Aegean Airlines orders four Airbus A321neo’s with extended range capabilities AVIATION NEWS International Aviation News, Airshow reports, Aircraft facts, worlds largest Aviation Museum database. Civillian, Military & Space, We cover it All Airbus A320-232 SX-DGZ Aegean at Brussels Airport | Rob Vogelaar Posted By: Rob Vogelaar April 18, 2024 April 18 (Reuters) – Greece’s largest carrier Aegean Airlines said on Thurssday that it will order four new extended range Airbus A321neo to cover existing and new routes in Central Africa, Middle East and Asia. The carrier says that these four specially configured new A321neo aircraft will have additional fuel tanks, providing operational capability for flights up to 7.5 hours. The new aircrafts expected to be delivered by 202 […]

Boom XB-1 demonstrator takes flight for the first time AVIATION NEWS International Aviation News, Airshow reports, Aircraft facts, worlds largest Aviation Museum database. Civillian, Military & Space, We cover it All Posted By: Rob Vogelaar March 23, 2024 Boom’s supersonic demonstrator aircraft, XB-1, took off for the first time March 22 during a successful inaugural flight at the Mojave Air & Space Port in Mojave, California. As the world’s first independently developed supersonic jet, XB-1 is an entirely new airframe, designed as a technology demonstrator to inform the design and development of Overture, Boom’s supersonic airliner. In order to test and validate new technologies and designs, XB-1 has undergone extensive ground testing, and has now progressed to flight testing. Chief Test Pilot Bill “Doc” Shoemaker was at the controls when XB-1 took flight, and Test Pilot Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg followed and monitored XB-1 in a T-38 chase plane. XB-1 reached a maximum altitude of 7,120 feet, and did not exceed 238 knots (273 mph) during the 12 minute flight. The inaugural flight of XB-1 marks a major milestone on the path toward the return of supersonic travel. The XB-1 program set the foundation for the design and development of Overture, Boom’s commercial supersonic plane. Overture will carry 64-80 passengers at Mach 1.7, about twice the speed of today’s subsonic airliners. Optimized for speed, safety, and sustainability, Overture is designed to run on up to 1 […]

Japan relaxes military export curbs for planned jet fighter AVIATION NEWS International Aviation News, Airshow reports, Aircraft facts, worlds largest Aviation Museum database. Civillian, Military & Space, We cover it All Posted By: Rob Vogelaar March 27, 2024 TOKYO, March 26 (Reuters) – Japan’s government on Tuesday relaxed military equipment export restrictions, the second change in less than four months, to allow future overseas sales of an advanced jet fighter it is developing with Britain and Italy. The rule change applies only to Cabinet-approved jet fighter exports and will be limited to countries – currently 15 – that have defence equipment transfer agreements with Tokyo committing them to settle international disputes peacefully in accordance with the United Nations charter, the government said. Exports to countries involved in conflicts will remain off limits, it added. Although limited in scope, the change, which comes after months of political wrangling between the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and coalition partner Komeito, represents the biggest shift in Japan’s military export policy in a decade, removing a potential obstacle that could have disrupted the jet fighter programme. Under that Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), Japan, Britain and Italy last year established a joint organisation and industry group led by Britain’s BAE Systems PLC, Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries nd Italy’s Leonardo to develop and deploy the advanced fighter by the middle of the next decade. Any Japanese export ban that halted overseas sales and limited production numbers could have made the aircraft unaffordable because development expenses would have to be spread across a smaller fleet. The rule change is nonetheless controversial in Japan because the country still adheres to a war-renouncing constitution adopted after its defeat in World War Two. It also comes after Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government in December made a separate export rule tweak to permit the transfer of defence equipment built under licence to the countries holding the designs. It will allow Japan to ship Pat […]

Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System for F-15 aircraft completes operational testing AVIATION NEWS International Aviation News, Airshow reports, Aircraft facts, worlds largest Aviation Museum database. Civillian, Military & Space, We cover it All The U.S. Air Force recently completed EPAWSS IOT&E, validating the game-changing capabilities the system brings to the F-15. The U.S. Air Force recently completed Initial Operational Test & Evaluation (IOT&E) of the Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS), validating the game-changing capabilities BAE Systems’ advanced system brings to the F-15. EPAWSS provides critical electronic warfare (EW) capabilities for the F-15E Strike Eagle and F-15EX Eagle II aircraft. “EPAWSS was designed for upgradeability and rapid capability insertion,” said Amy Nesbitt, EPAWSS program manager at BAE Systems. “We’re using agile software development to provide iterative upgrades to fielded EW systems—allowing our customers to defeat future electromagnetic threats.” EPAWSS provides instantaneous full-spectrum EW capabilities—including radar warning, geolocation, situational awareness, and self-protection. The system enables freedom of maneuver and deeper penetration into battlespaces protected by modern integrated air defense systems. “EPAWSS is a leap in technology, improving the lethality and combat capabilities of the F-15E and F-15EX in contested, degraded environments against advanced threats,” said Maj Bryant “Jager” Baum, EPAWSS Test Director for the Air Force Operational Test & Evaluation Center (AFOTEC). “EPAWSS has set the baseline for EW within the fighter community.” BAE Systems supported AFOTEC in executing EPAWSS IOT&E and is now in the process of producing and fielding one of the world’s most advanced EW systems, improving the F-15’s ability to conduct combat missions. The company is working closely with Boeing and the U.S. Air Force to enhance the system’s discriminating EW capabilities, including the use of cognitive EW as demonstrated during the Northern Edge 2023 (NE23) large force exercise test event. “Our close collaboration with the U.S. Air Force allows us to mature EPAWSS cognitive processing capabilities,” said Chip Mosle, program director at BAE Systems. “By incrementally testing and fielding cognitive EW solutions to proven systems such as EPAWSS, we are enabling tactical spectrum overmatch against advanced threats that are unpredictable, evolving, and adaptable.” The NE23 event tested EPAWSS’ ability to rapidly respond to previously unencountered electromagnetic threats. The tests challenged the system’s ability to process in-mission sensor data, create exquisite techniques, and optimize waveforms in real time. Furthermore, the NE23 environment challenged the system to execute the tasks in a dense, unpredictable electromagnetic spectrum at a theater-exercise level. BAE Systems executes the EPAWSS program at its facilities in Nashua, New Hampshire and Austin, Texas, actively producing EPAWSS hardware in support of F-15EX new-aircraft production and F-15E airc […]

U.S. Army Awards Lockheed Martin $483M JAGM, HELLFIRE Follow-on Production Contract AVIATION NEWS International Aviation News, Airshow reports, Aircraft facts, worlds largest Aviation Museum database. Civillian, Military & Space, We cover it All Posted By: Rob Vogelaar April 3, 2024 Orlando, Fla., April 3, 2024 – The U.S. Army awarded Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) a follow-on production contract for Joint-Air-to-Ground Missiles (JAGM) and HELLFIRE missiles with a Program Year 3 (PY3) award total value of $483 million. This contract will provide JAGM and HELLFIRE procurement and production support for the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy and international customers. This contract is the third follow-on award that is a part of a multiple-year award that was initially awarded in March 2023. The total contract award value is for up to $4.5 billion through 2025. “This follow-on contract signals the Army’s continued confidence in both the JAGM and HELLFIRE systems as premier defense capabilities when it comes to ensuring customer readiness worldwide,” said Joey Drake, program management director of Multi-Domain Missile Systems at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. HELLFIRE currently has more than 30 FMS customers with new HELLFIRE international customer Poland included in the PY3 contract. This contract provides maximum flexibility to facilitate the procurement of both systems to multiple domestic and international customers, especially as the JAGM program anticipates a significant increase in international demand for the weapon system in coming years. “We will be able to continue to provide procurement and production support for both systems, which is important because both are critical multi-domain combat solutions that protect and defend our armed forces and allies against ever-changing global threats,” said Drake. Both the JAGM and HELLFIRE systems are designed and developed in Orlando, Florida. The weapon systems are manufactured across various Lockheed Martin facilities in Dallas; Orlando and Ocala, Florida.; Archbald, Pennsylvania.; and Troy, Alabama. With more than 140,000 missiles produced, JAGM and HELLFIRE continue to be the weapon of choice in critical […]

Airbus delivered 142 airplanes in the first quarter AVIATION NEWS International Aviation News, Airshow reports, Aircraft facts, worlds largest Aviation Museum database. Civillian, Military & Space, We cover it All Airbus ACJ319N LX-TCB Global Jet Luxembourg Posted By: Rob Vogelaar April 3, 2024 PARIS, April 3 (Reuters) – Airbus delivered 142 aircraft in the first quarter, up 12% from the same period last year, industry sources said. Airbus declined to comment. The tally restored deliveries to the same level seen in the first quarter of 2022, following a slow start to 2023, but fell about half a dozen planes short of the European planemaker’s initial expectations for the quarter, the sources said. Airbus does not publish quarterly delivery targets but has said it is targeting 800 deliveries for 2024. Some deliveries of wide-body jets are being delayed by a shortage of seats, while Airbus has also notified customers of delays in deliveries to the narrow-body A321. Airbus nonetheless remains the dominant supplier of workhorse narrow-body jets after regulators capped output of the competing Boeing 737 following a door-plug blowout. Airbus is due to give a delivery upd […]

