Aviation Week & Space Technology

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Quest for Speed BOOM XB-1 TAKES SHAPE

RICH MEDIA EXCLUSIVE Europe’s Hydrogen- Powered Aircraft Push PRIME TIME FOR How Safe Are HYPERSONICS Aircraft Cabins?

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PIPISTREL FEATURES ELECTRIC AIRCRAFT URBAN AIR MOBILITY 19 | Hydrogen Strategy 22 | Pipistrel certification paves way for 39 | Beta Technologies begins testing Europe focuses research on electric aircraft commercial use ALIA eVTOL for organ transport hydrogen-powered aircraft to meet sustainability targets DEFENSE SPACE 24 | Testing and development of the 59 | Bridenstine hands reins of human 34 | Safer Spaces Su-57 continues after 2019 crash spaceflight program to Lueders Manufacturers and airlines aim to restore passenger confidence 26 | Germany first to modernize 60 | New agreement enables use of U.S. with new protective technologies Eurofighters with AESA radar launchers from British spaceports 61 | How the FAA is building a 40 | Not So Fast 28 Seoul’s Surion attack-mission | spaceport network Hypersonics projects advance decision nears in the U.S. and abroad but face ASK THE EDITORS hurdles in funding and physics 29 | Japan’s Aegis Ashore program 62 | What is forecast aircraft mechanic suddenly crashes 56 | Pathfinder Progress near-term supply and demand? Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 opens 30 | Canada mimics Marine Corps POINT/COUNTERPOINT the way for the 21st century’s first makeover for its F/A-18C/D fleet 66 | Russia’s military cannot hide supersonic commercial airliner under the Open Skies Treaty REDUCED CREW OPERATIONS 36 | New research and technologies 66 | Kremlin violations of the Open COMMERCIAL AVIATION fuel single-pilot operations debate Skies Treaty justify a U.S. exit 16 | European industry bailouts set ambitious environmental goals 31 | Contactless technologies to help ON THE COVER airports ensure safe recovery After many false dawns, new high-speed aircraft and weapon projects are underway in the U.S. Boom Supersonics’ XB-1 demonstrator will pave the way for the Mach 2.2 Overture, the first clean-sheet 32 | Safety management programs airliner of the 21st century, while heading into faster flight regimes. Our hypersonics special package coming to OEMs led by Propulsion Editor Guy Norris and Defense Editor Steve Trimble begins on page 40. Boom Supersonics photo. ROTORCRAFT Aviation Week publishes a digital edition every week. Read it at AviationWeek.com/AWST 21 | Airbus planning fuel-thrifty Ecureuil successor DIGITAL EXTRAS Access exclusive online features from articles accompanied by this icon.

AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 3 Editor-In-Chief Joseph C. Anselmo [email protected] Executive Editors Jen DiMascio (Defense and Space) [email protected] Jens Flottau (Commercial Aviation) [email protected] Graham Warwick (Technology) [email protected] Editors Lindsay Bjerregaard, Sean Broderick, Michael Bruno, Bill Carey, Thierry Dubois, William Garvey, Ben Goldstein, Lee Hudson, Irene Klotz, Helen Massy- Beresford, Jefferson Morris, Guy Norris, Tony Osborne, Bradley Perrett, James Pozzi, Adrian Schofield, Lee Ann Shay, Steve Trimble Chief Aircraft Evaluation Editor Fred George Director, Editorial and Online Production Michael O. Lavitt WITH YOUR LEGACY PRODUCT LINE Associate Managing Editor Andrea Hollowell Art Director Lisa Caputo Artists Thomas De Pierro, Rosa Pineda, Colin Throm Licensing or divesting a product line through Ontic’s proven Copy Editors Jack Freifelder, Arturo Mora, Extended Life Solutions Program empowers OEMs to eliminate Natalia Pelayo, Andy Savoie the burdens of challenging product lines and gain the capital Production Editors Audra Avizienis, Theresa Petruso Contributing Photographer Joseph Pries that funds future growth. Director, Digital Content Strategy Rupa Haria Content Marketing Manager Rija Tariq Data & Analytics Director, Forecasts and Aerospace Insights Brian Kough To Learn More Visit Ontic.com or Call 855-668-4235 Senior Manager, Data Operations/Production Terra Deskins Manager, Military Data Operations Michael Tint Editorial Offices 2121 K Street, NW, Suite 210, Washington, D.C. 20037 Phone: +1 (202) 517-1100 605 Third Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10158 Phone: +1 (212) 204-4200 Bureau Chiefs Auckland Adrian [email protected] Beijing Bradley Perrett [email protected] Cape Canaveral Irene Klotz [email protected] Chicago Lee Ann Shay [email protected] Frankfurt Jens Flottau [email protected] Houston Mark Carreau [email protected] London Tony Osborne [email protected] Los Angeles Guy Norris [email protected] Lyon Thierry Dubois [email protected] Go beyond the news of the day Moscow with Aviation Week Intelligence Maxim Pyadushkin [email protected] Paris Network’s Market Brieﬁ ngs. Helen Massy-Beresford [email protected] Washington These sector-specifi c intelligence Jen DiMascio [email protected] briefi ngs empower busy executives Wichita to stay-ahead of the market, identify Molly McMillin [email protected]

opportunities and drive revenue. President, Aviation Week Network Gregory Hamilton Managing Director, Intelligence & Data Services LEARN MORE: Anne McMahon aviationweek.com/marketbrieﬁ ngs

4 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST Know. Predict. Connect.

Editor-In-Chief Joseph C. Anselmo [email protected] Executive Editors Jen DiMascio (Defense and Space) [email protected] Let’s Connect! Jens Flottau (Commercial Aviation) [email protected] Graham Warwick (Technology) [email protected] As the COVID-19 pandemic continues along its devastating path, Editors Lindsay Bjerregaard, Sean Broderick, Michael Bruno, Bill Carey, Thierry Dubois, William Garvey, the aviation and aerospace community is doing everything possible to Ben Goldstein, Lee Hudson, Irene Klotz, Helen Massy- keep each other safe while moving forward (and increasingly upward). Beresford, Jefferson Morris, Guy Norris, Tony Osborne, For our part, the Aviation Week Network is supporting the industry with Bradley Perrett, James Pozzi, Adrian Schofield, crucial information and data to help navigate the crisis and ultimately Lee Ann Shay, Steve Trimble recover and grow again. Chief Aircraft Evaluation Editor Fred George Director, Editorial and Online Production Michael O. Lavitt The demand for trusted, actionable content has exceeded our wildest WITH YOUR LEGACY PRODUCT LINE Associate Managing Editor Andrea Hollowell expectations, and our teams of editors, analysts and event producers have Art Director Lisa Caputo significantly ramped up their efforts to deliver more. We are all proud to be able Artists Thomas De Pierro, Rosa Pineda, Colin Throm to help you know, predict and connect during this unprecedented time. Licensing or divesting a product line through Ontic’s proven Copy Editors Jack Freifelder, Arturo Mora, There is much, much more to do, and increasingly it will revolve around connecting Extended Life Solutions Program empowers OEMs to eliminate Natalia Pelayo, Andy Savoie with each other directly. I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to get back on an the burdens of challenging product lines and gain the capital Production Editors Audra Avizienis, Theresa Petruso Contributing Photographer Joseph Pries airplane to interact with peers and customers in a face-to-face environment. For the that funds future growth. Director, Digital Content Strategy Rupa Haria past 25 years, our event business has been a catalyst for connecting the industry Content Marketing Manager Rija Tariq at conferences and tradeshows around the world—from our big MRO shows to Data & Analytics SpeedNews, Routes and CAPA Summits. Director, Forecasts and Aerospace Insights Brian Kough But the sad reality is that face-to-face events will remain “grounded” in the To Learn More Visit Ontic.com or Call 855-668-4235 Senior Manager, Data Operations/Production Terra Deskins near term, even as the need to network, share information, buy-sell and build Visit the landing page: Manager, Military Data Operations Michael Tint relationships grows more intense. For us, that has meant finding new and AviationWeek.com/COVID19 Editorial Offices innovative ways to satisfy the human need to interact: 2121 K Street, NW, Suite 210, Washington, D.C. 20037 ● Our webinar series has topped 80,000 registered viewers, attracting aerospace professionals and senior Phone: +1 (202) 517-1100 605 Third Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10158 executives from around the world. These will continue. Phone: +1 (212) 204-4200 ● Look for more elaborate virtual events that not only include video-delivered content but also digital marketplaces Bureau Chiefs for showcasing products and services and generating leads, with meeting and matchmaking tools and organized Auckland Adrian [email protected] networking time. We can’t totally emulate the networking of a face-to-face event, but you’ll be surprised at how well Beijing some of the new tools perform in that regard. Bradley Perrett [email protected] Cape Canaveral ● Aerospace & Defense Week (actually spanning two weeks from July 10 to July 24) will continue the industry’s Irene Klotz [email protected] mid-year ritual of getting together in Farnborough or Paris to look at the future. Our editors will bring deep new Chicago forward-looking content under the theme “Reset – Flight Paths Forward” and present it in multiple digital formats, Lee Ann Shay [email protected] Frankfurt including interviews with leading aerospace CEOs and Tech Talks. Jens Flottau [email protected] ● Virtual MRO Asia will convene airlines, OEMs and suppliers from across Asia and the world to network on a new Houston Mark Carreau [email protected] matchmaking platform and discuss fleet plans, aircraft reentry to service and MRO demands for the short and long term. London ● Both events will showcase the newly launched Aviation Week Marketplace, an expanded version of our Tony Osborne [email protected] Los Angeles successful MRO Links, now incorporating suppliers and buyers from the aerospace sector. Some 1,000 companies Guy Norris [email protected] and their products will be featured to create a new, convenient sourcing resource for buyers across the industry. Lyon Thierry Dubois [email protected] While we are working on these large digital events—and more in air transport, aerospace and MRO—we are still Go beyond the news of the day Moscow planning for several face-to-face events in the fall where we have permission from governments and the confidence in a with Aviation Week Intelligence Maxim Pyadushkin [email protected] safe and productive environment. You can keep abreast of all of our coming events at AviationWeek.com. Network’s Market Brieﬁ ngs. Paris Helen Massy-Beresford [email protected] The Aviation Week Network is committed to helping the industry through this crisis as we have so many times in Washington our past 103 years. Since March, we have published more than 17,000 pieces of content, including 2,600 analytical These sector-specifi c intelligence Jen DiMascio [email protected] articles, to help show how our industry will deal with and make its way out of this unprecedented crisis. briefi ngs empower busy executives Wichita to stay-ahead of the market, identify Molly McMillin [email protected] We’re looking forward to the clouds breaking and to connecting with you very soon. opportunities and drive revenue. President, Aviation Week Network Gregory Hamilton Greg Hamilton, Managing Director, Intelligence & Data Services LEARN MORE: Anne McMahon President, Aviation Week Network aviationweek.com/marketbrieﬁ ngs [email protected]

4 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 5 FEEDBACK

‘MEGAFORTRESS’ HOOK AND RECOVERY LINE back to its hangar by reeling in and While many disagree with convert- In reference to James R. French’s out the line from the two towers. ing transport airplanes into Arsenal letter “Forward-Looking Design” Planes as a waste of high-demand (June 1-14, p. 6), the rebound maneu- Randy McDonnell, Las Vegas airframes (June 15-28, p. 12), I agree ver described in my letter “Revising that it will be a valuable stopgap Rockets” (May 4-17, p. 5) uses the least TEACHING ‘AERO 101’ measure until a dedicated design amount of propellant in a retro burn to Thank you for Sean Broderick’s article is fi elded. Keeping the ability in the put the rocket skimming along the top on the FAA’s scrutiny of the Boeing arsenal even after a dedicated design of the atmosphere, where it imme- 777X post-MAX (June 1-14, p. 24). This enters service — both as a force mul- diately maneuvers down toward the is the heavy-artillery approach to certi- tiplier providing fl exible capability Earth, rapidly gets to thick enough air fi cation. One wonders whether Boeing as well as acting as an aircraft-based to then turn and powerfully maneu- really needed reminding of the disas- version of the U.S. Navy’s “Distributed ver back into space, then it repeats trous Maneuvering Characteristics Lethality” concept—would keep our the maneuver with steeper parabolic enemies guessing as to our intentions trajectories. The rocket fuse lage would and how big our airstrikes would be. also slowly rotate about its As for what aircraft the actual Arsenal longitudinal axis to prevent hot spots Plane will be, we already have one and uneven heating of the structure. in service: the B-52 Stratofortress. I have tested this with a wooden rod EI The aircraft can drop a vast majori- with four hooks around the circum- Augmentation System design fl aws. ty of our ordnance (and also is used ference, to crudely simulate a rocket But all pilots know that neither MAX as a mothership for experimental body, and thrown it approximately accident would have occurred without airframes) and carry 70,000 lb. of 20 ft. horizontally against a slack line both crews’ appalling ignorance of payload; upgrades to the aircraft will strung between two supports, and the basic aerodynamics. However, will reg- keep it in service for at least 20-30 “rocket” always engages and remains ulators even ask how widespread this more years . The only problem with the on the line, even without latches on ignorance is? The omens are not good. “BUFF,” as it is a ectionately called, the hooks. Following the lack of skill revealed is that the last airframe rolled o the For a real rocket, the line is slack by the Air France Flight 447 accident, assembly line in 1962. Maybe an updat- to prevent any loads on the side of the oª cial response was to mandate ed design specialized for the Arsenal the rocket before engaging the hook. upset recovery training. So a crew Plane concept might be called for, pos- Stretching and straightening of the unable to fl y straight and level in sibly incorporating some stealth char- line and shock absorbers in the tow- adverse circumstances is supposed to acteristics like Dale Brown’s famous ers could provide long deceleration execute a complex recovery, probably but fi ctional “EB-52 Megafortress.” distances to allow high-descent-rate blind? The fundamentals were never landings, if desired, without over- addressed, and likely won’t be post- Jacob Katz, Norfolk, Virginia stressing the rocket. After landing, the MAX. Is the technical syllabus even rocket can’t be blown or knocked over adequate? Hardly. Even Aero 101, Lift, CLEARANCE QUERY by winds or high sea states. as usually taught, is nonsense, never Graham Warwick’s Leading Edge This approach also avoids carry- mind stability and control. The whole column “Load Lifter” (June 15-28, p. 11) ing the weight, cost, complexity and training establishment needs to take a states that the Kaman “12,000-lb. potential failure modes of landing gear good hard look at itself—not something option ally piloted aircraft [is] expected up to or near orbital speeds and then we’ve been very good at in the past. to be on the market in 2021.” The back down just to stabilize the rocket article includes a sketch of the aircraft on the ground. It also holds the rocket Alex Fisher, Chacombe, England attributed to Kaman Aerospace. higher above the sea for less salt- I hope Kaman has not invested water corrosion. heavily in this aircraft. It appears For rapid reusability, this hook-and- CORRECTION from the sketch that the two counter- recovery-line approach can be used In “Designer-Optimized” (June 15-28, rotating rotors are mounted on to erect the rocket before launch, p. 43), the name of Dassault Systemes’ individual masts, the right mast being transfer passengers to the crew aerospace and defense industry vice taller to provide clearance between compartment and provide a degree president should have been spelled the rotors. It is not clear, however, how of lightning protection. After landing, David Ziegler. the left rotor clears the right mast in it can immediately and automatically its rotation. move the rocket laterally from over The article has been corrected online the landing pad and lower it onto a and in the Aviation Week & Space William J. Keck, Rancho Palos Verdes, water or ground vehicle for transfer Technology digital archive. California

Editor’s note: It is an intermeshing rotor. Address letters to the Editor-in-Chief, Aviation Week & Space Technology, The two sets of blades overlap at an angle 2121 K Street, NW, Suite 210, Washington, DC, 20037 or send via email to: to each other—intermesh—but rotate in [email protected] Letters may be edited for length and clarity; opposite directions and never collide. a veriﬁ able address and daytime telephone number are required.

AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST FEEDBACK

‘MEGAFORTRESS’ HOOK AND RECOVERY LINE back to its hangar by reeling in and While many disagree with convert- In reference to James R. French’s out the line from the two towers. ing transport airplanes into Arsenal letter “Forward-Looking Design” C-390 MILLENNIUM Planes as a waste of high-demand (June 1-14, p. 6), the rebound maneu- Randy McDonnell, Las Vegas It’s been a few months since the C-390 MILLENNIUM airframes (June 15-28, p. 12), I agree ver described in my letter “Revising airlifters started serving the Brazilian Air Force, that it will be a valuable stopgap Rockets” (May 4-17, p. 5) uses the least TEACHING ‘AERO 101’ READY FOR fulfilling the missions for which they were designed measure until a dedicated design amount of propellant in a retro burn to Thank you for Sean Broderick’s article with complete success, and in the coming months is fi elded. Keeping the ability in the put the rocket skimming along the top on the FAA’s scrutiny of the Boeing arsenal even after a dedicated design of the atmosphere, where it imme- 777X post-MAX (June 1-14, p. 24). This more units will join the service. At the same time, enters service — both as a force mul- diately maneuvers down toward the is the heavy-artillery approach to certi- the Portuguese Government signed a contract for THE MISSION the acquisition of five units to be operated by the tiplier providing fl exible capability Earth, rapidly gets to thick enough air fi cation. One wonders whether Boeing as well as acting as an aircraft-based to then turn and powerfully maneu- really needed reminding of the disas- Portuguese Air Force. This is a significant moment version of the U.S. Navy’s “Distributed ver back into space, then it repeats trous Maneuvering Characteristics in the C-390 MILLENNIUM program, marking its Lethality” concept—would keep our the maneuver with steeper parabolic Entry Into Service and the confirmation of the enemies guessing as to our intentions trajectories. The rocket fuse lage would aircraft’s operational effectiveness within NATO. and how big our airstrikes would be. also slowly rotate about its The combination of 21st century, state-of-the-art As for what aircraft the actual Arsenal longitudinal axis to prevent hot spots advanced systems and proven engines, in conjunction Plane will be, we already have one and uneven heating of the structure. with a worldwide sustainment alliance of reputable in service: the B-52 Stratofortress. I have tested this with a wooden rod EI suppliers, makes the C-390 MILLENNIUM the The aircraft can drop a vast majori- with four hooks around the circum- Augmentation System design fl aws. most reliable, easy to operate and efficient aircraft ty of our ordnance (and also is used ference, to crudely simulate a rocket But all pilots know that neither MAX in its class. as a mothership for experimental body, and thrown it approximately accident would have occurred without airframes) and carry 70,000 lb. of 20 ft. horizontally against a slack line both crews’ appalling ignorance of payload; upgrades to the aircraft will strung between two supports, and the basic aerodynamics. However, will reg- keep it in service for at least 20-30 “rocket” always engages and remains ulators even ask how widespread this more years . The only problem with the on the line, even without latches on ignorance is? The omens are not good. “BUFF,” as it is a ectionately called, the hooks. Following the lack of skill revealed is that the last airframe rolled o the For a real rocket, the line is slack by the Air France Flight 447 accident, assembly line in 1962. Maybe an updat- to prevent any loads on the side of the oª cial response was to mandate ed design specialized for the Arsenal the rocket before engaging the hook. upset recovery training. So a crew Plane concept might be called for, pos- Stretching and straightening of the unable to fl y straight and level in sibly incorporating some stealth char- line and shock absorbers in the tow- adverse circumstances is supposed to acteristics like Dale Brown’s famous ers could provide long deceleration execute a complex recovery, probably but fi ctional “EB-52 Megafortress.” distances to allow high-descent-rate blind? The fundamentals were never landings, if desired, without over- addressed, and likely won’t be post- Jacob Katz, Norfolk, Virginia stressing the rocket. After landing, the MAX. Is the technical syllabus even rocket can’t be blown or knocked over adequate? Hardly. Even Aero 101, Lift, CLEARANCE QUERY by winds or high sea states. as usually taught, is nonsense, never Graham Warwick’s Leading Edge This approach also avoids carry- mind stability and control. The whole column “Load Lifter” (June 15-28, p. 11) ing the weight, cost, complexity and training establishment needs to take a states that the Kaman “12,000-lb. potential failure modes of landing gear good hard look at itself—not something option ally piloted aircraft [is] expected up to or near orbital speeds and then we’ve been very good at in the past. to be on the market in 2021.” The back down just to stabilize the rocket article includes a sketch of the aircraft on the ground. It also holds the rocket Alex Fisher, Chacombe, England attributed to Kaman Aerospace. higher above the sea for less salt- I hope Kaman has not invested water corrosion. heavily in this aircraft. It appears For rapid reusability, this hook-and- CORRECTION from the sketch that the two counter- recovery-line approach can be used In “Designer-Optimized” (June 15-28, rotating rotors are mounted on to erect the rocket before launch, p. 43), the name of Dassault Systemes’ individual masts, the right mast being transfer passengers to the crew aerospace and defense industry vice taller to provide clearance between compartment and provide a degree president should have been spelled the rotors. It is not clear, however, how of lightning protection. After landing, David Ziegler. the left rotor clears the right mast in it can immediately and automatically its rotation. move the rocket laterally from over The article has been corrected online the landing pad and lower it onto a and in the Aviation Week & Space William J. Keck, Rancho Palos Verdes, water or ground vehicle for transfer Technology digital archive. California

AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST WHO’S WHERE

Heidi R. Wood has Gulfstream Aerospace has promoted and Security program. Preble, with been named interim Naveed Aziz to vice president and co- director Mathew Burrows, will ex- group president of general manager of the Gulfstream amine initiatives to challenge assump- CAE Defense and Dallas facility. He will oversee service tions governing U.S. foreign policy and Security. She takes center operations and Gulfstream will provide input for recalibrating over from recently G280 completions. He succeeds U.S. foreign policy. appointed Todd Robby Harless, who retires this Rotterdam-based Probert, who is step- month. Aziz was director of comple- APOC Aviation has ping down to pursue a U.S. National tions research and promoted Karim Security opportunity. development. Grinate to vice pres- Joel Montalbano has been named Vertical Aerospace ident of component NASA’s International Space Station has appointed Dean sales from manager program acting manager; he had been Moore lead flight-test of sales and business deputy program manager. He suc- engineer for its first development. ceeds Kirk Shireman, who has retired. electronic aircraft to Liteye Systems has hired Matt Kenneth Todd will continue as deputy be certified. Moore Pflieger as vice president of finance. program manager. Montalbano, who was UK lead flight-test engineer at Pflieger had worked with L3, SAIC was a NASA human spaceflight pro- Boeing and has spent time generating and CACI. gram director in Russia in 2008-12, is and implementing safety cases for a Exyn Technologies, a recipient of NASA’s Distinguished range of autonomous vehicles. He flew a pioneer in autono- Service and Exceptional Service med- the first UK Chinook. mous aerial robotics, als, among other awards. Wan Zulkiflee, former CEO of has named Katharina Embraer has promoted Arjan Meijer Malay sian petroleum company McFarland to its to Embraer Commercial Aviation Petronas, has been named board board. She will ad- president and CEO from chief com- chairman of Malaysia Airlines Berhad. dress Exyn Technolo- mercial officer as the company begins The position had been vacant since gies’ deployment of flying disinfecting its reintegration restructuring. He Mohammed Nor robots for government structures. succeeds John Slattery, who is leav- Yusof resigned in McFarland is a former assistant secre- ing. Meijer’s previous executive roles March 2019. tary of defense for acquisition; former include vice president of technical Raytheon Technol- acting assistant secretary of the Army services and fleet development at ogies has promoted for acquisition, logistics and technolo- KLM Cityhopper and managing di- Dantaya Williams gy; and a materials, mechanical, civil rector at KLM UK to chief human and electronics engineer. Engineering. resources officer. Leviate Air Group has hired Chad Anand Stanley has Williams succeeds Doug Balsbough, Beaulieu as managing partner of been promoted to who guided HR functions through the aircraft sales and Eric Dufay as president of Airbus Raytheon-United Technologies Corp. vice president of fleet sales for the Asia-Pacific. He merger and is now retiring. Williams Dallas-based carrier. Beaulieu has succeeds Patrick de was vice president of human resourc- 20 years of sales experience with Castelbajac. Stanley es for Pratt & Whitney’s Commercial Bombardier and Gulfstream. DuFay is will lead commercial aircraft sales, Engines division. an air charter veter- customer and government affairs, AeroVironment has promoted Ken an of over 10 years. industrial and joint-venture partner- Karklin to chief operating officer The Asian Business ships and local operations and will from senior vice president. He will Aviation Associa- liaise with the Airbus Helicopters and oversee product line management, tion has appointed Defense and Space divisions. He was engineering, manufacturing and Anthony Lam di- Airbus India president and managing corporate quality for the producer. rector of marketing director and held senior positions at of unmanned aerial systems. Karklin and external affairs, Linde Group, United Technologies was AeroViron ment’s vice president a new internal position. Lam was Corp., Pratt & Whitney, Lockheed and general manager of Efficient editor- in-chief of JET Asia-Pacific Martin and Sikorsky. Energy Systems. magazine. He is an FAA-licensed Redwire, a new mission-critical The Atlantic Council has named fixed- and rotary-wing pilot and a for- space-components technology entity, Christopher Preble co-director of the mer member of the National Trans- has named Peter Cannito chairman New American Engagement Initia- portation Safety Board’s aviation and CEO. Redwire was launched tive, a Scowcroft Center for Strategy accident investigative team. c through AE Industrial Partners’ merger of Adcole Space and Deep To submit information for the Who’s Where column, send Word or attached text files Space Systems. Cannito brings (no PDFs) and photos to: [email protected] For additional information on more than 25 years of experience in companies and individuals listed in this column, please refer to the Aviation Week Intelligence defense, technology and government Network at AviationWeek.com/awin For information on ordering, telephone services industries. U.S.: +1 (866) 857-0148 or +1 (515) 237-3682 outside the U.S.

8 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST WHO’S WHERE Unprecedented times require

Heidi R. Wood has Gulfstream Aerospace has promoted and Security program. Preble, with Reliable Aerospace & Defense Market Forecasts. been named interim Naveed Aziz to vice president and co- director Mathew Burrows, will ex- group president of general manager of the Gulfstream amine initiatives to challenge assump- CAE Defense and Dallas facility. He will oversee service tions governing U.S. foreign policy and Security. She takes center operations and Gulfstream will provide input for recalibrating over from recently G280 completions. He succeeds U.S. foreign policy. appointed Todd Robby Harless, who retires this Rotterdam-based Probert, who is step- month. Aziz was director of comple- APOC Aviation has ping down to pursue a U.S. National tions research and promoted Karim Security opportunity. development. Grinate to vice pres- Joel Montalbano has been named Vertical Aerospace ident of component NASA’s International Space Station has appointed Dean sales from manager program acting manager; he had been Moore lead flight-test of sales and business deputy program manager. He suc- engineer for its first development. ceeds Kirk Shireman, who has retired. electronic aircraft to Liteye Systems has hired Matt Kenneth Todd will continue as deputy be certified. Moore Pflieger as vice president of finance. program manager. Montalbano, who was UK lead flight-test engineer at Pflieger had worked with L3, SAIC was a NASA human spaceflight pro- Boeing and has spent time generating and CACI. gram director in Russia in 2008-12, is and implementing safety cases for a Exyn Technologies, a recipient of NASA’s Distinguished range of autonomous vehicles. He flew a pioneer in autono- Service and Exceptional Service med- the first UK Chinook. mous aerial robotics, als, among other awards. Wan Zulkiflee, former CEO of has named Katharina Embraer has promoted Arjan Meijer Malay sian petroleum company McFarland to its to Embraer Commercial Aviation Petronas, has been named board board. She will ad- president and CEO from chief com- chairman of Malaysia Airlines Berhad. dress Exyn Technolo- mercial officer as the company begins The position had been vacant since gies’ deployment of flying disinfecting its reintegration restructuring. He Mohammed Nor robots for government structures. succeeds John Slattery, who is leav- Yusof resigned in McFarland is a former assistant secre- ing. Meijer’s previous executive roles March 2019. tary of defense for acquisition; former include vice president of technical Raytheon Technol- acting assistant secretary of the Army services and fleet development at ogies has promoted for acquisition, logistics and technolo- KLM Cityhopper and managing di- Dantaya Williams gy; and a materials, mechanical, civil rector at KLM UK to chief human and electronics engineer. Engineering. resources officer. Leviate Air Group has hired Chad Anand Stanley has Williams succeeds Doug Balsbough, Beaulieu as managing partner of been promoted to who guided HR functions through the aircraft sales and Eric Dufay as president of Airbus Raytheon-United Technologies Corp. vice president of fleet sales for the Asia-Pacific. He merger and is now retiring. Williams Dallas-based carrier. Beaulieu has succeeds Patrick de was vice president of human resourc- 20 years of sales experience with Castelbajac. Stanley es for Pratt & Whitney’s Commercial Bombardier and Gulfstream. DuFay is will lead commercial aircraft sales, Engines division. an air charter veter- customer and government affairs, AeroVironment has promoted Ken an of over 10 years. industrial and joint-venture partner- Karklin to chief operating officer The Asian Business ships and local operations and will from senior vice president. He will Aviation Associa- liaise with the Airbus Helicopters and oversee product line management, tion has appointed Defense and Space divisions. He was engineering, manufacturing and Anthony Lam di- Airbus India president and managing corporate quality for the producer. rector of marketing director and held senior positions at of unmanned aerial systems. Karklin and external affairs, Linde Group, United Technologies was AeroViron ment’s vice president a new internal position. Lam was Corp., Pratt & Whitney, Lockheed and general manager of Efficient editor- in-chief of JET Asia-Pacific Martin and Sikorsky. Energy Systems. magazine. He is an FAA-licensed Redwire, a new mission-critical The Atlantic Council has named fixed- and rotary-wing pilot and a for- space-components technology entity, Christopher Preble co-director of the mer member of the National Trans- has named Peter Cannito chairman New American Engagement Initia- portation Safety Board’s aviation forecastinternational.com and CEO. Redwire was launched tive, a Scowcroft Center for Strategy accident investigative team. c through AE Industrial Partners’ [email protected] merger of Adcole Space and Deep To submit information for the Who’s Where column, send Word or attached text files Space Systems. Cannito brings (no PDFs) and photos to: [email protected] For additional information on 203.426.0800 more than 25 years of experience in companies and individuals listed in this column, please refer to the Aviation Week Intelligence defense, technology and government Network at AviationWeek.com/awin For information on ordering, telephone services industries. U.S.: +1 (866) 857-0148 or +1 (515) 237-3682 outside the U.S.

8 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST Military Aircraft Snapshot FIRST Military Aircraft ChinaSnapshot vs. the U.S.China vs. the U.S. 38 TAKE Fighter 1,387 518 2,849 586 For the latest, go to Bomber Fighters AVIATIONWEEK.COM China: 1,943

Trainer Fifth Generation

Fourth Generation

COMMERCIAL AVIATION C4ISR, Maritime & Gunship Third Generation France and Germany have committed U.S.: 3,435 billions of euros in financial aid for Tanker & Transport aerospace companies, with France Fifth Generation defining an ambitious road map to a Fourth Generation carbon-neutral narrowbody aircraft to Rotary-Wing: Attack enter service by 2035 (page 16). Total Aircraft Rotary-Wing: Scout China 4,519 Boeing told prime 737 supplier Spirit U.S. 13,319 AeroSystems to cut production to 72 shipsets this year—including 35 already Rotary-Wing: Maritime delivered. The figure, down from a target of 125 just a few weeks earlier, cites Rotary-Wing: Transport the COVID-19 crisis and a growing inventory of undelivered 737 MAXs. 2,500 1,500 500 500 1,500 2,500 3,500 4,500

John Slattery, who Source: Daniel Urchick and Michael Tint/Aviation Week Intelligence Network led Embraer’s Com-

EMBRAER The U.S. military operates about three times as many manned aircraft as the Chinese mercial Aviation business since 2016, military—the ratio is not even across all types of aircraft. The U.S. possesses will become CEO of especially large advantages in rotary-wing aircraft (4.3:1); tankers and transports commercial and mil- (4.8:1); and command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveil- itary aircraft engine lance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) platforms (4.1:1). While China’s fleet of fighters giant GE Aviation is closer in size, the U.S. has a considerable qualitative edge in combat aircraft.

on Sept. 1, replacing Source: Daniel Urchick and Michael Tint David Joyce, who will retire. For more information about Fleet Discovery and other Aviation Week data products, go to aviationweek.com/products/fleet-discovery-military A California startup that is working with Boom Supersonic to develop a carbon-neutral fuel for future high- BMW. Prometheus Fuels has devel- using renewable electricity, at prices speed airliners has received an invest- oped a process to capture CO 2 from competitive with fossil fuels (page 56). ment from the venture capital arm of the air and convert it to liquid fuels Airbus has completed the first fully au- VIEW FROM WASHINGTON tonomous vision-based taxi, takeoff and landing by an A350, completing a two- year project to demonstrate fully auto- DOD Research Chief, Deputy Resign matic takeoff and landing using onboard After three years as the Pentagon’s chief technology officer, Michael image-recognition technology (page 36). Griffin, and his deputy, Lisa Porter, will step down from their re- A new study by a team of U.S. universi - spective roles on July 10. They plan to set up a private venture. ties found that boarding from the rear of an aircraft creates bottlenecks that put In 2017, Griffin was brought in as the undersecretary of research passengers at a higher risk of contract- and engineering at the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Congress ing COVID-19 than random boarding. had recently elevated the role. During his tenure, Griffin placed a high priority on development of hypersonic weapons. The European Commission and Lufthan- sa shareholders approved a €9 billion Griffin previously served as the NASA administrator as well as ($10.1 billion) bailout for Lufthansa, en- space department head at the Johns Hopkins University Applied abling the carrier to avoid bankruptcy Physics Laboratory. He held numerous executive positions in indus- and giving the German government a 20% ownership stake in the airline. try, including In-Q-Tel president and chief operating officer. Porter was an In-Q-Tel executive vice president and the director of IQT Labs. DEFENSE The U.S. Navy on June 22 delivered the She was the first Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity first Bell Boeing CMV-22 Osprey to an director in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. operational squadron at NAS North

10 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST Military Aircraft Snapshot FIRST Military Aircraft ChinaSnapshot vs. the U.S.China vs. the U.S. 38 Island in San Diego, keeping the tiltro- The European Commission awarded quantum key distribution between Fighter 1,387 518 2,849 586 tor aircraft on track to make its first €205 million ($230 million) in research ground stations via a satellite. TAKE carrier deployment in 2021. and development funds to 16 multinational defense projects that include: a training For the latest, go to Bomber Fighters Virgin Galactic will develop AVIATIONWEEK.COM The UK Royal Navy has declared an ini- development of a low-observable tac- program for private astronaut missions China: 1,943 tial operating capability for its amphib- tical unmanned air system, research to the International Space Station (ISS). Trainer Fifth Generation ious assault fleet of triple-engine Merlin into high-resolution observation pay- An agreement with NASA also includes Fourth Generation Mk. 4 transport helicopters. The UK loads for satellites and work on a de - management of supporting ground and

COMMERCIAL AVIATION C4ISR, Maritime & Gunship Third Generation Commando Helicopter Force now has tect-and-avoid system for the future flight resources to transport astronauts France and Germany have committed 13 Merlin Mk. 4s available after modifi- EuroDrone air system. to the ISS for privately organized mis- U.S.: 3,435 billions of euros in financial aid for Tanker & Transport cations by Leonardo Helicopters. sions and government-enabled research. aerospace companies, with France Fifth Generation defining an ambitious road map to a Fourth Generation A House panel voted to allow the U.S. After an 11-week hiatus due to the carbon-neutral narrowbody aircraft to Rotary-Wing: Attack Air Force to keep fewer B-1 bombers COVID-19 pandemic, Rocket Lab re- enter service by 2035 (page 16). Total Aircraft in its inventory and slow production of sumed launch operations on June 13 Rotary-Wing: Scout China 4,519 Boeing’s tanker from 15 to 12 until defi- by successfully launching a payload of Boeing told prime 737 supplier Spirit U.S. 13,319 ciencies are corrected in a draft version small satellites into low Earth orbit for AeroSystems to cut production to 72 of the 2021 Defense Authorization bill. NASA, the U.S. National Reconnais- shipsets this year—including 35 already Rotary-Wing: Maritime sance Office and the University of New delivered. The figure, down from a tar- Britain’s seventh front-line Eurofighter South Wales Canberra Space. get of 125 just a few weeks earlier, cites Rotary-Wing: Transport Typhoon unit, its first joint unit with the COVID-19 crisis and a growing in- Qatar’s Amiri/Emiri Air Force, has be- BOEING GENERAL AVIATION ventory of undelivered 737 MAXs. gun flight operations. The unit is the Boeing delivered the first F/A-18E/F Textron will cut 1,950 positions at 2,500 1,500 500 500 1,500 2,500 3,500 4,500 Royal Air Force’s first multinational Block III to the U.S. Navy to launch a its aviation, simulation and training, John Slattery, who Source: Daniel Urchick and Michael Tint/Aviation Week Intelligence Network fighter squadron since World War II and yearlong testing campaign on a new and industrial divisions due to the led Embraer’s Com- will support security operations for soc- configuration with around a $60 mil- COVID-19 pandemic, reducing its work-

