Defense

Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.

Ted Colbert’s abrupt departure marks the first of possibly many management changes to improve the airframer’s course.

Aviation Week's Steve Trimble is just back from a trip to Israel, including its northern border. Listen to his observations from the frontline and what the fighting tells us about the future of warfare.

BOEING reports that due to strike airplane production in Washington state is temporarily paused, including work on 737 MAX, 767, 777/777X, P-8, KC-46A Tanker, E-7 Wedgetail; work at fabrication sites in Washington/Oregon are also paused.

Pillar II covers a bevy of advanced defense capabilities.

Variants of the 737 are active with 21 non-U.S. militaries and figure prominently into these nations’ transport and maritime capabilities.

Aerojet will supply the first stage and the advanced, reignitable upper stages for the hit-to-kill GPI.

Likely being developed to meet Ukrainian needs, Project Brakestop will be a rapid development and procurement program.

The Royal Netherlands Air Force is set to become the second European air arm after Norway’s to depend entirely on the F-35 for combat aircraft operations.

Airbus will be converting a secondhand A330 into a technology testbed for its Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) product.

The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has confirmed the long-rumored procurement of the Sino-Pakistani JF-17 Thunder combat aircraft by Azerbaijan.

A massive barrage showcased the might of Israel’s airpower but raised questions about potential gaps in the country’s arsenal.

A new sheet of music is coming to the U.S. industrial base and will drive an Era of Reorganization.

The U.S. and Japan have chosen Northrop Grumman to continue development of a new long-range hypersonic defense system known as the glide phase interceptor.

WindBorne started a six-month contract with the Navy in July to provide “subseasonal forecasting” and optimize its model for cyclone prediction.

The demonstration saw Northrop Grumman’s hybrid satcom terminal connect with a ViaSat-3 F1 satellite in Geosynchronous orbit at Ka frequencies.

Flight tests of the aircraft–the third to be built–began on Sept. 25.

The UK has launched an assessment of its military commitments as part of a wider strategic defense review.

The ministry of defense said the Rocket Force launched an ICBM carrying a dummy warhead on Sept. 25 at 8:44 a.m. Beijing time.

The threats to space systems from directed energy weapons is going to grow, the head of U.S. Space Command warns.

Singapore's Defense Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) and U.S.-based Skydio have agreed to collaborate on autonomous uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) R&D.

Radian Aerospace of Seattle has unveiled the first prototype of its single-stage-to-orbit spaceplane.

Chinese and Russia anti-satellite capabilities are driving Western militaries to pursue better situational awareness and countermeasures.

A Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor prototype banks steeply during flight test operations at Bell’s Ft. Worth, Texas, development center.

The Boeing subsidiary’s proposed version of the Liberty Lifter demonstrator features a 213-ft. wingspan and the ability to carry up 50,000 lb. of cargo.