Airbus – Berlin, 6 June 2024 – Results from the world’s first in-flight study of the impact of using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on both engines of a commercial aircraft show a reduction in soot particles and formation of contrail ice crystals compared to using conventional Jet A-1 fuel. 

The ECLIF3 study, in which Airbus, Rolls-Royce, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and SAF producer Neste collaborated, was the first to measure the impact of 100% SAF use to emissions from both engines of an Airbus A350 powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines and followed by a DLR chase plane.

Compared to a reference Jet A-1 fuel, the number of contrail ice crystals per mass of unblended SAF consumed was reduced by 56%, which could significantly reduce the climate-warming effect of contrails.

Global climate model simulations conducted by DLR were used to estimate the change in the energy balance in Earth’s atmosphere – also known as radiative forcing – by contrails. The impact of contrails was estimated to be reduced by at least 26 percent with 100% SAF use compared to contrails resulting from the Jet A-1 reference fuel used in ECLIF3. These results show that using SAF in flight could significantly reduce the climate impact of aviation in the short term by reducing non-CO2 effects such as contrails, in addition to reducing CO2 emissions over the lifecycle of SAF.

“The results from the ECLIF3 flight experiments show how the use of 100 percent SAF can help us to significantly reduce the climate-warming effect of contrails, in addition to lowering the carbon footprint of flying – a clear sign of the effectiveness of SAF towards climate-compatible aviation”, said Markus Fischer, DLR Divisional Board Member for Aeronautics.

Mark Bentall, head of Research & Technology Programme, Airbus, said : “We already knew that sustainable aviation fuels could reduce the carbon footprint of aviation. Thanks to ECLIF studies, we now know that SAF can also reduce soot emissions and ice particulate formation that we see as contrails. This is a very encouraging result, based on science, which shows just how crucial sustainable aviation fuels are for decarbonising air transport”.

“SAF is widely recognized as a crucial solution to mitigating the climate impact of the aviation sector, both in the short term as well as the longer term. The results from the ECLIF3 study confirm a significantly lower climate impact when using 100% SAF due to the lack of aromatics in Neste’s SAF used, and provide additional scientific data to support the use of SAF at higher concentrations than currently approved 50%”, said Alexander Kueper, Vice President Renewable Aviation Business at Neste.

Alan Newby, Rolls-Royce, Director Research & Technology, said: “Using SAF at high blend ratios will form a key part of aviation’s journey to net zero CO2. Not only did these tests show that our Trent XWB-84 engine can run on 100% SAF, but the results also show how additional value can be unlocked from SAF through reducing non-CO2 climate effects as well”.

The research team has reported its findings in the Copernicus journal Atmospheric Chemistry & Physics (ACP) as part of a peer-reviewed scientific process, and provides the first in-situ evidence of the climate impact mitigation potential of using pure, 100% SAF on a commercial aircraft. The ECLIF3 programme, which also includes researchers from the National Research Council of Canada and the University of Manchester, conducted in-flight emissions tests and associated ground tests in 2021. Click here to read the full report.

Emission and Climate Impact of Alternative Fuels (ECLIF) 

DLR conducted extensive flight tests to characterise the emissions of synthetic fuels in 2015 with the ECLIF1 campaign. These flight tests were continued in 2018 with the ECLIF2 campaign in collaboration with NASA, which showed that the climate impact of condensation trails can already be reduced by using a 50/50 blend of kerosene and SAF. 

The ECLIF3 flights took  place in 2021. These flight tests used 100% SAF on an A350 to confirm how effectively using unblended SAF reduces the number of ice crystals in contrails. The first Airbus A350-941 ever built, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-84 engines, served as the emission source aircraft, burning commercial Jet A-1 as reference fuel and HEFA-SPK (SAF). The DLR Falcon 20-E research aircraft was equipped with a wide range of instruments to measure exhaust gases, volatile and non-volatile aerosol particles and contrail ice particles. The Falcon took off from DLR’s Oberpfaffenhofen site, while the Airbus A350-941 started its journey at Toulouse Blagnac airport, with rendezvous points over the Mediterranean and southern France. The DLR Falcon then followed the Airbus A350-941 at several distances behind  to collect data on its emissions and condensation trails.

Multiple flight campaigns with the DLR Falcon tracker compared the in-flight emissions of both conventional Jet A-1 fuel and Neste’s sustainable aviation fuel, Hydro-processed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA).

