,” even if not in the same sense the agency carried out six spacecraft landings under the agency’s banner during the Apollo era.

The Air Force is considering measures to ensure that communications sent over the Wideband Global Satcom constellation are more secure.

India is on track to launch its first solar mission to study the Sun’s outermost layers and hopes it will take place in the next two years.

The Spanish government and Airbus Defense and Space have formalized an agreement to postpone the delivery of 13 of Spain’s 27 planned A400M airlifters.

Europe’s €430 million ($455 million) LISA Pathfinder mission has been postponed due to a technical issue on the Vega light launcher.

Three of XCOR Aerospace’s founders have left the company to set up a new firm – Agile Aero – offering “short schedule vehicle prototyping services.”

Boeing has closed out C-17 deliveries and seven decades of aircraft production in Long Beach, California.

Boeing has closed out C-17 deliveries and seven decades of aircraft production in Long Beach, California.

Capt. Richard Prest, Commander Task Force 72 and Commander Fleet Air Forward, makes sure the intelligence keeps flowing in the Western Pacific.

Likely enlargement of Australia’s frigate force will add pressure to eventually add a third replenishment ship to the Royal Australian Navy, a Canberra, Australia, think tank says.

Russian Helicopters has delivered the first prototype of an Arctic transport rotorcraft to the Russian defense ministry.

An Airbus C295W aircraft owned by the Mexican Navy has made the first ever flight to the Antarctica.

Acquisition reform requires speed, resources, commercial pricing—and a little “plain English.”

The German government plans to send Panavia Tornados for operations over Syria in response to a French request for assistance following the terror attacks on Paris earlier this month.

Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) may add language to appropriations bill that would help ULA use the Atlas V to compete for future launches.

Poland’s new government is moving to cancel two key defense tenders agreed by the previous administration.

Russia sells China Sukhoi fighters and special ops helicopters; Indian army scraps Nishant UAV; manned-unmanned teaming demo in South Korea; U.S. sells three Global Hawks to Japan.

From no-fly zones in Syria to the potential return of F-22 production, presidential candidates are talking tougher about defense.

Ashton Carter’s Defense Innovation Unit, Experimental, is quite small and has no budget to speak of.

While the Strategic Defense and Security Review published on Nov. 23 appears to be good news, the government’s pledges appear to do little more than paper over gaping cracks in military aircraft capabilities left by previous reviews.

F-35 SUPPORT: The U.S. Navy has awarded United Technologies Corp., Pratt & Whitney, Military Engines, East Hartford, Connecticut, a $214.5 million