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Archive for the ‘Aviation’ Category

GA-ASI Completes First Flight of Belgium’s MQ-9B SkyGuardian

Thursday, March 27th, 2025

SAN DIEGO – 25 March 2025 – General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) and the Belgian Ministry of Defence completed the first flight of a new MQ-9B SkyGuardian® Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) that will be the first SkyGuardian delivered to Belgium as part of a four-aircraft purchase. The flight was based out of GA-ASI’s Desert Horizon Flight Operations Facility in El Mirage, California and took place on February 20, 2025.

First flight is part of a series of ground and flight tests conducted to validate the performance of the Belgian MQ-9B RPA. The objective of the flight was to prove controllability and safe landing of the aircraft. The flight was successful, and the program will move forward with further development flight tests.

“We’re excited to complete the first flight of SkyGuardian for Belgium,” said Chris Dusseault, vice president of MQ-9B in Europe. “Belgium joins the U.K.’s Royal Air Force and will become the second country to take delivery of our MQ-9B in Europe.”

MQ-9B is the world’s most advanced RPAS, delivering exceptionally long endurance and range—with auto takeoff and landing under pole-to-pole SATCOM-only control—and will be able to operate in unsegregated airspace using the GA-ASI-developed Detect and Avoid system. MQ-9B includes the SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian® models, with multiple deliveries made to the U.K.’s Royal Air Force (Protector), as well as orders from Canada, Poland, the Japan Coast Guard, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Taiwan, India, and the U.S. Air Force in support of the Special Operations Command. MQ-9B has also supported various U.S. Navy exercises, including Northern Edge, Integrated Battle Problem, and Group Sail.

The Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Belgium also includes two Certifiable Ground Control Stations (CGCS).

For more information, visit www.ga-asi.com.

AV2.2 Next Generation Fixed Wing Helmet (NGFWH) Testing Update

Monday, March 24th, 2025

LIFT Airborne Technologies, in collaboration with the Human Systems Program Office (AFLCMC/ROU), has successfully conducted over fifty-three (53) Performance Specification (P-Spec) environmental test events, windblast test events, and ejection sled test events on the AV2.2 NGFWH under the current Other Transaction Authority (OTA) contract.

The AV2.2 NGFWH Slick Variant and the AV2.2 NGFWH equipped with the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) Modification Adapter Kit have undergone windblast testing at two seat angles: 17 degrees (representing aircraft such as the F-15, A-10, and F-22) and 32 degrees (representing the F-16). Testing at various speeds included 325 Knots Equivalent Airspeed (KEAS), 450 KEAS, and 600 KEAS for the AV2.2 NGFWH Slick Variant, while the AV2.2 NGFWH with JHMCS Modification Adapter Kit was tested at 450 KEAS.

The successful performance enabled progression to ejection sled testing.

Subsequently, The AV2.2 NGFWH Slick Variant has successfully completed ejection sled testing at 450 KEAS and 600 KEAS, conducted at both 17-degree and 32-degree seat angles. Additionally, the AV2.2 NGFWH equipped with the JHMCS Modification Adapter Kit underwent testing at 450 KEAS at both seat angles. The results from these tests were satisfactory, with both configurations meeting the P-Spec requirements.

The AV2.2 NGFWH is currently operational in various aircraft worldwide, including the latest addition to the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) fleet, the OA-1K Sky Warden. Aircrew operating the OA-1K Sky Warden are enthusiastic about the advanced capabilities of the AV2.2 NGFWH helmet system.

Having met all the requirements outlined in the P-Spec, the AV2.2 NGFWH Slick Variant now enables LIFT Airborne Technologies and the Human Systems Program Office to collaborate on advancing the program to the Milestone C Acquisition Phase and working towards a production contract.

For Department of Defense users seeking testing data regarding the AV2.2 NGFWH, please contact Samantha McKee, NGFWH Contracting Officer at AFLCMC/ROU, at samantha.mckee.1@us.af.mil.

For international users seeking testing data, please contact your respective government officials to request the testing data from the United States Air Force.

For any further inquiries regarding the AV2.2 NGFWH, please reach out to Chris Kitts, Director of Military Programs at LIFT Airborne Technologies, at chris.k@liftairborne.com or Todd Lentz, Chief Revenue Officer at LIFT Airborne Technologies, at todd.l@liftairborne.com.