EMBRAER The U.S. military operates about three times as many manned aircraft as the Chinese mercial Aviation cer’s 2022 FIFA World Cup tournament. lion flyaway cost that is currently being force by 6%. business since 2016, military—the ratio is not even across all types of aircraft. The U.S. possesses offered to five foreign air forces. will become CEO of especially large advantages in rotary-wing aircraft (4.3:1); tankers and transports The U.S. Air Force has delivered General Gulfstream took its last G550 order commercial and mil- (4.8:1); and command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveil- Atomics’ MQ-9 Reaper medium-altitude, SPACE as it winds down production of the itary aircraft engine lance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) platforms (4.1:1). While China’s fleet of fighters long-endurance unmanned air systems Chinese scientists have taken a large large-cabin, ultra-long-range business giant GE Aviation is closer in size, the U.S. has a considerable qualitative edge in combat aircraft. to Estonia, the first deployment of the step toward a theoretically secure com- jet. More than 600 G550s have been on Sept. 1, replacing Source: Daniel Urchick and Michael Tint platform to a Baltic nation. munication technology, demonstrating sold since certification in 2003. c David Joyce, who will retire. For more information about Fleet Discovery and other Aviation Week data products, go to aviationweek.com/products/fleet-discovery-military that is working A California startup 50 YEARS AGO IN AVIATION WEEK with Boom Supersonic to develop a carbon-neutral fuel for future high- BMW. Prometheus Fuels has devel- using renewable electricity, at prices This week’s special report on hypersonics (page 40) is the latest speed airliners has received an invest- oped a process to capture CO 2 from competitive with fossil fuels (page 56). in a long line of Aviation Week articles about the atmospheric speed ment from the venture capital arm of the air and convert it to liquid fuels regime above Mach 5. A half century ago, our June 22, 1970, edition Airbus has completed the first fully au- featured a six-page report on the potential of hypersonic trans- VIEW FROM WASHINGTON tonomous vision-based taxi, takeoff and landing by an A350, completing a two- port, among other high-speed projects. While still in their infancy, year project to demonstrate fully auto- hypersonic studies were already active across realms ranging from DOD Research Chief, Deputy Resign matic takeoff and landing using onboard reusable reentry vehicles and missiles to piloted interceptors and After three years as the Pentagon’s chief technology officer, Michael image-recognition technology (page 36). even passenger aircraft. The DNA of today’s hypersonic glide vehicle and air-breathing missile developments, as well as the genesis Griffin, and his deputy, Lisa Porter, will step down from their re- A new study by a team of U.S. universi - of the space shuttle, are embedded in these updates about high- spective roles on July 10. They plan to set up a private venture. ties found that boarding from the rear of speed aerodynamics, high-temperature materials and advanced an aircraft creates bottlenecks that put In 2017, Griffin was brought in as the undersecretary of research passengers at a higher risk of contract- propulsion. While unapologetically U.S.-centric in its coverage, the and engineering at the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Congress ing COVID-19 than random boarding. 1970 report reflected America’s clear lead in hypersonics and high- had recently elevated the role. During his tenure, Griffin placed a speed flight research. Today, that position is severely compromised. and industry believe it will be at least 1990, and probably closer to high priority on development of hypersonic weapons. The European Commission and Lufthan- The report is also a reminder of the old joke: “Hypersonics are the year 2000, before such a vehicle makes its appearance.” sa shareholders approved a €9 billion the future and always will be.” References are made to an ambitious The archive pages provide a valuable backdrop against which Griffin previously served as the NASA administrator as well as ($10.1 billion) bailout for Lufthansa, en- hydrogen-powered Mach 10 passenger vehicle concept from the achievements of programs such as the space shuttle, X-43 and abling the carrier to avoid bankruptcy space department head at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Douglas Aircraft called DC-2000, after the year in which the com- X-51 can be better appreciated. They also are a sobering reminder and giving the German government a Physics Laboratory. He held numerous executive positions in indus- pany thought it might be ready for prime time. Sadly, neither the 20% ownership stake in the airline. of the huge hurdles still facing the hypersonic community as it try, including In-Q-Tel president and chief operating officer. Porter concept nor the company existed by the 20th century’s end. Another prepares to field the first generation of Mach 5-plus weapons and, was an In-Q-Tel executive vice president and the director of IQT Labs. DEFENSE story notes that “even if ramjet-powered, hypersonic transports further off, continues to pursue bigger vehicles for military and The U.S. Navy on June 22 delivered the prove to be practical, many aeronautical researchers in government commercial roles and ultimately access to space. She was the first Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity first Bell Boeing CMV-22 Osprey to an director in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. operational squadron at NAS North Subscribers can access our 1970 report on high-speed transport and every edition back to 1916 at:archive.aviationweek.com

10 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 11 COMMENTARY UP FRONT RICHARD ABOULAFIA

FOR DECADES, WHEN ASKED IF years, the C919 will enter service, followed, in theory, China’s Comac will challenge Airbus and by the Sino-Russian CR929 widebody. Boeing in world jetliner markets, ana- If China closes its borders to jetliner imports, these lysts like me have been skeptical. Most aircraft will enjoy very solid production runs, even if (but not all) of us pointed to the enormous challenges they are merely copies of jets that entered service 10- confronting any emerging jetmaker, and to China’s 20 years before. They will have no chance in export lack of progress on a very long road. For years, I’ve markets, except perhaps as a form of foreign aid. written on the topic in Aviation Week and elsewhere, This process will look a bit like China’s regional avi- concluding that Airbus and Boeing really don’t need ation sector. China hasn’t imported a regional jet in to lose any sleep about Comac. about five years. Instead, deliveries of Comac’s ARJ21 But what if we’ve been reading Comac, and China, have slowly begun. This design is overweight, techno- incorrectly? What if global aviation competition is logically obsolete and around a decade late to market. secondary or irrelevant for them? What if their real It has no hope whatsoever in export markets. But for objective is to create acceptable substitutes for West- domestic purposes, it will do, as long as China’s airlines are forbidden from ordering better aircraft. This process will also look like the old Soviet Union. China’s Jetliners The Soviets built local, inferior alternatives to many Not competitors: Substitutes BRIC Aircraft Deliveries: All About China ern equipment after both sides turn their back on a 500 robust trade relationship? Worse still, what if that moment has arrived? Aircraft play a key role in China’s trade with the 400 West. As trade grew and supply chains were inter- rail linked, China enjoyed strong trade surpluses. One way Russia to help make that palatable to Western countries was 300 India to play up high-profile jetliner orders, for which the China Chinese government always took credit, even when it 200 actually came from individual airlines. At its peak in 2018, the U.S.-China aerospace trade balance stood at a remarkable 17-1, with Europe enjoying similar suc- 100 cess thanks to Airbus and its suppliers. Yet China and the West are quickly reversing this

process with what’s known as the Great Decoupling, a 0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 move away from trade relationships. Trade flows are slowing, and foreign direct investment between the U.S. Source: Teal Group and China has fallen precipitously. As Aviation Week has reported, the past few years have seen a serious Western jets, from the Boeing 727 (Tupolev Tu-154) to decline in U.S.-China aviation industry investment. the Concorde (Tupolev Tu-144). The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated this pro- For Western suppliers, losing China, the biggest jet- cess. One of the most experienced China watchers, liner export market, would be a serious blow. China took Orville Schell, this month went so far as to declare just 2% of global jetliner output in 2001 but rose steadily, U.S.-China engagement dead. As recent events show, to 23% in 2018. As our chart shows, the other emerging even U.S.-China direct airline links are at risk. markets show no sign of gearing up to China’s level of Meanwhile, President Xi Jinping’s Made in China demand. The only consolation is that the C919 won’t be 2025 strategy is designed to transform the economy ready for any 2023-24 market recovery. For Airbus and from low-cost manufacturing to high-tech creation, Boeing, China is probably good for one last hurrah. but it also emphasizes import substitution. In some But all industries dependent on the China market ways, it has yielded impressive results. China’s tech might want to pay close attention to the country’s avia- sector is large and growing, and Western companies tion plans. Once they close the borders to Western jets like Google, Facebook and Twitter have no presence. in favor of their own planes, one of the last arguments Aviation, unsurprisingly, has been the biggest chal- for free trade with China will vanish. In other words, lenge. China flew its first national jet, a 707 knockoff, in the C919 will play an outsize role in determining what the 1970s. Since then, just a handful of locally created happens next between China and the West. c aircraft have been produced, with no exports except for a handful of unreliable turboprops. But the Chi- Contributing columnist Richard Aboulafia is vice president of nese government, through Comac, presses on. In a few analysis at Teal Group. He is based in Washington.

12 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST COMMENTARY COMMENTARY UP FRONT GOING CONCERNS RICHARD ABOULAFIA MICHAEL BRUNO

FOR DECADES, WHEN ASKED IF years, the C919 will enter service, followed, in theory, DON’T LOOK NOW, BUT THE Work by antibank academics at George Mason Univer- China’s Comac will challenge Airbus and by the Sino-Russian CR929 widebody. “Bank of Boeing” is back in business. sity’s Mercatus Center shows far more loan support Boeing in world jetliner markets, ana- If China closes its borders to jetliner imports, these On June 11, the U.S. Export-Import going to Boeing than small and medium enterprises lysts like me have been skeptical. Most aircraft will enjoy very solid production runs, even if Bank (EXIM) revealed two new in- when it was business as usual. (but not all) of us pointed to the enormous challenges they are merely copies of jets that entered service 10- surance coverage deals that—subject to Congress not What is more, tea partiers supported President Don- confronting any emerging jetmaker, and to China’s 20 years before. They will have no chance in export stopping them—allegedly would support an estimat- ald Trump’s 2016 election, and he campaigned against lack of progress on a very long road. For years, I’ve markets, except perhaps as a form of foreign aid. ed 14,200 jobs at Boeing, General Electric and their EXIM. One of their own, former Rep. Mark Meadows written on the topic in Aviation Week and elsewhere, This process will look a bit like China’s regional avi- respective suppliers. (R-N.C.), is now a close advisor inside the White House. concluding that Airbus and Boeing really don’t need ation sector. China hasn’t imported a regional jet in In the first, EXIM says it will guarantee $459 mil- So how could this happen? How could Boeing and GE to lose any sleep about Comac. about five years. Instead, deliveries of Comac’s ARJ21 lion, or 90%, of a $510 million loan for Credit Agricole be back basking in the shade of EXIM’s umbrella? And But what if we’ve been reading Comac, and China, have slowly begun. This design is overweight, techno- to purchase accounts receivable from CFM Interna- in a presidential election year, no less? incorrectly? What if global aviation competition is logically obsolete and around a decade late to market. tional—a 50-50 joint venture between GE Aviation and secondary or irrelevant for them? What if their real It has no hope whatsoever in export markets. But for Total U.S. A&D Trade Balance objective is to create acceptable substitutes for West- domestic purposes, it will do, as long as China’s airlines (U.S. $ billion) are forbidden from ordering better aircraft. Boeing’s Bank Is Back 90.4 89.6 This process will also look like the old Soviet Union. 85.9 The Soviets built local, inferior alternatives to many Boeing and GE 81.6 China’s Jetliners EXIM support for makes sense 76.1 71.4 Not competitors: Substitutes Safran Aircraft Engines—that are due from Boeing. 66.4 BRIC Aircraft Deliveries: All About China The planned one-year purchase facility, in turn, ern equipment after both sides turn their back on a would support an estimated $3 billion in export sales 54.4 500 50.5 robust trade relationship? Worse still, what if that of aircraft engines and an estimated 11,200 direct and moment has arrived? indirect jobs throughout the U.S. supply chain, includ- Aircraft play a key role in China’s trade with the 400 ing 1,180 CFM/GE positions across Indiana, North Car- West. As trade grew and supply chains were inter- rail olina and Ohio, according to EXIM. linked, China enjoyed strong trade surpluses. One way Russia “The proposed financing support is needed due to to help make that palatable to Western countries was 300 India the current lack of capacity among commercial banks to play up high-profile jetliner orders, for which the China and heightened risk associated with the aircraft man- Chinese government always took credit, even when it ufacturing industry resulting from the COVID-19 pan- 200 actually came from individual airlines. At its peak in demic and global economic conditions,” the U.S. credit 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2018, the U.S.-China aerospace trade balance stood at export agency says. The deal will further boost liquidi- Source: Aerospace Industries Association a remarkable 17-1, with Europe enjoying similar suc- 100 ty for CFM/GE and its suppliers. cess thanks to Airbus and its suppliers. In a separate, second proposed transaction, EXIM Source: eropaceBecause ure ocao it is the right thing to do. Credit is due, Yet China and the West are quickly reversing this would provide a loan guarantee of up to $498 million and Trump deserves praise for flip-flopping, for keep- process with what’s known as the Great Decoupling, a 0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 for Turkish Airlines to buy Boeing aircraft with GE ing the bank alive and unleashing EXIM to do what it move away from trade relationships. Trade flows are Aviation engines. This move would support around does best: promoting U.S. aerospace exports by sup- slowing, and foreign direct investment between the U.S. Source: Teal Group 3,000 jobs across the U.S., the bank asserts. porting OEM sales. Indeed, Democrats and moderate and China has fallen precipitously. As Aviation Week The bank once again attributed the need for the loan Republicans alike have fought all these years to main- has reported, the past few years have seen a serious Western jets, from the Boeing 727 (Tupolev Tu-154) to to COVID-19 and industry conditions. “EXIM financing tain EXIM precisely for today’s circumstances, when decline in U.S.-China aviation industry investment. the Concorde (Tupolev Tu-144). is also needed to meet competition from foreign, offi- another recession threatens to gut aerospace and de- The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated this pro- For Western suppliers, losing China, the biggest jet- cially sponsored export credit financing from Germany, fense (A&D), the largest U.S. exporting sector. cess. One of the most experienced China watchers, liner export market, would be a serious blow. China took France and the UK,” EXIM adds. “By advancing these transactions today, EXIM con- Orville Schell, this month went so far as to declare just 2% of global jetliner output in 2001 but rose steadily, The guaranteed financing for Credit Agricole is tinues to deliver on our mission to support U.S.-based U.S.-China engagement dead. As recent events show, to 23% in 2018. As our chart shows, the other emerging supposed to be repaid over 12 months. The financing jobs,” says bank board member Spencer Bachus III. even U.S.-China direct airline links are at risk. markets show no sign of gearing up to China’s level of for Turkish Airlines would be repaid over 12 years in “This is especially important as we deal with the ef- Meanwhile, President Xi Jinping’s Made in China demand. The only consolation is that the C919 won’t be 48 quarterly installments of principal, with interest fects of COVID-19. With EXIM backing, over 14,000 2025 strategy is designed to transform the economy ready for any 2023-24 market recovery. For Airbus and in arrears, following delivery of the aircraft. Both Americans nationwide will continue to work and be from low-cost manufacturing to high-tech creation, Boeing, China is probably good for one last hurrah. proposed transactions are supposed to generate able to provide for themselves and their families.” but it also emphasizes import substitution. In some But all industries dependent on the China market “millions of dollars” in fees for EXIM. The announce- EXIM President and Chairman Kimberly Reed, ways, it has yielded impressive results. China’s tech might want to pay close attention to the country’s avia- ments start a 35-day congressional notification peri- echoes Bachus’ sentiment: “EXIM is needed now more sector is large and growing, and Western companies tion plans. Once they close the borders to Western jets od, and the public can weigh in on the transactions than ever, and we will continue our important work to like Google, Facebook and Twitter have no presence. in favor of their own planes, one of the last arguments through the Federal Register. support American jobs by facilitating exports.” Aviation, unsurprisingly, has been the biggest chal- for free trade with China will vanish. In other words, Will Washington hear an earful? It might. According Whether there is a new recognition of govern- lenge. China flew its first national jet, a 707 knockoff, in the C919 will play an outsize role in determining what to bank haters, Boeing and GE are the same blue-chip ment’s role in promoting and protecting the A&D the 1970s. Since then, just a handful of locally created happens next between China and the West. c corporate welfare recipients of federal largesse that sector remains to be seen, but at least ideology did aircraft have been produced, with no exports except gave EXIM a bad name in the first place. For a gener- not overcome good sense here. Waffling politicians for a handful of unreliable turboprops. But the Chi- Contributing columnist Richard Aboulafia is vice president of ation of Republican tea party lawmakers, the taxpay- usually are nothing to celebrate, but this time, Trump nese government, through Comac, presses on. In a few analysis at Teal Group. He is based in Washington. er-backed EXIM was the epitome of crony capitalism. was right on the money. c

12 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 13 COMMENTARY INSIDE BUSINESS AVIATION WILLIAM GARVEY

ITS PROMISE OF BEING THE its designers took cues from those aircraft to ease the “lowest, slowest” jet was unorthodox. Its transition. So, like its piston siblings, the SF50 has reliance on a single engine and single pilot composite construction, sidestick controls, excellent seemed dubious. And the fact that its manufacturer had visibility and a five-screen Garmin avionics flight deck. never produced an aircraft with retractable gear, let alone Although similar to a Beechcraft Baron in length and a pressurized one with turbofan power, made the whole wingspan, the SF50’s 5.1-ft.-wide, 4-ft.-high, air-condi- enterprise a reach. Finally, the project’s launch year— tioned, flat-floor, USB-ported, LED-lit cabin can com- 2006—could hardly have been worse, with the Great Re- fortably accommodate five passengers. cession about to choke the roaring economy to a whimper. The aircraft is propelled by a Williams International Fast-forward 14 years, and Cirrus Aircraft has proved FJ33-5 turbofan rated at 1,846 lb. of thrust and fitted with to be as prescient as it was persistent since its SF50 a full authority digital engine control. It provides a top

Vision Jet—the world’s CIRRUS AIRCRAFT cruise speed of just over first “personal jet”—has 300 KTAS (345 mph). With become as popular as it seats full, the aircraft can is unique. And that singu- fly 461 nm, with reserves, larity very much includes and can cover 1,171 nm pricing: Its $2.85 million with maximum fuel. sticker (typically equipped, One of the manufactur- type rating included) is er’s signature moves from roughly $1.5 million less the outset was to equip its than the least expensive aircraft with an emergency light jet, and even well parachute. And the SF50 below most pressurized, is no exception; the Cirrus single-engine turboprops. Aircraft Parachute System The journey to this hap- comes standard. None has py place was not without Winning been activated on an SF50. setbacks. Foremost among Another Cirrus trait is those was the aforemen- to regularly make product tioned recession that es- Underperformer improvements. So just 15 sentially slowed aircraft Perseverance, prescience and pluck prevail months after SF50 pro- development to a crawl duction began, the compa- and ultimately resulted in the company changing hands. ny introduced the G2 Vision Jet. This second-genera- In 2011, a subsidiary of the Aviation Industry Corp. tion version has increased cruise altitude by 3,000 ft., of China (Avic) offered $210 million for the Duluth, to 31,000 ft., provides a quieter cabin, more powerful Minnesota, manufacturer. Cirrus’ then-Bahrainian avionics, a radio altimeter and an autothrottle. The owners readily accepted the deal, and Avic soon an- digital equipage is key to another new feature: “Safe nounced plans to revitalize the jet project. Return,” the autonomous landing system created by Although there had been excitement in the early Garmin that in an emergency anyone onboard can acti- 2000s about the very light jet segment coming of age, vate with the push of a button. That system is expected the promise of the Sport Jet, ProJet, AdamJet, Safire to be certified in the aircraft later this year. Jet, D-Jet, PiperJet, among others, essentially went As intended, a significant majority of SF50 buyers poof! The Eclipse 500 did earn its certification and are moving up from Cirrus piston models. But among entered into production, but after a series of financial the owners of the 200 SF50s already on the market are reversals, by 2018, it was done. several charter operators as well as businesses. Hoping Meanwhile, the Chinese invested heavily in the Vision to increase its share, Cirrus has launched “Smart Lift,” Jet’s development and flight testing. In October 2016, a website tutorial intended to educate and encourage the aircraft was awarded a Federal Aviation Regula- business aviation flight departments to supplement tion Part 23 Type Certificate. Cirrus delivered its first their fleets with a Vision Jet as a low-cost, responsive customer jet two months later. Since then, it has deliv- regional people mover. ered another 200 and expects to produce 80 this year, In an Operators Survey published in the January essentially matching 2019 output despite being slowed 2020 issue of Business & Commercial Aviation, owners by the coronavirus pandemic. By unit count, the SF50 gave the aircraft high marks for its comfort, excellent is the most popular private jet in production today. And visibility, reliability, handling ease, advanced avionics, there are another 400 of them in the orderbook. safety features and Cirrus product support. What’s the appeal? Price, obviously, but the draw Turns out that low, slow, inexpensive and reliable goes well beyond that. When Cirrus began the proj- make for a winning combination. c ect, its target buyers were owners of its popular SR series of single-engine piston aircraft. Accordingly, William Garvey is Editor-in-Chief of Business & Commercial Aviation

14 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST COMMENTARY COMMENTARY INSIDE BUSINESS AVIATION AIRLINE INTEL WILLIAM GARVEY JENS FLOTTAU

ITS PROMISE OF BEING THE its designers took cues from those aircraft to ease the IN JUNE, AIRLINES HAVE BEGUN efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters onboard. Doing “lowest, slowest” jet was unorthodox. Its transition. So, like its piston siblings, the SF50 has what they hope is a path to recovery as everything to promote the idea that flying is safe is un- reliance on a single engine and single pilot composite construction, sidestick controls, excellent capacity in many regions has increased derstandable: Airlines have a high interest in regaining seemed dubious. And the fact that its manufacturer had visibility and a five-screen Garmin avionics flight deck. to more meaningful levels. Executives passenger confidence. But to compare an airline cabin never produced an aircraft with retractable gear, let alone Although similar to a Beechcraft Baron in length and are hoping that passengers will react to the return of to an operating room is misleading. a pressurized one with turbofan power, made the whole wingspan, the SF50’s 5.1-ft.-wide, 4-ft.-high, air-condi- some offerings and resume flying in numbers significant Additionally, HEPA filters only work throughout the enterprise a reach. Finally, the project’s launch year— tioned, flat-floor, USB-ported, LED-lit cabin can com- enough to reduce the dramatic cash outflow occurring journey when the air conditioning system has been 2006—could hardly have been worse, with the Great Re- fortably accommodate five passengers. in what would normally be peak season. turned on prior to boarding—based on evidence, that cession about to choke the roaring economy to a whimper. The aircraft is propelled by a Williams International One of the most important factors is the trust that is not (yet) the case on every flight in spite of the prom- Fast-forward 14 years, and Cirrus Aircraft has proved FJ33-5 turbofan rated at 1,846 lb. of thrust and fitted with flying is safe. Passengers want to know they are un- ise by industry to introduce new procedures. to be as prescient as it was persistent since its SF50 a full authority digital engine control. It provides a top likely to be infected with the novel coronavirus during “The air quality inside an aircraft is comparable to

Vision Jet—the world’s CIRRUS AIRCRAFT cruise speed of just over the journey. The Inter- that of an operating the- first “personal jet”—has 300 KTAS (345 mph). With national Civil Aviation ater when 200 people become as popular as it seats full, the aircraft can Organization has defined Filtered Truth stand around the operat- is unique. And that singu- fly 461 nm, with reserves, guidelines for resum- The industry’s response to COVID-19 health ing table watching,” says larity very much includes and can cover 1,171 nm ing flying safely without Dieter Scholz, a profes- pricing: Its $2.85 million with maximum fuel. quarantines and without protection challenges is inadequate sor and head of the air- sticker (typically equipped, One of the manufactur- forcing airlines to leave craft design and systems type rating included) is er’s signature moves from the middle seat empty. group at HAW Hamburg roughly $1.5 million less the outset was to equip its Airlines have largely University. than the least expensive aircraft with an emergency gotten it their way. Regu- This leads to another light jet, and even well parachute. And the SF50 lations are making flying crucial question: Should below most pressurized, is no exception; the Cirrus a little more inconvenient the middle seat be left single-engine turboprops. Aircraft Parachute System for passengers. Wearing empty? Airlines have The journey to this hap- comes standard. None has a face mask for hours approached the issue py place was not without Winning been activated on an SF50. may be unpleasant, but in different ways. Delta setbacks. Foremost among Another Cirrus trait is it is bearable and will not Air Lines has been the those was the aforemen- to regularly make product keep many from making clearest, leaving the seat tioned recession that es- Underperformer improvements. So just 15 necessary business trips free for now as long as sentially slowed aircraft Perseverance, prescience and pluck prevail months after SF50 pro- or families from vacation- load factors permit. The development to a crawl duction began, the compa- ing if all the other steps in International Air Trans- and ultimately resulted in the company changing hands. ny introduced the G2 Vision Jet. This second-genera- the process are adhered port Association says the In 2011, a subsidiary of the Aviation Industry Corp. tion version has increased cruise altitude by 3,000 ft., to properly. ELEONORE SENS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES seat vacancy does “not of China (Avic) offered $210 million for the Duluth, to 31,000 ft., provides a quieter cabin, more powerful Disclaimer: Some of the following conclusions are add any healthy benefit,” so it is “strongly opposed” to Minnesota, manufacturer. Cirrus’ then-Bahrainian avionics, a radio altimeter and an autothrottle. The based on four intra-European flights during the week making empty seats mandatory. owners readily accepted the deal, and Avic soon an- digital equipage is key to another new feature: “Safe of June 15 and conversations with other travelers. HEPA filters may be as efficient as airlines claim, but nounced plans to revitalize the jet project. Return,” the autonomous landing system created by They are not reflective of anywhere near a complete they do not prevent you from being infected by your Although there had been excitement in the early Garmin that in an emergency anyone onboard can acti- picture, but they paint one that is concerning enough immediate seat neighbor in a full cabin. To compen- 2000s about the very light jet segment coming of age, vate with the push of a button. That system is expected to write about. sate for the lack of spacing, FFP2 masks would be re- the promise of the Sport Jet, ProJet, AdamJet, Safire to be certified in the aircraft later this year. The first problem is that a substantial number of quired. But given insufficient supply and the fact that Jet, D-Jet, PiperJet, among others, essentially went As intended, a significant majority of SF50 buyers passengers are not abiding by the new rules. Many the equipment is supposed to be reserved for medical poof! The Eclipse 500 did earn its certification and are moving up from Cirrus piston models. But among who have started flying again will confirm that social- personal, regulators such as the European Union Avi- entered into production, but after a series of financial the owners of the 200 SF50s already on the market are distancing rules at airports are often not being fol- ation Safety Agency recommend passengers use med- reversals, by 2018, it was done. several charter operators as well as businesses. Hoping lowed. The distancing may work at security lines, ical face masks one tier below the FFP2 standard. Pas- Meanwhile, the Chinese invested heavily in the Vision to increase its share, Cirrus has launched “Smart Lift,” but the usual chaos typically ensues during boarding. sengers are not even using these—opting instead for Jet’s development and flight testing. In October 2016, a website tutorial intended to educate and encourage Moreover, while face masks are mandatory, all too of- the types of masks used for shopping. the aircraft was awarded a Federal Aviation Regula- business aviation flight departments to supplement ten people ignore the requirement. However one looks at COVID-19 and flying, the risk tion Part 23 Type Certificate. Cirrus delivered its first their fleets with a Vision Jet as a low-cost, responsive The second problem is a lack of strict rules reinforce- of being infected, though small, is certainly not zero. customer jet two months later. Since then, it has deliv- regional people mover. ment. Airline staff and automated announcements re- Scholz calculates that it is 10 times more likely for ered another 200 and expects to produce 80 this year, In an Operators Survey published in the January mind people that the crisis is not over and that certain someone to get the virus onboard than to be involved essentially matching 2019 output despite being slowed 2020 issue of Business & Commercial Aviation, owners behaviors are expected. It is not surprising that after in an aircraft accident. by the coronavirus pandemic. By unit count, the SF50 gave the aircraft high marks for its comfort, excellent weeks or months in lockdown many are weary of limita- There are many legitimate reasons for flying to re- is the most popular private jet in production today. And visibility, reliability, handling ease, advanced avionics, tions. Passengers are not paying attention to the rules, sume; there are also many legitimate reasons to be con- there are another 400 of them in the orderbook. safety features and Cirrus product support. and staff are not reinforcing rules enough—if they did, cerned. The decision is one individual travelers have to What’s the appeal? Price, obviously, but the draw Turns out that low, slow, inexpensive and reliable boarding time would likely be excessive. But for avia- make themselves. But industry must implement rules goes well beyond that. When Cirrus began the proj- make for a winning combination. c tion to start a recovery in earnest, discipline is crucial. and processes more forcefully, be transparent about ect, its target buyers were owners of its popular SR Airlines also have been vocal in the public debate the remaining risks and not be caught making ques- series of single-engine piston aircraft. Accordingly, William Garvey is Editor-in-Chief of Business & Commercial Aviation around the air inside cabins and the use of high- tionable claims. There is more work to do. c

14 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 15 COMMERCIAL AVIATION > Airport safety in a pandemic p. 31 SMS mandate for OEMs p. 32 New cabin technologies p. 34 INTO THE HYDROGEN FUTURE

> HYDROGEN-POWERED AIRBUS A320 REPLACEMENT PREDICTED FOR 2035 > MASSIVE FINANCIAL AID ALLOTTED TO SAVE AEROSPACE COMPANIES

Thierry Dubois Lyon, Jens Flottau Frankfurt and GrahamWarwick Washington or decades, research on hydrogen-powered aircraft That environmental angle may be the most far-reaching for the glob- has remained at the embryonic stage. The year of the al aerospace industry, if the French COVID-19 pandemic—2020—may be the moment when government’s road map materializes. the use of such fuel is ﬁ rmly chosen for the future of com- Europe’s commercial aerospace prod- F ucts have roughly a 50% share of the mercial aviation. global market, and France and Ger- As a response to the brutal down- In addition to supporting activity in many play a leading role in Europe- turn the coronavirus pandemic has design o ces, both approaches are in- an civil aeronautics. Therefore, their caused in the aviation sector, the tended to save employees from layo s e orts may result in new standards. French government announced on and aerospace companies from bank- The French government will fund June 9 an €8 billion ($9 billion) bailout ruptcy. In France, the bailout is de- a research and development (R&D) plan that notably sets an ambitious en- signed to force an overdue consolidation plan with €1.5 billion over three vironmental goal by requiring OEMs and modernization of the supply chain. years, including a contribution from to develop a hydrogen-powered air- The French deal essentially looks like the Euro pean Commission’s economic craft in a dozen years. Germany has ﬁ nancial support to survive the crisis in stimulus plan. The French Council for an unrelated bailout plan that also exchange for a spectacular acceleration Civil Aeronautics Research will man- supports hydrogen-fueled propulsion. in the greening of civil air transport. age the funding. While the amount is

1 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST COMMERCIAL AVIATION > Airport safety in a pandemic p. 31 SMS mandate for OEMsOEMSp. 32 New cabin technologies p. 34

In Germany, the government is also The company is to tap ArianeGroup INTO considering a mandatory power-to- for its expertise in hydrogen for space liquid ratio in aviation fuel (the process launcher applications. The Hyperion would use sunlight as the power source research program will assess risks for THE to convert CO2 and water into jet fuel), hydrogen aircraft propulsion, includ- HYDROGEN though that plan is not fi rmed up. ing the cryogenic system. This sug- Another €1 billion is allocated to a gests Airbus is considering liquid, as fund supporting research activities opposed to compressed, hydrogen— that would otherwise have to be aban- the former means of storage looks doned. It is not limited to aerospace, more suited to aviation’s need for en- but executives believe a relatively large ergy density but is more challenging FUTURE portion of the money could end up be- both in technology and e ciency. ing used for the industry. Faury points out that the French The French ministers’ wording sug- aerospace program “is designed to gests OEMs have committed to launch- prepare the launch of a new plane at a ing a major ecological e ort in return later stage with a package of technolo- for funding that will help keep engi- gies that does not exist today and that neers busy in design o ces. They will we need to develop and mature.” He work on a further, signifi cant cut in CO2 adds: “What will be the fi rst program emissions for relatively conventional is not decided. It is not unlikely that it aircraft. They also are being asked to will be a smaller plane and not a wide- design a hydrogen-powered aircraft. body because the technologies will First, an Airbus A320 replacement probably mature [faster] for shorter will be designed to enter service in distances than for long ranges.” the early 2030s, says Bruno Le Maire, Faury agrees with the govern- France’s minister of economy and ment’s assumptions that entry into finance. It will feature a 30% reduc- service of the fi rst hydrocarbon- fuel- tion in fuel consumption, thanks to free aircraft by 2035 is “reasonable.” Using hydrogen in aviation, ultra-high-bypass turbofans and im- It would mean a program launch in such as in the European Mahepa proved airframe-engine integration. 2027 or 2028. “We have to have com- Five preliminary research projects are pleted maturity of the technologies project, may involve a fuel cell scheduled to start this year for the fan by 2025,” he says. “Then you have for better e ciency. module, which is targeting a 20-25 by- two years for the preparation of the pass ratio (up from the CFM Leap’s 12). launch, consulting the suppliers, de- Another research program, called fi ning the general architecture, doing Majestic, is to study a high-aspect- the business case.” ratio wing, including control surfaces, Still, for now, Airbus’ level of com- that could contribute a 5% fuel-burn mitment appears to be more on the > HYDROGEN-POWERED AIRBUS A320 REPLACEMENT PREDICTED FOR 2035 reduction. level of research and technology rath- In parallel, a hydrogen-powered er than the concrete programs that > MASSIVE FINANCIAL AID ALLOTTED TO SAVE AEROSPACE COMPANIES narrowbody aircraft will be developed the government has firmly in mind. for entry into service in 2033-35. The A company executive says the talks government describes it as a zero- have only been about demonstrators. FLY Thierry Dubois Lyon, Jens Flottau Frankfurt and GrahamWarwick Washington CO2-emission aircraft. A demonstra- “We are studying di erent technolog- tor should fl y as early as 2026-28. ical avenues at the moment, including or decades, research on hydrogen-powered aircraft That environmental angle may be well below the €10-15 billion usually A New regional aircraft, either hy- hydro gen,” the spokesperson adds. the most far-reaching for the glob- needed for a new aircraft program, brid electric or hydrogen-powered, The schedule looks consistent with has remained at the embryonic stage. The year of the al aerospace industry, if the French it is a welcome activation at a critical should enter into service in 2030. the road map of the Clean Sky joint COVID-19 pandemic—2020—may be the moment when government’s road map materializes. time, notes Marc Durance, a partner Airbus has yet to announce a choice undertaking released last year. A bid the use of such fuel is fi rmly chosen for the future of com- Europe’s commercial aerospace prod- at Archery Strategy Consulting. between burning hydrogen in a tur- for a follow-on Clean Sky 3 project in F ucts have roughly a 50% share of the The German government is in- bine engine or installing a fuel cell in Europe, it emphasized the need to mercial aviation. global market, and France and Ger- vesting €7 billion into what it calls its the fuselage. The latter is usually seen have green aircraft joining fleets in As a response to the brutal down- In addition to supporting activity in many play a leading role in Europe- “national hydrogen strategy.” It spe- as the most e cient use of hydrogen. 2035 if CO2 emission reduction objec- turn the coronavirus pandemic has design o ces, both approaches are in- an civil aeronautics. Therefore, their cifi cally says it will support the use of “We don’t know yet,” Airbus CEO tives are to be met in 2050. caused in the aviation sector, the tended to save employees from layo s e orts may result in new standards. hydrogen in aircraft propulsion and Guillaume Faury says when asked A new independent study commis- French government announced on and aerospace companies from bank- The French government will fund hybrid-electric fl ying. The endeavor about the two different approaches sioned by the Clean Sky 2 and Fuel June 9 an €8 billion ($9 billion) bailout ruptcy. In France, the bailout is de- a research and development (R&D) is consistent with the European Com- and which one the company prefers. Cells & Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking plan that notably sets an ambitious en- signed to force an overdue consolidation plan with €1.5 billion over three mission’s plan, announced this March, “They probably don’t have the same comes to the conclusion that “novel vironmental goal by requiring OEMs and modernization of the supply chain. years, including a contribution from to launch a Clean Hydrogen Alliance time frame, not the same complexity, and disruptive aircraft, aero-engine to develop a hydrogen-powered air- The French deal essentially looks like the Euro pean Commission’s economic as a centerpiece of a new strategy to not the same investment. That’s why and systems innovations in combina- craft in a dozen years. Germany has fi nancial support to survive the crisis in stimulus plan. The French Council for accelerate both the decarbonization today we say that we look at di erent tion with hydrogen technologies can an unrelated bailout plan that also exchange for a spectacular acceleration Civil Aeronautics Research will man- and digitalization of the region’s in- routes. We accelerate [the process] by help to reduce the global warming supports hydrogen-fueled propulsion. in the greening of civil air transport. age the funding. While the amount is dustries (AW&ST April 6-19, p. 42). looking at all of them at the same time.” e ect of fl ying by 50 -90%.”

