Latest Briefs and News

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Application Briefs
Unmanned Systems

Latest Stories

Application Briefs
Aerospace

The New Airbus Wingman Aircraft

Airbus presented a new prototype Wingman concept aircraft at the 2024 International Aerospace Exhibition ILA in Berlin. Read on to learn all about it.

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Application Briefs
Aerospace

Persistent German Airborne Surveillance System

Hensoldt, Lufthansa Technik Defense, and Bombardier Defense provided a significant program update on the highly-specialized modification work on the Persistent German Airborne Surveillance System (PEGASUS) aircraft at the 2024 Berlin Air Show. Read on to learn more.

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Application Briefs
Manufacturing & Prototyping

Developing the UK’s First Hypersonic Missile

Ninety total organizations – large and small – from across industry and academia have secured a place on a £1 billion transformational Hypersonic Technologies & Capability Development Framework (HTCDF) agreement set up to rapidly develop advanced hypersonic missile capabilities for the U.K. Read on to learn more.

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Aerospace

AI Algorithms Pilot X-62A in First Aerial Dogfight

The U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School (TPS) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency have reported another major breakthrough for the artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms or “agents” that have been flying their modified F-16 test aircraft known as VISTA X-62A in a series of flight tests since 2022.

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Application Briefs
Aerospace

Morphing Aircraft Systems

Inspired by natural phenomena, a Purdue research team is developing morphing systems for hypersonic vehicles that respond to their environment.

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Application Briefs
Manned Systems

Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile Flight Test

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.

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Application Briefs
Manned Systems

Final Delta IV Heavy Rocket Launched

This launch marks the end of an era as it is the final Delta IV Heavy rocket and the end of the Delta program. The NROL-70 mission puts into orbit a national security payload that will deliver critical space-based information to our nation’s warfighters, intelligence analysts, and decision makers.

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Application Briefs
Manufacturing & Prototyping

Lilium Starts Production of eVTOL Jet Batteries

The company describes its battery back as comprised of lithium-ion cells with silicon-dominant anodes that will allow for higher energy, power, and fast-charging capabilities than graphite anode cells. The battery packs are being designed to meet EASA’s aircraft safety requirements.

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Application Briefs
Unmanned Systems

UAV In-Flight Software Upgrades

During a recent demonstration, Collins Aerospace and Parasanti proved they could use UAVs to install software upgrades on other UAVs to update them in-flight.

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Application Briefs
Defense

Five Missile-Tracking Satellites Launched

Five missile-tracking satellites designed and manufactured by L3Harris Technologies launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida in February, as part of the Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS) program and the Space Development Agency’s (SDA) Tranche 0 (T0) Tracking Layer program.

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Application Briefs
Power

Airbus to Fly Prototype eVTOL This Year

The CityAirbus NextGen prototype electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft made its public debut during an unveiling ceremony in Donauwörth, Germany on March 7, 2024.

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Application Briefs
Manufacturing & Prototyping

Flight Testing Microvanes and Riblets

The Air Force Operational Energy Office (SAF/IE), the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), and the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) have partnered together in seeking well-developed, commercially viable technologies to reduce drag, and therefore fuel consumption, on a number of USAF legacy aircraft, including the C-17 Globemaster III, C-130 Hercules, and KC-135 Stratotanker.

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Application Briefs
Robotics, Automation & Control

Grip Tab Active Controllers

Advanced Technology International has issued a $2.67 million contract to AeroVironment for the production of its Tomahawk Grip Tab Active (Grip TA) controllers, that will be managed by the U.S. Marine Corps Warfighting Lab (MCWL).

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Application Briefs
Electronics & Computers

MQ-25 Vehicle Management Computer Upgrade

The MQ-25 is the Navy’s carrier-based unmanned aircraft that is tasked with performing aerial refueling missions that were previously managed by F/A-18 aircraft. The next generation vehicle management computer controls all flight surfaces and performs overall vehicle management duties for the MQ-25.

