In Pictures: Top Aerospace & Defense Stories, Mar.14 2023

Credit: Amazon. As a pair of prototypes for its Kuiper satellite constellation head to Florida for launch preparations, Amazon on March 14 unveiled a trio of customer terminals to support the network’s global broadband communications, including a 1-lb. device that is about the size of a Kindle e-reader. 

Credit: UPS. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has issued UPS a temporary license to test electric aircraft for cargo operations.

Credit: Lockheed Martin. U.S. government officials have lifted a 90-day ban on Lockheed Martin F-35 deliveries a week after contractor flight operations resumed in Fort Worth, the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) said March 14. 

Credit: Bell. The U.S. Army wants $1.5 billion for its Future Vertical Lift programs, targeting first competitive flight for the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) in 2024 and continuing analysis for how many Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) will be fielded.

Credit: U.S. Navy. The U.S. Navy wants to end the Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton buy at 22, far short of the program of record as it looks to procure other uncrewed systems.

Credit: Naval Air Systems Command. Norway has decided to purchase Sikorsky’s MH-60R helicopter as a replacement for the NHIndustries NH90s that Oslo permanently grounded last summer.

Credit: Vertical Aerospace. UK startup Vertical Aerospace has opened its Vertical Energy Center (VEC) aerospace battery facility in Bristol, England, supported by £14 million ($17 million) in funding from the UK government via the Aerospace Research Institute.

Credit: Beta Technologies. Citing customer demand, U.S. startup Beta Technologies plans to certify a conventional-takeoff-and-landing version of its Alia-250 electric aircraft before it certifies the original vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft.

Credit: Kim Minseok. South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced March 13 that it has exercised its option to acquire 20 Lockheed Martin F-35As under the F-X Batch 2 program.

Credit: Aalyria. Aalyria, a company previously spun off from Google X, is demonstrating the use of its Spacetime product, which CEO and founder Chris Taylor calls a “digital cartilage that allows everyone to make use of every amazing discovery” that the satellite industry has made.