In Pictures: Top Aerospace & Defense Stories, Sep. 19 2023

Credit: CycloTech.

Austria’s CycloTech has begun outdoor flight tests of its CycloRotor propulsion technology demonstrator.

Credit: Republic of China Ministry of Defense.

Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) modernization efforts are driven by the specter of invasion by People’s Liberation Army forces. The need to amass capabilities critical in a ground war scenario has to be balanced against urgent issues affecting aging aircraft fleets.

Credit: XPeng AeroHT.

China’s XPeng AeroHT has inaugurated a ground testing center for its planned drive/fly electric-vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) vehicles in Foshan.

Credit: Lilium.

Spanish aerostructures supplier Aciturri has begun assembly of the first composite fuselage for the Lilium Jet electric-vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

Credit: Australian Defense Forces.

Australia has announced a $969 million (AUD$1.5 billion) plan to acquire a fourth Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) and upgrade all 14 of its Boeing P-8As to bolster maritime surveillance and patrol capabilities.

Credit: Zipline.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has authorized Zipline International to perform beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) flights of its cargo drones.

Credit: Republican Center for Space Communication.

Kazakhstan residents lost satellite TV broadcasting and internet connectivity Sept. 15 after one of the country’s two communication satellites— KazSat-3—went out of service.

Credit: Lockheed Martin.

The U.S. Army now hopes to field its Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) at the end of the calendar year, a slight delay from its previous deadline of the end of the fiscal year, due to another testing setback.