Air Force Awards Contract for Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) Platform, F-47

Sunday, March 23rd, 2025

WASHINGTON (AFNS) —  

The Department of the Air Force announced today the contract award for the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) of the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) Platform, marking a major milestone in the advancement of air superiority. The contract, awarded to Boeing, will lead to the development of the F-47, the world’s first sixth-generation fighter aircraft.

“I’m thrilled to announce that, at my direction, the United States Air Force is moving forward with the world’s first sixth-generation fighter jet,” said President Donald J. Trump during a press briefing at the White House. “Nothing in the world comes even close to it, and it’ll be known as the F-47.”

This decision follows a fair and thorough source selection process conducted by the Air Force, reaffirming the NGAD Platform as the most capable and cost-effective solution to maintain air superiority in an increasingly complex and contested global threat environment. The decision reflects the Air Force’s commitment to delivering cutting-edge technology to the warfighter while optimizing taxpayer investment.

“In terms of all of the attributes of a fighter jet, there’s never been anything even close to it, from speed to maneuverability, to what it can have, to payload. And this has been in the works for a long period of time,” Trump added. “America’s enemies will never see it coming.”

In May 2024, the Air Force conducted a strategic pause in the program to ensure it was making the right decision for its warfighters and for the security of the nation. During this time, the Air Force continued collaborating with industry to aggressively mature critical technologies and accelerate innovation.

“Now we have the F-47, which sends a very direct, clear message to our allies that we’re not going anywhere… and to our enemies that we can, and we will be able to project power around the globe, unimpeded, for generations to come,” said Secretary of Defense, the Honorable Pete Hegseth.

Hegseth stated the F-47 represents a significant advancement over the F-22, which is currently the U.S. Air Force’s primary air superiority fighter.

“This is a historic investment in the American military, in the American Industrial Base, that will help revive the warrior ethos inside our military, which we’re doing–rebuilding our military,” Hegseth added. “We know this is cheaper, longer range and more stealthy.”

As the cornerstone of the NGAD Family of Systems, the F-47 is designed to integrate next-generation stealth, sensor fusion, and long-range strike capabilities to counter the most sophisticated adversaries in contested environments. Its adaptability and modular design ensure seamless integration with emerging technologies, positioning it as a dominant platform for decades to come.

“With this F-47 as the crown jewel in the Next Generation Air Dominance Family of Systems, we believe that this provides more lethality,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin. “It provides more capability, more modernized capability, in a way that is built to adapt, along with our Collaborative Combat Aircraft.”

Over the past five years, in strong partnership between the Air Force and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, X-planes have been laying the foundation for the F-47. These experimental aircraft have flown hundreds of hours, advancing stealth, range, and autonomous systems while refining operational concepts.

“Hopefully, these magnificent planes will be built and in the air during my administration. It’s ready to go. They’ve already built much of what has to be built in terms of production, including the sheds.” Trump added. “We will ensure that the USA continues to dominate the skies.”

By leveraging cutting-edge digital engineering techniques and government-owned architecture, the F-47 benefits from a streamlined and accelerated development timeline compared to previous fighter programs. These advancements enable rapid technology integration, ensuring the F-47 remains adaptable and upgradable to meet future mission requirements and counter emerging threats.

“Air dominance is not a birthright, but it’s become synonymous with American airpower, but our dominance needs to be earned every single day,” said Allvin. “Since the earliest days of aerial warfare, brave American Airmen have jumped into their machines, taken to the air, and they’ve cleared the skies. That’s been our commitment to the fight, and that’s really been our promise to America, and with this F-47 we’re going to be able to keep that promise well into the future.”

The contract award funds the engineering and manufacturing development phase, which includes maturing, integrating, and testing all aspects of the F-47. This phase will produce a small number of test aircraft for evaluation. The contract also includes competitively priced options for low-rate initial production.

Future basing decisions and additional program elements will be determined in the coming years as the Air Force advances the F-47 toward operational deployment.

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

Cubic Participates in Cope North ‘25 Multi-Domain Exercise

Tuesday, March 18th, 2025

Providing “truth in training” to trilateral air interoperability operations with U.S., Japan and Australia

SAN DIEGO – March 17, 2025 – Cubic’s Advanced Training Solutions (ATS) team delivered 4th and 5th generation Air Combat Maneuver Instrumentation (ACMI) systems, with Simplified, Planning, Execution, Analysis, Reconstruction (SPEAR) Common Data Model (CDM), to Cope North’s annual training exercise held in Guam.

