Defense Programs/Budget

The U.S. Navy’s air and sea commands are jointly looking for new ways to protect key ships and maritime choke points from the growing threats of swarming drones.

Honeywell expands F124 engine production for CCAs and develops SkyShot 1600 prototype under Air Force contract.

The German Air Force is undergoing an intense period of modernization through the end of the decade that will do more than just revitalize its core air dominance role, says Luftwaffe Inspector Lt. Gen. Holger Neumann.

The U.S. Marine Corps is starting anew with an effort to replace its Bell AH-1Z and UH-1Y helicopter fleet with a new, potentially uncrewed aircraft.

A European Defense Fund (EDF)-supported anti-submarine warfare project is to make use of Schiebel’s new S-300 rotary-wing uncrewed aircraft system.

Airbus Defense and Space CEO Michael Schöllhorn hopes France and Germany will finally resolve the path forward for the New Generation Fighter program by ILA.

Mach Industries expands defense tech portfolio with Exquadrum acquisition to boost propulsion capabilities.

EDA advances automated refueling tests to include unmanned aircraft and tankers.

One theme united the first-quarter analyst calls by the publicly traded electric air taxi startups: the defense market.

Selected U.S. military contracts from the past week.

MQ-9 Reapers fired BAE Systems precision-guided rockets during a recent demonstration by General Atomics Aeronautics Systems Inc. and the U.S. Air Force.

Conditions appear highly supportive of a mini defense boom in the Gulf, with budget revisions expected through the course of 2026.

The U.S. Marine Corps has selected teams to demonstrate uncrewed cargo helicopters for contested logistics missions.

A market survey will revive the Marine Corps' process of setting requirements for the aircraft that will replace the Bell A/UH-1 helicopter fleet after 2040.

The U.S. Marine Corps recently reached initial operational capability on a slew of capabilities for its General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. MQ-9 fleet.

A decade after the launch of Vision 2030, the Saudi defense industry can claim significant progress in its goal to localize more than 50% of military procurement.

The U.S. Navy on April 25 conducted the much anticipated first flight of its Boeing MQ-25 Stingray uncrewed refueling aircraft, a major milestone in the service’s pursuit of bringing autonomous aircraft to its carriers.

In a battlespace unrecognizable from when the war began in 2022, Ukraine’s adaptations appear to be outpacing the Russian invaders.

Modern navies face an evolving threats arena powered by ongoing developments in targeting and attack systems.

South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration has rolled out the first production model of its MUAV uncrewed aerial system ahead of its entry into service planned for 2027.

The U.S. Air Force is exploring the addition of one-way attack drones to its arsenal, seeking domestically sourced designs that comply with U.S. technology policies and avoid reliance on Chinese components.

In a $1.5 trillion U.S. defense spending proposal for fiscal 2027 filled with superlatives, arguably no organization made out better than the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group (DAWG).

The FAA has kept the nation’s complex air traffic management system safe for decades despite antiquated equipment and a shortage of controllers.

New efforts to field drones rapidly include Drone Dominance scrimmages and an easy-to-use portal on which to order UAS.

Prior to the Iran war, the leading fear among investors had been how disruptive AI could be to many business sectors. But not in aerospace and defense.

Kuwait, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates have asked to buy more than $16 billion worth of U.S. defense equipment.

Robinson Helicopter is growing its business with new uncrewed aircraft, military training bids and development of a larger utility helicopter.

The U.S. Marine Corps’ new Aviation Plan builds on the progress of Project Eagle to date while sharpening the focus on artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) and uncrewed technologies.

Texas-based helicopter mission equipment outfit Davenport Aviation has completed initial testing of an armed Airbus H125 helicopter.

The cover story 20 years ago in Aviation Week for the issue dated February 20, 2006, detailed BAE Systems’ work on an unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) demonstrator, called Raven, as part of a classified research program that originated in late 2003.

Survey Copter, has been contracted by the European Defense Agency for a four-year project to develop a multirole hybrid UAS for military missions.

The U.S. and Israel were hunting the vestiges of Iran’s ballistic missile and drone inventory as the fighting stretched into a fifth day.

The Pentagon used a counter-drone system to down what it called a “seemingly threatening” uncrewed air system, drawing concerns from lawmakers about potential risks to civil airspace.

