Defense News reports, “Airbus U.S. Space and Defense has conducted its first demonstration as part of a program to build an autonomous, uncrewed version of the UH-72 Lakota transportation helicopter for the U.S. Marine Corps. The Lakota variant, which Airbus calls the UH-72 Logistics Connector, is the company’s bid for the Marines’ Aerial Logistics Connector program, senior manager for business development Carl Forsling said Monday at the Association of the U.S. Army’s Annual Meeting and Exhibition in Washington.”
Full Story (Defense News)
Tag: Demo
FAA Grants Inversion Space Reentry License for Orbital Cargo Delivery Capsule Demo
TechCrunch reports, “Inversion Space has become the third company to receive a spacecraft reentry license from the Federal Aviation Administration, paving the way for the startup to launch and return its tech pathfinder mission for orbital delivery later this year. The three-year-old startup has ambitions of transforming space into a new ‘transportation layer for Earth’ using ultra-fast, on-demand cargo deliveries to anywhere on Earth from orbit.”
Full Story (TechCrunch)
Sikorsky to Demo its Autonomous UH-60 Black Hawk for US Marine Corps
Flight Global reports, “Sikorsky will fly its Optionally Piloted Vehicle variant of the UH-60 Black Hawk for the US Marine Corps throughout 2025, showcasing the potential to convert rotorcraft into uncrewed, autonomous aircraft capable of executing resupply and medical evacuation missions.”
Full Story (Flight Global – subscription publication)
Norwegian Air Force F-35A JSF Demonstrates Ability to Takeoff, Land from Highway
The Drive reports that “Norway has become the first country to demonstrate the ability of the conventional takeoff and landing F-35A Joint Strike Fighter to operate from a highway as part of an exercise in Finland.” Maj. Gen. Rolf Folland, Chief of the Royal Norwegian Air Force, said in a press release, “This is a milestone, not only for the Norwegian Air Force, but also for the Nordic countries and for NATO. … This demonstrates our ability to execute a concept of dispersal. Fighter jets are vulnerable on the ground, so by being able to use small airfields – and now motorways – [we can] increase our survivability in war.” Norway’s F-35As “have been training to conduct highway operations in Finland this week as part of the latest iteration of that country’s annual Baana road base exercise, which kicked off on Monday.”
Full Story (The Drive)
Reliable Robotics Flight Tests Cessna Caravan to Demonstrate Technology
FlightGlobal reports that Reliable Robotics has “completed flight tests intended to demonstrate that its autonomous systems can allow pilotless aircraft to operate safely in air-traffic-control-managed airspace.” On Monday, the company “said it performed the tests, which included three flights of its Cessna 208 Caravan, in Northern California in recent weeks.” The work “demonstrated that aircraft equipped with Reliable’s
Full Story (FlightGlobal)
NASA Begins Search for Sustainable X-Plane Demo
Aviation Week reports that NASA “has launched its hunt for a large-scale experimental aircraft to demonstrate the airframe configuration and technologies for a sustainable single-aisle-class airliner that could enter service by the mid-2030s.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)