Aerospace & Defense Roundup: September 21

NASA Restructures Human Spaceflight Directorate

NASA is separating its Human Exploration and Operations (HEO) mission directorate into two new directorates, one to oversee its operational programs while the other focuses on programs in development, Administrator Bill Nelson announced Sept. 21. Credit: NASA Drone Team

Vertical Signs EVTOL Tie-Up With Bristow; Avolon Strikes Brazil Deal

Hard on the heels of its agreement with Electra to pursue electric short-takeoff aircraft, helicopter operator Bristow Group has announced a partnership with Vertical Aerospace to explore electric vertical-takeoff aircraft. Credit: Vertical Aerospace

SOCOM Selects Three Qualified Bidders For Armed Overwatch Contract

The Textron AC-208 and Leidos/Paramount Bronco II have been eliminated from the Armed Overwatch competition, leaving three qualified bidders as U.S. Special Operations Command releases a request for proposals as soon as later this week. Credit: USAF

USAFE Prepares For F-35A With More International Training, Planning

As the U.S. Air Force prepares to base its first F-35As in Europe later this year, the service has increased its ability to train with local nations that fly the aircraft, established a local way to train with live-fire missiles, and even brought in international partners to its air operations center to work more closely together. U.S. Air Forces in Europe is expecting to receive the F-35As at RAF Lakenheath, England, in December, and the command’s boss, Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian, said he wants the aircraft to quickly start flying with other nations that already have the jets. Credit: USAF

Lawmakers Urged To Back NASA’s Low Earth Orbit Presence

NASA and congressional policy makers face difficult choices as they resolve how to transition a range of research and technology development activities underway aboard an aging International Space Station (ISS) to a fleet of commercial free-flying platforms, a panel of experts told U.S. lawmakers in Washington Sept. 21. Credit: NASA

USAF Plans Live Test Of Palletized Munitions In December

The U.S. Air Force this December will conduct a live demonstration of palletized cruise missiles from the back of cargo aircraft, after multiple tests on aircraft including C-17s and EC-130s. Credit: USAF

Kaman Developing Unmanned Resupply Aircraft

Kaman is developing an unmanned cargo rotorcraft, the Kargo, to meet the anticipated U.S. Marine Corps Unmanned Logistics System – Airborne Medium requirement for an autonomous resupply vehicle to support distributed operations. Credit: Kaman

Shell Sets Out SAF Production Ambition

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

Volocopter Explores UAM Launch In LA

Los Angeles has already been identified as an early launch market by urban air taxi developers Archer and Joby Aviation, and now the famously congested city is being targeted by Volocopter. As it makes a push into the U.S. market, the German startup has partnered with LA’s Urban Movement Labs (UML) to explore the use of Volocopter’s electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) air taxis. Credit: Volocopter

Spanish Partners To Convert Caravan To Fuel-Cell Propulsion

Spanish airlines Volotea and Air Nostrum, with Spanish/Australian startup Dante Aeronautical, plan to convert the Cessna Grand Caravan to hydrogen fuel-cell propulsion, aiming for first flight early in 2024. Credit: Dante Aeronautical