🎯Today's Aerospace Pulse
Updated 1h agoWhat's happening: Airbus posts record FY2025 revenue and backlog
Airbus delivered 793 commercial jets and generated €73.4 billion in revenue, a 6% year‑on‑year rise. Adjusted EBIT climbed to €7.1 billion and net income to €5.2 billion, while the order backlog hit a record 8,754 aircraft with €123.3 billion of new orders.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Berniq Airways raises $238M in capital increase
Blog•Feb 20, 2026
16 Air Assault Demos AI-Enabled Air Manoeuvre Strike
The British Army’s 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team showcased AI‑enabled reconnaissance‑strike capabilities during a visit by Chief of the General Staff General Sir Roly Walker. The demonstration linked new hardware, software and procedures to accelerate target acquisition and air‑delivered strike, creating a more lethal, high‑readiness force. As the UK’s Global Response Force, the brigade can deploy by parachute, helicopter or air‑landing and is building interoperability with the U.S. 82nd Airborne and France’s 11e Brigade Parachutiste. Recent missions have included evacuations in Kabul, Turkey and Sudan.
By UK Defence Journal – Air
Blog•Feb 20, 2026
A-4 Pilot Recalls when His Skyhawk Cabin Pressurization Failed at 40000 + Feet During a Test Flight
A Navy A‑4 Skyhawk maintenance test pilot climbed above 40,000 feet to verify the aircraft’s pressure‑breathing cabin system. During the test the pressurization failed, causing a sudden influx of pure liquid oxygen, cockpit flooding and even a watch explosion. The pilot...
By The Aviation Geek Club
Blog•Feb 20, 2026
Navy Declares IOC for SDB II on Super Hornet
The U.S. Navy has declared initial operational capability for the GBU‑53/B Small Diameter Bomb II on its F/A‑18E/F Super Hornet, completing a transition that began with limited use in 2025. The StormBreaker’s tri‑mode seeker—infrared, millimeter‑wave radar and semi‑active laser—enables all‑weather,...
By The Aviation Geek Club
News•Feb 20, 2026
Smile Sets Sail for Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana
The ESA‑China SMILE spacecraft has completed its Atlantic crossing and arrived at Kourou’s Europe’s Spaceport, ready for integration with a Vega‑C launcher. A launch window from 8 April to 7 May 2026 has been set, targeting a comprehensive study of Earth’s response...
By European Space Agency News
News•Feb 20, 2026
United States and Germany Lead the Way as Boeing 777X Introduces Groundbreaking Wingtip Safety System
Boeing’s 777X will enter service with a first‑of‑its‑kind active takeoff inhibition system that verifies the folding wingtip configuration before departure. The aircraft’s 235‑foot wingspan can be reduced to 212 feet on the ground, allowing it to fit existing Code E gates at...
By Travel And Tour World
News•Feb 20, 2026
Altomaxx RPAS Specialist – UAS/RPAS Pilot (Calgary AB)
Altomaxx Technologies, a Canadian drone‑service leader, is hiring experienced UAS/RPAS pilots for its Calgary field‑operations team. The role supports oil‑and‑gas inspections, ground‑penetrating radar, bathymetry, and confined‑space surveys across domestic and international projects. Candidates must hold a Transport Canada RPAS Pilot...
By sUAS News
Blog•Feb 20, 2026
Bjorn’s Corner: Faster Aircraft Development. Part 28. Development Times.
The Leeham study tracks a seven‑year development cycle for a new 200‑seat airliner, mapping each certification milestone from concept to entry‑into‑service. Modern tools such as 3D CAD, PLM and Digital Twin have trimmed design and documentation effort, but the overall...
By Leeham News and Analysis
News•Feb 20, 2026
Embention Named in Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Spain for Sustained Growth
Embention, a developer of UAV autopilots and high‑reliability avionics, has been named to Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50 Spain, recognizing four years of strong revenue growth. The accolade underscores the company’s certified avionics for UAVs and eVTOL platforms, built to DO‑160,...
By Unmanned Systems Technology – News
Social•Feb 20, 2026
Navy Pursues New AWACS‑Killer Anti‑Radiation Missile
Hunt For Anti-Radiation Missile That Can Down Enemy Radar Planes Kicked-Off By Navy The 'AWACS killer' Advanced Emission Suppression Missile will also be able to strike air defenses on land and sea. https://t.co/BNrywXdNe7
By Tyler Rogoway
News•Feb 20, 2026
Istanbul Leads, Regions Rise: Turkish Airports Build a Platform for Long-Term Rowth
Turkey’s aviation sector posted one of Europe’s strongest growth stories in 2025, driven by a surge in passenger demand and a resilient operational model. Istanbul Airport solidified its rank among Europe’s top hubs, handling record traffic while introducing triple independent...