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Application Briefs
Manned Systems

New Satellite Connectivity for Air Force Research Aircraft

Intelsat will supply new satellite connectivity terminals on several different U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) aircraft, according to a Feb. 14 announcement by the satellite network operator.

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Application Briefs
Aerospace

Predictive Engine Maintenance

The Army has designed the T901 Improved Turbine Engine to be compliant with Prognostic and Predictive Maintenance (PPMx) technologies. PPMx, a predictive maintenance strategy based on relevant data, helps to increase operational readiness by identifying potential maintenance issues and part failures before they occur.

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Application Briefs
Defense

Next Generation Air and Missile Defense Radar

Raytheon recently completed another successful live-fire demonstration of the advanced, 360-degree Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS).

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Application Briefs
Aerospace

Advanced Air Mobility Digital Operations Center

AFWERX is partnering with NASA to develop a digital operations center for future Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) efforts through the Civilian Commercialization Readiness Pilot Program, or CCRPP, awardee, ResilienX.

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Application Briefs
Power

Hybrid Electric Aircraft Demonstrator

After several years of travelling between Tarbes and Toulouse on a regular basis to oversee EcoPulse’s development, Airbus Project Leader William Llobregat found himself back onsite in November 2023 with his team, and those of Daher and Safran. The occasion? The first EcoPulse test flight.

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Application Briefs
Defense

Autonomous Navigation Kits

Defense Innovation UnitWashington D.C. info@DIU.milwww.DIU.mil The Department of Defense (DoD) operates a vast array of military vehicles crucial for both sustainment and combat operations. Traditionally, these...

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Application Briefs
Materials

Cold Spray Technology

Naval Air Systems CommandNaval Air Station North Island, CA(619) 545-3415www.navair.navy.mil In the realm of naval aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul, a transformative technology is taking flight. At the heart...

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Application Briefs
Manned Systems

RS-25 Rocket Engines

Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company, recently completed installation of all four RS-25 main engines on the core stage of NASA’s second Space Launch System (SLS) exploration rocket, binding them to a common destiny: launching humans beyond low Earth orbit for the first time in more than five decades.

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Application Briefs
Photonics/Optics

Quantum Sensing Atomic Gyroscope

The Defense Science Board identified three areas of quantum technology that will be most relevant to the DoD's technological superiority: sensing, encryption, and communications.

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Application Briefs
Manned Systems

New CFM56 High Pressure Turbine Blades

CFM International has introduced a new design for High-Pressure Turbine blades featured on the CFM56 engine, one of the most widely used engines on thousands of in-service commercial and military aircraft, including the Airbus A320 and the Next Generation Boeing 737.

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Application Briefs
Aerospace

Air Force Receives First Joby eVTOL

The U.S. Air Force received its first electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft from Joby Aviation six months ahead of the expected 2024 delivery date. The delivery was completed during a September ceremony at Edwards Air Force Base.

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Application Briefs
Aerospace

AI Algorithms Fly Valkyrie XQ-58A

Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) engineers and researchers used artificial intelligence (AI) agents or algorithms to fly an unmanned XQ-58A Valkyrie aircraft on a three-hour sortie during a July 25 demonstration at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.

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Application Briefs
Aerospace

Mobile Counter Unmanned Aircraft System

Teledyne FLIR Defense has signed a contract with Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, Norway to provide its Cerberus XL mobile counter-unmanned aerial system as part of a total C-UAS solution for Ukraine.

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Application Briefs
Aerospace

Anthem Flight Deck First Flight

Honeywell Aerospace completed the first flight of its Honeywell Anthem integrated flight deck using a Pilatus PC-12 test aircraft. Although Honeywell Anthem has been in flight test for more than a year and has accumulated more than 120 hours of flight time, this flight was the first managed by the next-generation avionics system.

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Application Briefs
Communications

5G OSIRIS Testing

Lockheed Martin delivered the final Phase 1 Initial Prototype 5G testbed variant for the Open Systems Interoperable and Reconfigurable Infrastructure Solution to the Marine Corps program management team aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, CA, to begin mobile network experimentation.

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