Giant UAV Demo Planned in ’11

The U.S. Army is planning a large-scale demonstration in fall 2011 to showcase its UAVs and their ability to talk to each other and share data. The Manned Unmanned Systems Integration Concept (MUSIC) is scheduled for next September at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah. The demo will feature most of the Army’s UAVs, including Shadows, Hunters, Grey Eagles, Ravens, Micro Air Vehicles, and Pumas.

They will fly with a common set of communication devices, including the tactical common data link and the digital data link, said Tim Owings, deputy project manager for Army unmanned aircraft systems.

“It’s the showcase of all the investment and work the Army has put in to interoperability for the last several years,”


http://defensenews.com/blogs/ausa/2010/10/25/u-s-army-giant-uav-demo-in-11/

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Flight Testing Continues For Poseidon. P-8A Deploys First Sonobuoys In Launch System Test

http://www.aero-news.net/news/military.cfm?ContentBlockID=94f26bfe-06fd-4d4a-8d7c-87767fc03def&Dynamic=1

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EADS North America’s Armed Aerial Scout 72X team prepares for first flight of the initial Technical Demonstration Aircraft

EADS North America announced today at the Association of the U.S. Army annual convention that its Armed Aerial Scout 72X (AAS-72X) industry team is preparing for the first flight of one of three company-funded Technical Demonstration Aircraft (TDA).

The EADS North America-led industry team, comprised of Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT), Eurocopter and American Eurocopter, is developing three AAS-72X aircraft to demonstrate the total capability of the aircraft with a fully-integrated Mission Equipment Package (MEP). The initial flight of the first demonstrator aircraft is scheduled to occur in December.

“First flight is a key milestone that moves us down the technical path to demonstrating the capabilities of the aircraft and reflects our commitment to our Army customer and this important warfighting requirement,” said Sean O’Keefe, CEO of EADS North America.

In July 2009, the AAS-72X industry team conducted a series of successful high/hot test flights that achieved all test objectives including flight endurance with a 2,300-pound simulated MEP.

Since that time other advancements on the program include the development of the MEP Systems Integration Laboratory at Lockheed Martin’s Orlando, Fla. facility.

”Lockheed Martin is making significant progress in the maturation of the AAS-72X state-of-the-art MEP,” said Bob Gunning, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control vice president of Fire Control programs. “We are leveraging our expertise from other combat-proven rotary- and fixed-wing programs to develop the lowest risk MEP. The first flight in December marks a significant milestone in our path towards flying a production prototype.”

As a highly capable helicopter for the Armed Aerial Scout mission, the AAS-72X combines twin-engine safety, high and hot operating performance and a large cabin for true multi-role capability. The AAS-72X is derived from the same family of aircraft as the UH-72A Lakota Light Utility Helicopter, offering a low-risk evolution of the U.S. Army’s newest rotary-wing aircraft, which is widely considered one of the most successful acquisition programs in the service’s history.

Production of the AAS-72X would take place at the Columbus, Miss. helicopter center of excellence operated by EADS North America’s subsidiary American Eurocopter, where the UH-72A currently is assembled for the U.S. Army. EADS North America has delivered 138 UH-72As on time and within budget, including five to the U.S. Navy.

For additional information about EADS North America’s AAS-72X, visit the website at: www.AAS-72X.com.

About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 133,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation’s 2009 sales from continuing operations were $44.0 billion.

About American Eurocopter
American Eurocopter is a helicopter manufacturer that produces, markets, sells and supports the broadest range of civil and para-public helicopters offered by any manufacturer in the United States. The company is a subsidiary of EADS North America Holdings, the North American operations of EADS, a global leader in aerospace, defense and related services, and is an affiliate of Eurocopter, the largest helicopter manufacturer in the world. American Eurocopter’s product line represents the most cost-effective, technologically-advanced helicopters, ranging from light single to heavy twin, serving all markets and missions. Company headquarters and main facilities are located in Grand Prairie, Texas, with a large manufacturing and production facility in Columbus, Miss., that produces the UH-72A for the U.S. Army’s Light Utility Helicopter program.

About EADS North America
EADS North America is the North American operation of EADS, a global leader in aerospace, defense and related services. As a leader in all sectors of defense and homeland security, EADS North America and its parent company, EADS, contribute over $11 billion to the U.S. economy annually and support more than 200,000 American jobs through its network of suppliers and services. Operating in 17 states, EADS North America offers a broad array of advanced solutions to its customers in the commercial, homeland security, aerospace and defense markets.

About EADS
EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defense and related services. In 2009, the Group - comprising Airbus, Astrium, Cassidian and Eurocopter – generated revenues of € 42.8 billion and employed a workforce of more than 119,000.


