Defense

Britain has appointed its first female defense secretary, Penny Mordaunt, following the firing of Gavin Williamson.

Icelandic authorities have begun using an Israeli-made Hermes 900 unmanned aircraft system to patrol the island’s exclusive economic zone.

The U.S. Navy secretary says the service will refuel the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), which was slated for an early retirement because of budget constraints.

Northrop Grumman is to debut the Firebird optionally piloted intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft at the Royal International Air Tattoo in the UK in July.

“The dilemma now is what to purchase first, as the budget will not be enough for the parallel acquisition of the two types,” a senior Israeli source told Aerospace DAILY.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan warned in a speech April 30 that the F-35 program would “collapse” if the U.S. government follows through on threats to eject Turkey from the multi-national program.

Turkish Aerospace is preparing to fly the first prototype of its T625 twin-engine medium helicopter in the next 5-6 weeks.

The Turkish Air Force has begun captive-carry trials of the indigenously developed Goktug family of air-to-air missiles.

The relatively new leadership at key aerospace and defense supplier Arconic fleshed out what their future, separate business structures will be April 30.

Saudi Arabia has severed a five-year-old partnership with Antonov to develop and produce an improved version of the An-32 transport aircraft, the head of the Ukrainian manufacturer said in an April 26 report. &

The company has placed notices in Italian financial newspapers as part of a bid to evaluate market interest.

Australia has sent four Airbus Tiger ARH attack helicopters to Southeast Asia for the type’s first international deployment.

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory may partner with the burgeoning Space Development Agency, according to the nominee to be the next chief of naval operations.

The first ship will be delivered within 42 months, with two ships scheduled for delivery each year.

The system is designed to enable fly-by-wire flight control as well as support autonomy and unmanned ops, while at the same time hosting multiple applications.

Washington needs to treat exports of armed and unarmed UAS the same.

U.S. Air Force B-1B’s pick up vital new mission, but experts concerned about early retirement plan.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine suggests his agency’s troubled Space Launch System heavy-lift rocket could play a crucial role in fending off a devastating asteroid strike.

The aircraft is being prepared to complete a 200-flight hour test program to help the $805 million program reduce risk and perhaps accelerate its six-year EMD phase.

Results from a NASA-backed sounding rocket mission are shedding light on “speed bumps” for satellites that cause them to lose altitude.

Russia is looking to replace its aging Antonov An-124 transports and Ilyushin Co. has offered to satisfy the demand with the Il-96-500T.

The FCC ruling, issued April 26, will allow SpaceX to proceed with launch of an undisclosed number of Starlink satellites as early as next month.

The Long Endurance Advanced Off-board Electronic Warfare Platform (LEAP) is envisioned as complementary to the ALQ-248 Active Mission Payload for the MH-60 helicopter.

Eight airmen have designed an innovative tool estimated to save the U.S. Air Force roughly $500,000 annually in cowling repairs for the aging Northrop Grumman E-8C J-Stars aircraft.

Cobham said qualification of its Wing Aerial Refueling Pod for the KC-46A USAF tanker is “progressing” and testing should wrap up around the middle of 2020.