Greece approves purchase of 35 Blackhawk helicopters AVIATION NEWS International Aviation News, Airshow reports, Aircraft facts, worlds largest Aviation Museum database. Civillian, Military & Space, We cover it All Posted By: Rob Vogelaar April 3, 2024 ATHENS, April 3 (Reuters) – Greece has approved the purchase of 35 UH-60M Blackhawk helicopters from U.S defence contractor Lockheed Martin Corp in an effort to modernize its armed forces, two people with knowledge of the deal told Reuters. “The deal passed by the parliament’s committee is to buy 35 helicopters for 1.15 billion euros ($1.24 billion),” a government official told Reuters. A second person confirmed the approva […]

Lockheed Martin Conducts Historic LRASM Flight Test AVIATION NEWS International Aviation News, Airshow reports, Aircraft facts, worlds largest Aviation Museum database. Civillian, Military & Space, We cover it All Posted By: Rob Vogelaar April 4, 2024 Orlando, Fla., April 3, 2024 – The U.S. Navy in partnership with Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] successfully conducted a historic Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) flight test with four missiles simultaneously in flight. During the 12th Integrated Test Event (ITE-12), the U.S. Navy was able to demonstrate the weapon’s inherent high-end lethality from mission planning through kill chain integration and its effects on the target. All mission objectives were met, reinforcing high confidence in the weapon’s capabilities and superior firepower. “We have continued to invest in the design and development of LRASM’s anti-surface warfare capabilities to ensure that warfighters have the 21st century security solutions they need to complete their missions and come home safely,” said Lisbeth Vogelpohl, LRASM program director at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “This event was a testament to our commitment to deliver reliable products that work each and every time, ensuring those who serve stay ahead of ready.” ITE-12 was the next ‘big-step’ in LRASM’s evolution. The successful test was a graduation exercise for the missiles’ latest configuration and lays the foundation for increased capabilities to come. As a member of the AGM-158 family of cruise missiles, LRASM delivers long-range, highly survivable and lethal capability against highly defended surface combatants that no other weapon in the inventory can provi […]

Lunar Dawn Team Awarded NASA Lunar Terrain Vehicle Contract AVIATION NEWS International Aviation News, Airshow reports, Aircraft facts, worlds largest Aviation Museum database. Civillian, Military & Space, We cover it All Lunar Outpost teams with Lockheed Martin and Industry to develop a human-rated Moon rover as part of the agency’s Artemis campaign DENVER, April 3, 2024 – NASA has awarded a Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services (LTVS) contract to the Lunar Dawn team, led by Lunar Outpost as the prime contractor along with its principal partner Lockheed Martin and teammates General Motors (GM), The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, and MDA Space. The diverse team combines proven robotic and human space exploration heritage, cutting edge technology and automotive industry strengths to create a true off-road vehicle for living and working on the Moon’s surface. The Mission This next-generation Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) will enable the exploration of the surface of the Moon in unprecedented fashion as part of NASA’s Artemis campaign. It will dramatically extend the range that astronauts can travel from their landing sites as they perform high-priority science investigations on the Moon. When not in use by NASA, the LTV will provide commercial services, contributing to a more accessible and sustainable cislunar economy. “Surface mobility is a critical capability for humanity’s future in space, and Lunar Outpost looks forward to driving value in the cislunar economy by providing a reliable, safe and capable vehicle that will be used to provide mobility to Artemis astronauts and perform critical missions autonomously on the Moon for commercial endeavors,” said Lunar Outpost CEO, Justin Cyrus. “We look forward to leveraging the strengths of Lockheed Martin, a company with extensive human and advanced space systems experience, and our other industry teammates, GM, Goodyear and MDA Space, to provide an unparalleled technical offering at a commercially viable price point.” The Vehicle The Lunar Dawn LTV will afford Artemis astronauts with an exceptional experience rooted in safety and convenience, including a flight deck-forward design that provides expansive views for navigating the challenging lunar environment. “These unique technologies will enable the future of critical infrastructure required for a sustainable presence in space where humans can live, work far from Earth,” said Kirk Shireman, vice president of Lunar Exploration Campaigns at Lockheed Martin. “Lockheed Martin is thrilled to be combining expertise with a diverse set of companies to embark on this next generation rover that will expand exploration and our understanding of the lunar surface.” The Lunar Dawn team’s vehicle exceeds all the requirements set forth by NASA and was designed with mission growth capability in mind. Several of the vehicle’s capabilities and features include: Advanced autonomous navigation and operation, with or without astronauts onboard. Capabilities for robust and diverse commercial use, including a reconfigurable cargo bed that allows for the changing of payloads with its robust robotic arm. The ability to not only survive, but to operate, during the two-week long lunar nights with temperatures down to -280 degrees Fahrenheit; this novel technology extends mission life from days to many years […]