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Aerospace And Defence

All articles tagged with #aerospace and defence

Jet-powered Geran drones shift Russia’s air war
aerospace-and-defence26 days ago

Jet-powered Geran drones shift Russia’s air war

Russia’s jet-powered Geran-4 and Geran-5 drones, derived from Iran’s Shahed design, fly faster and farther with AI-guided targeting and anti-jamming tech. Centralized mass production enables rapid field deployment and lower costs than missiles, allowing strikes on warehouses, ports and oil facilities. Ukraine intercepts of these jets are around 60%, lower than for older models, pressuring Kyiv to bolster air defenses and adopt counter-drone measures. If Moscow sustains production and access to foreign propulsion tech, it could become a leading low-cost cruise-missile producer, potentially tilting the air war in Russia’s favor.

via Financial Times|
#aerospace-and-defence#drones#geran-4
Thiel-backed Covenant to mass-produce Anthem deep-strike missiles in US, Europe and Israel
aerospace-and-defence1 month ago

Thiel-backed Covenant to mass-produce Anthem deep-strike missiles in US, Europe and Israel

A US-Israeli defence startup enabled by Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund plans to build three factories in Dallas (US), Leipzig (Germany) and Israel to mass-produce the Anthem long-range “deep strike” munition. Covenant aims to produce about 1,000 Anthem missiles per year at each site by 2027 and 5,000 per site from 2028, with each missile priced in the mid six figures of euros. Marketed as a cheaper alternative to Tomahawks, Anthem is designed to deter threats from Russia, China and Iran and to saturate targets with high volume fire. The company has already conducted more than 200 trials and has secured initial US government contracts for testing and a maritime version. Germany is considering procurement, and Covenant emphasizes a European-focused supply chain, while keeping some details like range and classification (cruise missile vs deep-strike munition) confidential. Covenant has raised roughly $250 million and is valued at over $1 billion, backed by a slate of VC firms including Andreessen Horowitz, 8VC, Altimeter, Lightspeed and Lux Capital.

via Financial Times|
#aerospace-and-defence#anthem-missiles#covenant
Anduril unveils Thunder, a long-range helicopter-strike drone for attack helicopters
aerospace-and-defence2 months ago

Anduril unveils Thunder, a long-range helicopter-strike drone for attack helicopters

Anduril revealed Thunder, a hybrid-electric helicopter-strike drone designed to accompany and precede attack helicopters, with vertical takeoff transitioning to long-range fixed-wing flight, capable of carrying Hellfire missiles or other munitions. Developed with Archer Aviation (and UK partner GKN Aerospace), Thunder is part of the UK MoD’s Project Nyx competition to field drones alongside Apache helicopters, with a target deployment around 2030 and a plan to operate three to six Thunders per helicopter for expanded battlefield reach.

via Financial Times|
#aerospace-and-defence#anduril-industries#archer-aviation
Lockheed unveils cheaper Patriot interceptor to counter drone threats
aerospace-and-defence2 months ago

Lockheed unveils cheaper Patriot interceptor to counter drone threats

Lockheed Martin will field a cheaper PAC-3 Adapted Capability Effector (ACE) Patriot interceptor designed to counter drones, costing less than half the current PAC-3 MSE price (about $4m per missile) and developed with US and European partners to meet rising demand amid depleted stockpiles, signaling a shift toward cost-effective, battle-tested defenses and greater allied, indigenous capabilities.

via Financial Times|
#aerospace-and-defence#drones#farnborough-airshow
MHI CEO: Car Plants Not Suited for Military Drones
aerospace-and-defence3 months ago

MHI CEO: Car Plants Not Suited for Military Drones

Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries chief Eisaku Ito warns that converting idle car factories into drone production would be a costly mistake, arguing that drone specifications constantly change and car plants aren’t built to produce low-volume, highly variable military systems; he envisions MHI playing a central, flexible role in Tokyo’s drone push as defence budgets rise and the Shield coastal defence programme seeks to deploy thousands of unmanned aircraft.

via Financial Times|
#aerospace-and-defence#automotive-factories#defence-spending
Germany aborts its flagship postwar frigate program
aerospace-and-defence3 months ago

Germany aborts its flagship postwar frigate program

Berlin has scrapped the €12.8bn F126 frigate program—the German navy’s largest postwar warship project—after delays and cost overruns, opting to buy eight Meko frigates instead; the change shifts lead contractor duties away from Damen Naval to Rheinmetall, prompting a roughly €2bn write-off and a dent to defence industry expectations amid NATO priority on sea-based anti-submarine warfare.

via Financial Times|
#aerospace-and-defence#cost-overruns#damen-naval
GM and Lockheed join forces to turbocharge U.S. munition production
aerospace-and-defence3 months ago

