Defense Industry & Major Contractors News

SpaceNews.com • Sandra Erwin

ULA’s Vulcan Centaur Debuts with First National Security Mission

United Launch Alliance’s new Vulcan Centaur rocket successfully completed its inaugural national security mission, USSF-106, deploying two U.S. Space Force satellites including AFRL’s NTS-3 to geostationary orbit. The flight marks the first operational Vulcan under the Space Force’s NSSL Phase 2 contract and paves the way to retire Atlas V and Delta rockets.

2025-08-12T18:17:37.739584-07:00

Runway Girl

Safran H1 2025: propulsion, interiors and defence drive double‑digit organic growth

2025-08-27T11:02:32.704202-07:00

Reuters

Boeing CEO Steadies Planemaker After Tumultuous Year, Confronts Production and Defense Hurdles

2025-08-08T03:44:41.530978-07:00

SpaceNews.com

NASA to Fast-Track Lunar Fission Reactor Deployment by 2030 in Strategic Cislunar Race

2025-08-08T12:56:36.401247-07:00

Defense Industry & Major Contractors News Timeline

edrmagazine.eu

BIRD Aerosystems launches µDIRCM, wins initial orders for laser DIRCM to protect small helicopters and UAS BIRD Aerosystems has launched the µDIRCM, a compact, lightweight laser-based directed-infrared countermeasures system derived from its SPREOS technology, designed to protect small helicopters and unmanned aerial systems from MANPADS. The company says it has secured initial orders for the system.

2025-09-04T04:19:41.863043-07:00

BIRD Aerosystems launches µDIRCM, wins initial orders for laser DIRCM to protect small helicopters and UAS

Air Data News

Ukraine unveils first full-length image of transferred Dassault Mirage 2000‑5F President Zelensky revealed the Ukrainian Air Force’s first full-length image of a France-donated Dassault Mirage 2000‑5F on Aviation Day, confirming Kyiv has begun fielding the transferred fighters. The jets have been integrated into Ukrainian operations since early February but were kept largely under wraps until now.

2025-09-02T01:48:51.572075-07:00

Ukraine unveils first full-length image of transferred Dassault Mirage 2000‑5F

The Aviationist

SOCOM selects Northrop Grumman APG-83 SABR AESA to modernize C-130J special-operations radar suites SOCOM has selected Northrop Grumman’s APG-83 SABR active electronically scanned array (AESA) to replace legacy radars on AC-130J, MC-130J and HC-130J special-operations aircraft. The decision initiates a fleetwide radar modernization to refresh sensing and targeting capabilities across C-130J special-operations variants.

2025-09-01T05:19:03.166960-07:00

SOCOM selects Northrop Grumman APG-83 SABR AESA to modernize C-130J special-operations radar suites

FlightGlobal

USAF to Train Pilots in Italy on Leonardo T-346A Under Historic IFTS Agreement The U.S. Air Force signed an Aug. 22 agreement with the Italian Air Force to send American pilot trainees to the International Flight Training School (IFTS) in Decimomannu, Sardinia — the first time a NATO partner nation will host USAF pilot training. Training will use Leonardo T‑346A aircraft under a defined CONOPS.

2025-09-01T02:22:34.205046-07:00

USAF to Train Pilots in Italy on Leonardo T-346A Under Historic IFTS Agreement

rollcall.com

Randy 'Duke' Cunningham, Navy F‑4 ace turned congressman convicted in bribery scandal, dies at 83 Randy 'Duke' Cunningham, one of two U.S. Navy F‑4 Phantom II aces from the Vietnam War who later served in Congress, died at 83 in Little Rock. He resigned after pleading guilty to taking at least $2.4 million in bribes and was pardoned in 2021.

2025-08-29T03:17:34.057457-07:00

Randy 'Duke' Cunningham, Navy F‑4 ace turned congressman convicted in bribery scandal, dies at 83

SpaceNews.com

Kontron names Spirit Electronics as distributor to expand ruggedized computing into aerospace and defense Kontron has named Spirit Electronics as an official distributor to expand sales of its ruggedized IoT and embedded computing technology into aerospace and defense supply chains. The deal tasks Spirit with marketing Kontron's rugged computing solutions to avionics, defense and aerospace integrators.

2025-08-27T11:49:39.026984-07:00

Kontron names Spirit Electronics as distributor to expand ruggedized computing into aerospace and defense

Runway Girl

Safran H1 2025: propulsion, interiors and defence drive double‑digit organic growth Safran reported strong H1 2025 earnings as organic revenue climbed across propulsion (+16.9%), aircraft interiors (+15.5%) and equipment & defense (+8%) year‑on‑year, lifting group performance across commercial aftermarket and defence segments and signalling robust demand across its core product lines.

2025-08-27T11:02:32.704202-07:00

Safran H1 2025: propulsion, interiors and defence drive double‑digit organic growth

SpaceNews.com

Pentagon R&D chief urges expansion of U.S. defense industrial base The Pentagon's research and development chief warned the U.S. must expand its defense industrial base to sustain R&D and production of emerging capabilities across the services, calling for broader supplier participation and greater manufacturing capacity to meet accelerating demand for advanced systems.

2025-08-27T09:06:21.133801-07:00

Pentagon R&D chief urges expansion of U.S. defense industrial base

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