Turbomeca the helicopter engine maker has released "Boost" which is their online engine maintenance tracking system. Boost, which stands for bank of online services and technologies, is regarded as a highly secured, web-based application developed and paired with IBM which will allow its operators to receive 24/7 support from Turbomeca, access real-time data from a personalized engine that will enrich their own fleet maintenance management.

Sikorsky has announced today that a second CH-53K helicopter has achieved its first flight, and is now part of their flight test program. The Lockheed Martin-owned company added that the helicopter it is joining in the program has expanded its flight envelope to 120 knots as part of the King Stallion heavy lift helicopter program.

After months of preparing, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft announced that they have finally begun testing new European flight routes using a specially outfitted CS100 aircraft. Bombardier will be conducting these proving exercises through Swiss International Air Lines’ (SWISS) facility located in Zurich. This base will serve as a sort of central hub for testing connecting flights to a number of different Eastern and Central European cities including Brussels, Vienna, and Warsaw. SWISS will receive their initial CS100 delivery within the next few months, and these proving exercises are essential towards examining the CS100s capabilities. Each exercise will be conducted by replicating exact speeds, altitudes, and operations found within a typical SWISS commercial flight.

Discussions have turned into a signed agreement between Innova Aerospace and representatives from Rolls-Royce at the Heli-Expo 2016 event for a technical development program aimed at certifying the RR300 turboshaft engine for the composite, single-engine helicopter, Innova C630. The agreement was legitimized by Executive vice president of corporate development for Innova Aerospace, Greg Fedele and Senior VP of helicopters and light turboprop engines for Rolls-Royce, Jason Propes.

Small Planet Airlines, a leisure airline whose primary clients hail from European countries like Poland, Italy, Germany, Lithuania, and Great Britain, works in conjunction with some of the largest holiday operators to fly passengers during the summer season to some of the great holiday vacation countries in the world such as Spain, Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece. Small Planet Airlines moves their fleet to the Asian region during the winter season and also organizes private reserved flights for athletes, celebrities and national delegates. Small Planet Airlines’ fleet comprises of about 21 Airbus aircrafts that include the Airbus 321 and Airbus 320.

In an immense show of intercontinental collaboration, three different Japanese aerospace manufacturers have proposed a new partnership with Boeing to produce a new fleet of next-gen small passenger planes.  This new breed of aircraft would seat roughly 200 passengers and eventually replace Boeing’s 737 Max series.  If Boeing agrees to this deal, aircraft development would likely begin in the early 2020s, as the 737 Max itself has yet to be released.

The Boeing CH-147 Chinook is becoming a prime time player for the Royal Canadian Air Force, with its versatility and tactical abilities being displayed regularly. The heavy helicopter shows off a stunning combination of quickness and power. It can maneuver through and land in tight and tricky places, while having heavy lifting capabilities like its Hafthór Björnsson. The maximum gross takeoff weight that it can handle is listed at around 50,000 pounds.

Finmeccanica, the leading industrial group in Italy for aerospace, security, and defense industries, has recently delivered its first AugustaWestland AW169 to Specialist Aviation Services. This new generation intermediate class helicopter is the first to be delivered to a customer in the United Kingdom will be entering into service with Kent, Surrey, and Sussex Air Ambulance after Specialist Aviation Services installs an advanced medical interior.

News has begun to pour out about Northrop Grumman Corporation’s latest press release stating that they have secured yet another contract. In fact, it is Northrop Grumman’s second consecutive contract valued at $285 million dollars. Northrop Grumman has received a contract modification from the United States Navy to configure the first Japanese E-2D Advanced Hawkeye. This aircraft will be an all-weather airborne vessel designed for early warnings command and control. Northrop Grumman is expected to outfit the aircraft at its primary facility in St. Augustine, Florida. Though the work timeline has not been revealed yet, the company is expected to be the one handling the Japanese requirement for the foreseeable future in regards to this next generation airborne early warning aircraft. This is actually a modification of the contract originally drafted in November 2014.

