Airbus’ defense and space business has partnered with Iridium Communications’ subsidiary, Aireon, and introduced an airspace analytics platform at the Farnborough Airshow. Aireon said Thursday it will deliver space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast data to Airbus’ recently launched analytics tool – AirSense – to facilitate real-time aircraft tracking, streamline airspace utilization and flight routes, and boost airport […] More

Airbus‘ defense, space and helicopter businesses have launched a new suite of data analytics services aimed at supporting aircraft operational safety, maintenance and mission availability. The company said Monday its SmartForce services use on-site private data cloud to help operators perform troubleshooting and predictive maintenance on aircraft. SmartForce works with data gathered from aircraft such […] More

Airbus’ defense and space business has launched at the Farnborough Airshow an unmanned aerial vehicle designed to perform intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations. Airbus said Monday it also opened the first production facility for the Zephyr S High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite UAV and named it after Zephyr inventor Chris Kelleher. Sophie Thomas, head of the Zephyr […] More

France-based Airbus seeks to participate in U.S. military space technology development projects through the establishment of a Florida-based satellite assembly line scheduled to be operational this fall, SpaceNews reported Friday. Airbus’s joint venture with satellite broadband company OneWeb established the facility with the goal to produce at least 900 spacecraft designed to operate in low Earth orbit. The […] More

Germany’s defense ministry secured proposals Tuesday from the U.S. government that represents Boeing and Lockheed Martin as well as from Airbus for a program to replace the European country’s fleet of 90 Tornado fighter aircraft by 2025, Reuters reported Tuesday. Airbus has teamed up with BAE Systems and Leonardo to offer the Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft […] More

Switzerland has unveiled a list of specifications for the country’s future combat aircraft and ground-based air defense system. The Swiss defense department said Friday its NKF combat aircraft should be able to protect the Swiss airspace and perform routine air policing missions continuously. The country is looking for an aircraft that can respond within minutes to […] More

Airbus has demonstrated a capacity to launch laser guided rockets with the company-built H145M helicopter platform during a firing test held at Alvdalen test range in Sweden. The helicopter fired Thales-made FZ275 70mm air-ground rocket as part of the trials at the Swedish defense materiel administration’s test facility, Airbus said Wednesday. An MX-15D electro-optical system from L3 Technologies‘ Wescam subsidiary helped  guide rockets that […] More

“Mark my words: A combination of airplane and motorcar is coming. You may smile. But it will come.” –Henry Ford, 1940 The future is here, and with the advent of unmanned aerial systems, autonomous vehicles and the impossibly well-connected Internet of Things, that which was science fiction is now science fact–do not be afraid. The […] More

A consortium of Airbus Group‘s helicopters business and French defense contractor Naval Group has received a contract from France’s defense procurement agency to help develop an unmanned helicopter demonstrator. Airbus said Thursday the team will conduct a study to determine potential technologies for the French military’s future Navy Airborne Drone System, called SDAM, as well as […] More

Airbus has secured a potential $135.6 million follow-on contract from the U.K. ministry of defense to help sustain the country’s fleet of Puma 2 helicopters throughout the platform’s service life. The company said Dec. 22 its helicopters business will repair, overhaul and provide logistics support for the U.K. air force’s Puma 2 fleet through March 2022. or […] More

A study by PwC’s consulting arm shows that U.S. aerospace and defense companies’ spending on research and development efforts has climbed by nearly $12 billion so far this year, Defense News reported Wednesday. The Global Innovation 1000 study conducted by Strategy& has found that top U.S.-based A&D firms recorded $11.79 billion in R&D spending, a figure that is […] More

Poland’s air force has accepted a full-flight simulator developed by CAE and Airbus Defense and Space to help train pilots of the military branch’s C295 transport aircraft fleet. C295 FFS is equipped with CAE’s True six degree-of-freedom electric motion technology, Medallion-6000 visual system and a computer-generated forces tactical environment, the company said Tuesday. The platform also features an architecture based on the […] More