The U.K. Royal Navy has moved a step closer to establishing a maritime unmanned air system capability following successful trials in conjunction with helicopter manufacturer AgustaWestland.
Airbus has pulled out of a second Japanese military aircraft competition, saying it could barely compete for the naval UH-X helicopter order under terms that emphasized local production.
The biggest hurdle to the U.S. Air Force declaring initial operational capability for the F-35A in August 2016 as planned is work left to be done on the Autonomic Logistics Information System.
Researchers are starting to notice differences in the metabolisms of identical-twin astronauts Scott and Mark Kelly, halfway through Scott Kelly’s yearlong tour on the International Space Station.
In addition to the SpaceX-funded first flight and a mission for the U.S. Air Force, the Falcon Heavy is slated to launch a satellite for London-based fleet operator Inmarsat and another for ViaSat of Carlsbad, California.
Kuwait’s decision to become the eighth customer for the Eurofighter Typhoon is an indicator that the program has a healthy future, according to consortium CEO Alberto Gutierrez.
The U.S. Army has issued a stop-work order on the Common Infrared Countermeasure (Circm) program after BAE Systems protested the awarding of the laser missile jammer to Northrop Grumman.
International Launch Services says it will lift a commercial communications satellite to orbit for Spanish fleet operator Hispasat on a Proton rocket in 2017.
The retirement age of the U.K.’s AgustaWestland EH101 Merlin and Airbus Helicopters Puma Mk2 transport helicopter fleets could be harmonized and pushed out to 2030-35, senior officers say.
Scientists expect to develop techniques for assessing the magnetic interactions between stars and their planets as a new factor in determining the habitability of extra solar worlds.
BOEING has AUS$665.7m ($474m) contract to provide next-generation Land 2072 Phase 2B comms system for land-based Australian Defense Forces (ADF) deployed around the world. NORTHROP GRUMMAN increased production rate for F-35 Lightning II center fuselages; will be able to produce one in about 1o months, a month-and-a-half reduction.
Unmanned aircraft advocates are warning that without finalized federal rules for UAVs, state and local governments are rushing to fill the gap. That includes the stillborn California’s Senate Bill 142, which would have restricted UAVs from flying below 350 ft. over someone else’s private property. And that would be inconsistent with federal law, which says that only the FAA and the federal government can regulate airspace, says Brian Wynne, president and CEO of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International.
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Donna Thomas at [email protected]. (Bold type indicates new calendar listing.) Sept. 14—SpeedNews 3rd Annual European Aerospace Raw Materials & Manufacturers Supply Chain Conference, Hotel Palladia, Toulouse, France. For more information go to www.speednews.com
Members of the nine-nation F-35 team are nearing decisions on how to introduce new capabilities to the forthcoming Block 4 configuration of the aircraft, with the retrofit of a new electro-optical and infrared system high on that list.
Commercial launch consortium Arianespace successfully delivered the European Commission’s 9th and 10th Galileo positioning, navigation and timing satellites to orbit Sept.
Phil Slack, who has served as ILS president since 2012, will be replaced by Kirk Pysher, who previously worked as the company’s vice president of mission assurance and product development.
Airbus Defense and Space and Thales Alenia Space have signed contracts with French space agency CNES to study a future space-based civil and military Earth observation system.
The U.K. is rapidly building up confidence and capability on its new A400M airlifter, but its introduction is creating some unexpected headaches, test and evaluation officials say.
The denial emerged after Airbus executive Steve Whitby briefed journalists here Sept. 9, saying that the company was in final negotiations for a contract with the U.K. defense ministry.
