Defense

Aviation Week editors discuss the state of X-planes, how they have historically performed and what challenge the next X-plane program should take on.

MINUTEMAN III test scheduled... ELBIT, TKMS naval tie-up... LOCKHEED gets $990m F-35 mod kit award...

Blakcro unveils stealthy P1 powered paraglider for special forces at SOF Week.

Business jets used to fly military VIPs. Now they are being pressed into front-line duty.

The FAA’s latest air traffic controller workforce plan says the agency needs fewer controllers than it thought.

The Week Ahead in Aerospace & Defense

EDA advances automated refueling tests to include unmanned aircraft and tankers.

Norway's missile export ban forces Malaysia to reassess defense procurement strategies amid regional tensions.

Hill Helicopters said it is closing in on the long-awaited first run of its in-house-developed turboshaft engine.

Ukraine converts Soviet-era bombs into precision glide weapons to counter Russian stand-off attacks.

Destinus advances missile testing for European deep-strike needs.

Aeralis, a British startup attempting to develop a modular jet trainer, collapsed into administration after what it called “sustained pressure” on its cashflow.

Contenders for a possible U.S. Army contract to build interceptor missiles at a cost of less than $1 million each need to be able to demonstrate the full system by the end of the fiscal year, the Army said on May 15.

UK Eurofighters deploy APKWS rockets in the Middle East to counter one-way attack drones, marking a rapid integration of guided rocket technology.

One theme united the first-quarter analyst calls by the publicly traded electric air taxi startups: the defense market.

Dyzne Technologies has unveiled a new expendable drone, the Blitz, and a shipping container-based launch system to deploy “high-volume” swarms of UAVs.

A missile resembling the AIM-260 is spotted on a Navy F/A-18F, advancing U.S. air-to-air capabilities.

The British Army narrows its search for an autonomous Apache wingman, with four companies advancing in Project NYX to deliver operational capability by 2030.

H.I.G. CAPITAL acquires INTERNATIONAL AEROSPACE COATINGS... CONTI FEDERAL SERVICES GETS B-21 flight sim award... Former astronaut Rominger appointed to AEROPACE CORP. board of trustees...

UK ties defense payments to contractor performance, raising incentives for faster delivery and easing regulations for smaller businesses.

Broadening the scope of potential NGAP applications beyond the F-47 may boost the chances of a final breakthrough for variable-cycle engines after four decades.

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

Scaled Composites built the flying-wing UAS under a DARPA project to demonstrate hybrid propulsion.

BELL lands new 407GXi order ... SIDUS SPACE reports Q1 losses ... New CEO for HERMEUS ...

Australia Selects PteroDynamics P4 For Naval Logistics