Sustainable aviation fuels

The European Commission’s ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation initiative defines sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as  either synthetic aviation fuels,  advanced biofuels produced from feedstock such as agricultural or forestry residues, algae and bio-waste, or  biofuels produced from certain other feedstocks with ‘high sustainability potential’ (e.g. used cooking oil, certain animal fats) that meet the sustainability and GHG emissions criteria, as set in the Renewable Energy Directive (RED).

SAF are derived from renewable sources as defined above. These mainly include plant-based or waste-based fuels, but also, in the near future, renewable synthesised e-fuels and sustainably produced  hydrogen from renewable energy sources. Many of these sustainable aviation fuels are free of compounds referred to as  “aromatics”. Less aromatics in the fuel means less soot in the emissions and therefore fewer ice crystals in the condensation trails. So using sustainable aviation fuels instead of conventional Jet A-1 reduces two climate-warming effects of aviation – condensation trails and carbon dioxide emissions.

Soot, ice crystals, contrails and climate effects

Aircraft engines emit soot particles and volatile aerosols. In particular, soot acts as a condensation nucleus for small, supercooled water droplets, which immediately freeze to form ice crystals and become visible in the sky as condensation trails. The ice crystals in condensation trails can persist for several hours in cold, humid conditions at altitudes of about eight to 12 kilometres, forming high clouds known as condensation trails or cirrus clouds. These clouds can have a local warming or cooling effect, depending on the position of the sun and the nature of the underlying surface. Research has shown that the warming effect dominates globally. The occurrence of these clouds depends on weather conditions and is therefore extremely variable in time and space, so that a few contrail hotspot regions are responsible for a large proportion of the warming effect. Worldwide studies have shown that non-CO2 effects – including contrails – could account for a significant proportion of aviation’s overall climate impact.

Contrails and the resulting contrail cirrus clouds only remain in the sky for a few hours, and their warming effect is therefore short-lived. This makes the targeted use of sustainable aviation fuels on routes that predominantly produce contrails with a warming effect very attractive for short-term climate benefits. Reducing carbon dioxide emissions by replacing fossil kerosene with sustainable aviation fuels also has important long-term benefits, as carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere for centuries and drives global warming.

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The State Department on Monday said it has approved a potential $582 million foreign military sale (FMS) to Saudi Arabia for the modernization of the RE-3A Tactical Airborne Surveillance System aircraft that would include new sensors and communications equipment.

L3Harris Technologies [LHX] is the prime contractor for the upgrades. The RE-3 is a modified Boeing [BA] 707 commercial aircraft.

The upgrades include seven embedded GPS/inertial navigation system security devices, M-Code capability, five L3Harris BlackRock communications intelligence sensor suites, KY-100M narrowband/wideband secure communications terminals, KIV-77 MODE 4/5 identification friend or foe cryptographic appliques, AN/PYQ-10 simple key loaders, integrated electronic intelligence/signals intelligence systems, L3Harris multiband receivers/transmitters, RTX [RTX] ARC-210 radios, high frequency radios, secure communications equipment, test and integration support, spare and repair parts.

Separately, the State Department approved a potential $85 million sales of 18 man-portable AN/TPQ-50 radar and related equipment to the United Arab Emirates. The proposed sale also includes 107mm high explosive rockets for testing in the U.S., computer digital military laptop radar control display units, 5kW advanced medium mobile power source trailer-mounted, diesel engine driven power unit PU-2001 spares, mission, communications, and navigation equipment, repair parts and other equipment.

SRC, Inc. is the principal contractor for the lightweight radar.

The State Department said that radar will be used to “recognize incoming threats from hostile nations or agents of adversary nations” and will support the UAE’s “efforts to protect critical infrastructure and high value civilian targets, as well as military installations and forces from rocket, artillery, and mortar and unmanned aerial system threats.”

The Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency on Monday notified Congress of the potential FMS deals.

A version of this story originally appeared in affiliate publication Defense Daily.

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Editor’s note: This is the first in a two-part series on FAA certification of light sport and electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. The second can be found here.

A proposed rule modification from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) could benefit electric aircraft developers as it would allow new types of aircraft to fly without costing hundreds of millions of dollars for certification.

Mike Hirschberg, director of strategy at the Vertical Flight Society (VFS), told Avionics on Nov. 25 that the proposed Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) rule amendment for light sport aircraft (LSA) should allow larger aircraft to be approved to fly under the category. This, he said, will make them much cheaper to certify, manufacture and purchase than existing type certificated aircraft.

Hirschberg said the cost of flying, such as operations and maintenance, among others, will also be less with major changes like electric propulsion, which has generally been seen as costing less to fly and maintain than traditional light sport aircraft that use piston-powered propulsion systems.

MOSAIC could greatly accelerate the adoption of electric aircraft for small air vehicles as well as help attract more fixed- and rotary-wing pilots to the industry. Hirschberg said MOSAIC would open up new designs and technologies that are safer and cheaper compared to existing light sport aircraft, kit-built and ultralight designs.

“The Vertical Flight Society is very excited to see the FAA leaning forward on such a progressive approach to allowing smaller aircraft to fly in the national airspace system,” Hirschberg said.

The FAA on July 24 issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that would expand the definition of LSA and amend rules for the manufacture, certification, operation, maintenance and alteration of light sport aircraft. Under the proposal, the aircraft’s weight limit is based on its stall speed.

By permitting higher stall speeds of 54 knots calibrated airspeed (CAS) for airplanes, the proposal would bring aircraft weighing around 3,000 pounds within the LSA regulatory framework. This would more than double the weight of aircraft under the current LSA definition of 1,320 lbs, allowing larger and stronger aircraft to qualify as LSA, according to an FAA statement.

Light-sport aircraft are currently limited to 45 knots CAS at the aircraft’s maximum certificated takeoff weight and most critical center of gravity. MOSAIC would retain the 45 knots CAS maximum stall speed for gliders and weight-shift-control aircraft.

Carl Dietrich, Jump Aero Incorporated founder and president, told Avionics on Nov. 27 that there is a large gap under the current LSA regulatory construct, which was created in 2004. At one end is Part 103 ultralight electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft that do not need to meet any standards.

At the other end is certified Part 21.17b “special projects”, the process being used to certify eVTOL air taxis that has extensive bureaucratic requirements and very high certification costs. Dietrich said MOSAIC will open a new middle ground between these two pathways to market that should inspire both additional investment in product development and increased customer demand.

Additionally, Dietrich said MOSAIC would reduce the cost of flying eVTOL and light-sport aircraft since the cost to bring a new product to market will be lower than under the current construct. As such, manufacturers will not need to amortize as large of a development cost, resulting in more product options for consumers.

This, in turn, would lead to more competition and lower prices. Jump Aero is developing a biplane standing tail-sitter with high lift-to-drag ratio and low frontal area to be used for emergency medical services.

If MOSAIC is finalized as written, Dietrich expects to see many more products that will excite general aviation consumers with the most significant possibility being a true commuter eVTOL. Previous Part 103 ultralight aircraft, he said, cannot be legally flown to places people want to go, but light-sport aircraft can go to those locations. This opens a tremendous opportunity that many eVTOL developers are looking into.

“I believe the MOSAIC NPRM, if accepted as written, could be the single most positive regulatory change of this century in the general aviation industry,” Dietrich said.

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Eve Air Mobility and NATS Services, the commercial arm of the U.K.’s leading air traffic control services provider, announced at the Dubai Airshow they would partner to develop future traffic management services for urban air mobility (UAM) operators worldwide.

The companies signed a memorandum of understanding to reinforce the partnership designed to advance technologies for a faster, more efficient and sustainable urban air transportation system.

“Our first association with NATS began in early 2021 as part of the U.K. UAM Consortium with the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority Regulatory Sandbox, developing a concept of operations for the London environment, including air traffic management arrangements and proposing new regulatory solutions,” said Johann Bordais, CEO of Eve. “Our work with NATS throughout the years both fortifies our newly established relationship and supports our forthcoming projects and future endeavors designed to transform the urban air mobility sector globally.”

The Eve-led U.K. concept of operations was developed in partnership with the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and global companies, including NATS as well as six other members, using data to focus on the technologies needed for near-term UAM deployment in London. The CAA published the Phase 1 results of the Future Air Mobility Regulatory Sandbox project in October 2021, highlighting eVTOL strengths and the challenges that will inform future developments in the UAM industry.

Eve and NATS have also been part of the Future Flight Challenge through the Advanced Mobility Ecosystem Consortium (AMEC) with leading British aviation companies since July 2022. Developed by U.K. research and innovation and delivered by Innovate U.K., the program is funded by the U.K. government and aims to accelerate the progress of new technologies and advanced aviation technologies while attempting to demonstrate the societal benefits of advanced aviation, the companies said

“We already work closely with Eve as part of the U.K. Future Flight Phase 3 AMEC project, working to prepare U.K. airspace for future UAM operations,” said NATS Services Managing Director Guy Adams. “Going forward, we intend to grow our collaborative efforts to explore future traffic management products and solutions worldwide and enable the introduction and scaling of UAM across many countries in a consistent, high-performance and safe approach.”

Eve’s Urban air traffic management software is an agnostic solution that will enable the integration of all airspace users in the urban environment, the company said, which is “critical to supporting the safety, efficiency, and improvement of the entire UAM ecosystem, including fleet and vertiport operators.”

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Leonardo has delivered the first prototype European Common Radar System Mk2 to BAE Systems for integration onto a U.K. Eurofighter Typhoon.

The new multifunction array radar will allow the Typhoon to better locate targets, perform electronic jamming attacks against enemy radars and stay further away while identifying and engaging potential threats.

Leonardo is developing the ECRS Mk2 in Edinburgh, where U.K.combat air radar capabilities are based, and Luton, where the company conducts advanced electronic warfare research, development and production.

A Eurofighter Typhoon next to the new European Common Radar System Mk2 radar. Leonardo photo

The radar will now be integrated with a Typhoon, which will then undergo ground-based testing at BAE Systems’ flight-testing facility in Lancashire, U.K.., in preparation for its first flight tests on board the Eurofighter Typhoon next year. 

“Delivery of the prototype radar to Warton is the latest key milestone in this exciting program,” said Lyndon Hoyle, head of the Typhoon Delivery Team at Defence Equipment and Support, the procurement arm of the UK Ministry of Defence. “It was only possible thanks to a lot of hard work and excellent collaboration across DE&S, Air Command and industry: ingredients for success that we shall take forward into the next phase of the program.”

The ECRS Mk2’s multifunctional array (MFA)  can perform both traditional radar functions such as search and targeting, as well as electronic warfare tasks, Leonardo said. This means that Eurofighter Typhoon will be able to locate and deny use of an adversary’s radar with an electronic jamming attack while staying beyond the reach of threats, the company said.

“The ECRS Mk2 radar is one of a number of key capabilities which we are integrating to secure Typhoons as the backbone of air defense across the globe for decades to come,” said Richard Hamilton, Typhoon Program Director for Europe at BAE Systems Air. “Together with enhanced mission systems, advanced sensors, weapons and displays, we are delivering a sovereign capability which will keep RAF pilots safe and ensure the UK has the skills to continue to mature key technologies which support its future combat air ambitions.”

ECRS Mk2 is a wide-band array, which means not only can it detect its own active transmit-receive functions to detect targets, but it can also passively detect emissions through a far broader range of the spectrum, according to the Typhoon program, which published details of its radar upgrade program in July.

“It is able to track both airborne targets and surface-based emitters without having to discharge a signal itself,” the program explained. “It’s what’s called ‘a very high gain sensor’ which means it is able to emit across a wide frequency range and potentially disrupt hostile emitters whether they be surface or airborne. As an electronic attack and warfare tool the ECRS Mk2 will be incredibly capable — able to carry out sophisticated Electronic Warfare functions whilst performing its primary role as an air-to-air radar sensor.”

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AAR’s greenhouse gas emissions increased 3% in fiscal year 2023, which ended on May 31, but decreased 6% from fiscal year 2021 and 18% from FY 2020, according to the company’s 2023 environmental, social and governance (ESG) report released on Nov. 8.

AAR spokesperson Daniela Pietsch said on Nov. 14 that the increase in emissions in FY 2023 was driven by a 6% change in Scope 2 emissions, caused by an increase in United States Emissions & Generation Resource Integrated Database (eGRID) emission factors. The emission factors, Pietsch said, are multiples to determine the greenhouse gas emissions per kilowatt hour of electricity consumed.

Every year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishes its eGRID factors for different electricity grid regions of the nation. Pietsch said many of these factors increased AAR’s greenhouse gas emissions from FY 2022 to FY 2023.

AAR is an independent provider of aviation parts and repair services. The company said in its report that it began upgrading the exhaust system at its landing gear overhaul facility in Miami with new exhaust fans and mesh pads in FY 2023.

