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June 2, 2020 - The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) awards SPECTO Aerospace a three years contract for the provision of rotor blade repair services to support NATO nations' AH-64 helicopter fleets. SPECTO, located at the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) base in Woensdrecht The Netherlands, is specialized in the maintenance and repair of civil and military helicopter rotor blades. The military Part 145 approval for the RNLAF includes the NH-90, AS-532, CH-47 and AH-64 helicopter types. Furthermore Boeing authorized SPECTO for rotor blade maintenance of the Chinook and Apache helicopters. The workshop of SPECTO at the RNLAF base is fully equipped for the overhaul of rotor blades, including painting, static balancing and release to service (EASA/FAA Form1 / Def Form 1). About NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA): The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) brings together in a single organization, acquisition, logistic, medical and infrastructural capabilities, operational and systems support and services to the NATO nations, NATO Military Authorities and partner nations. As NATO's primary enabler, the Agency's mission is to provide effective and cost-efficient multinational solutions to its stakeholders. About SPECTO: SPECTO Aerospace specializes in composite and sheet metal repair services for primary and secondary Fixed & Rotary wing aircraft components. The company has two state-of-the-art maintenance facilities, focusing on Rotor Blades for helicopters at Woensdrecht Air Base and Radomes, Flight Control Surfaces, Nacelle- and Structure parts for fixed wing aircraft at Amsterdam Lelystad Airport. SPECTO is an EASA/FAA/TCCA/MAA-Part 145 repair station and certified according to AS9100, AS9110 and ISO9001. View source version on SPECTO Aerospace: https://www.spectoaerospace.com/specto-aerospace-wins-nato-contract/l72c3

Steve Trimble May 27, 2020 This was supposed to be a relatively easy year for Lockheed Martin's F-35 production. As 2020 began, the stealth fighter program's three-year growth spurt had subsided after annual deliveries more than doubled between 2017 and 2019. Lockheed planned to deliver 141 F-35s in 2020, only seven more than in 2019. But the F-35 supply chain is not immune from the global disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. After signaling during a first quarter earnings call in April that a production slowdown was likely, Lockheed confirmed the impact on May 19. The company issued a new forecast of 117-124 F-35 deliveries this year. If Lockheed is unable to recover in the second half, the slowdown would mark the first year-over-year decrease in F-35 deliveries since the program began. “However, we will accelerate production when we return to pre-COVID-19 conditions and could see this number decrease,” the company says. The company's new financial guidance reflects the lower F-35 delivery total, with net sales for the year falling to a range of $62.25-64 billion from $62.75-64.25 billion. Other large F-35 suppliers include Northrop Grumman (center fuselage, radar), Raytheon Technologies (engine, distributed aper-ture system) and BAE Systems (aft fuselage, electronic warfare suite). It was not immediately clear which customers and variants would be affected by the potential shortfall of 18-24 F-35 deliveries in 2020. The Defense Department is closely watching the F-35, its single-largest production system. So far, senior acquisition officials expect the overall impact of the novel coronavirus on weapon system production to be manageable. But the Pentagon leadership considers the military aircraft industry an exception. Although demand and domestic U.S. military spending remain intact, the military aviation supply chain's links to the collapsing commercial aircraft market is causing delays. “I think [military] aviation has had a more acute sensitivity to supplier disruptions, largely driven by the massive upheaval in the commercial aviation market,” said James Geurts, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition. “Many of the aerospace companies were blended between military and commercial, and with commercial just falling through the floor, their abilities to stay open and keep their workforce has been a little bit more challenged.” Another sector Geurts is watching is the market for command, control, communications and computers and intelligence (C4I). “We're trying to track all of it,” he says. “But the most immediate impact we've seen has been on aviation.” Lockheed's F-35 assembly line in Fort Worth was hit hard by the COVID outbreak in mid-April. One employee, Claude Daniels, died after reporting COVID-19-related symptoms to a supervisor. Another F-35 employee, who survived, broadcast a Facebook Live video from his hospital bed, pleading with his unionized co-workers to sanitize their workspaces even if it is not in their job description. The company's management has said that the F-35 assembly line adopted new protocols in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which included regularly sanitizing equipment and quarantining employees exposed by co-workers or others to the virus. The COVID-19 response is not the only pressure on the F-35's production system. Lockheed exceeded the overall delivery target by three aircraft in 2019, but slower production of the less mature F-35C airframe nearly caused the company to miss the annual goal. To compensate, Lockheed moved up deliveries of four F-35As originally scheduled for 2020 to the end of 2019, allowing the company to beat the delivery target by three aircraft instead of missing it by one. Before the impact of the virus, the F-35's global supply chain was already strained by the three-year production ramp-up from 2017 to 2019. Late part deliveries jumped to 10,000 in 2019 from 2,000 in 2017, according to a May report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Monthly parts shortages, meanwhile, leaped to 8,000 in July 2019 from 875 a year before, the GAO says. The shortages represent a fraction of the 300,000 parts in each F-35, but the trend offered a glimpse of the pressure on the supply chain to meet demand during the ramp-up. https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/supply-chain/covid-19-infects-defense-industry-f-35-production-slowdown

May 28, 2020 - Aviation's Design and Completions (D&C) team in Rome is the first in the world to install Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) technology on a Viking Air CL-415, also known as a Canadair. The system transmits the aircraft's precise location, speed and direction to control towers and other enabled aircraft, allowing for safer operations and a more efficient flow of air traffic. This important milestone was made official with the Supplemental Type Certificate being awarded by the European Aviation Safety Agency. The technology will become mandatory from 7 June 2020. Babcock provides a national firefighting service in Italy using a fleet of 19 Canadair and over 100 experienced pilots to battle wildfires across Italy. The installation of the ADS-B technology on the largest fleet of Canadair in the world is a vital step to continuing this important service. “We are proud that our team was the first to obtain this precious result, which represents a great achievement for Italy”, said Marco Scarpelli, Head of Design Organisation of Babcock Italia and head of D&C. “It represents a milestone in the technological development of the Canadairs, since this technology will ensure greater safety for the aircraft and air traffic.” View source version on Babcock Italia : https://www.babcockinternational.com/news/babcock-italy-are-first-in-the-world-to-install-ads-b-out-technology-on-canadair/

May 29, 2020 - Rolls-Royce is to supply complete MTU propulsion systems for five new Type 31 general-purpose frigates for the Royal Navy. In total, the order comprises of 40 engines and generator sets to be used for main propulsion and on-board power generation, the MTU Callosum propulsion control and monitoring system, and Integrated Logistics Support (ILS). Each new frigate will be powered by four MTU 20V 8000 M71 engines, each delivering over 8,000 kW. On-board power will be provided on each vessel by four MTU generator sets based on 16V 2000 M41B units, each delivering in excess of 900 kW. In September 2021, Rolls-Royce will deliver the first shipset comprising four main propulsion engines and four generator sets to prime contractor Babcock International Group. Integrated Logistics Support for propulsion and onboard power systems will ensure efficient and cost-effective maintenance throughout their entire service life. It is expected that the MTU Callosum propulsion control and monitoring system will be officially added to the supply contract very shortly. Sean Donaldson, Managing Director for Energy & Marine at Babcock International, said: “We're delighted to welcome Rolls-Royce with its MTU solutions as a supplier to our Type 31 Programme. Its engines and on-board generator sets are already proving their mettle in numerous comparable vessels worldwide.” Knut Müller, Vice President Marine & Defense at Rolls-Royce business unit Power Systems, said: “We're very proud of the fact that Babcock International Group has opted for MTU propulsion and on-board power solutions on this highly significant project. MTU products now feature in almost all current and future projects of the Royal Navy. That is impressive proof of the trust our British partners place in us and of the reliability and flexibility of our products.” The Royal Navy relies on Rolls-Royce propulsion solutions across its surface and submarine fleets. MTU Series 2000, 4000 and 8000 units will feature in future in most Royal Navy warships – in destroyers (Type 45), all frigate classes (Type 23, 26, 31) and submarines (Astute class). Press photos are available for download from https://www.mtu-solutions.com/eu/en/news-and-media/media-center.html View source version on Rolls-Royce: https://www.rolls-royce.com/media/press-releases/2020/29-05-2020-rr-seals-major-contract-covering-complete-mtu-propulsion-systems.aspx

