Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

Argentina’s state-owned airframer, Fábrica Argentina de Aviones, is preparing to deliver three IA-63 Pampa III light jet trainers to the country’s air force.

The abort was the first unplanned shutdown during a terminal count of a Delta IV Heavy, which has flown 10 times since its debut in 2004.

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) overcame an unexpected satellite communications interruption early Dec. 8 to proceed with the berthing of SpaceX’s 16th NASA-contracted Dragon resupply capsule.

GENERAL DYNAMICS has $85.9m U.S. Navy contract for Navy secure voice systems and services.

Former airline pilot and Boeing executive Terry McVenes has joined standards organization RTCA as its new president and CEO.

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BOEING has $159m U.S. Air Force contract for Japan’s second KC-46A tanker.

China launched its Chang’e 4 mission to study the far side of the Moon at 2:23 a.m. local time Dec. 7 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwestern China, according to local media reports.

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U.S. Air Force Col. Robert Bongiovi became the launch systems services enterprise director one year ago, after serving as the office’s acquisition chief.

Embraer and the Brazilian federal government plan to challenge a Brazilian court order that stops Embraer and Boeing from finalizing their proposed commercial-aircraft joint venture (JV) before the country’s new administration is in power.

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed Lt. Gen. Rozzano Briguez as the new chief of the air force, replacing Lt. Gen. Galileo Gerard Kintanar.

Saab said it has offered its Erieye airborne early warning (AEW) system to the Philippines and Indonesia.

The French Air Force is contributing to Franco-German studies on the FCAS and is also exerting pressure for greater availability of its Airbus A400M transports.

Bearings and seals provider SKF will close its 185-employee bearings manufacturing site in Stonehouse, UK, as part of a consolidation in Europe.

LOCKHEED MARTIN has $7m U.S. Navy contract for production of low-cost conformal arrays.

Italy’s Leonardo has flown what it calls the latest iteration of its C-27J Spartan turboprop airlifter.

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USAF Secretary Heather Wilson and Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein have directed a 90-day review to inform the service’s space budget plans for fiscal 2021.

In the course of investigating why a Falcon 9 burst into flames on the launchpad in 2016, SpaceX, NASA and the USAF agreed that future versions of the booster would include upgraded composite overwrapped pressure vessels.

The Pentagon’s head of research and engineering is making it his mission with the new Congress to advocate that science and technology funding is not a “red or blue” issue but is instead the colors “red, white and blue.”

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) is building a fully equipped maintenance facility for its F-35I fighters at the Tel Nof airbase.

Drone Delivery Canada is to transport mail, packages and medical supplies to isolated communities in northern Ontario under a commercial accord.

The FAA will release a draft regulation in February that streamlines requirements for commercial space launch and recovery operations.

The British government is making £125 million ($159 million) in research and development funds available for future flight technologies.