FARA: Sikorsky Introduces RAIDER X™, a NextGen Light-Attack Reconnaissance Helicopter Based on its Proven X2 Technology

https://youtu.be/LpQC_qpkRRE

press release




WASHINGTON, Oct. 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company (NYSE: LMT), today introduced RAIDER X™, its concept for an agile, lethal and survivable compound coaxial helicopter, specifically designed for securing vertical lift dominance against evolving peer and near-peer threats on the future battlefield. Through the U.S. Army's Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program, RAIDER X is the out-front platform in the Service's revolutionary approach for rapid development and delivery of game changing technology and warfighter capabilities, equipped for the most demanding and contested environments. RAIDER X enables the reach, protection and lethality required to remain victorious in future conflicts.




"RAIDER X converges everything we've learned in years of developing, testing and refining X2 Technology and delivers warfighters a dominant, survivable and intelligent system that will excel in tomorrow's battlespace where aviation overmatch is critical," said Frank St. John, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems. "The X2 Technology family of aircraft is a low-risk solution and is scalable based on our customers' requirements."

RAIDER X draws on Lockheed Martin's broad expertise in developing innovative systems using the latest digital design and manufacturing techniques. Sikorsky's RAIDER X prototype offers:

• Exceptional Performance: The X2 rigid rotor provides increased performance including; highly responsive maneuverability, enhanced low-speed hover, off-axis hover, and level acceleration and braking. These attributes make us unbeatable at the X.
• Agile, Digital Design: State-of-the-art digital design and manufacturing is already in use on other Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky production programs such as CH-53K, CH-148 and F-35, and will enable the Army to not only lower the acquisition cost, but enable rapid, affordable upgrades to stay ahead of the evolving threat.
• Adaptability: Modern open systems architecture (MOSA)-based avionics and mission systems, offering "plug-and-play" options for computing, sensors, survivability and weapons, benefiting lethality and survivability, operational mission tailoring and competitive acquisitions.
• Sustainable/Maintenance: Designed to decrease aircraft operating costs by utilizing new technologies to shift from routine maintenance and inspections to self-monitoring and condition-based maintenance, which will increase aircraft availability, reduce sustainment footprint forward and enable flexible maintenance operating periods.
• Growth/Mission Flexibility: Focused on the future and ever evolving threat capabilities, X2 compound coaxial technology provides unmatched potential and growth margin for increased speed, combat radius and payload. This potential and growth margin further enables operational mission flexibility which includes a broader range of aircraft configurations and loadouts to accommodate specific mission requirements.

The nationwide supply team that Sikorsky has comprised to build RAIDER X will join company leaders today to introduce RAIDER X during the annual conference of the Association of the United States Army in Washington, D.C.

"RAIDER X is the culmination of decades of development, and a testament to our innovation and passion for solving our customers' needs," said Sikorsky President Dan Schultz. "By leveraging the strength of the entire Lockheed Martin Corporation, we will deliver the only solution that gives the U.S. Army the superiority needed to meet its mission requirements."

Proven X2 Technology: Scalable, Sustainable, Affordable

With RAIDER X, Sikorsky introduces the latest design in its X2 family of aircraft. To date, X2 aircraft have achieved/demonstrated:

• Speeds in excess of 250 knots
• High altitude operations in excess of 9,000 feet
• Low-speed and high-speed maneuver envelopes out to 60+ degrees angle of bank
• ADS-33B (Aeronautical Design Standard) Level 1 handling qualities with multiple pilots
• Flight controls optimization and vibration mitigation

"The power of X2 is game changing. It combines the best elements of low-speed helicopter performance with the cruise performance of an airplane," said Sikorsky experimental test pilot Bill Fell, a retired Army pilot who has flown nearly every RAIDER test flight. "Every flight we take in our S-97 RAIDER today reduces risk and optimizes our FARA prototype, RAIDER X."

The development of X2 Technology and the RAIDER program has been funded entirely by significant investments by Sikorsky, Lockheed Martin and industry partners.

