Aerospace & Defense Roundup: Oct. 5

A new era of ubiquitous teaming between manned and unmanned military aircraft is not far away. By the end of the decade (or perhaps sooner), the U.S. Air Force’s highly secretive Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program anticipates fielding a family of manned jets and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Credit: Boeing

Ardiden 3TP

A Boeing loyal-wingman drone under development in Australia may be assembled in the northeastern state of Queensland. The state has apparently agreed to provide some kind of subsidy to secure this work in Boeing’s Airpower Teaming System (ATS) program, since the government alludes to spending money on it.Credit: Bruce Gibson/Boeing

Washington-based Meta Aerospace has acquired four Boeing KC-135Rs from the Singapore government to offer aerial refueling services to the U.S. government, the company announced Oct. 2. Credit: Singapore Ministry of Defense

Electronic warfare programs feature prominently in the Japanese defense ministry’s request for funding for the next fiscal year. The request also keeps alive the possibility of deploying Aegis Ashore batteries, plans for which were suspended in June. Credit: Japanese Ministry of Defense

Northrop Grumman’s 14th NASA-contracted resupply mission Cygnus capsule reached the International Space Station (ISS) early Oct. 5, delivering a nearly 7,800-lb. cargo. The cargo includes a new deep space toilet for astronaut evaluation and canisters of compressed nitrogen to address a small but long-running air leak as part of the experiment and crew supply items. Credit: NASA