Aerospace & Defense Roundup: Aug. 13

Yet another hypersonic demonstration program is afoot with the U.S. Defense Department. The new Mayhem program seeks to create a “larger-scale, expendable, air-breathing, hypersonic, multimission flight demonstrator,” according to an Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) request for information (RFI) published on Aug. 13. Credit: U.S. Air Force

A single contract vehicle to support multiple, foreign F-16 buyers will be awarded to Lockheed Martin on Aug. 14, the U.S. Air Force confirmed in an email. The Defense Department typically awards contracts for Foreign Military Sales deals on a case-by-case business. Credit: Lockheed Martin

A Canadian start-up has unveiled a concept for a twin-engined, twin-boomed, close air support aircraft with a profile similar to the Vietnam-era North American Rockwell OV-10. Montreal-based Icarus Aerospace is seeking investors for financing to create a $4.5 million digital engineering model of the two-seat Tactical Air Vehicle (TAV). Credit: Icarus Aerospace

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has confirmed it will be one of four competitors for an Australian lead-in fighter trainer requirement, proposing its T-50 family. KAI said it received and responded to a request for information from the Australian Defense Department, which is seeking a replacement for 33 BAE Systems Hawk Mk. 127 aircraft. Credit: KAI

After about a four-month delay because of issues related to the spread of the novel coronavirus, the U.S. Army has completed a successful live-fire test of the Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS) at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. Credit: Lockheed Martin

NASA has awarded New York State’s FAA-designated unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) test site an $897,000 task order to research automation technology for vertiport operations. Under NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Project, the test site at Griffiss International Airport in Rome, New York, will study barriers to vertiport operations, identify infrastructure requirements and develop automation technologies to support growing traffic.

U.S. Space Force logo.

The Russian military will upgrade one of its core multirole fighters–the two-seat Sukhoi Su-30SM. Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu announced during his visit to the type’s assembly facilities in Irkutsk on Aug. 12 that the ministry will order 21 Su-30SM2 aircraft this year. Credit: Sukhoi

Ellen Lord

U.S. Capitol

NASA’s Osiris-Rex sample return mission spacecraft is on a path to execute a brief landing on the rocky surface of the asteroid Bennu on Oct. 20 following a successful second rehearsal of the steps necessary to execute the descent and ascent earlier this week, according to the mission team. Credit: NASA