Aerospace & Defense Roundup: August 16

Commercial Orbit Services Provider Redwire To Go Public Via SPAC

Credit: Redwire

Redwire, a private equity-created new-space rollup company, will become a publicly traded company on Sept. 1 in a reverse merger with special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Genesis Park.

Read the full article

Red 6 Wins $70M USAF Combat Training Deal

Credit: P. Wallick/ClassicStock/Getty Images

Synthetic air-combat training startup Red 6 is to begin full integration of its Airborne Tactical Augmented Reality System (ATARS) into a Northrop T-38 under a $70 million Phase 3 small-business innovation research (SBIR) contract from the U.S. Air Force.

Read the full article

Honeywell Nears Satcom System Certifications

Credit: Honeywell Aerospace

Honeywell said its Aspire 150 and 350 satellite communications (satcom) systems designed to use Iridium’s new Certus high-speed L-band service should be certified this year.

Read the full article

Cobham, Ultra Electronics Finalize $3.6B Takeover Proposal

Credit: DOD

Privately held British defense company Cobham and UK defense electronics specialist Ultra Electronics said Aug. 16 that they had reached an agreement for Cobham to buy Ultra for almost £2.6 billion ($3.6 billion).

Read the full article

Startups Launch EVTOL Projects In Hong Kong, India

Credit: Seaplane Hong Kong

While the list of startups pursuing the urban air mobility market continues to lengthen, projects outside North America and Europe are still relatively uncommon. 

Read the full article

The Weekly Debrief: Delayed Tests Bend But Don’t Break LRHW Fielding Schedule

Credit: Steve Trimble/AW&ST

A key test for the U.S. Army’s Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) has been postponed for several months, adding a new wrinkle to the tightly choreographed plan to introduce the land-based missile in fiscal 2023, program officials say. 

Read the full article

Boeing Completes Milestone Flight Test For Japan's First KC-46A

Credit: Boeing

A Japanese KC-46A has completed an inflight refueling test, paving the way for Boeing to deliver the first tanker later this year, the company said on Aug. 16. 

Read the full article

Rocket Lab To Orbit Aurora’s Deorbiting Demonstration

Credit: Aurora Propulsion Technologies

Rocket Lab is to launch a cubesat to test water-based propulsion and plasma braking for maneuvering and deorbiting satellites.

Read the full article

UK’s Future Flight Challenge Enters Critical Final Phase

Credit: UK Research and Innovation

As it prepares to launch its third and final phase, the UK’s Future Flight Challenge has unveiled its vision for air travel in 2030 and ambitious targets for real-world demonstrations to be completed in 2024.

Read the full article