Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

Victus Nox Mission Shows How Commercial Space Coming Of Age

By Jen DiMascio Sep 26, 2023
Advancements in commercial space tech helped the U.S. Space Force, Millennium Space Systems and Firefly Aerospace pull off the Victus Nox rapid launch demo.
Commercial Space

Private Equity Investors Swap Ownership Of Exostar Consultancy

By Michael Bruno Sep 26, 2023
Thoma Bravo is selling its aerospace and defense consultancy Exostar to Arlington Capital Partners.
Supply Chain

Concepts Sought For Operating Large UAVs From Midsized Ships

By Steve Trimble Sep 26, 2023
Instead of operating from a large aircraft carrier, a U.S. Navy request seeks concepts for ships with flight decks between 50-200 ft. long and 40-100 ft. wide.
Aircraft & Propulsion

UK Prime Minister Lobbying Germany Over Eurofighter Sale To Saudi Arabia

By Tony Osborne Sep 26, 2023
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is lobbying German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to allow a potential sale of Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft to Saudi Arabia.
Aircraft & Propulsion

U.S. Army Narrows FTUAS Bidding To Two Designs

By Steve Trimble Sep 26, 2023
Textron and Griffon will compete for the Future Tactical Uncrewed Aircraft System development contract after the U.S. Army has eliminated three other teams.
Sensors & Electronic Warfare

Special Forces Want To Equip Aircraft With Loiter Munitions

By Steve Trimble Sep 26, 2023
The Program Executive Office - Fixed Wing and SOFWERX, the command’s rapid prototyping agency, plan to host a series of demonstrations of loitering munitions.
Missile Defense & Weapons

Icelandic Startup Pursuing Development Of Bird-Like UAS

By Tony Osborne Sep 26, 2023
An Icelandic startup is attempting to develop an uncrewed aircraft system that will mimic the flight of a bird.
Aircraft & Propulsion

Singapore Air Force Testing Autonomous Swarm Drone Tech

By Chen Chuanren Sep 26, 2023
The vertical-takeoff-and-landing UAS is designed to provide the Singapore Armed Forces command post last-mile intelligence of areas of interest.
Budget, Policy & Operations

Sierra Space Raises $290M Series B For Space Station Project

By Michael Bruno Sep 26, 2023
A Japanese partnership of MUFG Bank, Kanematsu and Tokio Marine & Nichido led the Sierra Space funding round, which will fund space station development.
Commercial Space

U.S. National Security Space Facing Key Challenges

By Guy Norris Sep 26, 2023
Lt. Gen. John Shaw, senior U.S. Space Force officer at Space Command, says challenges will grow as vehicles become more complex and operate further from Earth.
Space

Lockheed Martin Stepping Up Hypersonic Tests

By Guy Norris Sep 26, 2023
Lockheed's planned flight tests are part of final preparations for the partial deployment of the U.S. Army’s first Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon before 2024.
Missile Defense & Weapons

Blue Origin CEO Bob Smith Stepping Aside

By Irene Klotz Sep 26, 2023
Progress has been slow on Blue Origin's New Glenn orbital launch system under Bob Smith’s watch, with an expected 2024 debut coming four years behind schedule.
Commercial Space

Joby Signs With SKT To Provide Aircraft For K-UAM Grand Challenge

By Garrett Reim Sep 25, 2023
Joby Aviation has signed a collaboration agreement with South Korea’s SK Telecom to provide an aircraft for in-country flight testing in 2024 under the Korean Urban Air Mobility (K-UAM) Grand Challenge.
Advanced Air Mobility

VoltAero Flies Cassio Hybrid On 100% Sustainable Fuel

By Graham Warwick Sep 25, 2023
French startup VoltAero has flown its Cassio S hybrid-electric propulsion testbed on 100% sustainable fuel.
Advanced Air Mobility

Osiris-Rex Asteroid Sample Materials Arrive At NASA Johnson

By Mark Carreau Sep 25, 2023
The Osiris-Rex sample canister with material gathered from the surface of the asteroid Bennu was flown on Sept. 25 from its landing site in the Utah desert to NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
Space

Northrop Wins Stand-in Attack Missile Development Deal

By Steve Trimble Sep 25, 2023
The $705 million contract for the Stand-in Attack Weapon calls for Northrop Grumman to have the new missile ready to to enter service in 2026.
Missile Defense & Weapons

The Weekly Debrief: No Easy Fix For F-35 Sustainment Cost Problems, GAO Says

By Steve Trimble Sep 25, 2023
The Pentagon still lacks a plan to successfully wrestle sustainment functions away from the collection of contractors that now jealously own those roles.
Aircraft & Propulsion

Uncrewed Firefighting Helicopter Startup Rain Raises $9.7m

By Garrett Reim Sep 25, 2023
Rain, a developer of an uncrewed firefighting helicopter technology, has raised a $9.7 million seed round of financing.
Advanced Air Mobility

First Polish Apache Offset OK’d Ahead Of 96-Aircraft Order

By Tony Osborne Sep 25, 2023
Poland’s defense ministry has contracted a first offset agreement associated with the acquisition of its planned Boeing Apache attack helicopter fleet.
Aircraft & Propulsion

Volare Outlines Operating Concept For Lilium Jet

By Angus Batey Sep 25, 2023
The launch customer for the Pioneer Edition of the Lilium Jet has already sold an undisclosed number of its initial batch of 10 aircraft.
Advanced Air Mobility

Singapore Validates Upgraded F-16 Integration

By Chen Chuanren Sep 25, 2023
The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) is putting its upgraded Lockheed Martin F-16 D+ Block 52 through its paces at Exercise Forging Saber.
Defense and Space

Airbus Helicopters Unveils Third Technology Demonstrator

By Tony Osborne Sep 25, 2023
Airbus Helicopters has unveiled a third technology demonstrator, this time based on its H145 twin-engine light rotorcraft.
Aircraft & Propulsion

Yemen’s Houthis Establish Fast Jet Capability With Restored F-5

By Tony Osborne Sep 25, 2023
Yemen’s Houthi movement has restored a Northrop F-5 Tiger combat aircraft to flight.
Aircraft & Propulsion

Joby Delivers First EVTOL To Edwards AFB

By Garrett Reim Sep 25, 2023
Joby Aviation delivered its first S4 electric-vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft to the U.S. Air Force at Edwards AFB, California, on Sept. 25.
Aircraft & Propulsion

Osiris-REx: Asteroid Samples Land In Utah, Ending 7-Year Mission

By Irene Klotz Sep 24, 2023
The largest haul of extraterrestrial samples since Apollo 17 landed in Utah on Sept. 24 after being collected by the Osiris-REx spacecraft.
Space