AAR expects these upgrades to reduce heavy metal, or chromium, and carbon in its emissions. The company is also working with a third party to track emission levels at this facility.

The company’s total energy consumption increased less than 1% in FY 2023 and decreased 9% from FY 2021 and 15% from FY 2020. AAR’s component repair facility in New York re-enrolled its local power company’s program to reduce energy consumption by implementing an energy reduction plan during high-demand days. The company estimates its rate of energy consumption was reduced each month from October 2022 through the end of FY 2023 without impacting its production or delivery.

AAR in March replaced older steel panel cladding with new siding on the exterior of its component repair facility in Amsterdam. Pietsch said this new siding is made of Falk panels, or metal with a foam core. In addition to being safer and more heat and fire-resistant, the company expects the new siding to reduce this facility’s gas usage. The company repairs and overhauls a large array of aircraft components, such as cockpit instruments, galley equipment, avionics, hydraulics and pneumatics, among others, at this facility.

AAR in FY 2023 continued to evaluate the installation of solar panels at its Miami landing gear overhaul facility to contribute to the building’s energy needs. The company also plans to install an upgraded wastewater processing system at this facility, expecting it to be capable of processing significantly more wastewater per day. It expects this to lead to a higher water recovery rate and a reduction in hazardous sludge.

The company installed drag reduction kits on five commercial aircraft in FY 2023, helping its industry test sustainable aircraft equipment. AAR said these kits have the potential to reduce both fuel consumption and cargo emissions.

AAR in FY 2023 became the first independent third-party maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) organization to implement a corporate safety management system (SMS) as it expanded the SMS from a site-specific model to a company-wide model. The SMS provides a platform to all employees to proactively identify and report hazards, perform risk analyses, implement mitigation measures and share best practices.

The company reported a 23% increase in reports through the SMS in FY 2023, including 338 reports by employees. 75% of these reports were proactive reports of potential safety concerns as opposed to reactive reports of incidents.

AAR said its SMS program met all US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements, including a single accountable executive and common database for all required data to receive acceptance for all six AAR repair station facilities. Formal SMS development consists of voluntary SMS implementation by operators and other aviation service providers using FAA-stated standards.

This article, originally published on Nov. 12, was updated with new information.

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As the U.S. Air Force develops systems to operate from austere locations and counter adversary attempts to disrupt U.S. military supply chains, the service is seeking “revolutionary” ideas on the future teaming of the Next Generation Air Refueling System (NGAS) and the Next Generation Airlift (NGAL) platform.

“The Joint Force must be able to effectively deploy, conduct, and sustain operations against peer competitors in contested environments,” according to an Oct. 25 Air Force Life Cycle Management Center business notice on the Department of the Air Force Mobility Cross-Cutting Operational Enabler (COE) initiative. “To accomplish this, Next Generation Refueling and Airlift Teams of Systems must provide a mix of survivable, connected, and agile mobility platforms that reliably provide range, flexible payloads, and unique capabilities in a contested environment, which are critical to operational effectiveness.”

“Potential adversaries will contest the Joint Force’s logistics in any future fight, necessitating an array of mobility capabilities that can survive in operationally relevant numbers,” the notice said. “Moreover, this mix of survivable and agile mobility platforms should have minimal infrastructure reliance and will be capable of maneuvering offensive and defensive Joint Forces relative to the pacing challenge.”

“The COE team is less interested in small solutions to small challenges or incremental solutions resulting in marginal improvement. We must be revolutionary in our thinking and future force design,” AFLCMC said.

On Oct. 24 at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, 19 companies participated in a Mobility COE industry day, which “provided an opportunity to connect requirements users, the mobility and training aircraft acquisition arm, and defense industry to create solutions,” AFLCMC said.

California-based JetZero is teaming with Northrop Grumman [NOC] on an Air Force Blended Wing Body (BWB) demonstrator aircraft, which may inform NGAS and NGAL–both of which are to operate in high-threat environments over long distances, including the Pacific theater (Defense Daily, Aug. 17). JetZero has said that the BWB is to be able to carry twice the fuel of the Boeing [BA] KC-46A tanker.

Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks has said that a BWB aircraft could offer fuel savings of 30 percent over traditional aircraft.

Under the BWB concept, the wings are not distinct from the aircraft body but blended into it, and the engine may be on top of the aircraft or embedded in the airframe to provide more lift, range, payload, and less acoustic signature.

