ABU DHABI, February 22, 2021 Halcon, a regional leader in the production and supply of precision-guided weapons, has unveiled its Halcon AntiShip-250 (HAS-250) cruise missile at the International Defence and Exhibition Conference (IDEX) 2021, taking place in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi. The HAS-250 is a UAE-designed and developed surface-to-surface missile capable of travelling at speeds of up to 0.8 Mach, with a range of over 250 km. During its terminal phase, it can fly towards its target at a sea-skimming altitude of below 5m. Engineered to provide the highest performance, the HAS-250 utilises Global Navigation Satellite and Inertial Navigation Systems (GNSS + INS) and for high accuracy targeting it is equipped with an active/passive terminal seeker and radio altimeter.
Eutelsat chosen for European EGNOS GEO-4 positioning system
Eutelsat Communications has been chosen by the European GNSS Agency (GSA) for the development, integration and operation of its next-generation EGNOS GEO-4 service.
This satellite-based augmentation system, which has been developed by the ESA (European Space Agency), supplements the accuracy of GPS data, for positioning information. EGNOS stands for European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service, and GNSS for Global Navigation Satellite System.
The new contract is worth €100m and – following a two-year service preparation phase – covers 15 years of service provision.
Eutelsat already operates the EGNOS GEO-3 payload on its EUTELSAT 5 West B satellite, which entered into service in February 2020.
Airline Ratings has this week announced its 2021 ranking of the safest airlines in the world with Australia’s Qantas Airlines remaining in top spot, even in spite of all the pandemic-induced changes and mandates that have been implemented and adjusted over the past year.
According to Geoffrey Thomas, Airline Ratings Editor-in-Chief, the airlines that stood out in the industry were at the forefront of safety, innovation, and launching of new aircraft.
Standout features that earned Qantas top spot included the development of innovative safety plans, including Future Air Navigation System, real-time engine monitoring and automatic landings using Global Navigation Satellite System. Qantas was also one of the first airlines to announce its plans to require travellers to have the COVID-19 vaccine before flying internationally.