For additional information, visit our website: www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/products/fara-raider-x.html



About Lockheed MartinHeadquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 105,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.






related:
FARA
https://breakingdefense.com/2018/09/army-may-create-new-aerial-scout-force-hello-russia/


Other contenders
https://breakingdefense.com/2019/04/fara-army-awards-5-design-contracts-winner-enters-production-in-2028/

Read more...

Sikorsky Ceremony Showcases New Combat Rescue Helicopter

press release




Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company (NYSE: LMT), showcased the next generation Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH) during a ceremony at its Development Flight Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, this week.

View the video from the event. View the CRH b-roll.

During the event, United States Air Force General James M. Holmes, Commander, Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia (91) described the HH-60W helicopter as critical took for the warfighter.

“I want to say thanks to everyone from Sikorsky for your dedication to your craft, for consistently living up to your mission statement of pioneering flight solutions that bring people home everywhere every time. And that partnership is incredibly valuable to us and the guys on the ground,” Gen. Holmes said. “We’re proud to work with you to deliver the most intuitive, precise, technologically advanced systems to our airmen.”

Other dignitaries attending the event included Dr. Will Roper, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics and Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) from Florida’s 18th District.

Prepared for Production

The achievement of the Milestone C production decision on Sept. 24 launched the contract award known as Low Rate Initial Production for Sikorsky to build 10 CRH helicopters.

The U.S. Air Force program of record calls for 113 helicopters to replace the HH-60G PAVE HAWK™, which perform critical combat search and rescue and personnel recovery operations for all U.S. military services.

“The Combat Rescue Helicopter is the new era in Air Force aviation and a pivotal milestone that ties to our company’s legacy of bringing people home,” said Sikorsky President Dan Schultz. “Sikorsky employees and our nationwide supply chain are ready to begin producing, delivering and supporting this all-new aircraft for the warfighter.”

The HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopter is significantly more capable and reliable than its predecessor, the HH-60G.The aircraft hosts a new fuel system that nearly doubles the capacity of the internal tank on a UH-60M BLACK HAWK®, giving the Air Force crew extended range and more capability to rescue those injured in the battle space. The HH-60W specification drives more capable defensive systems, vulnerability reduction, hover performance, electrical capacity, avionics, cooling, weapons, cyber-security, environmental and net-centric requirements than currently held by the HH-60G.

“We send in brave men and women who are going to find a way to get the job done,” Dr. Roper said. “But they’ll tell you about flying in and not being certain that they could land safely or putting the broad side of their vehicle between a downed pilot and gunfire. When you hear those stories, you realize that we put heroes on these vehicles. We pick up heroes in these vehicles and they deserve every technology advantage we can give them.”

Training Systems

On Sept. 19, four pilots and four special mission aviators from the U.S. Air Force graduated from the Sikorsky Training Academy’s S-70i Transition Course. As previously qualified HH-60G Pave Hawk crews, the students learned about the unique systems and operating capabilities of the Sikorsky S-70i. During the four-week course, they each spent seven hours using a procedural trainer, 10 hours in a full-motion flight simulator and 10 hours of flight time in the S-70i aircraft.

To ensure mission readiness, Lockheed Martin will deliver a custom-tailored training system consisting of flight simulators, procedural and maintenance trainers and accompanying courseware.

In 2020, Lockheed Martin will train 200 U.S. Air Force and maintenance aircrew students at our Sikorsky Training Academy in Stuart, Fla. utilizing training systems and three newly built HH-60W aircraft. This will provide flight and maintenance training to initial cadre and units allowing the U.S. Air Force to remain vigilant while simultaneously fielding and employing the added capabilities of the HH-60W aircraft.

For additional information, visit our website: www.lockheedmartin.com/crh.

Read more...

Air France chooses new, more spacious luggage compartments by Safran to equip its Airbus A320 fleet

press release




On its domestic and European network, Air France is continuing to improve its customers' travel experience by offering them more space to store their cabin luggage as from 2020.