An NGAS/NGAL lower radar cross-section design, such as BWB, could enable the aircraft to accompany the stealthy F-35 and future B-21 Raider bomber on missions.

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Both contenders for the Army’s new Future Attack Recon Aircraft (FARA) have now received their General Electric T901 Improved Turbine Engined and have begun installation on their respective advanced rotorcraft. 

Delivery of the engines is the last step before Sikorsy’s Raider X compound coaxial helicopter and Bell’s 360 Invictus tandem-cockpit conventional helicopters can test their advanced flight controls and avionics systems under their own power in preparation for ground runs. 

Both companies announced they had received the engines from GE on Oct. 24. Previously both had been testing critical flight components and cockpit instrumentation using external power. Both teams also had 3D-printed, full-scale models of the engine on hand so they could design the engine bays. 

“The ITEP delivery is a major milestone for FARA and the Bell 360 Invictus competitive prototype,” said Jayme Gonzalez, Bell’s FARA program manager. “Now that we have received the engine, we are ready to begin working toward ground runs and other necessary preparations before first flight later next year.”

Bell’s 360 Invictus competitive prototype. Bell Photo

The Improved Turbine Engine Program, or ITEP, is a 3,000-shaft-horsepower engine that should be 50 percent more powerful, use 25 percent less fuel, and have a 20 percent longer service life than the GE T0700 engines currently in the UH-60 Black Hawk and AH-64 Apache. Aside from powering FARA, the Army plans it as a drop-in replacement engine for those aircraft.

Initially intended to be ready for install in November 2022, GE struggled to provide an engine that could meet the Army’s exacting specifications. The Army prescribed that both companies use the GE engine for the aircraft, which will eventually fill the gap left by retirement of the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior armed aerial scout. The two rotorcraft will some of the most advanced military aviation technologies in operation once they begin flight testing. Both were designed with a modular open system architecture approach so that avionics and mission systems can be rapidly upgrade or swapped out with emerging technologies much faster than traditionally possible.  In tandem with the fly off between Raider X and Invictus, the Army plans to hold the first of two Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) verification demonstrations this year.

Sikorsky’s engine arrived at its West Palm Beach, Fla., flight test facility on Oct. 20 and has transferred it to an engine integration lab neat to where Raider is being assembled. Raider X is now 98 percent complete. Integration of the new powerplant into the aircraft will begin immediately, the company said in a statement. Sikorsky is owned by Lockheed Martin.

Sikorsky’s Raider X competitive prototype. Sikorsky Photo

“Lockheed Martin’s model-based systems engineering approach gives the Sikorsky team confidence in this final phase of the RAIDER X build which brings us one step closer to completing this weapon system that will match the rapid pace of the reconnaissance mission,” said Sikorsky Future Vertical Lift Vice President Andy Adams. “The data RAIDER X gathers – and the speed and agility with which it operates – will support the Army’s mission for deep sensing capability and unsurpassed networking, connecting Soldiers and the joint force to the information they need to complete their missions.”

Once the engine is in, Sikorsky will commence final system tests and check-outs before turning on the powerplant to check out the drive system with the engine in the aircraft, Sikorsky said. After successful system checks, Sikorsky will conduct flight acceptance testing and proceed to first flight, which is expected in late 2024.

Both designs must be checked out and approved for flight by the Army. 

While it waited for the engine, Bell’s team was focused on preparing the Invictus support infrastructure, supply chain and manufacturing hub, the company said. It is now prepared to instrument and install the T901 to prepare the aircraft for ground test operations. 

Once the aircraft has been functionally tested with the T901 installed, Bell plans a Test Readiness Review and a restrained ground run. The 360 Invictus also carries a  Pratt & Whitney PW207D1 to give it an extra push toward, and perhaps beyond, the Army’s 180-knot target speed for FARA. 

“Our team has been hard at work to drive down risk in preparation for ground and flight tests,” said Chris Gehler, senior vice president and program director, FARA. “We are excited to receive the T901 engine and look forward to demonstrating the transformative capabilities of the Bell 360 Invictus. As well, we continue to advance and meet Army requirements for an open weapons system design that provides the next level of lethality and survivability into our warfighters’ arsenal.”

