Defense

Essential news and analysis from the defense aerospace sector. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs in military aircraft, engines, and avionics.

Poland Pushes Back Deadline For Helicopter Contest

Contract award for the medium multirole helicopter has been postponed to next year’s second quarter.

December 2, 2014

Indian Radar Buys Prompt Thales Joint Venture

BEL-Thales Systems will meet new offset and tech transfer rules

November 26, 2014

Ukraine Has Lost 22 Aircraft to Rebel Forces

Official attributes loss rate to pilots’ lack of combat experience; insufficient training; and insufficient intelligence on the threat.

November 26, 2014

Chinese Show Fadec System on Military Engine

Reliability of indigenous fighter powerplants remains questionable.

November 25, 2014

F-35 Unit Costs Coming Down, But Still Well Over $100 Million

Engine costs are excluded from totals given by program officials.

November 25, 2014

France Confirms a Dozen Airbus Tankers

The aircraft will replace 14 (K)C-135FR tankers in the French air force from 2018, at a rate of one or two per year.

November 24, 2014

Hagel Tenders Resignation as U.S. Defense Secretary

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced his resignation after less than two years in the post.

November 24, 2014

Partners Finally Confirm Eurofighter AESA Radar Contract

Program officials are hoping that the move will boost the type’s flagging export prospects.

November 21, 2014

Origin of China’s Latest Cruise Missile Debated

The latest missile bears a close resemblance to the Indian-Russian BrahMos missile.

November 21, 2014

Brazil Plans To Buy More than 100 Gripens

The nation’s air force intends to eventually replace all three of its existing combat aircraft with the Swedish jet.

November 19, 2014

China’s Y-20 Airlifter Makes Low-key Debut at Zhuhai

The aircraft appeared at the show in PLAAF livery, and the service is expected to be the primary customer.

November 18, 2014

China’s FC-31 Fighter Disappoints in First Display

In its Zhuhai display, the FC-31 appeared to bleed too much energy and the pilot had a hard time keeping the nose up during turns and other maneuvers.

November 17, 2014

J-31, Y-20 Make Debuts at Much Expanded China Airshow

The significant increase in military systems on display has boosted the biennial event.

November 13, 2014

Anglo-French FCAS May Not Be Unmanned

All previous indications and illustrations of the FCAS project have pointed to an unmanned combat air vehicle.

November 12, 2014

Iran Claims First Flight of Reverse Engineered RQ-170 Drone

Iran claims to have flown an unmanned aircraft copied from the RQ-170 Sentinel that crashed in that country in December 2011.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

November 12, 2014

Indonesia Moves Forward with Fighter Programs

Indonesia has three separate programs covering current, middle- and long-term requirements.

November 11, 2014

Darpa Seeks Ideas for Unmanned-aircraft Host Ship

The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency seeks information on "distributed airborne capabilities" involving small unmanned aircraft.

November 11, 2014

U.S. Air Force Advances T-X Program

The service plans to spend $503 million on the jet trainer over the next five years.

November 5, 2014

Navy Seeks Industry Ideas for Triton Sense and Avoid Radar

The U.S. Naval Air Systems Command released a request for information on sense-and-avoid radar solutions for the MQ-4C Triton on November 3.

November 5, 2014

F-35C Makes First Arrested Landing on U.S. Navy Carrier

The F-35C Joint Strike Fighter made its first arrested landing on an aircraft carrier on November 3.

November 4, 2014