The United States Missile Defense Agency has begun a new project to stay one step ahead of opposition during wargames under its Advanced Technology Innovation Broad Agency Announcement. It has awarded The Raytheon Company a contract to develop a new system that will serve as an assessing tool. This system will rate the effectiveness of using specific missiles, kinetic interceptors, and electronic non-kinetic weapons. Those utilizing this program will know how to choose weapons for any type of scenario they are presented with and succeed in planning for these war fights. Read more >>

During a visit to one of Almaz-Antey’s subsidiaries, MKB Fakel, Dmitry Rogozin, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister released a statement regarding the Russian Air Force’s VVS Mikoyan MiG 35. According to Rogozin, test flights will begin this January. Read more >>

This February Boeing announced the launch of a new program titled the Nacelle and Flight Control Surface Exchange Program. Boeing already has a good track record with exchange programs and this only reinforces why boeing is a leader in the aviation industry. Boeing will offer airlines an efficient and cost effective solution with this new exchange program. Customers that are part of it will be provided with the ability to exchange nacelle and flight control surface parts that need repair or overhaul. The parts will be taken from a certified pool of parts that Boeing has in their global network. This will eliminate customer costs associated with contracting, scheduling, managing, owning or leasing parts. Read more >>

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has been working on developing a new aircraft with export-specific capabilities. It will be in display at this month’s Aero India show taking place in Bengaluru. The concept of its designs originates from the Heron TP, an aircraft that has been part of both the Israeli and German air force for years now. Read more >>

It is being reported that Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has just issued instructions for the Russian Defense Ministry and air carriers’ management teams to start looking into replacing the Tu-154, Tu-134 and Ilyushin Il-62M passenger planes with newer Russian counterparts according to the Kommersant. Sources close to the Russian Defense Ministry intimate that consultations are already underway within the industry to identify and select the optimal options. The Russian Defense Ministry and enterprises that comprise of Russian United Aircraft Corporation are to congregate and agree on a sort of road-map in which discussions about which aircrafts will be taken out of circulation and which will be added with a production schedule for the plants involved. Read more >>