Aviation Week reports, “The second B-21 flight test aircraft has already flown a second time since its delivery sortie from Northrop Grumman to the U.S. Air Force, as the company says the bombers are increasing their pace of tests that have validated their predictions. The company and the service are finalizing plans on how to use congressionally added funds to increase production capacity for the bomber, says Tom Jones, corporate vice president and president of Aeronautics Systems at Northrop Grumman.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Tag: September 2025
Belgian Air Force’s First MQ-9B Performs Debut Flight
Defense Daily reports, “The first of four General Atomics MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones ordered by the Belgian Air Force arrived at Florennes Air Base last month and had its debut flight on Tuesday, according to General Atomics. Linden Blue, the CEO of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. said that the initial flight ‘ushers in a new era of information dominance for Belgium.’ The MQ-9B is a successor to the U.S. Air Force MQ-9A Reaper.”
Full Story (Defense Daily)
Mississippi State University Testing Aurora’s Tactical eVTOL Drone to Aid First Responders
Unmanned Systems Technology reports, “Researchers at Mississippi State University’s Raspet Flight Research Laboratory are flying Aurora Flight Sciences drone, SKIRON-X, as part of a project designed to assist first responders. The Raspet Flight Research Laboratory is leading a groundbreaking initiative to advance Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for emergency response operations Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS). Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing company, provided its Group 2 UAS, SKIRON-X, as the project’s test platform.”
Full Story (Unmanned Systems Technology)
Blue Origin to Grow New Shepard Fleet
Aviation Week reports, “Blue Origin is developing three new suborbital New Shepard launch systems and mulling expanding flight services beyond West Texas, the company said Sept. 28. The current two-ship fleet will be retired by the end of 2027, with the first of three new spacecraft expected to debut next year, Senior Vice President Phil Joyce said during the Global Spaceport Alliance forum ahead of the International Astronautical Congress being held in Sydney this week.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)