As the first U.S.-funded Collaborative Combat Aircraft prototypes enter weapons testing, new details are being released.

With demand booming in commercial and defense aviation, why are Airbus programs in turmoil?

The U.S. air traffic management (ATM) system used to be heralded as the gold standard of commercial airspace operations.

Airbus says it is ready for a two-fighter approach under the Franco-German-Spanish Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project.

BAE Systems will transform the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) II with dual-mode seekers to make the 2.75-in.-dia. guided rocket more effective at shooting down volleys of large numbers of one-way attack munitions.

A new stealthy-looking, high-speed target drone has been unveiled by Saudi company Midana at this week’s World Defense Show 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Pakistan’s GIDS has arrived at World Defense Show weeks after conducting the first test-firing of the Taimoor air-launched cruise missile.

Titra Teknoloji is stepping up its international marketing campaign as it targets expanded export opportunities in the growing tactical uncrewed systems market.

SHIELD AI expands Singapore partnership... LOCKHEED gets F-35 ALIS/ODIN award... AEROVIRONMENT studying swarming software for the U.S. Navy...

Kratos Defense has hinted that the XQ-58 Valkyrie has a possible future as a launch platform and host in Taiwan.

Leonardo DRS partners with Saudi Arabia & MENA allies to modernize defense with advanced tech, local production, & combat-proven systems for future battlespace.

L3Harris will deliver low-cost cruise missiles to the U.S. Marine Corps by the end of the next year under a newly awarded contract worth $86.2 million.

Warsaw is acquiring 18 batteries of the San counter-drone system, developed by a consortium that includes Polish Armaments Group (PGZ).

The Royal Moroccan Air Force is stepping up its helicopter capabilities after many years of stagnation.

Emirati defense conglomerate Edge Group has received additional orders for the HT-750 optionally manned turbine-powered light helicopter from the UAE.

Emirati defense group Edge and Qatar’s Barzan Holdings are to create a joint venture and begin cross border defense industrial cooperation.

25 Years Ago in Aviation Week The cover of Aviation Week & Space Technology’s Feb. 19, 2001, issue featured an artist’s concept of Northrop Grumman's Pegasus X-47A unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) flying over the U.S. Navy's test facility at China Lake, California.

Richard Aboulafia joins Check 6 to discuss how 2026 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for two next-generation fighter programs conceived in Europe: FCAS and GCAP.

The Spanish defense and aerospace electronics company says the acquisition will allow it to position itself in the growing uncrewed traffic management market and bolster its UK presence.

Northrop Grumman will provide the autonomy software for the U.S. Marine Corps first loyal wingman uncrewed system.

The Office of Naval Research on Dec. 23 awarded Skydweller’s U.S. arm the $1.4 million contract for the development.

The U.S. Navy on Dec. 18 announced it had for the first time fired a newly developed one-way attack drone from a ship in the Middle East.

The much-anticipated first flight of the Boeing MQ-25 Stingray for the U.S. Navy has been pushed to early 2026.

Taiwan's Thunder Tiger plans to participate in the U.S. Army’s Drone Dominance program.

The California hypersonic missile startup is increasing its overall capital war chest to $464.5 million since emerging from stealth mode nearly two years ago.

U.S. Central Command plans to use one-way attack drones based on a copy of the Iranian Shahed-136, and has set up a new task force to deploy them.

Sweden has awarded GKN Aerospace a contract to build a clean-sheet turbojet-powered uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) demonstrator within 18 months to validate rapid development techniques.

Edge Group's new propulsion business Powertech recently completed the preliminary design of a 1,200 lb.-thrust turbofan.

The People’s Liberation Army Air Force has released footage of the Hongdu GJ-11 flying alongside crewed fighters, suggesting a growing level of manned-unmanned integration.

The Republic of Korea Air Force plans to field aircraft piloted by artificial intelligence by the early 2030s to fly alongside KAI F-50 and KF-21 fighters.

The rising popularity of Collaborative Combat Aircraft has spread to the U.S. Army, which is now considering the reusable systems to augment crewed rotorcraft.

Seven years before the small company would be acquired by Boeing, Aurora Flight Sciences unveiled its Orion long-endurance unmanned aircraft demonstrator at its Columbus, Miss., plant on Nov. 22, 2010.

