In Pictures: Top Aerospace & Defense Stories, Apr. 07, 2022

April 07, 2022

Japan Coast Guard To Fly SeaGuardian From October

The Japan Coast Guard (JCG) has confirmed that it will commence operation of the General Atomics-Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) MQ-9B SeaGuardian unmanned aircraft system (UAS) from October 2022. The SeaGuardian will operate from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Hachinohe Air Base in the northeast of Japan’s main island of Honshu. Credit: GA-ASI

Germany Procures Weapons To Arm UAS

After years of wrangling and political discussion, Germany’s parliament has moved ahead with the procurement of weapons to arm its leased fleet of Heron TP uncrewed air systems (UAS). German lawmakers approved on April 6 a €150 million ($164 million) spend on undisclosed precision-guided munitions for the Israeli-developed medium-altitude, long-endurance UAS, as well as training and equipment. Credit: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty Images

NASA Low-Boom X-59 Heads Toward Final Integration

NASA’s X-59 QueSST low-boom flight demonstrator is being transported back to Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works in Palmdale, California, from its Fort Worth plant after completing structural tests. Credit: NASA
NATO flag

NATO Picks Sites For DIANA Technology Development Network

Credit: NATO
NATO flag

U.S. Commerce Boosting Space Industry Promotion Overseas

Credit: U.S. government

White House

AlixPartners Bolsters Pentagon Expertise With Cypress Tie-up

Major European consulting firm AlixPartners has struck a strategic deal with Cypress International, a Washington, D.C.-based boutique adviser, as AlixPartners looks to increase U.S. federal and military-related council. Terms of the deal were not provided in the April 6 announcement. Credit: Alix Partners

Archer Partners With Hexcel On eVTOL Composites

Hexcel has signed a letter of intent with Archer Aviation to provide high-performance carbon fiber materials for the electric vertical takeoff and landing startup’s production air taxi. The proposed relationship covers the supply of prepreg materials needed to manufacture composite parts. Credit: Hexcel

Long-lead Contract Awarded For 1st Production B-21 Aircraft

The U.S. Air Force has ordered long-lead parts to start the production phase of the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider program. The $108 million contract awarded to Northrop Grumman on April 6 for advance procurement of Lot 1 of low-rate initial production is a down payment. Credit: Northrop Grumman

Europe Invests $17M In AAM, Electric Manufacturing Startup

The European Investment Bank on April 6 unveiled roughly $17.4 million in financing for Dutch company Airborne International. The new funds will go toward developing automated and digital manufacturing of composites and other products for “new space and big science” applications, especially with a sustainability pitch. Credit: European Investment Bank

Lift Aircraft Awarded USAF Contract For More eVTOL Test Flights

Lift Aircraft has been awarded a Phase 3 contract by the U.S. Air Force’s Agility Prime program to continue experimentation and flight tests of its single-seat HEXA electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The startup has been flight testing its 18-rotor eVTOL aircraft with support from an Air Force Phase 2 Small Business Innovation Research contract since 2020. Credit: Lift Aircraft

Airbus, Northrop Grumman Propose ‘Hybrid Solution’ For NATO AFSC

Credit: Val Gempis

E-3 Sentry

Piasecki Advances Hydrogen-Electric Helicopter Demonstrator Plan

Piasecki is planning to fly an 80-kW fuel-cell powertrain in an off-the-shelf commercial helicopter as a key demonstration step toward development of its PA-890 hydrogen-electric light helicopter. Rotorcraft developer Piasecki has partnered with aviation fuel-cell startup HyPoint to develop the propulsion system for the PA-890, a five-seat slowed rotor winged compound helicopter. Design goals include a 200-nm range with zero carbon emissions, reduced noise signature and a 50% reduction in direct operating costs compared with a conventional light turbine helicopter. Credit: Piasecki

NATO Allies OK DIANA Advanced Technology Development Network

NATO foreign ministers have approved the launch of the alliance’s DIANA network for advanced technology development. Alliance minsters approved the charter for the formation of DIANA–Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic–during an April 7 meeting in Brussels. Photo: Jens Stoltenberg

India’s HAL Signs On To Perform IAI Tanker Conversions

India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has made an agreement with Israel Aerospace Industries to convert passenger aircraft into tankers under the Israeli company’s multi-mission tanker transport (MMTT) program. A memorandum of understanding sees the work being carried out in India and also covers potential commercial passenger-to-freighter conversions. Credit: HAL

U.S. Army Canvasses Industry For Stinger Replacement Options

U.S. Army officials plan to start designing a replacement for the Raytheon Stinger surface-to-air missile next year and begin building an inventory of 10,000 missiles in fiscal 2027. The Maneuver Short Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) Increment 3 program is surveying possible industry sources to supply a new man-portable air defense system, according to a Sources Sought notice released by an Army program office on March 28. Credit: U.S. Army

Spain’s INTA Orders C295 Flying Laboratory

Spain’s National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA) has placed an order with Airbus to purchase a C295 turboprop airlifter to use as an aerial research platform. INTA’s C295 will be delivered by mid-2023. It will be adapted and instrumented for the flight testing of aeronautical equipment and systems as well as atmospheric research, remote sensing and the qualification of new scientific instrumentation, Airbus said in an April 7 statement. Credit: Airbus

Serial Production Gripens Take Flight After Arrival In Brazil

Saab has delivered the first pair of serial production Gripen E fighters into Brazil following their passage across the Atlantic by ship. Two of the aircraft arrived in Brazil on April 1 at the port of Navegantes. On April 6 they were then flown north to the Gripen Flight and Test Center (GFTC) located at Embraer’s Gavião Peixoto facility in Sao Paulo state. Credit: Saab

From Japan coast guard to fly SeaGuardian from October to Germany procuring weapons to arm UAS. Take a look at these and more in our daily roundup of aerospace & defense news.

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