In Pictures: Top Aerospace & Defense Stories, Mar 16, 2022

March 17, 2022

New Jersey Seeks Building Proposals For Airport Land

Credit: Atlantic County Economic Alliance


New Jersey authorities are seeking proposals from companies interested in developing a 400-acre parcel at Atlantic City International Airport (ACY) for aviation facilities. The South Jersey Transportation Authority (SJTA), which owns and operates ACY, has issued a request for proposals (RFP) from developers to finance, design, build and operate airside and landside facilities on the parcel, located in the airport’s northwest quadrant, framed by Runways 13 and 22. Electronic proposals are due by May 11 at 2 p.m. EDT.

Boeing Invests In Australian Satellite Industry Ahead Of JP9102 Selection

Credit: Getty Images/Johan63


Boeing is investing a total of A$5 million ($3.6 million) into seven Australian suppliers to support its manufacturing plans for Australia’s military satcom project JP9102, which the OEM is bidding to develop. Cablex, Crystalaid, Ferra, Levett, Lovitt, Nupress and Quickstep Holdings all inked memorandums of agreement with Boeing ahead of the JP9102 down selection.

Archer Progresses Design Of Production eVTOL Air Taxi

Credit: Archer Aviation


Archer Aviation has conducted wind tunnel tests of the propulsion units for its electric vertical takeoff and landing air taxi as it progresses toward the preliminary design review for its production aircraft. Archer’s design uses 12 propulsion units mounted in pairs on underwing booms—six aft lift propellers for vertical flight and six forward-tilting propellers for lift in vertical flight and thrust in forward flight.

Hydrogen Propulsion Pioneers UH2, H3 Join Forces

Credit: H3 Dynamics


Universal Hydrogen (UH2) and fuel-cell powertrain developer H3 Dynamics have partnered to develop zero-emission propulsion systems for unmanned aircraft, air taxis and new-design regional aircraft. UH2 will provide green hydrogen fuel logistics using its modular capsule technology while H3 will supply fuel-cell powertrains. The collaboration will focus initially on unmanned air vehicles from small drones to large cargo aircraft.

North Korea’s 10th Missile Test Of 2022 Ends In Failure

Credit: STR/AFP/Getty Images


North Korea conducted its 10th missile test on the morning of March 16, although the mission ended in failure shortly after launch.The test comes as the U.S. military conducts drills on the Yellow Sea, west of the Korean peninsula. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) announced that North Korea fired a ballistic missile from Sunan International Airport near Pyongyang at 9:30 a.m local time which exploded at an altitude of less than 20 km (12 mi.).

Collins To Provide Cargo System For Natilus Unmanned Freighter

Credit: Natilus


Collins Aerospace is to develop a specialized cargo loading system for the N3.8T large unmanned cargo aircraft under development by Natilus. The U.S. startup has begun construction of the tails for prototype N3.8T, aiming for first flight in 2023.

U.S. Approves Spain For Potential MH-60R Acquisition

Credit: Damon Coulter / Alamy Stock Photo


The U.S. State Department has approved a potential sale to Spain of Sikorsky MH-60R anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare helicopters. Madrid requested the acquisition of eight MH-60Rs, engines, sensors, sonars as well as a package of weapons including Hellfire missiles and the Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System (APKWS) guidance system for unguided rockets. The whole package is worth an estimated $950 million.

Satellite Imagery Confirms Ukrainian Counterattacks On Russian-Occupied Airfield

Credit: Planet


Satellite imagery appears to confirm that a Ukrainian attack on an airfield previously captured by Russian forces resulted in the destruction of several Russian helicopters. Planet imagery of Kherson airbase, captured on March 15, shows several helicopters destroyed and more on fire after apparent attacks by Ukrainian forces.

NATO To Strengthen Eastern Front Defenses, Alliance Chief Says

Credit: NATO


NATO will further beef up defenses on its Eastern front, with “substantial increases” in troop numbers, air power and air and missile defenses planned in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the alliance’s chief says. NATO’s military commanders have been charged with developing a new defensive posture in Eastern Europe, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told journalists after concluding a meeting of the alliance’s defense ministers in Brussels on March 16.

Commercial Space Situational Awareness Market Expected To Grow

Credit: U.S. Army


Driven by exponential growth in the number of proposed satellites in low Earth orbit and beyond this decade, investors and entrepreneurs are eyeing commercial-oriented space situational awareness (SSA) as a growth sector worthy of new investments, entrants and partnerships.

U.S. Increases Military Aid For Ukraine, Including Armed Drones

Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images


The U.S. is dramatically ramping up its military assistance to Ukraine after the country’s president made an emotional appeal to Congress, with the new package including unmanned aircraft for the first time and increased discussions with allies to send Russian-made air defense systems.

U.S. Charter Carrier GlobalX Backs Eve’s UAM

Credit: Eve UAM


Embraer’s urban air mobility company Eve UAM has added U.S. charter carrier Global Crossing airlines Group (GlobalX) to its conditional orderbook as it prepares to go public through a merger with blank check company Zanite Acquisition. Building up a reservoir of letters of intent (LoI) from potential customers is an established part of the playbook for advanced air mobility (AAM) startups planning to go public through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC).

Flight Instructor Killed In M346 Crash

Leonardo

M346

JWST Mirror Aligned ‘As Finely As Laws Of Physics Allow’

Credit: NASA/STSci


The 18 segments of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) primary mirror are now fully aligned, working as a single, 21-ft.-dia. mirror, exactly as designed. Following coarse and fine phasing to align the segments, the observatory relayed images of a target star, which when stacked together revealed a sharp, single point of light—as well as some very enticing distant galaxies that could be future science fodder.

Program Dossier: IAI Heron

Credit: U.S. Air Force


The Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Heron is a Group 5 UAS powered by a single Rotax 914 4-cylinder piston engine supplying 115 hp (86 kW) of power to the propeller.

From New Jersey seeking building proposals for airport land to Boeing invests in Australian satellite industry ahead of JP9102 selection. Take a look at these and more in our daily roundup of aerospace & defense news. 

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