Page 8 - Pat Host News Today

US Air Force performs F-16 rain-induced pilot degraded visibility test 03 February 2021 by Pat Host The US Air Force (USAF) completed a rain-induced, pilot degraded visual environment (DVE) test with a Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon in December 2020. The F-16 system programme office has been trying to address an issue with rain pooling on the canopy of the aircraft and reducing pilot visibility. Pilots try to avoid flying through inclement weather, but pop-up storms present an unavoidable...

Sikorsky-Boeing unveils Defiant X offering for US Armys FLRAA 26 January 2021 by Pat Host Sikorsky-Boeing unveiled its Defiant X rigid co-axial rotorcraft offering for the US Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) effort that features a few design changes from the SB>1 Defiant technology demonstrator on 25 January. The Defiant X is Sikorsky-Boeing’s complete weapon system configuration for the FLRAA competition. It builds on handling qualities and capabilities developed by the SB...

Canada's Department of National Defence (DND) issued a request for proposal (RFP) for its Cellular Airborne Sensor for Search and Rescue (CASSAR) programme on 8 January. Canada seeks a mobile phone detection system for its Royal Canadian Air...

Update: US Air Forces Roper says service should better sell modernisation technologies to Congress by Pat Host The US Air Force (USAF) needs to explain more clearly to lawmakers how the service will benefit from technologies such as digital engineering to accomplish its modernisation goals, said Will Roper, the assistant secretary for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics (AT&L), on 14 January. According to the service’s outgoing acquisition chief, the USAF should stop arguing that it simply...

US Air Force (USAF) pilots could fly as early as April or May the electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft that are being offered for the service's Agility Prime programme, said Will Roper, who formally resigned on 20 January ...

The US Air Force (USAF) has downselected Northrop Grumman as the sole contractor to complete final project efforts to provide the electronic warfare (EW) suite for the service's Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon fleet. Northrop Grumman sp...

US lawmakers strengthen JSTARS aircraft retirement requirements 06 January 2021 by Pat Host US lawmakers have made it more difficult for the US Air Force (USAF) to retire its Northrop Grumman E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) aircraft. The fiscal year (FY) 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) eliminates a previous provision that required the USAF to first declare initial operational capability (IOC) for Increment 2 of the Advanced Battle Management System (AB...

Formula 1 vehicle racing digital engineering practices inspire US Air Forces Roper by Pat Host The US Air Force’s (USAF’s) acquisition executive is drawing inspiration from a Formula 1 racing team’s digital engineering practices as he tries to apply these concepts to the service’s next-generation aircraft. Will Roper, USAF assistant secretary for acquisition, technology, and logistics (AT&L), said on 18 December that Formula 1 teams perform digital engineering across a racing season fro...

Boeing, US Navy fly MQ-25A test asset in aerial refuelling configuration for the first time by Pat Host Boeing and the US Navy (USN) flew the MQ-25A Stingray unmanned refuelling and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) T1 test asset in its aerial refuelling configuration for the first time on 9 December, according to a company statement. Cobham Mission Systems’ underwing-mounted refuelling buddy store flew on the MQ-25A T1 test asset, according to Cobham. A buddy store is an e...

Bell tunes new V-280 software to enhance aircraft handling qualities 18 December 2020 by Pat Host Bell is tuning a new set of software for its V-280 Valor tiltrotor that gives the aircraft improved handling qualities, according to a company official. Ryan Ehinger, V-280 vice-president and programme director, told Janes on 15 December that this software added additional capabilities that would reduce pilot workload. This includes position hold and attitude hold, he said. Bell is tuning a new set...