AeroTime
• Clement Charpentreau
An F-35B has released an MBDA Meteor long-range air-to-air missile test asset from its internal weapons bay for the first time, in U.S.-conducted work commissioned by the UK and Italy. The test advances efforts to integrate the missile with the short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing variant.
Missile Systems & Strategic Weapons
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The European Commission is expected to select one of two competing consortia by the end of November to advance a European interceptor against hypersonic and ballistic missile threats. The effort targets a system-level demonstrator in 2030, setting a near-term decision point for the program’s industrial team and development path.
An F-35B has released an MBDA Meteor long-range air-to-air missile test asset from its internal weapons bay for the first time, in U.S.-conducted work commissioned by the UK and Italy. The test advances efforts to integrate the missile with the short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing variant.
Christophe Bosquillon examines what Democratic control of both chambers of Congress could mean for U.S. space and defense policy, including NASA, the Space Force and the Golden Dome missile-defense initiative. The analysis also considers potential implications for Europe.
The Air Force has issued two solicitations for Extended Range Attack Munitions, seeking to add low-cost precision-strike weapons to its inventory. The effort centers on glide bombs and a longer-range capability, though the available reporting provides no details on quantities, performance requirements or procurement timelines.
Kyiv is pressing to begin talks on a replacement U.S. government contract for SpaceX’s Starshield network before its current access expires next year, with a new deal eyed by mid-2027. Separately, a Ukrainian diplomat says Patriot interceptors are needed faster than a recently announced $2.1 billion deal can deliver them, putting winter air defenses at risk.
General Atomics will supply precision-machined parts and cable assemblies for the Army-Navy Common Hypersonic Glide Body under a Leidos subcontract running through 2031. Separate developments include automated production of Lockheed Martin’s QuadStar interceptor, a $218 million Karman agreement supporting THAAD output, and MBDA’s plan to fly a hypersonic interceptor demonstrator before the end of 2029.
Leonardo reported €23.3 billion in new orders, revenue of €15.3 billion and EBITA of €1.3 billion for the first nine months of 2026. Net profit rose 74% to €812 million, and the company raised its full-year order outlook; its CEO says the backlog and improving delivery capacity will underpin stronger targets in a new industrial plan expected in March.
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