1 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 1 COMMERCIAL AVIATION A. PECCHI/AIRBUS

The study found that hydrogen could “feasibly power aircraft with entry into service by 2035 for short- range aircraft.” This was the case with hydrogen as a primary propulsion source either for fuel cells, burning in gas turbine engines or “as a building block for synthetic liquid fuels.” According to calculations, hydrogen power would cost less than €18 extra per person on a short-range flight. Therefore hydrogen “could play a cen- tral role in the future mix of aircraft and propulsion technologies.” For an Airbus A320 replacement, the French government envisages both Developing infrastructure, regula- ultra-high-bypass-ratio turbofans and hydrogen-based propulsion. tion and certification standards for safe hydrogen-powered aircraft will intending to do,” Bridenstine points the “big four” in the country—Airbus, take “10 to 15 years.” With the neces- out. “We are seeing a lot of industry Dassault, Safran and Thales—and €100 sary investment in research, the first being affected right now, and I would million from the manager of the fund. demonstrator could be ready by 2028, encourage them to not give up. Now A request for proposals is about to be according to the study. is the time to make the investments issued to find a fund manager. By contrast, the paper also con- for the transformational leap-ahead The fund will raise an equivalent cludes: “For the next decades, long- technologies that will keep [the] U.S. amount, bringing the total to €1 billion, haul air travel is likely to be based preeminent in aeronautics.” says Le Maire. on liquid hydrocarbon fuels. But in- Meanwhile, the French and German The creation of such a financial creasingly these, too, will need to be governments are striving to prevent partnership will be the first time the sustainable and these drop-in fuels companies from going belly-up and big four have pooled resources to sup- will also rely on hydrogen for their jobs from being cut. port the industry as a whole, which re- production.” In France, the sector is reckoned inforces the cohesion of the industry. “The results of the study are clear to employ 300,000 (directly or in- The CFE-CGC labor union, how- on the huge potential of hydrogen directly), one-third of whom would ever, fears that not every company in aviation,” says Bart Biebuyck, ex- have been threatened over the next will be saved. The most vulnerable ecutive director of the Fuel Cells & six months if nothing were done, ac- companies may fail before they have Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking. “The cording to Le Maire. a chance to get any of the money, says cost of producing clean hydrogen has Not appearing in the €8 billion, al- Francoise Vallin, coordinator of the come down in recent years, thanks to though crucial, is the promised two- union for Airbus. Moreover, the GIFAS cheaper renewable electricity and big- year extension of the short time scheme lobbying group, which has negotiated ger and cheaper production technolo- created to mitigate the crisis. Germany the bailout with the government, may gy. At the same time, fuel cell perfor- also offers short time schedules. have already quietly chosen to support mance in terms of durability, capacity Extended in France also is a pro- some key aircraft-part suppliers, as and cost has made big steps forward.” gram for companies to resort to state- opposed to engineering service pro- Massive investment of resources backed loans. They amount to €1.5 bil- viders, she suggests. into the design of environmentally lion thus far in aerospace. In Germany, the economic stabili- friendly aircraft may force competi- To support exports, the government zation fund, a tool established earlier tors to follow suit. has decided to allow aircraft buyers to provide financing for companies Hydrogen propulsion is “something to suspend capital repayments for 12 with urgent liquidity needs, is open that we were looking at,” says NASA months. The idea is intended to pre- to the aviation sector, including small Administrator Jim Bridenstine. “It’s vent defaults for which France’s ex- suppliers. definitely a capability that we are inter- port credit agency would have to pay In France, a second fund, allocated ested in and continue to monitor. We the lender. Moreover, a new customer €300 million of subsidies over three don’t have big investments necessarily may wait for 18 months instead of six years, will focus on SME moderniza- in hydrogen right now, but that’s not before beginning repayments. These tion. French SMEs are seen as trailing to say that we couldn’t [make them] in two measures account for €3.5 billion, behind their German and Italian coun- the future if it looked promising.” says Le Maire. terparts when it comes to digitaliza- Bridenstine stresses that it is “im- To support ailing small and mid- tion and automation. portant to keep that R&D funding size enterprises (SME), a dedicated The French plan also includes or- going.” He adds: “We need to use this fund will be formed this summer. It ders for defense hardware, as most moment, as an agency and as a nation, will help those SMEs that need equi- companies have dual civil-military as a leadership opportunity to actually ty capital and may be instrumental activity. move ahead. And not use it as an op- in the overdue consolidation of the Also for the short term, €1 billion portunity to fall behind. supply chain. is earmarked for German airlines re- “And if you look at the investment It will start with €500 million—€200 newing their fleets with aircraft that from France, that’s what they are million from the state, €200 million from are at least 30% more fuel-efficient.c

18 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST COMMERCIAL AVIATION A. PECCHI/AIRBUS PROPULSION

The study found that hydrogen Europe Focuses on Aircraft Le Moyne, director of France’s automotive and transpor- could “feasibly power aircraft with tation academy (ISAT). The sector has experience with entry into service by 2035 for short- Powered by Hydrogen in-service vehicles such as the Toyota Mirai. An aircraft’s range aircraft.” This was the case with range might be limited to 1,000 km (540 nm), however, due hydrogen as a primary propulsion > LIQUID HYDROGEN FAVORED OVER COMPRESSED to the heavy storage systems, he estimates. source either for fuel cells, burning in GASEOUS FORM He even suggests greater storage pressure should be gas turbine engines or “as a building adopted. In automotive, 700-bar tanks are standard. “They block for synthetic liquid fuels.” > FOR PASSENGERS, THE EXTRA COST MAY BE make hydrogen competitive with hydrocarbons, in terms According to calculations, hydrogen LOWER THAN THOUGHT of range,” Le Moyne says. “In aviation, as hydrogen pro - power would cost less than €18 extra pulsion will be more expensive, increasing the pressure per person on a short-range flight. Thierry Dubois Lyon to more than 900 bar could make sense, as it would give a Therefore hydrogen “could play a cen- better cost-to-performance ratio.” tral role in the future mix of aircraft he use of hydrogen in aviation has received sudden McKinsey’s report focuses on liquid hydrogen, which it and propulsion technologies.” For an Airbus A320 replacement, the French government envisages both and strong attention in Europe. It began in early June, deems better suited to most of aviation. But it does not rule Developing infrastructure, regula- ultra-high-bypass-ratio turbofans and hydrogen-based propulsion. Twith the French government setting environmental out gas. “Gaseous storage can be suitable for shorter flights tion and certification standards for goals for aviation (after consulting with the industry), in- and is commercially available,” it notes. Development of an safe hydrogen-powered aircraft will intending to do,” Bridenstine points the “big four” in the country—Airbus, cluding switching to hydrogen as a primary fuel. evolutionary hydrogen aircraft design and tests with gas- take “10 to 15 years.” With the neces- out. “We are seeing a lot of industry Dassault, Safran and Thales—and €100 Two weeks later, McKinsey and Co. issued a report on the eous hydrogen tanks might enable faster time to market, it sary investment in research, the first being affected right now, and I would million from the manager of the fund. same topic, essentially concluding a target of 2035 is within adds, although capping the aircraft size at 19 seats. demonstrator could be ready by 2028, encourage them to not give up. Now A request for proposals is about to be reach, albeit challenging. The six-month study was commis- Two members of research and technology organizations according to the study. is the time to make the investments issued to find a fund manager. sioned by two European Joint Undertakings, Clean Sky 2 concur. Gaseous hydrogen could be suitable only on a small- By contrast, the paper also con- for the transformational leap-ahead The fund will raise an equivalent and Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2. The European Commission size aircraft, says Philippe Novelli, program director for pro- cludes: “For the next decades, long- technologies that will keep [the] U.S. amount, bringing the total to €1 billion, expressed support to the still-to-be structured project, link- pulsion and environment at France’s aerospace research haul air travel is likely to be based preeminent in aeronautics.” says Le Maire. ing it to the “hydrogen strategy” it is to adopt in July. office (Onera). Refueling with gaseous hydrogen would be on liquid hydrocarbon fuels. But in- Meanwhile, the French and German The creation of such a financial CORY HUSTON/NASA creasingly these, too, will need to be governments are striving to prevent partnership will be the first time the sustainable and these drop-in fuels companies from going belly-up and big four have pooled resources to sup- A massive liquid-hydrogen tank may will also rely on hydrogen for their jobs from being cut. port the industry as a whole, which re- soon become a common sight at airports, production.” In France, the sector is reckoned inforces the cohesion of the industry. not just at space launch facilities. “The results of the study are clear to employ 300,000 (directly or in- The CFE-CGC labor union, how- on the huge potential of hydrogen directly), one-third of whom would ever, fears that not every company in aviation,” says Bart Biebuyck, ex- have been threatened over the next will be saved. The most vulnerable ecutive director of the Fuel Cells & six months if nothing were done, ac- companies may fail before they have Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking. “The cording to Le Maire. a chance to get any of the money, says cost of producing clean hydrogen has Not appearing in the €8 billion, al- Francoise Vallin, coordinator of the come down in recent years, thanks to though crucial, is the promised two- union for Airbus. Moreover, the GIFAS cheaper renewable electricity and big- year extension of the short time scheme lobbying group, which has negotiated ger and cheaper production technolo- created to mitigate the crisis. Germany the bailout with the government, may gy. At the same time, fuel cell perfor- also offers short time schedules. have already quietly chosen to support mance in terms of durability, capacity Extended in France also is a pro- some key aircraft-part suppliers, as and cost has made big steps forward.” gram for companies to resort to state- opposed to engineering service pro- Massive investment of resources backed loans. They amount to €1.5 bil- viders, she suggests. into the design of environmentally lion thus far in aerospace. In Germany, the economic stabili- friendly aircraft may force competi- To support exports, the government zation fund, a tool established earlier tors to follow suit. has decided to allow aircraft buyers to provide financing for companies Hydrogen propulsion is “something to suspend capital repayments for 12 with urgent liquidity needs, is open The well-funded, converging moves mark the start of a prohibitively lengthy for an aircraft with a capacity greater that we were looking at,” says NASA months. The idea is intended to pre- to the aviation sector, including small tectonic shift, at least in research and perhaps, in a few than 19 passengers, adds Jean-Francois Brouckaert, Clean Administrator Jim Bridenstine. “It’s vent defaults for which France’s ex- suppliers. years, for the entire industry. Powering aircraft with hydro- Sky’s chief scientific officer. definitely a capability that we are inter- port credit agency would have to pay In France, a second fund, allocated gen will benefit from the maturity of the technology in the There are caveats against the use of liquid hydrogen. “Us- ested in and continue to monitor. We the lender. Moreover, a new customer €300 million of subsidies over three automotive field, decreasing production costs, as well as ing liquid hydrogen would be very difficult in aviation,” says don’t have big investments necessarily may wait for 18 months instead of six years, will focus on SME moderniza- from the recent discovery of natural hydrogen sources. Le Moyne. One reason would be the complex system required in hydrogen right now, but that’s not before beginning repayments. These tion. French SMEs are seen as trailing Nevertheless, many obstacles lie ahead. Choices will have to maintain a temperature of -253C (-420F), he explains. to say that we couldn’t [make them] in two measures account for €3.5 billion, behind their German and Italian coun- to be made that may shape the future of the industry—be- A major problem appears at the liquefaction stage. “The the future if it looked promising.” says Le Maire. terparts when it comes to digitaliza- tween gaseous and liquid hydrogen as well as between fuel process is exothermic, meaning you lose energy if you want Bridenstine stresses that it is “im- To support ailing small and mid- tion and automation. cells and turbine engines, among others. Every decision will to use liquid hydrogen instead of compressed gaseous hy- portant to keep that R&D funding size enterprises (SME), a dedicated The French plan also includes or- have implications both for aircraft and the entire ecosys- drogen,” says Isabelle Moretti, a researcher at the Univer- going.” He adds: “We need to use this fund will be formed this summer. It ders for defense hardware, as most tem—from airports to air traffic management (ATM). sity of Pau in France and former chief scientific officer at moment, as an agency and as a nation, will help those SMEs that need equi- companies have dual civil-military The respective merits of gaseous and liquid hydrogen are Engie, a major energy supplier in Europe. as a leadership opportunity to actually ty capital and may be instrumental activity. being thoroughly assessed. Views are beginning to coalesce. But liquid hydrogen seems to be increasingly perceived move ahead. And not use it as an op- in the overdue consolidation of the Also for the short term, €1 billion “A propulsion system made of a high-pressure tank for as the way to go. Using gaseous hydrogen in a 700-bar tank portunity to fall behind. supply chain. is earmarked for German airlines re- gaseous hydrogen, a fuel cell, an electric motor and a propel- is inconceivable because the tank’s weight would be pro- “And if you look at the investment It will start with €500 million—€200 newing their fleets with aircraft that ler would easily reach a high level of technology readiness, hibitive, Novelli contends. The relevance of using gaseous from France, that’s what they are million from the state, €200 million from are at least 30% more fuel-efficient.c up to the size of an ATR 72 or even a 100-seater,” says Luis versus liquid hydrogen can be measured using the gravi-

18 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 19 PROPULSION

metric index—the ratio between the fuel’s mass and the “They probably don’t have the same time frame, not the combined mass of the fuel and its tank. same complexity, not the same investment,” Faury says. In that regard, liquid hydrogen is believed to be a better fit “That’s why today we say that we [are looking] at differ- than its gaseous form, though progress is needed with liquid ent routes. We accelerate [the process] by looking at all of hydrogen tanks. A state-of-the-art tank has a gravimetric them at the same time. There is more investment going into index close to 20%, while the target is 35%. “So we are talking innovation now, by the way, not only in aviation. There is about halving the tank’s weight,” says Brouckaert. cross-fertilization with other means of transport. We are in The choice for liquid hydrogen may be assisted by ex- the hydrogen council like many other industries, including pertise at space launcher manufacturer ArianeGroup. The cars, shipping, energy—everybody is there.” Hyperion research program will evaluate risks for hydro- “While a fuel cell would be suitable up to the size of a re- gen aircraft propulsion, including the cryogenic system. gional aircraft, burning hydrogen in a turbofan would better The French government is funding the program, which is suit short-to-medium-range aircraft such as the [Airbus] starting this year. A320,” says Onera’s Novelli. The maximum power available What about the fuel cell and turbine engine options? A from a fuel cell has yet to increase to meet an A320-size air- fuel cell is more efficient and would be the best option to craft’s need of about 10 megawatts, adds Clean Sky’s Brouck- aert. “Such an aircraft could use a combination of a fuel cell and turbofans, the latter being only used at takeoff.” Hdrogen vs. erosene For widebody, long-range aircraft, the most suit- Aviation Fuel Cost and Emissions in 2040 able option is not hydrogen due to the spiraling com-

20 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST PROPULSION ROTORCRAFT metric index—the ratio between the fuel’s mass and the “They probably don’t have the same time frame, not the Airbus Planning Fuel-Thrifty higher turbine output, with the aim of combined mass of the fuel and its tank. same complexity, not the same investment,” Faury says. initially reducing fuel consumption by In that regard, liquid hydrogen is believed to be a better fit “That’s why today we say that we [are looking] at differ- Ecureuil Successor 40%, Tomasz Krysinski, Airbus Heli- than its gaseous form, though progress is needed with liquid ent routes. We accelerate [the process] by looking at all of copters head of research and innova- hydrogen tanks. A state-of-the-art tank has a gravimetric them at the same time. There is more investment going into > PLANAERO IS FUNDING THE HYBRIDIZATION RESEARCH PROJECT tion, tells Aviation Week. “These three index close to 20%, while the target is 35%. “So we are talking innovation now, by the way, not only in aviation. There is components should get us to 40%,” about halving the tank’s weight,” says Brouckaert. cross-fertilization with other means of transport. We are in > AIRBUS IS WORKING ON A LIGHT-HELICOPTER TECHNOLOGY Krysinski says, noting that the addition The choice for liquid hydrogen may be assisted by ex- the hydrogen council like many other industries, including DEMONSTRATOR FOR 2029 of electric hybridization of the aircraft pertise at space launcher manufacturer ArianeGroup. The cars, shipping, energy—everybody is there.” could achieve another 10% reduction. Hyperion research program will evaluate risks for hydro- “While a fuel cell would be suitable up to the size of a re- Tony Osborne London An Airbus research and develop- gen aircraft propulsion, including the cryogenic system. gional aircraft, burning hydrogen in a turbofan would better ment program called Helybrid will The French government is funding the program, which is suit short-to-medium-range aircraft such as the [Airbus] series of research programs, The most recent version, the AS - receive funding from a €300 million starting this year. A320,” says Onera’s Novelli. The maximum power available to be partly funded through 350B3e, was rebranded as the H125 in ($338 million) aviation decarboniza- What about the fuel cell and turbine engine options? A from a fuel cell has yet to increase to meet an A320-size air- A France’s aerospace stimu- 2015, when the company was renamed tion investment. Helybrid will demon- fuel cell is more efficient and would be the best option to craft’s need of about 10 megawatts, adds Clean Sky’s Brouck- lus package, will develop the build- from Eurocopter to Airbus Helicopters. strate hybridization of lightweight- aert. “Such an aircraft could use a combination of a fuel ing blocks for a successor to Airbus The H125 is currently built at helicopter propulsion. cell and turbofans, the latter being only used at takeoff.” Helicopters’ best-selling H125 single- Airbus’ plant in Marignane, France, Projects called Compaq and Eprop- Hdrogen vs. erosene For widebody, long-range aircraft, the most suit- engine light helicopter. near Marseille, but kits are also sent tech, the PlanAero documents state, Aviation Fuel Cost and Emissions in 2040 able option is not hydrogen due to the spiraling com-

Hydrogen Cost Increase per Flight Saved CO2 plexity and size of the hydrogen systems, according Compared to Kerosene Equivalent Emissions to McKinsey. Rather, they would rely on synfuel, also known as power-to-liquid. The process uses renew- Commuter 9 able energy to convert CO2 and water into jet fuel. Hydrogen is therefore a major part of, but not the AIRBUS HELICOPTERS Regional 1 9 entire, solution, says McKinsey. In terms of schedule, researchers and Faury agree Short-Range that 2035 is realistic. “We are talking about the entry into service of the first decarbonized plane by 2035,” says Faury. “It is really something I believe in because Medium-Range it means launch of the program in 2027 or 2028. We have to have completed maturity of the technologies Long-Range by 2025. Then you have two years for the preparation of the launch, consulting the suppliers, defining the Source: McKinsey and Co. general architecture [and] doing the business case.” “With a few years of research ahead of us and some reduce an aircraft’s climate impact. But practicality de - specific technologies to mature, we can do it. But we shall pends on aircraft size. not underestimate [the] technical challenges, including A fuel cell’s efficiency, at 55-60%, compares favorably safety,” says Brouckaert. to that of a gas turbine—40-45%. Its power density (per In terms of infrastructure, a favorable factor is the intent weight unit), however, is lower. expressed by a number of airport managers—such as in Combining a fuel cell and a propeller is well-suited to avi- Toulouse—to begin using hydrogen for ground transporta- ation propulsion, according to ISAT’s Le Moyne. Fuel-cell tion vehicles in the 2020-25 time frame. This will familiarize The H125 is used in a wide variety of roles, including law enforcement duties. will work on electrical network tech- power density has made great progress in recent years. them with the technology, says Glenn Llewellyn, Airbus vice nologies to allow megawatts of electri- There is another environmental advantage. Hydrogen president for zero emissions technologies. Although the new rotorcraft is to Helibras in Brazil and Airbus Heli- cal power to be used on an aircraft. emissions do not contain soot, reducing the formation of Liquid hydrogen will drop from four times the cost of still at least a decade away, the Plan- copters in Columbus, Mississippi, for “The ultimate step is to go to an- climatically harmful contrails. This is counterintuitive, as kerosene today to roughly the same cost by 2050, according Aero package—developed to help the final assembly for the Latin American other sort of energy, which could be more water vapor is created. But droplets most often form to McKinsey. This will be part of a lower-than-expected French aerospace industry through and U.S. markets, respectively. Airbus hydrogen or fuel cells,” Krysinski says. around soot particles. extra cost for the passenger (see graph). While it may make the novel coronavirus pandemic— has been looking at the development The plans are part of Airbus Heli- The benefit would be even stronger with a fuel cell as air travel more expensive, it would remain affordable, es- confirms industry hints that the man- of an Ecureuil replacement for more copters’ long-term innovation road opposed to burning hydrogen in a turbine engine. “Water pecially if consumers keep in mind what is at stake for the ufacturer is still looking to address than a decade and had considered map to develop autonomy, electrifi- vapor emitted by a fuel cell is cooler and fully controllable Earth’s environment. the conventional light-helicopter mar- opening part of the design effort to the cation, hybridization and alternative inside the aircraft. It could be conditioned, depending on Overall, McKinsey’s report is in agreement with studies ket at a time when urban air mobility company’s Brazilian affiliate Helibras, technologies, so-called techno-bricks, the state of the atmosphere in which the aircraft is flying,” released over the last 12 months by competing consultan- systems are grabbing the investment in part because of the heavy demand which will contribute to reducing the according to the McKinsey report. cies Roland Berger and Oliver Wyman, thus strengthen- and limelight. for the platform in Latin America. carbon footprint of their future mod- Minimizing contrails could imply optimizing cruise alti- ing the conclusion that hydrogen-powered commercial air The H125, known by its French Any future platform is likely to els. Airbus is planning to fly a demon- tude, thus involving ATM. transport is feasible. product name Ecureuil (Squirrel) and remain a conventional helicopter be- strator for the future light helicopter As a result, fuel-cell propulsion could reduce climate Finally, environmentally friendly hydrogen may come from marketed as the AStar in the U.S., cause the wide range of missions it around 2029 to prove the technologies impact by 75-90%. This would be more than hydrogen natural sources (and not necessarily from water electrolysis was originally developed by predeces- is expected to perform—everything for 40% fuel-burn reduction, and if the combustion, which would cut it by 50-75%, according to with renewable power). Local hydrogen flows at the Earth’s sor company Aerospatiale during the from training to law enforcement to hydrogen technologies are mature McKinsey’s estimate. surface—as opposed to underground pockets—are being 1970s. Some 5,000 H125s have been firefighting and aerial lifting—are un- enough, they could fly them, too. Which option does Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury prefer? discovered, notably in volcanic areas. “What happened with produced during its 45-year production likely to disappear. Krysinski notes significant advances Although he sees “many more constraints” with a fuel cell, natural gas, which replaced gas obtained from coal, will hap- run, with the type in use with commer- Efforts will be focused on improved in hydrogen-fuel-cell technology, nota- he and his company’s engineers do not know yet. pen with hydrogen,” says the University of Pau’s Moretti. c cial, military and parapublic agencies. aerodynamics, weight reduction and bly in the fixed-wing arena, but says

20 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 21 ROTORCRAFT

the power requirements for a helicop- provide power for a safe rotation, Hybridization can also introduce ter remain a significanthurdle. whereas later tests will see two new functions to lower the noise levels, Currently, the company is gearing up 120-kW motors connected in parallel Krysinski notes. “With an electric sys- to tackle the hybridization challenge. to the dynamic system, which would tem, we can get the torque very quick- In 2011, it successfully flight-tested an allow the aircraft to make 2 min. of ly, and this gives us an extra degree Ecureuil with an electric motor to drive electric-powered flight in a low-power of freedom,” he says. “We can reduce the dynamic system of the main rotor. setting. Modification of the test heli- the rotational speed of the turbine, and Designed as a safety device, the motor copter should begin during Septem- this provides lower noise emissions.” would kick in when the aircraft’s sys- ber and will fly in early 2021. Airbus has not said who it is part- tems detected main rotor speed droop, “Motors have made very big prog- nering with on the EBS project, but the usually the result of an engine failure, ress . . . and compared to 2011, you can company will work with Safran Heli- giving the pilot more time to achieve get twice the energy from 1 kg [2.2 lb.] copter Engines in the long term on a a smooth and safer autorotation with of batteries than before,” Krysinski hybrid-electric propulsion system. The a reduced rate of descent. explains. two companies announced commit- Airbus is to begin modifying a “This is a good steppingstone to- ments at last year’s Paris Air Show on single- engine H130 helicopter with ward the hybrid rotorcraft,” he says. hybridization for the European Union’s a 120-kW motor, which will act as “It opens the chapter, a revolution in Clean Sky 3, now the Clean Aviation an electric backup system (EBS) to rotary-wing performance.” research and development program. c

ELECTRIC AIRCRAFT PIPISTREL

Velis Electro Certification Clears Way In addition to the airframe, Pipistrel developed the motor, for Commercial Use of Electric Aircraft battery system, propeller and avionics for the Velis Electro. PIPISTREL TRAINER IS THE FIRST ELECTRIC AIRCRAFT APPROVED FOR > pulsion unit, which it will also market COMMERCIAL OPERATION to other manufacturers. > EASA: EXPERIENCE PAVES THE WAY FOR FUTURE ELECTRIC AIRCRAFT Additionally, EASA has approved the operating rules that will allow Graham Warwick Washington customers to begin flight training with the Velis Electro as soon as aircraft or Slovenian light aircraft man- the strategy we have at Pipistrel—is are delivered. Pipistrel plans to deliver ufacturer Pipistrel, European the correct one. Quiet, emission-free an initial 31 aircraft in 2020 to launch Ftype certification for its Velis aviation is not only possible, it is be- customers in seven countries. Electro all-electric training aircraft is coming commercially useful.” The two-seat Velis Electro has been both a milestone on a yearslong jour- Pipistrel has received the first type certified under EASA’s CS-LSA air- ney and the start of something bigger. certificate for an electric aircraft from worthiness regulations for light sport “I’ve dedicated almost the last two the European Union Aviation Safety aircraft. Electric-powered LSAs have decades of my life to this goal,” says Agency (EASA). The company has been approved previously in China, but founder and CEO Ivo Boscarol. “And separately received the first type cer- “in Europe, LSA standards have been this is big proof that my vision—and tificate for the aircraft’s electric pro- amended to meet full ICAO-compliant

22 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST ROTORCRAFT the power requirements for a helicop- provide power for a safe rotation, Hybridization can also introduce certification specifications,” EASA says. gether to amend the operating rules to noise,” Boscarol says. “The Velis Electro ter remain a significanthurdle. whereas later tests will see two new functions to lower the noise levels, This approval and additional special accommodate an electric aircraft. is the quietest aircraft on the market— Currently, the company is gearing up 120-kW motors connected in parallel Krysinski notes. “With an electric sys- conditions developed to address elec- The regulations governing flight we say 60 dB—and this will bring back to tackle the hybridization challenge. to the dynamic system, which would tem, we can get the torque very quick- tric-propulsion requirements beyond crew licensing, continued airworthi- training to those airports in France, In 2011, it successfully flight-tested an allow the aircraft to make 2 min. of ly, and this gives us an extra degree LSA are paving the way toward elec- ness and operations are EU “hard law” Switzerland, Belgium and Germany.” Ecureuil with an electric motor to drive electric-powered flight in a low-power of freedom,” he says. “We can reduce trification of CS-23 general-aviation and take years to modify, so EASA used The Velis Electro’s electric power the dynamic system of the main rotor. setting. Modification of the test heli- the rotational speed of the turbine, and aircraft, the regulator says, adding: an exemption process to introduce a train is liquid-cooled, including the Designed as a safety device, the motor copter should begin during Septem- this provides lower noise emissions.” “EASA considers the Pipistrel Velis quick change to the regulation, Roland batteries, and has demonstrated the would kick in when the aircraft’s sys- ber and will fly in early 2021. Airbus has not said who it is part- Electro to be the first ‘type certified’ says. Working with France’s DGAC and ability to withstand faults, battery tems detected main rotor speed droop, “Motors have made very big prog- nering with on the EBS project, but the electric aeroplane.” Switzerland’s FOCA, EASA developed thermal runaways and crash loads as usually the result of an engine failure, ress . . . and compared to 2011, you can company will work with Safran Heli- Work to certify the Velis Electro an exemption request that aviation au- part of the EASA certification pro- giving the pilot more time to achieve get twice the energy from 1 kg [2.2 lb.] copter Engines in the long term on a and its electric engine started less thorities in member countries can use cess, Pipistrel says. a smooth and safer autorotation with of batteries than before,” Krysinski hybrid-electric propulsion system. The than three years ago. Although the to approve the Velis Electro. The battery system is self-con- a reduced rate of descent. explains. two companies announced commit- company originally wanted to achieve With the ability to fly a 50-min. tained in that all the safety- and per- Airbus is to begin modifying a “This is a good steppingstone to- ments at last year’s Paris Air Show on approval in 18 months, “three years to training mission, plus reserves, the formance-related elements are con- single- engine H130 helicopter with ward the hybrid rotorcraft,” he says. hybridization for the European Union’s certify such an innovative product is Velis Electro is designed to perform tained within the battery enclosure a 120-kW motor, which will act as “It opens the chapter, a revolution in Clean Sky 3, now the Clean Aviation remarkable,” says Dominique Roland, the initial 10-15-hr. pattern-flying and are not part of the airframe. This an electric backup system (EBS) to rotary-wing performance.” research and development program. c head of EASA’s general aviation de- phase of pilot training, dramatically will allow for future performance up- partment. “We believe [certification of reducing operating cost, noise and grades, says Tine Tomazic, Pipistrel ELECTRIC AIRCRAFT the Velis Electro] is creating the foun- emissions. It is intended to operate chief technology officer.

PIPISTREL dation for the certification of more alongside Pipistrel’s conventionally Involvement of the Swiss and electrical aircraft.” powered Virus SW121, which will per- French authorities will facilitate entry In addition to the challenges involved form other parts of the training pro- into service in those countries, EASA in certifying the aircraft, its electric mo- gram that require more endurance, says. Launch customer AlpinAir- tor, high-power lithium batteries and such as cross-country flights. Planes plans to distribute 12 Velis 400-volt electrics, Roland said EASA, “In Europe, there are 90 or more Electros to 10 airfields across Switzer- Pipistrel and the aviation authorities small airports that are closed for train- land. Each base will be equipped with of France and Switzerland worked to- ing during the weekend because of solar panels to recharge the aircraft. c

Aircraft & Engine Marketplace

Velis Electro Certification Clears Way In addition to the airframe, Pipistrel developed the motor, for Commercial Use of Electric Aircraft battery system, propeller and avionics for the Velis Electro. PIPISTREL TRAINER IS THE FIRST ELECTRIC AIRCRAFT APPROVED FOR > pulsion unit, which it will also market COMMERCIAL OPERATION to other manufacturers. Placing Your Assets Made Easy > EASA: EXPERIENCE PAVES THE WAY FOR FUTURE ELECTRIC AIRCRAFT Additionally, EASA has approved the operating rules that will allow Graham Warwick Washington customers to begin flight training with It has never been easier or more cost-effective to move your aircraft, the Velis Electro as soon as aircraft or Slovenian light aircraft man- the strategy we have at Pipistrel—is are delivered. Pipistrel plans to deliver engines/APUs, and/or parts inventories through SpeedNews, the most ufacturer Pipistrel, European the correct one. Quiet, emission-free an initial 31 aircraft in 2020 to launch efficient way to get your available assets in front of the right audience. Ftype certification for its Velis aviation is not only possible, it is be- customers in seven countries. Electro all-electric training aircraft is coming commercially useful.” The two-seat Velis Electro has been both a milestone on a yearslong jour- Pipistrel has received the first type certified under EASA’s CS-LSA air- For more information, contact ney and the start of something bigger. certificate for an electric aircraft from worthiness regulations for light sport Steve Costley “I’ve dedicated almost the last two the European Union Aviation Safety aircraft. Electric-powered LSAs have [email protected] decades of my life to this goal,” says Agency (EASA). The company has been approved previously in China, but +1 424-465-6509 founder and CEO Ivo Boscarol. “And separately received the first type cer- “in Europe, LSA standards have been this is big proof that my vision—and tificate for the aircraft’s electric pro- amended to meet full ICAO-compliant

22 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 23 DEFENSE > Typhoon’s AESA radar p. 26 Seoul’s Surion attack-mission decision p. 28 Japan’s Aegis Ashore trouble p. 29 Canada’s F/A-18C/D makeover p. 30 MOVING FORWARD > SU-57 TESTING AND DEVELOPMENT > NEW MISSILE IS INTENDED TO DESTROY SMALL, CONTINUES AFTER 2019 CRASH HARDENED TARGETS WITH KNOWN COORDINATES

Piotr Butowski Gdansk, Poland he Russian aviation industry has smaller dimensions, folding wings and fins are required. There are also certain difficulties at the missile launch from pinpointed the factors leading to a an enclosed space, as additional loads on the airplane arise.” December 2019 crash of the first pre- The Su-57 carries its basic ordnance load in two large production Sukhoi Su-57 fighter for internal weapon bays that are arranged in tandem and T occupy the entire length of the fuselage ventral surface, the nation’s military. The second aircraft is from the nosewheel well to the engine nozzles. Each weap- scheduled to be ready in the second half of this on bay can accommodate weapons on two side-by-side year, as weapons-integration testing continues UVKU-50 ejection release units. On March 16, 2016, the Su-57 fired a missile from the on the advanced aircraft. internal weapon bay for the first time; the type of weaponry The crash, about 75 mi. (120 km) from the Komsomolsk- on-Amur Aircraft Plant’s airfield, was caused by two factors: The manufacturer incorrectly adjusted the tail plane drive, which overlapped with a failure of one of the flight control system processors, according to a summa- ry published by the Russian aviation industry consulting firm Aviaprom. The accident involving the first preseries Su-57, No. 01, occurred during the handover flight before it was scheduled to be delivered to the 23rd Fighter Aviation Regiment stationed at the same airfield. The pilot, Aleksey Gorshkov from the defense ministry’s 485th Military Mission at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur factory, ejected successfully. The reasons for the crash included “incorrect adjust- ment of the first channel of BUP-50 [the Russian acronym for drive control unit] of the left tail plane section as a result of violation of requirements of operating manual of the KSU-50-01 [the Russian acronym for complex flight control system], and a failure of processor ‘A’ of the BU-7 module of the ShS-80-01 block of the KSU-50-01 system,” says the document, published in May. The second Su-57, No. 02, is to be ready by year-end. The preliminary batch of these two fighters was ordered during the Russian Army 2018 exhibition that August. Russia’s Sukhoi Su-57 is currently undergoing Then, in July 2019, the Russian defense ministry ordered weapons-integration tests. an undefined number of fighters for delivery in 2021-27. Russian President Vladimir Putin, in May 2019, publicly recommended that the ministry “reequip three Aerospace is unknown. But it is notable that it occurred six years after Force air regiments with the Su-57s.” That would equate the first Su-57 flight. to six 12-ship squadrons, or 72 aircraft. Other Russian officials have mentioned the number 76 several times; it is LONG-ARM MISSILE not known if the earlier two preseries aircraft are included The most capable long-range, air-to-surface weapon de- in this amount. signed specifically for the Su-57 is a missile with the supposed Russian designation Kh-69, made by the Raduga WEAPONS TESTING Design Bureau from Dubna, north of Moscow. The desig- The current stage of Su-57 testing is focused on integrating nation has never been officially confirmed. The missile was new weapon types. The Russian JSC Tactical Missile Corp. presented in public in 2015, with the export designation (KTRV) has created a new set of air-to-ground missiles Kh-59 Mk. 2. It fully uses the space available in the Su-57 especially for the Su-57. weapon bay. It features a square-section box-shaped air- “[The developers] did not have any problems with exter- frame 4.2 m (13 ft., 9 in.) long and 40 cm (16 in.) both wide nally carried weapons,” KTRV CEO Boris Obnosov told the and tall. Two missiles can be carried in each weapon bay, media this February. “But to fit a missile inside the fuselage side-by-side. A deployable 2.45-m wing is fitted to the top

24 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST DEFENSE > Typhoon’s AESA radar p. 26 Seoul’s Surion attack-mission decision p. 28 Japan’s Aegis Ashore trouble p. 29 Canada’s F/A-18C/D makeover p. 30

of the box airframe. The officially announced launch weight “product”) numbers are the manufacturer’s internal mark- of the export version is 770 kg (1,698 lb.), which slightly ex- ings. The R-77M and 810 are carried in the large centerline ceeds the declared load capacity of the UVKU-50 catapult weapon bays and launched by UVKU-50 catapults. R-74M2 MOVING FORWARD (700 kg). Perhaps the catapult was made stronger than missiles are carried in two so-called quick bays, in the form originally planned. of oblong underwing fairings close to the fuselage, each for > SU-57 TESTING AND DEVELOPMENT > NEW MISSILE IS INTENDED TO DESTROY SMALL, The Kh-69, a counterpart to the MBDA Storm Shadow, a single missile launched from a VPU-50 rail. Obnosov has CONTINUES AFTER 2019 CRASH HARDENED TARGETS WITH KNOWN COORDINATES is intended to destroy small, hardened targets of known said the company will complete state evaluations this year; coordinates. For this purpose, it has a guidance system bor- none of the missiles has been publicly displayed. Piotr Butowski Gdansk, Poland rowed from a strategic cruise missile that includes strap- On July 26, 2019, the R-74M2 completed initial testing down inertial navigation corrected by GPS/Glonass for the and was submitted for state evaluations on the Su-57. On he Russian aviation industry has smaller dimensions, folding wings and fins are required. cruise phase, and an electro-optical digital scene-matching March 25, 2020, the Russian defense ministry released a There are also certain difficulties at the missile launch from area correlation system for use close to the target. Powered video showing for the first time an Su-57 fighter launching pinpointed the factors leading to a an enclosed space, as additional loads on the airplane arise.” with a small turbofan, it flies to the target at high subsonic a close-air combat air-to-air missile from a small weapon December 2019 crash of the first pre- The Su-57 carries its basic ordnance load in two large speed. The range declared for the export version is 180 mi., bay located at the wing-root section. It was intended to be production Sukhoi Su-57 fighter for internal weapon bays that are arranged in tandem and limited by restrictions of the Missile Technology Control an R-74M2 missile, although a legacy R-73 or R-74M missile T occupy the entire length of the fuselage ventral surface, Regime. The Russian Aerospace Forces variant can have could be provisionally fired with the weapon bay’s cover the nation’s military. The second aircraft is from the nosewheel well to the engine nozzles. Each weap- a much longer range. not closed. scheduled to be ready in the second half of this on bay can accommodate weapons on two side-by-side The Kh-69 missile was shown for the second time at a The beyond-visual-range Vympel R-77M is an adaptation year, as weapons-integration testing continues UVKU-50 ejection release units. Russian defense ministry board meeting on May 25, 2018, of the currently produced R-77-1 (izdeliye 170-1) for internal On March 16, 2016, the Su-57 fired a missile from the when Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu explained the use of carriage. Externally, the most visible differences are nor- on the advanced aircraft. internal weapon bay for the first time; the type of weaponry the Su-57 in Syria in February 2018. “Practical launches of mal flat tail fins on an R-77M compared to lattice fins on The crash, about 75 mi. (120 km) from the Komsomolsk- the R-77. A modernized active radar seeker has increased on-Amur Aircraft Plant’s airfield, was caused by two lock-on range. A new solid-propellant engine features an factors: The manufacturer incorrectly adjusted the tail adjustable pause between the impulses and a larger fuel plane drive, which overlapped with a failure of one of the reserve. The path-correction radio data link and inertial flight control system processors, according to a summa- control system have been improved. ry published by the Russian aviation industry consulting The very-long-range izdeliye 810 (its military designation firm Aviaprom. is still unknown) is being developed on the basis of the The accident involving the first preseries Su-57, No. 01, R-37M missile for the MiG-31BM interceptor, but it has a occurred during the handover flight before it was sched- shape optimized for carriage in the Su-57’s internal weapon uled to be delivered to the 23rd Fighter Aviation Regiment bay. It also has a new MFBU-810 broadband passive-active stationed at the same airfield. The pilot, Aleksey Gorshkov radar seeker and an improved engine; the missile’s maxi- from the defense ministry’s 485th Military Mission at the mum range may be estimated at 186 mi. Komsomolsk-on-Amur factory, ejected successfully. The reasons for the crash included “incorrect adjust- FIGHTER FEATURES ment of the first channel of BUP-50 [the Russian acronym In March 2020, Mikhail Strelets, director of the Sukhoi for drive control unit] of the left tail plane section as a Design Bureau and head of the Su-57 program, outlined result of violation of requirements of operating manual of goals for making the Su-57, in material published by parent the KSU-50-01 [the Russian acronym for complex flight company United Aircraft Corp. Most of them are typical for control system], and a failure of processor ‘A’ of the BU-7 a fifth-generation fighter—including low visibility in radar module of the ShS-80-01 block of the KSU-50-01 system,” range, supersonic cruising speed and maneuverability. But says the document, published in May. Strelets also emphasized the “high level of automation and The second Su-57, No. 02, is to be ready by year-end. The high intellectualization of combat operations, and interop- preliminary batch of these two fighters was ordered during erability with automated command systems.” The Su-57’s the Russian Army 2018 exhibition that August. Russia’s Sukhoi Su-57 is currently undergoing fire-control system can make “omnidirectional and multi- Then, in July 2019, the Russian defense ministry ordered weapons-integration tests. channel use of the weapons,” he said. an undefined number of fighters for delivery in 2021-27. Strelets stressed that the Su-57 was from the very begin- Russian President Vladimir Putin, in May 2019, publicly PIOTR BUTOWSKI ning designed as a multirole aircraft, combining the func- recommended that the ministry “reequip three Aerospace is unknown. But it is notable that it occurred six years after prospective theater- and tactical-level cruise missiles from tions of a fighter and strike aircraft; therefore, the aircraft Force air regiments with the Su-57s.” That would equate the first Su-57 flight. the fifth-generation Su-57 fighter were carried out,” he received very roomy internal weapon bays. Strelets empha- to six 12-ship squadrons, or 72 aircraft. Other Russian of- said. Low-quality video footage accompanying the speech sized this as the most important difference between the ficials have mentioned the number 76 several times; it is LONG-ARM MISSILE showed the release of the Kh-69 missile from the aft in- Su-57 and U.S. fifth-generation aircraft, Lockheed Martin’s not known if the earlier two preseries aircraft are included The most capable long-range, air-to-surface weapon de- ternal weapon bay of an Su-57. Shoygu did not explicitly F-22 and F-35. in this amount. signed specifically for the Su-57 is a missile with the sup- state that these launches were performed in Syria; and “The F-22 was originally created as an air-superiority posed Russian designation Kh-69, made by the Raduga the red color of the fired missile indicates the weapon was aircraft. But only then did the Americans, realizing that WEAPONS TESTING Design Bureau from Dubna, north of Moscow. The desig- experimental for range-test use. it was fundamentally wrong to design an aircraft only for The current stage of Su-57 testing is focused on integrating nation has never been officially confirmed. The missile was deploying air-to-air missiles, attempt to fit air-to-surface new weapon types. The Russian JSC Tactical Missile Corp. presented in public in 2015, with the export designation NEW AIR-TO-AIR MISSILES weapons in the existing configuration of the bays. But the (KTRV) has created a new set of air-to-ground missiles Kh-59 Mk. 2. It fully uses the space available in the Su-57 Moscow-based Vympel is manufacturing three new types geometry of the compartments did not allow accommodat- especially for the Su-57. weapon bay. It features a square-section box-shaped air- of air-to-air missiles adapted for internal carriage on the ing larger loads,” he said. “[In turn], the characteristics of “[The developers] did not have any problems with exter- frame 4.2 m (13 ft., 9 in.) long and 40 cm (16 in.) both wide Su-57: the close-air combat R-74M2, beyond-visual-range the F-35 as a fighter—acceleration and maneuver ability— nally carried weapons,” KTRV CEO Boris Obnosov told the and tall. Two missiles can be carried in each weapon bay, R-77M and very-long-range “izdeliye” 810. “R” markings are are inferior even to fourth-generation aircraft, not to men- media this February. “But to fit a missile inside the fuselage side-by-side. A deployable 2.45-m wing is fitted to the top added by the defense ministry, while izdeliye (Russian for tion the Su-57.” c