Air France is the first airline in the world to choose Safran Cabin's latest ECOS luggage compartments to equip its A320 and A321 single-aisle short and medium-haul aircraft.



The ECOS "Efficient Cabin Open Space" system offers up to 60% more storage capacity than the luggage racks currently available. It consists of new bins, ceiling and cove panels that provide a lower shelf height for ease of loading and visibility. The new luggage compartments are also equipped with easy to reach doors which do not encroach into the cabin aisle. Robust, lightweight and easy to maintain, the ECOS system is simple and fast to install, requiring no aircraft modifications. It provides an easier and smoother boarding experience, greatly reducing the time spent searching for luggage space on board or the need to put certain bags in the hold. Aircraft turnaround times will also be reduced to improve efficiency and on-time performance.



In total, Air France plans to gradually equip its 40 A320s and 11 A321s with 1,342 new luggage compartments between September 2020 and September 2022.



On edge stowage

The ECOS luggage stowage system is the first to offer on edge luggage stowage with wheels at the back, increasing luggage capacity by 60% compared with standard luggage compartments. 

Aircraft type	Luggage capacity of the current model	Luggage capacity of the "ECOS" model
Airbus A320	104	166
Airbus A321	113	192

 

 

"Air France will be the first airline to offer these innovative luggage compartments. They will enable us to meet the high expectations of our customers wishing to travel with cabin bags only to save time during their trip. Boarding will be smoother and faster, both for them and for our crews. This represents a significant improvement in comfort and operational efficiency", said Catherine Villar, SVP Customer Experience Air France.



Norman Jordan, CEO of Safran Cabin, said: "Safran Cabin is proud to be providing Air France with the ECOS interior system and to be supporting Air France in its objectives to improve customer satisfaction."

Read more...

Rolls-Royce completes acquisition of Siemens’ Electric and Hybrid-Electric aerospace propulsion business

press release




Rolls-Royce has completed the acquisition of the electric and hybrid-electric aerospace propulsion activities of Siemens (formerly known as the eAircraft business), following a period of employee consultation.

The timely execution of the deal, announced in June this year, underlines the fit of these activities to our strategy to ‘champion electrification’ and will help accelerate our ambitions as we look to play a major role in the ‘third era’ of aviation.

Rob Watson, Director – Rolls-Royce Electrical, said: “We are very pleased with the rapid execution of the necessary legal and procedural steps to complete this acquisition. We are welcoming our new colleagues into Rolls-Royce today and look forward to working with them to pioneer new technologies and solutions.”

“We are at the dawn of the ‘third era’ of aviation, which will bring a new class of quieter and cleaner air transport to the skies, and our new colleagues will add vital skills, expertise and new technology to our portfolio.”

Paul Stein, Rolls-Royce Chief Technology Officer, added: “The technology portfolio and skills that we have acquired complement our existing developments in electrification, which include micro-grids and hybrid electric trains as well as aerospace applications.”

“Electrification is just one of the ways in which we are making aviation more sustainable. We are continuing to increase the fuel efficiency of our gas turbines; increasing the integration between airframe and engine; and encouraging the development of sustainable fuels.”

The former Siemens business, based in Germany and Hungary, employs around 180 specialist electrical designers and engineers who have been developing a range of all-electric and hybrid electric propulsion solutions for the aerospace industry. They will continue to work in their existing locations.

The team from Siemens was already well known to us as we have been working together on the E-Fan X demonstrator programme and they are joining a business that has already made significant strides towards the increased electrification of aviation.

We have conducted successful ground tests of a hybrid propulsion system that can be used across a range of smaller transport platforms including EVTOLs (hybrid electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles), general aviation aircraft, and hybrid helicopters. These tests are part of one of the world’s most comprehensive hybrid aerospace turbine engine development and integration programmes, paving the way for experimental test flights in 2021. We are also developing an all-electric demonstrator aircraft, as part of the ACCEL initiative that will attempt to break the world speed record for all-electric flight.

