Defense

By Lee Hudson
The U.S. Space Force is assisting in the nation’s effort to combat the novel coronavirus by providing additional bandwidth to the USNS Mercy (T-AH-19) hospital ship that arrived in Los Angeles March 27.
Space Symposium

Selected U.S. military contracts for March 23 U.S. ARMY Southwest Valley Constructors, Albuquerque, New Mexico, has been awarded a $524,000,000
Defense

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Defense

News in brief
Defense

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

Defense

By Tony Osborne
Team Tempest partners remain hopeful that Japan can jump on board UK-led Tempest fighter project.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Tony Osborne
The London-based defense think tank says plans to complete the Integrated Review, begun by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in February, by July, were “always unrealistic,”
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Jen DiMascio
President Donald Trump signed a $2.2 trillion stimulus bill into law March 27, aimed at shielding the U.S. economy from damage done by COVID-19
Aerospace

By Jen DiMascio
The move, being made to address cybersecurity concerns, could impact the program’s schedule.
Space Symposium

By Jen DiMascio
Made by Lockheed Martin, Space Fence is expected to vastly increase the number of objects in orbit that can be tracked from Earth.
Space Symposium

By Lee Hudson
The KC-46 program can recover easily from a two-week pause and the Air Force acquisition executive says he has “no reason” to believe Boeing will extend the production pause.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Irene Klotz
The Coronavirus Relief Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) legislation includes $60 million for NASA to “prevent, prepare for and respond to coronavirus, domestically or internationally.”
Space Symposium

By Irene Klotz
OneWeb has moved a step close to filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S., the London-based Financial Times reported March 27.
Space Symposium

By Steve Trimble
The design of the Northrop Grumman B-21’s trailing edge has led to speculation about a high-altitude role for the secretive stealth bomber, and new U.S. Air Force statements appear to confirm that analysis.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Irene Klotz
The agency anticipates spending a total of $7 billion over 15 years—shared among multiple companies—to carry cargo to the Gateway as part of its Artemis lunar exploration program.
Space Symposium

By Graham Warwick
Unmanned cargo glider developer Yates Electrospace (YEC) has launched a civilian subsidiary, Avius Air Delivery, to offer a version of its in-development military resupply glider for humanitarian relief efforts.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Irene Klotz
With many people living and working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, NASA is offering a summary of the framework it uses to prepare astronauts for the mental and emotional challenges of long-duration spaceflight.
Space Symposium

By Steve Trimble
The U.S. Marine Corps commandant has acknowledged uncertainty about a week-old decision to cap squadron strength for F-35s at 10 aircraft and plans to commission at least one independent study to examine the issue.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Tony Osborne
Lynn Tilton has stepped down as CEO of MD Helicopters (MDH) after bankruptcy judges ordered her to sell companies to repay collateralized loan obligations worth nearly $2 billion.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Mark Carreau
NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP) is soliciting proposals from U.S.-based companies and institutions for methods of dealing with mental health challenges that astronauts are likely to face during multiyear missions to Mars— strategies that could also address the psychosocial effects of pandemics like the current novel coronavirus.
Space

By Tony Osborne
Aero-engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce is pausing engineering and production operations at its UK facilities as it works to mitigate the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Jen DiMascio
The U.S. Air Force, in need of more than 26,000 hr. of aerial refueling support, is continuing to search for commercial service providers to make up some of the shortfall caused in part by late delivery of the Boeing KC-46 tanker.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Lee Hudson
Joint Simulation Environment verification and validation activities, a key hurdle before the F-35 program enters full-rate production, are being conducted in a “limited capacity” because of the novel coronavirus.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Steve Trimble
A return to peer-to-peer competition has shifted priorities for the Army’s intelligence branch.
Sensors & Electronic Warfare