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has confirmed it has been selected to develop a conceptual design of Collaborative Combat Aircraft for the U.S. Navy.

Baykar’s Kizilelma uncrewed combat air vehicle (UCAV) has completed its first weapon releases just days after beginning carriage tests.

Taiwan is doubling down on efforts to build a multifaceted uncrewed systems ecosystem, the defense ministry says in a new report.

As Ukrainian military units rack up combat points, they can cash them in to “buy” new drones.

The Pentagon has awarded RTX a $5 billion contract for Coyote drone interceptor systems.

Taiwan’s collaboration with American defense contractors took an important step forward at this year's Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition.

The U.S. Navy has flown surrogates for future Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) with a version of Shield AI’s Hivemind autonomy software.

Listen in to hear from Aviation Week's Steve Trimble after he travelled to Ukraine for a military drone event and gained insights into how Russia's UAV operations are evolving.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions is to manufacture startup Elroy Air’s Chaparral for delivery to U.S. commercial and defense customers under an exclusive agreement.

The U.S. Marine Corps is looking for a new autonomous, vertical take off and landing system to supply austere locations.

Experience the future of defense integration at WDS 2026! Explore cutting-edge tech in new zones. Secure your badge as trade visitor registration opens!

A series of teaser images suggest Shield AI's VTOL aircraft is a tailsitter with swept wings and an internal weapons bay large enough to carry two cruise missiles.

South Korean drone startup Pablo Air has merged with Volk.

Planned investments for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) include several key procurements across the domains of air mobility, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), training, air combat capability, and unmanned systems.

About 98 aircraft are expected to enter Belgian military service in the coming decade, with 43 from requirements that are currently open and quite new.

Airbus Defense and Shield AI recently conducted the first flight of an H145 helicopter powered by Hivemind artificial intelligence.

The U.S. Army has announced a standardized interface for UAS and launched effects to carry munitions or other attachments.

NATO military commanders and politicians see more potential in the use of drones, but this shouldn't come at the expense of “legacy” systems, a think tank says.

Hanwha Systems has rolled out the first mass-produced active, electronically scanned array (AESA) radar for the KAI KF-21 fighter.

Anduril has delivered the first tranche of Altius loitering munitions to Taiwan in conjunction with the establishment of a local office.

KAI has revealed that a future variant of the KF-21 fighter will feature an internal weapons bay capable of housing a 2,000-lb. guided bomb.

Electric seagliders could enable distributed, stealthy operations across the Indo-Pacific theater.

Adm. Daryl Caudle, the nominee to be the U.S. Navy's next Chief of Naval Operations, has warned against not proceeding with the F/A-XX fighter program.

Two years on from being unveiled at IDEX 23, the Jeniah (Arabic for ghost) UCAV has clearly evolved. The first significant modification to the model, which is a newer version from 2023, is the electro-optical targeting system (EOTS) positioned under the nose.

A Turkish uncrewed aircraft system developer has secured orders from the country’s military for a rotary-wing logistics platform.

As the U.S. Marine Corps aviation branch shuffles its tactical aviation force structure, the XQ-58 suddenly looms large in force structure plans.

Confirmed details are still scant, but a recent congressional disclosure suggests the U.S. Navy has a powerful new tool coming into existence.

U.S. defense officials confirmed July 16 that a new version of the Kratos XQ-58 Valkyrie will transition into a program of record for the U.S. Marine Corps.

Raphe mPhibr, an Indian aircraft manufacturing company specialising in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), has adopted Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

The two biggest military spenders in the Middle East – Saudi and UAE – take the first steps towards purchase of Turkish fifth-generation fighter. Alan Warnes reports.

The Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) showcased their military equipment, including unmanned systems and missiles.

Defense tech startup Mach Industries has completed a $100 million Series B funding round led by venture capital (VC) firms Khosla Ventures and Bedrock.

Taiwan will buy military drone software that Ukraine has used to defend itself against Russia from the Virginia-headquartered defense technology firm Auterion.

A range of military aircraft, including unmanned air vehicles and drones, were on show on the static display at the Paris Air Show 2025.

Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Navy are in the midst of a series of upgrades to the MQ-4 Triton uncrewed aircraft fleet.

Boeing’s win of the U.S. Air Force F-47 fighter program may have answered one of the longest-running questions hanging over the aerospace giant.

