Defense

Norwegian rocket maker Nammo expects a positive decision this week to launch a concept demonstrator for a new air-breathing missile propulsion system.

The lesson of getting the U.S. Air Force’s Combat Rescue Helicopter effort back on track is a back-to-basics approach to program management.

The next step in the antitrust review process for the proposed merger of Raytheon and UTC could happen within a month, UTC Chief Executive Officer Greg Hayes said Oct. 14.

Boeing is maintaining a veil of secrecy surrounding its design of the U.S. Army’s Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft, and is the only vendor that has not disclosed details of its offering.

Space situational awareness startup LeoLabs has completed its first radar installation outside the U.S.

Karem Aircraft has teamed with Northrop Grumman and Raytheon to propose its AR40 active-rotor, winged, compound helicopter for the U.S. Army’s Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft program.

The hallmark of Karem Aircraft's AR40 active-rotor, winged, compound helicopter is to fly fast.

The U.S. State Department has approved a potential sale of the Beechcraft T-6 Texan turboprop trainer to North Africa’s Tunisia.

The Philippines Air Force is expected to take delivery of six Embraer A-29 Super Tucano light attack planes by February 2020.

Honeywell has started early testing of a significant new upgrade for the T55 turboshaft engine.

Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) is aiming to develop an electronic warfare version of the P-1 maritime patroller.

Kawasaki Heavy Industries is planning to expand its aerospace business by 15.3% in the three fiscal years to March 2021.

An Antonov An-72 transport plane operating for the Air Force of the Democratic Republic of the Congo crashed near Punia last week.

“We’re still partnered very much so with the Marine Corps and SOCOM on this effort,” an Army program official tells Aerospace DAILY. “We’ve promised to be overly transparent and overly communicate to make sure everyone who is partnered with us feels like we are taking their positions and points into account.”

The UAS are the Martin UAV/Northrop Grumman V-BAT, Textron Hybrid Quad Aerosonde, Arcturus UAV Jump and L3Harris FVR.

The Raider-X coaxial rigid-rotor compound helicopter is a development of the S-97 Raider prototype now in flight testing, but is about 20% larger.

Sikorsky's Raider-X, 20% larger than the S-97 prototype, highlights its future growth capability.

Aero Engine Corp. of China has produced turbine-engine parts in ceramic matrix composite, a material that offers low weight and high resistance to temperature.

Poland will complement its F-35 buy with more F-16s and a loyal wingman unmanned system.

UK-owned F-35B fighters landed on the HMS Queen Elizabeth II for the first time on Oct. 13 off the Atlantic coast of Florida to initiate operational testing the new aircraft carrier.

As the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual meeting set to begin on Oct. 14 in Washington DC, the service’s leadership has embarked on the most ambitious modernization agenda for the aviation branch in over 40 years.

Boeing has demoted Dennis Muilenburg on the board of directors, and giving the chair seat to the company’s leading independent director, David Calhoun, in the wake of the 737 MAX fiasco. Muilenburg will remain president and CEO.

Although the identity of the new owner has not yet being revealed, Stratolaunch has announced that it has “transitioned ownership and is continuing regular operations.”

NASA astronauts Drew Morgan and Christina Koch advanced a month-long, five-spacewalk effort to replace aging power storage batteries along the International Space Station’s (ISS) vaulting solar power truss on Oct. 11 with a nearly 7-hr. excursion.

Avic is emphasizing the adaptability of the Z-20 utility military helicopter, as the Chinese army presents the type for close inspection for the first time.