The Times of India recently released an article showing that the Indian Air Force’s order of the 36 Rafale fighter jets has been completed with the French government. This deal was closed during New Year’s eve 2015. Dassault, the French aircraft builder and integrator, will supply all the Rafale aircrafts in a flyaway condition.

The Japan Aerospace eXploration Agency (JAXA) announced that its Venus orbiter spacecraft Akatsuki has successfully rendezvoused with Venus. Originally, the national agency intended for Akatsuki to slip into Venus’ orbit five years ago in December 2010.

Virgin Galactic announced that it will enter the small satellite launcher market with the debut of “Cosmic Girl,” a retrofitted Boeing 747-400 commercial jet aircraft. The re-engineered 747-400 jet will support Virgin Galactic’s LauncherOne small satellite launch service.

Lockheed Martin announced that the US Navy has issued a funding balance of $279 million for the construction of the future Freedom-class littoral combat ship USS Cooperstown (LCS 23). Earlier in March 2015, Congress awarded Lockheed Martin $79 million in advanced procurement funding for the future USS Cooperstown.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced that they have launched Japan’s first dedicated commercial satellite with an HII-A rocket. Carrying the Telstar 12 Vantage broadcast and telecommunications satellite developed by Ottawa, Canada-based Telesat, the H-IIA launch vehicle took off from the Yoshinobu launch pad at Tanegashima Space Center. This was the first time the H-IIA upgraded second stage has been deployed and the first commercial launch for the rocket.

The United States military has completed the delivery of two brand new radar systems to Ukrainian armed forces. Ukraine is in a time of crisis, so the decision was made by the US Army to deliver the system - thus shoring up the country’s defense and internal security operations. Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko gave the green light on the delivery after being debriefed by the US military. The radars will be used by the Ukrainian military to help protect themselves and civilians from deadly attacks from rockets and other artillery.

Pratt & Whitney Canada, a business unit of United Technologies, has introduced the PT6A-140A engine for the general aviation market. Touted as the most powerful and fuel efficient engine on the general aviation market, the PT6A-140A is ideal for operators flying utility aircraft in high-heat and high-altitude conditions. The PT6A-140A turboprop engine was developed to meet the demands of current flyers of PT6A-backed aircraft but who wish for advanced performance specifications.

Early next week, United States officers are expected to brief French military as well as procurement staff on the details of the Pentagon announcement that four Lockheed Martin C-130J airlifters are being offered to France for the price tag of $650 million. This estimated price, which was announced by the United States Defense Security Cooperation Agency, is significantly more than what the French armed forces had in mind, as France has set aside only €330 million, or US $354 million, in order to acquire the Hercules aircraft. Currently, French troops are in Africa engaging in combat, and are seeking full tactical support. The defense minister is expected to decide on the C-130J airlifters by the end of this year.

Cobham announced that they have received a $157.5m in missile electronics order. The missile electronics order is specifically being worked on by the Cobham Microelectronic Solutions, a business sector of the Cobham Advanced Electronics Solutions.

Toyota, the Japanese auto giant, announced a five-year, $1 billion research and development effort in Artificial Intelligence and establishing a Silicon Valley research and development center to pursue those goals. Conceived as a research facility bridging basic science and commercial engineering, it will be organized as a new company named Toyota Research Institute. Toyota will initially have a laboratory adjacent to Stanford University and another near M.I.T. in Cambridge, Mass. The Toyota Research Institute will be led by Gill Pratt, who recently joined Toyota from DARPA where he ran the Robotics Challenge, an event that promoted work on robots that can work with humans.

Bombardier Inc., the Canadian multinational transportation and aerospace company, has agreed to trade off nearly half of their stake in the CSeries jet program to the government of Quebec. In exchange for this large stake, the Quebec government will provide a $1 billion lifeline to Bombardier Inc. This deal confirms that Bombardier is too important and vital to the economy of Quebec, to the extent that the government would not allow it to fail. The company employs more than 35,000 people, playing a crucial role in the Canadian aerospace sector.