24 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 25 DEFENSE UTW

The Captor-E radar (inset) Tony Osborne London will be installed in Tranche 2 SOT n a move that should bolster the and range, giving the and Tranche 3 Euro ghters. Eurofi ghter Typhoon’s export po- aircraft a sensor that can match the Itential, Germany is set to become performance of the MBDA Meteor be- Mk. 1 radar, also limited to its Tranche the fi rst of the fi ghter’s partner nations yond-visual-range air-to-air missile. A 3 fl eet. Airbus revealed last November, to retrofi t it with an active, electroni- mechanical repositioner helps widen however, that the novel coronavirus cally scanned array (AESA) radar . the radar’s fi eld of view to around 200 pandemic appears to have delayed The German parliament has given deg., from 120 deg. with the existing Madrid’s plans. a green light for Berlin to spend €2.8 mechanically scanned radar. An AESA has been part of the billion ($3.1 billion) to install the Euro- For the German retrofi t program, Eurofi ghter’s development road map radar consortium’s Captor-E radar Hensoldt will take a leading role in for around 15 years. The consortium in all—some 106—of the German Air the production and delivery of the ra- had originally hoped that it could form Force’s Tranche 2 and 3 aircraft from dars and act as the design authority, part of the Tranche 3 fl eet. The capa- around 2023. Contracts should be while Airbus will act as the test and bility was also part of the consortium’s signed in the coming weeks. integration lead . Leonardo, which led ulti mately unsuccessful o er for India. Export customers will receive the Captor-E development, will provide But it was not until 2014 that the fi rst Captor-E fi rst. Kuwait has ordered 28 support to Hensoldt in its role as de- Captor-E development radar began aircraft, and Qatar 24, and a batch of sign authority. Leonardo will also sup- fl ying in the aircraft, making an ap- Kuwaiti aircraft will be delivered this ply the radar’s processor. pearance at the 2014 Farnborough year. But program officials believe “With this decision, Germany is Airshow. that with the AESA fi nally receiving taking on a pioneering role in the fi eld The AESA radar capability is add- partner-nation backing, the Typhoon’s of key technology for the Eurofight- ed through the Eurofi ghter’s Phase 3B chances in competitions closer to er for the first time,” says Hensoldt Enhancement (P3E(b)) package that home may have moved up a notch. CEO Thomas M uller. “It is a signal for will be delivered to Kuwait. Leonardo AESA-equipped Typhoons are pro- Europe that Germany is investing in a completed fl ight trials in support of posed for both Finland and Switzer- technology that is of crucial importance the Mk. 0 radar development and land. But the radar’s capabilities could for European defense cooperation.” P3E(b) in late May. not be evaluated when the fi ghter took Airbus Defense and Space CEO Dirk Along with the Quadriga purchase, part in trials in those countries, as the Hoke says the addition of the radar will known in Germany notionally as participating aircraft were not fi tted increase the mission e ectiveness of Tranche 4, the country is also plan- with it. The competing aircraft were. the aircraft and help integrate it with ning to use the Eurofighter, as well All four Eurofighter partner na- the Franco-German Spanish Future as the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet, tions—Germany, Italy, Spain and the Combat Air System. to replace the Panavia Tornado fl eet, UK—supported development of the Three versions of the Captor-E have although these plans are subject to radar by a consortium of Leonardo, been developed or are under develop- parliamentary approvals that could Hensoldt and Indra, but have been ment. The German retrofi t program come as late as 2022-23 (AW&ST reluctant to make the retrofi t invest- calls for the installation of the Mk. 1 May 4-17, p. 50). Egypt is also report- ment. That is due in part to budgets radar, which has been developed from edly interested in purchasing up to but also reflects their satisfaction the Mk. 0 radar that will be delivered 24 Eurofi ghters, possibly as part of a with the currently installed mechan- to Kuwait and Qatar. The Mk. 1 adds multibillion- euro procurement from ically scanned Captor. The AESA, new modes and a multi channel receiv- Italy that also includes jet trainers, however, boosts radar performance er. Along with being retrofi tted to the helicopters and warships. c

2 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST DEFENSE UTW

German Tranche 2 and 3 air- Berlin Backs AESA craft, it also likely will be fi tted to the 38 new-build aircraft planned GERMANY TO RECEIVE under Berlin’s Quadriga buy CAPTOR-E MK. 1 VERSION to replace its existing Tranche 1 Eurofighters, which lack the > HENSOLDT WILL BE RETROFIT computing and electrical power DESIGN AUTHORITY for an AESA installation. Work has also begun on the Radar 2 being developed for the UK, which will feature an electronic attack capability. It is expected to enter service in the mid-2020s, and the UK plans to install it on its Tranche 3 model aircraft. Spain, too, is planning a retrofit program with the Stay Informed. Stay Connected. The Captor-E radar (inset) Tony Osborne London will be installed in Tranche 2 Stay Engaged. SOT n a move that should bolster the and range, giving the and Tranche 3 Euro ghters. Eurofi ghter Typhoon’s export po- aircraft a sensor that can match the Itential, Germany is set to become performance of the MBDA Meteor be- Mk. 1 radar, also limited to its Tranche Access authoritative market insights and analysis along with company, program, the fi rst of the fi ghter’s partner nations yond-visual-range air-to-air missile. A 3 fl eet. Airbus revealed last November, to retrofi t it with an active, electroni- mechanical repositioner helps widen however, that the novel coronavirus fleet and contact databases covering the global aviation, aerospace and defense cally scanned array (AESA) radar . the radar’s fi eld of view to around 200 pandemic appears to have delayed The German parliament has given deg., from 120 deg. with the existing Madrid’s plans. communities with an Aviation Week Intelligence Network (AWIN) Membership. a green light for Berlin to spend €2.8 mechanically scanned radar. An AESA has been part of the billion ($3.1 billion) to install the Euro- For the German retrofi t program, Eurofi ghter’s development road map radar consortium’s Captor-E radar Hensoldt will take a leading role in for around 15 years. The consortium in all—some 106—of the German Air the production and delivery of the ra- had originally hoped that it could form Force’s Tranche 2 and 3 aircraft from dars and act as the design authority, part of the Tranche 3 fl eet. The capa- around 2023. Contracts should be while Airbus will act as the test and bility was also part of the consortium’s signed in the coming weeks. integration lead . Leonardo, which led ulti mately unsuccessful o er for India. Export customers will receive the Captor-E development, will provide But it was not until 2014 that the fi rst Captor-E fi rst. Kuwait has ordered 28 support to Hensoldt in its role as de- Captor-E development radar began aircraft, and Qatar 24, and a batch of sign authority. Leonardo will also sup- fl ying in the aircraft, making an ap- Kuwaiti aircraft will be delivered this ply the radar’s processor. pearance at the 2014 Farnborough year. But program officials believe “With this decision, Germany is Airshow. that with the AESA fi nally receiving taking on a pioneering role in the fi eld The AESA radar capability is add- partner-nation backing, the Typhoon’s of key technology for the Eurofight- ed through the Eurofi ghter’s Phase 3B chances in competitions closer to er for the first time,” says Hensoldt Enhancement (P3E(b)) package that home may have moved up a notch. CEO Thomas M uller. “It is a signal for will be delivered to Kuwait. Leonardo AESA-equipped Typhoons are pro- Europe that Germany is investing in a completed fl ight trials in support of posed for both Finland and Switzer- technology that is of crucial importance the Mk. 0 radar development and land. But the radar’s capabilities could for European defense cooperation.” P3E(b) in late May. not be evaluated when the fi ghter took Airbus Defense and Space CEO Dirk Along with the Quadriga purchase, Become a member today. part in trials in those countries, as the Hoke says the addition of the radar will known in Germany notionally as participating aircraft were not fi tted increase the mission e ectiveness of Tranche 4, the country is also plan- Visit aviationweek.com/AWINinfo to schedule your demo. with it. The competing aircraft were. the aircraft and help integrate it with ning to use the Eurofighter, as well All four Eurofighter partner na- the Franco-German Spanish Future as the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet, tions—Germany, Italy, Spain and the Combat Air System. to replace the Panavia Tornado fl eet, UK—supported development of the Three versions of the Captor-E have although these plans are subject to radar by a consortium of Leonardo, been developed or are under develop- parliamentary approvals that could Hensoldt and Indra, but have been ment. The German retrofi t program come as late as 2022-23 (AW&ST reluctant to make the retrofi t invest- calls for the installation of the Mk. 1 May 4-17, p. 50). Egypt is also report- ment. That is due in part to budgets radar, which has been developed from edly interested in purchasing up to but also reflects their satisfaction the Mk. 0 radar that will be delivered 24 Eurofi ghters, possibly as part of a with the currently installed mechan- to Kuwait and Qatar. The Mk. 1 adds multibillion- euro procurement from Or call or ically scanned Captor. The AESA, new modes and a multi channel receiv- Italy that also includes jet trainers, Anne McMahon at +1 646 291 6353 however, boosts radar performance er. Along with being retrofi tted to the helicopters and warships. c Thom Clayton +44 (0) 20 7017 6106

2 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST DEFENSE

Seoul’s Surion Attack- The Surion is powered by the T700-701K engine de - veloped and built by General Electric and Hanwha. The Mission Decision Nears Defense Agency for Technology and Quality evaluation office assessed the MUH-1 attack version against the Viper, > ASSESSMENT AGENCY BACKS SURION, AND Apache, Sikorsky S-70i and the Turkish Aerospace Indus- MEDIA CRITICIZE IT tries T-129, the Asian Economy newspaper said in April. Fol- lowing a yearlong study, the agency reported that domestic > KAI WORKS TOWARD 2023 LCH-LAH DELIVERIES development was appropriate for the requirement and that the unit price would be 37 billion South Korean won, SBS Bradley Perrett Beijing and Kim Minseok Seoul television said. Inexpensive operation and maintenance would more than offset a high acquisition cost, according outh Korea has already once chosen a helicopter to a Chosun Ilbo report on the study. with a bulky and unnecessary cabin for the attack The Surion’s most obvious disadvantage for the attack Srole. Within a few months, it may do so again. role is that it would take the weight and target area of a First was the Airbus H155, which is being updated as large cabin into combat, whereas dedicated attack helicop- the LCH civil helicopter and derivative LAH armed heli- ters have compact fuselages. This is a compromise that the copter for the Republic of Korea Army, with all produc- army was forced to accept with the LAH. In that case, the in- tion transferred to Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). dustry ministry—which is partly paying for the program— insisted that the chosen type have a passenger cabin so it would be adaptable to civil use. All five LCH-LAH prototypes are

KAI last year displayed this model The second could be of an attack helicopter based on the the KAI Surion, which is in army and marine ser- marines’ MUH-1 version of the Surion. vice as a utility aircraft and is being proposed as an attack helicopter for the marines. KIM MINSEOK flying. As planned, the LCH segment is The defense ministry’s evalu- running ahead of work on the LAH. ation office reportedly has recommended the Surion ad- The LCH is also running approximately on time. The pro- aptation over foreign alternatives, mostly from the U.S. A gram is working toward getting an amended type certifi- final decision should be made no later than August, accord- cate (TC) from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency ing to an industry official from a South Korean company (EASA) in September, KAI says; in 2015, the target was 2020. with an interest in the program. Beyond that, KAI is aiming to get production organization Meanwhile, KAI is working toward handing over the approval from EASA in 2021, with which it can put the H155 first LCH and first LAH in 2023. For LAH exports, the into volume production (under the new names). An army company is targeting countries where it has already sold requirement for 200 helicopters underpins the program. other products. Several Southeast Asian countries are Flight testing for the amended TC has been complet- likely to be intended customers. ed, KAI said. The first LCH prototype, built by Airbus in Possible selection of the Surion for the marines is at- France, flew ahead of schedule in July 2018. KAI built the tracting strong criticism in the South Korean media, how- second at its Sacheon works in South Korea and began ever. And the army rejected the type for the attack role flying it in December 2019. It is being used to gain a sup - in 2013, preferring the Boeing AH-64E Apache. The latest plementary TC from South Korean authorities. By late proposal is to add weapons and sensors to the marines’ April, half of that work had been done. utility version of the Surion, the MUH-1. This meets the KAI says it began marketing the LCH in early 2020, with marines’ requirement, the industry source said. the proposed roles being executive transport, ambulance As a domestic product, the twin-engine type could ex- services, law enforcement and firefighting. It has no cus- pect strong support from politicians for a new order. The tomer so far, but KAI cannot deliver before the first half Republic of Korea Marine Corps requires 24 attack he - of 2023 anyway. licopters. The defense ministry plans to spend 1 trillion The LAH is basically an LCH with military equipment. South Korean won ($834 million) on the acquisition, the LAH flight testing “is supposed to be performed by the end Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported in 2019. of 2022 in order to evaluate and verify its flight performance The MUH-1 already has features to facilitate oper - and weapon operation,” KAI says. The first LAH prototype ations at sea, notably folding main rotor blades. The flew in July 2019, and the other two took flight in August. MUH-1 attack version would have armament compara- First delivery is still due in 2023—as it has been since ble to that of the Bell AH-1Z Viper and AH-64E. Sensors 2018 or earlier—but when the defense ministry chose KAI and weapon-control equipment will come from the LAH, and Airbus for the program five years ago the army was and communications will be modified from the LAH and supposed to begin receiving LAHs in 2022. The ministry MUH-1 systems. has not yet “confirmed” an order, KAI says. c

28 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST DEFENSE

Seoul’s Surion Attack- The Surion is powered by the T700-701K engine de - Japan’s Aegis Ashore has learned that hardware would also need to be changed. veloped and built by General Electric and Hanwha. The Kono suggests physical changes would have to begin with Mission Decision Nears Defense Agency for Technology and Quality evaluation of- Program Suddenly Crashes the missile and flow to other parts of the system, notably the fice assessed the MUH-1 attack version against the Viper, Mk. 41 vertical launch system (VLS). Raytheon and Japanese > ASSESSMENT AGENCY BACKS SURION, AND Apache, Sikorsky S-70i and the Turkish Aerospace Indus- > MINISTER’S ASSESSMENT SUGGESTS LITTLE companies developed the SM-3 Block 2A, which is controlled MEDIA CRITICIZE IT tries T-129, the Asian Economy newspaper said in April. Fol- ALTERNATIVE TO CANCELLATION by Lockheed Martin’s Aegis system. lowing a yearlong study, the agency reported that domestic Japan decided in 2017 to buy the two batteries, later con- > KAI WORKS TOWARD 2023 LCH-LAH DELIVERIES development was appropriate for the requirement and that > RADARS COULD BE REASSIGNED TO DESTROYERS firming that one would be installed at each end of Honshu— the unit price would be 37 billion South Korean won, SBS in Akita prefecture in the north and Yamaguchi prefecture Bradley Perrett Beijing and Kim Minseok Seoul television said. Inexpensive operation and maintenance Bradley Perrett Beijing in the southwest. In the face of the North Korean ballistic would more than offset a high acquisition cost, according missile threat, deployment of the systems has been regarded outh Korea has already once chosen a helicopter to a Chosun Ilbo report on the study. eployment of two planned Lockheed Martin Aegis as urgent, with the government aiming for delivery in 2025 with a bulky and unnecessary cabin for the attack The Surion’s most obvious disadvantage for the attack Ashore anti-ballistic-missile batteries in Japan looks and Lockheed Martin trying to accelerate the program. Srole. Within a few months, it may do so again. role is that it would take the weight and target area of a Dimprobable following a decision to indefinitely sus- For the time being, the destroyers will keep doing the First was the Airbus H155, which is being updated as large cabin into combat, whereas dedicated attack helicop- pend the program because of potential danger to civilians. job that Aegis Ashore was intended for, the minister says. the LCH civil helicopter and derivative LAH armed heli- ters have compact fuselages. This is a compromise that the Defense Minister Kono Taro said rectifying the prob - This makes the destroyers vulnerable—limiting them to re- copter for the Republic of Korea Army, with all produc- army was forced to accept with the LAH. In that case, the in- lem—the risk of falling boosters—could take more than stricted areas of the sea—and prevents them from deploying tion transferred to Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). dustry ministry—which is partly paying for the program— a decade and cost more than $2 billion. Announcing the freely to defend other ships against aircraft and missiles, insisted that the chosen type have a passenger decision to halt the deployment process on June 15, he said which they were built to do. “We believe equipment that is cabin so it would be adaptable to civil use. he needed to think about what to do next. He suggests no independent of the weather will still be needed to replace All five LCH-LAH prototypes are way of resuming the program. Aegis ships,” Navy Chief Adm. Yamamura Hiroshi told reporters. Bad weather can drive ships off station, he says. Japanese Aegis Ashore Sites Japan has already contracted to spend ¥179 ($1.66 billion) on Aegis Ashore. Speaking to reporters, Kono would not go so far as to say that the program was canceled, but his KAI last year displayed this model assessment was so bleak as to suggest little alternative. The second could be Russia “It took 12 years to develop SM-3 Block 2A, with the Jap- of an attack helicopter based on the the KAI Surion, which China anese side paying ¥110 billion and the U.S. probably paying is in army and marine ser- marines’ MUH-1 version of the Surion. at least as much,” he says. “I think that if a new missile is vice as a utility aircraft and is developed, it will need that much money and time. And if being proposed as an attack its shape is changed, it is natural that the VLS could also helicopter for the marines. KIM MINSEOK flying. As planned, the LCH segment is orth Akita Site need modification. . . . In considering that, and in view of the orea The defense ministry’s evalu- running ahead of work on the LAH. f Japan [prospective] cost and time period, the process of deploying ation office reportedly has recommended the Surion ad- The LCH is also running approximately on time. The pro- Pyongyang a o Aegis Ashore has been stopped.” Se aptation over foreign alternatives, mostly from the U.S. A gram is working toward getting an amended type certifi- Asked whether deployment of Aegis Ashore would be pos- final decision should be made no later than August, accord- cate (TC) from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency apan sible with the booster problem resolved, Kono says “this ing to an industry official from a South Korean company (EASA) in September, KAI says; in 2015, the target was 2020. outh Tokyo system” could go aboard ships. He apparently referred to with an interest in the program. Beyond that, KAI is aiming to get production organization orea the anti-ballistic missile capability of SM-3 Block 2As. Meanwhile, KAI is working toward handing over the approval from EASA in 2021, with which it can put the H155 Yamaguchi Site The government says the danger from falling boosters first LCH and first LAH in 2023. For LAH exports, the into volume production (under the new names). An army arises only for shots from the battery planned for the south- company is targeting countries where it has already sold requirement for 200 helicopters underpins the program. n west of Honshu. But deployment of the one for the northern ea c end of the island has also been stopped. As for the possibility other products. Several Southeast Asian countries are Flight testing for the amended TC has been complet- c O likely to be intended customers. ed, KAI said. The first LCH prototype, built by Airbus in Pacifi of finding another location for the southwestern site, Kono Possible selection of the Surion for the marines is at- France, flew ahead of schedule in July 2018. KAI built the says ensuring a booster falls in any particular area would be 0 200 km tracting strong criticism in the South Korean media, how- second at its Sacheon works in South Korea and began COLIN THROM/AW&ST hard, so deployment at any site would be difficult. ever. And the army rejected the type for the attack role flying it in December 2019. It is being used to gain a sup - It is not entirely clear why a location close to the coast facing in 2013, preferring the Boeing AH-64E Apache. The latest plementary TC from South Korean authorities. By late Since the batteries were supposed to take over from Aegis North Korea is impracticable; from the northern Honshu site, proposal is to add weapons and sensors to the marines’ April, half of that work had been done. destroyers in providing nationwide ballistic-missile defense, boosters were expected to fall into the sea. The government utility version of the Surion, the MUH-1. This meets the KAI says it began marketing the LCH in early 2020, with one effect of the decision is to diminish Japan’s deployable has previously implied that chosen sites had to already be marines’ requirement, the industry source said. the proposed roles being executive transport, ambulance naval capability after the middle of the decade. The navy government owned, presumably to avoid the difficulty of buy- As a domestic product, the twin-engine type could ex- services, law enforcement and firefighting. It has no cus- is calling for an alternative to using destroyers; it says the ing land. Only two areas were considered for the southwest. pect strong support from politicians for a new order. The tomer so far, but KAI cannot deliver before the first half ships cannot maintain coverage in bad weather. The government has also not said why it cannot go ahead Republic of Korea Marine Corps requires 24 attack he - of 2023 anyway. But Kono suggests Japan will still deploy two Lockheed with the northern battery alone. And one more issue that licopters. The defense ministry plans to spend 1 trillion The LAH is basically an LCH with military equipment. Martin SPY-7 radars that it ordered in November for the notably went without discussion during the minister’s press South Korean won ($834 million) on the acquisition, the LAH flight testing “is supposed to be performed by the end Aegis Ashore batteries; they may go aboard new destroyers. conference was whether, if North Korea were firing a possi- Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported in 2019. of 2022 in order to evaluate and verify its flight performance The defense ministry discovered in late May that, con- bly nuclear ballistic missile at a Japanese city, the small risk The MUH-1 already has features to facilitate oper - and weapon operation,” KAI says. The first LAH prototype trary to a government promise to local residents, boosters of to communities from falling boosters might be justifiable. ations at sea, notably folding main rotor blades. The flew in July 2019, and the other two took flight in August. the SM-3 Block 2A missiles from one of the two sites would As for the sensors that are on order, Kono says: “The SPY-7 MUH-1 attack version would have armament compara- First delivery is still due in 2023—as it has been since not always fall onto a military training area, Kono says. The radar we have been planning to introduce has very high per- ble to that of the Bell AH-1Z Viper and AH-64E. Sensors 2018 or earlier—but when the defense ministry chose KAI battery was to be built in that training area. formance, so it can be used in various ways other than with and weapon-control equipment will come from the LAH, and Airbus for the program five years ago the army was At first the government expected software modifications Aegis Ashore. . . . You can use it if you have more Aegis ships.” and communications will be modified from the LAH and supposed to begin receiving LAHs in 2022. The ministry could ensure the boosters would fall into the training area. Japan commissioned its seventh Aegis destroyer, Maya, MUH-1 systems. has not yet “confirmed” an order, KAI says. c Now, following discussions with the U.S. side, the government in March. One more is under construction. c

28 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 29 DEFENSE

Canada Mimics Marine Corps F-35B has forced the Marines to keep a fleet of Legacy F/A-18s in service for Makeover for F/A-18C/D Fleet a decade longer than planned. The Canadian government’s 11-year- > NEW RADARS, WEAPONS FOR CF-18S old pursuit of a CF-18 replacement (highlighted by failed attempts to ac- > FUTURE FIGHTER CONTRACT BIDS DUE JULY 31 quire 65 Lockheed Martin F-35As in 2010 and an interim fleet of 18 Boeing Steve Trimble Washington F/A-18E/F aircraft in 2016) is still in competition mode, with a contract ith operators in Europe, the aligned with a U.S. Marine Corps ini- award for 88 fighters due in 2022. Middle East and Asia look- tiative to keep at least two squadrons Three bidding teams—F/A-18E/F, Wing on, an upgrade package of F/A-18C/Ds in service beyond 2029, F-35A and the Saab JAS 39 Gripen— approved by the State Department as both the Marines and the RCAF must submit final bids by July 31, on June 16 for up to 36 Royal Cana- have waited longer than expected for which includes a one-month delay to dian Air Force (RCAF) F/A-18C/Ds a replacement jet to arrive. account for the effect of the COVID-19 cements a new configuration aimed The U.S. Navy tipped the radar selec- pandemic on the industry. at keeping the Boeing-made jets in tion for the RCAF in a June 11 presolic- “These [CF-18] upgrades will pro- service decades beyond their planned itation notice that specified the APG- vide a capability bridge until tran- retirement dates. 79(v)4, showing an intent to prevent sition to a permanent replacement fighter,” the DND says. Canada’s fighter delays have not been easy for the RCAF to manage. The current fleet, acquired in the early 1980s, was originally expected to be retired in the early 2000s. A retirement date in 2020 fell through as the government of former Prime Minister DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENSE OF NATIONAL DEPARTMENT Stephen Harper stalled on signing the contract for the controversial F-35A selection. The new administration of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pushed the selection process to 2022. The CF- 18 is now set for retirement in 2032. The situation is different in Fin- land. Although the Finnish Air Force operates the youngest fleet of F/A- 18C/Ds, the head of the HX fighter competition has roundly rejected calls to extend their service life into the 2030s, saying even a few extra years of operations would cost at As Canada’s CF-18 fleet enters an unexpected fourth decade of service, the least €1.2 billion ($1.35 billion). details of a nearly $1 billion upgrade package are settled. The State Department cleared the RCAF to buy 50 infrared-guided AIM- A group of Raytheon-made sensors Northrop Grumman from offering the 9X Block II missiles, 38 APG-79(v)4 ra- and weapons—APG-79(v)4 active, APG-83 for the Canadian program. The dars and 20 AGM-154C glide bombs as electronically scanned array radars, Marines evaluated the APG-83 and the part of an overall package worth $862 AIM-9X Block II air-to-air missiles APG-79 two years ago, but selected the million. The bundle includes electronic and AGM-154C Joint Standoff Weap- latter as the successor to the Raytheon equipment, tactical data and support. ons—will be included in the RCAF’s APG-73 for the “classic” Hornet fleet. The CAD$1.3 billion ($960 million) newly defined Phase 2 upgrade to help “Partnering with the [Marines], CF-18 Hornet Enhancement Program keep a subset of the 94-member CF-18 who are completing the same radar is divided in two phases. Phase 1 fleet operating into the 2030s. The upgrade, will enable the introduction updates all 94 aircraft, including 18 State Department previously cleared of this new capability faster, more ef- former Royal Australian Air Force Canada to acquire 32 AIM-120D ad- ficiently and at reduced cost for both F/A-18C/Ds acquired two years ago, vanced medium-range air-to-air mis- services,” the Canadian Department with interoperability and regulatory siles for the CF-18. of National Defense (DND) tells Avia- upgrades, including a new GPS/in- The package, defined in a Defense tion Week in a statement. ternational navigation system, Iden- Security Cooperation Agency notifi- The upgrades by the Canadians tification Friend or Foe transponder, cation to Congress on June 16, offers and the U.S. Marines are driven by Link 16 tactical radios, satellite com- few surprises. The Phase 2 Hornet the same issue. A delayed delivery munications, targeting pod modifica- Extension Program will be closely schedule for the Lockheed Martin tions and improved helmets. c

30 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST DEFENSE COMMERCIAL AVIATION

Canada Mimics Marine Corps F-35B has forced the Marines to keep Contactless Technologies To Help sanitizer dispensers, one-way sys- a fleet of Legacy F/A-18s in service for tems, signage to help maintain social Makeover for F/A-18C/D Fleet a decade longer than planned. Airports Ensure Safe Recovery distancing and protective screens at The Canadian government’s 11-year- check-in counters. > NEW RADARS, WEAPONS FOR CF-18S old pursuit of a CF-18 replacement > CROWDVISION ANALYTICS HELP AIRPORTS WITH PHYSICAL DISTANCING “We want to get as much confi- (highlighted by failed attempts to ac- dence back as we can,” says Alison > FUTURE FIGHTER CONTRACT BIDS DUE JULY 31 quire 65 Lockheed Martin F-35As in > COVID-19 RULES HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED TO DRIVE RISE IN Fitzgerald, London City Airport’s 2010 and an interim fleet of 18 Boeing NO-CONTACT AIRPORT PROCESSES chief operating officer. Steve Trimble Washington F/A-18E/F aircraft in 2016) is still in London City has also installed competition mode, with a contract noncontact temperature-checking ith operators in Europe, the aligned with a U.S. Marine Corps ini- award for 88 fighters due in 2022. technology on departure and arriv- Middle East and Asia look- tiative to keep at least two squadrons Three bidding teams—F/A-18E/F, al. Staff will wear face masks and Wing on, an upgrade package of F/A-18C/Ds in service beyond 2029, F-35A and the Saab JAS 39 Gripen— visors, and the airport is working approved by the State Department as both the Marines and the RCAF must submit final bids by July 31, with artificial-intelligence partner on June 16 for up to 36 Royal Cana- have waited longer than expected for which includes a one-month delay to CrowdVision, whose technology dian Air Force (RCAF) F/A-18C/Ds a replacement jet to arrive. account for the effect of the COVID-19 interprets images taken from over- cements a new configuration aimed The U.S. Navy tipped the radar selec- pandemic on the industry. head-mounted cameras, providing at keeping the Boeing-made jets in tion for the RCAF in a June 11 presolic- “These [CF-18] upgrades will pro- London City Airport restarted flights service decades beyond their planned itation notice that specified the APG- vide a capability bridge until tran- on June 21. retirement dates. 79(v)4, showing an intent to prevent sition to a permanent replacement fighter,” the DND says. airports real-time aggregated data Canada’s fighter delays have not about where members of the public been easy for the RCAF to manage. are and how they are moving. The current fleet, acquired in the ear- Although the technology has been ly 1980s, was originally expected to be in use at London City for some time, retired in the early 2000s. A retire- allowing the airport operator to un- ment date in 2020 fell through as the derstand passenger flows through government of former Prime Minister the terminals, aspects of what it DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENSE OF NATIONAL DEPARTMENT Stephen Harper stalled on signing the can do have taken on an extra layer LONDON CITY AIRPORT contract for the controversial F-35A Helen Massy-Beresford Paris of relevance in light of the need for selection. The new administration of physical distancing post-pandemic, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pushed s airports begin to reopen sures that can make a difference, but explains Stuart Mills, CrowdVision’s the selection process to 2022. The CF- since the COVID-19 pandem- it needs to be flexible. Every airport chief operating officer. 18 is now set for retirement in 2032. Aic brought many to a virtual has a different fixed footprint. There CrowdVision technology had The situation is different in Fin- standstill, operators are evaluating are certain points in the passenger originally been used to provide data land. Although the Finnish Air Force how the new hygiene and distancing journey where if you were to rigidly about travelers making the Hajj operates the youngest fleet of F/A- measures they need to put in place impose physical distancing, you would annual pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi 18C/Ds, the head of the HX fighter will affect their operations in the create a new bottleneck.” Arabia. Data elements that helped to competition has roundly rejected months and years to come. Powell believes queue-manage- keep crowds of millions of pilgrims calls to extend their service life into “Technology will be critical in sup- ment technologies could play a role safe have now come into their own in the 2030s, saying even a few extra porting the resumption of flights post- in striking that balance. post-pandemic airports, branded as years of operations would cost at COVID-19,” says Ross Powell, head of “Mechanisms like virtual queuing— “safe-distance analytics,” Mills says. As Canada’s CF-18 fleet enters an unexpected fourth decade of service, the least €1.2 billion ($1.35 billion). aviation at engineering and design long the domain of the theme park, “This is a long-standing capabil - details of a nearly $1 billion upgrade package are settled. The State Department cleared the consultancy Ramboll UK. where you are allocated a specific ity for us,” he adds. “Originally, it RCAF to buy 50 infrared-guided AIM- Airport layouts—like many public time to enter high-congestion zones— wasn’t viewed in terms of disease A group of Raytheon-made sensors Northrop Grumman from offering the 9X Block II missiles, 38 APG-79(v)4 ra- spaces—were not designed to easily could support both an enhanced pas- transmission but [rather as a meth- and weapons—APG-79(v)4 active, APG-83 for the Canadian program. The dars and 20 AGM-154C glide bombs as incorporate the new social-distanc- senger experience and lessen the risk od] to understand where problems electronically scanned array radars, Marines evaluated the APG-83 and the part of an overall package worth $862 ing guidelines. And because airport of infection,” he says. were going to occur with large num- AIM-9X Block II air-to-air missiles APG-79 two years ago, but selected the million. The bundle includes electronic environments are already subject London City Airport—which sus- bers of people trying to get through and AGM-154C Joint Standoff Weap- latter as the successor to the Raytheon equipment, tactical data and support. to highly complex restrictions and pended operations on March 25 and narrow spaces. ons—will be included in the RCAF’s APG-73 for the “classic” Hornet fleet. The CAD$1.3 billion ($960 million) regulations, their operators need restarted domestic services on June 21 “We now have the ability to see in newly defined Phase 2 upgrade to help “Partnering with the [Marines], CF-18 Hornet Enhancement Program to work out how to balance the new with a British Airways flight between real time where people might not be keep a subset of the 94-member CF-18 who are completing the same radar is divided in two phases. Phase 1 safety protocols with the need to get the Isle of Man and London, followed social distancing, where there might fleet operating into the 2030s. The upgrade, will enable the introduction updates all 94 aircraft, including 18 traffic flowing again. by international flights in the coming be congestion. It helps us to look at State Department previously cleared of this new capability faster, more ef- former Royal Australian Air Force “Airports are already very clean weeks—has put in place a number of our processes, and if we start to have Canada to acquire 32 AIM-120D ad- ficiently and at reduced cost for both F/A-18C/Ds acquired two years ago, and controlled environments,” says measures to enable it to meet short- congestion, our customer services vanced medium-range air-to-air mis- services,” the Canadian Department with interoperability and regulatory Virginia Lee, ACI Europe’s director of term hygiene requirements. team can direct passengers to a quiet- siles for the CF-18. of National Defense (DND) tells Avia- upgrades, including a new GPS/in- media and communications. “They are In line with European Union Avi- er part of the airport,” Fitzgerald says. The package, defined in a Defense tion Week in a statement. ternational navigation system, Iden- probably the safest and most hygien- ation Safety Agency (EASA) guide- CrowdVision’s operating analytics Security Cooperation Agency notifi- The upgrades by the Canadians tification Friend or Foe transponder, ic transport environment, and that is lines set out to help the air transport can help airports ensure passengers cation to Congress on June 16, offers and the U.S. Marines are driven by Link 16 tactical radios, satellite com- being enhanced. Physical distancing industry slowly increase its activity comply with short-term social-dis- few surprises. The Phase 2 Hornet the same issue. A delayed delivery munications, targeting pod modifica- is an area in which it is feasible for after an almost total shutdown, the tancing measures, but in the long Extension Program will be closely schedule for the Lockheed Martin tions and improved helmets. c airport operators to implement mea- airport has installed touch-free hand term these tools can also help op -