“Our solutions introduce a new era in training, enabling posture and deterrence, exponentially increasing warfighter readiness.” said Paul Averna, VP and GM, ATS for Cubic. “The successful mission integrated a blended environment of F-35 P5 Internal Subsystem (IS), ACMI pods, ground stations and SPEAR, delivering a fully operational, high fidelity tracking of three F-35 partners and three variants of 4th gen fighters from three U.S. services for the first time ever. We’re grateful to participate in this critically valuable exercise and we look forward to many more years at Cope North.”

Cubic is a recognized industry leader in Air Combat Training (ACT) designs and delivers solutions to support 4th and 5th generation aircraft training. The F-35 P5 IS provides high fidelity, encrypted Time Space Position Information (TSPI) for live monitoring and post mission review for accurate and efficient reconstruction. Cubic’s ACMI pods incorporate advanced GPS technology, allowing pilots to train anywhere at any time over land and sea, enabling training missions to be conducted without reliance on fixed range infrastructure. In 2025, Cubic will field the next evolution of ACMI, P5 System Security Update (SSU), encrypting the ACMI pod data for true interoperability between 4th and 5th gen fighters. All training data is ingested in SPEAR, during and after the mission, for enhanced data visualization and analysis to provide “speed to insight” to significantly improve combat effectiveness. SPEAR delivers a complete reconstruction of “when, how and what” happened, allowing the participants to spend the majority of their debrief time on the analysis of “why” it happened.

See the Gentex Next Generation Fighter Helmet at the Avalon Airshow

Monday, March 17th, 2025

GA-ASI’s Gray Eagle ER Makes First PLEO Flights

Thursday, March 13th, 2025

SAN DIEGO – 12 March 2025 – General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) conducted its first flight test series of the Gray Eagle Extended Range (GE-ER) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) using a Proliferated Low Earth Orbit (PLEO) satellite constellation for aircraft communications. Contracted by the U.S. Army, the flight tests began in January 2025 and mark a significant milestone, making GE-ER the first U.S. Army aircraft to be controlled over the new satellite service. Gray Eagle is also the only U.S. Army UAS capable of leveraging Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO), Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and PLEO constellations for secure, inflight adaptable and resilient communication, navigation and data management.

The initial testing focused on flight-critical operations, including core aircraft control functions as well as sensor and communications systems. To date, GA-ASI has conducted two GE-ER flights and a series of ground test events using PLEO. Future flight testing is in the planning stages and includes operations across the full flight regime.

The Gray Eagle family of UAS is built on a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) design that includes standardized interfaces and protocols. This approach has enabled rapid integration of the PLEO constellation and other significant capabilities without major technical efforts or extended timelines for integration and testing so new capabilities can be fielded faster.

“The PLEO integration and flight testing continue to show that the current GE-ER open architecture is real. We are practicing rapid integration now which will prove critical to the platform’s survivability and mission success in Multi-Domain Operations,” said GA-ASI Vice President of Army Programs Don Cattell.

Building on the GE-ER, the Gray Eagle 25M (GE 25M), takes MOSA to the next level with a government-owned, government-controlled open architecture that enables plug-and-play capabilities to ensure the platform’s rapid, low-cost adaptability to changing threats. GE 25M incorporates open architecture with ground systems, advanced and modular datalinks, and an upgraded propulsion system. These powerful additions significantly enhance the platform’s ability to rapidly add new capabilities, provide resilience to electronic threats, and deliver expeditionary employment to austere locations. PLEO will be a baseline capability for the 25M system.

The PLEO capability for the GE 25M is just one of several features of the system that maximizes the survivability of the platform. It also provides a low-cost opportunity to drastically increase the operational flexibility of both the Gray Eagle ER and Gray Eagle 25M. The 25M’s MOSA architecture enables use of the higher data rates available on the PLEO system and supports flight operations across the globe from pole to pole. These capabilities, combined with longer-range sensors, anti-jam navigation, and expeditionary ground control systems allow the Gray Eagles to operate outside the threat weapons envelope, but deliver effects hundreds of kilometers beyond the Forward Line of Own Troops, making GE 25M the most survivable aircraft in the Army inventory.

General Atomics and Radian Aerospace Partner To Advance Next-Generation Aerospace Technologies

Tuesday, March 11th, 2025

Collaboration To Drive Innovation Across Key Aerospace Systems
and Explore Strategic Opportunities in the UAE

SAN DIEGO – 10 March 2025 – General Atomics Systems Integration (GA-SI) and Radian Aerospace (“Radian”) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to advance next-generation aerospace technologies and explore broader strategic collaboration, including localization opportunities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The collaboration will focus on integrating advanced avionics, electrification, and actuation technologies into cutting-edge aerospace platforms, leveraging GA-SI’s expertise in high-performance systems and Radian’s breakthrough single-stage spaceplane architecture. A key initiative will be the development of electromechanical braking and control actuation systems, which reduce weight, streamline operations, and enhance efficiency while ensuring the reliability needed for frequent space missions.

