Army tweaking major software effort to be more commercial friendly

On the same subject

• 

  November 13, 2019 | International, Aerospace

  Leonardo invests in ‘fully electric’ Skydweller drone

  By: Tom Kington ROME — Leonardo will be the leading investor in a new solar-powered drone capable of carrying an 800-pound payload and which will fly for the first time in 2021, the Italian defense company said Monday. The Skydweller drone, initially developed by an American-Spanish startup involving Northrop Grumman experts, will be “the world's first fully electric unmanned aircraft capable of carrying large payloads with unlimited range and ultra-persistent endurance,” the firm said. Skydweller will also be free from the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations, with Leonardo acting as the “main industrial partner,” a spokesman said, as well as prime contractor for sales to Italy, the U.K., Poland and NATO. The system will comply with European export laws and will not be subject to ITAR, allowing “the aircraft to satisfy government and commercial needs around the world,” Leonardo said. Skydweller is based on the Solar Impulse 2, a solar-powered aircraft developed by Swiss engineers that flew around the world in 17 flights during 2015 and 2016. Developers see the Skydweller as pushing the limits for payloads for solar flight, while operating at medium altitudes — lower than the high altitudes for which such aircraft have usually been designed, and allowing onboard sensors and transmitters to operate at closer range to the ground. Aimed at civil and military customers, the drone is expected to offer surveillance, communications and navigation capabilities, and be interoperable with existing air bases. Development and construction of the new aircraft is to take place in Spain's Castilla-La Mancha region. Leonardo plans to create a dedicated engineering team following its entry into the program as an investor, the firm said. The first phase of the program will involve converting the manned Solar Impulse 2 into an optionally piloted vehicle with autonomous flights planned for next year. https://www.defensenews.com/unmanned/2019/11/12/leonardo-invests-in-fully-electric-skydweller-drone/

• 

  March 13, 2024 | International, Aerospace

  Pentagon clears F-35 for full-rate production

  The decision came almost six months after the F-35 finished a series of Joint Simulation Environment tests.

• 

  May 6, 2019 | International, Aerospace, C4ISR

  Thales Alenia Space and Maxar Consortium Achieve Significant Milestone for Telesat’s LEO Satellite Constellation

  CANNES, France & WESTMINSTER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Thales Alenia Space, a Joint Venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%) and Maxar Technologies (NYSE: MAXR) (TSX: MAXR), have completed an important milestone for the Telesat LEO constellation. Our solution leverages both Maxar and Thales Alenia Space's experience in building LEO constellations and also integrates advanced technologies from Maxar's MDA business. The consortium has now significantly advanced their detailed, low-risk designs for the complete LEO system, including system optimization, requirements development, engineering trade-offs and technology prototyping to establish mature and compelling designs for Telesat LEO's space, ground and user terminal segments. As previously announced, Telesat selected the consortium of Thales Alenia Space and Maxar, as one of two contractors for its LEO system design phase to design an end-to-end communications system, including satellites, landing stations, user terminals, operations centers, and ground network. In January, the consortium, led by Thales Alenia Space, announced the success of the System Requirements Review. The Thales Alenia Space / Maxar design for Telesat LEO is based on the combined companies' proven experience, industrial capability and a strong supplier base for fully integrated communications satellite systems, including payload antenna design, on-board processing, optical inter-satellite links and LEO satellite production. This milestone is the result of fruitful and efficient teamwork between the two commercial companies. “Together with Maxar, we bring a strong expertise in integrated systems, high throughput payloads, advanced antennas and processors, as well as production heritage for constellations of high technology satellites. Leveraging the flight proven success of sophisticated constellations deployed by Thales Alenia Space, we are confident to enable Telesat LEO to deliver low-risk, breakthrough performance and affordability dedicated to broadband services around the world,” declared Martin Van Schaik, Senior VP Sales and Marketing Thales Alenia Space. “Achieving this milestone demonstrates the success of Maxar's close collaboration with Thales Alenia Space and highlights the progress we've made in our innovative and low-risk design for Telesat's LEO constellation. Our solution leverages both Maxar and Thales Alenia Space's experience in building LEO constellations and also integrates advanced technologies from Maxar's MDA business,” said Megan Fitzgerald, Maxar's Senior Vice President and General Manager of Space Solutions. “For over 60 years, Maxar has helped to address many of the world's most challenging communications requirements, delivering some of the most complex, powerful and highest capacity satellite systems, and building a better, more connected world.” The operations of DigitalGlobe, SSL and Radiant Solutions were unified under the Maxar brand in February; MDA continues to operate as an independent business unit within the Maxar organization. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190506005173/en