Defense

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.

A UAS appears to be the most likely candidate to replace the Merlin Mk. 2 as the next host platform for the Crowsnest AEW radar or a follow-on system.

The Pentagon will deploy additional U.S. forces and equipment to Saudi Arabia to defend the nation against Iran.

British aerospace trade association ADS has written to senior government ministers in a bid to urgently clarify post-Brexit trading agreements.

Norway has begun reviewing long-term defense plans proposed by its chief of defense as the country beefs up its defenses in the face of new threats.

Raytheon and United Technologies shareowners “overwhelmingly” approved all shareholder proposals necessary to complete the merger of UTC’s aerospace businesses, comprising Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney, with Raytheon.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and SpaceX Founder Elon Musk appeared to be mending fences during a joint Oct. 10 news briefing.

Sikorsky is advancing tests of a UH-60A modified with fly-by-wire flight controls, paving the way for introducing increasing levels of autonomy to its Black Hawk optionally piloted vehicle.

Triumph Group’s continued breakup to the benefit of TECT Aerospace rolled on Oct. 10 with a deal over Triumph’s Nashville, Tennessee, assembly operations.

NASA’s Ionospheric Connection Explorer mission satellite was successfully launched late Oct. 10.