EADS

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AV’s Global Observer Stratospheric Hydrogen Powered Unmanned Aircraft System Completes Initial Flight Testing

AeroVironment’s Global Observer Stratospheric Unmanned Aircraft System Completes Initial Flight Testing

Demonstration Program Proceeding Toward Hydrogen-Fueled Flight Test Phase

WASHINGTON, at AUSA, Oct. 25, 2010 -- AeroVironment, Inc. (AV) (NASDAQ:AVAV) today announced that the first aircraft developed under the Global Observer™ Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) program has successfully completed initial flight testing consisting of multiple low-altitude flights at Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB) in California. This initial flight test phase of the demonstration program employed batteries to power the hybrid-electric aircraft and to approximate full aircraft weight and center of gravity for flight control, performance and responsiveness evaluation.

The program team has installed and is currently ground testing the aircraft’s innovative, hydrogen-fueled generator and liquid hydrogen fuel tanks which will power it through stratospheric, extreme endurance flights during the joint operational utility assessment phase of the program.

“These successful flights validated Global Observer’s airworthiness, and represent critical milestones as the team proceeds toward demonstrating stratospheric, extreme endurance operations,” said Tim Conver, AV’s president and chief executive officer. “The liquid-hydrogen fueled flight test series will be historic for AV and the JCTD team as Global Observer moves closer to demonstrating mission-readiness and supporting our troops whenever and wherever needed.”

The initial test flights took place during the months of August and September and have succeeded in achieving the primary objectives of the low altitude flight test program. The primary objectives for initial flight testing were to test guidance, manual and autonomous controls, navigation, structural performance, thrust levels and handling in various winds and turbulence conditions.

AV also has successfully operated Global Observer’s hydrogen-fueled generator for more than 1,500 hours in a specialized environmental chamber, including an uninterrupted 7-day mission cycle. The chamber subjects the generator to the range of temperatures, pressures and air densities that the aircraft will experience during the climb, loiter and descent stages of high altitude missions. Successful wing load tests performed in August validated the Global Observer wing at its load limit.

AV is developing the Global Observer unmanned aircraft system (UAS) to be the first to provide robust, cost-effective and persistent communications and surveillance over any location. Six U.S. government agencies have provided funding for the JCTD program.

Global Observer is designed to address an urgent national security need for a persistent stratospheric platform and to offer a means to satisfy numerous high value civil and commercial applications. The system is intended to provide mission capabilities that include robust observation over areas with little or no existing coverage, persistent communications relay, the ability to relocate the system as required by theater commanders, dedicated communications support to other UAS and tactical on-station weather monitoring and data support. Because of its extreme endurance the Global Observer system can be based out-of-theater, reducing costs, supply chain requirements and potential risk to operational personnel.

About Global Observer
With 20 years of experience developing stratospheric, long-endurance unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), AV is developing Global Observer to operate as a “stratospheric geosynchronous satellite system” with regional coverage and minimal signal delay. Two Global Observer aircraft, each flying for up to a week at a time, will alternate coverage over any area on the earth, providing a seamless, persistent platform for high value missions such as communications relay, remote sensing, long-term surveillance and border patrol. Offering greater flexibility than a satellite and significantly longer duration than conventional manned and unmanned aircraft, Global Observer is designed to provide critical new capabilities in a reliable and more affordable manner, all while consuming no fossil fuels and emitting no carbon emissions.

Each aircraft in a Global Observer system is designed to fly at an altitude of between 55,000 and 65,000 feet for 5 to 7 days. In addition to flying above weather and above other conventional airplanes, operation in this altitude range means that sensor payloads on the aircraft will be able to view a circular area on the surface of the earth up to 600 miles in diameter, equivalent to more than 280,000 square miles of coverage. Equipped with payloads that are readily available today, two Global Observer aircraft would alternate coverage over any location on the globe, making this the first solution to provide customers with practical, seamless coverage, wherever and whenever required.

# # #

About AeroVironment, Inc. (AV)
AV is a technology company that designs, develops, produces and supports an advanced portfolio of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and efficient electric energy systems. Agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense and allied military services use the company’s battery-powered, hand-launched UAS to provide situational awareness to tactical operating units through real-time, airborne reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition. AV’s electric transportation solutions include electric vehicle (EV) home charging, public charging and fast charging systems for consumers, automakers, utilities and government agencies, power cycling and test systems for EV developers and industrial electric vehicle charging systems for commercial fleets.

Press Release

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Gamesa implantará en el Reino Unido su centro mundial de 'offshore', con una inversión de 150 millones

el plan industrial de su actividad eólica marina, que el fabricante de aerogeneradores plantea acometer a partir de 2011 en el Reino Unido, consta de la instalación de un centro de tecnología 'offshore' y la construcción de un centro de producción de palas.