30 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 31 COMMERCIAL AVIATION

erators identify, for example, areas Powell sees a change in airports’ tor of TH Airport Consulting, believes that could be designed differently to strategies as contributing to efforts some changes to areas for seating and optimize passenger flow in future ter- to avoid congestion in the long term. queuing, as well as the incorporation minal revamps. “The airport of the future is likely of health-check areas in bigger air- “The elements around social dis- to decentralize security and passport ports, may also be longer-term lega- tancing are crucial for now,” Mills control through multiple points of cies of the coronavirus outbreak. says. “But when the airport volumes entry or egress to avoid large queues Powell agrees: “I believe we will see build up again, and we’re already see- within a confined space,” Powell adds. overall changes to waiting and seating places in the world where that’s “This will, however, generate a re - ing areas, including more informed happening, then crowd analytics are quirement for more space and staffing materials choices to make areas both going to be fundamental to their op- than is the current standard.” more hygienic and easier to clean. erating efficiently.” Torsten Hentschel, managing direc- Longer term, it is now a matter of

narios. Boeing’s assumptions were not Safety Management Programs Are properly vetted by human-factors experts, in part because the FAA did not Coming To OEMs have them playing key roles in aircraft certification. The agency has pledged > SYSTEMS HELP IDENTIFY RISK BEFORE PROBLEMS ARISE to change this as well. Boeing also made questionable > SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS ARE INDEPENDENT OF BUSINESS decisions during the model’s develop- UNITS TO ELIMINATE FINANCIAL PRESSURES ment, prioritizing potential training costs over ensuring that customers Sean Broderick Washington

he FAA is confident that its Agency effort to mandate an SMS for soon-to-be restarted plan to some manufacturers is also underway. Tmandate safety management The FAA’s mandate would complete systems (SMS) for manufacturers an effort the agency began in 2014, but will address some of the most glar- that was paused before a draft rule ing product certification deficiencies was published. Currently, the agency spotlighted during the Boeing 737 will review and “accept” a company’s MAX crisis. SMS structure if the company signals Mandating an SMS for manufac- that it complies with National Aero- turers such as Boeing is one item in space Standard NAS 9927, “Safety a package of FAA reforms proposed Management Systems and Practices by the U.S. Senate in a bill unveiled for Design and Manufacturing,” devel- June 16. The lawmakers’ call echoes oped by the Aerospace Industries As- one in a January report prepared sociation and General Aviation Man- by a special committee set up by the ufacturers Association and based on Transportation Department to review ICAO’s guidance. FAA certification. The FAA has com- Dickson told lawmakers that man- mitted to include an SMS rule among dating the inclusion of an SMS will several changes it plans to introduce help the FAA gain a more complete (AW&ST March 9-22, p. 46), and plans picture of a product’s development, to release a draft rule this year. providing a “holistic” view vs. a “trans- “I think it’s the most important step actional” one that may mask ramifi- that we can take to improve aircraft cations of design changes. Investiga- certification,” FAA Administrator tions into the 737 MAX’s certification STEPHEN BRASHEAR/GETTY IMAGES Steve Dickson told the Senate Commit- have cited the agency’s lack of under- were completely comfortable with tee on Commerce, Science and Trans- standing of the model’s flight control their newest aircraft (AW&ST Jan. 27- portation during a June 17 hearing. system as a key factor in setting the Feb. 9, p. 20). The FAA already requires an SMS stage for two fatal accidents that Dickson acknowledged the FAA for scheduled airlines. Mandating an killed 346 people and led to the MAX’s should have had more complete details SMS for manufacturers would align March 2019 grounding. about the MAX’s flight control soft- the FAA with International Civil Avi- Investigations into the accidents, ware system, including changes made ation Organization (ICAO) Annex 19 Lion Air Flight 610 in October 2018 and during the aircraft’s development. standards, which have called for or- Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in March “There was incomplete and frag- ganization-wide safety programs for 2019, cited fundamental misconcep- mented information, no doubt,” he aircraft manufacturers since 2013. tions Boeing made about how pilots said. “The full implications of the A European Union Aviation Safety would react in certain emergency sce- flight control systems were not un-

32 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST COMMERCIAL AVIATION erators identify, for example, areas Powell sees a change in airports’ tor of TH Airport Consulting, believes time before we see biometrically en- through biometrics, self-service and drive toward [automated check-ins] that could be designed differently to strategies as contributing to efforts some changes to areas for seating and abled airside infrastructure, which contactless touch points,” Hentschel being the choice of passengers, [who optimize passenger flow in future ter- to avoid congestion in the long term. queuing, as well as the incorporation will dramatically improve travelers’ says. “That helps to reduce contact will interact only if] they need to. minal revamps. “The airport of the future is likely of health-check areas in bigger air- experience and safety.” between passengers and staff and en- “I hope this will be a catalyst to “The elements around social dis- to decentralize security and passport ports, may also be longer-term lega- In the short term, as flights resume, hances the flow significantly, getting accelerate toward a frictionless, con- tancing are crucial for now,” Mills control through multiple points of cies of the coronavirus outbreak. other existing airport technologies rid of queues.” tactless journey,” Fitzgerald adds. “In says. “But when the airport volumes entry or egress to avoid large queues Powell agrees: “I believe we will see are set to play an important role as Fitzgerald adds: “Some airlines some cases, the technology has not build up again, and we’re already see- within a confined space,” Powell adds. overall changes to waiting and seat- airports attempt to balance EASA used to think there was a customer been ready, or in others the legislation ing places in the world where that’s “This will, however, generate a re - ing areas, including more informed recommendations with passenger service element, with people wanting [has not]. But this is something we’ve happening, then crowd analytics are quirement for more space and staffing materials choices to make areas both convenience and safety. to have that personal contact by all been striving for, and if there are go- going to be fundamental to their op- than is the current standard.” more hygienic and easier to clean. “Airports will definitely move checking in at a premium desk. But ing to be unexpected benefits from this erating efficiently.” Torsten Hentschel, managing direc- Longer term, it is now a matter of more toward contactless processes now I think there will be a much bigger situation, let that be one of them.” c

narios. Boeing’s assumptions were not derstood, and mistakes were made. cluding a three-year phase-in period. key to creating a “just culture” that is Safety Management Programs Are properly vetted by human-factors ex- The information was not provided in Thanks to the nonmandatory pro- critical to the success of an SMS. Risk perts, in part because the FAA did not the way it was needed to be provided. gram the FAA continued after the management and assurance are the Coming To OEMs have them playing key roles in aircraft That alone degrades trust.” rulemaking stopped, manufacturers closely linked elements that deter- certification. The agency has pledged The 2014 rulemaking effort was have examples to follow when SMS mine risk and ensure it is managed. > SYSTEMS HELP IDENTIFY RISK BEFORE PROBLEMS ARISE to change this as well. supported by an agency/industry become mandatory. GE Aviation and An SMS creates a constant feedback Boeing also made questionable advisory committee tasked with rec- Bell Helicopter were the first to estab- loop that is independent of managerial > SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS ARE INDEPENDENT OF BUSINESS decisions during the model’s develop- ommending how the FAA could apply lish SMS for their operations. and financial pressures. The indepen- UNITS TO ELIMINATE FINANCIAL PRESSURES ment, prioritizing potential training a systems-safety approach to certi- While an SMS is tasked with man- dence is why Dickson and others be- costs over ensuring that customers fication oversight. The committee’s aging complex processes, its structure lieve SMS at the product development Sean Broderick Washington level will lead to safer designs. GE’s SMS structure helps illustrate why. he FAA is confident that its Agency effort to mandate an SMS for The company’s SMS program, soon-to-be restarted plan to some manufacturers is also underway. launched in 2013 and accepted by the Tmandate safety management The FAA’s mandate would complete FAA in 2017, is administered by a systems (SMS) for manufacturers an effort the agency began in 2014, but 13-member flight safety office com- will address some of the most glar- that was paused before a draft rule pletely separate from its business ing product certification deficiencies was published. Currently, the agency units. Each engine program has a ded- spotlighted during the Boeing 737 will review and “accept” a company’s icated team led by a designated “ac- MAX crisis. SMS structure if the company signals countable executive” responsible for Mandating an SMS for manufac- that it complies with National Aero- implementing SMS at the product turers such as Boeing is one item in space Standard NAS 9927, “Safety level. The teams meet monthly, at a package of FAA reforms proposed Management Systems and Practices least, and safety concerns are reviewed by the U.S. Senate in a bill unveiled for Design and Manufacturing,” devel- by the accountable executive. A Prod- June 16. The lawmakers’ call echoes oped by the Aerospace Industries As- uct Safety Review Board holds quar- one in a January report prepared sociation and General Aviation Man- terly, organization-wide SMS reviews. by a special committee set up by the ufacturers Association and based on The primary goal is to identify Transportation Department to review ICAO’s guidance. risks and mitigate them before they FAA certification. The FAA has com- Dickson told lawmakers that man- become issues, without interference mitted to include an SMS rule among dating the inclusion of an SMS will from the business side. several changes it plans to introduce help the FAA gain a more complete “On the company side, the manufac- (AW&ST March 9-22, p. 46), and plans picture of a product’s development, turer puts safety responsibility where to release a draft rule this year. providing a “holistic” view vs. a “trans- it belongs, and promotes transparency “I think it’s the most important step actional” one that may mask ramifi- and voluntary employee reporting on that we can take to improve aircraft cations of design changes. Investiga- safety issues,” Dickson said. “It refo- certification,” FAA Administrator tions into the 737 MAX’s certification STEPHEN BRASHEAR/GETTY IMAGES cuses accountability for product safety Steve Dickson told the Senate Commit- have cited the agency’s lack of under- were completely comfortable with The FAA will mandate systems-safety programs for manufacturers, heeding to the highest levels of the company. tee on Commerce, Science and Trans- standing of the model’s flight control their newest aircraft (AW&ST Jan. 27- calls from lawmakers and an independent industry report that examined what “On the agency side, it allows us portation during a June 17 hearing. system as a key factor in setting the Feb. 9, p. 20). went wrong during 737 MAX development. to oversee the system and the pro - The FAA already requires an SMS stage for two fatal accidents that Dickson acknowledged the FAA cess, and it reinforces the sharing of for scheduled airlines. Mandating an killed 346 people and led to the MAX’s should have had more complete details 650-page report took deep dives into is straightforward. Its framework typ- data in a dynamic process between SMS for manufacturers would align March 2019 grounding. about the MAX’s flight control soft- how the FAA oversees manufactur- ically includes four components: policy, the manufacturer and the agency. It the FAA with International Civil Avi- Investigations into the accidents, ware system, including changes made ers, including Boeing’s Organization promotion, risk management and as- greatly improves the regulator’s abil- ation Organization (ICAO) Annex 19 Lion Air Flight 610 in October 2018 and during the aircraft’s development. Designation Authorization, responsi- surance. Policy is set at an organiza- ity to identify hazards and manage our standards, which have called for or- Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in March “There was incomplete and frag- ble for much of the 737 MAX testing tion’s most senior levels, ensuring oversight before a compliance bust ac- ganization-wide safety programs for 2019, cited fundamental misconcep- mented information, no doubt,” he and validation. It laid out specific cultural buy-in. Promotion helps so- tually occurs. We don’t have to wait for aircraft manufacturers since 2013. tions Boeing made about how pilots said. “The full implications of the recommendations for folding an SMS lidify that buy-in and trains employ- that because we’re getting a data feed A European Union Aviation Safety would react in certain emergency sce- flight control systems were not un- into product design regulations, in- ees on their specific roles—both are throughout the process.” c

32 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 33 COMMERCIAL AVIATION SAFRAN

Safran suggests seats could be fit- New Cabin Technologies May Help ted with partition walls, single-use Restore Passenger Confidence covers and recline-control pedals. products. We have studied feasibility > MATERIAL ADDITIVES AND UV LIGHTS ARE STRONG CONTENDERS and, depending on customer feedback, we will prioritize developments. While > TESTING HAS YET TO PROVE EFFECTIVENESS AGAINST COVID-19 they cannot be done overnight, we are well aware time is of the essence.” Thierry Dubois Lyon A codesign scheme, dubbed “Create with Safran Seats,” is being offered to s travel restrictions relax, will the business case for the numerous carriers for customized solutions. passenger demand return? technologies cabin equipment suppli- Meanwhile, the Interspace padded ACarriers and aircraft manu- ers are pitching. semipartition is to be made available facturers worry that people’s fear of Safran suggests seats could be fitted for premium-economy seats this sum- coronavirus infection may prevent the with transparent partition walls. Each mer. Since it gives a conventional seat desire for travel from growing back “ringfence” wall would leave half an a cocooning factor, it was initially de- to profitable levels. Industry players armrest to each passenger, says Quen- veloped for passenger comfort. In the can therefore be expected to do ev- tin Munier, Safran Seats executive vice context of the COVID-19 pandemic, it erything they can to boost passenger president for strategy and innovation. is now hoped to provide some degree confidence. A lighter design includes remov- of airflow separation, although the im- In fact, action taken by civil avia- able partitions that could be installed pact on air cleanliness has yet to be tion authorities, such as the Europe- by passengers at head level. They measured, says Munier. an Union Aviation Safety Agency’s could be made of single-use, flexible Acro Aircraft Seating is exploring a (EASA) passenger management textile. Removable seat covers could collaboration with Addmaster, a sup- guidelines, already sets high screen- also be single-use. plier of additives for materials. The ing and hygiene standards. EASA’s To avoid multiple hand contacts idea is to incorporate the Biomaster health safety protocol notably deals with a single item, pedals could control antimicrobial technology, which has with thermal screening at the air - seat recline and tray table position. been in service with London’s public port and the use of face masks. Add Where antimicrobial materials transportation for five years, into air- the existing air conditioning systems would be used, such as armrests and craft seat parts such as armrests. onboard, which include hospital-type tray tables, QR codes would enable “Biomaster is proven to inhibit the filters, and passenger health can argu- the passenger to gather information growth of microbes by up to 99.99%, ably be seen as taken care of. on the surface’s hygienic properties, and it has been proven to be highly Nevertheless, carriers may want to says Munier. effective against viruses on porous show passengers they are going the Safran Seats launched a challenge surfaces such as textiles and paper,” extra mile to protect them. If percep- for rapid application development, says Al Roots, Acro’s head of industrial tion is reality, how passengers feel will which yielded 120 ideas in two weeks, design. “When microbes land on an un- dictate a carrier’s revenues. Hence says Munier. “These are ideas, not treated textile or surface, they multiply.

34 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST COMMERCIAL AVIATION SAFRAN

When they land on the antimicrobial ist in LED lighting, is promoting the Simulation specialist Ansys points protected surface, silver ions prevent use of visible violet and ultraviolet out that UV-C disinfection works only them from growing, producing energy (UV) light for disinfection purposes. under the “line-of-sight” principle. This or replicating, therefore they die.” “The 405-nanometer light is the means a surface, to be disinfected must Silver-ion technology can already disinfecting component of sunlight. A not be masked from the light source. be found on Tapis Corp.’s Promessa violet light can run all the time and be The right energy setting against synthetic leather, which Acro uses for masked by normal white light. We use COVID-19 stands at 600 milliJoule/ some of its products. these lights to keep galleys and lava- cm2, Ansys adds. Biomaster can be added at any tories clean,” says Georg Hartl, Aveo’s These technologies will be used in stage of production. “It performs quality and certification administrator. addition to high-performance ventila- best if added at the raw material UV-C light (at a 275-nanometer tion systems. stage, [then] it will last the life of wavelength) is for intense disinfection, Cabin air is a mix of fresh air from the product,” says Roots. If sprayed but humans cannot safely be exposed outside the aircraft and recirculated on a textile, it can undergo up to 80 to it. It can be used for disinfection be- air, according to Jean-Brice Dumont, cool washes. tween flights. Airbus executive vice president for Biomaster should be seen as a com- “Both violet and UV-C light are engineering. Recirculated air flows plement to regular cleaning, Roots known for being effective against bac- through high-efficiency particulate emphasizes. teria, viruses and fungi,” says Hartl. air (HEPA) filters, such as those Tests for Biomaster have yet to be Confirming the attractiveness of used in medical environments. “They

conducted in two domains—retention HONEYWELL of the materials’ physical properties and effectiveness against COVID-19. The material must be shown to keep its characteristics for anti-inflam- Safran suggests seats could be fit- mability and resistance to cleaning New Cabin Technologies May Help ted with partition walls, single-use agents, for instance. Otherwise re- covers and recline-control pedals. certification would be required. Restore Passenger Confidence The effectiveness question is more products. We have studied feasibility challenging. “There is no commercially > MATERIAL ADDITIVES AND UV LIGHTS ARE STRONG CONTENDERS and, depending on customer feedback, available method by which it could be we will prioritize developments. While tested,” says Roots. But microbiology > TESTING HAS YET TO PROVE EFFECTIVENESS AGAINST COVID-19 they cannot be done overnight, we are studies are encouraging, suggesting well aware time is of the essence.” that tests conducted against the nor- Thierry Dubois Lyon A codesign scheme, dubbed “Create ovirus and feline coronavirus will be with Safran Seats,” is being offered to valid for the COVID-19 virus. s travel restrictions relax, will the business case for the numerous carriers for customized solutions. The industry ought to standardize passenger demand return? technologies cabin equipment suppli- Meanwhile, the Interspace padded such trials, notes Safran’s Munier. ACarriers and aircraft manu- ers are pitching. semipartition is to be made available An intermediate step for in-service facturers worry that people’s fear of Safran suggests seats could be fitted for premium-economy seats this sum- aircraft would be spraying a coating coronavirus infection may prevent the with transparent partition walls. Each mer. Since it gives a conventional seat on components such as tray tables and Aveo Engineering, a specialist in LED lighting, and Honeywell are promoting desire for travel from growing back “ringfence” wall would leave half an a cocooning factor, it was initially de- armrests. “The cost-effective solution the use of ultraviolet light for cabin disinfection. to profitable levels. Industry players armrest to each passenger, says Quen- veloped for passenger comfort. In the will be available in the near future and can therefore be expected to do ev- tin Munier, Safran Seats executive vice context of the COVID-19 pandemic, it in a quick turnaround time,” says an UV-C, Honeywell announced a part- block at least 99.9% of viruses and erything they can to boost passenger president for strategy and innovation. is now hoped to provide some degree Acro spokesperson. nership with Dimer, designer of the other microbes,” says Dumont. confidence. A lighter design includes remov- of airflow separation, although the im- Initial antiviral test results have been GermFalcon cabin disinfection device. The air flows downward at 1 m/sec. In fact, action taken by civil avia- able partitions that could be installed pact on air cleanliness has yet to be deemed positive. “Durability testing is The size of an aircraft beverage cart, (3.3 ft./sec.) from top vents and flows tion authorities, such as the Europe- by passengers at head level. They measured, says Munier. underway and we are expecting results it has UV-C-light arms that extend out at floor level. Every row has its an Union Aviation Safety Agency’s could be made of single-use, flexible Acro Aircraft Seating is exploring a in the middle of the third quarter,” says over the top of the seats and sweep own vents. That the air flows vertical- (EASA) passenger management textile. Removable seat covers could collaboration with Addmaster, a sup- the spokesperson. The coating can also the cabin. Honeywell will market and ly, not horizontally, limits the proba- guidelines, already sets high screen- also be single-use. plier of additives for materials. The be applied to new seat parts. produce the system, renamed the UV bility of virus dissemination. ing and hygiene standards. EASA’s To avoid multiple hand contacts idea is to incorporate the Biomaster “This will go some way toward help- Cabin System. It is said to be able to “If you sneeze, droplets will be health safety protocol notably deals with a single item, pedals could control antimicrobial technology, which has ing airlines provide much-needed re- treat an aircraft cabin in less than 10 sucked away and in 1 min., there will be with thermal screening at the air - seat recline and tray table position. been in service with London’s public assurance to cabin crew and passen- min. for less than $10. nothing left around you,” says Dumont. port and the use of face masks. Add Where antimicrobial materials transportation for five years, into air- gers and ensuring a heightened feeling “As the travel industry begins to A computational fluid dynamics the existing air conditioning systems would be used, such as armrests and craft seat parts such as armrests. of safety and wellness,” she says. recover, we know hospital-grade tech- model by Ansys analyzes the example onboard, which include hospital-type tray tables, QR codes would enable “Biomaster is proven to inhibit the Another challenge is in describing nology will ease passenger concerns, of a passenger wearing a mask and filters, and passenger health can argu- the passenger to gather information growth of microbes by up to 99.99%, the products that can be character- and that’s what we’re providing with sneezing. It shows that few droplets ably be seen as taken care of. on the surface’s hygienic properties, and it has been proven to be highly ized as “antimicrobial” because they this system,” says Elliot M. Kreiten- make it through the mask and barely Nevertheless, carriers may want to says Munier. effective against viruses on porous act against bacteria and mold. Howev- berg, cofounder and president of Di- come close to any other passenger. show passengers they are going the Safran Seats launched a challenge surfaces such as textiles and paper,” er, U.S. regulation will not allow calling mer. Results vary based on UV dosage Despite the already high perfor- extra mile to protect them. If percep- for rapid application development, says Al Roots, Acro’s head of industrial them “antiviral,” says Roots. and application, and testing has yet mance of HEPA filters, Dumont con- tion is reality, how passengers feel will which yielded 120 ideas in two weeks, design. “When microbes land on an un- Cabin hygiene could be helped by to be done specifically on protection siders also requiring more frequent dictate a carrier’s revenues. Hence says Munier. “These are ideas, not treated textile or surface, they multiply. light, too. Aveo Engineering, a special- against COVID-19. maintenance checks. c

34 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 35 REDUCED CREW OPERATIONS

New Research and Technologies Fuel Single-Pilot Operations Debate

> EU-FUNDED PROJECT SETS ONE CREWMEMBER AS THE GOAL > NASA RESEARCH ADVOCATES FOR HUMAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO SAFETY

Thierry Dubois Lyon he reduction in cockpit crew- future cockpit to be operated by a sin- members has long seemed in- gle pilot while ensuring that today’s Tevitable. But the divergent view unprecedented levels of aircraft safety that a minimum of two human beings are continuously raised,” says Pascal should remain on the flight deck is Traverse, general manager for auton- gaining traction. Bolstered by recent omy thrust. “We always work on tech- research, some safety experts are now nologies that give time to pilots and more comfortable with that conclusion provide them with information in the or at least urge further study. best way possible for them to analyze The existence of the two conflicting the situation and make a decision.” approaches means a potential move For Traverse, the reason to move to single-pilot operations is unlikely in to single-pilot operations would essen- the near future and will be preceded tially be to address pilot shortages. It by continued debate. In other words, is seen as one of the key challenges of the jury is still out on how many seats the future, along with “enhancing op- will be occupied in future commercial erations,” he says. aircraft cockpits. Regardless, a posi- For carriers, enhancing operations tive outcome of the dialog may result: may translate into cutting operating a better understanding of human per- costs. This is the motivation for re - formance under adverse conditions. ducing the number of crewmembers, Airbus has been a longtime propo- according to Bertrand de Courville, a nent of cutting—possibly to zero—the flight-safety consultant. A retired Air number of pilots in the flight deck. The France captain, Courville is a member stance taken by the airframer’s safety of the Toulouse-based Air and Space experts is that more automation re- Academy and the International Soci- sults in fewer accidents. ety of Air Safety Investigators. firm a runway or taxiway is free from However, without changing their “The airframer who could offer a obstacles, says Dubois. The weather minds, company officials have been cockpit with such capability would radar may help. increasingly careful about the use have a competitive edge,” he says. An instrumental tool for situational of automation, also emphasizing for A number of technologies are being awareness may be a head-worn dis- almost a decade that piloting skills studied under DISCO. The schedule play with see-through-aircraft-skin should be retained. calls for reaching the proof-of-concept synthetic vision capability. Airbus has been working on a “disrup- stage, or technology readiness level A lidar-based sensor may improve tive cockpit” (DISCO) project within the (TRL) 3-4, by early 2021. A maturing speed measurement by making it in- framework of Europe’s Clean Sky tech- phase, up to TRL 4-5, would last until dependent from possible icing con- nology initiative. Its aim is clearly stat- 2023, according to Dubois. ditions. The sensor may have other ed: “We are working toward single-pilot Work on single-pilot operations un- applications, such as cloud descrip- operations, and that means we need to der Clean Sky began in 2014. tion, wind shear detection and icing- develop all the necessary core enabler A key aim of DISCO is to minimize conditions warning. Flight testing is technologies,” says Sebastien Dubois, pilot interruptions—such as dealing planned for this year. acting head of unit for the Clean Sky 2 with failure management or adverse For communication with air traffic program. Under the research project’s weather conditions, says Dubois. The control, tools may include voice rec- objectives, technology will manage the project more generally aims to reduce ognition and voice-to-text conversion. functions and operations that are more pilot workload by taking advantage of Single-pilot operations entail de- suited to automation, freeing the pilot to technologies such as artificial intelli- tecting pilot incapacitation or prob- “focus on tasks where human judgment, gence (AI), voice recognition and dig- lems such as high workload or stress. experience and piloting skills add better italization. The pilot’s role may thus Input to gauge those may come from value,” he says. evolve from flying an aircraft toward eye-tracking cameras, a pulse sensor or Despite the adjective “disruptive” managing a mission, he says. body temperature sensor, says Dubois. in DISCO, Airbus executives are rela- A higher level of automation during Some of the devices could be integrated tively cautious in their wording, prob- the landing and taxiing phases is envis- into the seat to avoid being intrusive. ably to avoid upsetting pilot unions. aged. New ground-collision avoidance What if the pilot, alone in the “We believe the time will come for a systems are being developed to con- cockpit, is incapacitated? Avionics

36 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST REDUCED CREW OPERATIONS S. RAMADIER/AIRBUS New Research and Technologies Fuel tion system this past December and January in Toulouse. On April 24, Single-Pilot Operations Debate Airbus conducted the first fully auto- matic vision-based taxi, takeoff and > EU-FUNDED PROJECT SETS ONE CREWMEMBER AS THE GOAL landing in a single flight. At the heart of the system are a > NASA RESEARCH ADVOCATES FOR HUMAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO SAFETY camera, image processing algorithms and a control law. The system de - Thierry Dubois Lyon tects converging vanishing lines and deduces the runway’s centerline. he reduction in cockpit crew- “We believe the time will come for a ATTOL’s software uses machine members has long seemed in- future cockpit to be operated by a sin- learning, an AI process that is not yet Tevitable. But the divergent view gle pilot while ensuring that today’s certified. In a future cockpit, “conven- that a minimum of two human beings unprecedented levels of aircraft safety tional algorithms may run in parallel, should remain on the flight deck is are continuously raised,” says Pascal and the outcomes of the two would gaining traction. Bolstered by recent Traverse, general manager for auton- have to correlate,” says Traverse. research, some safety experts are now omy thrust. “We always work on tech- The European Union Aviation more comfortable with that conclusion nologies that give time to pilots and Safety Agency in February released or at least urge further study. provide them with information in the the first edition of its “Artificial Intel- The existence of the two conflicting best way possible for them to analyze ligence Roadmap,” a document that approaches means a potential move the situation and make a decision.” begins to answer OEMs’ questions on to single-pilot operations is unlikely in For Traverse, the reason to move how to certify an AI-based system. The the near future and will be preceded to single-pilot operations would essen- road map focuses on machine-learning by continued debate. In other words, tially be to address pilot shortages. It techniques, which are data-driven and the jury is still out on how many seats is seen as one of the key challenges of so cannot be assessed through a con- will be occupied in future commercial the future, along with “enhancing op- ventional approach. They lack predict- aircraft cockpits. Regardless, a posi- erations,” he says. ability and explainability. tive outcome of the dialog may result: For carriers, enhancing operations In single-pilot operations, a more a better understanding of human per- may translate into cutting operating capable autopilot would be needed. It formance under adverse conditions. costs. This is the motivation for re - would have to be permanently avail- Airbus has been a longtime propo- ducing the number of crewmembers, able, even in conditions such as cross- nent of cutting—possibly to zero—the according to Bertrand de Courville, a winds or an out-of-order instrument number of pilots in the flight deck. The flight-safety consultant. A retired Air landing system says Traverse. Reliabil- stance taken by the airframer’s safety France captain, Courville is a member ity would have to be raised to the same experts is that more automation re- of the Toulouse-based International level as fly-by-wire controls. sults in fewer accidents. Society of Air Safety Investigators. firm a runway or taxiway is free from While Airbus is making progress in reduced-crew operations technology, Pilots would have to trust future However, without changing their “The airframer who could offer a obstacles, says Dubois. The weather human performance is being reassessed. systems even more than they do cur- minds, company officials have been cockpit with such capability would radar may help. rent ones. So designers may have to increasingly careful about the use have a competitive edge,” he says. An instrumental tool for situational manufacturer Garmin has designed parable function may be used,” says rethink the way a system presents of automation, also emphasizing for A number of technologies are being awareness may be a head-worn dis- an emergency autoland system for Dubois. “To make such a system com- calculation results. Thales’ in-devel- almost a decade that piloting skills studied under DISCO. The schedule play with see-through-aircraft-skin business aircraft that is now being in- patible with commercial aviation’s opment PureFlyt flight management should be retained. calls for reaching the proof-of-concept synthetic vision capability. stalled in light turboprops. standards, data fusion would have in- system (FMS) will better “explain” its Airbus has been working on a stage, or technology readiness level A lidar-based sensor may improve A guarded red button has been add- puts from the GPS, weather radar and actions. It can share low levels of cal- “disruptive cockpit” (DISCO) project (TRL) 3-4, by early 2021. A maturing speed measurement by making it in- ed to the flight deck layout, within easy inertial reference systems.” DISCO culation, to an extent to be determined within the framework of Europe’s phase, up to TRL 4-5, would last until dependent from possible icing con- reach of passengers. When pushed by includes such work. with the airframer. Clean Sky technology initiative. Its 2023, according to Dubois. ditions. The sensor may have other anyone—including the pilot —it acti- In a commercial aircraft (as op - Traverse emphasizes DISCO is aim is clearly stated: “We are working Work on single-pilot operations un- applications, such as cloud descrip- vates the autoland function. posed to a small business turbo - not only about systems. “In human- toward single-pilot operations, and der Clean Sky began in 2014. tion, wind shear detection and icing- Fred George, Aviation Week’s chief prop), the pilot would have the final machine interfaces, an equation will that means we need to develop all the A key aim of DISCO is to minimize conditions warning. Flight testing is aircraft evaluation editor, has tried it say, such as choosing not to land in a not give us the right ergonomics,” necessary core enabler technologies,” pilot interruptions—such as dealing planned for this year. (AW&ST Nov. 11-24, 2019, p. 40) and hostile country. he says. “We rely on humans—test says Sebastien Dubois, acting head of with failure management or adverse For communication with air traffic says: “This is essentially a virtual, dig- Traverse sees an application for a pilots, instructors, airline pilots and unit for the Clean Sky 2 program. Un- weather conditions, says Dubois. The control, tools may include voice rec- ital co-pilot that can take over control technology Airbus has been demon- our human factor experts, who assess der the research project’s objectives, project more generally aims to reduce ognition and voice-to-text conversion. of the aircraft, evaluate winds, weath- strating. “In principle, the use of a pilot behavior.” technology will manage the functions pilot workload by taking advantage of Single-pilot operations entail de- er and fuel reserves, then select a suit- system [comparable to Garmin’s He sees single-pilot operations as and operations that are more suited to technologies such as artificial intelli- tecting pilot incapacitation or prob- able divert field and fly the aircraft to Autoland] is relevant. However, we first becoming a reality for relative- automation, freeing the pilot to “focus gence (AI), voice recognition and dig- lems such as high workload or stress. the best runway at the landing facility.” are targeting a level of safety that ly short flights up to 2.5 hr. “In some on tasks where human judgment, ex- italization. The pilot’s role may thus Input to gauge those may come from The feature uses GPS for navigation. requires [combining] GPS and image instances, such as complex missions, perience and piloting skills add better evolve from flying an aircraft toward eye-tracking cameras, a pulse sensor or Would it be relevant to use a compa- recognition,” he says. poor weather and aircraft entry into value,” he says. managing a mission, he says. body temperature sensor, says Dubois. rable system in a commercial aircraft? Airbus has been testing an Auton- service, two pilots would still be re- Despite the adjective “disruptive” A higher level of automation during Some of the devices could be integrated The short answer is yes, according to omous Taxi, Takeoff and Landing quired,” he adds. in DISCO, Airbus executives are rela- the landing and taxiing phases is envis- into the seat to avoid being intrusive. Dubois and Traverse. (ATTOL) system. A modified A350- Despite repeated requests, Boeing tively cautious in their wording, prob- aged. New ground-collision avoidance What if the pilot, alone in the “The system does not have the re- 1000 performed automated takeoffs did not reply to Aviation Week’s ably to avoid upsetting pilot unions. systems are being developed to con- cockpit, is incapacitated? Avionics quired level of integrity, but a com- and landings using an image recogni- questions.

36 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 37 REDUCED CREW OPERATIONS

38 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST REDUCED CREW OPERATIONS URBAN AIR MOBILITY

Before embarking on development humans do well and create systems notes Courville. “A system designer of a single-pilot commercial aircraft, with this understanding in mind,” say must accept that there will be errors. SIMPLE APPROACH the cost of the required additional Holbrook and his team. “Systems can Interfaces have yet to progress in ro- systems would have to be evaluated be designed to ensure the ultrasafe bustness.” > SIMPLIFIED DESIGN IS OPTIMIZED > INITIAL MISSION IS MANUFACTURED (AW&ST Nov. 11-24, 2019, p. 44). airspace system is not unintentionally Before considering single-pilot op- FOR RELIABILITY ORGAN DELIVERY In the meantime, how about deep- made less safe due to loss of resilient erations, should not team work in the er studies on what a pair of pilots do properties that are provided by human flight deck be more valued? “In safety, well? That is the focus of a NASA re- operators and are not well-understood. we are getting close to a sort of opti- search paper, published in November “Things do not go well because peo- mum. . . . We have made good progress 2019, which aims to document human ple follow rules and procedures,” he in the way two crewmembers make performance contributions to safety in says. “Rather, things go well because decisions and correct errors,” says commercial aviation. people exhibit performance variabili- Courville. “There are examples in The countless correct judgments ty and make sensible adjustments and other industries where people do not pilots and controllers perform every adaptations in response to interpre- make decisions on their own.” day are often the difference between tation of what is happening and the Airbus’ Traverse notes that the an accident and a nonevent, says lead demands of the situation.” airframer does measure crew perfor- researcher Jon Holbrook. “Ironically, This is also consultant Courville’s mance: “Of course, we [must] first un- data on these behaviors are rarely col- point, an emphasis on the strong derstand where humans are relevant, The ALIA eVTOL has a lected or analyzed,” he says. points of human performance. “It what they are capable of and how we high-aspect-ratio wing On the contrary, large volumes of should help them. Our aircraft have for cruise efficiency. data are collected on the failures and two-pilot crews. We analyze inci- errors that result during infrequent in- dents in operation and have a large cidents and accidents. This is like try- A human attribute database about what’s happening with ing to understand the key to a success- often seen negatively our aircraft.” ful marriage by studying divorces, as There may also be value in making the saying goes in the academic world. may help: Fear. a decision onboard, as opposed to a ERIC ADAMS The whole issue is increasingly crit- A pilot may see a threat and choice made by an operator on the Graham Warwick Washington ical, as a growing number of projects ground. The crew can assess risks focus on increased automation and fear its consequences. in real time, including ending a dan- autonomy and decreased human in- gerous situation by choosing to go hen secretive Beta Technologies had to move its research contract. Under the current phase, the startup volvement, including at NASA, says around or divert. new prototype to a more expansive location to will deliver a flight-test report on the ALIA prototype. Ne- Holbrook. “Without understanding can be summarized as a cognitive “A person working remotely, or an Wbegin flight testing, the U.S. startup decided con- gotiations are underway on a follow-on contract involving how humans contribute to safety, any tradeoff,” he says. That term de - algorithm, will find it more difficult to cealment was not an option. So its ALIA electric air taxi additional prototypes. In addition to support from United estimate of predicted safety of auton- scribes how a human can find a solu- cope with a complex situation in lim- was introduced to the world on June 12 with a spectacular Therapeutics and Agility Prime, Beta has funding from omous capabilities is incomplete and tion rather quickly—but with a risk of ited time,” says Courville. “As a pilot, helicopter airlift across Lake Champlain. private investors, O’Leary says. inherently suspect,” he says. poor assessment or misunderstand- when you are in flight, you have great The winged all-electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing Beta previously flew the Ava XC eVTOL technology To explore “positive” behaviors ing. “The capacity to adapt has two independence—no one will reproach (eVTOL) aircraft was transferred by air from Beta’s home demonstrator. This was a modified Lancair ES kitplane fit- that contribute to resilient perfor- aspects: We are fast, we get to the a pilot [for] making a diversion. Will base at Burlington International Airport in Vermont, where ted with a wing and four pairs of tilting coaxial rotors. But mance in commercial aviation, Hol- heart of the matter, but sometimes we this independence be the same on it had completed taxi and tethered-hover testing, across the the goal with the ALIA was to simplify the design to provide brook’s team examined a range of ex- make mistakes. These are two faces the ground, where influences could lake to Plattsburgh International Airport in New York. reliability for organ delivery, says O’Leary. isting sources of data about pilot and of the same coin. This is normal in be different?” Operating from what was once a Boeing B-52 bomber han- The lift rotors are optimized for vertical flight and the controller performance, including human activity,” he says. Moreover, to advance safety, the hu- gar at Plattsburgh, Beta plans to conduct flight and transition pusher propeller for forward flight, to avoid performance interviews with domain experts and “Therefore, seeing the existence man being in the cockpit can be seen testing from the sprawling former Strategic Air Command compromises. All are fixed-pitch for simplicity. The perfor- aircraft flight data records. These of mistakes as regrettable is wrong,” as a sensor, he adds. This role is all the air base, where the single 12,000 ft.-long by 200-ft.-wide run- mance of the lift rotors in flight testing is one of the key subjective and objective data were says Courville. “We [make] mistakes more important in feedback processes, way sees only a handful of commercial airline flights a week. areas of interest for Beta, he says. used to identify strategies that sup- because we are otherwise good. The as there are fewer and fewer accidents With four lift rotors on twin booms for vertical flight and The four lift rotors are powered by dual-wound electric port resilient performance. idea of eliminating mistakes, such as to learn from. a 50-ft. wingspan and pusher propeller for forward flight, motors, with redundant inverters and batteries for safety. Defining safety in terms of “things in a ‘total war on error,’ is a bad one. In addition to error, another human the piloted aircraft is one of three full-scale engineering The lift rotors stop and align longitudinally in forward flight that go right” enabled new methods If we accept errors, we can better attribute that is most often seen nega- prototypes being built by the startup. The 6,000-lb. gross- to reduce drag. When stopped, the rotors are tilted up about of exploring existing data. Operators deal with them and build defenses tively may help: fear. A pilot may see a weight eVTOL vehicle is designed to carry 200 ft.3 of cargo 3 deg., which is their minimum-drag alignment, O’Leary (pilots and controllers) were able to against them. Otherwise, we lose key threat and fear its consequences, says or six people. says. The batteries are housed below the cabin, to lower the reflect on and provide specific exam- human qualities.” Courville. “You cannot put numbers on The ALIA is being developed with funding support from center of gravity and improve flight stability. ples of resilient behaviors, according Threat and error management is fear and risk perception. People who United Therapeutics, which wants a vehicle able to deliver The aircraft has a sailplane-like high-aspect-ratio wing to the paper. Evidence of the use of a valuable part of a preflight briefing, are never afraid are dangerous.” manufactured organs for human transplants. It requires a for cruise efficiency. Control in vertical flight is via the lift operator strategies that promote re- says Courville. The crew discusses the Courville nevertheless sees some vehicle able to fly two people 250 nm on a single battery rotors. In forward flight, control is provided by ailerons on silient performance were identified in most likely errors and how to detect automation features as progress. On charge and recharge in under 1 hr. the wing, elevators on the horizontal tail, and rudders on objective data. and correct them. “We must accept, the A350, the automated emergency Demonstrating the 250-nm range objective with the en- the vertical fins at the tip of the horizontal tail—which is Among the identified strategies was detect and mitigate errors,” he says. descent feature in case of depres- gineering prototype on available batteries is a key goal of connected to the wing by the twin booms. predicting when the current context Taking into account human factors surization is a benefit, he says. “The flight testing from Plattsburgh, says Beta team member Based on flight testing of the engineering prototypes, inhibits the normal use of a procedure, is critical in system design. An incor- sequence is always the same: The Tom O’Leary. The range target is close to that provided by Beta will build further production-conforming aircraft for regulation, policy or norm. rect weight input into the FMS can workload and the level of stress are an equivalent 6,000-lb. helicopter, he notes. FAA certification flight testing. The startup is not providing “To improve safety, system de - cause a problem at takeoff. “The mis- high, and there is the risk of losing Beta is also working for the U.S. Air Force’s Agility a timeline for certification and production, but O’Leary says signers should understand what take should be detected by the FMS,” consciousness.” c Prime program office under a small business innovation 2023 “is not unrealistic.” c

38 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 39 HYPERSONICS > U.S. defense plan p. 44 Next-generation research hurdles p. 46 Flight-test prep ramps up p. 50 International strike weapons projects p. 54 NOT SO FAST

> USAF PROGRAM ONE YEAR LATE, 39% OVER BUDGET > FOCUS SHIFTS FROM SCHEDULE TO PRODUCTION READINESS

> AIR-LAUNCHED OPTIONS SEEK TO TURBOSQUID MAXIMIZE LOAD-OUT

Steve Trimble Washington y the stroke of a pen on May 3, 2017, Lisa Disbrow, The Lockheed Martin AGM-183A then-acting Air Force secretary, ushered the U.S. represents the most advanced—and military into the weaponization age of hypersonic flight risky—hypersonic missile configuration: an air-launched weapon with a by authorizing development of the Air-Launched Rapid B high lift-to-drag-ratio glide body. Response Weapon (ARRW).

