Aviation International News reports, “France has become the first nation to deploy the firefighting capabilities of Airbus Defence and Space’s A400M tactical transport in a real-world setting. While tests of the modified aircraft were conducted earlier this year, the ongoing blazes in the southwest of the country prompted officials to rush one of the twinjets into firefighting service on July 25.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)
Tag: Aeronautics
FAA Clears World’s Largest Electric Aircraft
Per Robb Report, Heart Aerospace’s X1, the full-scale, 76-foot-long demonstrator for the ES-30 production aircraft, has been cleared for test flights by the FAA.
Full Story (Robb Report)
FAA Clears Heart Aerospace’s ES-30 Demonstrator for Flight Tests
Aviation International News reports, “The FAA has cleared Heart Aerospace to start flight tests with the X-1 demonstrator for its planned ES-30 hybrid-electric regional airliner program. On Thursday, the start-up announced it has received a special airworthiness certificate in the experimental category (SAC-EC), allowing it to start flights from Plattsburgh International Airport (KPBG) in New York immediately.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)
Pentagon Invites Industry to Build Reusable Bomber Drones
Defense Daily reports, “The Pentagon’s $1.1 billion Drone Dominance Program (DDP) plans to award $32 million for ‘reusable bomber/dropper’ prototypes–with ‘additional orders planned’–in the latest instance of DoD’s affordable drone push.”
Full Story (Defense Daily)
FAA Moves to Accelerate Air Taxis, Supersonic Aircraft and Commercial Spaceflight
Reuters reports, “The U.S. FAA said it was working to help industry deploy air taxis, supersonic airplanes, boost space launches and expand drone operations as it embraces next-generation aviation. Deputy FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau told Reuters in an interview at the Farnborough Airshow the agency is moving to address issues with certification and regulations.”
Full Story (Reuters)
Future of U.S. Airpower Rests on Dual-Use Innovation
FROM THE INSTITUTE
Leaders from JetZero, Joby Aviation, and Mach Industries urged faster pathways to field dual-use aerospace technologies at AIAA AVIATION Forum 2026.
Anduril Debuts Thunder Autonomous VTOL at Farnborough
Aviation Week reports, “Anduril unveiled the hybrid-electric, vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) Thunder uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) on the opening day of the Farnborough Airshow on July 20, revealing a concept that proposes to revive the armed scout mission with autonomous flying robots.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Video
Anduril unveils its Thunder tiltrotor CCA at Farnborough Airshow 2026.
Royal Aeronautical Society; YouTube
Professor Amy Pritchett Calls for “Team Autonomy” to Safeguard Global Airspace
FROM INSTITUTE
At AIAA AVIATION Forum 2026, Amy Pritchett, head of the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Penn State University, challenged the aerospace community to rethink how it designs autonomy for the global airspace system – shifting from a focus on “human vs. autonomy” to human-autonomy teams built on interdependence, shared responsibility, and explainable behavior.
Air Force Achieves First Live Missile Launch From CCA Wingman Drone
Breaking Defense reports, “A US Air Force wingman drone for the first time ‘successfully’ fired a live munition, an AMRAAM air-to-air missile, during a recent test, Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach revealed to Breaking Defense.”
Full Story (Breaking Defense)
Boeing Delivers 314 Jets in Strongest First Half Since 2018
Aerotime reports, “Boeing delivered 314 commercial aircraft in the first half of 2026, its highest total for the period since 2018 as production of the 737 MAX continues to recover.”
Full Story (Aerotime)