The closing of the deal is the latest in a series of electrification announcements from Rolls-Royce. At the end of August, we launched a joint research programme on zero-emissions aviation with Widerøe, the largest regional airline in Scandinavia. The programme is part of the airline´s ambition to replace and electrify its legacy regional fleet by 2030.

Earlier the same month, we signed a letter of intent for the construction of a demonstration plant for the production of synthetic fuels in the Lausitz region of Germany, together with the State of Brandenburg, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus and other industrial partners.

Read more...

Bombardier’s Industry Flagship Global 7500 Jet Flies Farther Again with Another Mission in Excess of 8,000 Nautical Miles

 

 

press release

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• The Global 7500 aircraft connects longest non-stop city pair in business aviation history – Sydney, Australia to Detroit, Michigan
• Unique achievement cements the Global 7500 aircraft’s ability to perform year-round, irrespective of tailwinds
• As the industry flagship, the Global 7500 business jet continues to set the bar for its combination of performance, cabin experience, and smooth ride
• The aircraft continues to garner accolade upon accolade, having been honoured with a string of prestigious awards in 2019

 

Bombardier is proud to announce that its unrivalled Global 7500 business jet has once again flown another mission in excess of 8,000 nautical miles, successfully connecting Sydney and Detroit in one non-stop flight, the longest city-pair in business aviation in history flown by a purpose-built aircraft.

 

With low tailwinds averaging approximately 20 knots, the multi-award winning Global 7500 aircraft smoothly and effortlessly completed the journey from Sydney, Australia to Detroit, Michigan on October 6, 2019. Point-to-point distance between the two cities is 8,225 nautical miles, eclipsing the 7,990 nautical mile distance between Singapore and Tucson, which the plane previously flew.

 

“Since entry-into-service, the Global 7500 aircraft continues to go above and beyond expectations, flying farther and farther, setting new benchmarks for exceptional performance and comfort,” said Peter Likoray, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales and Marketing, Bombardier Business Aircraft. “It’s an incomparable advantage for our customers to know that they can travel great distances in style and ultimate comfort thanks to Bombardier’s signature smooth ride.”

 

The aircraft’s unbeatable combination of performance, size and comfort has been widely applauded with a string of prestigious awards, among them Robb Report’s Business Jet of the Year for 2019, the 2019 Aviation Week Grand Laureate Award and a Red Dot Award for design.

 

The Global 7500 aircraft provides the industry’s largest and best cabin experience offering a spaciousness that is unique among business jets and features an award-winning interior that includes a full-size multi-functional kitchen space and a stateroom with a permanent bed. Other industry-leading amenities on the Global 7500 aircraft include Bombardier’s patented Nuage seat, designed for maximum comfort and relaxation on long-haul flights thanks to an all-new deep recline position, and the innovative Soleil lighting system, aviation’s first circadian rhythm-based cabin lighting technology featuring the revolutionary Dynamic Daylight Simulation, which can help combat jet lag.

 

With its sophisticated slats and flap system, the Global 7500 aircraft’s most advanced wing in business aviation generates unprecedented amounts of lift on takeoff and approach, maximizing aerodynamic efficiency and boosting performance while improving safety and offering a smoother, more restful ride.

Read more...

Airbus marks its 1,000th A320neo Family aircraft delivery

press release




Airbus has delivered the 1,000th A320neo Family aircraft. The aircraft, an A321neo produced in Hamburg, Germany, was delivered to Indian airline IndiGo.

IndiGo is the world’s biggest customer for the A320neo Family with orders totaling 430 aircraft. Since its first NEO was delivered in March 2016, its fleet of A320neo Family has grown into the world’s largest with 96 aircraft operating alongside 129 A320s. In an extremely competitive aviation market, the fuel efficient A320 Family has been instrumental in IndiGo’s rise to become India’s largest airline by fleet size and passenger numbers.

The A320neo Family is assembled at Airbus’ four global sites: Toulouse, France; Hamburg, Germany; Tianjin, China; and Mobile, USA. The world’s first A320neo was delivered in January 2016 and the programme has achieved milestones every year since: the first A321neo in 2017; the first A321LR in 2018 and the launch of the A321XLR in 2019.

