Aerospace & Defense Roundup: September 20

E-3 Sentry

KVS Technologies has entered into a $60 million agreement with Spright, a division of Air Methods, to provide a one-stop-shop solution to provide utility companies with linear inspection services designed to increase electrical grid capacity. Credit: Roslan Rahman/Getty Images

The U.S. Air Force recently submitted its pre-decisional fiscal 2023 budget to Pentagon leadership, and that plan is expected to be the Biden administration’s first step to overhaul the service to face a growing threat from China. Credit: U.S. Department of Defense

Oil and gas company Shell has set itself a target of producing 2 million metric tons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) a year by 2025. The Netherlands-based company is also aiming for 10% of its global aviation fuel sales to be SAF by 2030. Credit: Royal Dutch Shell

Paris has recalled its ambassadors from Australia and the U.S. and canceled defense talks with the UK following Canberra’s decision to halt a multi-billion euro submarine procurement from France in favor of a nuclear submarine buy with the U.S. and UK. French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the recall of the ambassadors was an “exceptional decision.” However, the escalation was justified by the “exceptional gravity” prompted by the decision by Australia, the UK and the U.S. to from a new tripartite pact, known as AUKUS, to enable the submarine deal. Credit: POIS Yuri Ramsey/Australian Defence Force/Getty Images

NASA has selected a challenging, unexplored south pole landing site at the Moon for its Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER). Viper is due to launch in late 2023 on a 100-day mission to gather “hands-on” evidence for water ice, a possible future resource for the production of rocket propellants and human life support assets, as part of the agency’s Artemis initiative to establish a sustained human lunar presence later in the decade. Credit: NASA

L3Harris Technologies announced Sept. 16 plans to expand a classified campus in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to meet expected business demand from the Pentagon’s “growing and urgent need for advanced, resilient satellites.” Credit: SDA