U.S. Army

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

The Army sees growing interest in stratospheric operations as an opportunity to maintain expertise and investment in the critical domain.

The U.S. Navy’s former fleet of uncrewed Northrop Grumman MQ-8C Fire Scout helicopters have a new lease on life, with the U.S. Army returning the fleet to flight for sensor payload tests.

As developments in Ukraine highlight new issues for army aviation, editors share what they heard from leaders at AUSA 2026 and discuss how the service is looking to evolve.

The funding drought and layoffs came amid an aggressive schedule for the U.S. Army’s tiltrotor.

The U.S. Army is reassessing its intelligence fleet as it clarifies plans for contractor-owned surveillance jets and advances the ME-11B HADES program.

The Army creates a permanent Space Operations Branch, expanding its role in space integration and interdiction as satellite-reliant warfare grows.

The U.S. Army plans to test high-altitude balloons and stratospheric payloads next year as officials look to exploit the transition between air and space domains.

The U.S. Army prepares to release an RFP for a VSTOL-capable replacement to the MQ-1C Gray Eagle that emphasizes a broader uncrewed architecture over a single airframe.

Airbus Helicopters CEO Matthieu Louvot says the U.S. Army's decision to adopt the Robinson R66 trainer does not signal a broader shift away from twin-engine military training helicopters.

Rafael CEO Yoav Tourgeman warns that a phaseout of U.S. military aid to Israel after 2028 could weaken defense industry ties between both countries.

The Army details its upgrade road map for the AeroVironment E-HEL laser, including a decision on a new version by fiscal 2031.

The U.S. Army announces a new autonomous warfare command and orders the creation of autonomous units as industry floods AUSA with drones and robotic systems.

Lockheed Martin and Avio announce an agreement to produce solid rocket motors for the U.S. Army's ER GMLRS and PrSM long-range munitions.

The U.S. Army recently stress-tested the use of Amazon’s nascent proliferated communications network to provide high-speed connectivity to soldiers in the field.

The Week Ahead in Washington

U.S. Army and AeroVironment officials will re-open the supply chain for components and subsystems within the Enduring-High Energy Laser (E-HEL) program to competition.

Sikorsky unveils Black Hawk Next upgrades including a modular nose, new engine and autonomy software to extend the helicopter's service life past 2050.

The Pentagon backfills $200 million for the Bell MV-75 tiltrotor program as Textron spends internal funds to keep U.S. Army development and testing on schedule.

Lockheed Martin unveiled a new, longer-range variant of the Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC)-3 interceptor.

A U.S. Army probe into the January 2025 collision between a UH-60L Black Hawk and a PSA Airlines CRJ-700 near Washington Reagan National Airport outlined systemic issues.

Shield AI plans to offer the X-Bat uncrewed aircraft system to the U.S. Army as a replacement for the MQ-1C Gray Eagle, a top executive says.

Ideal Aerosmith revealed Oct. 7 the one-way attack Troublemaker uncrewed aircraft system now in low-rate initial production for the U.S. Navy.

The U.S. Army plans to bring a fleet of contractor-owned aircraft in house to continue flying reconnaissance missions as it stands up its own fleet of business jets for the role.

Ahead of AUSA, editors discuss the MV-75 and the U.S. Army’s modernization plans, including long-range fires, air defense, space capabilities and the budget challenges shaping its next steps.