A task force established by the European Aviation Safety Agency has concluded the severity of impacts between large aircraft and popular consumer drones weighing less than 1.5 kg (3.3 lb.) would be low at lower altitudes where such collisions are more likely.
Raytheon will establish a new Final Assembly and Check-Out facility in Meridian, Mississippi, to build the T-100, which is based on Leonardo’s existing M-346 trainer design.
Warm-up drills for Exercise Bersama Lima 16, held in Malaysia Oct. 4-21, provided the first opportunity for Royal Air Force (RAF) Typhoons to be pitched against the Su-30MKMs of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF).
India’s state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and French aerospace giant Safran have formed a joint venture to establish a dedicated helicopter engine support center catering to customers in India.
The next U.S. Air Force fighter will be designed to outmatch so-called sixth-generation warplanes that Moscow and Beijing are already researching for introduction in the 2030s and beyond.
The U.S. Navy has entered into a new three-year contract arrangement with BAE Systems worth up to $600 million that will allow the company to significantly ramp up production of its laser-guided rocket kits.
Dave Vos, head of the Project Wing drone delivery initiative, is leaving Google’s advanced research arm “to pursue other opportunities,” parent company Alphabet confirms.
A Robinson R44 light helicopter modified to electric power has completed initial flights, including hovering and a 5-min. cruise at 400 ft. and speeds up to 80 kt.
Textron AirLand has begun production of its self-funded, light-attack Scorpion jet ahead of a planned first flight of the production-representative version later this year, though the company is still searching for a buyer.
ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE completed major upgrade of all 17 CC-130J Hercules aircraft, with final upgraded aircraft received Oct. 13. RAYTHEON has $255m U.S. Navy contract to complete development of Joint Precision Approach and Landing System (JPALS), including finalizing integration with F-35. AEROJET ROCKETDYNE delivered first set of hardware for Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner commercial crew transport service module propulsion system.
Stratistics Market Research says the global maritime satellite communication market will expand at a compound annual growth rate of 10.1% from 2015 to 2022, or $2.25 billion last year to $4.41 annually in six years. The increasing need for enhanced data communication and extensive use are major market movers. But “low awareness” among users and “huge” infrastructure costs are hampering the market, the group says. “Bridging satellite and cellular communication technology is the opportunity for market growth,” researchers say.
Airbus Helicopters and French naval ship builder DCNS are to partner on the development of an unmanned helicopter to meet an upcoming French navy requirement.
Textron’s Scorpion jet has completed its first weapons exercise, demonstrating the aircraft’s close air support mission capability through the employment of three weapon systems.