The A320neo programme was designed with fuel efficiency in mind. Building on the A320ceo’s popularity, the aircraft delivers 20% reduced fuel burn as well as 50% less noise compared to previous generation aircraft. Seating up to 240 passengers, depending on cabin configuration, the A320neo Family features the widest single aisle cabin in the sky and incorporates the very latest technologies including new generation engines and Sharklets. At the end of September 2019, the A320neo Family had received more than 6,660 firm orders from close to 110 customers worldwide.

Read more...

Thales and Airbus sign joint agreement to detect cyber threats

press release

Thales and Airbus CyberSecurity, two European leaders in critical information systems and cybersecurity, join forces to support operators of essential services against cyber attacks

Combining their sovereign products, Thales’s cyber attack detection system Cybels Sensor and the Airbus CyberSecurity’s Orion Malware solution will provide businesses and organisations with a qualified solution delivering unrivalled results

Solution offers unparalleled detection capacities and enables in-depth investigation, combining detection with incident response

Airbus CyberSecurity and Thales, two European leaders in cybersecurity, have signed a partnership agreement to offer a unique solution against cyber attacks.  The solution will combine the file analysis system Orion Malware from Airbus CyberSecurity with Thales’s intrusion detection system Cybels Sensor, which obtained Security Visa from the French national cybersecurity agency (ANSSI) in April 2019.

This cooperation will enable the two companies to offer the best detection solution on the market, increasing the overall level of cyber defence for businesses and organisations. The partnership for the French market aims to help operators of essential services (OESs) reinforce cyber protection measures required by ANSSI with the Military Programming Law (LPM) -which is similar to the European Network and Information Systems (NIS) directive.

The Cybels Sensor detection system from Thales enables OESs and businesses to detect cyber attacks by confidently monitoring their networks. Through real-time analyses of large data volumes to detect potential threats, the sensor alerts cybersecurity teams as early as possible to maximise the protection of monitored networks. Customers already equipped with this solution include Le Groupe La Poste as well as large programmes such as the Galileo’s security systems.

In conjunction with the Orion Malware solution developed by Airbus CyberSecurity, suspicious files captured on a network by Cybels Sensor are analysed in depth in less than a minute. After the analysis, Orion Malware returns a report detailing the risks and indicators of compromise. A summary accessible to non-experts is also provided to efficiently prepare the response to the incident.

At the cutting-edge of research, and already in operation to protect institutional and corporate customers, Orion Malware works like a detonation chamber for malware. It combines the best static and dynamic detection engines to detect the stealthiest malware threats. Orion also integrates artificial intelligence to improve the classification of detected malware.

Thanks to the combination of Orion Malware with Cybels Sensor, businesses and organisations can now enhance the overall efficiency of their cyber protection. While offering an unparalleled level of detection, the solution is easy to implement and is fully adapted and optimised for Security Operations Centres (SOCs), incident response and cyber threat intelligence operations. It therefore reduces the costs of operating and protecting IT infrastructure.




About Thales
Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global technology leader shaping the world of tomorrow today. The Group provides solutions, services and products to customers in the aeronautics, space, transport, digital identity and security, and defence markets. With 80,000 employees in 68 countries, Thales generated sales of € 19 billion in 2018 (on a pro forma basis including Gemalto). Thales is investing in particular in digital innovations – connectivity, Big Data, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity – technologies that support businesses, organisations and governments in their decisive moments.
Thales Group

About Airbus CyberSecurity
Airbus CyberSecurity, a unit of Airbus Defence and Space, provides companies, critical national infrastructures and government and defence organisations with reliable, high-performance products and services to detect, analyse and respond to increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks.
www.airbus-cyber-security.com

Read more...

Embraer and Ufes conduct first autonomous aircraft test in Brazil

press release




A scientific and technological cooperation between Embraer and the Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (Ufes), in the areas of autonomous robotics and artificial intelligence resulted in the first test of an autonomous aircraft in Brazil. The successful initiative made it possible for a prototype to perform the taxiing operation on its own, moving along a previously established path without human interference. The sensor and image navigation set led the autonomous systems technology demonstration aircraft through the runway, taxi area and patio independently, without outside assistance. A pilot followed the cockpit operation in case of any interference. The test took place in the last week of August, at Embraer unit in Gavião Peixoto, in São Paulo state. For the past six months, researchers from Embraer and Ufes have worked together on mathematical and computational models of automation, software development, hardware, laser sensor kit, GPS and cameras, as well as systems integration into the aeronautical platform. The autonomous land navigation system was tested in a simulator during preliminary assessments prior to actual operation. “Our strategy for technology development in autonomous systems seeks to position the country at the forefront of artificial intelligence processes in a variety of applications”, said Daniel Moczydlower, Embraer's Executive Vice President of Engineering and Technology. “Achieving this technological milestone in Embraer's 50th anniversary month demonstrated not only the importance of bringing industry closer to the university, but also how prepared and engaged our people are for the journey of excellence needed for the coming decades.” The integrated artificial intelligence system monitored the aircraft’s external and internal conditions, which acts independently on the acceleration, steering and braking commands, and accurately performed the movement along the indicated path. The test aircraft platform - the same one used for the development of the modern executive jets Legacy 500 and Praetor 600 - integrated features of the Intelligent Autonomous Robotic Automobile (IARA) system, result of an autonomous cars’ research that began in 2009, at the Ufes High Performance Computing Laboratory (LCAD). “This success demonstrates the excellence of what we have been developing at Ufes in the last 10 years in the areas of autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence. It puts us once again at the scientific forefront in these areas worldwide. Doing all this in partnership with Embraer fills us with pride and satisfaction”, said Professor Alberto Ferreira de Souza, project coordinator. Partnership The partnership with Ufes, in the context of pre-competitive research and development, seeks to accelerate the knowledge of autonomous systems technologies through the implementation of more agile experimentation processes. The proposal for the scientific development of autonomous aeronautical systems, using a technology demonstration platform, constitutes an effective and efficient precompetitive research instrument for learning, training and maturing of technologies prior to application in future products or development of new market segments. Initiatives such as this, combined with long-term incentive policies, can enhance, for example, Brazil's ability to enable a new era of air mobility that is more accessible to the population. Embraer is committed to the open innovation model and collaborates with dozens of universities and research centers in Brazil and abroad. Highlights include long-term partnerships with institutions such as the Financier of Studies and Projects (Finep), the Research Support Foundations of the states of Santa Catarina, São Paulo and Minas Gerais (Fapesc, Fapesp and Fapemig, respectively) and Brazilian Company of Industrial Research and Innovation (Embrapii), which are fundamental to reduce the distance between the scientific community and the needs of the industry. By establishing strategic partnerships through more agile cooperation mechanisms, Embraer stimulates knowledge networks that allow a significant increase in the country's competitiveness and the construction of a sustainable future. Follow us on Twitter: @Embraer About Embraer A global aerospace company headquartered in Brazil, Embraer celebrates its 50th anniversary with businesses in Commercial and Executive aviation, Defense & Security and Agricultural Aviation. The company designs, develops, manufactures and markets aircraft and systems, providing Services & Support to customers after-sales. Since it was founded in 1969, Embraer has delivered more than 8,000 aircraft. On average, about every 10 seconds an aircraft manufactured by Embraer takes off somewhere in the world, transporting over 145 million passengers a year. Embraer is the leading manufacturer of commercial jets up to 150 seats and the main exporter of high value-added goods in Brazil. The company maintains industrial units, offices, service and parts distribution centers, among other activities, across the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe.

Read more...

EMBRAERX PROPOSES A VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

https://journalofwonder.embraer.com/global/en/201-embraerx-proposes-a-vision-for-the-future-of-air-traffic-management

Read more...