Defense

The U.S. Navy needs to move forward with fielding a next-generation fighter to keep carrier-based air superiority going ahead, Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao says.

A market survey will revive the Marine Corps' process of setting requirements for the aircraft that will replace the Bell A/UH-1 helicopter fleet after 2040.

The U.S. Marine Corps recently reached initial operational capability on a slew of capabilities for its General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. MQ-9 fleet.

Airbus expects the Eurodrone uncrewed aircraft program to survive even absent French participation.

Since Shield AI unveiled its high-end vertical takeoff and landing collaborative combat aircraft last fall, there has been plenty of skepticism.

Airbus says Spain will receive an initial 21 TAI Hurjet advanced jet trainers while it works on the final avionics package.

The UK Defense Ministry expects to field the MBDA Spear 3 mini cruise missile on the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter starting in fiscal year 2028-29.

A drone hunting for missing rivets over a hulking C-17 transport is among the initiatives Boeing Global Services is pursuing to enhance productivity.

Editors reflect on a busy period for defense, sharing insights on Quad-A, Sea-Air-Space, Aviation Week's MALMS, the latest Pentagon budget figures, and everything else you need to know on air and missile modernization.

Australia approved a follow-on acquisition of Lockheed Martin Himars and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM), expanding land-based long-range strike capability.

The U.S. Marine Corps has selected teams to demonstrate uncrewed cargo helicopters for contested logistics missions.

The Trump administration’s first long-range spending plan raises planned outlays for offensive missile procurement sevenfold.

Apple cofounder’s venture seeks to fix a “broken” Earth-observation market.

LOCKHEED gets F-35 FMS support award... HONEYWELL declares quarterly dividend... FIREFLY AEROSPACE to receive National Space Society award...

The Week Ahead in Aerospace & Defense

Hypersonic flight test company Stratolaunch has flown five successive Mach 5-plus Talon sorties so far this year.

U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has further reduced its planned fleet of L3Harris OA-1K Skyraider IIs amid a new shift of its resources.

U.S. autonomous aircraft startup Pyka has conducted the first flight of its DropShip hybrid-electric heavylift uncrewed cargo aircraft.

The U.S. Navy on April 25 conducted the much anticipated first flight of its Boeing MQ-25 Stingray uncrewed refueling aircraft, a major milestone in the service’s pursuit of bringing autonomous aircraft to its carriers.

The most advanced Boeing P-8A Poseidon is operational, adding improved capability for wide-area signals intelligence against submarines, the U.S. Navy says.

Demand for all sorts of missiles—from air defense interceptors to deep-strike weapons—is starting to flow through to the earnings of major defense companies.

HawkEye 360 is looking to raise more than $384 million in its initial public offering (IPO), the company says as it kicks off the roadshow for its listing.

The increased threat from Iran and its Houthi proxies in Yemen in recent years has seen defense spending in Saudi rise significantly.

The 3rd World Defense Show took place at Riyadh’s International Convention and Exhibition Center between February 8-12.

Today’s warfighters conduct missions in contested battlespaces where it is only a matter of time before they are detected and targeted by adversaries’ weapons.