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Trade Wars
Pratt & Whitney Awarded $1B for Engine Parts
Pratt & Whitney, a division of RTX was awarded an estimated $1.09-billion contract to supply consumable and depot level repairable parts to the U.S. Air Force for the F100 engine – an afterburning turbofan engine powering the F-15 Eagle and F-16, and some other fighter aircraft. The F-15 is a twin-engine fighter developed by McDonnell-Douglas and now supplied by Boeing Defense. The five-year base contract awarded by the U.S. Air Force will be completed in September 2030, and it will have one five-year option period, according to the Pentagon.
There are four variants of the F100, introduced at different times to support different generations of the fighter. The most recent version incorporates “advanced thermal coatings, improved turbine cooling capabilities, and prognostics and engine health monitoring features”. There are more than 7,000 of the engines in service with USAF and other defense forces, according to Pratt & Whitney. In accordance with the extreme heat and high pressure conditions of the engines’ operation, F100 hot section components are built from durable materials and include advanced cooling technologies.
Read more at American Machinist
Dubai Airshow Stands Out for Airliner Orders and Military Surprises
The Gulf, where blockbuster commercial aviation demand converges with rising regional military spending, is arguably the prime location for a major aerospace and defense event. With the UAE consistently demonstrating its willingness to handle international relations in its own unique way, the Dubai Airshow this week is poised to make its mark as the industry closes 2025. Spending by airlines, airports, and other civil aviation service providers in the Middle East is projected to exceed $28 billion this year, on track to surpass $35 billion by 2030. Last week, the IBA consultancy predicted that more than 300 new commercial aircraft orders and commitments would be announced during the show. Based on very approximate average pricing, this business could add around $60 billion to the year-end tally.
Geopolitics are apparent in the profile of military aircraft on show in Dubai this week. Alongside somewhat predictable appearances by aircraft such as the Airbus A400M transporter, Dassault’s Rafale warplane, and Eurofighter’s Typhoon, there are several items unlikely to be found elsewhere on the international air show circuit. The Sukhoi S-57 fighter will certainly turn heads, given that Russia’s industry remains persona non grata at the Paris and Farnborough shows while President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine heads for its fourth anniversary. A Russian presence in Dubai stands in marked contrast to the show organizers’ decision to uninvite Israeli exhibitors in the wake of Israel’s attack on Qatar’s capital, Doha.
Read more at CNBC
Ford Partners With Amazon For Dealers To Sell Used Vehicles Online
Ford Motor is partnering with Amazon to let the automaker’s franchised dealers sell certified preowned vehicles through the online retail giant.The new program will allow customers to secure financing, start paperwork and schedule a pickup time for the vehicles at participating Ford dealers, the companies announced Monday. Some steps, such as a final signature, may still need to be completed in person, Ford said. The deal comes two years after Amazon said it would allow auto dealers to sell cars through its site, starting with vehicles from South Korean automaker Hyundai.
The deals between Amazon and the two automakers differ, though, as Hyundai’s involves new vehicles rather than certified preowned. CPO vehicles are used but have been inspected, refurbished and certified by the manufacturer or dealer. They’re considered a better quality of used vehicles than cars without the designation and have warranties, like a new vehicle. Amazon earlier this year also partnered with car rental company Hertz to sell used vehicles through its site.
Read more at CNBC
Novo Nordisk Cuts Direct-To-Consumer Prices For Wegovy, Ozempic To $349 A Month
Novo Nordisk on Monday said it has cut the direct-to-consumer prices of its blockbuster weight loss drug Wegovy and diabetes counterpart Ozempic, adding to efforts by the company and the Trump administration to make the treatments more accessible. The Danish drugmaker is lowering the price of the drugs for existing cash-paying patients to $349 per month from $499 per month. But Novo Nordisk said the cash-pay cost of the highest dose of Ozempic will remain $499 per month.
Also on Monday, Novo Nordisk launched a temporary introductory offer, which will allow new cash-paying patients to access the two lowest doses of Wegovy and Ozempic for $199 per month for the first two months of treatment. After that period, people move to the new standard monthly direct-to-consumer price. The company’s introductory offer ends on March 31. Novo Nordisk’s new cash-pay offers are available through Wegovy.com or Ozempic.com, the company’s direct-to-consumer pharmacy, NovoCare, and other participating organizations and telehealth providers that work directly with the drugmaker, including Costco , GoodRx, WeightWatchers, Ro, LifeMD and eMed.
