Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

Boeing is still negotiating with Qatar on the deal for 36 F-15 fighters, after the U.S. signed a letter of agreement with the Middle Eastern nation June 14.

By Tony Osborne
Saudi Arabia officials believe there may be a need for as many as 100 An-132D airlifters in the Kingdom.
Defense

U.S. Strategic Command chief Gen. John Hyten has lambasted the military, the defense industry and Congress for the U.S.’s seeming inability to deliver new weapon systems quickly and at a reasonable cost.
Defense

A House panel has proposed the creation of a separate Space Corps within the U.S. Air Force as well as the development of an intermediate-range, ground-launched missile system to counter Russia.
Defense

By Michael Bruno
Aerospace parts and electronics provider Heico said June 20 it acquired Carbon by Design, an upstart manufacturer of composite components for UAVs, rockets, spacecraft and other specialized applications.
Defense

By Tony Osborne
Kawasaki’s big light blue P-1 maritime patrol aircraft has taken center stage at the Paris Air Show, marking its debut at a major international trade show, and the first time a Japanese military aircraft has visited Le Bourget.

The first serial-production Anka-S, which will use a satellite communications system rather than line-of-sight for command and control, should be delivered to the Turkish Air Force soon.

By Tony Osborne
Poland and Bahrain have expressed interest, but it seems likely that the first customer could be Pakistan.

By Tony Osborne
Turkish Aerospace Industries is making its presence felt at Le Bourget this year, with a static display of its fixed and rotary-wing products and the international flying display debut of the company’s Hurkus turboprop trainer.

LEONARDO unveiled new Gabbiano TS Ultra-Light surveillance radar at Paris Air Show.

This week the 52nd Paris Air Show gets underway at Le Bourget, drawing an estimated 2,300 international exhibitors, 150,000 trade visitors and nearly 300 official delegations.

Harris Corp., RF Communications, Rochester, New York, has been awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a $255,000,000 maximum ceiling value.

By Guy Norris
​Pratt & Whitney is framing its F135 upgrade effort as the first step in a long-term roadmap for fighter propulsion based on adaptive technology.

By Tony Osborne
​Leonardo is progressing its plan to turn its M-346 jet trainer into a lightweight multi-role combat jet with the revealing of a new, meaner version of the aircraft here at Paris.

China’s growing influence in unmanned aerial systems is being felt at the Paris Air Show with the Western debut of its Wing Loong 2 medium-altitude, long-endurance armed reconnaissance system.

By Noam Eshel
Israel’s missile pioneer Rafael Advanced Defense Systems is showcasing the latest version of its multipurpose guided missile – Spike LR II.

By Tony Osborne
The Swedish Air Force is plowing SEK2 billion (U.S.$230 million) into new equipment to allow it to resume Cold War–style operations from road runways.

By Thierry Dubois
Seeing progress in its Airbus A400M's capabilities and practically on-time deliveries, the French Air Force has adopted a supportive stance on the program.

By Tony Osborne
With the delivery by Leonardo of the 500th Eurofighter to the Italian air force, production of the multinational combat aircraft is entering its twilight years. Work is now underway to further slow production rates in a bid to be ready for potential future customers.

The U.S. Air Force F-35s at an Arizona Air Force base will be back in the skies starting June 21 after an 11-day pause, although the service has instated a temporary flight restriction following a spate of hypoxia-like cockpit incidents.
Paris Air Show

Sierra Nevada Corp. has finally emerged from the shadows in its bid for the U.S. Air Force’s $6 billion Joint Stars program, announcing a partnership with Lockheed Martin for the competition.
Defense

The Missile Defense Agency has extended the development and fielding timeline for its next-generation exoatmospheric kill vehicle by about two years.
Defense

By Guy Norris
​As China and Russia continue to demonstrate rapid progress in development of hypersonic strike weapons, the U.S.’s largest guided-missile company says technology to counter the threat is already achievable but that fielding a system requires sustained funding and a national sense of urgency.

Lockheed Martin introduced a new variant of the C-130J Super Hercules configured for international military special operations missions, called the C-130J-SOF.

By Tony Osborne
​Britain and France have quietly selected Safran’s M88 engine to power the joint unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) demonstrators the two countries plan to fly in 2025, officials close to the program have said.