Aviation Week & Space Technology

Sen. Feinstein opposes Air Force’s long-range missile; lawmaker aims to take politics out of NASA policy; the end of the Jim Wright era.

Lawmakers keep A-10 aircraft but cut NASA climate science; the FAA learns of cyber vulnerabilities; and inventors band together.

Boeing and Lockheed Martin together have been lead integrators for 95% of the Air Force’s bomber and strike aircraft.

Deeper dive into Air Force requirements and the competing teams’ capabilities establishes Northrop Grumman as an overwhelming favorite to produce the LRS-B.

We have seen some incredible leaps forward in technical innovation. We also have seen some incredible leaps backward in other areas.

House to fund some Navy unfunded priorities, Virginia lawmaker keeps an eye on Uclass, more support for taking ATC out of FAA and aerospace companies collaborate with government space plans.

House Armed Services Committee stands by the F-35; Republicans want EPA, other agencies to fund Earth-observation; and a gyrocopter lands on the Capitol grounds.

Political and aviation leaders are expressing support for changing the way we organize, fund and deliver the services and infrastructure so vital to our aviation system.

Despite tensions, U.S. and Russia are still cooperating in civil space. Now it’s time to bring China into the fold.

Aviation has achieved its enviable safety record by not dismissing any possibility of failure and working systematically to eliminate risk wherever it can.

A guide to this year’s defense budget season; U.S. resumes aid to Egypt; travelers return to Cuba; and the up-side of the Antares launch failure.

The airlines back the idea of privatizing the FAA’s ATC roles; NASA picks its asteroid direction; McCain sets defense priorities; and Chuck Norris defends the A-10.

Lawmaker considers tweaking last year’s congressional restrictions on RD-180 engine purchases; NASA reschedules big-ticket design reviews after inspector general report; and the FAA is in for a change.

C-130 modernization receives congressional scrutiny, Bolden laments lack of cooperation with China on civil space and senator blasts FAA’s cyber security lapses.

The tremendous margin of technological superiority that the U.S. has typically enjoyed since end of World War II is eroding.

CEOs are often unprepared for their myriad challenges. Pressure to consolidate across borders could ratchet up the pressure.

Lawmakers consider removing ATC and modernization from FAA’s list of duties; Pentagon to guard nuclear weapons dollars; and an incoming chairman vows to continue blocking Chinese space cooperation.

Rand analysis suggests joint military aircraft programs are unlikely to achieve life-cycle cost savings if they attempt to maximize airframe commonality.

The Navy looks for lower-cost firepower, Russia plans 2024 ISS Exit, Ex-Im bank advocates flock to Capitol and AIA’s Blakey heads to Rolls-Royce.

Delta CEO Richard Anderson’s recent comments about airline subsidies and 9/11 offended his counterparts in the Gulf.

The Pentagon’s $585 billion request for fiscal 2016 may far outpace spending by other countries, but if current budget caps force a reduction, lawmakers are looking for ways to help balance the books. Five high-profile defense analysts from Washington think tanks offered suggestions to the House Armed Services Committee Feb. 11. Some echoed the Pentagon’s recommendations to cut bases, personnel and compensation. But many of those ideas have been rejected by Congress year after year, and in that light, Rep.

Too few bright-eyed students are opting for careers in the cockpit, despite the promise of readily available jobs.

Senators try to build support to give Ukraine “defensive lethal weapons”; Bigelow Aerospace asks for a review of property rights on the Moon; the Obama budget request omits the proposed private-jet user fee.

After years of discussion about incremental upgrades or off-the-shelf insertions into older programs, the Pentagon’s next generation of equipment is taking shape. The defense budget plan for fiscal 2016 and beyond features increased spending on new nuclear delivery vehicles and an initiative to pursue advanced fighter engines and a post-F-35 fighter (see pages 26 and 30). Along with that, the request seeks continued aid for NATO and an ongoing emphasis on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR).

Rep. Mac Thornberry, the new chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, plans to evaluate the costs of modernizing U.S. nuclear weapons and delivery systems and take on the Pentagon’s sluggish procurement system.