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JANUARY 2021 news
Defense Aviation and Aerospace Industry |
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The first of 84 Greek Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters to be upgraded to the F-16V Viper standard took to the skies for the first time on January 17, David Donald reports on ainonline.com. Greece’s Minister of Defense Nikos Panagiotopoulos announced the news on Twitter, noting that the maiden flight was conducted with “absolute success”, and that the upgrade program “continues at an intensive pace.”
In a distant future, the new Russian airborne system of long-range aviation (PAK DA) will replace the basic strategic bombers. Preliminary trials of prototypes are scheduled in April 2023 and acceptance trials in February 2026. Also, new munitions are being designed for the long-range aviation. The bombers will receive new missiles in the coming years, and some will be hypersonic.
The U.S. Department of Defense announced on January 20 that Boeing has been awarded a $2,124,531,149 modification to contract FA8625-11-C-6600 for Lot 7 production KC-46 Pegasus tanker aircraft, subscriptions and licenses and G081 flat file. The modification provides for the exercise of an option for an additional quantity of 15 KC-46 aircraft, data, subscriptions and licenses, and G081 flat file being produced under the basic contract.
The French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs announces on its website that, for the first time, Indo-French air force exercise sees Rafale jets fielded on both sides for highly complex drills aimed at sharing operational experience and enhancing interoperability.
Several multi-billion rouble contracts for the production of combat jets and helicopters were completed in 2020. The pandemic-related financial difficulties changed the plans of the Russian Defense Ministry and compelled it to postpone some supplies. Nevertheless, the Aerospace Forces will receive hundreds of new aircraft in the coming years.
L3Harris Technologies has successfully completed a technology demonstration, under a Defense Innovation Unit prototype contract, for the U.S. Space Force satellite communication system to improve communications with the agency’s growing number of satellites.
Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe welcomed the U.S. Space Force (USSF) as the 18th member of the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC).
Airbus has developed a launcher to release unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from an Airbus A400M military transport aircraft.
During CES 2021, French drone manufacturer Icarus Swarms announced a new UAS product line targeting security and emergency first-response industries.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) is working with Leonardo to integrate the Leonardo Seaspray 7500E V2 radar into the centerline radar pod of its MQ-9B SeaGuardian remotely-piloted aircraft system (RPAS). The integration of this market-leading radar onto the SeaGuardian will enable persistent maritime ISR and is available to our international customer base.
Russia is launching domestic procedures to withdraw from the Treaty on Open Skies, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on January 15.
U.S. Air Force B-52H "Stratofortress" aircrews successfully completed a presence patrol in the Middle East on January 17, marking the second such mission of 2021.
Researchers with the Air Force Research Laboratory Aerospace Systems Directorate reached new heights during a precision airdrop (PAD) flight test, Nov. 16-19, 2020, in Yuma, Arizona.
The Air Force Golden Horde Vanguard program completed the first Air Force flight demonstration of collaborative weapons Dec. 15 using technology developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory and Scientific Applications & Research Associates.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) completed the first Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) High Frequency (HF) Command and Control (C2) demonstration for an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). The HF C2 capability does not require a Satellite Communications (SATCOM) link and is capable of providing BLOS connectivity up to 8,000 miles, depending on transmit power and link geometry.
On January 6, the government of France signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) with the U.S. government signifying their intent to purchase Northrop Grumman Corporation’s E-2D Advanced Hawkeye.
Parrot, Europe's leading drone group, was chosen by the Direction Générale de l’Armement (French defense procurement agency, DGA) to supply its ANAFI USA micro-drones to equip the three corps of the French Army (Air, Sea and Land), as part of its call for tenders launched last February.
An RAF Chinook has delivered heavy equipment to extend French and Malian forces' operational range as part of Op Barkhane, the French counter insurgency operation in the West African Sahel region.
A £550 million contract for new surface-attack missiles will secure hundreds of UK jobs and provide unrivalled lethality for the UK’s F-35B Lightning jets, Defence Minister Jeremy Quin announced.
In a recent flight test, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) integrated a Lockheed Martin Legion Pod onto an Avenger Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) demonstrating enhanced autonomous sensing capabilities for an unmanned aircraft. Taking less than three months for the Legion Pod integration to move from concept to flight, the 90-minute captive-carry flight test verified mechanical interfaces and aerodynamics safety of flight for the aircraft.
