Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

The Defense Innovation Unit is partnering with Firefly Aerospace to use its Elytra spacecraft for a responsive on-orbit mission due to launch in 2027.

The U.S. Navy hopes to finalize requirements for the replacement of MH-60R/S helicopters as it balances an expected mix of crewed and uncrewed aircraft.

China has placed 11 U.S. drone companies on its unreliable-entity list and banned the export of dual-use technologies to another 16 American businesses.

The U.S. Navy is targeting a 25% increase in the operational range of its future F/A-XX strike fighter compared to its existing F/A-18 Super Hornet fleet.

This is the story of my impromptu interview on April 2 with Lt. Brig. Gen. Afshin Khajehfard, head of the Iran Aviation Industries Organization.

The New Zealand Ministry of Defense sets goals to rearm the country with strike capabilities and new long-endurance UAS.

UK and U.S. scientists have completed a series of trials in support of the UK’s domestic development of a hypersonic cruise missile demonstrator.

NASA has requested proposals from American-led companies for two private astronaut missions to the International Space Station.

Sierra Space plans to fly a Honda-developed experimental fuel cell system to the International Space Station for testing in microgravity.

Australia has selected the Northrop Grumman AN/ALQ-251 radio frequency countermeasures (RFCM) system for its new fleet ofC-130J Hercules airlifters.

To accelerate the production of inertial reference systems and make them more compact, Thales is relying on micro electro-mechanical systems accelerometers.

Rolls-Royce aims by mid-year to freeze the design of a smaller UltraFan geared turbofan demonstrator, signaling its intent to target the single-aisle market.

SpaceX, United Launch Alliance and Blue Origin will provide launch services for the most critical national security missions beginning in 2028.

The International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory plans to launch its Orbital Edge Accelerator program.

A quartet of civilian polar explorers returned from a 3.5-day spaceflight with SpaceX’s first crewed Dragon splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

Beijing has retaliated with new controls on critical mineral exports, targeting the American defense-industrial base as well as matching levies on U.S. imports.

Diversified parts provider Leggett & Platt will sell its aerospace and defense unit for $285 million gross to private investment firm Tinicum.

The administration is disrupting the $52.5 billion CHIPS and Science Act, raising questions about the security of military semiconductor investment funding.

According to data from Aviation Week Intelligence Network’s Fleet Discovery Military tool, the global fleet of C-390s will increase more than 500% by 2035, from the ten in service today to 51 in 2035.

Mayman Aerospace has completed flight testing of its Razor P100 high-speed autonomous vertical takeoff-and-landing aircraft.

True Anomaly isoffering its Jackal autonomous spacecraft for missions in geosynchronous orbit and cislunar space.

Aetherflux has raised $50 million as it prepares to demo infrared laser power beaming from a subscale low-Earth-orbit satellite.

U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command has received the L3Harris/Air Tractor OA-1K Skyraider II.

Denel and Embraer have agreed to a framework for future industrial collaboration on the KC-390.

Medical physicist Chris Williams has been selected to serve aboard the International Space Station.