Defense

Spirit AeroSystems plans to open a new National Defense Prototype Center to focus on the development and testing of high-temperature materials for the aviation, defense and space programs.

The U.S. Air Force wants a new missile warning and directed infrared countermeasure system on its new HH-60W Jolly Green II combat rescue helicopter to replace the original equipment that meets requirements but does not meet current and future threats.

The U.S. Air Force has cleared its troubled KC-46 to operationally refuel F-15s and F-16s as part of its ongoing rollout of interim capability releases for the tanker.

Heidi Grant to Vice President of Business Development (for defense, space and government services), based in Arlington, VA, of Boeing.

Axiom Space, which is working with NASA to develop a commercial successor to the International Space Station, announced this week the completion of three joint design reviews for the project.

The partnership enables the two entities to partner on research and development opportunities, promoting U.S. space industry growth.

The venture capital and private equity firehose fueling space startups continues unabated.

For more than a year, investors and observers of the leading A&D company have been perplexed.

UK and Italy may take a different Eurofighter development path than Germany and Spain, as the four nations pursue next-gen fighter plans.

As calls grow for more affordable hypersonic systems, Dynetics remains focused on delivering the baseline weapon on time.

The JF-17 is now set to become the most widely operated Chinese combat aircraft in service with overseas customers by the end of 2023. Both China and Pakistan hope that the aircraft can build on its early successes and emulate the performance of its predecessors in export markets.

The top official overseeing U.S. international weapons sales will take over Boeing’s defense, space and government sales, starting two days after she leaves government service.

NASA’s Human Landing System strategy, a key element of the agency’s effort to establish a sustained human presence at the Moon and go on to Mars, may appear embattled.

Startup Space Perspective announced a $40 million venture capital fund raising on Oct. 14, claiming the largest round yet for a space tourism balloon company and coming months after a successful demonstration.

The U.S. Air Force wants industry to tell it how much of a shortfall there is in its tanker capacity to bolster a potential contract for commercial air refueling, with a deadline of June 2023.

Saab has committed to expanding its presence in Finland even if the company does not win the country’s HX fighter contest.

Satellite broadband provider OneWeb has successfully placed more than half of its constellation into low Earth orbit following the 11th launch of its campaign from Vostochny spaceport in Russia’s Far East at 5:40 a.m. EDT Oct. 14.

A developmental U.S. Army ballistic missile flew more than 499 km during an Oct. 13 flight test from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, demonstrating the maximum range of the new weapon a year ahead of a scheduled fielding date in fiscal 2023.

The Netherlands has formally opened its testing facilities for maintenance of the F-35 engine, the first such engine depot outside of the U.S.

The trio will spend six months living on the Tianhe core module, which will be the longest-ever duration in space for a Chinese crew.

The incident comes days after the country requested a dozen more of the type under U.S. foreign military sales.

GBU-72 penetrator clears tests; U.S. Army UH-60 negotiations; Serbia to buy Airbus aircraft; and Chinook rotor blade upgrades in doubt.

The Pentagon’s head of research and engineering wants hypersonics programs to become cheaper and show tangible successes in tests to convince doubters in the Pentagon that the weapons will be effective.