News
US airstrikes hit IS in Libya, marking 48 strikes in August –
Airstrikes launched by the United States have hit an Islamic State group vehicle and four militant positions in Libya, raising to 48 the number of U.S. airstrikes against the extremist group since Washington launched its anti-IS campaign in Libya on Aug. 1.
Business
Air Force awards General Atomics $371 million for more Reaper drones –
The Air Force has awarded a contract to General Atomics to build 30 more MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft, according to a Defense Department press release Aug. 16.
U.S. Air Force Reapers demonstrate missile tracking capability –
Two General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9 Reaper unmanned air vehicles have demonstrated the system’s ability to track missiles, during ballistic defence testing in Hawaii.
Pentagon OK on tankers a job boost for Wright-Patt –
The Pentagon has OK’d production of the KC-46 Pegasus aerial refueling tanker, clearing the way for the Air Force to award a $2.8 billion contract to aerospace giant Boeing to buy the first 19 jets.
U.S. Army begins competition for new airborne radio –
The U.S. Army has published the draft request for proposals for a new Small Airborne Networking Radio that will replace Rockwell Collins’ ARC-210D radio.
Raytheon to manufacture naval strike missile launchers in Kentucky –
Raytheon is set to build launchers for the Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile at its facility where it constructs the SeaRAM and Phalanx close-in weapon systems, company officials told USNI News Aug. 17.
Sikorsky loses Marine One repair work; about 85 jobs to be affected –
Repairs to the current fleet of Marine One helicopters, which transport the president of the United States, no longer will be done in Connecticut after negotiations between Sikorsky Aircraft and the U.S. Navy fell through.
UK orders advanced ASRAAM weapons for F-35B –
MBDA has been awarded a £184 million ($238 million) contract for the provision of advanced short range air-to-air missiles for the UK’s Lockheed Martin F-35B Joint Strike Fighter.
FAdeA’s IA-100 trainer takes first flight –
Fábrica Argentina de Aviones’ (FAdeA’s) IA-100 training aircraft, the first aircraft completely designed and built by the FAdeA in more than 20 years, took its first flight earlier this month.
Algeria signs helicopter manufacturing MoU with Leonardo –
The Algerian Ministry of National Defence announced Aug. 11 that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Leonardo-Finmeccanica regarding the production of helicopters at Ain Arnat in Sétif province.
Patria confirms Qatari armored vehicle contest –
Patria Land Systems President Mika Kari has confirmed that the company has submitted its AMV 8×8 armored vehicle for a Qatari requirement, Finland’s Yle public service broadcaster reported Aug. 10.
Defense
The mysterious unmarked passenger jets that fly from Las Vegas –
They are run by the U.S. Air Force and operate from a private terminal at McCarran nicknamed Gold Coast.
Air Force ballistic missile upgrade said to be stalled over cost –
The U.S. Air Force’s program to develop and field a new intercontinental ballistic missile to replace aging Minuteman III weapons is stalled over Pentagon concerns the service underestimated the cost by billions of dollars, according to a defense official familiar with the program.
F-35Cs undergo helmet, EW tests plus aboard USS George Washington –
“It makes it real.” That’s what Tom Briggs, acting chief of test for the Navy, said as he watched F-35C after F-35C launched from the ship’s steam catapults during a long Aug. 15.
General Gorenc on F-35s benefit to NATO –
The outgoing commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Gen. Frank Gorenc, sat down with Aviation Week Pentagon Editor Lara Seligman in Fairford, England, during the Royal International Air Tattoo last month.
U.S. Marine Corps outlines Super Stallion fleet overhaul plans –
All 147 of the U.S. Marine Corps’ Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion rotorcraft will be overhauled to address safety and availability issues that have been evident in the fleet since 2014, the service has announced.
Veterans
Distance, delays and denial: The VA organ transplant system –
Sick veterans are being forced to travel more than a thousand miles for care. In many cases, that distance proves to be a daunting barrier between those who have served and the organ transplants they need to survive.
How VA is partnering with private sector to solve its biggest problems –
The VA held an innovation demonstration in Washington, D.C., showcasing 33 new projects being field-tested across the country.
We’ve broken ground on a memorial for Gold Star families –
In breaking ground on the memorial in Annapolis, Md., officials called it “something no one wants, but that all of America needs.”
Space
China launches Quantum satellite in bid to pioneer secure communications –
China launched the world’s first quantum communications satellite from the Gobi Desert early Aug. 16, a major step in the country’s bid to be at the forefront of quantum research, which could lead to new, completely secure methods of transmitting information.