The key word in that name is TBG and ARRW share a common de- through what things we need to do “weapon.” sign, so the early operational capabil- with these DARPA programs to max- In each of the previous seven de - ity (EOC) milestone for ARRW also is imize the return on investment.” cades, the Defense Department had delayed by at least a year, to September Specifically, DARPA’s TBG program tested hypersonic vehicles but only 2022. The delays increased the costs is the risk-reduction program for two as X-planes and demonstrators. This for the ARRW program, which the Air different versions of ARRW. The first time, it was different. After Russia Force partly offset by canceling HCSW. ARRW design scheduled to become and China had established a clear The delays are also a result of a new operational is the Lockheed Martin lead over the U.S. in a series of break- strategy. The original plan focused AGM-183A. But Raytheon is devel- through flight tests staged between on ushering operational prototypes oping a different design to meet the 2014 and 2016, the Air Force decided through the flight-test phase as quick- ARRW requirement, which the com- to start fielding a new set of maneu- ly as possible, allowing the services to pany says will be more advanced. vering hypersonic weapons. declare an EOC with a handful of left- Likewise, DARPA selected Lockheed In 2020, the Pentagon’s portfolio of over spare missiles. A new strategy, and Raytheon versions of a scram- offensive hypersonic programs has me- adopted since 2019, accepts a length- jet-powered cruise missile. Both ver- tastasized with an annual budget aver- ier schedule for the air-launched sions of the Hypersonic Air-Breathing aging about $2 billion, which spans air-, missile flight-test programs such as Weapon Concept (HAWC) were ex- land- and sea-launched missiles using ARRW in exchange for design chang- pected to enter flight testing in 2019 two different forms of propulsion. es and supply-chain decisions, thereby but fell behind schedule. Most recent- Not that everything has gone strictly shortening the production cycle. ly, the Lockheed version of HAWC was according to plan. “I would say that some of the chang- destroyed during a captive-carry flight In April, the Air Force canceled the es you are seeing are coming from test that is now under investigation. second air-launched missile program, the fact that we said, ‘We want both “The question now across the board which was called the Hypersonic Con- of these programs to roll into actual over all our hypersonic programs is, ventional Strike Weapon (HCSW). production systems,” says Mark Lewis, how do we maximize the utility of Meanwhile, DARPA planned to fly the the Defense Department’s director of these [DARPA] programs so they give Tactical Boost Glide (TBG) demonstra- research and development for mod- us the information we need?” Lewis tor in 2019, but it still has not flown yet. ernization. “So we’ve been thinking asks. “Our goal is delivering hyper-

40 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST HYPERSONICS > U.S. defense plan p. 44 Next-generation research hurdles p. 46 Flight-test prep ramps up p. 50 International strike weapons projects p. 54 U.S. AIR FORCE sonics at scale, and that can change ered Boeing X-51A in 2013, flying for the nature of your program. If you’re 210 sec. and achieving a top speed of doing an exploration program for ex- Mach 5.1. The C-HGB is a derivative ploration’s sake—and I’m not taking of the Army’s Advanced Hyperson- NOT SO FAST anything away from those programs ic Weapon (AHW), which itself was at all—that’s somewhat different than based on the Sandia Winged Energetic if I’m doing a program that’s feeding Reentry Vehicle Experiment. data into a follow-on effort with spe- The latter completed three suc- cific goals and requirements. cessful flights in 1979-83. The Army “So we are looking at our programs revived the project in 2006, leading Tactical Boost Glide/ and saying, if the data from program X to a successful test of the AHW in Air-Launched Rapid leads to the follow-on program Y, then 2011 and a failed test in 2014 due to a Response Weapon Timeline how do we make sure that all of the data booster malfunction. The Navy adapt- we get out of program X is of value to ed the AHW for ship launching and The most advanced air-launched program Y? And conversely, if it isn’t, staged another successful test in 2017. hypersonic weapon in development currently is a joint effort between the USAF PROGRAM ONE YEAR LATE, then we need to rethink the invest- Three years later, this past March, the > ment. That’s the mindset we are apply- Block 0 version of the C-HGB complet- DARPA Tactical Boost Glide (TBG) 39% OVER BUDGET ing across the portfolio,” Lewis says. ed another successful flight, allowing and the Air Force Air-Launched Rapid For ARRW, the impact of the phil- the Army and Navy to proceed with Response Weapon (ARRW). > FOCUS SHIFTS FROM SCHEDULE TO osophical shift has been dramatic. developing a Block 1 All-Up Round. PRODUCTION READINESS In March 2019, a set of “changing By contrast, TBG and ARRW have March 2014 DARPA launches Tactical program circumstances” increased no experimental flight-test record to AIR-LAUNCHED OPTIONS SEEK TO TURBOSQUID Boost Glide (TBG) program. > costs by 39%, to $1.16 billion, the Gov- build upon. Although these air-launched MAXIMIZE LOAD-OUT ernment Accountability Office (GAO) missiles share the rocket-boosted glid- Sept.-Nov. 2014 DARPA awards TBG reported in June 2020. The GAO did er configuration of the C-HGB, there Phase 1a contracts to Boeing, Lockheed not elaborate, but the percentage in- is a crucial difference. The C-HGB is Martin and Raytheon. Steve Trimble Washington crease implies an original budget of based on a biconical, axisymmetric about $836.5 million. design, which rotates on its axis April-May 2016 DARPA eliminates The Lockheed Martin AGM-183A y the stroke of a pen on May 3, 2017, Lisa Disbrow, The road to an EOC milestone by during flight to dissipate heat. The Boeing from TBG competition, awards then-acting Air Force secretary, ushered the U.S. represents the most advanced—and the end of fiscal 2022 now includes designs for TBG and ARRW are more Phase 1b contracts to Lockheed and military into the weaponization age of hypersonic flight risky—hypersonic missile configura- little margin for error. The Air Force advanced wedge-shape gliders. While Raytheon. tion: an air-launched weapon with a originally called for Lockheed to the C-HGB achieves a lift-to-drag ratio by authorizing development of the Air-Launched Rapid B high lift-to-drag-ratio glide body. achieve the EOC milestone in August of about 2.4-2.6, TBG and ARRW are May 9, 2016 DARPA selects Lockheed Response Weapon (ARRW). 2021, or 36 months after the con- expected to fall into the 3.0-3.3 range. for the TBG Phase 2 contract, eliminat- tract award. But the schedule delays The only recorded attempt to test ing Raytheon. The key word in that name is TBG and ARRW share a common de- through what things we need to do have pushed the first of four planned a hypersonic glider with a lift-to-drag “weapon.” sign, so the early operational capabil- with these DARPA programs to max- flight tests of the Lockheed version ratio as high as ARRW ended in fail- May 3, 2017 U.S. Air Force approves In each of the previous seven de - ity (EOC) milestone for ARRW also is imize the return on investment.” of ARRW to October 2021, with the ure. During two flights staged in 2010 requirement for TBG-derived Air- cades, the Defense Department had delayed by at least a year, to September Specifically, DARPA’s TBG program fourth sortie now scheduled for Sep- and 2011, DARPA’s Hypersonic Test Launched Rapid Response Weapon tested hypersonic vehicles but only 2022. The delays increased the costs is the risk-reduction program for two tember, the last month of fiscal 2022. Vehicle (HTV)-2 successfully separat- (ARRW). as X-planes and demonstrators. This for the ARRW program, which the Air different versions of ARRW. The first Adding to the schedule pressure ed from the booster, but the onboard time, it was different. After Russia Force partly offset by canceling HCSW. ARRW design scheduled to become for ARRW is the sheer technological flight-termination system command- Aug. 13, 2018 Air Force selects Lock- and China had established a clear The delays are also a result of a new operational is the Lockheed Martin ambition of the program. ed both gliders to self-destruct after heed to develop AGM-183A ARRW. lead over the U.S. in a series of break- strategy. The original plan focused AGM-183A. But Raytheon is devel- To be sure, each of the weapons in they lost control. through flight tests staged between on ushering operational prototypes oping a different design to meet the the Pentagon’s hypersonic weapons With HTV-2, DARPA sought to March 2019 DARPA selects Raytheon to 2014 and 2016, the Air Force decided through the flight-test phase as quick- ARRW requirement, which the com- portfolio face challenges. The Com- demonstrate a global hypersonic develop second TBG demonstrator. to start fielding a new set of maneu- ly as possible, allowing the services to pany says will be more advanced. mon Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB) weapon with ultimate performance. vering hypersonic weapons. declare an EOC with a handful of left- Likewise, DARPA selected Lockheed seeks to build a common airframe By comparison, the Army’s axisym- March 2019 Air Force cancels In 2020, the Pentagon’s portfolio of over spare missiles. A new strategy, and Raytheon versions of a scram- with intermediate range that can be metric AHW seems modest. The Hypersonic Conventional Strike Weapon, offensive hypersonic programs has me- adopted since 2019, accepts a length- jet-powered cruise missile. Both ver- launched from a submarine under the AHW was designed to demonstrate diverts funding to cover new, 39% tastasized with an annual budget aver- ier schedule for the air-launched sions of the Hypersonic Air-Breathing Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike a maximum speed of Mach 8 and a ARRW cost overrun. aging about $2 billion, which spans air-, missile flight-test programs such as Weapon Concept (HAWC) were ex- (CPS) program and a mobile ground range to target of 3,500-5,000 mi., land- and sea-launched missiles using ARRW in exchange for design chang- pected to enter flight testing in 2019 launcher under the Army’s Long- including a cross-range capability of June 2019 Air Force performs first cap- two different forms of propulsion. es and supply-chain decisions, thereby but fell behind schedule. Most recent- Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) 1,200-1,700 mi., according to a 2014 tive-carry test of Lockheed TBG/ARRW Not that everything has gone strictly shortening the production cycle. ly, the Lockheed version of HAWC was program. The Air Force’s planned op- analysis by Sandia National Labora- all-up round. according to plan. “I would say that some of the chang- destroyed during a captive-carry flight erational follow-on to DARPA’s HAWC tories, the manufacturer of the glide In April, the Air Force canceled the es you are seeing are coming from test that is now under investigation. program will attempt to transition vehicle. DARPA set a goal for the 2020 DARPA plans first TBG flight test second air-launched missile program, the fact that we said, ‘We want both “The question now across the board scramjet propulsion from experimen- HTV-2 to fly faster than Mach 20, with in 2020. which was called the Hypersonic Con- of these programs to roll into actual over all our hypersonic programs is, tal to operational status. a range to target of 10,000 mi., a cross- ventional Strike Weapon (HCSW). production systems,” says Mark Lewis, how do we maximize the utility of The C-HGB and HAWC programs, range capability of 3,300 mi. and an Oct. 2021 Air Force expects first of four Meanwhile, DARPA planned to fly the the Defense Department’s director of these [DARPA] programs so they give however, are building on successful accuracy of 10 ft. or less. flight tests of AGM-183A ARRW. Tactical Boost Glide (TBG) demonstra- research and development for mod- us the information we need?” Lewis flight experiments. The Air Force At those speeds, the HTV-2 would tor in 2019, but it still has not flown yet. ernization. “So we’ve been thinking asks. “Our goal is delivering hyper- successfully tested the scramjet-pow- have glided for an extended period

40 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 41 HYPERSONICS

U.S. Hypersonic Programs Launch In-Service boosters that are off the shelf,” White Configuration Contractor Mode Date says. “But when it comes to fielding OPERATIONAL PROTOTYPES a real weapon, you have to integrate with launch platforms. You would like AGM-183A Air-Launched, Rapid Single-stage booster, Airborne Lockheed Martin Fiscal 2022 Response Weapon (ARRW) glider to maximize performance within the weight and volume constraints of the Single-stage booster, High-Speed Air-Breathing launch platform.” Airborne scramjet-powered Undecided Unknown Weapon Concept follow-on The load-out volume for an aircraft missile has emerged as a key issue. The HCSW Long-Range Hypersonic Two-stage booster, cancellation freed up funds to cover the Land Lockheed Martin Fiscal 2023 Weapon glider fiscal overrun on ARRW and launch the development of an operational Two-stage booster, prototype of HAWC, but the decision Conventional Prompt Strike Sea Lockheed Martin Fiscal 2025 glider also reflected a move by the Air Force away from larger hypersonic weapons. DEMONSTRATORS “HCSW weighs 12,000 lb. and the Single-stage booster, Lockheed Martin, front end is about 10% of that,” White Tactical Boost-Glide (TBG) Airborne N/A glider (same as ARRW) Raytheon says. “So you have to figure out, OK, what can I fit on a B-52?” Single-stage booster, Hypersonic Air-Breathing Lockheed Martin, For HCSW, the answer was “not Airborne scramjet-powered N/A Weapon Concept Raytheon missile enough.” But the smaller ARRW offers more flexibility for the Air Force’s Two-stage booster, Operational Fires Land throttleable upper- Lockheed Martin N/A launch platforms while providing sim- stage, TBG glider ilar trajectory options for a rocket-

Source: U.S. Defense Department boosted glide vehicle. The Air Force plans to install six AGM-183As exter- inside a ball of flame up to 3,500F, re- The Army and Navy took longer nally on each B-1B bomber, and service quiring the use of expensive materials. to decide to weaponize AHW but not officials hope to keep it small enough to DARPA never released the dimensions by much. In November 2017, the Navy launch from a fighter such as a Boeing for the HTV-2, but internal dimensions completed a successful flight test of an F-15EX. In February, Boeing provided of the launcher’s payload assembly lim- AHW modified to be launched from a clue about the limits of the F-15E’s it its length to no greater than 50-60 in. a submarine or ship in Flight Experi- weapons load-out. A model of the Three years after the second failed ment-1. The Army and Navy agreed on F-15EX displayed at the Air Warfare HTV-2 test, DARPA launched the TBG a plan to convert AHW into the C-HGB Symposium included a surrogate hy- program to demonstrate a glide vehi- for LRHW and CPS with a two-stage, personic all-up round on the centerline cle with a similarly high lift-to-drag 34.5-in. booster stack. The Air Force’s weapon station, with a length of 270 in. ratio but sought a more compact form short-lived HCSW also planned to and a mass of 7,300 lb. factor for the all-up round with less use the C-HGB but with a 32-in., sin- Models, renderings and rare glimps- overall performance. By 2016, DARPA gle-stage booster. es of captive-carry tests remain the selected Lockheed to demonstrate the “Once we flew the FE-1, the interest only sightings of the Pentagon’s air- first TBG flight by 2019. At the same started to peak,” White says. “Then launched hypersonic weapons portfo- time, DARPA officials, including we got service interest in transitioning lio. The successful Flight Experiment-2 then-Deputy Director Steven Walker, [experimental hypersonic technology staged in March shows the Army’s counseled the Air Force to wait until into operational weapons].” LRHW is on track to enter service as after the first flight of TBG before The green light to begin developing scheduled in 2023, followed by the Na- launching the development of an op- the ARRW and C-HGB front ends also vy’s CPS in 2025. The Air Force’s turn erational air-launched missile. launched the development of a fam- to enter the flight-test phase is next, The Air Force decided seven ily of new booster rockets. To field with the delayed rocket-boosted TBG months after Walker’s warning that it operational weapons, services could and scramjet-powered HAWC launch- could not wait any longer, leading to no longer rely on the hand-me-down es still planned for this year. Disbrow’s go-ahead decision for the booster rockets employed for the “We’re really very confident,” Lewis ARRW in May 2017. Army’s AHW and DARPA’s HTV-2, told reporters during a March news “I think people underestimate the which used derivatives of a retired conference. “I don’t want to misrepre- importance of this decision of the Air Polaris missile and a Peacekeeper sent the fact there’s still development Force,” says Mike White, director of hy- missile, respectively. Less is known underway. But we have tremendous personic programs for the Pentagon’s about the size and performance of confidence in the ability of this tech- research and engineering branch. the boosters, but White confirmed a nology to perform as expected.” c “For the hypersonic community, 34.5-in.-dia., two-stage booster stack we’ve always been kind of stuck in for the C-HGB. The diameter of the the [research and development] single-stage rocket for ARRW has not Check 6 Aviation Week editors discuss realm,” White says. “The Air Force, in been released, but it is smaller. hypersonic technologies pushing the 2017, [was] the first service that said, “When you live in the technology laws of physics and budget limits: ‘Hey, we want hypersonic weapons.’” world, you can kind of pick and choose AviationWeek.com/podcast

42 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST HYPERSONICS

Source: U.S. Defense Department boosted glide vehicle. The Air Force plans to install six AGM-183As exter- inside a ball of flame up to 3,500F, re- The Army and Navy took longer nally on each B-1B bomber, and service Unparalleled Recruitment Opportunity: quiring the use of expensive materials. to decide to weaponize AHW but not officials hope to keep it small enough to DARPA never released the dimensions by much. In November 2017, the Navy launch from a fighter such as a Boeing for the HTV-2, but internal dimensions completed a successful flight test of an F-15EX. In February, Boeing provided Sponsor The Next Generation of of the launcher’s payload assembly lim- AHW modified to be launched from a clue about the limits of the F-15E’s it its length to no greater than 50-60 in. a submarine or ship in Flight Experi- weapons load-out. A model of the Three years after the second failed ment-1. The Army and Navy agreed on F-15EX displayed at the Air Warfare A&D Leaders HTV-2 test, DARPA launched the TBG a plan to convert AHW into the C-HGB Symposium included a surrogate hy- program to demonstrate a glide vehi- for LRHW and CPS with a two-stage, personic all-up round on the centerline cle with a similarly high lift-to-drag 34.5-in. booster stack. The Air Force’s weapon station, with a length of 270 in. The future of A&D depends on tomorrow’s technology leaders: The 20 Twenties. ratio but sought a more compact form short-lived HCSW also planned to and a mass of 7,300 lb. factor for the all-up round with less use the C-HGB but with a 32-in., sin- Models, renderings and rare glimps- A sponsorship gives your company a competitive advantage — overall performance. By 2016, DARPA gle-stage booster. es of captive-carry tests remain the the ability to hire the best of the best! selected Lockheed to demonstrate the “Once we flew the FE-1, the interest only sightings of the Pentagon’s air- Who are the first TBG flight by 2019. At the same started to peak,” White says. “Then launched hypersonic weapons portfo- By supporting tomorrow’s leaders, you’ll receive widespread 20 Twenties? time, DARPA officials, including we got service interest in transitioning lio. The successful Flight Experiment-2 recognition throughout the industry and direct access to these then-Deputy Director Steven Walker, [experimental hypersonic technology staged in March shows the Army’s Every year prominent counseled the Air Force to wait until into operational weapons].” LRHW is on track to enter service as rising stars. universities nominate their after the first flight of TBG before The green light to begin developing scheduled in 2023, followed by the Na- BONUS - Laureate Program Exposure: top students for the launching the development of an op- the ARRW and C-HGB front ends also vy’s CPS in 2025. The Air Force’s turn 20 Twenties program, erational air-launched missile. launched the development of a fam- to enter the flight-test phase is next, Sponsors and 20 Twenties winners are recognized at the The Air Force decided seven ily of new booster rockets. To field with the delayed rocket-boosted TBG Laureate Awards! which was established by months after Walker’s warning that it operational weapons, services could and scramjet-powered HAWC launch- the Aviation Week Network could not wait any longer, leading to no longer rely on the hand-me-down es still planned for this year. Learn how you can sponsor the class of 2021! in 2013 to recognize and Disbrow’s go-ahead decision for the booster rockets employed for the “We’re really very confident,” Lewis cultivate the next generation ARRW in May 2017. Army’s AHW and DARPA’s HTV-2, told reporters during a March news Joanna Speed “I think people underestimate the which used derivatives of a retired conference. “I don’t want to misrepre- Managing Director, A&D and SpeedNews Conferences of aerospace and defense importance of this decision of the Air Polaris missile and a Peacekeeper sent the fact there’s still development +1-310-857-7691 leaders. Force,” says Mike White, director of hy- missile, respectively. Less is known underway. But we have tremendous [email protected] Learn more about the personic programs for the Pentagon’s about the size and performance of confidence in the ability of this tech- research and engineering branch. the boosters, but White confirmed a nology to perform as expected.” c 20 Twenties Class of 2020: “For the hypersonic community, 34.5-in.-dia., two-stage booster stack For additional information on the program, visit aviationweek.com/20TwentiesWinners we’ve always been kind of stuck in for the C-HGB. The diameter of the aviationweek.com/20Twenties the [research and development] single-stage rocket for ARRW has not Check 6 Aviation Week editors discuss realm,” White says. “The Air Force, in been released, but it is smaller. hypersonic technologies pushing the 2017, [was] the first service that said, “When you live in the technology laws of physics and budget limits: In Association With: ‘Hey, we want hypersonic weapons.’” world, you can kind of pick and choose AviationWeek.com/podcast

42 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST EYEBROWHYPERSONICS

AW Hed Here Two Lines of Copy Two A new space sensor layer planned for 2024 could provide target-quality Lines Two Lines tracks for hypersonic defense. > DECK COPY HERE ONE LINE a defensive capability is not as clear. The MDA, for example, submit- > DECK COPY HERE TWO LINES DECK COPY HERE TWO LINES COPY ted a fiscal 2020 budget request in HERE TWO LINES February 2019 that included around $157 million in hypersonic defense. A Name Name City month later, the agency submitted an unfunded-priorities list to Congress, asking for another $720 million for hypersonic interceptors and tracking sensors. Congress met the MDA more than halfway, adding $400 million to the final appropriations bill. A similar shortfall then appeared in DARPA the MDA’s fiscal 2021 budget request. The agency included $207 million for U.S. Hypersonic Defense Plan hypersonic defense but asked Congress to chip in another $224 million on top Emerges, but Cash Does Not of the budgeted amount, according to a March report by the Center for Stra- > SPACE-BASED HYPERSONIC TRACKING IS POSSIBLE IN 2023 tegic and International Studies’ (CSIS) Missile Defense Project. > NEW, SEA-BASED INTERCEPTOR MAY BE READY BY MID-2020S Moreover, the Defense Department’s long-range forecast for hypersonic de- Steve Trimble Washington fense spending shows an ambiguous commitment at best. The MDA plans U.S. hypersonic defense sys- potentially perched far over the hori- to launch a competition to select a tem has evolved from wide- zon, not by sensors integrally linked on Regional Glide-Phase Weapon Sys- Aopen concept studies two the ground to their launching systems. tem (RGPWS) in fiscal 2021 but only if years ago into a densely layered archi- Pentagon officials began conceiving Congress approves the additional $224 tecture populated by requirements for a hypersonic defense architecture a million identified in the unfunded prior- a new generation of space-based sen- year after launching multiple offensive ities list. At the same time, the new SDA sors and ground-based interceptors. weapon programs in 2017, seeking to plans to start demonstrating MDA’s Hy- Over the next two years, the first el- close gaps in the ballistic defense sys- personic Ballistic Tracking and Surveil- ements of the Defense Department’s tem that missiles now fielded by adver- lance System (HBTSS) alongside the newly defined hypersonic defense saries are designed to exploit. SDA’s own tracking layer in orbit. architecture could advance into oper- With the ability to maneuver hun- But the unclassified version of the ational reality if all the pieces can over- dreds of miles off a ballistic trajectory, Future Years Defense Program, which come various challenges, including the hypersonic glide vehicles (HGV) and details the Defense Department’s five- Pentagon’s so far ambiguous commit- cruise missiles are designed to evade year spending forecast, shows declin- ment to long-term funding. the MDA’s network of stationary ing support for hypersonic defense The Space Development Agency ground-based and slow-moving sea- after next year. If Congress approves (SDA), with assistance from the Mis- based radars dotted around the globe. the extra $224 million for MDA, hyper- sile Defense Agency (MDA) and the By gliding or powering through the sonic defense spending would peak at Defense Advanced Research Projects atmosphere against the warm back- around $450 million next year, then Agency (DARPA), next year will start ground of Earth, the same missiles ap- average about $112 million annually launching satellites into orbit with pear 10-15 times less luminous during from fiscal 2022 to 2025, according new forms of tracking technology the midcourse phase than the boost- to the CSIS data. The implication optimized to perform the challenging phase, exoatmospheric objects that seems clear: Despite the MDA’s public task of remotely targeting hypersonic the MDA designed the Space-Based commitment to a hypersonic defense missiles as they maneuver in the atmo- Infrared System (SBIRS) satellites to system, the agency prefers to finance sphere hundreds of miles below. detect, according to Michael Griffin, the development mainly by annual At the same time, the MDA and the undersecretary of defense for re- congressional add-ons. DARPA will soon begin demonstrating search and engineering. Although the MDA’s long-term a new class of kinetic and nonkinetic Closing those gaps will require seri- funding plan for hypersonic defense interceptor technologies. In addition ous investment. Despite plans to infuse is limited, the potential threats are to solving the guidance and thermal more than $10 billion to field at least no longer speculative. In December, challenges posed by hypersonic flight, three different rocket-boosted HGVs the Russian government announced this new class of missile defense weap- by 2025 as offensive weapons, the Pen- it had achieved operational status for ons must be guidable by satellites tagon’s financial commitment to field the Avangard, a nuclear-tipped HGV

44 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST EYEBROWHYPERSONICS Defense-Wide Hypersonic Defense Budgets, 2018-25 (in 2021 US billion) AW Hed Here Two Lines of Copy Two A new space sensor layer planned for launched by a modernized SS-19 inter- $0.45 2024 could provide target-quality continental ballistic missile. 0.40 MA Hypersonic efense Lines Two Lines tracks for hypersonic defense. Two months earlier, Gen. Paul Selva, MA Advanced Technology evelopment then-vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs 0.35 DECK COPY HERE ONE LINE a defensive capability is not as clear. of Staff, explained the implications of MA Weapons Technology > (congressional add-on) The MDA, for example, submit- an adversary with a nuclear-armed 0.30 > DECK COPY HERE TWO LINES DECK COPY HERE TWO LINES COPY ted a fiscal 2020 budget request in HGV: Imagine if NATO attempted to ARPA Glide Breaker 0.25 Regional Glide-Phase Weapon System HERE TWO LINES February 2019 that included around blunt a move by Moscow to occupy Unfunded Reuirements $157 million in hypersonic defense. A a Baltic state, and Russian strate - Name Name City month later, the agency submitted an gic forces responded by threatening 0.20 unfunded-priorities list to Congress, to launch an Avangard missile. The 0.15 asking for another $720 million for now-retired general warned that a hypersonic interceptors and tracking single Avangard could arc over the Obligational Authority Total 0.10 sensors. Congress met the MDA more Arctic Ocean, and as it reached the than halfway, adding $400 million to northern tip of Hudson Bay, Canada, 0.05 the final appropriations bill. could change course. It could then veer A similar shortfall then appeared in to target the U.S. East Coast or strike 0.00 DARPA Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal the MDA’s fiscal 2021 budget request. the West Coast, Selva says. U.S. forces 2018 201 2020 2021 2022 2023 202 2025 The agency included $207 million for currently have no ability to deter or Appropriated dollars Based on 2021 budget No Future ears efense Programs data released U.S. Hypersonic Defense Plan hypersonic defense but asked Congress defend against such a capability. to chip in another $224 million on top To solve that problem, a new space- Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies Emerges, but Cash Does Not of the budgeted amount, according to based tracking system is needed. The track. That data will be passed down catch, however. The launch of the a March report by the Center for Stra- Pentagon’s existing satellites are either to interceptor batteries on the ground. Tranche 1 satellites in 2024 fall within > SPACE-BASED HYPERSONIC TRACKING IS POSSIBLE IN 2023 tegic and International Studies’ (CSIS) looking for a more luminous signal than Within a few years, the SDA will the five-year spending plan but so far Missile Defense Project. that of an HGV or a hypersonic cruise find out how the concept works. By the remain unfunded. > NEW, SEA-BASED INTERCEPTOR MAY BE READY BY MID-2020S Moreover, the Defense Department’s missile or are using a very narrow field- end of 2022, eight Tranche 0 satellites Shortly after the scheduled long-range forecast for hypersonic de- of-view sensor to minimize background equipped with the SDA’s wide-field-of- Tranche 1 layer is activated, the MDA Steve Trimble Washington fense spending shows an ambiguous clutter, says SDA Director Derek view sensors should be in low Earth plans to field RGPWS, the new inter- commitment at best. The MDA plans Tournear, who spoke with Aviation orbit. A year later, the MDA plans to ceptor optimized for HGVs. If Con- U.S. hypersonic defense sys- potentially perched far over the hori- to launch a competition to select a Week during a June 4 webinar. launch two satellites into low Earth or- gress adds the funding, RGPWS could tem has evolved from wide- zon, not by sensors integrally linked on Regional Glide-Phase Weapon Sys- The first attempt to solve that bit with medium-field-of-view sensors. be fielded as early as the “mid-2020s” Aopen concept studies two the ground to their launching systems. tem (RGPWS) in fiscal 2021 but only if problem is scheduled for launch in The Tranche 0 constellation—aided by with the Navy’s Mk. 41 vertical launch years ago into a densely layered archi- Pentagon officials began conceiving Congress approves the additional $224 fiscal 2024. Forty satellites in SDA’s systems on ships and submarines, fol- tecture populated by requirements for a hypersonic defense architecture a million identified in the unfunded prior- Tranche 1 constellation in low Earth lowed later by air- and land-launched a new generation of space-based sen- year after launching multiple offensive ities list. At the same time, the new SDA orbit carry sensor payloads for track- versions. The design requirements for sors and ground-based interceptors. weapon programs in 2017, seeking to plans to start demonstrating MDA’s Hy- ing hypersonic missiles. Unlike the RGPWS are classified, but it’s possi- Over the next two years, the first el- close gaps in the ballistic defense sys- personic Ballistic Tracking and Surveil- SBIRS or other space-based capabil- ements of the Defense Department’s tem that missiles now fielded by adver- lance System (HBTSS) alongside the ities, the sensors will neither have a Modified interceptors such as the newly defined hypersonic defense saries are designed to exploit. SDA’s own tracking layer in orbit. narrow field of view nor be optimized Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense architecture could advance into oper- With the ability to maneuver hun- But the unclassified version of the for tracking only during the boost or will augment new kinetic and ational reality if all the pieces can over- dreds of miles off a ballistic trajectory, Future Years Defense Program, which exoatmospheric phases of a missile’s non kinetic options to shoot down come various challenges, including the hypersonic glide vehicles (HGV) and details the Defense Department’s five- trajectory. Instead, the spacecraft in hypersonic missiles. Pentagon’s so far ambiguous commit- cruise missiles are designed to evade year spending forecast, shows declin- Tranche 1 will carry a wide-field-of- ment to long-term funding. the MDA’s network of stationary ing support for hypersonic defense view infrared sensor. ble the interceptor may benefit from The Space Development Agency ground-based and slow-moving sea- after next year. If Congress approves “However, the jury is still out on an ongoing DARPA program. Glide (SDA), with assistance from the Mis- based radars dotted around the globe. the extra $224 million for MDA, hyper- whether [the sensors] will be able Breaker, which includes Aerojet Rock- sile Defense Agency (MDA) and the By gliding or powering through the sonic defense spending would peak at to form a track that is high enough etdyne as a supplier, seeks to demon- Defense Advanced Research Projects atmosphere against the warm back- around $450 million next year, then quality to actually give you that fire strate a “critical enabling technology” Agency (DARPA), next year will start ground of Earth, the same missiles ap- average about $112 million annually control solution so that you can fire for a hypersonic defense missile. The launching satellites into orbit with pear 10-15 times less luminous during from fiscal 2022 to 2025, according [interceptors] on [a] remote [track],” MDA also plans to demonstrate an MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY new forms of tracking technology the midcourse phase than the boost- to the CSIS data. The implication Tournear says. “extreme power” microwave weap- optimized to perform the challenging phase, exoatmospheric objects that seems clear: Despite the MDA’s public The backup to the SDA sensor will 20 communications-relay and data- on against “very long-range” missile task of remotely targeting hypersonic the MDA designed the Space-Based commitment to a hypersonic defense be demonstrated under MDA’s HBTSS processing “transport” satellites—will threats within two years. missiles as they maneuver in the atmo- Infrared System (SBIRS) satellites to system, the agency prefers to finance program. The MDA is developing what provide a limited operational capabil- At the same time, the MDA is adapt- sphere hundreds of miles below. detect, according to Michael Griffin, the development mainly by annual Tournear calls a medium-field-of-view ity and validate that the sensors work ing existing point defenses against at- At the same time, the MDA and the undersecretary of defense for re- congressional add-ons. system, which falls between the nar- as designed. mospheric threats. Lockheed Martin is DARPA will soon begin demonstrating search and engineering. Although the MDA’s long-term row-field-of-view format of existing sat- The next step comes in 2024, when studying improved versions of the Ter- a new class of kinetic and nonkinetic Closing those gaps will require seri- funding plan for hypersonic defense ellites and the SDA’s wide-field-of-view the SDA plans to launch the 40 sat- minal High-Altitude Area Defense sys- interceptor technologies. In addition ous investment. Despite plans to infuse is limited, the potential threats are design for Tranche 1. Ideally, the SDA’s ellites in the Tranche 1 constellation. tem, called “Dart,” and of the Patriot, to solving the guidance and thermal more than $10 billion to field at least no longer speculative. In December, wide-field-of-view sensors will detect “We would have, in essence, regional called “Valkyrie.” In addition to the challenges posed by hypersonic flight, three different rocket-boosted HGVs the Russian government announced an HGV or a cruise missile and pass persistence of [infrared satellites] extreme power microwave, Raytheon this new class of missile defense weap- by 2025 as offensive weapons, the Pen- it had achieved operational status for the data in orbit to the HBTSS sensors, over any area of the globe that we also is studying a new variant of the ons must be guidable by satellites tagon’s financial commitment to field the Avangard, a nuclear-tipped HGV which will then develop a target-quality choose,” Tournear says. There is a SM-3 called Hawk. c

44 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 45 HYPERSONICS HYPER HURDLES > “JURY STILL OUT” ON SCRAMJET ALTERNATIVES FOR LARGER VEHICLES > FLOW-PHYSICS UNCERTAINTIES AND MATERIALS REMAIN KEY HURDLES

Guy Norris Los Angeles

fter decades of promise the speed civil and military transport and age of operational hyperson- even multistage access to space. Aic vehicles is dawning, and In addition to first-order issues concepts once considered the stuff of such as propulsion type selection and science fiction or the fanciful predic- the complex coupled optimization of tions of military planners are about to propulsion and airframes, designers become reality. must also contend with challenging The first generation of U.S. tac- changes in flow physics with varying tical boost-glide and air-breathing Mach numbers. Added to the continu- strike weapons are in development ing quest for exotic materials with such and will be fielded within a few years. high-temperature resistance that they opers a solid foundation of the basic But proponents say much more work have yet to be invented, the list of hur- high-speed aerodynamics and propul- still needs to be done before larger, dles remains as daunting as ever. sion requirements. “The good news is next-generation designs can harness Tests of rocket-boosted hypersonic there is now zero doubt that a scramjet the advantages of flight speeds of glide vehicles and early air-breathing can be built and can produce net posi- Mach 5-plus for broader roles includ- scramjet-powered demonstrators tive thrust,” says Mark Lewis, director ing strike and reconnaissance, high- have, however, given today’s devel- of defense research and engineering Key challenge areas for Air-Breathing Hypersonics Airframe-propulsion system integration

Limited options for communication apertures and sensors

Boundary layer transition

Shockwave/boundary layer viscous interaction Inlet unstart/spillage Forebody/cowl-shock interaction

Aerodynamic heating

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The X-51A proved scramjets work. and scramjets—collectively dubbed HYPER HURDLES Now the challenges include pro- the turbine-based combined cycle ducing robust hypersonic weapons (TBCC)—to accelerate to Mach 5 and beyond. However, despite the pioneer- in quantity as well as scaling up > “JURY STILL OUT” ON SCRAMJET ALTERNATIVES FOR LARGER VEHICLES ing success of the scramjet-powered the technology. NASA X-43A and U.S. Air Force-led > FLOW-PHYSICS UNCERTAINTIES AND MATERIALS REMAIN KEY HURDLES X-51A vehicles, and tests in 2019 of the ultimate vision of developing reus- a 13,000 lb.-thrust Northrop Grum- Guy Norris Los Angeles able hypersonic aircraft will require a man-built scramjet by the Air Force, huge effort, says Lewis. “There’s a lot there is no definitive consensus on the fter decades of promise the speed civil and military transport and to do there in terms of the engine-air- best path forward for integrated high- age of operational hyperson- even multistage access to space. frame integration, particularly the speed propulsion. Aic vehicles is dawning, and In addition to first-order issues propulsion transition,” he says. “We Part of the reason is that scramjets, concepts once considered the stuff of such as propulsion type selection and need a propulsion system that gets us while conceptually simple with no science fiction or the fanciful predic- the complex coupled optimization of all the way from zero all the way up moving parts, are complex in terms tions of military planners are about to propulsion and airframes, designers to Mach 5 or 6 and then back down of operational physics. The mechan- become reality. must also contend with challenging to zero. That’s one we’re still working ical compression of jet engines is re- The first generation of U.S. tac- changes in flow physics with varying on. The big question is, should it be placed by shock compression which, tical boost-glide and air-breathing Mach numbers. Added to the continu- a combined cycle engine or multiple in the form of shockwaves entering strike weapons are in development ing quest for exotic materials with such U.S. AIR FORCE engines? Can I go direct from a tur- the engine, must efficiently compress and will be fielded within a few years. high-temperature resistance that they opers a solid foundation of the basic for modernization at the U.S. Defense bine to a ramjet/scramjet, or do I need air within the inlet and isolator before But proponents say much more work have yet to be invented, the list of hur- high-speed aerodynamics and propul- Department. “That’s all pretty remark- something intermediate?” turbulence and chemistry mix and re- still needs to be done before larger, dles remains as daunting as ever. sion requirements. “The good news is able. We have a keen understanding As the upper operating limit for tur- act fuel and air in under 1 millisec. next-generation designs can harness Tests of rocket-boosted hypersonic there is now zero doubt that a scramjet what the properties of the fuel should bine engines is around Mach 3 or 4, Even by the performance standards the advantages of flight speeds of glide vehicles and early air-breathing can be built and can produce net posi- be and how to inject it effectively.” the focus for developers of air-breath- achieved by the 50-in.-long combustor Mach 5-plus for broader roles includ- scramjet-powered demonstrators tive thrust,” says Mark Lewis, director But to go beyond rocket-boosted ing systems has been on a combina- in Pratt & Whitney’s J58 turbojet of ing strike and reconnaissance, high- have, however, given today’s devel- of defense research and engineering single-use gliders and missiles to fulfill tion of high-speed turbojets, ramjets the 1960s, the fastest air-breathing engine ever to see operational use, the task of the scramjet is orders of magnitude more difficult. The J58 traveled at 3,200 ft./sec. at Mach 3.3 and 80,000 ft. in the Lockheed SR-71, Key challenge areas for Guidance, navigation while the X-43A’s 30-in.-long combus- and flight control tor traveled at around 9,600 ft./sec. as effectiveness it flew at Mach 9.7 and 110,000 ft. Operational “The challenge is designing com- robustness Air-Breathing Hypersonics bustors with optimal overall geometries (area distribution and shape), Airframe-propulsion injector and flameholder geometries, system integration and the spatial distribution of fuel injectors, plus values of other fuel Limited options for communication Transonic vs. hypersonic injection parameters,” says Kevin apertures and sensors thrust performance Bowcutt, the chief hypersonics scien- tist at Boeing who led the X-51A conceptual design. He thinks the hurdles, while significant, can be tackled using a multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) approach that simulta- Boundary layer neously combines aerodynamics, transition control, propulsion and structural considerations to produce a highly Scaling/structural flexibility integrated solution. “This design optimization process Nonlinear aerodynamics, varying shock locations, will be aided by fast, high-fidelity Shockwave/boundary layer unstable boundary layer flow simulation [computational fluid viscous interaction dynamics] tools, good ground test Inlet unstart/spillage Forebody/cowl-shock facilities specializing in hypersonic interaction engine testing, and sophisticated flow diagnostic instrumentation for test measurements,” adds Bowcutt, who Aerodynamic heating has previously noted the X-51A was the first hypersonic vehicle to be re- Source: Lockheed Martin/Aviation Week fined using MDO.

