In Pictures: Top Aerospace & Defense Stories, Jun. 02, 2022

Japan Flies First H215 With SAF

Japan has conducted a helicopter flight powered by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a first in the country. An Airbus H215 operated by Nakanihon Air (NNK) flew on June 1 for 30 min. at Nagoya Airport in Aichi Prefecture. The 600 liters of SAF was supplied by Euglena, Japan’s first biofuel manufacturer. Credit: Airbus Helicopters

NASA To Buy Five More SpaceX Crew Dragon Missions To ISS

NASA plans to add five more Crew Dragon missions to SpaceX’s Commercial Crew flight services contract on a sole-source basis, as the agency continues to work with Boeing to certify a second transportation system to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS). SpaceX is in the midst of its fourth mission under its Commercial Crew Transportation Capabilities (CCtCap) contract. Credit: Kim Shiflett/NASA

ISS-Bound Science Cargo To Focus On Deep Space, Protecting Earth

NASA has lined up some forward-looking research for its next resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS). It includes an assessment of how the surface soils of the Moon and Mars might be fashioned into concrete-like building materials, and a lengthy study of the mineral composition of the Earth’s dust and how that affects global air quality, weather, climate and vegetation. Credit: NASA

Space Force’s GMTI Force Design Plan To Finish This Month

The U.S. Space Force this month will finalize its force design for how it will move the ground moving target indication (GMTI) mission from aircraft to space, with the plan to shape the 2024 budget request. The U.S. Air Force wants to retire its E-8C Joint Stars that currently serve in this role, with much of the capability to come from satellites. Credit: USAF

Sukhoi, MiG Formally Merge With UAC

Sukhoi and MiG have formally merged with parent company United Aircraft Corp. (UAC), with both legacy Soviet fighter manufacturers having ceased to exist as separate entities as of June 1. “Strong and worldwide-known Sukhoi and MiG brands will last in the assembled aircraft, while their reputable design schools will continue to evolve,” said Sergey Chemezov, CEO of Rostec, UAC’s parent company. Credit: Vitaly V. Kuzmin

Ursa Major Offering New Arroway Rocket Engine

Startup propulsion company Ursa Major announced June 2 that it is offering a 200,000 lb. thrust liquid oxygen and methane staged-combustion rocket engine called Arroway. The company expects to sell the engine to companies providing launches to the U.S. national security community, commercial satellite markets, orbital space stations and other future missions. Credit: Ursa Major

Inmarsat Unveils Major Upgrade Of Ka-Band Network

Satellite communications (satcom) provider Inmarsat says it will upgrade its Jet ConneX (JX) service for business aviation to vastly increase inflight download speeds. During the EBACE conference in Geneva in late May, Inmarsat unveiled JX Evolution, an upgrade of its existing JX Ka-band service used on 1,150 business aircraft. Initial testing has demonstrated data speeds to the aircraft in excess of 130 Mbps based on five current satellites, the company said. Credit: Inmarsat

Thales To Supply 13 GM403 Radars To Indonesia

Thales and Indonesia state-run defense company PT Len have signed an agreement to acquire 13 GM403 air defense radars for the country’s military. Under the agreement, Thales will assemble the radar and related command and control systems while PT Lens will manufacture selected radar components and construct the radar stations across the archipelago. Credit: Thales

South Korea Upgrading More Patriots To PAC-3s

South Korea’s Defense Project Promotion Committee has OK’d spending KRW750 billion ($605 million) to upgrade the country’s MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missiles from the PAC-2 to the PAC-3 standard. The move will further bolster the republic’s defense against potential North Korean ballistic missile attacks, even as the reclusive country continues a series of tests while grappling with a COVID-19 outbreak. Credit: Raytheon

Denmark OKs Referendum Favoring Closer EU Defense Alignment

Voters in Denmark have approved a referendum in favor of closer defense cooperation with the European Union. A 66.9% majority of voters were in favor of ending Denmark’s long-standing opt out over EU defense cooperation. The move will now see the country join with the EU’s defense policy and military missions. Credit: EU

Canada’s F-35 Contract Signing, Delivery Dates May Slip

A Canadian procurement official on June 2 restated the government’s commitment to finalizing a contract by year’s end to buy 88 F-35As, but an industry executive raised new doubts that the goal could be achieved. A final contract is still expected to be signed by year’s end, with the first aircraft deliveries to follow in 2025, says Filomena Tassi, the minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada, speaking at the CANSEC trade show here. Credit: Lockheed Martin

From Japan flies first H215 with SAF to NASA to buy five more SpaceX Crew Dragon missions to ISS. Take a look at these and more in our daily roundup of aerospace & defense news.

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