MAYBE SO, MAYBE NO: When Congress returns later this month, the Senate majority leader has promised to take up cybersecurity legislation. But the most optimistic odds of it passing are 50-50, says Jim Lewis, director of the technology and public policy program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. It may be possible to reach a compromise on versions of a bill passed in the House and a Senate information-sharing bill, Lewis says. But such a bill would be more of a feel-good measure rather than one that substantially increases cyber protections.
The FAA is evaluating options to address privacy concerns about the expanded use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) before selecting six test ranges for integrating the aircraft into the national airspace system. Under the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, the agency is required to develop a comprehensive integration plan by Sept. 30, 2015. In addition, it must establish six test sites as an early step in the process, also required under the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act.
Canada’s National Research Council (NRC) has flown a Dassault Falcon 20 with one engine burning 100% unblended biofuel produced from carinata, an inedible oil seed crop. Previous biojet flights have used a maximum 50% blend with conventional kerosene, but the fuel’s developers say its hydrocarbon makeup is almost indistinguishable from petroleum-based jet fuel.
China's second known stealth aircraft, the Shenyang J-31 fighter, made its first flight Oct. 31. The first sight of the aircraft's planform view confirmed its similarity to the Lockheed Martin F-22 and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, with a clipped delta wing and stabilizers mounted well aft on twin tailbooms. Comparison with a J-11 chase aircraft supports earlier estimates that it is in the same size class as the JSF. Like the F-35, the J-31 generated prominent visible vortex wakes from its wingtips, even in low-energy flight.
Today's unmanned aircraft are often mistakenly characterized as autonomous, but the most independent thing they do is take off and land automatically. Beyond that, it takes many hours of meticulous planning to program the vehicles to perform their missions and cope with any foreseen contingencies.
The Indian air force is close to choosing a winner in a protracted bid to buy new short-range infrared homing missiles for more than 100 of its Jaguar strike jets. The competition is now between the Rafael Python-5 and MBDA Advanced, Short-Range Air-To-Air Missile (Asraam), following the elimination of Diehl's IRIS-T last year ahead of field evaluation trials. The missile will be mounted on the Jaguar's over-wing pylons, from which it now deploys out-of-production Matra R550 Magic short-range heat-seeking missiles.
When it comes to spending money on U.S. elections, the employees of defense companies tend to play it safe. They target campaign donations toward proven incumbents. And they hedge their bets, spreading the wealth between two candidates if the polls are close, or zeroing in on the one most likely to win the race.
The Indian government is likely to conclude a multibillion contract with Dassault Aviation for 126 Rafale fighters in six months or less now that negotiations have reached a crucial stage and inquiries into the selection process are over. Industry and government sources are emphasizing that “all hurdles have been cleared,” following questions in the Indian parliament about how the commercial bids were interpreted.
Just weeks after scoring a big win in India with a variant of the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, Boeing's defense unit has landed the Indian military's other big rotary-wing victory as its CH-47F Chinook took the heavy-lift competition.
Boeing has begun flying an aerodynamic prototype of the U.S. Army's Enhanced Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System (Emarss), although whether the program will proceed into production from engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) remains uncertain.
