Defense

By Brian Everstine
U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall is not satisfied with progress on testing hypersonic weapons and said the service has not clearly determined what a role for the weapons would be.
AFA Air Space and Cyber Conference

USAF says Northrop Grumman is currently building five B-21 bombers.
Defense

By Brian Everstine
Boeing has resolved the “wing rock” issue facing the T-7A Red Hawk trainer, but production is still slowed by ongoing COVID-19-related parts shortages.
AFA Air Space and Cyber Conference

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force this December will conduct a live demonstration of palletized cruise missiles from the back of cargo aircraft, after multiple tests on aircraft including C-17s and EC-130s.
AFA Air Space and Cyber Conference

By Irene Klotz
NASA is separating its Human Exploration and Operations (HEO) mission directorate into two new directorates, one focused on current initiatives while the other looks ahead to systems development and plans for the next 20 years, Administrator Bill Nelson announced on Sept. 21.
AFA Air Space and Cyber Conference

By Graham Warwick
Kaman is developing an unmanned cargo rotorcraft, the Kargo, to meet the anticipated U.S. Marine Corps requirement for an autonomous resupply vehicle to support distributed operations.
AFA Air Space and Cyber Conference

By Molly McMillin
Dassault Aviation has opened a new 28,000-sq.-ft. facility at its plant in Bordeaux-Merignac, France, dedicated to the design and development of its civil and defense business and after-sales support teams.
Supply Chain

By Richard Aboulafia
If Airbus decides to bid its KC-30 MRTT for the “bridge tanker” competition, it would likely team with Lockheed Martin.
AFA Air Space and Cyber Conference

By Mark Carreau
Viper is due to launch in late 2023 on a 100-day mission to gather “hands-on” evidence for water ice.
Space

By Brian Everstine
The Air Force is relying on the aging 707-based E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System, but the fleet's age is making it harder to keep flying.
AFA Air Space and Cyber Conference

By Brian Everstine
U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall says he has a lot of convincing to do on Capitol Hill to garner support for the service's fiscal 2023 budget proposal.
AFA Air Space and Cyber Conference

By Steve Trimble
Low Earth orbit is new home of several small-comsat constellations of enormous bandwidth—but no ability to exchange data with each other.
AFA Air Space and Cyber Conference

By Steve Trimble
Northrop Grumman now has five B-21 Raider test aircraft in final assembly, U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said on Sept. 20
AFA Air Space and Cyber Conference

By Tony Osborne
Paris has recalled its ambassadors from Australia and the U.S. and canceled defense talks with the UK following Canberra’s decision to halt a multi-billion euro submarine procurement from France in favor of a nuclear submarine buy with the U.S. and UK.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Michael Bruno
L3Harris Technologies announced plans to grow a classified campus in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to meet expected business demand from the Pentagon’s “growing and urgent need for advanced, resilient satellites.”
Space

By Irene Klotz
The SpaceX Dragon Resilience splashed down off the coast of Cape Canaveral at 7:06 p.m. EDT, concluding the company’s fourth human spaceflight and first without NASA oversight and NASA astronauts.
Commercial Space

By Brian Everstine
U.S. Central Command boss said Sept. 17 that the white Toyota Corolla targeted by the strike belonged to an aid worker who did not pose a threat to the U.S.-led evacuation at nearby Hamid Karzai International Airport.
AFA Air Space and Cyber Conference

By Irene Klotz
SpaceX cannot launch the Starship/Super Heavy vehicle until FAA completes its licensing process, which includes the environmental review and other safety and financial responsibility requirements.
Commercial Space

By Brian Everstine
The 300,000-sq.-ft. facility, expected to be completed in 2024, initially will employ 150 mechanics and engineers.
AFA Air Space and Cyber Conference

By Chen Chuanren
Taikonauts from Shenzhou-12 mission to help construct China’s Tiangong-2 space station returned to Earth Sept. 17, ending 90-day stay.
Space

By Chen Chuanren
Being developed for the KF-X fighter, the ALCM separated from an F-4E and extended its glide wings before striking a target over an unspecified distance.
AFA Air Space and Cyber Conference

By Tony Osborne
Germany’s Diehl Defense is working to adapt its IRIS-T short-range air-to-air missile for use on future low-observable platforms.
AFA Air Space and Cyber Conference

By Tony Osborne
U.S. Air Force acknowledged dissimilar air combat training role for retired F-117s, with two deployed to California Air National Guard.
AFA Air Space and Cyber Conference

By Jen DiMascio, Chen Chuanren
Australia searches for a sovereign military satellite communication system.
AFA Air Space and Cyber Conference

By Michael Bruno
Raytheon Technologies, possibly the largest A&D company this decade, eyes $1 billion in supplier savings.
Manufacturing & Supply Chain