In Pictures: Top Aerospace & Defense Stories, May. 11 2023

Credit: Paramount Industries Greece/Hellenic Defense Systems..

Greek industry is to develop a long-range loitering munition in conjunction with South Africa’s Paramount Industries.

Credit: Tony Osborne/Aviation Week.

Turkish industry appears to be advancing efforts to integrate indigenously developed weaponry on the Sukhoi Su-25 ground attack aircraft used by the Azerbajiani Air Force.

Credit: Heart Aerospace.

Swedish aircraft lessor and investment company Rockton has firmed up a letter of intent (LoI) for 40 hybrid-electric ES-30 aircraft from Heart Aerospace, part of an effort to transition its regional aircraft leasing business from conventional aircraft to advanced air mobility (AAM).

Credit: MBDA.

The UK has supplied long-range air-launched cruise missiles to Ukraine to allow Kyiv to answer Russia’s continued use of one-way attack drones and missiles against civilian targets.

Credit: AUVSI.

Departing FAA Acting Administrator Billy Nolen says the agency expects to issue its first airworthiness certificate for an electric- vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) aircraft by the third quarter of 2024.

Credit: RapidFlight.

U.S. startup RapidFlight has emerged from stealth mode to launch the M2, a Group 3 uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) that is 3D-printed to enable rapid tailoring to different customers’ requirements.

Credit: Piaggio Aerospace.

The bidding process for Italian aircraft manufacturer Piaggio Aerospace has been reopened by the Italian government after it failed to secure a new owner for the business.

Credit: Xwing.

Xwing has won a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research contract with the U.S. Air Force’s AFwerx Prime program to test its Superpilot autonomous flight system in cargo mission trials.

Credit: KAI.

Poland’s planned fleet of Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) FA-50PL light combat aircraft are to be equipped with Raytheon’s PhantomStrike active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar.