July 9, 2024 | International, Security
September 18, 2019 | International, Aerospace
New deal moves Britain’s Protector drone closer to civilian airspace approval
By: Sebastian Sprenger
COLOGNE, Germany — General Atomics has nabbed a $125 million contract from the United Kingdom to make that country's Protector military strike drone certifiable to fly alongside civilian traffic, pushing the company's agenda to be first in Europe with such a system.
The money will help “complete” test and evaluation activities needed to demonstrate all safety features leading up to an eventual certification of the aircraft by British authorities, the company said in a statement.
Pairing drones with civil aviation in the same, unrestricted airspace involves a complex field of still-evolving regulations. In short, unmanned planes must be equipped with sensors and controls — collectively known under the name “detect-and-avoid” — to be able to avert midair collisions just a like a human pilot would.
“This completes another important milestone as we work towards the delivery of Protector to the Royal Air Force (RAF),” General Atomics CEO Linden Blue is quoted as saying in a company statement. “We have completed more than 100 qualification test flights using our two company-owned SkyGuardian.”
The British Royal Air Force is slated to receive the first Protector drones in 2024, according to a service statement released during the DSEI defense exhibit in London last week. Installing a detect-and-avoid package on the aircraft became an explicit objective of the program early this year. General Atomics officials said they are working toward a so-called military-type certification by the British authorities in the summer of 2023.
According to General Atomics, the company's detect-and-avoid system consists of a “due-regard” air-to-air radar and processor, which is integrated with a “Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS II),” and an “Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B).” The Protector also will feature all-weather performance with lightning protection, damage tolerance and a de-icing system, the statement reads.
The company hopes the sale of certification-ready drones to the U.K., plus a similar deal with Belgium, will jump-start sales on the continent just as unmanned aviation reaches further into military and everyday life.
While General Atomics believes its previous work with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration will translate into a tangible advantage, European manufacturers are busy readying their own drones for the challenge.
One industry insider, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there is a trans-Atlantic rift emerging when it comes to the regulatory framework for integrating large military drones into routine air traffic. On one side, companies like General Atomics are pushing toward a unified approach on both sides of the Atlantic, while manufacturers in Europe are circling the wagons to push a uniquely European path that could make it difficult for the Americans to gain a foothold.
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November 19, 2019 | International, Aerospace
Embraer et Boeing annoncent le C-390 Millenium.
Le biréacteur de transport militaire, qui se pose en remplaçant du C-130 Hercules, fait l'objet d'une première joint-venture entre les deux avionneurs américains. Il est important de noter que l'annonce s'est faite pendant le salon de Dubaï sous l'égide de Boeing Embraer-Defense, co-entreprise (joint-venture) créée par les deux avionneurs pour la commercialisation de l'appareil. La JV sera possédée à 51% par le partenaire brésilien. Une deuxième JV, baptisée cette fois Boeing Brasil – Commercial et portant sur la gamme commerciale d'Embraer, doit voir le jour dans les semaines à venir et sera possédée cette fois à 80% par Boeing. Mais revenons au Millenium... En enlevant la lettre « K » et la capacité de ravitaillement en vol à son KC-390, Embraer offre désormais un appareil plus léger et moins coûteux à la clientèle miliaire, pour les missions de transport tactique. L'avion ne perd rien de sa polyvalence en matière de transport et de parachutage ni de ses capacités d'évolution sur les terrains sommaires. Le KC-390 a été certifié par les autorités brésiliennes en 2018 et le premier appareil de série a été livré à la force aérienne brésilienne le 4 septembre dernier. La livraison du deuxième, sur une commande de 28 appareils notifiée au lancement du programme, en 2010, devrait intervenir avant la fin de l'année. Le Portugal a quant à lui signé en août dernier pour cinq avions livrables à partir de 2023. https://www.aerobuzz.fr/breves-defense/embraer-et-boeing-annoncent-le-c-390-millenium/?page_b=2
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April 13, 2021 | International, Aerospace
La Corée du Sud présente au monde son avion de combat de 5ème génération - Aerobuzz
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