Bell reveals Aircraft Laboratory for Future Autonomy and FBW operations
Fort Worth-based helicopter manufacturer Bell Textron Inc has revealed its Aircraft Laboratory for Future Autonomy (ALFA). Developed by the company’s Advanced Programs team, ALFA is dedicated to performing flight manoeuvres with an aircraft safety system and executing autonomous fly-by-wire flights. The aircraft completed its first flight at Bell’s Commercial Assembly and Delivery Centre in Mirabel,…
Airbus finalises acquisition of Aerovel and its UAS Flexrotor
Toulouse-based Airbus has finalised the acquisition of Bingen, Washington-based Uncrewed Air System (UAS) manufacturer Aerovel and its Flexrotor UAS in a move to strengthen its portfolio of tactical unmanned solutions. Flexrotor is a small tactical UAS designed for Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions at sea and over land. “We see more and…
AeroVironment’s Switchblade 600 selected for Pentagon’s Replicator initiative
Arlington, Virginia-based AeroVironment’s Switchblade 600 loitering munition has been selected for Tranche 1 of the first iteration of the US Department of Defense’s (DoD) Replicator initiative. The AeroVironment (AV) Switchblade 600 is a man-portable, extended-range loitering munition system equipped with an anti-armour warhead for engaging large, hardened targets at distance. The first iteration of the…
Anduril announces Pulsar family of AI-Enabled EW systems
California-based defence contractor Anduril Industries has announced Pulsar, an agile software-defined EW system that can swiftly adapt to changing threats and mission needs in all domains. Although it is believed to have been in service for some time, the system’s appearance at SOF Week in Tampa, Florida, was the first public disclosure of Pulsar. Anduril…
HyImpulse launches from Southern Launch’s Koonibba range
Heilbronn-based German rocket manufacturer HyImpulse has successfully conducted the maiden launch of its SR75 rocket from Southern Launch’s Koonibba Test Range in South Australia in a milestone achievement for commercial launch capabilities in Australia. The single-stage SR75 rocket, which reached an altitude of 50km, is one of the largest commercially launched rockets in Australian history.…
NG’s Manta Ray UUV prototype completes in-water testing
Northrop Grumman’s Manta Ray prototype Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (UUV) built by has completed full-scale, in-water testing off the coast of Southern California says the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The test program demonstrated at-sea hydrodynamic performance, including submerged operations using all the vehicle’s modes of propulsion and steering: buoyancy, propellers, and control surfaces.…