Russia has conducted large-scale trials of new laser systems against UAVs, the country’s government reported June 13.

The modern battlefield exposes forces to a rapidly evolving threat scenario, with deadly threats increasing in number and in complexity.

A sixth-generation fighter is on hold because the U.S. Navy’s top civilian official lost confidence in the defense industry’s ability to take on a new program.

Attacking enemy airfields is a decades-old military objective, but new drone technology and special warfare tactics amplify the threat.

On the cover of Aviation Week’s May 11-14, 2015, edition, the U.S. Navy's Northrop Grumman X-47B uncrewed combat aircraft demonstrator receives fuel from an Omega Boeing K-707 tanker, marking the first time an uncrewed aircraft had been autonomously refueled in flight.

Selected U.S. military contracts from the past week.

Editors discuss the pricey Golden Dome program and how the DOD is rebalancing its spending, cutting back in other areas like Army aviation modernization.

From helicopters to space, Europe is investing to advance next-generation systems.

The second U.S. Air Force prototype of a Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) has moved into the ground testing phase.

Raytheon, an RTX business, has inaugurated a new advanced industrial facility at Tawazun Industrial Park in Abu Dhabi.

The U.S. Army’s broad restructuring of its aviation component will be painful as many units will be inactivated, but that pain is needed, a top officer argues.

The UK’s Military Aviation Authority has issued a military type certificate (MTC) for the Royal Air Force’s (RAF) new General Atomics Protector UAS.

A newly released road map calls for Collaborative Combat Aircraft orders to begin this year, with new increments rolling out in roughly five-year intervals.

Embraer is planning to make Poland the home of its new Center of Excellence in Europe.

Dzyne Technologies says it has delivered multiple Grasshopper autonomous air-launched expendable cargo gliders to the U.S. Air Force.

The U.S. Air Force has begun ground testing its two Collaborative Combat Aircraft prototypes from Anduril and GA-ASI ahead of planned first flights this summer.

The European Union says it will invest in the local development of next-generation stealth materials and future dogfighting missile technology.

The U.S. Marines are planning upgrades to their Bell helicopters to increase their survivability, integrate long-range weapons and improve connectivity.

Jeff Massimilla, vice president of global engineering, design and technology from General Dynamics Land Systems, highlighted the growing importance of robotics and autonomous systems during the World Defence Industry 2024.

Taiwan’s AVIX and India’s Optiemus Unmanned Systems will collaborate on the production of drone components for defense applications in the subcontinent.

The U.S. Army is overhauling most of its major aircraft fleets, including rotary-wing, C4ISR and uncrewed platforms.

Kratos Defense and Security Solutions has unveiled the second version of the XQ-58A Valkyrie.

Taiwan's Tron Future Tech sees burgeoning global demand for its counter-unmanned aircraft systems.

Both Boeing and the Navy need the Stingray’s success as the service looks to expand its uncrewed fleet on carriers.

As the industry eagerly awaits the announcement of the winner of the competition for the F/A-XX 6th-generation naval fighter, there are many other lines of modernization efforts that the Navy is trying to address to increase its capabilities to better deal with current and…

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.

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 first test of the L3Harris platform-agnostic mobile counter-drone system will be conducted later this year.

IAI's naval suites delivers cutting edge solutions to challenges, big and small.

The importance of UAVs in Taiwan's security and related export opportunities are emphasized in the island's new Quadrennial Defense Review.

Boeing's win of the F-47 aircraft contract from the U.S. Air Force is already boosting sentiment in the company while rival Lockheed Martin is taking a hit.

What does Boeing’s contract win for the U.S. Air Force’s next-generation combat aircraft, the F-47, mean for the struggling aerospace company?

Alan Warnes discusses with USAF commanders the role the US Air Force plays in helping to defend its allies in the Middle East.

Abu Dhabi based Edge celebrated its fifth anniversary last November, five years that have seen an impressive rise in sales performance. Now the company looks to broaden its horizons. Alan Warnes reports.

Nimble, venture capital-backed startups are emerging as winners in a worsening global threat environment.

The company laid out a new proposal for CCA to Aviation Week.

Discover how Gore’s advanced cable solutions optimize weight, durability, cost, and performance for the next generation of high performance defense drones.