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Reliable Robotics is advancing an aircraft automation system for the U.S. Air Force, aiming for continuous autopilot across all operational phases with remote pilot supervision, building upon recent collaborations with NASA and FAA endorsements. (Photo: Business Wire)

Reliable Robotics, a frontrunner in aircraft automation systems, is making headway towards a revolutionary autonomy solution tailored for the U.S. Air Force. With this advancement, the prospect of enabling autopilot throughout all aircraft operational phases—including taxiing, takeoff, and landing—is now within reach. Notably, this autonomy solution emphasizes remote pilot supervision.

This initiative echoes the recent collaboration between Reliable Robotics and NASA, where the two parties conducted flight tests to enhance airspace safety utilizing the FAA’s primary surveillance radar (PSR) data. The same technology was displayed during the Golden Phoenix readiness exercise at Travis Air Force Base, underscoring the company’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of avionic capabilities.

Reliable Robotics’ report under an Air Force-backed contract has identified three pivotal findings:

1. Adaptability of the System: The studied airframes can integrate the necessary system upgrades for remote operation. The modifications, particularly for navigation and communication, align with anticipated military operational settings.
2. Operational and Economic Efficiency: There’s potential for the Air Force to achieve commercial-like efficiency improvements without incurring the costs of manufacturing new aircraft.
3. System Reliability: The Remotely Operated Aircraft System (ROAS) is designed to meet FAA’s stringent certification requirements, even when integrated with larger airframes in the U.S. National Airspace System.

Last year, Reliable Robotics earned the FAA’s approval for its autonomous aircraft navigation system. This recognition, alongside the recently demonstrated automation capabilities on the Cessna 208 Caravan, underscores the firm’s innovation. According to Robert Rose, Reliable Robotics’ CEO, the focus remains on creating a high-integrity navigation system for full automation, extending from taxiing to landing.

As aircraft inch closer to full automation, the concept of remote pilots in ground control centers grows plausible. However, challenges in communication and situational adaptability require redressal before such a transition can be realized.

David O’Brien, Major General (Ret.), and Senior Vice President of Government Solutions at Reliable Robotics, commented that the company is “obsessed with enabling previously unimaginable capabilities for the U.S. Air Force through autonomy.”

He added, “Automating existing inventory at fractional costs will provide commanders unprecedented flexibility and safety in meeting acute operational demands with the smallest deployed human footprint.”

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Teledyne FLIR announced the launch of Prism ISP, an advanced image signal processing software optimized for embedded systems, enhancing imaging quality in thermal and multispectral applications. (Photo: Teledyne FLIR)

This week, Teledyne FLIR, a subsidiary of Teledyne Technologies, unveiled the inaugural version of its cutting-edge Prism ISP—a sophisticated Image Signal Processing software development kit (SDK) tailored for embedded systems. This SDK is designed to optimize performance in both thermal and multispectral realms.

Prism ISP is uniquely optimized to operate on low-power GPUs produced by tech giants Qualcomm and NVIDIA. The software provides an array of image enhancement functionalities, including noise reduction, super-resolution, electronic image stabilization, and more. It offers an integration of infrared (IR) and electro-optical (EO) video fusion, turbulence mitigation, and locally adaptive tone mapping.

The Prism ISP libraries play a pivotal role for integrators across defense, commercial, and industrial sectors. By integrating Prism ISP, developers can significantly elevate imaging quality when capturing AI data at the edge. This not only refines performance but also reduces developmental expenditures and fast-tracks product launch timelines.

For developers and perception engineers, Prism ISP seamlessly interfaces with Teledyne FLIR’s prominent thermal cores, such as Boson, Tau 2, Hadron, and Neutrino, enhancing image processing capabilities. The software’s application on low-power processors also paves the way for improved target recognition and object tracking, catering to multiple applications like ground ISR, air-to-ground operations, and counter-drone interventions.

Teledyne FLIR has also upgraded its Prism AI software. The revamped perception software facilitates more accurate object detection, classification, and tracking in both thermal and visible light spectrums. With an expanded library now inclusive of models trained on the world’s most extensive application-specific thermal image datasets, Prism AI is especially valuable in areas like ground intelligence, air-to-ground operations, and counter-drone initiatives.

Dan Walker, vice president of product management at Teledyne FLIR, commented, “Prism ISP is critical to thermal-based AI system development, offering an unprecedented performance while reducing development costs. Within our end-to-end, computational imaging ecosystem featuring Prism AI, Teledyne FLIR can now support a wider array of projects and custom development that utilize low-power, embedded processors at the edge.”

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