Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

By Tony Osborne
Turkey’s Baykar Makina has conducted the first flight of a series-production Akinci medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned air system.
Aerospace

By Tony Osborne
Adversary air operator Top Aces says it has achieved FAA certification of its new fleet of F-16s.
Defense

By Chen Chuanren
Japan’s Subaru Corp. has begun deliveries of locally assembled Bell 412EPX helicopters, handing over the first unit to the Japan National Police Agency.
Defense

By Irene Klotz
NASA is looking at a proposed Biden administration stimulus bill to boost the agency’s fiscal 2022 budget.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Graham Warwick
Wisk Aero is seeking a court injunction to prevent Archer Aviation from using trade secrets the Kitty Hawk/Boeing joint company alleges were stolen by former employees hired away by the rival urban air-taxi developer. Archer described the lawsuit as “baseless.”
Aerospace

By Irene Klotz
Bidders vying for a seat on Blue Origin’s first crewed suborbital spaceflight pushed the price to $2.6 million on May 19, the first day of a public online auction, with proceeds to benefit the company’s charitable foundation.
Defense

By Maxim Pyadushkin
Russia’s Roscosmos has approved crews for flights to the International Space Station through 2023.
Defense

By Steve Trimble
A decision point is set for 2025 on how to replace the MH-60L Direct Action Penetrator, a subfleet of the MH-60M and MH-60L troop transports operated by the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Steve Trimble
An “amphibious MC-130J” appeared on a slide of research and development initiatives now underway within SOCOM’s program executive office for Fixed Wing aircraft.
Multi-Mission Aircraft

By Mark Carreau
More than most federal agencies and due to its high-profile activities and public outreach, NASA offers an increasingly worrisome target for cyber criminals.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Graham Warwick
Drag-reducing boundary-layer ingestion could cut the fuel burn of a future twin-aisle airliner by more than 3% compared to an equivalent-technology conventional aircraft, a European research project has concluded.
Sustainability

By Tony Osborne
First Sea Lord Adm. Tony Radakin told the First Sea Lord’s Sea Power Conference on May 19 that he was challenging the Navy to “create an air wing for each carrier” and “accelerate the transition to a hybrid manned/unmanned airwing.”
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Graham Warwick
European citizens generally would welcome urban air mobility, particularly for medical transport applications, but have concerns over safety, security, noise and the effects on wildlife and the cultural heritage of Europe’s old cities.
Aerospace

By Tony Osborne
To be run by the air force, the new space command will be established in this year’s third quarter from a facility in Kalkar that already commands German air operations.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Chen Chuanren
The Australian Department of Defense has confirmed that it will set up a space division under the ambit of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) by early 2022.
Space

By Lee Hudson
A House Armed Services Committee subcommittee ranking member is sharply critical of how both the U.S. Air Force and Boeing are managing the KC-46A program and the fact its that troubles are forcing the military to continue funding older aircraft.
Defense

By Graham Warwick
Harmonization of the differing European and U.S. approaches to regulating electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft is advancing somewhat, but there are concerns over the lack of information on China’s approach to approving the new class of aircraft.
Emerging Technologies

By Irene Klotz
NASA’s top contractor remains Boeing, followed closely by second-place Lockheed Martin, the agency’s fiscal 2020 Annual Procurement Report, released May 18, shows.
Defense

By Jen DiMascio
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket helped the U.S. Space Force expand its ability to watch for missile launches around the world with the May 18 delivery to geosynchronous orbit of the fifth Lockheed Martin Space-Based Infrared satellite.
Defense

By Steve Trimble
U.S. Special Operations Command has started to reinvent how it provides airborne reconnaissance as the threat pushes existing platforms out of the airspace, the organization’s acquisition executive said on May 18.
Defense

By Irene Klotz
After a test run on the International Space Station, Orbit Fab plans to launch a free-flying fuel-depot demonstration mission in June to push development of satellite-refueling and in-orbit service technologies.
Defense

By Graham Warwick
NASA has agreed to work with five U.S. state and local governments on how to integrate passenger and cargo advanced air mobility into their transportation plans.
Aerospace

By Chen Chuanren
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has completed the first flight of a modernized version of its SH-60 antisubmarine- warfare helicopter.
Defense

By Graham Warwick
The latest investment round gives Beta Technologies the funds to advance toward FAA certification while valuing the Vermont-based startup at $1.4 billion.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Michael Bruno
The new three-story building, next to York’s other two buildings, will allow for a fourfold increase in production capacity once fully utilized.
Space