By CAPA – Centre for Aviation
News•Feb 20, 2026
Singapore Airshow: Part Two – Embraer and ATR Target Asia Pacific Growth Opportunities
At the Singapore Airshow, Embraer and ATR highlighted the Asia‑Pacific region as the next growth frontier for regional aircraft. While turboprops already hold a solid share, regional jets remain under‑represented, with narrow‑ and wide‑bodies making up more than 90% of...
By CAPA – Centre for Aviation
Social•Feb 19, 2026
Engineers Must Read Starliner Anomaly Report Summary
If you’re an engineer you need to at least read the executive summary of the Starliner Anomaly Investigation Report
By The Space Mechanic
Social•Feb 19, 2026
US Must Test Agile Combat Employment Against Iranian Threat
If this goes down with Iran, the USAF should put its Agile Combat Employment (ACE) playbook to the test. Having billions and billions in hard to replace fighter aircraft packed on ramps at a couple bases is not a recipe...
By Tyler Rogoway
News•Feb 18, 2026
AIAA Identifies Top Technologies Transforming Aerospace
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) released a new report identifying ten technologies that will reshape aerospace by 2045, based on a survey of over 700 experts and interviews with senior leaders. The list includes AI‑aided design, alternative...
By AIAA – Industry News (Aerospace)
Social•Feb 19, 2026
Vietnam Airlines Mixes Boeing, Airbus to Boost Competition
Vietnam Airlines just broke their Airbus only narrow body tradition 🔥 Signed for 50 Boeing 737 MAX 8s yesterday + Sun PhuQuoc Airways went all-in on up to 40 787-9s ($22.5B) as their widebody future. In my opinion, this mix of Boeing...
By Fahad Naim
Social•Feb 19, 2026
Airbus Aims 870 Deliveries in 2026, up From 793
Airbus delivered 793 commercial aircraft in 2025, up from 766 in 2024, led by A320 Family and A220 deliveries. For 2026, Airbus is targeting around 870 commercial aircraft deliveries, subject to operational and supply chain conditions. Source: Airbus 2025 full-year results press...
By Bilqis Bahari
News•Feb 18, 2026
U.S. Firms Test Venom Autonomous Strike Aircraft
Divergent Technologies and Mach Industries unveiled Venom, an autonomous strike aircraft prototype that reached flight readiness in just 71 days. The rapid development leveraged Mach's modular open‑systems architecture and Divergent's Adaptive Production System, which uses additive manufacturing to produce monolithic...
By Defence Blog
Social•Feb 19, 2026
Flyadeal Adds 34th A320neo, Fleet Hits 45 Aircraft
Saudi Arabia’s low-cost carrier, flyadeal has taken delivery of its first aircraft of 2026, an A320neo, increasing its all narrowbody fleet to 45 aircraft. The jet, delivered to Jeddah from Airbus’ Toulouse facility, is the airline’s 34th A320neo. It has been...
By Bilqis Bahari
Social•Feb 19, 2026
Air Astana Names Former Wizz Air Exec as FlyArystan President
Air Astana has appointed Johan Eidhagen as President of FlyArystan, effective March 1, 2026. Eidhagen joins from Wizz Air, where he most recently served as Managing Director of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi and previously held senior roles including Chief People &...
By Bilqis Bahari
News•Feb 18, 2026
Why GPS III, and What Comes After It, Still Falls Short in Modern War
The United States is completing its GPS III constellation, the most extensive PNT upgrade in a decade, delivering higher accuracy, stronger signals and improved anti‑jam features. Analysts argue that while GPS III and the upcoming GPS IIIF add incremental resilience, they do not...
By SpaceNews
Social•Feb 19, 2026
KC‑390 Boom Variant Offers Agile Air Force Tanker
Based on the news today of Northrop Grumman and Embraer teaming up for next generation tanker capabilities, this is a must read from four years ago: KC-390 With A Boom Could Be The Agile Tanker The Air Force Needs https://t.co/lrJn7Owfc3
By Tyler Rogoway
Social•Feb 19, 2026
NASA Chooses Transparency Over Sweeping Starliner Issues
The easy thing to do—the expected thing, really—would have been for NASA to sweep this report under the rug, declare Starliner-CFT a great learning experience, and say everything is going well. NASA did not do the easy thing. https://t.co/yNN1rRnLYi
By Eric Berger
News•Feb 18, 2026
Leonardo DRS Joins SHIELD Missile Defense Program
Leonardo DRS announced it has secured multiple awards under the Missile Defense Agency’s SHIELD IDIQ contract, which carries a shared ceiling of $151 billion. The contracts position the company to compete for future task orders aimed at accelerating the development and...
