Defense

U.S. Space Force leadership detailed preparations for the first space surveillance squadron, on day three of AFA’s Air, Space and Cyber conference.

Textron and Merlin are adapting the Cessna SkyCourier into an autonomous aircraft intended to move thousands of pounds of supplies across contested environments.

The U.S. Space Force has established its first operational unit dedicated to space-based moving target indication.

Lockheed Martin is pitching an upgraded variant of the F-16, called the F-16G, to the U.S. Air Force to fill Fighting Falcon units that will age out of their existing fighters.

The announced competitors for the U.S. Air Force’s Massed Modular Aircraft so far have one major thing in common—they use Honeywell Aerospace’s TPE331 engine.

U.S. startup Astro Mechanica has unveiled a concept for a large new uncrewed aircraft system to host a high-energy laser and other nonkinetic effects.

SDA expects Northrop Grumman Transport Layer satellites to launch soon, advancing deployment of its delayed proliferated LEO network.

Boeing’s 737 MAX will have a new operator: the U.S. Air Force.

The United Arab Emirates’s Edge Group is deepening its ties with South Korea's Hanwha to meet local needs for air defense and strike.

The F-47 sixth-generation fighter is on track for its first flight, U.S. Air Force officials confirmed at AFA’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference.

The Pentagon has established a new leadership position called the space technology portfolio executive, which the Air Force's new assistant secretary for space acquisition and integration is recruiting for,

MBDA says it has validated the firing of the Teseo MK2/E anti-ship missile, setting the program up for first delivery to the Italian Navy in 2028.

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force has confirmed that its Northrop Grumman RQ-4B Global Hawk crashed at sea.

HawkEye 360 has been working with Middle East governments to support their signals intelligence needs without formal contracts, hoping to secure future revenue.

British startup Alloyed has begun building a 1,100N-class turbojet engine for uncrewed air vehicle use.

Shield AI says it is nearly done constructing the first full-scale protype of X-BAT, its proposed autonomous combat aircraft system.

Germany has formally submitted a letter of request for the Typhon surface-to-surface system and associated Tomahawk cruise missiles, during a visit to Washington.

Startup Swarm Aero has detailed key features of newly unveiled Gamera uncrewed aircraft system (UAS), the outcome of a nearly five-year, largely secretive effort to offer a swarm-capable replacement for the MQ-9A Reaper.

The U.S. now has on-orbit space control weapons, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink announced in a keynote at AFA’s Air, Space and Cyber conference, while also laying out aggressive goals for autonomous aircraft.

Following remarks from Air Force Secretary Troy Meink, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Douglas Schiess reiterated the presence of space weapons on orbit.

Rafael says it is pursuing the integration of its Spice 1000 air-to-ground munition on the Lockheed Martin F-35.

The U.S. Air Force will take two B-52s from real-world missions and dedicate them for engine and radar testing as the service boasts the delayed programs recently passed key milestones.

The U.S. Air Force and Boeing are finalizing the F-47 sixth-generation fighter design, with first flight on track to take place within two years as expected.

The Defense Innovation Unit is soliciting an AI-based “Space Threat Intelligence Synthesis Engine” to help it track missiles and other threats in space.

BAE Systems launched a family of passive radio frequency devices on Sept. 15 in a move that could spread sensing and targeting capabilities to thousands of munitions and drones.