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However, despite decades of scramjet magneto-plasmadynamic engines. increase. Commencing with a take- development work, competing propul- Both cycles are being investigated for over speed of around Mach 3, hydro- sion concepts continue to emerge. So hypersonic application, the former carbon-powered scramjets hit a fuel are scramjets necessarily still the right for potential access to space as part thermal limit around Mach 7.5, while answer? “I would say the jury’s still out,” of a pulse detonation rocket-based hydrogen-powered vehicles reach a says Lewis. “One of our challenges is to combined cycle with ejector ramjet, performance limit around Mach 14. be open-minded enough to think may- ramjet, scramjet and rocket modes. In terms of altitude, most dual-mode be there are other ways to propel our- Another alternative is the Reac- scramjets are theoretically bounded selves at high speed. I wouldn’t want to tion Engines SABRE (synergetic by upper operability limits at a dy- narrow down our technology options.” air-breathing rocket engine), which namic pressure of 500 psf—a level

Better computational tools are enabling more precise predictions of hypersonic shock and flow interaction, as on the Hexafly-INT experimental flight-test vehicle, and are vital to augmenting wind-tunnel and flight-test analysis.

is in development at sites in the UK that runs from Mach 5 at 100,000 ft. and U.S. Designed to power vehicles to Mach 15 at 150,000 ft. EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY SPACE EUROPEAN up to Mach 5.4 in air-breathing mode At lower altitudes, the denser atmo- and all the way to orbital velocity in sphere presents another barrier. Vehi- PROPULSION OPTIONS rocket mode, the engine’s precooler cle designers usually target hyperson- A potential wide variety of alternative passed a critical milestone test in Oc- ic flight in the stratosphere to limit the power cycles beyond the TBCC have tober when it operated successfully at dynamic pressure to below 2,000 psf. also been studied that could speed temperature inlet conditions equiva- The line representing the resulting a vehicle from a standing start to lent to Mach 5. structural design limit extends from Mach 6-plus, most of which take ad- “The whole idea of a liquid air cycle around 40,000 ft. at Mach 2.5 to around vantage of the thermodynamic prop- engine and the deeply cooled cycle is 110,000 ft. at Mach 14. erties of liquid hydrogen as a working extremely promising,” says Lewis. “I To add to these challenges, design fluid for cooling and power. Examples don’t know if at the end, they’ll pan considerations are also complicated by include the ATREX expander air out, but they seem to have some sig- changing aerodynamic behavior with turbo-ramjet studied by JAXA, the nificant advantages for certain class- Mach number; finding the optimum Japan Aerospace Research Agency; es of vehicles. I do worry that we wing size to suit varying flight modes; the Russian-developed ATRDC deeply [must] maintain a sufficiently diverse configuring the vehicle for a high pro- cooled, air turbo rocket; the KLIN cy- research portfolio and development pellant fraction; and defining the cor- cle thermally integrated deeply cooled portfolio that there is room for a full rect inlet and nozzle size, both of turbojet and liquid rocket engine; and range of clever ideas.” which vary extensively with Mach. the aspirating rocket engine. “We also know how to build good Other air-breathing concepts show- AIRFRAME-PROPULSION inlets,” says Lewis. “But there is still ing promise include pressure-gain cy- INTEGRATION an ongoing question: What is the best cles such as rotating and pulse deto- Air-breathers must navigate a rela- inlet design? Under the general head- nation engines and, potentially, even tively tight flight-trajectory propul- ing of ‘perfection is the enemy of good more exotic magnetohydrodynamic/ sion corridor as speed and altitude enough,’ we know how to build inlets

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However, despite decades of scramjet magneto-plasmadynamic engines. increase. Commencing with a take- that work. However, there are clearly shapes that you know do great at structurally stiffer, face challenges development work, competing propul- Both cycles are being investigated for over speed of around Mach 3, hydro- areas for continued development, re- Mach 5, 6, 7, 8, but they have no hope related to packaging and thermal sion concepts continue to emerge. So hypersonic application, the former carbon-powered scramjets hit a fuel search and advancement.” of punching through Mach 1. There’s management. “NASA studies long are scramjets necessarily still the right for potential access to space as part thermal limit around Mach 7.5, while As achieving a high thrust-to-drag a slight disconnect there. With the ago said long slender vehicles had answer? “I would say the jury’s still out,” of a pulse detonation rocket-based hydrogen-powered vehicles reach a ratio is critical for efficient acceleration weapons applications we have an much higher hypersonic lift-to-drag says Lewis. “One of our challenges is to combined cycle with ejector ramjet, performance limit around Mach 14. to Mach 5-plus, propulsion integration easier task because we are usually ratios than shorter, stubbier vehicles,” be open-minded enough to think may- ramjet, scramjet and rocket modes. In terms of altitude, most dual-mode is vital and drives the need for increas- punching through Mach 1 with a says Van Wie. “And when you go try be there are other ways to propel our- Another alternative is the Reac- scramjets are theoretically bounded ing air capture with Mach number. rocket, for example. But this shows to make something small, it can’t be selves at high speed. I wouldn’t want to tion Engines SABRE (synergetic by upper operability limits at a dy- Designers have discovered that overall that low-Mach-number performance long and slender, there’s just no inter- narrow down our technology options.” air-breathing rocket engine), which namic pressure of 500 psf—a level air capture becomes critical.” nal volume. It ends up setting what is and engine The extreme challenges of bringing achievable from an aerodynamic effi- thrust co- together a closely coupled airframe ciency from a lift-to-drag ratio.” efficient and propulsion system are further “There is a challenge there doing all must be suf- magnified by the need to then mini- the aerodynamics and propulsion inte- ficiently high mize the weight, power and size re- gration with the internal packaging,” enough to give a quirements of the subsystems inside Lewis adds. “You must make sure you thrust-to-drag ratio of the vehicle. The need for a highly inte- have room for all the parts inside that greater than 2 at all speeds. But grated flight architecture, made pos- you need such as sensors and systems at the same time, although inlet size sible through MDO-type approaches, for guidance, navigation and control.” and air capture must be relatively is “absolutely a key area,” says Lewis. Another scaling issue, and one that large for hypersonic performance, “We knew 35 years ago that a hyper- goes to the heart of hypersonic vehi- drag from inlets and nozzles must be sonic vehicle would have to be a fully cle design, concerns the behavior of reduced as the vehicle passes through integrated system, and today every- the boundary layer, a thin layer near the transonic region around Mach 1. thing that we’ve learned has rein- the surface that designers strive to “It is very challenging to design in- forced that,” he says. keep laminar for as long as possible lets that accommodate a very large to minimize heating and thus reduce range of air mass capture (measured SCALING AND FLOW PHYSICS thermal protection requirements. At as capture area) and contraction ra- Challenges also differ, depending on hypersonic speeds, the boundary layer tio with high compression efficiency size. “Going to the bigger vehicles tends to thicken and, in general, be- Better computational tools are enabling and flow stability, and low flow distor- there’s another coupling that’s really come more resistant to disturbances. more precise predictions of hypersonic shock tion and additive (including spillage) important, in that structures can bend But when it transitions to turbulent drag, across a large range of Mach and flex,” says David Van Wie, head of flow it can affect heating, drag and and flow interaction, as on the Hexafly-INT experimental flight-test vehicle, and are vital to BOEING/KEVIN BOWCUTT augmenting wind-tunnel and flight-test analysis. Baseline is in development at sites in the UK that runs from Mach 5 at 100,000 ft. and U.S. Designed to power vehicles to Mach 15 at 150,000 ft. EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY SPACE EUROPEAN up to Mach 5.4 in air-breathing mode At lower altitudes, the denser atmo- and all the way to orbital velocity in sphere presents another barrier. Vehi- rocket mode, the engine’s precooler cle designers usually target hyperson- PROPULSION OPTIONS Multidisciplinary design optimization helped achieve a 46% A potential wide variety of alternative passed a critical milestone test in Oc- ic flight in the stratosphere to limit the power cycles beyond the TBCC have tober when it operated successfully at dynamic pressure to below 2,000 psf. range increase in the X-51A over the baseline configuration, and an almost also been studied that could speed temperature inlet conditions equiva- The line representing the resulting 40% reduction in gross weight for this spaceplane concept. a vehicle from a standing start to lent to Mach 5. structural design limit extends from Mach 6-plus, most of which take ad- “The whole idea of a liquid air cycle around 40,000 ft. at Mach 2.5 to around Optimized vantage of the thermodynamic prop- engine and the deeply cooled cycle is 110,000 ft. at Mach 14. erties of liquid hydrogen as a working extremely promising,” says Lewis. “I To add to these challenges, design fluid for cooling and power. Examples don’t know if at the end, they’ll pan considerations are also complicated by include the ATREX expander air out, but they seem to have some sig- changing aerodynamic behavior with turbo-ramjet studied by JAXA, the nificant advantages for certain class- Mach number; finding the optimum Japan Aerospace Research Agency; es of vehicles. I do worry that we wing size to suit varying flight modes; the Russian-developed ATRDC deeply [must] maintain a sufficiently diverse configuring the vehicle for a high pro- cooled, air turbo rocket; the KLIN cy- research portfolio and development pellant fraction; and defining the cor- number, altitude, and angle of at- the Air and Missile Defense Sector at stability. Pressure increases across cle thermally integrated deeply cooled portfolio that there is room for a full rect inlet and nozzle size, both of tack,” says Bowcutt. Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Labo- shockwaves can also interact with the turbojet and liquid rocket engine; and range of clever ideas.” which vary extensively with Mach. “Over the years I’ve been involved ratory, Maryland. “You just can’t make boundary layer. the aspirating rocket engine. “We also know how to build good in looking at conceptual design for a it rigid enough,” he says. “Flight loads Although varying shock positions Other air-breathing concepts show- AIRFRAME-PROPULSION inlets,” says Lewis. “But there is still number of hypersonic vehicles where can couple back into the engine and are in themselves not an issue, shock ing promise include pressure-gain cy- INTEGRATION an ongoing question: What is the best the final shape was dictated not by the propulsion systems, and the de- interactions with boundary layers pro- cles such as rotating and pulse deto- Air-breathers must navigate a rela- inlet design? Under the general head- its hypersonic performance but by gree of coupling gets more challenging duce friction drag and in some cases nation engines and, potentially, even tively tight flight-trajectory propul- ing of ‘perfection is the enemy of good the transonic performance,” Lewis as you go to larger scales.” can magnify aerodynamic heating as more exotic magnetohydrodynamic/ sion corridor as speed and altitude enough,’ we know how to build inlets recalls. “You can design hypersonic Smaller scale vehicles, though much as eight times higher than lam-

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inar fl ow. As shock locations change, we know we don’t know ,” he says. “We our vehicle designs are that sensitive, so will interaction zones. “Therefore, realized we’re never going to know ex- then they’re not going to fl y and we areas of enhanced aeroheating will actly when the boundary layer transi- need to be designing robust confi gura- move around, requiring enhanced tions from laminar to turbulent, so we tions ,” he says. “That’s the hard part.” thermal protection or management have to design around that.” Maturing hypersonic vehicles into over a greater area of the vehicle (in- Conversely, scramjet engine devel- operational systems remains a major creasing weight and cost),” explains opers face the challenge of encourag- hurdle, agrees Van Wie. “Improving Bowcutt. “Being able to accurately ing turbulent, rather than laminar, our knowledge of how to actually build predict boundary layer transition is boundary layer conditions in inlets for vehicles and get them to operate ro- important. Developing and using better operability. “A turbulent fl ow is bustly in the environment is, I think, means to delay boundary layer transi- less susceptible to boundary layer sep- one of the bigger challenge areas right tion could also be important if they aration where shocks interact with the now ,” he says. “You want to be able to could be developed.” boundary layer,” says Bowcutt. fly it in a way where you don’t have Although advances in computation- Recalling lessons learned from to thread the needle and follow, for al codes have recently enabled more working as a student on the National example, a given experimental fl ight accurate predictions of fl ow physics, AeroSpace Plane (NASP) program of profi le. I want to fl y it like any other further improvements in narrow- the 1980s, Lewis says a very senior aerospace vehicle.” ing down boundary layer transition lecturer warned that if the vehicle’s Interaction of the shockwave zones will help build robustness into boundary layer was turbulent instead around the leading edges of the ve- hypersonic vehicle design, says Lewis. of laminar, then it would never fly. hicle with the boundary layer is “We’ve learned to design around what “Among the things I’ve learned is, if another challenge, particularly for

system for data capture. Developed by Generation Orbit HYPER ACTIVITY Launch Services, the X-60A is now expected to make its initial test fl ight out of Cecil Spaceport, Jacksonville, Flor- ida, in spring 2021. > BOLT MACH 7 FLIGHT TEST TARGETED FOR AUGUST Another impending AFRL hypersonic fl ight test, this EARLY 2021 FOR INITIAL USAF X-60A TEST FLIGHT time led by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Phys- > ics Laboratory, is the Boundary Layer Transition (BOLT) fl ight experiment—a rocket-launched payload designed Los Angeles Guy Norris to evaluate fl ow characteristics over complex geometries. esting remains a key challenge for U.S. hypersonic Building on the results of earlier tests as part of the suc- developers, particularly those looking to produce the cessful U.S.-Australian HIFiRE fl ight series, the experi- Tnext generation of larger vehicles, despite a recent ment will measure boundary layer transition on a low-cur- wave of reinvestment in government, academic and indus- vature concave surface with highly swept leading edges—a trial ground-test facilities. shape more relevant to future large-scale vehicles. “We can’t test at all the conditions I want,” said David Boosted by a sounding rocket to just over 280 km (174 mi.) Hunn, director of technology at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, speaking at a Royal Aeronautical Soci- Boundary Layer Transition ety hypersonics conference in London in November. Of the basic test conditions—enthalpy, heat fl ux, pressure and Flight Experiment oxygen content—there is no test site open to U.S. developers where all four can be evaluated simultaneously. This inevitably puts a greater focus on fl ight tests for qualifying vehicles, backed up by ground tests and the addition of margin for uncertainties. The “wind tunnels in the sky,” as Hunn described previous U.S. tests such as those of the X-43A, X-51A and DAR- PA-led HTV-2 Falcon, have produced invaluable data. The HTV-2 reentry vehicles, for example, tested in 2010 and 2011, generated 540 sec. of data at around Mach 16. “We got very interesting aerodynamic and materials data on those vehicles before they came to their untimely end,” he said. A fl ying testbed planned for the near term is the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) X-60A, an air- launched liquid oxygen/kerosene-powered rocket that is designed to test payloads at hypersonic speeds from Mach 5-8. The expendable vehicle, which will be dropped from a modifi ed Gulfstream business aircraft, is confi gured with wings for maneuverability and an onboard fl ight telemetry

AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST HYPERSONICS inar fl ow. As shock locations change, we know we don’t know ,” he says. “We our vehicle designs are that sensitive, slender-shaped boost-glide vehi- a ects the behavior of the boundary ment of thermal protection systems so will interaction zones. “Therefore, realized we’re never going to know ex- then they’re not going to fl y and we cles at higher altitudes and sharp- layer and creates viscous interactions (TPS) and other heat-resistant treat- areas of enhanced aeroheating will actly when the boundary layer transi- need to be designing robust confi gura- nosed reentry bodies. The degree with potentially damaging impact on ments for spacecraft, ballistic weap- move around, requiring enhanced tions from laminar to turbulent, so we tions ,” he says. “That’s the hard part.” to which fl ow-interaction e ects, or lift/drag. Similar effects can cause ons and supersonic aircraft, none of thermal protection or management have to design around that.” Maturing hypersonic vehicles into leading-edge viscous interaction, can trouble in other shock/boundary layer these material systems specifically over a greater area of the vehicle (in- Conversely, scramjet engine devel- operational systems remains a major occur is infl uenced by the Reynolds interactions such as inlets and on inlet meet the unique heating challenge of creasing weight and cost),” explains opers face the challenge of encourag- hurdle, agrees Van Wie. “Improving (Re) number, a nondimensional scal- ramps. “That’s a signifi cant factor in extended hypersonic flight through Bowcutt. “Being able to accurately ing turbulent, rather than laminar, our knowledge of how to actually build ing metric that is the ratio of inertial the behavior of leading edges, but it the atmosphere. predict boundary layer transition is boundary layer conditions in inlets for vehicles and get them to operate ro- forces to viscous forces. In the upper introduces a scale,” says Lewis. “So if I At sustained speeds of Mach 6 important. Developing and using better operability. “A turbulent fl ow is bustly in the environment is, I think, atmosphere with lower Re, the thick- take a given shape that fl ies hyperson- and above, the temperatures at the means to delay boundary layer transi- less susceptible to boundary layer sep- one of the bigger challenge areas right ness of the boundary layer increases ically with a certain performance, and leading edges of hypersonic vehicles tion could also be important if they aration where shocks interact with the now ,” he says. “You want to be able to and interacts with the adjacent fl ow. I photographically reduce it. I could can run from 1,600-2,200C (2,900- could be developed.” boundary layer,” says Bowcutt. fly it in a way where you don’t have At even the very sharp leading edges suddenly pick up entirely different 4,000F), the upper range of which Although advances in computation- Recalling lessons learned from to thread the needle and follow, for of a hypersonic vehicle in very low physical behavior because of the way is more than 300C higher than the al codes have recently enabled more working as a student on the National example, a given experimental fl ight Re, the growth of the boundary layer these interactions scale.” melting point of titanium and 600C accurate predictions of fl ow physics, AeroSpace Plane (NASP) program of profi le. I want to fl y it like any other e ectively changes the shape of the hotter than the melting point of steel. further improvements in narrow- the 1980s, Lewis says a very senior aerospace vehicle.” leading edge, making it seem blunter HIGHERTEMPERATURE The highest heat fl ux is focused, blow- ing down boundary layer transition lecturer warned that if the vehicle’s Interaction of the shockwave to the oncoming fl ow outside of the MATERIALS torch-like, over a relatively small area, zones will help build robustness into boundary layer was turbulent instead around the leading edges of the ve- boundary layer. Another significant challenge is in leading to high thermal shock and ex- hypersonic vehicle design, says Lewis. of laminar, then it would never fly. hicle with the boundary layer is The e ect changes the air distribu- materials. Despite the seven decades treme temperature gradients. At such “We’ve learned to design around what “Among the things I’ve learned is, if another challenge, particularly for tion at the leading edge, which in turn of research that led to the develop- high temperatures, material prop-

system for data capture. Developed by Generation Orbit altitude, the heavily instrumented BOLT payload will con- repurpose its huge carrier aircraft—originally designed HYPER ACTIVITY Launch Services, the X-60A is now expected to make its duct the fi rst experiment on ascent between Mach 4.7-6, and to air-launch medium rockets—into a platform to support initial test fl ight out of Cecil Spaceport, Jacksonville, Flor- in the fi nal few seconds of descent, between Mach 6.7-7.4. At hypersonic fl ight tests. ida, in spring 2021. an altitude of 15 km the payload will be separated from the Stratolaunch, which aims to resume fl ight tests at its > BOLT MACH 7 FLIGHT TEST TARGETED FOR AUGUST Another impending AFRL hypersonic fl ight test, this booster to allow it to enter a fl at spin—slowing its velocity Mojave, California, base later this year, plans a series of EARLY 2021 FOR INITIAL USAF X-60A TEST FLIGHT time led by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Phys- before impact and enabling it to be inspected after recovery. fl ying testbeds starting with the Talon-A, a fully reusable, > ics Laboratory, is the Boundary Layer Transition (BOLT) The test, which was delayed from May by the COVID-19 autonomous, liquid rocket-powered vehicle targeted at fl ight experiment—a rocket-launched payload designed pandemic, has been rescheduled for August with a back up flight speeds up to Mach 6. This will be followed by the Los Angeles Guy Norris to evaluate fl ow characteristics over complex geometries. date in early 2021. It will be conducted at the Swedish Space Talon-Z, targeted at test conditions up to Mach 10, and the esting remains a key challenge for U.S. hypersonic Building on the results of earlier tests as part of the suc- Corp.’s Esrange near Kiruna, Sweden. longer-term “Black Ice” spaceplane. developers, particularly those looking to produce the cessful U.S.-Australian HIFiRE fl ight series, the experi- As fl ight tests of initial hypersonic glide vehicles and Another private venture, Atlanta-based Hermeus, has Tnext generation of larger vehicles, despite a recent ment will measure boundary layer transition on a low-cur- cruise missiles accelerate in the U.S., with 40 individual completed scaled static and high-speed laboratory tests wave of reinvestment in government, academic and indus- vature concave surface with highly swept leading edges—a launches planned over the next four years by the Air Force of a prototype turbine-based combined-cycle (TBCC) en- trial ground-test facilities. shape more relevant to future large-scale vehicles. alone, private industry is stepping up e orts to enter the gine up to Mach 5, and is working on near-term plans to “We can’t test at all the conditions I want,” said David Boosted by a sounding rocket to just over 280 km (174 mi.) fray. One company, Stratolaunch, has outlined plans to test the transition between engine modes. The company Hunn, director of technology at Lockheed Martin Missiles aims to develop a high-speed transport for entry into ser- and Fire Control, speaking at a Royal Aeronautical Soci- Boundary Layer Transition The tightly packed interior (left) of BOLT includes tung- vice around the end of this decade based on existing and ety hypersonics conference in London in November. Of the sten ballast and sensors to gather data from the high-Mach near-term airframe, materials, systems and propulsion basic test conditions—enthalpy, heat fl ux, pressure and Flight Experiment transition zones expected on the vehicle’s concave surfaces technologies. oxygen content—there is no test site open to U.S. devel- and highly swept leading edges (below). DARPA, together with the Air Force, is meanwhile con- opers where all four can be evaluated simultaneously. This ducting individual ground tests of elements of a TBCC inevitably puts a greater focus on fl ight tests for qualifying system called the Advanced Full-Range Engine (AFRE). vehicles, backed up by ground tests and the addition of Designed for future runway-based reusable hypersonic ve- margin for uncertainties. hicles operating up to Mach 5, the AFRE combines an o - The “wind tunnels in the sky,” as Hunn described previ- the-shelf turbine and dual-mode ramjet/scramjet (DMRJ). ous U.S. tests such as those of the X-43A, X-51A and DAR- The engine uses mass-injection precompressor cooling PA-led HTV-2 Falcon, have produced invaluable data. The to close the gap between the maximum speed of the turbine HTV-2 reentry vehicles, for example, tested in 2010 and and the takeover speed of the ramjet. The water injection 2011, generated 540 sec. of data at around Mach 16. “We got element at the heart of this, together with the common tur- very interesting aerodynamic and materials data on those bine/DMRJ inlet, combustor and common nozzle will be vehicles before they came to their untimely end,” he said. integrated later this year into the complete TBCC assembly. A fl ying testbed planned for the near term is the U.S. Free-jet testing of the engine is set to occur in 2021. Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) X-60A, an air- NASA’s long-running Hypersonic Technology Project also launched liquid oxygen/kerosene-powered rocket that is continues to study a TBCC concept, and in June announced designed to test payloads at hypersonic speeds from Mach it will work with GE Aviation to develop high-temperature 5-8. The expendable vehicle, which will be dropped from a ceramic matrix composite materials for component parts. modifi ed Gulfstream business aircraft, is confi gured with ON OKIN/U I OCE NASA also selected GE’s F101 turbofan for analysis as part wings for maneuverability and an onboard fl ight telemetry of studies of a TBCC-powered concept vehicle. c

AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 HYPERSONICS

erties can change during the flight, Turbulent Heating while oxidation and catalysis effects are also possible. “It is an area where there’s a lot of opportunity for invention,” says Van Wie. “As the leading edges become sharper, they want to get hotter. That’s one of the main materials issues out there: How sharp do you want to go, and that fundamentally translates into the highest temperatures they can be operated at. The answers are influenced by whether it’s a reusable vehicle or a one-use weapon system. 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 10.5 11 11.5 But this is an active area of research.” Heat Transfer, kW/m2 “[Higher-temperature-resistant materials] would allow you to design into oxygen radicals takes place at lated structures with passive, ablative vehicles with sharper leading edges, temperatures around 1,700C, while or semiactive TPS. But overall, the ra- which would give you a higher lift-to- that of nitrogen is at around 3,700C. diation cooled/hot structure approach drag ratio for better performance. Or Disassociation, plasma formation is preferred. “[It] is simple, there are it would give more margin by allowing at higher Mach numbers and aero - no moving parts such as pumps, and flight at higher speeds and altitudes,” heating effects pose a major challenge it is predictable and stable,” he said. says Van Wie. “It is a one of the chal- for communicating with hypersonic “Arguably it also offers the minimum lenge areas where there’s a lot of room vehicles as well as for guidance, nav- space, weight and power.” for improvement.” igation and control (GNC). “It makes Another significant, related hurdle the hypersonic calculation somewhat COATING CHALLENGES is the changing thermal environment challenging. Where do you put your With metals incapable of withstanding with varying vehicle size. “People still sensor, and how do you put in an ap- the required heat flux, material choices don’t understand how the material erture or window of some sort that currently are focused mainly on car- challenges scale with size,” says Lewis. you can blend with the rest of the ve- bon-fiber and carbon-matrix compos- “It’s another avenue that requires con- hicle?” asks Lewis. ites as well as ceramic composites. tinued investment and development. Research and development into “We have a hope here that there are For example, if I try to make a given tackling the GNC hurdles is active material solutions out there but—and hypersonic configuration smaller by across the hypersonic enterprise, there is always a but—we have to un- just photographically reducing it, then with current study work ranging from derstand that these carbon-based I wind up with much sharper leading new sensors and avionics for missiles materials oxidize,” said Hunn. “So in edges. And then those get much hot- and transatmospheric vehicles to ad- the air, I have to worry about chem- ter. So I end up with this tradeoff going vanced designs for semiautonomous/ ical catalytic reactions breaking the on for blunt leading edges that create autonomous missile guidance systems air down into its base elements and more drag and have less aerodynamic and development of new guidance recombining that with the airframe— performance. laws for high-speed vehicle trajecto- and that would be an endothermic re- “So that’s a pretty active area, espe- ry optimization. Other areas of study action adding more heat to it. I also cially as we’re talking about delivering include the application of data fusion have to worry about heat emissivity. If hypersonics at scale. And for doing it for target discrimination and tracking it is too low, it gets really hot. Funda- in large numbers, we realized we had algorithms, as well as development of mentally, no matter what the airframe to be very careful extrapolating that new adaptive control algorithms and materials, the chances are we will if something works on a certain scale, novel actuation systems. have to develop protective coatings it doesn’t mean that we can take that Materials represent the “first and to work in these atmospheres.” same configuration and apply it across foremost” challenge to successful Work on new coatings for tempera- the range of systems that we’re look- hypersonic vehicle development said tures in excess of 1,700C are focused on ing to develop,” he adds. David Hunn, director of technology novel ceramic materials such as tanta- As a vehicle passes through the at- at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire lum and hafnium carbide, and zirconi- mosphere at Mach 5-plus, the air itself Control, at a Royal Aeronautical So- um and hafnium borides. “Some are can change. “Your temperatures be- ciety hypersonics conference in Lon- ceramic-based materials, which are come such that the chemical composi- don in November. “I’m having to ad- pretty good oxygen barriers, so there’s tion of the air flowing around the vehi- just my trajectory and performance a lot of research looking at some of cle begins to change,” says Lewis. “You based on the limitations of materials these novel coatings on some of these start to disassociate oxygen. Then at systems that are available now.” advanced composite materials as near- even higher temperatures eventually “We are in regimes that have rarely term solutions for current hypersonic you can start disassociating nitrogen. been explored in the past. So how do airframes,” said Hunn. This chemical dissociation affects the we handle that?” he asked. The options However, to advance hyperson- behavior of the flow over the vehicle.” range from internally cooled struc- ic vehicle development to the next The dissociation of diatomic oxygen tures with circulating coolant to insu- level, he said, “The answer really is

52 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST HYPERSONICS erties can change during the flight, Turbulent Heating hypersonic vehicle. The melting point leadership established a “war room” while oxidation and catalysis effects of the new material, called hafnium in the Pentagon to assess the areas are also possible. Advanced heat-resistant carbonitride, is not yet known but of strength and vulnerability in the “It is an area where there’s a lot of coatings and materials has already been demonstrated to be industrial supply chain. opportunity for invention,” says Van are required to handle beyond 4,000C, say the scientists, who Propulsion specialist Aerojet Wie. “As the leading edges become add that further tests are planned at Rocket dyne, which provided the intense thermal loads on sharper, they want to get hotter. That’s hypersonic conditions. scramjet for the X-51A, is actively en- one of the main materials issues out hypersonic vehicles, partic- The corollary of the external heat- gaged in a series of offensive and de- there: How sharp do you want to go, ularly in areas of laminar to ing issue creates an engineering fensive hypersonic efforts, ranging and that fundamentally translates turbulent boundary layer and design challenge for the densely from DARPA’s Glide Breaker and Op- into the highest temperatures they transitions as illustrated in packed interiors of hypersonic vehi- erational Fires programs to the Ad- can be operated at. The answers are this temperature-sensitive cles—both gliders and powered. “You vanced Full Range Engine TBCC pro- influenced by whether it’s a reusable paint-related test. have an outside surface that wants to pulsion system and the hypersonic vehicle or a one-use weapon system. 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 10.5 11 11.5 be hot and you have electronic sys- air-breathing weapon concept But this is an active area of research.” Heat Transfer, kW/m2 SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES tems inside that you can’t allow to get (HAWC) with Lockheed Martin. “[Higher-temperature-resistant hot,” says Van Wie. “We’re focused on executing the materials] would allow you to design into oxygen radicals takes place at lated structures with passive, ablative that we are going to have to sidestep The problem is compounded by the programs we’ve got and then hav - vehicles with sharper leading edges, temperatures around 1,700C, while or semiactive TPS. But overall, the ra- Mother Nature and invent our own insulation built into the vehicle to pre- ing the capability and capacity to do which would give you a higher lift-to- that of nitrogen is at around 3,700C. diation cooled/hot structure approach materials.” Work at a fundamental vent heat transfer from the exterior. what’s needed when the time comes,” drag ratio for better performance. Or Disassociation, plasma formation is preferred. “[It] is simple, there are level is underway at universities and “So what do I do with the internally says Tyler Evans, senior vice presi- it would give more margin by allowing at higher Mach numbers and aero - no moving parts such as pumps, and research labs; it is focused on using generated heat flux?” asks Van Wie. dent of Aerojet Rocketdyne’s defense flight at higher speeds and altitudes,” heating effects pose a major challenge it is predictable and stable,” he said. computational power and a road map “There’s nothing magical about that business. “The X-51 was a propulsion says Van Wie. “It is a one of the chal- for communicating with hypersonic “Arguably it also offers the minimum from the periodic table to “come up problem—it’s just an engineering sys- demonstrator that demonstrated lenge areas where there’s a lot of room vehicles as well as for guidance, nav- space, weight and power.” with some novel new materials that tem challenge. There’s a whole variety that we could tame the science of su- for improvement.” igation and control (GNC). “It makes have the characteristics needed to roll of different ways of attacking it, but personic combustion, and it did that. Another significant, related hurdle the hypersonic calculation somewhat COATING CHALLENGES into hypersonics,” he said. you have got to take a look at it from And so, 10 years later, we’re focused is the changing thermal environment challenging. Where do you put your With metals incapable of withstanding Reviews of Chinese and Russian re- a system perspective and what makes on making scramjets practical, mak- with varying vehicle size. “People still sensor, and how do you put in an ap- the required heat flux, material choices search work indicates “that they are sense for a particular vehicle type and ing them repeatable, making them don’t understand how the material erture or window of some sort that currently are focused mainly on car- really advancing the state of the art a particular mission.” affordable.” challenges scale with size,” says Lewis. you can blend with the rest of the ve- bon-fiber and carbon-matrix compos- in designing new materials and tai- As part of the readiness ramp-up “It’s another avenue that requires con- hicle?” asks Lewis. ites as well as ceramic composites. loring them for the hypersonic envi- READYING THE RAMP-UP the company also acquired Florida- tinued investment and development. Research and development into “We have a hope here that there are ronment,” said Hunn. Scientists from A final and more urgent challenge, based additive manufacturing special- For example, if I try to make a given tackling the GNC hurdles is active material solutions out there but—and Moscow’s National University of Sci- particularly for the first-generation ists 3D Material Technologies, a move hypersonic configuration smaller by across the hypersonic enterprise, there is always a but—we have to un- ence and Technology, for example, re- U.S. weapon systems developers, designed to support lower production just photographically reducing it, then with current study work ranging from derstand that these carbon-based cently revealed tests of a new ceramic is establishing the industrial base costs across its range of solid and liq- I wind up with much sharper leading new sensors and avionics for missiles materials oxidize,” said Hunn. “So in compound they claim will withstand to support the planned production uid rockets as well as scramjets. Ad- edges. And then those get much hot- and transatmospheric vehicles to ad- the air, I have to worry about chem- the typical 2,000C thermal loads of a ramp-up. Earlier this year the U.S. ditive manufacturing is “integral to ter. So I end up with this tradeoff going vanced designs for semiautonomous/ ical catalytic reactions breaking the sharp leading edge or nosecone of a Defense Department’s acquisition our solution,” says Evans. c on for blunt leading edges that create autonomous missile guidance systems air down into its base elements and more drag and have less aerodynamic and development of new guidance recombining that with the airframe— performance. laws for high-speed vehicle trajecto- and that would be an endothermic re- “So that’s a pretty active area, espe- ry optimization. Other areas of study action adding more heat to it. I also cially as we’re talking about delivering include the application of data fusion have to worry about heat emissivity. If hypersonics at scale. And for doing it for target discrimination and tracking it is too low, it gets really hot. Funda- in large numbers, we realized we had algorithms, as well as development of mentally, no matter what the airframe to be very careful extrapolating that new adaptive control algorithms and materials, the chances are we will if something works on a certain scale, novel actuation systems. have to develop protective coatings it doesn’t mean that we can take that Materials represent the “first and to work in these atmospheres.” same configuration and apply it across foremost” challenge to successful Work on new coatings for tempera- the range of systems that we’re look- hypersonic vehicle development said tures in excess of 1,700C are focused on ing to develop,” he adds. David Hunn, director of technology novel ceramic materials such as tanta- As a vehicle passes through the at- at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire lum and hafnium carbide, and zirconi- mosphere at Mach 5-plus, the air itself Control, at a Royal Aeronautical So- um and hafnium borides. “Some are ● can change. “Your temperatures be- ciety hypersonics conference in Lon- ceramic-based materials, which are ● come such that the chemical composi- don in November. “I’m having to ad- pretty good oxygen barriers, so there’s tion of the air flowing around the vehi- just my trajectory and performance a lot of research looking at some of ● cle begins to change,” says Lewis. “You based on the limitations of materials these novel coatings on some of these start to disassociate oxygen. Then at systems that are available now.” advanced composite materials as near- even higher temperatures eventually “We are in regimes that have rarely term solutions for current hypersonic you can start disassociating nitrogen. been explored in the past. So how do airframes,” said Hunn. This chemical dissociation affects the we handle that?” he asked. The options However, to advance hyperson- behavior of the flow over the vehicle.” range from internally cooled struc- ic vehicle development to the next The dissociation of diatomic oxygen tures with circulating coolant to insu- level, he said, “The answer really is