The Agency of Defense Development and Korean Air Aerospace Division have unveiled South Korea’s first CCA prototype, the Low Observable Wingman UAV System.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is continuing to modernise, with its Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar currently studying several options. Because, as he said at the 2024 NAF Training, Operations and Safety Seminar on December 4 in Abuja: “We have to rise…

A new kind of air vehicle is entering the U.S. military arsenal, capable of performing several roles including strike, reconnaissance and target decoy duties.

Day 4 of SHOW BUSINESS highlights a UAE-made unmanned ground vehicle from TAG Dynamics that is turning heads at IDEX, while elsewhere the rise of manned-unmanned air operations between drones and next-generation fighters comes under the spotlight.

Raytheon and the U.S. Army are in talks with potential export buyers of the Coyote counter-drone system, the company says.

It will be exactly a year on February 21 that the fifth-gen Kaan fighter prototype made its first flight.

World Defense Show is appearing at IDEX updating on the new features and rapid sales for the next edition due to take place in Riyadh from February 8-12 next year.

EDGE is unveiling 46 new systems and solutions across its all-domain portfolio IDEX and NAVDEX 2025.

Saab is ramping up staffing on a Swedish military project to devise future combat aircraft capabilities and expects to fly several UAS in the coming years, CEO Micael Johansson says.

The seventh edition of the Marrakech Air Show, held at at Marrakech Royal Moroccan Air Force Base from October 30th to November 2nd, surpassed its promises. The event, which showcased civil, military, defence and space industries, was punctuated by strategic agreements and…

The release of the 2025 Marine Corps Aviation Plan clarifies the intent of a two-year-old experimental campaign involving the Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie.

The Propulsion System for Next Generation Rotorcraft research project is one of 33 initiatives supported by the 2025 EDF work program.

Denmark’s political parties have agreed to spend $2 billion on strengthening defense capabilities in the Arctic and North Atlantic region, including Greenland.

Solving that challenge is doubly important for the U.S. Department of Defense.

The Defense Innovation Board (DIB) is calling for the U.S. to act with greater urgency to field uncrewed systems to make up ground lost to competitors.

The country’s defense minister hopes the new branch can be formed in the third quarter of 2025.

Oklahoma and Taiwan have deepened their budding aerospace and defense partnership with two new agreements.

Insitu, a Boeing Company, has opened its new Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) Center of Excellence (COE) at Tawazun Industrial Park in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Kratos Defense and Security recently completed the first flight of its stealthy uncrewed combat air vehicle Thanatos, proving out the aircraft’s basic design.

A four-year-old concept to adapt uncrewed aircraft to role-play as adversaries during training missions is back in development after a two-year hiatus.

Skyfly Technologies, an eVTOL aircraft developer, has been selected to join a UK defense initiative that aims to develop heavy-lift uncrewed aircraft systems.

The north African countries skirting the Mediterranean Sea include some of the wealthiest countries on the continent, but unfortunately all have enemies whether it be the neighbours or terrorists. Alan Warnes looks at some of the recent modernisation efforts they have been…

Top Navy officials remain confident in the affordability and design requirements for the F/A-XX as Air Force leaders consider their own next-generation fighter.

The UMCS is initially developed to operate the Boeing MQ-25 Stingray on board Navy carriers.

The Pentagon has historically kept the spaceplane’s capabilities and mission objectives under wraps.

Tekever, a provider of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), has signed an MoU with Droneway, a distributor of civil and tactical drones in Morocco and North Africa.

L3Harris’ Viper Shield—the only modern F-16 electronic warfare system currently in production—harnesses the power of software to give pilots and commanders the edge in an increasingly contested battlespace.

The interceptor needs to be an autonomous aircraft launched from an air vehicle with a “hard kill system” effective against the small drones.

Selected U.S. military contracts from the past week.

As a major non-NATO ally of the US, Jordan is attempting to stabilise relations with both Israel and Iran with defence capability.

Airbus wants to extend battlefield connectivity of the Future Combat Air System to its helicopters.

Video and imagery from Ukraine published Oct. 5 appears to show the secretive, tailless UCAV being engaged and shot down by its fighter escort.

Lift Aircraft has won a U.S. Army contract to develop and demo a modular medical payload that enables its Hexa eVTOL to deliver blood and evacuate a casualty.