Northop Grumman and Bell Helicopter are partnering to develop a medium range vertical unmanned aerial system (VUAS) based on Bell’s 407 light single helicopter. To be known as Fire-X, the optionally manned VUAS will integrate the unmanned systems architecture developed by Northrop Grumman for the US Navy’s MQ-8B Fire Scout program. The Fire-X will be
Lockheed Martin’s executive vice president and JSF program general manager, Dan Crowley, has been promoted to the newly created position of chief operating officer of the company’s Aeronautics sector. Crowley, who worked in partnership with fellow program executive vice president and JSF program general manager, Tom Burbage, will be succeeded by F-22 program manager Larry
The B-1B Lancer bomber, more colloquially known as the ‘Bone’ as a play on its B-1 designation, celebrated 25 years in USAF service on April 29. Originally designed and built by Rockwell (since merged into Boeing) at Palmdale north of Los Angeles, the first supersonic B-1B entered service on April 29 1985. Rockwell built 100
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) has unveiled the Sea Avenger carrier based derivative of its jet powered Predator-C Avenger designed to fulfill a US Navy requirement for an unmanned carrier launched airborne surveillance and strike system. The UAS (unmanned aerial system) concept is in response to a US Navy RFI which was issued on April
The General Electric and Rolls-Royce team developing the alternate F136 engine for the F-35 JSF program has announced it has offered the Pentagon a fixed price offer for the engine. An April 28 release says the offer intends to “create and accelerate competition” between the program’s two engines, the other being the Pratt & Whitney
Airbus Military has commenced conversion work on the first of three A330 MRTT tankers for the United Arab Emirates, meaning MRTT conversion work is now underway aircraft for the type’s four customers, which also includes Australia, the UK and Saudi Arabia. Like Australia, the UAE and Saudi aircraft will be configured with a centreline boom
