In Pictures: Top Aerospace & Defense Stories, Apr. 11, 2022

April 11, 2022

AFRL Responsive Space Aerospike Flight Tests On Track For 2023

Two prototype vehicles powered by aerospike rocket engines are on track to flight test the propulsion technology for the first time in 2023 under a U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) project targeting rapid launch capability using modular engine architectures. The two demonstrators, one built by California-based ABL Space Systems and the other by Texas-based Invocon, are being developed under AFRL’s Aerospike Rocket Integration and Sub-orbital Experiment (ARISE) program. Credit: ABL Space Systems

Wing Launches Drone Delivery Service In Dallas-Fort Worth

Wing will launch the first commercial drone delivery services in a major U.S. metropolitan area on April 7 in Dallas-Forth Worth. Two different operations are being launched in Dallas in cooperation with the Frisco Station development and pharmacy company Walgreens. Credit: Wing

South Korea Earmarks Funds For Transport Aircraft, Missiles

South Korea will be setting aside KRW2.3 trillion ($1.9 billion) for a series of procurement and missile programs, including a requirement for large transport aircraft for the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF). Worth KRW710 billion, the Large Transport Aircraft Program-II calls for the acquisition of transport aircraft from foreign suppliers for peacetime and wartime use. Credit: Chen Chuanren

UK RCO Makes Further Investments In Aeralis, Tests Hybrid UAV

The UK Royal Air Force’s (RAF) Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO) has made additional investments in modular jet trainer development startup Aeralis. The latest round of RCO investment, announced April 11, triggers the second phase of the RCO’s work with Aeralis to look at how the UK defense ministry’s Pyramid open mission system architecture could be exploited by the company as part of its development of modular aircraft. Credit: aeralis.com

Lithium-Sulfur Crystal Battery Startup Targets eVTOL

German startup Theion is targeting electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft as an early market for solid-state, lithium-sulfur batteries that promise three times the energy density of conventional lithium-ion cells. Backed by entrepreneur Lukasz Gadowski’s Team Global, Berlin-based Theion plans to deliver its first prototype cells by the end of 2022 to customers in the satellite industry. Second-generation prototypes are expected to be delivered to eVTOL customers at the end of 2024. Gadowski has also invested $100 million in Chinese eVTOL air taxi developer Autoflight. Credit: Theion

General Aviation Boom Boosts Pilatus Results

Swiss aircraft manufacturer Pilatus claimed its highest-ever revenues in 2021 but the company warns that it is now facing supply chain bottlenecks. Pilatus reported deliveries of 152 aircraft during 2021, sales of 1.3 billion Swiss francs ($1.4 billion) and orders worth 1.7 billion Swiss francs, according to its annual results, announced April 11. Credit: Pilatus Aircraft

Serbia Wants Turkish UAVs, Receives Chinese Air Defense System

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has said he wants to boost the country’s armed uncrewed aircraft system capability by adding Turkish platforms to the Chinese UAS already in service. In speech after observing military exercises on April 9, Vucic said he had spoken to Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the procurement of Bayraktar TB2 UAS, but did not say how many might be acquired. Credit: Birol Bebek/AFP/Getty Images

DIU Seeks On-Orbit Satellite Refueling, Bulk Fuel Depot Ideas

The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) has released a request for information seeking commercial on-orbit satellite refueling and bulk fuel depot ideas as part of its “RAPIDS Refueling and Fuel Depot” project. The Defense Department wants a commercial provider that has a nondevelopmental in-space refueling capability, the DIU says in a recently issued request for information. Credit: Orbit Fab

Vertiport Projects Unveiled For eVTOL Aircraft

Vertiports designed for future electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft are beginning to pop up around the U.S. On April 11, real estate development firm DIFCO, of Davenport, Iowa, said it had started construction of the first aeromedical eVTOL vertiport in the U.S., in partnership with airspace and heliport design firm Hughes Aerospace and consultancy Five-Alpha. Credit: Volatus Infrastructure

The Weekly Debrief: Why The First Operational B-21 May Cost $1.6 Billion

A decade ago, the U.S. Air Force attempted to mitigate the effect on the Northrop Grumman B-21 program, but may have created unrealistic expectations in the process. Most weapon systems are launched with a cost goal, but the B-21 entered development with a certain price tag set as a government-imposed requirement. Credit: Northrop Grumman

Russia Delays Luna-25 Launch To Aug. 22

Russia’s first Moon mission in 46 years has been retargeted to launch on Aug. 22, about a month later than previously planned, Alexander Mitkin, deputy chief designer at spacecraft manufacturer NPO Lavochkin, told Russian media during an April 8 press conference. The robotic Luna-25 lander is currently undergoing electrical and radio technical tests at NPO Lavochkin, Mitkin said.

From prototype vehicles powered by aerospike rocket engines, to the first commercial drone delivery services being launched. Take a look at these and more in our daily roundup of aerospace & defense news. 

These are some of the top stories from AWIN. Subscribe now for unrivalled, intelligent content, trustworthy data, exclusive analytics and meaningful insight. AWIN Premium is the only online resource that spans the commercial, military, business aviation and MRO market sectors.

With a focus on the programs and technologies shaping the market, as well as the most robust databases in the industry, AWIN Premium simplifies locating new business opportunities so you can generate new revenue.

AWIN Premium Membership includes Aviation Daily, Aerospace Daily & Defense Report, and The Weekly of Business Aviation, and digital access to Aviation Week & Space Technology, Inside MRO, Air Transport World (ATW), and Business & Commercial Aviation (BCA). 

Aviation Week Intelligence Network
Monitor the market and connect your business to the people, programs and proprietary data driving the Aerospace & Defense market - only available with AWIN.

ASD_AWIN_thumbnail_270

Stay Connected.
Stay Informed
Grow Your Business.

Learn How