Defense

Aviation Week editors Robert Wall and Steve Trimble discuss the evolution and future of laser weapons that are now getting their first battlefield kills.

Elbit Systems' CEO has disclosed that the Israeli defense technology company is working on a helicopter-based high-power laser application.

The F-47 and B-21 are the crown jewels of next-generation air dominance and strike capability, but they will also be part of a larger family of systems.

Pittsburgh-based Near Earth is flight-testing its modular autonomy system in a Sikorsky UH-60L Black Hawk.

Airbus Helicopters is discussing possible industrialization options with Romania over the potential sale of the H225M.

Anduril did not win a $20 billion check from the U.S. Army on March 13, as announced, but instead a consolidated contracting vehicle.

The U.S. Air Force is changing the armament on its new Sikorsky HH-60W combat search and rescue helicopter as the fleet is being rolled out.

Croatia’s prime minister says he has raised concerns with NATO about Serbia’s apparent acquisition of Chinese air-launched, long-range missiles.

The U.S. Air Force’s Boeing T-7A trainer program is seeing testing delays mount ahead of an imminent production decision, following a change in the acquisition approach to try to speed up fielding.

The DOD and the Australian mining company Lynas have signed a $96M agreement to boost U.S. supply of rare earth minerals essential for defense. systems.

The U.S. Air Force now plans to push some capability of the B-52’s new radar into later increments to address developmental issues and cost growth.

U.S. Central Command (Centcom) Commander Adm. Brad Cooper on March 11 shared a brief video update regarding the ongoing Operation Epic Fury.

A Canadian company has unveiled a concept design for an autonomous ACP aircraft to fly alongside the Royal Canadian Air Force’s future fighter fleet.

Diehl has struck a partnership agreement with Indra to jointly pursue a Spanish medium-range air defense program.

The Swedish government is moving forward with efforts to build a local national security rocket launch capability as part of a wider push to enhance its military space capacity.

Japan has begun taking deliveries of the Joint Strike Missile (JSM) and Tomahawk cruise missile, Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told reporters,

The UK is starting to plan the potential procurement of a specialist counter-UAS capability under its much larger Land Ground-Based Air Defense program.

The CASIC LY-1 laser weapon, revealed at Beijing’s Victory Day parade, features a larger aperture than the U.S. Navy’s Helios.

As high-energy lasers become weapons for countering small drones, the technology is on its way to demonstrating the potential to shoot down strategic threats.

All six crewmembers onboard a U.S. Air Force KC-135 were killed when it crashed in Iraq after an incident involving another tanker during Operation Epic Fury.

The relationship between the defense budget and GDP is a particularly close one in China, and that link is both strategic and financial.

European efforts to demonstrate CCA efforts are gaining pace, with Airbus saying it is looking to fly two modified Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie systems before year end.

Hanwha Aerospace and gaming company Krafton agreed to develop “physical artificial intelligence [AI]” technologies and establish a JV focused on defense.

Avio is considering how to speed up U.S. missile motor production, with wars in Ukraine and the Middle East pointing to demand greatly surpassing projections.

Editors are joined in Atlanta by vertical flight veteran Mike Hirschberg to discuss the highlights of this year's Verticon rotorcraft expo.