Defense

By Michael Bruno
The Pentagon's undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics suggests a “national security consideration” be formally introduced in Washington’s merger & acquisition review processes.
Defense

By Jay Menon
GSAT-6 was “successfully positioned in its orbital slot of 83 degrees east on Oct. 4, after carrying out four drift-arresting maneuvers,” a senior ISRO scientist says.
Defense

While all U.S. military services’ budgets would be affected by an extended budget resolution, the U.S. Navy faces even tougher challenges because of the way its shipbuilding and conversion (SCN) account for vessel programs is set up, defense analysts note.
Defense

By Graham Warwick
The U.S. aviation group charged with developing standards to enable unmanned aircraft to fly in unrestricted aircraft has completed the first documents for key systems, but cautions they are limited in scope and application.
Defense

If the Pentagon overrides U.S.
Defense

Fearing cyberattacks that could disable essential systems, U.S. Office of Naval Research is developing a technique to protect onboard computers from being hacked.
Defense

By Michael Bruno
Dec. 11 is close to Christmas and ought to bring tidings of good cheer. But as the new “fiscal cliff” deadline approaches, it could feel a lot more like Halloween.
Manufacturing & Supply Chain

The U.S. Navy has released videos of the F-35C Lightning II undergoing the second phase of developmental tests aboard USS Eisenhower in the Atlantic Ocean.

Defense

By Graham Warwick
The system integration laboratory for the team’s SB-1 Defiant demonstrator will fire up this year, followed in 2016 by the propulsion system test bed for the rigid coaxial-rotor compound helicopter.
Defense

By Graham Warwick
Darpa’s Towed Airborne Lift of Naval Systems (Talons) program harks back to World War II, when Focke-Achgelis FA-330 rotary-wing kites were towed behind German U-boats.
Defense

By Mark Carreau
The crew of the International Space Station (ISS) initiated the scheduled deployments of 16 CubeSats over three days early Oct. 5.
Defense

By Tony Osborne
Britain will invest in a new fleet of Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) unmanned air systems, Prime Minister David Cameron has announced.
Defense

By Tony Osborne
The Astraea (Autonomous Systems Technology Related Airborne Evaluation & Assessment) program just completed 18 months of work on a virtual certification process, but has no funding in place for its next phase.
Defense

By Jay Menon
Antrix Corporation Ltd., the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), has been ordered by an international tribunal to pay compensation and damages totaling $672 million to Devas Multimedia Pvt. Ltd.
Defense

By Richard Aboulafia
Boeing could have sustained the venerable C-17 line profitably for at least few more years, but several factors dictated that closing it is the smarter way to go.
Defense

A new ball-bearing for turbofan engines operates at speeds that require less oil than conventional bearings, reduces fuel use and cuts power loss.
Defense

By Graham Warwick
Wide-area imaging for ScanEagle; parafoil sensor extends ship’s horizon; new look at anti-misting kerosene to prevent fuel explosions; new variable-stability helicopter with train test pilots; hybrid cargo airship nears design freeze.
Aerospace

By Graham Warwick
Sikorsky looks forward to working with Lockheed Martin, post-merger, on defining the next steps for the so-far industry-funded S-97 Raider high-speed helicopter program.
Aerospace

Critical equipment made for new Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) aircraft is being manufactured in the Middle East for the first time.
Maintenance & Training

By Guy Norris
The key challenge to integrating the two systems is to avoid scenarios in which evading one threat might inadvertently put the aircraft in danger from another type of collision.
Aerospace

After being the monopoly rocket supplier to the U.S. government for national security launches for nearly 10 years, the tables have turned for United Launch Alliance.
Space

By Graham Warwick
Having flown its S-97 Raider high-speed rotorcraft a second time, Sikorsky is looking forward to the merger with Lockheed Martin and to working closely with the defense giant on missionizing the light tactical helicopter for potential customers.
Defense

By Graham Warwick
The Kestrel Maritime ViDAR system has been developed by Australian computer-vision software company Sentient and ScanEagle sensor supplier Hood Technology for installation on the Block D version of the UAV now deployed with most customers.
Defense

By Graham Warwick
Hybrid-airship developer Aeros plans to freeze the configuration of its ML866 66-ton-payload cargo airship by year’s end. Work underway includes developing test articles for structural components and the buoyancy-management system.
Defense

By Graham Warwick
Calspan has received a $1.57 million contract to provide a next-generation variable-stability system (VSS) for a Sikorsky UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter flown by the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School (NTPS) at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland.
Defense