“This partnership underscores GA’s commitment to driving innovation across critical aerospace systems,” said Scott Sappenfield, Vice President of the Engineering Services Division. “Electromechanical braking is just one way we’re pushing the boundaries of efficiency and sustainability. We’re also excited about expanding collaboration with Radian through industrial partnerships and localization efforts in the UAE.”

The MOU also lays the groundwork for broader collaboration, and joint exploration of UAE offset projects. As GA-SI expands its presence in the UAE, the companies will assess local manufacturing, technology transfer, and workforce development opportunities to support regional aerospace growth.

“General Atomics is an ideal partner as we continue developing Radian One, the world’s first single-stage-to-orbit spaceplane,” said Richard Humphrey, CEO of Radian. “This partnership enables us to integrate next-generation technologies that enhance performance and reusability while opening the door to strategic investment and industrial collaboration. Together, we’re laying the foundation for the future of aerospace and space access.”

GA-SI and Radian will also evaluate partnerships with certified suppliers and manufacturers to develop integrated landing gear systems, enhance adaptability across aerospace platforms, and provide cost-effective solutions for OEMs. By combining GA-SI’s high-performance systems expertise with Radian’s spaceplane mission, this collaboration aims to drive aerospace innovation and shape the industry’s future on a global scale.

The Gentex PURSUIT Next Generation Fixed Wing Helmet

Monday, March 10th, 2025

Lighter. Stronger. Built for every mission.

As the world-leading provider of advanced headborne protection, Gentex understands that helmets are more than just equipment—they are essential to mission success and directly impact aircrew comfort, focus, and long-term health. For decades, the Gentex HGU-55/P and HGU-68/P have provided reliable protection for aircrew operating in demanding environments, but as mission requirements have grown so has the burden on aircrew who were forced to adapt to the added weight from the incorporation of night vision goggles (NVGs) and helmet mounted displays (HMDs). As a result, aircrew have endured increased neck strain and discomfort and have often required multiple helmets to meet an expanding set of mission requirements. Now Gentex delivers the next generation of advanced headborne protection: the PURSUIT helmet reduces weight, enhances comfort, and eliminates compromises, ensuring aircrew are equipped for today’s missions and ready for the future.

The PURSUIT Advantage
Lightweight, adaptable, and mission-ready, the PURSUIT helmet delivers unmatched comfort and performance in a single, modular system thatprovides aircrew the ability to adapt to various mission requirements without sacrificing protection or performance and eliminates the need for multiple helmets, which means reduced cost, less gear to manage, and increased aircrew readiness and combat effectiveness.

Designed for Endurance, Comfort, and Performance
The PURSUIT helmet’s advanced, lightweight carbon shell reduces neck and spine strain, significantly lowering the risk of short and long-term injuries from prolonged missions and high-G maneuvers. The enhanced ventilation system prevents heat buildup, and fire-resistant, moisture-wicking, high-performance comfort pads increase aircrew comfort and mission readiness during long-duration flights.  The PURSUIT helmet’soptimized balance and center of gravity, as well as its enhanced nape design, provide aircrew with a secure, stable fit that keeps the helmet in place during dynamic maneuvering in all HMD/NVG configurations. With four helmet sizes, the PURSUIT helmet delivers an optimal, out-of-the-box fit for more than 99% of aircrew, ensuring exceptional comfort and performance.

Mission-Ready and Future-Proof
The PURSUIT helmet isn’t just built for today—it’s engineered for the future. Fully compliant with USN and USAF performance standards, the PURSUIT helmet is designed with future warfighting requirements in mind.  Gentex’s Modular Open System Approach (MOSA) in our helmet system design allows for the seamless integration of current and future HMDs, as well as advanced communications systems and optical and respiratory protection, to provide adaptability, aircrew safety, and warfighting capability for decades to come.

For more than 75 years, Gentex has set the standard in aircrew protection, delivering combat-proven innovation to those who serve. The PURSUIT™ next generation fixed wing helmet isn’t just a helmet—it’s a tactical advantage.

Designed For Comfort. Built For Performance.

Gentex Corporation Awarded Navy OTA for Next Generation Fixed Wing Helmet Program

Learn more about the PURSUIT helmet