May 29, 2020 - A Eurofighter flight test campaign dedicated to the configuration chosen by Kuwait, with E-SCAN radar and other important enhancements, is certainly demanding and complex. Mario Mutti, Head of Project Test Pilot Fighters and Standardization of Leonardo's Aircraft Division, tells us how it is proceeding. Leonardo ISPA 6 (Instrumented Series Production Aircraft) is the most advanced Eurofighter Typhoon test aircraft with E-SCAN radar and it recently joined the other EF Typhoon test aircraft after the successful completion of an important lay-up in November last year. "The testing campaign for the new radar is particularly demanding - Mario Mutti, Head of Project Test Pilot Fighters and Standardization of Leonardo's Aircraft Division tells - there is a need for very large and dedicated work areas, the support of other aircraft that act as "smart" targets, an extremely accurate post-flight data analysis that involves multiple sites (in Italy and partner Countries) and optimizes the "set-ups" of the next flight. A very complex flight test system. The Italian Air Force contributes in a fundamental way: the aircraft available in support of test flights are always on time and offer a very consistent capability both quantitative and in terms of skill. The complex scenarios planned in flight are possible only thanks to the experience of the military pilots and our two-seater prototype that allows for synergy, even in the cockpit, between test pilot and flight test engineer." This challenging programme was completed as planned notwithstanding the difficulties created by the pandemic conditions under which the teams were operating; all flight test points were tested and all the required evidences obtained to provide final clearance on Kuwait's Typhoon. The tactical advantage given by the radar's Antenna Repositioner – allows a field of regard 50 per cent wider than conventional E-SCAN fixed plate systems - was clearly evident since the early stages of development. "The COVID emergency did not stop us, on the contrary, it strengthened us! - Mutti continues - Very stringent procedures, always in line with national and corporate protocols allowed us to operate with a motivated team that has challenged adversity with great dedication and sense of responsibility. International sharing is actually more difficult and efforts are being made to restore it to maximum effectiveness." With the above flights, ISPA6 has completed the overall P3Eb Flight Test campaign, which represent a significant step forward to allow the delivery of the Eurofighter to the Kuwait Air Force. "The Eurofighter is always an excellent platform – Mutti comments with satisfaction - and demonstrates its extensive development capability already foreseen in the design phase. Ergonomics are even more optimized and the new radar is perfectly integrated into a general growth of capabilities that includes sensors, weapons and increasingly advanced and performing functions”. The Eurofighter Typhoon ISPA 6 ISPA 6 is one of the three EF Typhoon test aircraft equipped with the Electronic Scan Radar made by the EuroRadar Consortium, led by Leonardo UK in Edinburgh, and it's currently allocated to the EF/NETMA P3Eb (Eurofighter Consortium/NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency - Phase 3 Enhancements Package b) development programme to perform E-SCAN Entry Into Service flight tests and provide final clearance to the Kuwait customer. After its first flight in the current configuration, at the end of last year, on the 3rd of March ISPA 6 started the so-called “E-SCAN XCR#1” flight test campaign and performed several sorties successfully concluded on the 27th of March. The first sorties were performed in cooperation with Leonardo's IPA2 (Instrumented Production Aircraft) test aircraft and the last ones were conducted in cooperation with Eurofighter Typhoons of the Italian Air Force. Recently ISPA 6 has flown to refine ECCM (Electronic Counter-Countermeasures) Radar capabilities, while in the next months will perform final E-SCAN software release certification flights; then will progress flying to test further E-SCAN software capabilities by the end of the year. View source version on Leonardo: https://www.leonardocompany.com/en/news-and-stories-detail/-/detail/eurofighter-flight-tests-continue-with-the-e-scan-radar

Marietta, Ga., May 29, 2020 — Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) recently delivered the first KC-130J Super Hercules tanker assigned to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 452 (VMGR-452), the Marine Forces Reserve squadron at Stewart Air National Guard Base, New York. A U.S. Marine Corps crew ferried the aircraft from Lockheed Martin's facility here on May 28 to the aircraft's new home. VMGR-452 is the second Marine Reserve squadron to operate KC-130Js and this delivery signifies the recapitalization of the squadron's existing KC-130T fleet. VMGR-452 — known as the Yankees — has operated Hercules tankers for more than 30 years, flying KC-130s in support of Operations Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. “The KC-130 Hercules tanker has been a pivotal part of Marine Corps aviation operations since 1960, a relationship that began with the KC-130F and R-models, transitioned to the KC-130T and continues now with the KC-130J Super Hercules,” said Rod McLean, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin's Air Mobility & Maritime Missions line of business. “Our C-130 team knows this delivery is significant and represents increased capability for VMGR-452. We are proud to support our Marine aviation partners as they continue to be ‘first to fight'." KC-130s are operated in support of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) commander by providing tactical in-flight refueling for fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and tilt-rotor aircraft; aviation delivered ground refueling of aircraft or tactical vehicles; assault air transport or air-landed or aerial-delivered (parachute) personnel and equipment; pathfinder support, battlefield illumination; tactical aeromedical evacuation; and tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel support. The proven and battle-tested KC-130J builds on the Hercules' proven tanker refueling system while taking full advantage of the tremendous technological and performance enhancements found only in a Super Hercules. Compared to legacy models, the KC-130J delivers increased speed and fuel efficiency, improved payload/range capabilities, an integrated defensive suite, automated maintenance fault reporting, high-altitude ramp and door hydraulics, and unmatched situational awareness with its digital avionics and dual Head Up Displays. The KC-130J is one of nine production variants of the C-130J Super Hercules, the current production model of the legendary C-130 Hercules aircraft. With 460+ aircraft delivered, the C‑130J is the airlifter of choice for 20 nations. The global Super Hercules fleet has more than 2 million flight hours of experience supporting almost any mission requirement — anytime, anywhere. The U.S. Marine Corps has the distinction of operating the largest KC-130J Super Hercules fleet in the world. This delivery continues the U.S. government's transition to the C-130J as the common platform across Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard. For additional information, visit: www.lockheedmartin.com/c130 About Lockheed Martin Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 110,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services View source version on Lockheed Martin: https://news.lockheedmartin.com/lockheed-martin-delivers-first-kc-130j-super-hercules-tanker-us-marine-corps-reserve-squadron-stewart-angb-new-york

Cedar Rapids, Iowa, June 1, 2020 – The Royal Air Force (RAF) has selected the Collins Aerospace Systems FasTAK™ Gateway to advance its tactical data link capabilities on the ground as part of the RAF's Air Support Operations Squadron Digital Command and Control experimentation program. The FasTAK Gateway makes it possible to share a tactical view to all connected air, ground and maritime units. Collins Aerospace is a unit of Raytheon Technologies Corp. (NYSE: RTX). “The FasTAK Gateway provides an affordable, complete Link 16 data link picture to tactical ground users and its modular design and software-driven integration approach enables Collins to reconfigure the system to add new data links in the future,” said Heather Robertson, vice president and general manager, Integrated Solutions for Collins Aerospace. The FasTAK Gateway features the Collins Aerospace TacNet™ Tactical Radio Link 16 terminal along with data link processor software, running on mainstream laptop hardware, that manages the data links, radio frequencies and data forwarding for the equipment in a lightweight, transportable container. The ruggedized system transitions from transport to operational in 20 minutes. It delivers certified Link 16, Variable Message Format (VMF), Situational Awareness Data-Link (SADL) and Cursor on Target (CoT) communications with growth to integrate with a future all-domain operational environment. For more than 20 years, Collins Aerospace has provided data link and integrated system solutions for the U.S., NATO and coalition forces that have improved communication and speed for successful tactical operations. About Collins Aerospace Collins Aerospace Systems is a leader in technologically advanced and intelligent solutions for the global aerospace and defense industry. Collins Aerospace has the capabilities, comprehensive portfolio and expertise to solve customers' toughest challenges and to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving global market. With 2019 net sales of