France

LYON, France – Thales Alenia Space has started to build two reduced-scale proofs of concept for its Stratobus airship, aimed at carrying various payloads for long periods at high altitude.

Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.

Lasers, maneuvering satellites and spaceplanes are getting more attention as Western militaries look to counter threats to their space systems.

U.S. Space Command is planning a second on-orbit demonstration with partner nation France.

Geospatial imagery has become a cornerstone of the international system to monitor nuclear activities, but inspectors are clamoring for better systems to aid their work.

The French Vortex spaceplane demonstrator program will aim to validate heat shield technology and different control capabilities once it takes flight.

HawkEye 360 is gearing up to start deploying a new generation of its electronic intelligence spacecraft that should slash production costs.

Latitude’s Zephyr microlauncher will fly at the end of next year, a one-year delay from its earlier schedule, commercial director Adeline Pitrois said Sept. 17.

Airbus and the French space agency CNES have agreed to extend the life of the two-satellite Pléiades constellation for another two years.

The French government has disclosed a development contract with ArianeGroup for a further evolution of its M51 ballistic missile.

Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.

CNIL has exceptionally authorized the use of biometric data for air traffic controllers’ clock-in and clock-out.

The French Navy chief of staff says the program must be launched soon in order to transition from the Charles de Gaulle carrier in 2035-38.

Safran Aerosystems has rearranged its production and maintenance activities for more periodical maintenance checks of evacuation slides for commercial aircraft.

France says it has ordered a counter-drone laser system as a demonstrator with an eye on potentially fielding a system around 2030.

The successor of the Charles-de-Gaulle aircraft carrier will embark radically different aircraft, including UAS, the naval chief of staff says.

Blue Spirit Aero is pressing on with ground testing of a dedicated prototype of its Dragonfly hydrogen-powered light aircraft, gearing up for flight trials.

France and Germany have pledged to jointly develop an early warning system for Europe as both EU countries aim to strengthen defense technology capability.

Chems Chkioua will succeed Damien Cazé at the helm of France’s civil aviation authority, the Directorate General Of Civil Aviation, effective Oct. 1.

X721, a Dubai-based startup created by former Airbus and Arianespace engineers, is developing a high-altitude platform station relying on a tethered rotor.

The French Air Force has deployed the newly modernized Dassault Mirage 2000D to East Africa, the first deployment of the midlife upgrade operational in April.

Aerial firefighting specialist Neptune Aviation Services is advancing its development plan for a next-generation air tanker based on the Airbus A319.

The contract, awarded under what France calls the Paladin framework, adds to on-orbit maneuvering missions that France is pursuing.

Europe's hope of reaching NATO's higher level of defense spending rests disproportionately with France and Germany, but a key potential obstacle is politics.

The U.S. military and several key allies have developed the first multinational concept of operations for space domain awareness.