GM and Lockheed join forces to turbocharge U.S. munition production

GM and Lockheed Martin have formed framework agreements—at the Pentagon’s request—to dramatically accelerate U.S. munition production, including nearly tripling Patriot interceptor output and quadrupling Thaad and Precision Strike Missile production over the next seven years, by leveraging GM’s high-rate manufacturing and digital tools; the partners have not announced specific projects and will invest billions in capital and R&D to bolster the defense industrial base and supply chains.

via Financial Times|
#aerospace-and-defence#general-motors#lockheed-martin
France eyes UAE pact for Rafale upgrade after FCAS collapse
world3 months ago

France eyes UAE pact for Rafale upgrade after FCAS collapse

France is in talks with the United Arab Emirates to collaborate on upgrading its Rafale fighters after Germany pulled the plug on the Franco-German FCAS project, with the UAE potentially funding and ordering Rafale jets and contributing to the program’s development. The move comes as Paris reassesses how to finance a future fighter for the 2040s without Germany, while a Franco-German tank program remains delayed; India’s Rafale deal and Sweden’s Saab are also in play as alternatives are explored.

via Financial Times|
#aerospace-and-defence#defence-partnerships#eu-defence
FCAS collapse exposes rift over Europe’s defence sovereignty
opinion3 months ago

FCAS collapse exposes rift over Europe’s defence sovereignty

Germany terminated the €100bn Future Combat Air System fighter project with France and Spain, exposing ongoing Franco-German leadership and technology disputes and raising questions about Europe’s ability to build a sixth-generation jet alone. France’s finances and Dassault’s reluctance to share tech complicate a revival, but Berlin and Paris could salvage other FCAS elements (drones, sensors, combat cloud) and pursue related programmes like long‑range missiles and early‑warning systems to boost deterrence and reduce US dependency.

via Financial Times|
#aerospace-and-defence#eu-defence#europe
Pentagon Unveils 161 Files on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena for Public Review
aerospace-and-defence5 months ago

Pentagon Unveils 161 Files on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena for Public Review

The Pentagon released 161 files—encompassing photos, witness testimonies, and investigative reports—on unidentified aerial phenomena, labeling them unresolved and inviting private-sector analysis. The staged disclosures come amid congressional pressure and White House interest to increase transparency, with the Defense Department planning rolling releases every few weeks and still noting no verified evidence of alien technology or life.

via Financial Times|
#aerospace-and-defence#congress#public-disclosure
Turkey's Yıldırımhan ICBM debuts amid skepticism over its true reach
aerospace-and-defence5 months ago

Turkey's Yıldırımhan ICBM debuts amid skepticism over its true reach

Turkey unveiled the 18‑meter Yıldırımhan ICBM at a defence expo, touting a 6,000km range and a 3-ton warhead, but defence officials and Western analysts say the system is still in testing and its advertised capabilities—promoted in an AI-generated promo video—are likely overstated; the longest-range Turkish missile (Tayfun) has only reached about 600km in tests.

via Financial Times|
#aerospace-and-defence#ai-generated-video#defence-industry
AirAsia inks $19B Airbus order, boosting Canada’s aircraft output ambitions
aerospace-and-defence5 months ago

AirAsia inks $19B Airbus order, boosting Canada’s aircraft output ambitions

AirAsia’s $19bn deal for 150 Airbus A220-300 jets marks Canada’s biggest-ever aircraft order, with potential to reach $38bn if AirAsia exercises options for the A220-500. The jets will be assembled at Airbus’s Mirabel, Quebec, and Mobile, Alabama sites as Airbus aims to ramp production to about 12–13 aircraft per month by 2026–28, despite integration challenges from Spirit AeroSystems. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney hailed the deal as a win for diversifying Canada’s trade.

via Financial Times|
#a220-300#aerospace-and-defence#airasia-bhd
Stockpile squeeze prompts US arms-delivery delays to Europe amid Iran conflict
world5 months ago

Stockpile squeeze prompts US arms-delivery delays to Europe amid Iran conflict

The US has warned European allies of long delivery delays for weapons as stockpiles depleted by the Iran conflict force reallocations, delaying munitions for systems like Himars and Nasams and even considering postponed shipments to Asia. The strain risks denting Ukraine support and deterrence against China, while US defense firms rush to boost production and Europe weighs more indigenous options as inventories remain tight.

via Financial Times|
#aerospace-and-defence#europe#iran
Pentagon pegs Iran war cost at $25bn, citing ammo drawdown
world5 months ago

Pentagon pegs Iran war cost at $25bn, citing ammo drawdown

The Pentagon told Congress that U.S. operations in Iran have cost about $25 billion, driven mainly by munitions use, which has depleted stockpiles and raised questions about readiness for other conflicts with China or Russia. The figure, tied to Operation Epic Fury, is not yet reflected in the broader $1.5 trillion budget request, and a further funding request will come after a full cost assessment, even as a fragile ceasefire and naval pressure operations continue in the region.

via Financial Times|
#aerospace-and-defence#iran#middle-east-war