Aerospace & Defense Roundup: Sept, 24

U.S. Navy: Super Hornets, Growlers Reach 80% Readiness

Boeing Super Hornets and Growlers in the Primary Mission Aircraft Inventory, at 345 and 95 aircraft respectively, are above the 80% target, according to a Sept. 24 Naval Air Forces commander statement.

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UK Provides Funding For Space Defense Technologies

Technologies that provide threat warning for satellites, and image objects in low-earth orbit from the ground have been given a share of funding by the UK defense ministry.

Some £1.5 million ($1.9 million) will be shared by 12 companies that entered the “Space to Innovate” competition run by the Defense Science and Technology Laboratory.

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Danish Operator Partners On Electric Seaplane

Denmark’s Nordic Seaplanes is to cooperate with Norway’s Equator Aircraft to develop a hybrid-electric seaplane for commercial services.

Nordic operates a float-equipped De Havilland Canada Twin Otter on scheduled flights between Copenhagen and Aarhus, the second-largest city in Denmark.

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Japan’s H-IIB Launches On 2nd Try To ISS

Liftoff, which occurred at 12:05 p.m. EDT (1:05 a.m. Sept. 25 local time), came two weeks after a fire on the rocket’s moveable launcher nixed a previous launch attempt on Sept. 10.

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Small/Medium UAV Turbine Engine In Flight Tests

The 20-shp-class UAV Turbines Monarch 5 microturbine propulsion system flew in an RQ-23 TigerShark, replacing a Herbrandson two-stroke piston engine.

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Bell Trademarks ‘360 Invictus’ For Undisclosed Helicopter

The identity of the 360 Invictus within Bell’s product portfolio wasn’t immediately clear, but the registration appears as Bell develops a new rotorcraft to offer the U.S. Army for the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) competitive prototyping program.

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