Coming off an order from South Korea’s largest airline Korean Air, Airbus Group SE announced that it has booked more than 1,000 orders for its family of jetliners in the first 11 months-January to November-of the year 2015. Shares for the Toulouse, France-based group rose as it looks certain that Airbus will win its annual orders race against North American rival Boeing. Though Airbus has booked more orders, Boeing remains the largest jetliner producer as the Chicago, Illinois-headquartered Boeing delivers more aircraft out of its factories. Read more >>

Confirming rumors from October, Sony announced that it has acquired rival Toshiba’s image sensor unit for $155 million. Sony itself has recently reorganized its sensor business unit into a wholly-owned subsidiary dubbed the Sony Semiconductor Corporation. Under the agreement, Toshiba will transfer its Oita Operations semiconductor fabrication facilities, equipment, and related assets. Read more >>

In an event attended by hundreds of Boeing employees and aviation enthusiasts, the last Boeing C-17 Globemaster cargo aircraft built at the manufacturer’s Long Beach, California, facility completed a flyover of Long Beach Airport before heading to San Antonio, where its new owner, the Qatar government, will pick it up in early 2016. This C-17 Globemaster is notable for being the last civilian or military aircraft to be built in the state of California-at least for now. Read more >>

Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc., announced that is has launched the industry’s first single-chip 15W wireless power receiver IC that is compliant with the Qi v1.2 specifications spelled out by the Wireless Power Consortium. Designated the TC7766WBG, the new chip is optimized for use in mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Read more >>

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) greenlighted a certification plan put forward by Lockheed Martin for its new class of hybrid airships. This approval takes Lockheed Martin closer to delivering the airships to commercial customers. Read more >>

Northrop Grumman and the US Army successfully deployed their future Integrated Air and Missile Defense System (AIAMD) in a test on November 12. The platform effectively took out its first cruise missile target using a new command-and-control system and Patriot and Sentinel radars. Read more >>

The Bombardier Global 6000 aircraft, the company’s third-generation, large cabin, ultra-long range jet, has been recently demonstrated by NetJets that the aircraft is certainly capable of offering travelers with great range capabilities in an ultimate luxury aircraft cabin. Read more >>

The Boeing Company has recently come together with Tata Advanced Systems, the aerospace and defense division of the TATA Group, in order to create a joint venture which will allow for the manufacture of aircraft structures. This in turn will create more avenues for integrated systems development opportunities in India. The financial details regarding this joint venture have not yet been disclosed, though both companies intend on developing and selling integrated systems via the joint venture. Read more >>

BAE Systems, a British multinational security, defense, and aerospace company, has recently taken a 20% stake in Reaction Engines, which is a small, privately held, British technology company. Reaction Engines has been investing in innovative propulsion technology which would hopefully cut the costs of space travel significantly. According to the managing director of Reaction Engines, the company has been working on new ways to create a launcher which could take off in a similar fashion to an aircraft, which would then fly into space, release its satellite, and then ultimately return to Earth for reuse within 48 hours. Read more >>

At the 2015 AUVSI Unmanned Systems Defense conference, US Navy Secretary Ray Mabus announced that his branch plans to operate a fully deployable submarine drone squadron by the year 2020. Read more >>