Defense

Airbus Helicopters has achieved its speed target with its Racer compound rotorcraft with the experimental aircraft flying at 240 kt. in April.

Airbus is exploring the concept of becoming the owner and operator of some A400M military airlifters to secure contracts with smaller air forces.

Indonesia’s decision to acquire 48 KAAN fifth-generation fighter jets from Türkiye marks a major leap in its defence modernisation and airpower ambitions, says GlobalData.

The French government has launched several military space efforts, spanning space situational awareness initiatives to nanonsatellites.

Finnish satellite-maker Iceye says it will invest more than $287 million to scale up its SAR spacecraft production capacity and speed technology developments.

Two Chinese-built satellites may be on the verge of conducting an on-orbit, satellite-to-satellite refueling activity for the first time, U.S. space situational awareness company Slingshot Aerospace recently announced.

Lockheed Martin Skunk Works has agreed to explore opportunities with Electra.aero for the startup’s in-development EL9 ultra-short-takeoff-and-landing aircraft.

Diehl may make more acquisitions to support its rise in air and missile defenses output, says Helmut Rauch, the boss of the German company’s defense business.

Senra Systems, a California-based startup that manufactures wire harnesses for the aerospace and defense industry, has raised $25 million in a Series A round.

The S-97 Raider is a high-speed scout and attack compound helicopter developed by Sikorsky Aircraft, featuring the innovative X2 Technology with a coaxial rotor system.

Tactical missile propulsion supplier X-Bow Systems came to the Paris Air Show this year to seek options for a European manufacturing partner.

Safran and its U.S. subsidiary can go ahead with a proposed $1.8 billion acquisition of Collins Aerospace’s actuation and flight control business from RTX.

Defense tech startup Mach Industries has completed a $100 million Series B funding round led by venture capital (VC) firms Khosla Ventures and Bedrock.

Northrop Grumman announced June 18 that it will use the Scaled Composites Model 437 Vanguard aircraft as a new testbed to evaluate autonomy.

A successful integration would see the H225M crew take full control of Airbus’ Flexrotor uncrewed aircraft system.

France has declared plans to acquire Saab’s GlobalEye airborne early warning platform to replace the country’s aging Boeing E-3F Sentry fleet.

A low-end collaborative combat aircraft designed by Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works entered captive-carry testing within the last few weeks.

French armament procurement agency DGA has selected Daher as one of five companies to fly a medium-altitude, long-endurance demonstrator for uncrewed ops.

EURA—made up of MTU Aero Engines, Safran Helicopter Engines and Avio Aero—is planning tests of a demonstrator power and propulsion system in the early 2030s.

Lithuania has become the latest NATO member to select the Embraer C-390 as its future airlifter.

Boeing is considering a bid on the U.S. Army’s Flight School Next program, but has not yet decided what role it could play.

Diehl and Safran have agreed to work together on development of light modular air-to-ground munitions, the companies said at the Paris Air Show.

Embraer is working to refine its evolution of the KC-390 over the coming year to define its maritime patrol aircraft and refueling boom strategy.