Defense

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral on Jan. 29, sending a fourth batch of 60 Starlink satellites into orbit.

After Singapore, Indonesia likely to order first. The Philippines has narrowed its choice down to the F-16 and Gripen.

“We have to figure out a way to mitigate the delayed fielding of the KC-46,” the head of U.S. Transportation Command says.

Lockheed Martin is hoping this year to make progress figuring out a long-term F-35 sustainment deal with the Pentagon.

The U.S. Air Force has notified industry to expect sole-source contracts for Boeing F-15EX fighters and accompanying GE Aviation F110 engines.

Aerospace suppliers are taking different approaches on whether to cut employees as they wrestle with the fallout of the Boeing 737 MAX production halt, with some already doing so while others announce they will not.

The U.S. Space Development Agency is looking for feedback on in-space mesh networking capabilities and interoperability to inform future solicitations.

After almost 20 years of development, Russia’s new Mil Mi-38 heavy transport helicopter has started gaining orders.

Leonardo Helicopters will take over fledgling Swiss rotorcraft manufacturer Kopter Group in a $185 million deal.

Airbus has reached an “agreement in principle” with France’s financial prosecutor (Parquet National Financier or PNF), the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and U.S. authorities, the company confirmed Jan. 28.

Fort Worth-based Novaria Group, a holding company rolling up Tier 2 and 3 aerospace and defense suppliers, has changed ownership itself, with Rosewood Private Investments and Tailwind Advisors selling to major investment firm KKR.

A European Space Agency-led collaboration with NASA, the $1.5 billion Solar Orbiter mission, is set to lift off from Cape Canaveral.

How the U.S. Air Force plans to disrupt command and control, military acquisition and the industrial base with ABMS.

The city-state’s air bases are increasingly vulnerable. It obviously sees STOVL as an answer.

Selected U.S. military contracts from the past week

News in brief

Brief news items of interest to aerospace & defense professionals.

NASA has selected privately owned Axiom Space of Houston to provide a commercial habitation module to be attached to the International Space Station.

Two Northrop Grumman MQ-4Cs have officially started the high-altitude UAS' first operational deployment, the U.S. Navy says.

Honeywell has partnered with U.S. startup Jetoptera to explore fluidic propulsion for military cargo and surveillance UAS.

The U.S. Air Force has “walked back” portions of a $30 billion reinvestment strategy based on objections by combatant commanders, chief of staff Gen. David Goldfein said on Jan. 27.

NASA has selected 16 wide-ranging science investigations and technology demonstrations for launch next year as the first payloads to be delivered to the Moon’s surface by two of 14 companies qualified by the agency for lunar missions under NASA’s $2.6 billion, 10-year Commercial Lunar Payload Services programs.

Ad Astra Rocket Co. is poised to bring the company’s Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket electric propulsion system to a Technical Readiness Level of 6.

Poland’s government will sign a $4.6 billion contract for 32 Lockheed Martin F-35As on Jan. 31, Minister of National Defense Mariusz Błaszczak announced Jan. 27.

The U.S. defense research agency awarded Northrop a $13 million, one-year contract under the Glide Breaker program.