Defense

Brief news items of interest to aerospace & defense professionals.
Defense

The U.S. Air Force has kicked off a three-way competition to re-engine the entire 76-aircraft B-52 fleet from 2021 to 2035. The request for proposals
Defense

By Steve Trimble
Special Forces looking for low-cost options to support ground troops in remote areas.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Graham Warwick
Four launches will reduce risk for key technologies behind DARPA’s Blackjack autonomous LEO constellation demonstration.
Space

By Steve Trimble
Two of the U.S. Defense Department’s most advanced hypersonic programs have fallen months behind schedule, the head of the Pentagon’s Research and Engineering branch confirmed on May 20.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Steve Trimble
A U.S. Navy request for information for a land-based aircraft to replace the Boeing T-45 may not represent the final requirement when the request for proposals is released, the service’s top acquisition official said on May 20.
Aircraft & Propulsion

TEXTRON AVIATION has US Customs and Border Protection contract to provide two additional King Air 350CER Multi-role Enforcement Aircraft (MEA); SIERRA
Defense

By Irene Klotz
NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley landed at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 20 for final preparations ahead of launch next week to test SpaceX’s Crew Dragon system.
Space

By Mark Carreau
NASA has renamed its struggling Wide Field Infrared Space Telescope in honor of the late Nancy Grace Roman, a longtime pioneering woman astronomer sometimes referred to as the “Mother of Hubble.”
Space

By Irene Klotz
Boeing, which was shut out of nearly $1 billion of NASA funding to develop human-class lunar landers, said it does not plan to protest the awards, which went to teams led by Blue Origin, Dynetics and SpaceX.
Space

By Tony Osborne
Spanish defense electronics firm Indra is taking the lead on a European Union program to develop an aircraft-mountable pod equipped with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) for radar, communications, and electronic warfare functionality.
Sensors & Electronic Warfare

By Mark Carreau
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s ninth resupply mission was on course to reach the three-person International Space Station (ISS) early May 25 following a May 20 liftoff from the Tanegashima Space Center.
Space

By Bradley Perrett
A BAE Systems program to upgrade Australia’s three over-the-horizon radars amounts to rebuilding the sensor system, addressing parts obsolescence while providing a jump in performance.
Sensors & Electronic Warfare

By Tony Osborne
UK MRO firm STS Aviation Services plans to convert Boeing 737s into E-7 Wedgetail airborne early warning platforms for the British Royal Air Force.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Jen DiMascio
The U.S. Commerce Department on May 19 released a long-awaited new rule for the export of remote sensing services.
Space

Rolls-Royce announced this morning that it will lose up to 9,000 jobs as it addresses the change in demand following the collapse of the aviation industry due to Covid-19
Defense

Lockheed Martin will again accelerate payments of US$300m to small critical suppliers. Nicolas Jouan, Aerospace and Defence Analyst at GlobalData offers his view on Lockheed’s decision.
Defense

By Irene Klotz
U.S. proposal extends and expands guidelines for cooperation on lunar missions and beyond.
Space

By Steve Trimble
A U.S. Air Force F-35A crash-landed at Eglin AFB, Florida, on May 19, four days after the loss of an F-22 at the same location.
Aircraft & Propulsion

A U.S. Air Force F-35A crash-landed at Eglin AFB, Florida, on May 19, four days after the loss of an F-22 at the same location. In the most recent
Defense

The U.S. Navy awarded contracts worth $2b for production, development and sustainment of the Multifunctional Information Distribution System Joint
Defense

By Steve Trimble
The request for proposals invites bids from GE Aviation, Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce to supply 608 engines.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Steve Trimble
Lockheed Martin now expects to deliver 18-24 fewer F-35s in 2020 than the program’s 141-aircraft goal due to supply chain disruptions caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic, the company said May 19.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Irene Klotz
Two days before he was to chair the Flight Readiness Review for the SpaceX Demo-2 mission, marking the return of U.S. human orbital flight capability, NASA Associate Administrator Douglas Loverro is leaving the agency.
Space

By Steve Trimble
The head of U.S. Army Futures Command said on May 19 that he expects a sharp decline in future defense spending and warned that several acquisition programs could face cancellation.
Budget, Policy & Operations