Defense

The cover of Aviation Week & Space Technology’s March 9, 1981, issue featured the NASA/Rockwell International highly maneuverable aircraft technology (HIMAT) flight test vehicle seen from beneath on its eighth test flight, shortly after it was released from a Boeing B-52 launch aircraft over the Mojave Desert near Edwards AFB in California.

London wants to buy more Thales air defense missiles to aid Gulf allies drawn into the Iran war and convened talks with industry to see what more could be done.

The People’s Liberation Army Air Force introduced an AI-powered aerial refueling dispatcher system aimed at improving tanker operation efficiency and pace.

France’s future aircraft carrier has been named “France Libre,” or “Free France” by President Emmanuel Macron.

India’s Defense Ministry is seeking to join one of the foreign government-industry consortia developing competing sixth-generation fighters.

The Paraguayan Air Force’s current modernization efforts are centered on overhauling attack aircraft, which are considered essential for countering organized crime.

Hypersonic test company Stratolaunch plans to develop an air-breathing variant of its rocket-powered Mach 5-plus Talon vehicle.

Special tactics units within the USAF Special Operations Command are researching options for buying short-range, first-person-view, one-way attack drones.

The U.S. homeland will face a dramatic rise in long-range missile threats over the next 10 years.

NATO’s initiative to replace its long-serving Boeing E-3A Sentry airborne early warning aircraft fleet has now moved into the “realization stage.”

The UK government says it is progressing with the development of a new family of long-range, conventionally armed missiles with Germany.

BAE Systems has revealed more details about its new, rapidly developed anti-drone defense software system.

Differences between the Royal Australian Air Force’s E-7 Wedgetail and the variant being acquired by the UK have led to “significant delays” in the program.

Beyond European exasperation with the Trump administration, there are market realities causing a rupture in Europe’s missile buying habit.

Hensoldt agreed a deal to assure critical radar component supply through 2030—a signal European defense suppliers are bullish about long-term demand.

Robinson Helicopter is growing its business with new uncrewed aircraft, military training bids and development of a larger utility helicopter.

European defense companies see a pot of gold under missile defense dome developments.

The Defense Department and its partner agencies are crafting a new national defense strategy dedicated to space security.

The U.S. Army is weeks away from fielding its first Long Range Hypersonic Weapon battery.

The U.S. Army is finally taking on the procurement in addition to the operational responsibility of the THAAD system from the Missile Defense Agency.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) flew a mission autonomy system derived from the Shield AI Hivemind in two UAVs.

Turkish Aerospace Industries’ (TAI) T625 Gokbey twin-engine helicopter has secured domestic civil certification from the country’s aviation regulator.

The U.S. Air Force and Boeing are in a strong place to turn around the VC-25B future “Air Force One” program.

The director of Golden Dome argues that cost estimates predicting huge increases to the program's price tag are fundamentally flawed.

Thermoplastic composites require further development before aircraft manufacturers can rely on them for large aircraft components, the CEO of Hexcel Global says