Asimismo, Gamesa desarrollará sus operaciones logísticas portuarias 'offshore' desde diferentes puertos del Reino Unido, alrededor de los cuales situará también sus servicios de operación y mantenimiento de aerogeneradores.

http://www.europapress.es/euskadi/noticia-gamesa-implantara-reino-unido-centro-mundial-offshore-inversion-150-millones-20101025130108.html

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La línea de helicópteros de Eurocopter destacará en el salón y conferencia Euronaval 2010

Marignane, Francia, 25 de octubre de 2010

La amplia gama de helicópteros navales y marinos de Eurocopter destacará en el salón y conferencia Euronaval 2010. En ella se incluirá un helicóptero NH90
de NHIndustries para las fragatas de la OTAN completamente equipado, un modelo que hoy día pone en servicio un grupo cada vez mayor de operadores
internacionales.

La participación de Eurocopter en este acontecimiento bienal, celebrado esta vez del 25 al 29 de octubre en Le Bourget, en las cercanías de París, resaltará la
experiencia de décadas que el Grupo posee en el sector de helicópteros navales. De sus conocimientos resulta una gama de productos adecuada para satisfacer requisitos operacionales que abarcan desde el combate antisubmarino y contra buques de superficie, hasta misiones de evolución, tales como la lucha contra la piratería y el contrabando y el apoyo de fuerzas especiales.

En la presentación estática de Euronaval se exhibe el helicóptero NH90 NFH, fabricado por la empresa conjunta NHIndustries, formada por Eurocopter,
AgustaWestland y Fokker. Junto con el NFH se muestran también el sonar Flash de Thales, el moderno torpedo ligero MU90 de Eurotorp, el misil antibuque Marte MK2 S de MBDA, además de el "arpón", la parrilla de cubierta y el equipo Samahe de aseguramiento.

Las primeras entregas de NH90 NFH se efectuaron en 2010 a Francia y los Países Bajos. Italia y Noruega recibirán sus primeros NH90 NFH a finales de este año y después seguirá Bélgica, en 2011.

"Al estar dotado con los más modernos censores y de armamento, el NH90 NFH ofrece una flexibilidad sin igual para hacer realidad el concepto de fragata polivalente con "un buque-un helicóptero", según dice el vicepresidente de programas gubernamentales de Eurocopter, Dominique Maudet. "El programa del NH90 supone el más grande desarrollo de helicóptero llevado a cabo en Europa y sus capacidades navales cubren la gama completa de operaciones, desde el reconocimiento, la identificación y el seguimiento para disuasión, ataque, rescate y transporte".

En el pabellón interior de Euronaval, Eurocopter exhibe maquetas a escala de sus otros helicópteros navales y marítimos, incluyendo el AS565 MB Panther, el AS365 N3 Dauphin y el EC645. El Panther es la versión militar del helicóptero biturbina Dauphin de Eurocopter, un aparato polivalente, de peso medio, concebido a la medida de todo un abanico de misiones, que comprende desde el combate contra submarinos y buques de superficie, la búsqueda y el salvamento, la vigilancia y patrulla de control en Zona Económica Exclusiva (ZEE), hasta operacionesantiterrorismo, auxilio en accidentes y evacuación sanitaria, pasando por el transporte de tropas y de carga. El EC645 de Eurocopter es una variante armada del helicóptero bimotor EC145, adecuada en el entorno marino para vigilancia de la ZEE, misiones policiales armadas en el mar, lucha contra el terrorismo, operaciones de búsqueda y salvamento, así como para evacuación de personas y transporte de carga.

Aunque no esté presente en Euronaval, el helicóptero EC225/725 puede cumplir un gran número de operaciones marítimas todo tiempo, como es el caso actualmente de la Marina francesa.



Eurocopter

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Seis compañías privadas compiten por el relevo del transbordador espacial

http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2010/10/24/ciencia/1287946009.html

"El objetivo de la NASA, de acuerdo con la nueva ley firmada por el
presidente Obama, es delegar cada vez más las actividades operativas
en la órbita terrestre en las compañías privadas", aseguró Garver. "La
NASA va a concentrar a partir de ahora sus esfuerzos en la misión
tripulada a un asteroide y eventualmente a Marte, al tiempo que abre
la espita a la nueva era de los vuelos comerciales en el espacio".

Los proyectos
http://www.spacedev.com/
http://www.spacex.com/
http://www.blueorigin.com/
http://www.bigelowaerospace.com/
http://www.orbital.com/
http://www.virgingalactic.com/

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