Read more at CNBC
Audi Will Build a Luxury Off-Roader on Scout's New Platform
According to a new report from the German Automobile News publication Automobilwoche, Audi is planning to develop a large off-roader targeted at American buyers. The new model will be positioned as a rival to other luxury off-roaders such as the Land Rover Defender and will likely be closely related to Scout's offerings. The as-yet unconfirmed Audi will have a plug-in hybrid powertrain similar to the optional setup in Scout's debut models. The system relies on electric motors for propulsion and uses a combustion engine as a range extender.
As with the new Scouts, the Audi will be body-on-frame, which the company thinks will help appeal to American consumers. Audi plans to work with its fellow Volkswagen Group subsidiary Scout to build the model in the United States. At the moment, Audi doesn't build any cars in the U.S., but reportedly the new Audi will be built at Scout's production facility in Blythewood, South Carolina. While the plant is still under construction, the report notes that production of the new model is expected to begin by the end of 2027.
Read more at Car and Driver
The Drewry World Container Index (WCI) Continued Decline in Shipping Rates
The Drewry World Container Index (WCI) decreased 5% to $1,859 per 40ft container, marking the first weekly decrease after four weeks of continuous increases. Spot rates on the Transpacific Headhaul saw a double-digit decrease this week, with rates from Shanghai to New York falling 15% to $3,254 per 40ft container and rates to Los Angeles dropping 12% to $2,328. With retailers having already imported their holiday season merchandise, Drewry anticipates rates will either soften slightly or hold steady next month.
Spot rates from Shanghai to Genoa increased 4% to $2,193 per 40ft container and from Shanghai to Rotterdam they rose 3% to $2,028. Carriers on the Asia–Europe trade route are trying to push spot rates up by introducing higher FAK rates ranging from $3,000 to $3,650 per 40ft box, effective 15 November, in an attempt to elevate spot rates before the start of the new annual contract negotiation season. Drewry’s Container Forecaster expects the supply-demand balance to weaken in the next few quarters, particularly if normal Suez Canal transits resume.
Read more at Drewry
Joby Flies Its Hybrid Turbine Electric Demonstrator Aircraft
Joby Aviation Inc. announced the first flight of its turbine electric, autonomous VTOL aircraft. The demonstrator builds on Joby’s fully electric air taxi platform and integrates a hybrid turbine powertrain along with the company’s SuperPilot autonomy stack to deliver greater range and payload capability. Potential applications for Joby’s hybrid aircraft include longer range air taxi services as well as sales to civilian, commercial, and defense customers.
The start of flight testing comes just three months after Joby announced the aircraft concept alongside a new partnership with L3Harris Technologies, who bring proven expertise on platform missionization, including sensors, effectors, communication, and collaborative autonomy. L3Harris plans to equip Joby’s commercial hybrid aircraft to address defense applications, such as contested logistics, loyal wingman operations, and low-altitude support. The U.S. government has prioritized the acquisition of resilient, autonomous and hybrid aircraft, requesting over $9 billion in the FY26 budget for next-generation platforms.
Read more at Aerospace Manfuacturing
The ‘Rolls-Royce Of Turkey’ Is Coming To America
After two decades of breeding what the Times of London once called the “Rolls-Royce of turkey,” Paul Kelly wanted to learn from experts with generations of knowledge in America, where turkey farming originated. But once the Briton arrived in 2003, and after spending several weeks visiting turkey farms across Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, Kelly was “amazed” to find no farmer or butchery maintained the American traditions, including dry-plucking and hanging, that have set the Essex, England-based KellyBronze apart.
Then again, when a frozen American Butterball costs about a $1 a pound and you’re asking customers to pay around $15 a pound—or nearly $500 for a 32-lb. turkey—high quality has to come with more than a high price. Kelly, 62, is now the owner of the only USDA-approved turkey plant in the U.S. that dry-plucks and hangs its birds, which many believe creates crispier skin and better flavor. KellyBronze, which sells its turkeys at Eataly and other high-end retailers across America, had 2024 revenue of $28 million. About 4% of that comes from the U.S., but Kelly expects that to be 25% within three years as he increases production in Virginia—and he is aiming for annual revenue will hit $80 million by 2028.
Read more at Forbes
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