Defense

Pratt & Whitney is ramping up retrofits to operational F135 engines with a fix to the problem that led to a catastrophic engine fire last year in the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter, and aims to modify the entire fleet by the first quarter of 2016.

With four bidders in the running, the U.S. Air Force is confident the competition will drive cost down to an affordable level, despite high design expectations.

The L1 controller is designed to automatically intervene in the case of control problems.

Cut unwisely now and pay dearly later is the message from U.S. Defense Department science and technology leaders, who fear spending caps threaten development of advanced capabilities that will be needed in future decades.

The digital economy is seeping into every corner of the aerospace and defense industry, and it is just the beginning.

While KAI is confirmed as preferred bidder for KF-X development, the role of Lockheed Martin looks unclear. Airbus may yet be asked to join the program to protect it from a U.S. export veto.

Two German teams are working on a military-funded program that could lead to a world first: an operational air-defense laser.

As the Australian government raises defense spending to 2% from 1.6% of GDP, room is opening up to extend a campaign of military aviation renewal that by now should be coming to an end. Candidates include armed UAVs and top-up orders for transports and tankers.

Test pilots say the F-35 can be cleared for greater agility as a growth option based on the results of basic fighter maneuvers against an F-16 and earlier flight-envelope evaluations.

With the Indian prime minister heading to Paris in April, all eyes are on the export of French combat jets to the Indian air force.

As the Netherlands gets ready to fly its F-35s in 2019, senior commanders are thinking about how to fill a technological training gap between the Talon and the Lightning II.

Saab, through its local South African company, Saab Grintek Defence (Pty) Ltd has received follow-on orders from Hindustan Aeronautic Limited (HAL), India, for serial production of an integrated electronic warfare self-protection system for installation on the Indian Army's and Air Force's Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv. The orders have a total value of approximately R940million.

The U.S. Air Force is balancing between losing capability and meeting an urgent request to equip Air National Guard Lockheed Martin F-16s assigned to homeland defense with active electronically scanned array radars to detect small radar cross-section targets, such as cruise missiles.

Despite failed attempts to retire the A-10, the U.S. Air Force looks to a new generation of technologies and tactics for close air support mission.

Mid-size UAV with max-size endurance; Predator-class persistent ISR for small ships; U.S. polysonic tunnel gets a refresh; Israeli AESA guides Lockheed counter-rocket laser; Amazon’s FAA-certified UAS is “obsolete”

In his final months as head of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz laid the foundation for the country’s military vision over the next decade. The “IDF 2025” study addressed all theaters of warfare—air, naval and land—and diverse operations: urban and subterranean; unmanned systems; command, control and communications; training; logistics; homeland defense, and legal aspects.

Paramount Group’s new Advanced High-performance Reconnaissance Light Aircraft is on the way to full production by 2017.

Hardly a month goes by without news of successful Aegis combat system tests, especially when it comes to ballistic missile defense improvements and operations.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are setting new standards for air support of ground maneuver operations, say Israel Air Force (IAF) officials, after reviewing lessons from Operation Protective Edge, the military campaign in Gaza last summer. To aid ground forces under attack, IAF disregarded existing safety regulations and dropped hundreds of 2,000-lb. bombs as close as 100 meters (328 ft.) from friendly forces.

French air force Chief Gen. Denis Mercier is leading the service through sweeping changes including many that will affect the aircraft it deploys.

New sensor combines a high-definition electro-optic camera with automatic target detection algorithms to detect small maritime targets.

CTA International developing an anti-air airburst round for use against airborne targets.

Casualty modeling program developed by the U.S. Office of Naval Research predicts how soon injured crew can return to their posts.

Malaysia will probably order fighters in 2016-20 to replace a MiG-29 fleet that is already declining. The timing may be too late for the Super Hornet.

Whether the U.S. Navy keeps to the new schedule and cost estimates for the CVN 78 Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier may come down to just how well a set of redesigned fasteners for the ship's Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) survives a new round of extremely important tests.