By Defence Blog
Social•Feb 19, 2026
Noisy Neighborhoods More Annoyed by Air Taxi Noise
"Initial results reveal that residents living in noisy areas reported being more bothered by the air taxi sounds than those in quieter areas." #avgeek
By Tim Robinson
Social•Feb 19, 2026
UK Blocks US Access to Bases, Hampering Iran Bombing Campaign
U.K. Denying U.S. Use Of Key Bases Would Impact Bombers’ Role In Iran Air Campaign The U.K. is reportedly preventing the U.S. from using Diego Garcia and RAF Fairford to attack Iran. https://t.co/YUPo74NyHL
By Tyler Rogoway
News•Feb 18, 2026
Apache Helicopters Downed Drones With 30mm Proximity Ammo
The U.S. Army’s AH‑64 Apache attack helicopter successfully employed 30 mm proximity‑fuzed ammunition to engage and destroy unmanned aerial vehicles during a December training exercise at Yuma Proving Ground. This marks the first documented air‑to‑air kill by an Apache using purpose‑built...
By RealClearDefense
Social•Feb 19, 2026
Artemis II Teams Stay Below Hydrogen Leak Safety Limit
This is encouraging: "Teams reached this step without exceeding the ground safety limit of the hydrogen leak concentration, as was observed during the first Artemis II wet dress rehearsal."
By Stephen Clark
Social•Feb 19, 2026
NASA Admits Starliner Missteps, Reclassifies Mishap, Vows Leadership Overhaul
News conf upshot: NASA acknowledges poor decision making thruout Starliner prog and esp while crew was on orbit. Now correctly classified as Type A mishap. NASA still committed to Starliner, but will be leadership and other changes at NASA. Rpt...
By Marcia Smith
News•Feb 18, 2026
Vantor Partners with Google AI to Automate Intelligence Reports for Government Agencies
Vantor, a commercial Earth‑observation satellite operator, announced a partnership with Google to run Google Earth AI models inside classified, air‑gapped government networks. The AI will automatically generate text‑based intelligence reports from Vantor’s own, third‑party, or sovereign imagery, cutting analysis time...
By SpaceNews
Social•Feb 19, 2026
Starliner Crew Flight Test Findings Detailed in 312‑page Report
Here's the full, 312-page report of findings from the Program Investigation Team regarding the Starliner crew flight test. https://t.co/rd3RyEQ4YZ
By Eric Berger
Social•Feb 19, 2026
NASA Demands Root‑Cause Fix Before Starliner Returns
Some incredible transparency from @NASAAdmin @rookisaacman regarding the Starliner crew fiasco. It will not fly again until the ROOT CAUSE is addressed, not just bandaided. I don’t see how this is can be worth it to Boeing anymore TBH. They...
By Tim Dodd
Social•Feb 19, 2026
Navy F-16Cs Set for Aggressor Paint Schemes
I would expect the Navy F-16Cs will finally be getting aggressor paint jobs now that they go through a tailored depot program. I have a feeling we will be impressed.
By Tyler Rogoway
Social•Feb 19, 2026
ADS‑B: Essential Real‑Time Safety Standard for All Aircraft
ADS-B is a critical aviation safety technology, which allows aircraft to broadcast their location and trajectory in realtime and see other aircraft in realtime on a map. This is essential safety technology, table stakes for all aircraft.
By Blake Scholl
Social•Feb 19, 2026
NASA Drops Surprise Starliner Update During Today's WDR
Ok, random… but amidst today’s WDR, NASA will give an update on Starliner 👀 what the heck?! That’s out of the blue 🤔 https://t.co/9E8Dzo770R
By Tim Dodd
Social•Feb 19, 2026
NASA's Award-Winning Camera Reveals Invisible Shock Waves
Award-Winning NASA Camera Revolutionizes How We See the Invisible https://t.co/4l8gHwzgAN 4 Min Read Award-Winning NASA Camera Revolutionizes How We See the Invisible A shock wave interacting with a thin layer of fluid at Mach 10 in a … https://t.co/upxwqHYGvJ
By Stage Zero Studio
Social•Feb 19, 2026
Russia Turns to Balloon Internet After Starlink Loss
Russia Eyes Balloon Communications System To Fill Massive Gap Left After Losing Starlink SpaceX has cut off Russia's access to Starlink and now Moscow is scrambling to find a replacement. https://t.co/YIhWYjTEhE
By Tyler Rogoway
Social•Feb 19, 2026
ICBM Guard Teams Must Adopt New Tactics for Sentinel Silos
ICBM-Guarding Security Forces Will Need Fresh Tactics To Defend New Sentinel Silos Security Forces tasked with defending Minuteman III ICBMs currently train for everything from retaking captured silos to repelling ground assaults. https://t.co/6zokg3hmvu
By Tyler Rogoway
Social•Feb 18, 2026
Rocket Lab, Blue Origin PR Clash Over Mars Telecom
Watching the PR comms from Rocket Lab and Blue Origin on Mars Telecommunications Orbiter has been fascinating.
