Defense

A decade after U.S. Marine Corps experiments in Afghanistan, the Defense Department is ramping up development of cargo-carrying UAS.

Site approvals and first-article tests will be completed by the end of February 2023.

The additional money includes $442 million for the U.S. Space Force to buy one Wideband Gapfiller Satellite for high-data rate military communication services.

The war in Ukraine has highlighted shortfalls in the stockpile and industrial base for missiles, with both sides expending thousands of missiles so far.

Forecasts, snapshots and military aircraft to watch.

The two A400Ms took off from Kyiv’s Borispol Airport on Dec. 20.

Hermeus will use a modified version of the 29,000-lb. thrust engine.

The new arrivals allow the Latvian Air Force to begin retiring Russian-made aircraft from its fleet.

Negotiations have occurred that will allow the Colombian government to acquire new fighters with a grace period for starting payments.

The bill would buy 383 military aircraft overall in fiscal 2023—or 30% more than the 294 aircraft requested by the Defense Department.

As current fourth and fifth-generation fighters evolve and find new customers, attention is turning to next-generation efforts.

The Biden administration’s first budget proposal after the release of its National Defense Strategy will focus on competition with China.

The 7-hr. excursion by NASA astronauts Frank Rubio and Josh Cassada is scheduled to begin at 7:45 a.m. EST.

The start of operational activity comes about nine years after the Brazilian government selected Saab to deliver 36 Gripen E/F fighters.

A far more powerful alternative is already close to moving into development, with a competition expected to be decided within days or weeks.

The samples are being carefully preserved for terrestrial analysis with the latest laboratory technologies.

PRECISION AEROSPACE PRODUCTS, WA signed MOU with Philippine Aerospace Development to collaborate on future military MRO projects.

AAR expanded Ontic partnership by extending military customer support distribution deal and signing new global commercial distribution agreement.

L3HARRIS TECHNOLOGIES agreed to acquire AEROJET ROCKETDYNE, CA in all-cash transaction valued at $4.7b.

The Tiquila program will see the delivery of more than 250 Mini Uncrewed Aerial Systems (MUAS) to the UK military.

The U.S. Army wants to develop a common mission system for targeting and CNI functions between the V-280 and FARA fleets.

Thirty members of a secretive Russian military unit that programs the flightpaths of cruise missiles targeting Ukraine have been sanctioned.

Pyongyang claims to have successfully tested a large solid-fuel engine, which could be used to power an intercontinental ballistic missile.

The deal adds one of the U.S. government’s most important propulsion, space and missile system suppliers to industry’s self-titled trusted disruptor.

The Mayhem team will now start working on system requirements, concept design and a digital engineering environment for the vehicle.