Aerospace & Defense Roundup: April. 19

Airbus Closes In On A400M Helicopter Refueling Certification

Airbus says it hopes to achieve certification of the A400M’s helicopter air-to-air refueling capability by year’s end following an extensive flight trials campaign. The company says the trials, conducted over the west coast of France, helped it complete the “majority of its development and certification objectives” for the airlifter’s capability. The only hurdle remaining is “mandatory night operation trials.” Credit: Mathilde Défossez/armée de l’Air et de l’Espace

The Weekly Debrief: Air-Launched, SM-6-Like Missile Exposed In New Test Photo

Exposing a new layer of long-range striking power for the U.S. Navy carrier battle group, a photo obtained by Aerospace DAILY shows what appears to be a Raytheon RIM-174 SM-6 missile integrated on a left wing pylon of a Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet in flight. Credit: Michael Grove

PE Investors Trade Ownership Of Supplier Arch Precision Components

Private equity investor Madison Dearborn Partners (MDP) has bought aerospace and defense supplier Arch Precision Components from the Jordan Co. for an undisclosed amount, the companies announced April 19. Credit: Arch Precision Components

Amazon Buys Nine Launches From ULA For Kuiper Project

Amazon has contracted with United Launch Alliance (ULA) to deliver nine batches of its Kuiper broadband satellites into low Earth orbit aboard Atlas V rockets, the companies said April 19. Credit: ULA

QinetiQ Adds Helicopters To Test Pilot School Fleet

The UK’s Empire Test Pilots School (ETPS) is to receive three additional helicopters to support its training fleet. The school, which is operated by defense firm QinetiQ, will bring two Leonardo AW109S Grand twin-engine light helicopters and a single AW139 twin-engine medium aircraft into operation this summer as part of the ongoing modernization of the ETPS fleet. Credit: Tim Felce

Diehl Aviation Changes CEO; Eyes Sustainability, UAM Products

Rainer von Borstel, the CEO of aircraft systems and cabin interiors provider Diehl Aviation since 2010, will retire this month and Josef Köcher, who recently joined as COO, will succeed him, the company announced April 19. Credit: Diehl Aviation

Nonprofit Partnership Forges Carbon Mapping Initiative

Startup nonprofit Carbon Mapper, Inc. (CARB) is leading a coalition of commercial, state and federal government agencies and academic partners in an effort to identify and expand a global awareness of major point source emissions of carbon dioxide (C02) and methane (CH4) in order to lessen their contribution to climate change. Credit: Carbon Mapper

U.S. Army OKs Tactical Space Layer Rapid Development

The U.S. Army has officially signed off on the rapid development of the Tactical Space Layer (TSL), with fielding anticipated in 2028. Credit: NASA

Mars Ingenuity To Be Pushed To Limits After Flawless First Flight

Planning is now underway for the second flight, which could come as early as April 22, project manager MiMi Aung says. Despite the lost time in April while NASA troubleshot the software glitch that prevented the start of flight tests, Aung says the success of the first sortie augurs well for completing the test program as planned. “We have two weeks left and we believe we can squeeze in the remaining flights,” she adds. Credit: NASA JPL

German Eurofighters Receive Meteor Missile Upgrade

Germany has begun upgrading its Eurofighters to allow the carriage of MBDA’s Meteor beyond-visual-range, air-to-air missile. The German air force becomes the second of the Eurofighter partner nations to bring the weapon to the front line after the UK. Credit: ILA-boy

U.S. Air ForceF-35

Skydweller Tests Systems For Unmanned Solar Impulse 2

Skydweller Aero has flight tested the control system to be used in conversion of the Solar Impulse 2 solar-powered round-the-world aircraft into a long-endurance unmanned aircraft. The flight, with a pilot onboard, was conducted on April 18 from Albacete, Spain. Credit: Skydweller Aero

Next ISS Crew’s Agenda Includes Solar Power Upgrade

As the NASA-led International Space Station (ISS) partnership strives to push the science and technology development potential of the orbital science lab, astronauts assigned to missions through 2023 will be equipping six of the station’s solar power channels with new Roll Out Solar Arrays (ROSAs) that have been under development for a dozen years. Credit: Space Systems Loral (SSL)

Europe Moves To Better Understand Supersonic Aircraft Impacts

Europe has launched a research program to develop a deeper understanding of the environmental impact of future supersonic aircraft and provide input into international efforts to develop certification standards for noise and emissions. Credit: Cranfield University/DLR

Volocopter To Trial Cargo EVTOL In Germany

Volocopter is to set up a test route for its VoloDrone unmanned cargo aircraft in its home city of Bruchsal, Germany, in a joint project with logistics company DB Schenker. Credit: Volocopter

Israel, Greece Ink Fast Jet Training School Contract

Athens has signed a deal with the Israeli government to modernize Greece’s fast jet training capability. Israel’s Elbit Systems will establish and operate an International Flight Training Center in Kalamata, Greece for 22 years under a contract valued at ILS5.4 billion ($1.65 billion). Credit: Elbit Systems