By Eric Berger
Social•Feb 18, 2026
Amazon LEO Opens to Third-Party Antennas, Boosting Flexibility
Amazon has signaled its interest in allowing trusted government and third-party customers to use their own antenna hardware to integrate Amazon LEO into existing systems, in a move that would greatly enhance optionality, while hastening market entry for the service....
By Mary Kirby
Social•Feb 18, 2026
Lockheed CEO Rules
Lockheed CEO Taiclet says LMT never considered spinning off part of biz to allow for direct DoD ownership stake: L3Harris "didn't have, I guess, apparently, the resource to manage the scaling themselves." If regulators had allowed LMT to buy Aerojet "we...
By Valerie Insinna
Social•Feb 18, 2026
Boeing Returns Defense HQ to St. Louis, F/A-XX Future Uncertain
Boeing just announced the move of its defense unit HQ back to St. Louis, where McDonnell Douglas was headquartered (and where Boeing continues to build fighters and weapons). Industry always welcomes a SecDef visit but real question for workforce will be...
By Valerie Insinna
Social•Feb 18, 2026
Updated Design Adds Bigger Tail Flag, Cooler Engines
New design (left). First Trump admin (right). Much larger flag on the tail, different color on the engines--possibly related to the thermal concerns raised a couple years back. https://t.co/e5GPwczads
By Brian Everstine
Social•Feb 18, 2026
Aging E‑3 Fleet Deployed to Iran, Highlighting Capability Gaps
Major Deployment Of Rickety E-3 Sentry Fleet For Iran Crisis Highlights Worrisome Gaps The shrunken E-3 fleet isn't getting any younger, and a replacement is still far off while demand for its services would be far greater in the Pacific. Story: https://t.co/bX9Y8kMlqE
By Tyler Rogoway
Social•Feb 18, 2026
NASA Streams Artemis II Wet Dress Rehearsal Live
NASA to Provide Coverage of Artemis II Wet Dress Rehearsal https://t.co/rxwM8XMwP3 The Moon rises behind NASA’s Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft atop a mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center… https://t.co/eqMQkf9VGf
By Stage Zero Studio
Social•Feb 18, 2026
Perseverance Rover Pinpoints Exact Spot at Mala Mala
Perseverance Pinpoints Its Location at ‘Mala Mala’ https://t.co/WAn1uwS0AO 2 Min Read Perseverance Pinpoints Its Location at ‘Mala Mala’ PIA26704 Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech Photojournal Navigation Science Photojournal … https://t.co/uIsjK8MVSg
By Stage Zero Studio
Social•Feb 18, 2026
Perseverance Autonomously Determines Its Exact Position on Mars
NASA’s Perseverance Now Autonomously Pinpoints Its Location on Mars https://t.co/8qoxW8kBAC 7 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) There is no GPS at the Red Planet, but a new technology called Mars Global Loc… https://t.co/97K7QBdDE0
By Stage Zero Studio
Social•Feb 18, 2026
Katie Oriti Leads Orion European Service Module Integration
I Am Artemis: Katie Oriti https://t.co/LcpoLSwKgP 3 Min Read I Am Artemis: Katie Oriti Katie Oriti manages the Orion European Service Module Integration Office, working closely with commercial and international partners to ensure the m… https://t.co/vbUCwAW7zC
By Stage Zero Studio
Social•Feb 18, 2026
MBDA Develops Sovereign, Interoperable European Military Space Network
European missile maker @MBDAGroup on building a sovereign, interoperable military space network. @defis_eu #EuropeanSpaceConf. https://t.co/EXzbZr66rT https://t.co/EA9DMPiTXE
By Peter B. de Selding
Social•Feb 18, 2026
Hubble Discovers One of the Darkest Known Galaxies
NASA’s Hubble Identifies One of Darkest Known Galaxies https://t.co/CCUrV0EXzB Explore Hubble Hubble Home Overview About Hubble The History of Hubble Hubble Timeline Why Have a Telescope in Space? Hubble by the Numbers At the Museum FAQs Impa… https://t.co/abJljA2mN4
By Stage Zero Studio
Social•Feb 18, 2026
Starship's 25 Launches/Year Heralds Orbital Industrialization
Starship targeting 25 launches/year in 2026-2027. Each launch = 100-150 tons to orbit. Do the math: 2,500+ tons/year of payload capacity. That's not space exploration. That's orbital industrialization. Go @elonmusk.
By Peter H. Diamandis