France

By Robert Wall
French President Emmanuel Macron says his government will provide backing to Dassault Aviation’s Vortex-S orbital spaceplane.
Launch Vehicles & Propulsion

By Robert Wall
Avio is looking to boost the pace of Vega-C rocket flights to six missions per year, roughly double the current level, and potentially go another 50% higher.
Launch Vehicles & Propulsion

By Robert Wall
Europe should be able to boost Ariane 6 rocket launch cadence to 12 flights a year with a manageable level of investment in 2029, but will need to make more difficult decisions to push rates higher.
Commercial Space

By Robert Wall
United Arab Emirates-based Marlan Space is looking to deploy a 50-satellite constellation in a deal with Loft Orbital.
Satellites

By Robert Wall
The French Navy has taken delivery of an initial pair of Dassault Aviation Falcon 2000LXS Albatros maritime surveillance aircraft.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Robert Wall
The Exploration Co. says a new funding round will underpin its development of the Storm engine, central to the company's ambition to develop a heavy-lift launcher.
Commercial Space

By Thierry Dubois
Self-consuming propulsion system developer Alpha Impulsion has formed alliances with European companies to design a mini-launcher for small satellites.
Launch Vehicles & Propulsion

By Tony Osborne
Kepplair Evolution has begun flight tests of its first ATR 72, which it plans to use as a prototype for its Forest Keeper derivative.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Thierry Dubois
With traffic expected to continue to grow in Europe, air navigation service providers are taking steps to increase capacity while curbing environmental impact.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Tony Osborne
The UK government has cleared the release of classified information on MBDA’s Storm Shadow/Scalp air-launched cruise missile to enable local production of the weapon in Ukraine.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Irene Klotz
With the upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, NASA is poised to open a new frontier in coronagraph technology.
Space Exploration

By Robert Wall
France has formally adopted an updated military programming law that adds €36 billion ($42 billion) over the 2026-30 period.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Tony Osborne
A German aviation logistics company is planning to adapt a pair of former C-160 Transall turboprop airlifters into aerial firefighting aircraft for deployment in Europe.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Thierry Dubois
Severe turbulence caused serious injuries to three cabin crew and two passengers in an Air France-operated Airbus A320 as the flight crew was slow to react to indications of convective cells, says the BEA's final accident report.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Tony Osborne
Airbus has begun deliveries of a new version of the NH90 battlefield transport helicopter to the French military.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Robert Wall
Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury said he was upbeat about the outlook for the A400M airlifter.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Tony Osborne
Positive Aviation advances its ATR 72 amphibian project with the first float delivery, aiming to rival Canadair for aerial firefighting in Europe.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Robert Wall
The solar-powered X721 Heliblade high-altitude pseudo satellite (HAPS) has completed its first flight in France.
Satellites

By Helen Massy-Beresford
Aerospace companies including ArianeGroup, Dassault and Thales have had to close sites near Bordeaux in southwest France as wildfires continue to burn in the region.
Manufacturing & Supply Chain

By Robert Wall
Days after France said it was working to rapidly press the Airbus A400M airlifter into firefighting duty, the French government said it had commenced those operations over the weekend.
Multi-Mission Aircraft

By Graham Warwick
Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.
Aircraft & Propulsion

Aviation Week Staff
France Plans A400M Firefighting Missions Soon
Aerospace_Daily_departments

By Thierry Dubois
Dassault prepares Rafale F5 development featuring AI, UCAV integration and advanced systems despite pending French approval.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Robert Wall
France plans to deploy an Airbus A400M for experimental aerial firefighting missions as wildfires intensify nationwide.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Thierry Dubois
After the termination of the trinational New Generation Fighter program, Dassault Aviation is gearing up to work on a Rafale successor on its own.
Aircraft & Propulsion