SpaceNews.com
• Sandra Erwin
The Pentagon is urging defense contractors to increase production of missile interceptors after recent conflicts highlighted a gap between the rate at which the U.S. can expend its most capable air- and missile-defense weapons and the pace at which industry can replenish them.
Supply Chain
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The Pentagon is urging defense contractors to increase production of missile interceptors after recent conflicts highlighted a gap between the rate at which the U.S. can expend its most capable air- and missile-defense weapons and the pace at which industry can replenish them.
Boeing is promoting an off-the-shelf radar seeker designed to reduce the cost of guided missiles, while Northrop Grumman has introduced Raid Hunter, a 50mm gun-based air defense system for countering drones, cruise missiles and other aerial threats in layered, short-range defense.
Airbus delivered 67 commercial aircraft to 39 customers in July, bringing its 2026 total to 418—about 53 ahead of Boeing’s roughly 365. With five months remaining, Airbus must average approximately 90 deliveries per month to reach its 870-aircraft target, intensifying pressure on production and supply-chain execution.
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Years of certification delays have left dozens of early-built Boeing 777X jets requiring extensive redesign before delivery. The setbacks are prompting Emirates and Lufthansa, among the program’s largest customers, to reassess whether they want those aircraft or newer-production examples instead.
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Airbus and Boeing are investing in alternatives to conventional autoclave processing as they seek to accelerate composite airframe manufacturing. The efforts signal continued focus by both major aerospace groups on improving production methods for composite structures and addressing manufacturing constraints.
Wizz Air had 27 A320neos grounded at the end of June because of Pratt & Whitney GTF engine issues, but says its fleet is on track to move beyond the disruption by the end of 2027. The timeline underscores the continuing effect of engine availability on narrowbody capacity planning.
Rheinmetall and Lockheed Martin’s planned German ATACMS production line is now expected to begin manufacturing Lot 8 missiles toward the end of 2027. The gradual ramp-up reflects the challenge of rebuilding U.S. stocks depleted by the war with Iran while preserving Lockheed capacity for the newer PrSM program.
The U.S. Air Force and industry partners demonstrated a widening set of capabilities, from a YFQ-44A firing an AIM-120 and CCA prototypes flying with manned aircraft to AI-enabled P-8A–MQ-4C interoperability. Separately, a robot-formed nose panel returned a storm-damaged C-17 to service.
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