Aerospace & Defense Roundup: Oct. 12

Marshall Inks Agreement With Cranfield For Potential Relocation

Marshall Aerospace and Defense Group (MADG) has signed an agreement with Cranfield University to potentially re-locate their maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capability to Cranfield Airport. Credit: Air National Guard

Falcon 9 Engine Issue Delays SpaceX’s 1st ISS Crew Ferry Flight

A SpaceX investigation into an issue with a Falcon 9 main engine, which has temporarily grounded a U.S. Space Force GPS III satellite, is affecting a second mission, with launch of a four-person crew to the International Space Station (ISS) crew delayed from Oct. 31 to early- to mid-November. Credit: NASA

FAA Should Strengthen Avionics Cyber-Oversight, GAO Says

The FAA should strengthen its oversight of avionics cybersecurity to protect against evolving risks to commercial aircraft, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) advised in an Oct. 9 report to Congress. Credit: GAO

France Contracts For Special Forces Variant Of NH90

France has contracted the conversion of 10 NH90 helicopters with new sensors for special operations missions. Credit: NHIndustries / Beview.fr

Ampaire Sets Distance Milestone With Hybrid-Electric Flight

Records are being set and beaten as electric propulsion pioneers relive the formative years of aviation. The latest to claim a distance milestone is Ampaire, which has completed a 341-mi. (297-nm) flight with its prototype hybrid-electric-powered Electric EEL. Credit: Ampaire

PHASA-35 HAPS Faces Simulated Cold Soak

Prismatic’s PHASA-35 high-altitude pseudo-satellite has been fitted with a sensor payload and been taken through simulated cold soak testing to prepare it for stratospheric flight. Credit: BAE Systems

The Weekly Debrief: TITAN Leads Army Intelligence Transition To New Era

The U.S. Army's intelligence branch has developed a new set of skills during two decades of war against mostly terrorists and insurgents. An Army constructed after the Vietnam War to blunt the second echelon of Soviet armed divisions flowing into Western Europe adapted to a new adversary. nstead of detecting armored columns on the move over 150 nm away through any weather, Army intelligence analysts adapted to learn how to immediately detect, identify and locate anyone using a single-channel, push-to talk radio or cellular device within an area of interest. Credit: U.S. Army

U.S. Justice Dept. Revises Policy On Drone Grants

The U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) has revised its policy for awarding grants to local law enforcement agencies to acquire and operate foreign-made drones, preventing purchases from companies that are thought to be vulnerable to a foreign government’s influence.