Liftoff, which occurred at 12:05 p.m. EDT (1:05 a.m. Sept. 25 local time), came two weeks after a fire on the rocket’s moveable launcher nixed a previous launch attempt on Sept. 10.
The identity of the 360 Invictus within Bell’s product portfolio wasn’t immediately clear, but the registration appears as Bell develops a new rotorcraft to offer the U.S. Army for the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) competitive prototyping program.
An instrumented, Airbus-operated H225M twin-engined helicopter has completed 51 dry contacts in daylight with the A400M during flight tests over the south of France.
SEOUL—The South Korean defense ministry said it will develop a laser weapon for destroying small drones. The system will be able to destroy drones of 10–20 kg (20–40 lb.) weight at a range of several kilometers (more than 1 mi.), an industry source said. Hanwha will make the prototype, the ministry said, adding that its own Agency for Defense Development (ADD) would lead work on the system, the Laser Air Defense Weapon Block 1.
Technologies that provide threat warning for satellites, and image objects in low-earth orbit from the ground have been given a share of funding by the UK defense ministry.
Pratt & Whitney has launched a new family of small military jet engines to meet an emerging demand for inexpensive turbofans to power expendable unmanned aircraft systems and long-range cruise missiles.
Taiwan’s Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. (AIDC) rolled out the prototype Advanced Jet Trainer on Sept. 24, preparing to fly the aircraft next year.
The Pentagon has awarded a $352.6 million contract modification to Lockheed Martin for Generation 3 helmet-mounted displays as part of F-35 low-rate initial production Lots 12-14.
In August, the U.S. Army selected Kord to lead its directed energy initiative, including developing a 50-kW-class laser weapon for Stryker combat vehicles.
NORTHROP GRUMMAN has $1.12b U.S. Missile Defense Agency contract for threat-representative subscale targets feat. simple and complex re-entry vehicles.
Kratos Unmanned Systems Division, Sacramento, California, has been awarded a $35,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for Air Force Subscale Aerial Target peculiar spares.
Leonardo has said certification of its AW609 commercial tiltrotor is likely to slide into 2020, but the company is sticking to its plan to deliver the first aircraft by the end of next year.
The F-35 program will double over the next few years--a fact the Pentagon must consider before entering a performance-based logistics contract, U.S. Air Force acquisition chief Will Roper tells Aerospace DAILY.
The large number of Asia-Pacific prospects, plus others elsewhere, raises the likelihood that one contract or another will come up before Bell finishes making long-lead parts for AH-1Zs under current contracts, probably around 2021.
