Aerospace & Defense Roundup: May 13
May 14, 2020
U.S. Army
AH-64

Bell 360 Invictus
Bell
The Bell 360 Invictus helicopter is one of two aircraft designs competing for a U.S. Army contract.

Up To 20% Of Lower-Tier Suppliers Could Exit A&D
F-35B Credit: USAF
As many as a fifth of lower-tier suppliers in aerospace and defense (A&D) could exit the sector over the next 18 months as COVID-19 disrupts the commercial aviation market and hurts the defense industrial base, seasoned supply chain experts have told Aviation Week.

FCC Restructures To Add Space Bureau
Credit: FCC. The chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced Nov. 3 that she would reorganize the agency to create a standalone Space Bureau to better support the needs of the growing satellite industry.

Australia’s Next Avalon Air Show Pushed To November 2021
The 2017 Avalon air show. Credit: Avalon Airport
The organizer of the Australian International Airshow has deferred the next edition of the biennial from February 2021 to November of the same year, citing doubts about availability of international travel.

Boeing, UK CAA Partner On BVLOS UAV Capability Development
Credit: FlyLogix
Boeing and the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) are to work together on developing requirements for beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) unmanned flight operations as a steppingstone toward a future mobility ecosystem.

Loon Balloons To Provide Internet To Mozambique
Loon’s stratospheric balloons exploit wind directions at different altitudes to stay over a region. Credit: Loon
Loon has signed a deal with African telecommunications provider Vodacom under which the Alphabet company will provide internet service to remote parts of Mozambique using its stratospheric balloons.

LeoLabs Launches Automated Satellite Collision-Avoidance Service
LeoLabs’ collision-avoidance service can generate displays or reports on potential conjunctions. Credit: LeoLabs
Space situational awareness startup LeoLabs has launched the first automated collision-avoidance service for satellites.

UK Should Buy P-8 AAS, Think Tank Suggests
P-8A Credit: USN
A British think tank is advocating the use of the U.S. Navy’s secretive Advanced Airborne Sensor (AAS) on British P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft as a potential replacement for the Sentinel radar reconnaissance platform.

Bryanwxup
TH-57

U.S. Air Force
U-28A
SOCOM officials say Bell 360 Invictus lacks key capability, up to 20% of lower-tier suppliers could exit A&D, GAO denies Airbus TH-73 bid protest, the launch of the first automated collision-avoidance service for satellites, and more. A roundup of aerospace, space and defense news powered by Aviation Week Intelligence Network.
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