Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

The top two leaders of major A&D supplier TransDigm Group will testify to the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform panel about defense supply prices, along with defense officials.

NASA is assessing what specific activities would be expected of astronauts on the surface of the Moon during the 2024 return called for by the White House before it forges ahead with the development of new lunar spacesuits.

The U.S. Air Force will have a new, $75 million, 53,000-sq.-ft. munitions research center in Florida by 2021.

A two-year contract to design a 10 MWe-class, mobile nuclear reactor to power remote U.S. military bases and electricity-hungry weapons, such as high-powered lasers and microwaves, is now open for bidding.

The Royal Norwegian Air Force is to support noise trials for the basing of the F-35 in Denmark.

A GOP member of Congress is urging House appropriators and defense authorizers to buy an additional eight C-130J aircraft in fiscal 2020 for the ANG and AFR.

Grounded for six years, the Philippines National Police (PNP) air wing has returned to the skies after the delivery of three light helicopters.

The Trump administration’s proposal to reorganize military space would increase the cost to the government by up to $4.7 billion in one-time expenses and an additional $1.9 billion every year, the CBO says.

Startup XTI Aircraft has completed the first series of test flights of a 65% scale proof-of-concept prototype of its TriFan 600 ducted-fan VTOL business aircraft.

The U.S. State Department has approved a potential sale of Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawks and Bell AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters to the Czech Republic.

Indiana Saab’s on May 8 announced selection of an Indiana site to produce structures and systems for the Boeing T-X trainer.

A planned acquisition of three A-29 Super Tucanos and three AT-6 Wolverines has entered the presolicitation notification phase required for all sole source contracts.

The U.S. Senate voted to confirm three nominees to the Export-Import Bank’s board of directors.

With two major aerostructures businesses—Triumph Group’s and Bombardier’s—being shopped out for new owners, is there suddenly too much of the same “product” in the marketplace?

India’s much-anticipated second Moon mission, Chandrayaan-2, is preparing for launch in mid-July, with the lander expected to touch down in early September.

The FAA “cannot confirm the legality” of using tech designed to detect small UAS, the agency says in updated guidance sent to U.S. airports.

A group of more than 40 retired national security space officials has stepped up to defend the Pentagon’s proposed Space Force.

Collins Aerospace Systems has unveiled an upgraded, open-architecture autopilot system for unmanned aircraft systems.

BlueBird Aero Systems has received a contract from an undisclosed navy to supply its WanderB vertical takeoff and landing UAS for deployment on patrol vessels.

Israeli intelligence was the basis of Washington’s decision to send an aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf.

HISDESAT picked consortium led by AIRBUS and THALES ALENIA SPACE to build two SpainSAT NG satellites. First launch in 2023.

SpaceX plans to launch dozens of demonstration Starlink satellites as early as May 15 and follow up with at least two more flights of operational spacecraft later this year.

A shortage of pilots and mechanics is a “serious and immediate problem” affecting business aircraft, commercial airlines and the military, the head of the Aviation Workforce Alliance warns. Without action, the situation will grow much worse, keynote speaker AWA Executive Director David Olive told attendees at a Wichita Aero Club luncheon last week. Pilots are retiring faster than the airlines can hire, Olive said.

Space plans to launch dozens of demonstration Starlink satellites as early as May 15 and follow up with at least two more flights of operational spacecraft later this year.

The U.S. Marine Corps has formalized recent plans to add an anti-ship weapon to its mainly land-attack arsenal.