approximately $26 billion, the business has 78,000 employees across more than 300 locations globally. It is one of the four businesses that form Raytheon Technologies. About Raytheon Technologies Raytheon Technologies Corporation is an aerospace and defense company that provides advanced systems and services for commercial, military and government customers worldwide. With 195,000 employees and four industry-leading businesses ― Collins Aerospace Systems, Pratt & Whitney, Raytheon Intelligence & Space and Raytheon Missiles & Defense ― the company delivers solutions that push the boundaries in avionics, cybersecurity, directed energy, electric propulsion, hypersonics, and quantum physics. The company, formed in 2020 through the combination of Raytheon Company and the United Technologies Corporation aerospace businesses, is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. MEDIA CONTACT Robert Edilson Mission Systems Email Robert Edilson View source version on Collins Aerospace Systems: https://www.collinsaerospace.com/newsroom/News/2020/06/Royal-Air-Force-enhance-tactical-air-command-control-capabilities-on-ground-Collins-FasTAK-gateway

Posted on June 3, 2020; Aerospace Industries Association of Canada Press Release The Aerospace Industries Association of Canada (AIAC) released six key recommendations that build on the Vision 2025 plan; while repeating the call for the federal government to recognize aerospace as a strategic sector in urgent need of a long-term sectoral strategy. “The impact of COVID-19 on Canada's aerospace industry has been unprecedented. The consequences of aircraft being grounded cascade down to our industry — to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), maintenance, repair and overhaul workers (MRO) and ongoing work relating to Canada's assets in space. With longer lead times in supply chain slowdowns, the devastating economic effects of this crisis are going to reverberate across our industry for years to come,” said Mike Mueller, senior vice-president, AIAC. “Competitor countries are making aerospace a key part of their economic recovery plans. Canada needs to take similar steps — not only to retain our current position but also to be ready for the global market opportunities that will emerge when the industry recovers,” said Mueller. AIAC recommends the following actions the Government of Canada can take immediately to help ensure best possible outcomes and long-term stability for Canada's aerospace sector: 1. Develop a pragmatic and proportional plan to allow people to begin flying again. 2. Adapt Canada's job retention program and liquidity measures to support employees in industries that will take longer to recover. 3. Rapidly expand government support for green technologies to enable the decarbonization of key sectors, particularly transportation and aviation. 4. Establish a new long-term investment bank to support and foster essential manufacturing supply chains through the market transformation ahead. 5. Advance public procurement projects, particularly in defence and space projects, to help stimulate and sustain high-tech supply chains through the difficult months ahead. 6. Establish a Canadian sector strategy for aerospace that includes civil, defence and space. “There is a need now, more than ever, for the Federal Government to work with us on a long-term sectoral strategy for Canada's aerospace industry. Ensuring a strong Canadian aerospace sector will be crucial to rebuilding Canada's economy given aerospace's substantial contributions to our nation's economic health on an annual basis — $31 billion in revenues, over $25 billion to GDP and nearly 215,000 jobs,” said Mueller. Find the letter in its entirety here near the bottom of the page. https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/aiac-releases-aerospace-recommendations-and-calls-on-federal-government-to-implement-long-term-sectoral-strategy

The Canadian Forces CF-18 Demo Team recently issued the following statement regarding the status of the team's 2020 scheduled season: Unfortunately, due to uncertainty regarding COVID-19, the cancellation of most air shows on our 2020 schedule and to protect the health and safety of spectators and our team members, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 CF-18 Demo Team season. We are disappointed that we won't get to see any of our amazing and supportive fans this summer. We know that this is a difficult year for our airshow community and want to say thank you to the organizers and countless volunteers who worked so hard to prepare to host us at their shows this year. We truly appreciate your efforts and can't wait to work with you again in the future. While we won't be able to bring you imagery and video of a new paint scheme and team, we will be looking at other ways of interacting with all of you throughout the next year. Stay tuned and stay safe! https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/2020-cf-18-demo-team-season-cancelled-due-to-covid-19