Take China’s 10.1% rise in defense spending and make two adjustments: reduce for the effect of inflation, then increase for the effect of officers now being less able to embezzle the people’s money
The two dominant aircraft manufacturers are sanguine their robust orderbooks are sound; other industry analysts caution that they are being overly ambitious.
C-130 modernization receives congressional scrutiny, Bolden laments lack of cooperation with China on civil space and senator blasts FAA’s cyber security lapses.
ROTORCRAFT Airbus unveiled its H160 rotorcraft, a €1 billion ($1.06 billion) challenger to AgustaWestland’s AW139, which has dominated the medium helicopter market for a decade. Formerly the X4, the H160 incorporates advanced technologies such as a carbon-fiber airframe and distinct composite blades with hockey-shaped tips to lower weight and improve fuel efficiency. Service entry is targeted for 2018 (page 44).
Common modules with digital beam-forming will reduce development expense and timescale, increase capability and flexibility for AESA radars and jammers.
Established satellite service players have largely welcomed Silicon Valley’s sudden interest in the space sector—including some fleet operators who see the potential to collaborate with new LEO networks.
Led by Airbus Defense and Space and Surrey Satellite Technology, the Ku-band Eutelsat Quantum satellite will allow coverage areas to be redefined via software uploads in response to shifting service demand.
Solar-powered round-the-world attempt seeks to inspire enthusiasm for renewable energy and innovation in sustainable technology, but can it have any impact on aviation?
The lack of airline consolidation in Europe is fairly remarkable given that, unlike elsewhere in the world, a large part of the industry is actually up for sale.
Aimed at providing the equivalent of 2% fuel-burn savings in baseline performance, the rolling upgrade effort will also include a series of optional product improvements to push the total potential fuel-burn savings on a per-seat basis to as much as 5% over the current 777-300ER by late 2016.
An uprated engine and other enhancements to the Falcon 9 rocket will give SpaceX the ability to continue lifting commercial satellites to GEO while testing reusability of the launcher’s core stage. But it could require additional efforts to certify the vehicle for government missions.
Truck-stopping laser; Lockheed backs Rocket Lab smallsat booster; quantum radar entangles microwaves and optics; CMCs feel the heat in GE engine tests; Kalashnikov buys into Russian UAV maker, and other unmanned news.
