Boeing is the last of the four competing T-X prime contractors to show its hand, having only released pictures of the nose of its proposed aircraft until now.
The electronics giant has received a $104 million subcontract from Northrop Grumman to develop an open-architecture control system for the high-flying unmanned aircraft that can be updated more easily than its current system.
A new ground-to-ship missile, a technology development program leading to a pilotless fighter demonstrator in the 2030s and maybe Boeing F-15 Eagle upgrades are among programs from the imminent Japanese defense budget request leaked to media.
The global drone payload market will be worth $3.63 billion in 2016 and is projected to reach $7.72 billion by 2021, meaning a compound annual growth rate of 16.25%, according to forecasters ASDReports.com. “A number of factors, such as advancement in sensor technology and increasing focus toward using economical solutions for surveillance, are expected to drive the UAV payload market,” they said in a new report. In particular, the synthetic aperture segment is estimated to lead the sector in regard to technology.
UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE launched twin Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) spacecraft, built by Orbital ATK, for the U.S. Air Force aboard a Delta IV Medium+ (4,2) rocket at 12:52 a.m. EDT Aug. 19 from Cape Canaveral, FL. NORTHROP GRUMMAN declared quarterly dividend of $0.90 per share on company’s common stock, payable Sept. 14 to shareholders of record as of close of business Aug. 29. GENERAL ATOMICS AERONAUTICAL SYSTEMS INC. has $370.9m U.S. Air Force contract for 30 MQ-9 Reaper UAVs. Deliveries by May 2019.
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Donna Thomas at [email protected]. For a complete list of Aviation Week Network’s upcoming events, and to register, visit www.aviationweek.com/events (Bold type indicates new calendar listing.) Sept. 5—42nd European Rotorcraft Forum (ERF), Lille, France. For more information go to http://www.vtol.org/events/42nd-european-rotorcraft-forum-erf Sept. 5-8—42nd European Rotorcraft Forum, Lille France. For more information go to www.erf2016.com/
China has already begun defining its sixth-generation combat jet as the People’s Liberation Army Air Force introduces its first fifth-generation types, the Chengdu J-20 and Shenyang J-31.
When the U.S. resumes launching its own astronauts, they will again have a place to park as their commercially operated Boeing and SpaceX crew transports approach the International Space Station.
Boeing has received the first down payment for two of an eventual nine P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft for the U.K.’s Royal Air Force, the company confirms.
As the Pentagon looks to balance aerial refueling and surveillance requirements for the MQ-25 “Stingray,” aviation planners and industry are also examining how stealthy the Navy’s first carrier-based unmanned aerial system will need to be.
China has successfully test fired a large solid-propellant rocket motor that the manufacturer says could be used in a super-heavy launcher for manned Moon landings.
The U.S. Air Force has awarded Boeing $2.8 billion to begin initial production of the KC-46A Pegasus, setting the stage for a fresh start for the beleaguered tanker program.
The U.S. military is considering operationally activating the nine-story Sea-Based X-band radar currently fielded as a research and development asset in Hawaii as North Korea steps up its ballistic missile testing efforts.
ABOARD THE USS GEORGE WASHINGTON—Fresh off the flight line, Navy pilots rave about the F-35’s advanced sensors, easy handling and ability to land perfectly on a fast-moving carrier essentially by itself.
NASA ground controllers overcame an unexpected obstruction as they issued commands to the International Space Station’s robot arm late Aug. 17 and early Aug. 18 to extract the first docking assembly for use by future U.S. commercial crew spacecraft from a SpaceX Dragon cargo capsule and reposition the hardware at the front of the orbiting science lab.
