All articles by Ryan Finnerty – Page 15
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In depthL3Harris closing in on first export sales of Sky Warden armed turboprop
The military systems integrator says it is in discussions with three potential export customers for its armed variant of the Air Tractor AT-802, with serious interest in Africa, the Middle East and Oceania.
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In depthAeroVironment debuts swarmable one-way attack UAS with 200nm range
AeroVironment, which recently rebranded as AV after acquiring fellow defence manufacturer Blue Halo, has launched a new small autonomous aircraft called Red Dragon that the company says has been tested in a combat environment against real world electronic warfare countermeasures.
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NewsStratolaunch completes hypersonic flight with reusable Talon-A
The California company Stratolaunch is pioneering the development of a reusable flight vehicle capable of reaching speeds beyond Mach 5.
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AnalysisWashington prepares to close bidding on auction of retired KC-10 tankers
Ten of the Boeing refuellers have been listed for sale on a US government auction website, each with a minimum price of $500,000.
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AnalysisObscure start-up wants to compete for the US Navy’s new trainer jet
Little-known aircraft designer Stavatti, which has never built a physical aircraft, plans to compete for the US Navy’s Undergraduate Jet Training System contract against heavyweights including Lockheed Martin, Textron and Boeing.
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NewsPentagon sending decommissioned F-16s to Ukraine for spare parts
The US Air Force says it is providing non-operational Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters to Ukraine to support the sustainment of Kyiv’s fleet of used jets provided by European allies.
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NewsUS Army targets ‘obsolete’ aircraft for cuts, including AH-64D and MQ-1C
In a sweeping overhaul of the service’s force structure, senior Pentagon officials have directed the US Army to end procurement of “obsolete” and “outdated” aircraft platforms, including the Boeing AH-64D and General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle uncrewed aerial vehicle.
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NewsAutonomous fighters will fly less often than crewed jets while not deployed: USAF
Unlike conventional fighter squadrons, whose pilots need to fly regularly to maintain proficiency, the US Air Force says its forthcoming fleet of uncrewed fighters will not have to fly a “significant number” of daily sorties.
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NewsUSAF begins ground testing Anduril uncrewed fighter prototype
Anduril’s YFQ-44A prototype has started ground trials ahead of the type’s first flight scheduled for later this year.
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NewsAurora completes wind-tunnel testing on experimental fan-in-wing design
Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences is a finalist in an X-plane competition organised by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to deliver a vertical-take-off-and-landing-capable aircraft that can also fly at fixed-wing-jet speeds.
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NewsF-15EXs to replace retiring A-10s at Michigan fighter squadron
The White House says the 107th Fighter Squadron of the Michigan Air National Guard will be the next station to receive Boeing’s F-15EX multi-role fighter, replacing its current Fairchild Republic A-10s.
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NewsAutonomy firm Near Earth to develop pilotless capability for US Army UH-60Ls
As part of the US Army’s push to expand automated flight within its existing aviation fleet, autonomy developer Near Earth will retrofit a Sikorsky UH-60L for pilotless operations.
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NewsPiasecki acquires Kargo uncrewed logistics platform from Kaman
The quadrotor Kargo is a medium-lift autonomous vertical take-off and landing vehicle intended to provide aerial logistics support to defence and commercial customers.
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NewsUS Navy Super Hornet falls from deck of aircraft carrier engaged in Red Sea combat
The Boeing F/A-18E strike fighter was being towed across the flight deck of the USS Harry S Truman when the crew lost control and the jet tumbled overboard.
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NewsBell nears completion of final Osprey for US Air Force
Rotorcraft manufacturer Bell expects to deliver the final CV-22 variant Osprey tiltrotor for the US Air Force in the coming months, as the company moves toward winding down production on the pioneering aircraft.
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AnalysisTextron hints at unmanned capability for FLRAA tiltrotor
Textron, parent company of rotorcraft manufacturer Bell, says the US Army wants to incorporate unmanned flight capability into the next-generation tiltrotor known as the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft.
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AnalysisBell secures Osprey production though 2027, spanning gap until FLRAA work begins
The rotorcraft manufacturer confirms that an order from the US Navy for five CMV-22 Osprey variants will sustain the Amarillo, Texas production line through 2027, around the same time work on the US Army’s next-generation tiltrotor is expected to ramp-up at the site.
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NewsItaly to purchase AeroVironment Jump 20 as Shadow replacement
The $46 million contract will see the vertical take-off and landing uncrewed aerial vehicles replace Italy’s Textron RQ-7 Shadow, mirroring an effort underway in the USA.
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AnalysisNorthrop losses on B-21 climb to $2bn as company seeks to ‘accelerate’ production
The defence manufacturer says the loss results from changes made to its B-21 manufacturing process aimed at achieving “accelerated production rates” on the next-generation stealth bomber.
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In depthLockheed will not protest Boeing win in USAF sixth-generation fighter effort
Although the military airframer was unsuccessful in its bid to produce the US Air Force’s forthcoming sixth-generation fighter, Lockheed Martin plans to incorporate design features from the prototype into the F-35 chassis for an aircraft that can deliver “80% of sixth-generation capability” at a reduced price.