Defense
Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.
Rotorcraft
Bell V-280 Completes Agility Tests
Bell said its V-280 tiltrotor has completed the Army's low-speed agility tests.
Rotorcraft
Sikorsky Flies HH-60W as CH-53K Gets Production Award
The HH-60W is to replace the Air Force's aging HH-60G Pave Hawk fleet.
Rotorcraft
Russian Helicopters Keeps Low Profile at HeliRussia’2019
The Russian manufacturer has experienced a downturn in sales, but now has an order for 100 Mi-28NMs.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
MILEX 2019: Belarus Introduces New UAS and EW Jammers
Belarus is expanding its defense industry capabilities, introducing a new drone and a counter-UAS jammer.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Drone Flights Prohibited Near U.S. Navy Vessels
The FAA has issued new special security instructions regarding UAS operations near U.S. Navy assets.
Aircraft
Putin Calls for Additional Su-57s and Mi-28NMs
While it has been acknowledged that the Sukhoi Su-57 has some way to go before fully entering service, the order for the VKS is being increased
BriteCloud Expendable Decoy Selected for ANG Testing
Leonardo's active jamming decoy is to be tested on U.S. F-16s and, if successful, could be adopted fleetwide to improve the aircraft's defenses.
King Aerospace Preps Kirtland AFB Facility for NNSA Contract
King Aerospace will launch aircraft maintenance and support operations May 17 for the nuclear watchdog’s fleet of 737 and DC-9 “Combi” aircraft.
Aircraft
New Missiles for the ‘Bear’ and ‘Blackjack’
Russia's missile industry is developing new air-launched weapons to equip the recently upgraded Tu-95MSM and Tu-160M strategic bombers.
Training and Workforce
USAF to Activate ‘Stealth’ Aggressor Unit
Early F-35s are to be assigned to an aggressor squadron to permit the replication of potential fifth-generation threat types.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Qinetiq-led Team Selected for Canadian UAV Requirement
Qinetiq will provide and operate UMS Skeldar V-200 UAVs aboard Royal Canadian Navy ships, as well as support land special operations forces
Aircraft
Saab Names U.S. Site for T-X Production
Saab will undertake its share of T-X manufacture at a new facility to be built at West Lafayette, Indiana
Training and Workforce
ATAC Lands U.S. Navy Controller Training Contract
The U.S. Navy has let four training contracts, including one to an ATAC-led team that will provide aircraft for training close-support air controllers.
Rotorcraft
Marines Reactivating Unmanned Kaman K-Max Helicopters
Kaman says it is working on optionally piloted vehicles for commercial use
Aircraft
IDEF’19: Su-57 May Provide Turkey with an F-35 Alternative
Russia has announced that it will soon be ready to export the Su-57, and Turkey is keen to find out more because of the ongoing spat with Washington
Aircraft
IDEF’19: Turkish Hürjet Approaches PDR Despite Program Delays
Turkish Aerospace's Hürjet advanced trainer program is back on track following delays caused by supplier selection issues.
Accidents
S-97 Crash Damage More Severe Than First Reported
NTSB factual report enumerates extensive damage in 2017 crash of Sikorsky S-97 Raider compound helicopter.
Avionics
Ukraine Develops New Targeting Systems
Ukraine has two major programs running as part of a plan to maintain and develop advanced capabilities for its attack helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.
Aircraft
HJT-36 Flight Test Resumption Renews Hope for AL-55 Engine
Having been halted for some while remedies for a spin problem have been devised, the HAL HJT-36 Sitara jet trainer is back in the air again
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
IDEF’19: Anka Aksungur to Fly with Turkish Engine by Year-end
TAI's large twin-engine Anka Aksungur UAV is making its first public appearance at IDEF as the program gears up to fly with indigenous powerplants.
Aircraft
U.S. Air Force F-35A Sees First Combat Action
F-35As have been flying operational missions as part of Operation Inherent Resolve. Now the aircraft have released weapons for the first time.
Rotorcraft
KAI Maintains Hopes for Surion Sales
KAI has hopes that Indonesia will be the first export customer for the KUH-1 utility transport helicopter
Rotorcraft
Poland Signs for AW101s
Poland is buying four AW101s from Leonardo to dramatically improve the capabilities of the Polish navy's air brigade
Aircraft
Lockheed Martin Inaugurates New F-16 Production Facility
F-16 production has moved out of Fort Worth to make room for expanded F-35 production capacity
Aircraft
Upgraded F-5 Flies with Garmin G3000
Tactical Air Support is modifying its recently acquired ex-Jordanian adversary F-5E/Fs with new equipment, including a Garmin G3000 flight deck.
Rotorcraft
Army Selects First Round FARA Competitors
The U.S. Army has selected the first round of competitors for its proposed Future Attack and Reconnaissance Aircraft
Rotorcraft
Bell Vows To Build 407GXis for U.S. Navy in Alabama
Bell has submitted its 407GXi single as a proposed new U.S. Navy training helicopter.
Rotorcraft
Bell Banking On FVL For Future Military Sales
Textron CEO credits Bell V-280 with persuading Pentagon to propose more Future Vertical Lift funding.
Aircraft
Be-200 Indigenous Engine Delays Drive Be-12 Life Extension
The desire for an entirely "Made-in-Russia" powerplant is delaying attempts to field new Be-200 amphibians, and prolonging the life of the elderly Be-12
Rotorcraft
Bell To Enter Smaller 525 Variant in Army FARA Competition
Textron CEO said this week that Bell would enter a scaled down Model 525 for new Army program
