Defense

French aerospace and defense provider Thales on June 6 confirmed it has purchased Psibernetix, a small Cincinnati-area developer of AI for cockpits.

Ducommun, a small aerospace and defense supplier that has been working through a financial turnaround, booted its CFO on June 5, according to a regulatory filing.

The U.S. aerospace and defense sector was responsible for more than 2.56 million jobs in 2018, a 5.5% gain over 2017, the Aerospace Industries Association says.

Guillaume Faury became CEO of Airbus in April 2019 after about one year heading Airbus Commercial.

Sikorsky has started flying a UH-60A with a retrofittable fly-by-wire system and autonomous control features to demo a potential upgrade for the U.S. Army’s existing Black Hawk fleet.

NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) on June 6 urged policymakers, the agency and its commercial partners not to skimp on funding and safety.

House Democrats intend to block President Trump from making opulent additions to the Air Force One replacement, but the move is receiving opposition from the GOP.

Rafael has unveiled a new version of its best-selling Litening-5 targeting pod that adds a synthetic aperture radar (SAR).

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory has developed a safer and more user-friendly topcoat that was applied onto the exterior of some USN and USMC aircraft.

The Senate has confirmed Lt. Gen. David Berger to receive his fourth star and lead the U.S. Marine Corps as its 38th commandant.

China conducted its first space launch from the sea on June 5, using a Long March 11 rocket that lifted off from a platform in the Yellow Sea.

The new Rapid Space Launch Initiative challenges space launch providers to propose concepts for demonstrating an on-orbit capability for a satellite weighing up to 220 kg (485 lb.) within 24 hr. of receiving a call from the Air Force.

The services held a “Female Fitment Event” at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, June 4 in which female aviators gathered to have their measurements taken, which will be used to design new prototypes.

Canada prioritizes competition over strict terms on offsets, stealth.

Jordan looks to sell its Chinese CH-4 UAVs; Japanese Hawkeye deliveries begin; Bulgaria Seeks F-16s and an unofficial alliance grows in the Mediterranean

Seven U.S. senators are introducing 22 joint resolutions to block weapon sales to foreign governments—including Saudi Arabia and the UAE—without congressional OK.

The European Aviation Safety Agency has certified Aireon to provide surveillance services in support of aircraft separations, the first such OK, the company said.

The U.S. National Reconnaissance Office contracts extend a nine-year-old relationship between the U.S. intelligence community and Maxar, the parent of DigitalGlobe, and expand the NRO’s commercial partnerships by adding BlackSky Global and Planet.

Northrop Grumman has begun deliveries to Japan of what is now known to be only an initial batch of four E-2D Hawkeye air surveillance aircraft.

Air force commanders reportedly are dissatisfied with the performance of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.-produced system.

World View Enterprises has completed its longest developmental flight of the Stratollite high-altitude balloon.

With a midlife update, France’s Charles de Gaulle can operate until 2040, but what will replace it?

Mica NG sticks with legacy version’s “double-duality” approach with RF and IR versions.

Special forces role for NH90 will introduce new distributed aperture technology.

Virgin Orbit could begin conducting horizontal space launch services from mainland UK in the early 2020s with the support of start-up funding from the UK Space Agency and local authorities in Cornwall.