Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

Boeing and the U.S. Air Force recently demonstrated that the stealthy F-22 Raptor can securely communicate with the F-15C and other legacy aircraft in real-time over an advanced networking pod.

AeroVironment has delivered the first 20 Snipe Nano Quad miniature unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to a U.S. government customer.

Rolls-Royce and Turkish engineering firm Kale Group are to establish a joint venture which will initially develop an engine for Turkey’s indigenous fighter, the TF-X.

A Rapid Capability Office set up by the U.K. Royal Air Force (RAF) is to work with Leonardo to further develop its BriteCloud expendable decoy system.

Swift Engineering has completed autonomous marine flight tests on its Swift020 vertical-takeoff-and-landing small unmanned aircraft system (UAS).

Lockheed Martin’s Procerus Technologies has introduced an all-weather, military-grade Indago 3 version of its commercial small unmanned aircraft system (UAS).

Airbus has carried out its first aerial refueling contacts using an automated system, a test which could pave the way for automatic refueling of receiver aircraft.

Inmarsat has launched a satellite communications service for unmanned aircraft using a small terminal developed by Cobham Satcom.

Turkey’s Aselsan has begun development of an indigenous active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar likely to become the primary sensor of the country’s future fighter.

Turkey’s Tubitak Sage research institute has unveiled a family of air-to-air missiles which could go onto equip the country’s future indigenous fighter, the TF-X.

To list an event, send information in calendar format to Donna Thomas at [email protected]. For a complete list of Aviation Week Network’s upcoming events, and to register, visit www.aviationweek.com/events (Bold type indicates new calendar listing.) May 8—AUVSI Exponential, Kay Baily Hutchison Convention Center, Dallas, Texas. For more information go to http://www.xponential.org/xponential2017/public/enter.aspx

AIRBUS has French defense procurement agency contract for preparatory studies and definition work for future ground segment of the Syracuse IV satellite-based military telecommunications system, construction of which is scheduled to begin in 2018. BOEING added sixth KC-46 tanker aircraft to the test program, the second low-rate initial production aircraft, which completed first flight April 29.

Republicans are ramping up pressure on President Trump to keep his commitment to lift spending caps pertaining to defense that are back in place in 2018. Rep. Michael Turner (R-Ohio) drafted a letter pointing out Trump’s campaign commitment and White House commitment to lift the limitations. “Now is the time for Congress to take immediate action to repeal defense sequestration,” Turner writes in a letter signed by more than half of Republicans in the House.

Aerojet Rocketdyne’s proposed replacement for the Russian-build RD-180 rocket engine, the liquid-fueled AR1, has completed its critical design review.

Technologies, capabilities and knowledge increasingly appear to be coming together in ways that experts believe could address the question of whether life emerged elsewhere than on Earth.

The James Webb Space Telescope’s long $8.8 billion journey from concept to deep space achieved a weekend milestone.

Europe’s proposed regulations on operating UAVs go beyond the FAA’s Part 107 rule.

The U.S. Air Force’s Boeing-built X-37B reusable spaceplane has touched down in Florida after spending 718 days in space.

Kratos Defense & Security has settled on names for its two prized combat UAVs, dubbing them “Mako” and “Valkyrie.”

Rotorcraft operator CHC Helicopter is now providing all three of Australia’s armed services with search-and-rescue coverage.

After several delays, India is finally expected to conduct the first flight test of the BrahMos-A, the air-launched version of the Indo-Russian supersonic missile, in June.

Embattled aerospace supplier Triumph Group has struck a deal with creditors that could lead to insolvency for its Vought Aircraft unit, whose roots date to the dawn of powered aviation.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Air Force announced May 6 that it will send the F-35A to the Paris Air Show, less than two weeks after a service spokeswoman and the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) told Aviation Week and other news outlets that the fifth-generation aircraft would skip the event.

The rocket engine battle between the 500,000-lb.-thrust class Aerojet Rocketdyne AR1 and Blue Origin BE-4 is heating up.

BOEING has $541.1m U.S. Army contract for production lot 15 CH-47F cargo renew and new build helicopters through Dec. 31, 2020. U.S. MARINE CORPS MV-22 Ospreys complete first-ever trans-Pacific flight, touching down in Australia as part of Marine Rotational Force – Darwin (MRF-D) on May 2.