Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

British aerospace and defense trade association ADS has vented frustration at the British Parliament’s continuing chaotic indecision over the country’s departure from the European Union.

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-Wash.) is concerned the U.S. Air Force launch services procurement strategy will not yield a fair and open competition.

Airbus’ UK factories “could well remain competitive,” even after Brexit, outgoing CEO Tom Enders said Mar. 29.

“We are about to squander European integration,” Airbus CEO Tom Enders said March 29 in Munich. “I am concerned that Germany is isolating itself."

The JAS 39 Gripen is a Swedish, delta-wing canard, single-engine, multirole fighter produced by Saab. As of March 2019, 164 Gripens of all variants were in service across Europe, Africa and Asia.

SIERRA NEVADA CORP. has $317m U.S. Air Force contract for Precision Strike Package program for AC-130W, AC-130J.

Tactical Robotics has teamed with crop protection company Adama to perform a joint feasibility study of using Tactical Robotics’ Cormorant for aerial spraying.

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DARPA was the sole customer for Rocket Lab’s fifth Electron mission, which lifted off at 7:27 p.m. EDT from Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand.

The Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent program to replace the Minuteman III ICBM is considering a proposal to use two suppliers for solid rocket motors.

A routine inspection discovered “potentially fleet-wide issues” with the drogue chute for the B-1B’s ejection seat.

An appellate body of the World Trade Organization has upheld European and Airbus claims that the U.S. side of an ongoing airliner manufacturing subsidies dispute failed to withdraw subsidies that Airbus proponents assert has led to $15-20 billion in harm.

Russian state holding company Rostec says Indonesia's pending order for 11 Sukhoi Su-35 fighters will go through.

GENERAL DYNAMICS has $92.9m U.S. Defense Logistics Agency contract for Warfighter Information Network-Tactical Increment 1 system.

Andrew Marshall, the founder of the Pentagon’s Office of Net Assessment (ONA) and a master strategist, died on March 26.

India’s March 27 anti-satellite test likely took out the 740-kg (1,630-lb.) Microsat-R satellite, according to space situational awareness experts.

The U.S. Air Force has started detailing the roles of future bases for the B-21 bomber.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said on March 27 that her country has submitted a request to the Trump administration to acquire new F-16V fighters.

Saab says it will intensify the flight test effort for it Gripen E/F combat aircraft with additional prototypes and production aircraft joining the program in 2019.

German aerospace center DLR is planning to fly a prototype of a new digital aeronautical radio system for the first time by the end of March.

NASA has agreed to conduct an assessment of the probabilities of meeting cost and launch schedule estimates for the James Webb Space Telescope by late September.

The U.S. Marine Corps wants to test a new kind of small, fixed-wing unmanned air system.

India has tested an Anti-Satellite Missile System by destroying one of its low Earth orbiting satellites.

Money woes continue to hamper Malaysian military recapitalization and sustainment plans as the government indicates it has other priorities.

Boeing’s two-seat F-15EX aircraft will be flown with an empty back seat by squadrons now flying single-seat F-15Cs, the U.S. Air Force says.