UAS

Viasat has announced that avionics engineering house L2 Aviation has joined its Velaris service offering for sat connectivity with AAM and eVTOLs.

Computing by laser; automating light helicopters; uncrewed airdropping; and beam-powered UAS.

GKN Aerospace is finalizing the architecture for an uncrewed aircraft systems demonstrator for Sweden.

Dzyne Technologies has secured a contract from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory for three Ultra Turbo medium-altitude, long-endurance tactical UAS.

MTU Aero Engines expects the Franco-German-Spanish Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program to evolve to the pursuit of two different aircraft types.

Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.

Japan’s Terra Drones has acquired its second stake in a Ukrainian manufacturer of interceptor drones.

Autonomous flight system developer Merlin has raised $80 million in new funding through the sale of shares to an existing institution investor.

Israel’s Elbit Systems has opened a facility to produce uncrewed aircraft systems in Romania.

Firestorm Labs raised $82 million to scale up production and fielding of its xCell containerized manufacturing system, which enables 3D printing of drones

Ukraine is looking to capitalize on the success it has had developing counter-drone and other systems by adjusting government rules to enable defense exports.

One major American UAS provider is going ahead and making promises to investors and suppliers alike that the U.S. industry will grow.

The U.S. Marine Corps has selected teams to demonstrate uncrewed cargo helicopters for contested logistics missions.

Britten-Norman is beginning installation of an advanced phased-array 5G antenna system onto a BN2T-4S Islander that will be used as a flying testbed.

U.S. autonomous aircraft startup Pyka has conducted the first flight of its DropShip hybrid-electric heavylift uncrewed cargo aircraft.

The U.S. Navy on April 25 conducted the much anticipated first flight of its Boeing MQ-25 Stingray uncrewed refueling aircraft, a major milestone in the service’s pursuit of bringing autonomous aircraft to its carriers.

A long-endurance uncrewed aircraft has been powered in flight via laser beam while conducting a surveillance mission during a demo on a U.S. Air Force range.

U.S. advanced battery developer Sion Power has pivoted from its long pursuit of the electric vehicle market to target defense and aerospace applications.

New York-based nonprofit group NUAIR is positioning Central New York as a near-term proving ground for advanced air mobility.

AeroVironment says its Locust laser weapon to counter drones has undergone naval trials.

Ukraine is looking to produce more than seven million drones this year as part of the wider scaling up of its defense industrial capability.

Australia has announced an AU$7 billion ($5 billion) investment over the next decade to expand counter-UAS capabilities.

Germany's aerospace center DLR has begun flying an uncrewed testbed designed to demonstrate shape-changing morphing wing technology in flight.

The French Defense Ministry plans to introduce a counter-drone capability using laser-guided rockets on the Dassault Rafale by the summer.

AVIC has secured a launch customer for its new HH-200 uncrewed aerial system and subsequently conducted first flight of the large cargo drone.