Aerospace

Airbus is assessing a higher-capacity A350 derivative programme next decade. With widebody backlogs rising and A350 production still ramping, any move to add a larger A350 variant would lock in long-term investment across final assembly, structures, and engine support.

Leonardo says Yeovil’s helicopter production depends on programme certainty. The company has warned it cannot carry ongoing costs indefinitely without a clear path on the UK’s New Medium Helicopter requirement and associated industrial workload decisions.

Pentagon has launched a contest for low-cost strike drones quickly. A new “Gauntlet” evaluation will push shortlisted vendors through rapid testing, as the department seeks mass-producible one-way attack UAS capability by 2027.