Aerospace & Defense Roundup: August 24

Leonardo, Northrop Grumman Agree On CIRCM Laser Component Pricing

Leonardo and Northrop Grumman have agreed to a long-term pricing arrangement for the laser pointers/trackers used in the Northrop Grumman-made Common Infrared Countermeasures (CIRCM) system used by the U.S. Army. Credit: Tony Osborne/AW&ST

Archer Teams With Reef On Parking-Garage Vertiports

As it heads toward a Sept. 14 shareholder vote on its merger with blank-check company Atlas Crest Investment, urban air mobility startup Archer has teamed with parking-garage operator Reef Technology to establish rooftop vertiport locations in U.S. cities. Credit: Archer Aviation

Piasecki, HyPoint Partner On Hydrogen Fuel Cell EVTOL

Startup HyPoint has entered into a $6.5 million collaborative agreement with Piasecki Aircraft to develop a hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles. Credit: Piasecki Aircraft

Taiwan Mulls Missile Production Plan

Taiwan’s defense ministry is considering spending as much as NT$200 billion ($7.1 billion) to accelerate mass production of indigenous long-range missile systems. Credit: CSIST

NASAISS

Russian Helicopters To Upgrade Ka-52 Attack Helicopters

Russia’s Kamov Ka-52 co-axial attack helicopters are being upgraded with new avionics and sensors by Russian Helicopters. Credit: Kamov

Russia Postpones Luna-25 Mission To May 2022

Russia has postponed its return to the Moon for seven months. The launch of the Luna-25 automatic lander from Vostochny spaceport in the country’s far east has been rescheduled from Oct. 1, 2021, to the next launch window in May 2022, Roscosmos says. Credit: Roscosmos

Aging Parts Threaten Russia’s Space Station Segment

The continued operation of Russia’s segment of the International Space Station (ISS) depends on the replacement of nearly 1,500 pieces of onboard equipment, according to a key advisory group for Russian space agency Roscosmos. Credit: NASA

U.S. Navy To Test Tilt/Fold VTOL UAS For Cargo Delivery To Ships

Startup PteroDynamics has received a U.S. Navy contract to deliver three prototype vertical-takeoff-and-landing unmanned aircraft for a program to develop a capability to autonomously deliver cargo to and from ships at sea. Credit: PteroDynamics

U.S. Space Command Open For Initial Operations

U.S. Space Command is open for initial operations, its leader Gen. James Dickinson said Aug. 24. “Initial operations” is defined in a strict way “as the first attainment of the capability to employ a weapon or weapon system,” Dickinson said. But in another sense, it means that the command “is ready to deter conflict, and if necessary, defeat aggression and, along with allies and partners, defend our vital interests in the space domain.” Credit: Lewis Carlyle / U.S. Space Command

French MQ-9 Block 5 Drops First Bomb During African Op

A French Air Force MQ-9 Block 5 unmanned aircraft system (UAS) has performed an air strike for the first time as part of the seven-year-old Operation Barkhane in Africa, the Ministry of the Armed Forces announced on Aug. 24. Credit: Ministry of the Armed Forces

Russian Military Orders Kronstadt’s Second Armed UAS

The Russian military has signed an order with Kronstadt for an armed, 2-metric-ton unmanned aircraft system (UAS) called Sirius, Russian news reports say. The deal was signed during the Army 2021 military technology forum on Aug. 24. It follows Kronstadt’s production of the 1.1-metric-ton Orion UAS for Russian forces since 2016. Credit: Kronstadt

Pinched Nerve Sidelines U.S. Astronaut From Spacewalk

A pinched nerve in the neck of NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei is the reason the agency has postponed his planned Aug. 24 spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS). Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide had also been set to take part in the spacewalk. Credit: NASA

Boeing Australia Seeks Milsatcom Contract

Boeing Australia is hoping to leverage Boeing’s U.S. military satellite technologies to build a system that can win a $3.5 billion contract from the Australian Defense Force for the nation’s next-generation military satellite communications system. Credit: Boeing