Aerospace & Defense Roundup: Jul. 27

F-16

Starting this fall, Textron’s Airborne Tactical Advantage Company (ATAC) will provide adversary air training for pilots at two U.S. Air Force bases. The service notified ATAC on July 21 that it will pay the company up to a combined $240 million for adversary air training at Luke AFB in Arizona and Holloman AFB in New Mexico for more than 3,000 sorties per year for up to 4 1/2 years. The awards are part of an initial round of operating locations the service selected under the Combat Air Force (CAF) Contracted Air Support (CAS) program.

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has completed the first flight of a Heron TP medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned air system to be operated by Germany. The aircraft took to the air on July 26, the Israeli Defense Ministry said. Pictures suggested the aircraft flew from a remote location in the south of the country. It was devoid of national markings apart from the serial number, 121.

Garmin on July 27 said that aviation applications were among the company’s web-based platforms returning to service following a cyberattack four days earlier. “Garmin Ltd. today announced it was the victim of a cyberattack that encrypted some of our systems on July 23,” the company said in a release. “As a result, many of our online services were interrupted including website functions, customer support, customer facing applications and company communications.”

Freshly trained Indian Air Force pilots on July 27 ferried five Dassault Rafale fighters to Ambala Air Force Station, where they will become part of the N°17 Squadron “Golden Arrows.” The first in an order of 36 aircraft placed in 2016, the fighters took off from Dassault’s Bordeaux Merignac production and training facility. Indian pilots and technicians completed a one-year training program with Dassault instructors, with the participation of the French Air Force. The program is on time despite the novel coronavirus pandemic, Dassault Aviation Chairman and CEO Eric Trappier says.