News

The Air Current • Carter Johnston

Airbus Helicopters targets counter-UAS roles for rotorcraft as H160M Guépard advances (late-2028 delivery) and H145M expands to

Pentagon and European programs are pushing helicopters into the counter-drone fight, moving beyond traditional air-defense paradigms. Airbus Helicopters’ H160M Guépard is progressing toward first delivery in late 2028 with “agnostic” drone-integration, while the company also plans to expand the H145M light utility helicopter into an anti-drone mission set.

2026-06-16T13:24:11.122201-07:00

Via Satellite

All.Space relocates from the U.K. to Alabama as York Space acquisition process advances

2026-06-16T13:23:56.969033-07:00

FlightGlobal

EDGE and Safran expand cooperation in France, targeting Hammer precision weapon and UAV-related programs

2026-06-16T09:19:21.523021-07:00

Air Data News

Congress again moves to block Air Force retirement of the U-2 Dragon Lady fleet

2026-06-16T09:44:21.780860-07:00

News Timeline

FlightGlobal

KF-21 receives initial type certification after five-year South Korea airworthiness review Korea Aerospace Industries’ KF-21 has obtained its initial type certification in South Korea after a five-year airworthiness review process. The decision marks another step toward service entry for the indigenous fighter as the program continues moving from development toward operational deployment.

2026-06-16T21:17:21.880597-07:00

KF-21 receives initial type certification after five-year South Korea airworthiness review

The Air Current

Airbus Helicopters targets counter-UAS roles for rotorcraft as H160M Guépard advances (late-2028 delivery) and H145M expands to Pentagon and European programs are pushing helicopters into the counter-drone fight, moving beyond traditional air-defense paradigms. Airbus Helicopters’ H160M Guépard is progressing toward first delivery in late 2028 with “agnostic” drone-integration, while the company also plans to expand the H145M light utility helicopter into an anti-drone mission set.

2026-06-16T13:24:11.122201-07:00

Airbus Helicopters targets counter-UAS roles for rotorcraft as H160M Guépard advances (late-2028 delivery) and H145M expands to

Via Satellite

All.Space relocates from the U.K. to Alabama as York Space acquisition process advances All.Space, a satellite terminal developer, is relocating from the U.K. to Alabama, positioning the move around U.S. defense priorities. The relocation comes amid an ongoing York Space acquisition process, signaling how space communications companies are aligning footprint and customer access for defense-linked programs.

2026-06-16T13:23:56.969033-07:00

All.Space relocates from the U.K. to Alabama as York Space acquisition process advances

Air Data News

Congress again moves to block Air Force retirement of the U-2 Dragon Lady fleet A new push in Congress targets the Air Force’s plan to retire the Cold War-era U-2 Dragon Lady reconnaissance aircraft, setting up another clash with service leaders who want to end the program. The legislative effort would preserve U-2 fleet capacity amid continuing debate over mission needs.

2026-06-16T09:44:21.780860-07:00

Congress again moves to block Air Force retirement of the U-2 Dragon Lady fleet

FlightGlobal

EDGE and Safran expand cooperation in France, targeting Hammer precision weapon and UAV-related programs At Eurosatory 2026, EDGE Group and Safran signed a Strategic Cooperation Agreement to deepen collaboration and broaden joint work across their portfolios. EDGE opened new production sites in France as it pursues greater European prime standing, while Safran and EDGE also plan joint ventures around Hammer precision weapons and UAV-related efforts.

2026-06-16T09:19:21.523021-07:00

EDGE and Safran expand cooperation in France, targeting Hammer precision weapon and UAV-related programs

FlightGlobal

MARSS to start serial production of Interceptor-MR drone interceptor; deployment targeted for 2027 Counter-unmanned air systems provider MARSS says its Interceptor-MR drone weapon is entering the final stages of development testing, with serial production planned to begin next year. The titanium-reinforced interceptor is slated to be deployment-ready in 2027, signaling a shift from prototype to fieldable C-UAS effects.

2026-06-16T07:32:55.309478-07:00

MARSS to start serial production of Interceptor-MR drone interceptor; deployment targeted for 2027

Breaking Defense

L3Harris and Skydagger to co-produce FPV interceptor drones in the US, integrating small interceptors into the Vampire c-UAS pla L3Harris and Turkish firm Skydagger plan to establish US co-production of FPV interceptor drones, enabling for the first time Vampire to be equipped with a small interceptor drone. The arrangement is designed to expand Vampire’s counter-uncrewed aircraft capabilities against fast-evolving FPV threats.

2026-06-16T06:33:54.764746-07:00

L3Harris and Skydagger to co-produce FPV interceptor drones in the US, integrating small interceptors into the Vampire c-UAS pla

Payload

PiLogic partners with AFRL to apply predictive AI anomaly detection for satellite failure monitoring PiLogic is partnering with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to bring its predictive technology for satellite failure detection into military use. The collaboration focuses on using AI-driven anomaly detection to identify satellite issues before they become operational failures.

2026-06-16T05:18:38.465720-07:00

PiLogic partners with AFRL to apply predictive AI anomaly detection for satellite failure monitoring

Menu

Defense Industry & Major Contractors News

Airbus Helicopters targets counter-UAS roles for rotorcraft as H160M Guépard advances (late-2028 delivery) and H145M expands to

All.Space relocates from the U.K. to Alabama as York Space acquisition process advances

EDGE and Safran expand cooperation in France, targeting Hammer precision weapon and UAV-related programs

Congress again moves to block Air Force retirement of the U-2 Dragon Lady fleet

News Timeline