52 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 53 HYPERSONICS

Hypersonic Strike Weapons Projects Anti-Ship Weapon project with France to replace the Storm Shad- Accelerate Worldwide ow/SCALP stando cruise missile and the anti-ship Exocet and Har- RUSSIA HAS FIVE KNOWN OFFENSIVE HYPERSONIC PROGRAMS poon from 2030. In July 2019, Air > Vice Marshal Simon Rochelle, then > CHINA IS DEVELOPING AN EXPANSIVE HYPERSONIC TECH BASE chief of sta capability, announced that the UK sought to deploy an af- James Bosbotinis London fordable, air-launched hypersonic weapon by 2023. here is growing international jet-powered and is due to enter ser- Moreover, as Aviation Week interest in the development of vice in the mid-2030s, replacing the disclosed, a joint U.S.-UK study, Toffensive hypersonic weapon current ASMP-A. It is also developing Thresher (Tactical High-Speed, systems, particularly following the an HGV demonstrator, the “Vehicule Responsive and Highly Efficient deployment by Russia and China of Manoeuvrant Experimental,” or Round), is being conducted by the nascent hypersonic strike capabilities. V-MaX, which is due to make its fi rst U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory France, India, Japan and the UK all fl ight before the end of 2021. India is and UK Defence Science and Tech- are seeking to develop a hypersonic similarly pursuing two hypersonic nology Laboratory (AW&ST April strike capability too . weapon projects, the BrahMos-2, de- 6-19, p. 14). It is due to be completed Beyond Russia’s Avangard hyper- veloped by the BrahMos joint venture in 2022 or 2023. sonic glide vehicle (HGV) and Kinzhal between India and Russia, and an- With the notable exception of the air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM), other HCM project. The BrahMos-2 UK’s intention to rapidly acquire a and China’s DF-17 HGV, both nations is intended to be an HCM capable hypersonic missile by 2023, the ma- are developing additional hypersonic of speeds of Mach 5-7; HCM devel- jority of known programs are not weapon systems. Russia, for example, opment is supported by the scram- likely to deliver weapon systems is working on the Zircon hypersonic jet-powered Hypersonic Technology until the second half of the 2020s cruise missile (HCM) and related Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV). An or 2030s. This period technologies, while China is develop- attempted test flight in June 2019 is also ing an expansive technological base failed due to a technical problem with likely and infrastructure for the develop- the Agni-1 serving as the launch plat- to see ment and production of hypersonic form for the HSTDV. a signif- systems for military, commercial and Japan has outlined plans for two icant expansion in Russian and Chi- space applications. hypersonic weapon systems; the nese hypersonic strike capabilities. Given the technical challenges and Hyper-Velocity Gliding Projectile Russia possesses a nascent hy- costs inherent in developing hyper- (HVGP) and a Hypersonic Cruising personic strike capability following sonic weapons, particularly in areas Missile. Japan outlined in its Mid- the initial deployment in December such as propulsion, airframe design, term Defense Program (fi scal 2019- 2017 of the Kinzhal ALBM and in De- guidance and thermal management, 23) plans to strengthen the defense cember 2019 of the Avangard HGV what roles will such weapons under- of “remote islands in the southwest system. The Kinzhal and Avangard take? The speed, maneuverability and region,” including through the estab- were both announced by President flight characteristics of hypersonic lishment of HVGP units. The HVGP is Vladimir Putin in his state of the na- weapons makes them challenging to intended to be a tactical HGV, capable tion address on March 1, 2018, and detect, track and intercept, reducing of delivering a penetrating warhead refl ect Russia’s long-term e orts to the warning time available and win- for targeting, for example, aircraft develop hypersonic weapons, par- dow for interception. carriers, or delivering a “high-density ticularly as a response to U.S. mis- Hypersonic weapons thus provide EFP” (explosively formed penetrator) sile defense e orts. advantages for the prosecution of warhead for “area suppression.” Although seeming to catch the time-critical, mobile or relocatable tar- An initial variant will be deployed U.S. public by surprise, the devel- gets, or in the face of adversary missile in the 2024- 28 time frame, with an im- opment of the Avangard can be defense capabilities. Maritime strike is proved variant following in the 2030s. traced back to the Albatross proj- also a key projected role for hypersonic The Japanese HCM will be a scram- ect started in the late 1980s as part missiles under development or being jet-powered missile, armed with the of the Soviet response to the U.S. deployed by Russia, China and Japan. same warheads as the HVGP, and Strategic Defense Initiative. NPO In the conventional precision-strike intended to provide a stando capa- Mashinostroyeniya performed sev- role, hypersonic weapons will require bility to counter “ships and landing eral tests of the Yu-70 prototype a robust set of supporting intelligence, forces attempting to invade Japan.” in 1990-92, until the program was surveillance, target-acquisition and re- The HCM will be deployed in the late put on hiatus amid the dissolution connaissance capabilities , in particular 2020s/early 2030s, with an improved of the Soviet Union, says Markus for the prosecution of mobile/relocat- variant following later in the 2030s. Schiller, founder of ST Analytics able targets. The UK is exploring options for and a Germany-based consultant France is developing its fourth-gen- the development of a hypersonic on hypersonic technology. The Yu- eration air-launched nuclear missile, strike capability, including potential- 70 project was revived shortly af- the ASN4G, which will be scram- ly as part of the joint Future Cruise/ ter Putin assumed power in 2000,

5 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST HYPERSONICS

Hypersonic Strike Weapons Projects Anti-Ship Weapon project with leading to a series of test flights in Mach 9, have a range in excess of 1,000 March, U.S. Air Force Gen. Terrence France to replace the Storm Shad- 2001-11. The Avangard HGV is based km and operate in the land attack O’Shaughnessy, commander of U.S. Accelerate Worldwide ow/SCALP stando cruise missile on an improved version known as the and anti-ship roles. The Zircon will Northern Command and the North and the anti-ship Exocet and Har- Yu-71, which performed a series of be compatible with existing launch- American Aerospace Defense Com- RUSSIA HAS FIVE KNOWN OFFENSIVE HYPERSONIC PROGRAMS poon from 2030. In July 2019, Air tests in 2013-18, Schiller says. ers capable of launching the Oniks mand , stated that China is testing an > Vice Marshal Simon Rochelle, then The development of hypersonic supersonic cruise missile, such as intercontinental HGV. It is likely that > CHINA IS DEVELOPING AN EXPANSIVE HYPERSONIC TECH BASE chief of sta capability, announced weapons also refl ects Russia’s interest the UKSK vertical launch system. It the DF-41, China’s new ICBM that also that the UK sought to deploy an af- in developing a robust conventional is due to enter service in 2022. A Zir- debuted at the October 2019 National James Bosbotinis London fordable, air-launched hypersonic long-range precision-strike capability con was successfully test-fi red from Day Parade, would be armed with the weapon by 2023. as part of its wider military modern- the new frigate Admiral Gorshkov in new HGV. O’Shaughnessy’s testimony here is growing international jet-powered and is due to enter ser- Moreover, as Aviation Week ization efforts. It is developing and February 2020. appeared to echo public statements interest in the development of vice in the mid-2030s, replacing the disclosed, a joint U.S.-UK study, deploying both nuclear and conven- Following the collapse of the Inter- from 2014 by Lee Fuell, who was then Toffensive hypersonic weapon current ASMP-A. It is also developing Thresher (Tactical High-Speed, tionally armed hypersonic weapons, mediate-Range Nuclear Forces Trea- in Air Force intelligence and linked systems, particularly following the an HGV demonstrator, the “Vehicule Responsive and Highly Efficient including dual-capable systems, to ty, Putin announced the development China’s HGV development program to deployment by Russia and China of Manoeuvrant Experimental,” or Round), is being conducted by the undertake tactical and strategic roles. of a ground-launched Zircon variant. plans for that country’s nuclear arsenal. nascent hypersonic strike capabilities. V-MaX, which is due to make its fi rst U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory In addition to the Avangard and The GZUR is reported to be an air- China is developing the technol- France, India, Japan and the UK all fl ight before the end of 2021. India is and UK Defence Science and Tech- Kinzhal, at least three more devel- launched missile capable of a speed of ogies required for HCMs. For ex- are seeking to develop a hypersonic similarly pursuing two hypersonic nology Laboratory (AW&ST April opment programs are underway: the Mach 6, a range of 1,500 km and sized ample, in May 2018, a scramjet test strike capability too . weapon projects, the BrahMos-2, de- 6-19, p. 14). It is due to be completed Zircon, GZUR (from the Russian for to fi t within the bomb bay of a Tupolev vehicle, the Lingyun-1, was publicly Beyond Russia’s Avangard hyper- veloped by the BrahMos joint venture in 2022 or 2023. “hypersonic guided missile”) and an Tu-95MS Bear. It may enter service exhibited for the fi rst time in Beijing, sonic glide vehicle (HGV) and Kinzhal between India and Russia, and an- With the notable exception of the air-launched weapon to arm the Suk- in the early 2020s. In this regard, while in August 2018 China success- air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM), other HCM project. The BrahMos-2 UK’s intention to rapidly acquire a fully tested a hypersonic and China’s DF-17 HGV, both nations is intended to be an HCM capable hypersonic missile by 2023, the ma- waverider test vehicle, the are developing additional hypersonic of speeds of Mach 5-7; HCM devel- jority of known programs are not XingKong-2, which attained weapon systems. Russia, for example, opment is supported by the scram- likely to deliver weapon systems a speed of Mach 6. Notably, in is working on the Zircon hypersonic jet-powered Hypersonic Technology until the second half of the 2020s April 2019, Xiamen University cruise missile (HCM) and related Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV). An or 2030s. This period successfully flew the Jiageng-1 technologies, while China is develop- attempted test flight in June 2019 is also test vehicle, which employed a ing an expansive technological base failed due to a technical problem with likely “double waverider” configura- and infrastructure for the develop- the Agni-1 serving as the launch plat- to see tion. Interest in developing an ment and production of hypersonic form for the HSTDV. a signif- AES BOSBOTINIS air-launched hypersonic strike systems for military, commercial and Japan has outlined plans for two icant expansion in Russian and Chi- capability has also been noted. space applications. hypersonic weapon systems; the nese hypersonic strike capabilities. China is also believed to be develop- Given the technical challenges and Hyper-Velocity Gliding Projectile Russia possesses a nascent hy- ing two ALBMs, which would provide costs inherent in developing hyper- (HVGP) and a Hypersonic Cruising personic strike capability following China is evaluating air-breathing options such as the Lingyun -1, a scramjet China with a near-term air-launched sonic weapons, particularly in areas Missile. Japan outlined in its Mid- the initial deployment in December test vehicle that was publicly exhibited for the rst time in Beijing in 2018. hypersonic strike capability. such as propulsion, airframe design, term Defense Program (fi scal 2019- 2017 of the Kinzhal ALBM and in De- The new CJ-100, which also de- guidance and thermal management, 23) plans to strengthen the defense cember 2019 of the Avangard HGV hoi Su-57 Felon. The Avangard is an Russian media reports in May noted buted at China’s 2019 National Day what roles will such weapons under- of “remote islands in the southwest system. The Kinzhal and Avangard ICBM-launched HGV, initially equip- the testing of a new hypersonic mis- Parade, warrants mention. Aside take? The speed, maneuverability and region,” including through the estab- were both announced by President ping the UR-100N, a modernized ver- sile from a Tu-22M3 that is intended from the statement that the weapon flight characteristics of hypersonic lishment of HVGP units. The HVGP is Vladimir Putin in his state of the na- sion of the SS-19, and might equip the to arm the modernized Tu-22M3M. o ers “long range, high precision and weapons makes them challenging to intended to be a tactical HGV, capable tion address on March 1, 2018, and developmental SS-X-29 Sarmat (Satan Another hypersonic missile is re- quick responsiveness,” no technical detect, track and intercept, reducing of delivering a penetrating warhead refl ect Russia’s long-term e orts to 2). The Avangard is reportedly capa- ported to be under development and information on the CJ-100 has been the warning time available and win- for targeting, for example, aircraft develop hypersonic weapons, par- ble of attaining speeds in excess of intended to equip the Su-57. officially released. The South China dow for interception. carriers, or delivering a “high-density ticularly as a response to U.S. mis- Mach 20, can maneuver laterally and China has thus far confi rmed only Morning Post, citing the Chinese pub- Hypersonic weapons thus provide EFP” (explosively formed penetrator) sile defense e orts. in altitude and travel intercontinental one hypersonic weapon, the DF-17. Its lication Naval and Merchant Ships, advantages for the prosecution of warhead for “area suppression.” Although seeming to catch the distances. pursuit of hypersonic weapons is driven suggests the CJ-100 has a cruising time-critical, mobile or relocatable tar- An initial variant will be deployed U.S. public by surprise, the devel- Although principally intended as by the requirements to counter U.S. speed of Mach 4 and top speed of gets, or in the face of adversary missile in the 2024- 28 time frame, with an im- opment of the Avangard can be a nuclear system, the Avangard can missile defenses and acquire a robust Mach 4.5, adding that it employs a defense capabilities. Maritime strike is proved variant following in the 2030s. traced back to the Albatross proj- reportedly also be used in the con- precision-strike capability as part of two-stage configuration utilizing a also a key projected role for hypersonic The Japanese HCM will be a scram- ect started in the late 1980s as part ventional strike role. The Kinzhal is its wider efforts to develop “world- rocket booster and ramjets. Given missiles under development or being jet-powered missile, armed with the of the Soviet response to the U.S. a dual-capable, air-launched deriva- class” armed forces. The DF-17 is a China’s progress in developing hy- deployed by Russia, China and Japan. same warheads as the HVGP, and Strategic Defense Initiative. NPO tive of the Iskander-M tactical ballis- conventionally armed medium-range personic technologies, the possibility In the conventional precision-strike intended to provide a stando capa- Mashinostroyeniya performed sev- tic missile, with a range of 2,000 km ballistic missile (possibly derived that the CJ-100 is a hypersonic cruise role, hypersonic weapons will require bility to counter “ships and landing eral tests of the Yu-70 prototype (1,250 mi.) and a speed of Mach 10. from the DF-16), equipped with an missile cannot be dismissed. a robust set of supporting intelligence, forces attempting to invade Japan.” in 1990-92, until the program was It is being deployed with a modifi ed HGV, with a range of 1,800-2,500 km. In a further indication of China’s surveillance, target-acquisition and re- The HCM will be deployed in the late put on hiatus amid the dissolution variant of the Mikoyan MiG-31, the When it debuted at China’s National progress in the development of hyper- connaissance capabilities , in particular 2020s/early 2030s, with an improved of the Soviet Union, says Markus MiG-31K, and may be integrated with Day Parade on Oct. 1, 2019, it was an- sonic technologies, in January 2019 it for the prosecution of mobile/relocat- variant following later in the 2030s. Schiller, founder of ST Analytics other aircraft, including reportedly nounced as being intended for “preci- was reported that an indigenous Tur- able targets. The UK is exploring options for and a Germany-based consultant the Tupolev Tu-22M3 Backfi re. sion strikes against medium- and bine-Based Combined-Cycle engine France is developing its fourth-gen- the development of a hypersonic on hypersonic technology. The Yu- Russia is also developing a scram- close-range targets.” had completed its design and devel- eration air-launched nuclear missile, strike capability, including potential- 70 project was revived shortly af- jet-powered HCM, the 3K22 Zircon, In testimony before the U.S. House opment phase and was proceeding to the ASN4G, which will be scram- ly as part of the joint Future Cruise/ ter Putin assumed power in 2000, which will be capable of speeds up to Armed Services Committee this the aircraft integration test phase. c

5 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 55 SUPERSONICS PATHFINDER PROGRESS > THE XB-1, LIKE THE CONCORDE, RELIES ON VORTEX- GENERATED LIFT AT LOW SPEED > THE DEMONSTRATOR’S GE J85 ENGINES WILL HAVE FIXED-GEOMETRY INLETS

Guy Norris Los Angeles eventeen years after the retirement of the Concorde, a small fighter-like aircraft nearing completion in Colorado is set to blaze a trail toward development Sof the first purpose-built civil supersonic airliner of the 21st century. Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 is a one- third-scale demonstrator for the Despite its 61.5-ft. length, the mostly Overture, a follow-on 75-seat airliner composite XB-1 will have a maximum it aims to introduce into commercial takeoff weight of only 17,400 lb. service later this decade. Although inspired by the Concorde, the XB-1 displays key technology differences that Boom believes will enable the Overture to operate economically and sustainably at Mach 2.2—targets out of reach when the pioneering Anglo- French airliner left the drawing board more than a half century ago. The XB-1 shares some Concorde- like features, including a slender nose, elongated forward fuselage and graceful ogival delta wing. But unlike the Concorde, the wing is mounted on the upper fuselage and predomi- BOOM SUPERSONIC CONCEPT nantly made of lightweight carbon- of closing that out,” says CEO Blake ifornia. And we are still looking to be composite materials rather than spe- Scholl. “The vertical tail is in struc- in the air next year,” he says. Testing cial aluminum alloys. The XB-1 is also tural testing, and the landing gear is will be undertaken with Mojave-based a trijet, and its tail-mounted engine getting drop-tested. So we’re basically Flight Research Inc. (FRI) a training, is fed by a dorsal inlet, marking an - testing every single component as it service and support company with other significant departure from the goes onto the aircraft and then doing which Boom announced a strategic Concorde’s twin-podded quad-engine integrated testing as well.” partnership in January. FRI’s super- configuration. Once complete, the aircraft will be sonic T-38 will provide pilot proficiency Despite a slowdown caused by the officially unveiled later this summer training and will also be used for chase COVID-19 pandemic, progress con- before being prepared for system support during XB-1 flight tests. tinues toward final assembly of the checks and ground tests—including “For safety, we have to have a demonstrator inside Boom’s Centen- initial slow-speed taxi trials—at Cen- long and wide runway and be based nial Airport facility in Denver. “The tennial. “Sometime around the end close to test airspace, so it makes first upper skin is going onto the of the year, possibly early next year, a lot more sense to do flight tests fuselage, and we are in the process we’ll be taking it down to Mojave, Cal- in Mojave,” says Scholl. Under the

56 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST SUPERSONICS PATHFINDER PROGRESS > THE XB-1, LIKE THE CONCORDE, RELIES ON VORTEX- GENERATED LIFT AT LOW SPEED > THE DEMONSTRATOR’S GE J85 ENGINES WILL HAVE FIXED-GEOMETRY INLETS

Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 is a one- The XB-1, pictured with its virtually BOOM SUPERSONIC third-scale demonstrator for the Despite its 61.5-ft. length, the mostly complete tail fin and titanium aft sections, Overture, a follow-on 75-seat airliner composite XB-1 will have a maximum prior to upper-skin closeout. it aims to introduce into commercial takeoff weight of only 17,400 lb. service later this decade. Although inspired by the Concorde, the XB-1 displays key technology differences agreement with FRI, Boom is also longer Douglas X-3 Stiletto supersonic grouped General Electric J85 engines that Boom believes will enable the subleasing part of the company’s research aircraft of the 1950s. The air- in the tail. The center inlet, which is Overture to operate economically and flight line facility for an XB-1 simu- craft’s slender, low-drag delta wing is mounted on a prominent boundary sustainably at Mach 2.2—targets out lator, a flight-test control room and designed for supercruise performance layer diverter above the aft fuselage, of reach when the pioneering Anglo- hangar space for maintenance and and at lower speeds will generate vor- feeds air through a longer S-duct. French airliner left the drawing board support of the demonstrator. tex lift to allow an acceptable angle of For the Overture design, which will more than a half century ago. “The XB-1 is very much inform- attack for landing and takeoff. be firmed up within 24 months, the The XB-1 shares some Concorde- ing the design of the Overture,” says With its small wing and complete engines will have variable- geometry like features, including a slender Scholl. “The goal is mainstream absence of lift-augmentation devices, inlets and be mounted farther out- nose, elongated forward fuselage and supersonic flight for as many peo - Boom estimates the XB-1 will have a board while, according to current graceful ogival delta wing. But unlike ple as possible in as many places as sporty final approach/reference renditions, the tail engine will feature the Concorde, the wing is mounted possible. So we started out with a landing speed of around 185 kt. To a divided inlet with openings on either on the upper fuselage and predomi- BOOM SUPERSONIC CONCEPT sketch of what the Overture looked handle high runway speeds, the nose side of the aft fuselage. nantly made of lightweight carbon- of closing that out,” says CEO Blake ifornia. And we are still looking to be like and then said, ‘OK, let’s put that landing gear is strengthened to with- The three XB-1 engines, which col- composite materials rather than spe- Scholl. “The vertical tail is in struc- in the air next year,” he says. Testing on the backburner; let’s go shrink it stand descent velocities in excess of lectively generate 12,300 lb. thrust cial aluminum alloys. The XB-1 is also tural testing, and the landing gear is will be undertaken with Mojave-based down about one-third scale, and then 13 ft./sec., while the titanium main in afterburner, are housed in an aft- a trijet, and its tail-mounted engine getting drop-tested. So we’re basically Flight Research Inc. (FRI) a training, go through the design, build, fly and landing gear bulkheads are built to fuselage assembly made completely is fed by a dorsal inlet, marking an - testing every single component as it service and support company with learn cycle.’ We did this knowing that withstand impact forces of 112,000 lb. from heat-resistant titanium. Small other significant departure from the goes onto the aircraft and then doing which Boom announced a strategic when we went through that process, Loads will be transmitted into the movable horizontal tails are attached Concorde’s twin-podded quad-engine integrated testing as well.” partnership in January. FRI’s super- we’d shift our attention back to the composite fuselage structure, the to the lower aft engine nacelles to pro- configuration. Once complete, the aircraft will be sonic T-38 will provide pilot proficiency Overture to take everything we’ve largest part of which is a 47-ft.-long vide pitch control. Boom confirms that Despite a slowdown caused by the officially unveiled later this summer training and will also be used for chase learned from the XB-1 and use it to fuselage skin section. the horizontal tail will not feature on COVID-19 pandemic, progress con- before being prepared for system support during XB-1 flight tests. update and improve a richer design. Two-dimensional, fixed-geometry the Overture, which will be designed tinues toward final assembly of the checks and ground tests—including “For safety, we have to have a So that’s exactly what’s going on.” supersonic inlets are mounted close with a chine and a larger, convention- demonstrator inside Boom’s Centen- initial slow-speed taxi trials—at Cen- long and wide runway and be based With a wingspan of 21 ft. and over- to the fuselage beneath the wing and, ally mounted delta wing. An elongated nial Airport facility in Denver. “The tennial. “Sometime around the end close to test airspace, so it makes all length of 61.5 ft., the XB-1’s propor- together with the center inlet, tran- conical tail cone extends aft of the ver- first upper skin is going onto the of the year, possibly early next year, a lot more sense to do flight tests tions are similar to the slightly shorter sition flow through subsonic diffuser tical fin to reduce afterbody drag, par- fuselage, and we are in the process we’ll be taking it down to Mojave, Cal- in Mojave,” says Scholl. Under the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter and the duct sections to the three closely ticularly during transonic flight.

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Even though the XB-1 is still months to be able to get advanced information for establishing an individual certifica- from completion, Boom says the ex- on that and get a direct match of that tion basis for the Overture. perience of designing, wind-tunnel performance. Then maybe we will “Overture will be the first new com- testing and building the demonstrator know if we need to adjust our tools and mercial aircraft to have been built has already helped guide design re- methodology slightly in order to max- with environmental and economic finements to the Overture. “There’s a imize the efficiency,” says Durrence. sustainability in mind from Day 1,” tremendous amount we have learned Flight testing will, for instance, says Scholl. “[That includes] every- about aerodynamic optimization,” verify Boom’s methods of controlling thing from the engines being designed says Scholl. “In particular, how you wave drag and shockwaves. “It is a to accept a wide variety of alternative balance low-speed and high-speed very important piece of the puzzle to fuels through looking at how to design performance, how you trade your make sure that we have the strongest the aircraft for recycling.” high-lift devices into the wing and tools and methodologies available Boom’s plans to work with Cali- how you balance high-speed efficien- and that these are backed and ver - fornia-based Prometheus Fuels on a cy with the ability to meet noise rules ified with test data,” says Durrence. carbon-neutral fuel received a boost for takeoff and landing. We have better “Every piece, not just the design part, in June when the startup received an ideas on that now than we had a few of the XB-1 program is a valuable investment from the venture-capital years ago.” learning experience for Boom.” arm of carmaker BMW. Boom part- With the design of the XB-1 finished Unlike NASA’s X-59 low-boom nered with Prometheus in 2019 for and assembly underway, “the engi- exper imental aircraft, under assem- the supply of fuel for the XB-1, which neering center of gravity at Boom is bly by Lockheed Martin, or the AS2 will be produced using a process in shifting from the XB-1 to the Overture, supersonic business jet in develop- which CO2 is captured from the air which is due to begin flight tests in the ment by Aerion—which aims to use and converted into a liquid fuel using mid-2020s,” Scholl says. “And with an atmospheric phenomenon known renewable electricity. that we’re taking a second pass with as Mach cutoff for boomless over - However, hurdles still face Boom’s the overall vehicle design with the land flight—the Overture remains fuel plan. “The biggest challenge we Overture.” Although he declines to be point-designed for unrestricted oper- have with respect to sustainable fuel more specific about potential changes, ations over water. “The strategy re- is that we just can’t get enough,” says Scholl adds: “There’s just a lot you can mains the same,” says Scholl. “We’re Scholl. “There are a lot of promising do to make the Overture better, but it focused on transoceanic routes concepts out there, but nothing that will be a little while before we’re ready where we can offer a big speedup for reaches industrial scale.” to unveil what’s to come.” as little cost as possible with proven Another key challenge is the se - Major configuration choices—such technology and the shortest possible lection of engines. “We’ve narrowed as adoption of a trijet layout—are “ab- development timeline.” things down a little bit, but we’re solutely still on the table,” says Scholl. Scholl concedes that low-boom still looking at a couple [of] options,” “That’s one of the real advantages we technology has a future. “[But it will he says. Although no details have have with the XB-1. We will not be be] a long time before anyone knows been released, Boom is discussing completely finalized with the Over- how quiet is quiet enough,” he says. medium- bypass, nonafterburning en- ture until we have flown the XB-1, “The last thing you want to do is make gines based on derivatives of current and the calibration data we get from a big investment in it, and then miss it turbofans. Earlier, the company dis- that deletes a lot of uncertainty. It is by a decibel and then all is for naught. closed it was studying two promising an enormous benefit to have flown a You also give up efficiency for quiet. So candidates, one based on a military similar configuration demonstrator we are still more convinced than ever core and the other a commercial one. aircraft: You’ve learned where your that there’s a meaningful market for Despite the debilitating impact of assumptions are right and where they transoceanic [travel] where the most the coronavirus pandemic and eco- are wrong, and you’ve got data that important thing is efficiency and low- nomic slowdown, Boom remains “in you can carry forward to make sure boom doesn’t really help you.” a great cash position,” says Scholl. you develop Overture the first time Instead, as part of its drive for envi- “That’s allowed us to continue and, around,” he adds. ronmental sustainability, Boom’s noise in many cases, even accelerate what “The XB-1 is a critical step toward aspiration is to meet International we are doing.” This includes recruit- mainstream supersonic travel,” says Civil Aviation Organization Chapter ing additional personnel as it shifts Brian Durrence, senior vice president 14/FAA Stage 5 landing and takeoff gears toward the Overture Part 25 of Overture development. “It’s going noise standards with margin, which it certification design, as well as to to provide, and is providing, key tech- believes will also meet the FAA’s pro- open talks with more suppliers. “As nologies to help us move to safe, effi- posed standards for new supersonic Boeing and Airbus have retrenched, cient and sustainable supersonic travel. aircraft. As proposed for initial designs it’s created a good hunger in the sup- There’s really nothing like flying hard- with a maximum takeoff weight no ply base, and there’s more room for ware to take designs and working greater than 150,000 lb. and a maxi- new entrants to actually speed up knowledge to the next level. mum cruise speed up to Mach 1.8, the what they’re doing,” Scholl says. c “For example, the design tools that standards—known as Supersonic we utilize for the XB-1 are the same Level 1 (SSL1)—do not cover the larger Check 6 Aviation Week editors discuss tools we’re planning on utilizing for the and faster Overture. However, Boom Boom’s project and have their questions Overture. For critical parts of the air- expects to work with the FAA using answered by CEO Blake Scholl: craft, such as the inlet, it will be great the SSL1 standards as a starting point AviationWeek.com/podcast

58 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST SUPERSONICS SPACE > U.S. launches from the UK p. 60 Building spaceport ‘network’ p. 61

Even though the XB-1 is still months to be able to get advanced information for establishing an individual certifica- Lueders, who joined NASA in 1992, has lived through it all. from completion, Boom says the ex- on that and get a direct match of that tion basis for the Overture. Take 3 “The hardware . . . has been successful, even through all perience of designing, wind-tunnel performance. Then maybe we will “Overture will be the first new com- the administration changes and different levels of support,” testing and building the demonstrator know if we need to adjust our tools and mercial aircraft to have been built says Lueders. “The good thing is that NASA has bipartisan has already helped guide design re- methodology slightly in order to max- with environmental and economic > LUEDERS TAPPED TO HEAD NASA’S HUMAN support . . . and the value we provide for the nation has finements to the Overture. “There’s a imize the efficiency,” says Durrence. sustainability in mind from Day 1,” SPACEFLIGHT PROGRAM national support. I’m hoping that will continue.” tremendous amount we have learned Flight testing will, for instance, says Scholl. “[That includes] every- > 2024 MOON LANDING IS THE NEXT BIG GOAL Lueders’ career with NASA began 28 years ago at the about aerodynamic optimization,” verify Boom’s methods of controlling thing from the engines being designed White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico, where she man- says Scholl. “In particular, how you wave drag and shockwaves. “It is a to accept a wide variety of alternative Irene Klotz Cape Canaveral aged the operational needs of the shuttle fleet’s orbital ma- balance low-speed and high-speed very important piece of the puzzle to fuels through looking at how to design neuvering and reaction control systems. Lueders advanced performance, how you trade your make sure that we have the strongest the aircraft for recycling.” ast July, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine side- to the ISS program, overseeing planning for U.S. commer- high-lift devices into the wing and tools and methodologies available Boom’s plans to work with Cali- lined the 11-year director of the human spaceflight cial and international cargo launches to the ISS, as well as how you balance high-speed efficien- and that these are backed and ver - fornia-based Prometheus Fuels on a L office, Bill Gerstenmaier, saying it was time for new Russian Soyuz crew missions. She became deputy manager cy with the ability to meet noise rules ified with test data,” says Durrence. carbon-neutral fuel received a boost management to rein in budget overruns and steer the of the fledgling Commercial Crew Program at NASA’s Ken- for takeoff and landing. We have better “Every piece, not just the design part, in June when the startup received an agency toward a crewed landing on the Moon in 2024. nedy Space Center in Florida in February 2013. ideas on that now than we had a few of the XB-1 program is a valuable investment from the venture-capital Bridenstine lured Douglas Loverro, an innovative and She became acting manager during a stressful time fol- years ago.” learning experience for Boom.” arm of carmaker BMW. Boom part- well-respected program architect and manager with De- lowing the retirement of the space shuttles, budget shortfalls With the design of the XB-1 finished Unlike NASA’s X-59 low-boom nered with Prometheus in 2019 for fense Department and national security heritage, to take in the Commercial Crew Program and a respected former and assembly underway, “the engi- exper imental aircraft, under assem- the supply of fuel for the XB-1, which on the role of associate administrator with the Human boss facing a felony conflict-of-interest charge for interven- neering center of gravity at Boom is bly by Lockheed Martin, or the AS2 will be produced using a process in Exploration and Operations (HEO) directorate. ing in a personnel matter in which Mango had a financial shifting from the XB-1 to the Overture, supersonic business jet in develop- which CO2 is captured from the air But Loverro’s maverick ways proved too troublesome stake. He pleaded guilty and was fined $2,000. which is due to begin flight tests in the ment by Aerion—which aims to use and converted into a liquid fuel using for NASA and on May 18, after just five months on the Lueders holds a Bachelor of Business Administration mid-2020s,” Scholl says. “And with an atmospheric phenomenon known renewable electricity. job, he was asked to leave. NASA’s Office of Inspector in finance from the University of New Mexico as well as

that we’re taking a second pass with as Mach cutoff for boomless over - However, hurdles still face Boom’s General reportedly is investigating procure- JOEL KOWSKY/NASA the overall vehicle design with the land flight—the Overture remains fuel plan. “The biggest challenge we ment procedures involving Human Landing Overture.” Although he declines to be point-designed for unrestricted oper- have with respect to sustainable fuel System development contracts awarded more specific about potential changes, ations over water. “The strategy re- is that we just can’t get enough,” says three weeks before Loverro’s departure. Scholl adds: “There’s just a lot you can mains the same,” says Scholl. “We’re Scholl. “There are a lot of promising This time around, Bridenstine chose from do to make the Overture better, but it focused on transoceanic routes concepts out there, but nothing that within, tapping the 28-year NASA veteran will be a little while before we’re ready where we can offer a big speedup for reaches industrial scale.” Kathryn Lueders (pronounced “Leaders”) as to unveil what’s to come.” as little cost as possible with proven Another key challenge is the se - the new chief of human spaceflight. In that Major configuration choices—such technology and the shortest possible lection of engines. “We’ve narrowed post, she will oversee programs that account as adoption of a trijet layout—are “ab- development timeline.” things down a little bit, but we’re for more than $10.1 billion of the agency’s solutely still on the table,” says Scholl. Scholl concedes that low-boom still looking at a couple [of] options,” $22.6 billion fiscal 2020 spending plan. “That’s one of the real advantages we technology has a future. “[But it will he says. Although no details have Lueders has taken over from a troubled for- have with the XB-1. We will not be be] a long time before anyone knows been released, Boom is discussing mer boss before. She stepped in as manager completely finalized with the Over- how quiet is quiet enough,” he says. medium- bypass, nonafterburning en- of the Commercial Crew program in October ture until we have flown the XB-1, “The last thing you want to do is make gines based on derivatives of current 2013 after former manager Edward Mango and the calibration data we get from a big investment in it, and then miss it turbofans. Earlier, the company dis- was reassigned following a personnel issue. that deletes a lot of uncertainty. It is by a decibel and then all is for naught. closed it was studying two promising On May 31, Lueders and her team marked an enormous benefit to have flown a You also give up efficiency for quiet. So candidates, one based on a military the successful docking of the first Commer- similar configuration demonstrator we are still more convinced than ever core and the other a commercial one. cial Crew vehicle to carry astronauts to the aircraft: You’ve learned where your that there’s a meaningful market for Despite the debilitating impact of International Space Station (ISS), a flight NASA’s Commercial Crew Program Manager Kathryn Lueders, cheering assumptions are right and where they transoceanic [travel] where the most the coronavirus pandemic and eco- test that remains ongoing. the docking of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon at the International Space Station are wrong, and you’ve got data that important thing is efficiency and low- nomic slowdown, Boom remains “in That milestone, 10 years in the making, on May 31, was promoted two weeks later to associate administrator of you can carry forward to make sure boom doesn’t really help you.” a great cash position,” says Scholl. pales in comparison to the challenges Lueders Human Exploration and Operations. you develop Overture the first time Instead, as part of its drive for envi- “That’s allowed us to continue and, now faces. The Trump administration wants around,” he adds. ronmental sustainability, Boom’s noise in many cases, even accelerate what NASA to land a pair of astronauts on the south pole of the a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in industrial “The XB-1 is a critical step toward aspiration is to meet International we are doing.” This includes recruit- Moon in 2024, a goal that not only will require two flight engineering from New Mexico State University. mainstream supersonic travel,” says Civil Aviation Organization Chapter ing additional personnel as it shifts tests and the first operational mission of the long-delayed Commercial Crew Program Deputy Manager Steve Stich Brian Durrence, senior vice president 14/FAA Stage 5 landing and takeoff gears toward the Overture Part 25 Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule but also a succeeds Lueders as the head of the program. of Overture development. “It’s going noise standards with margin, which it certification design, as well as to commercially developed human landing system. Lueders is the first woman to head NASA’s Human Ex- to provide, and is providing, key tech- believes will also meet the FAA’s pro- open talks with more suppliers. “As Asked if NASA can meet that milestone, Lueders told ploration and Operations Mission Directorate. “What’s been nologies to help us move to safe, effi- posed standards for new supersonic Boeing and Airbus have retrenched, reporters on June 18: “We’re going to try. . . . If things come amazing to me over the last few days is seeing all the tweets, cient and sustainable supersonic travel. aircraft. As proposed for initial designs it’s created a good hunger in the sup- up along the way, where technically it takes us longer, then Snapchats, Instagrams, all the notes from all the girls out There’s really nothing like flying hard- with a maximum takeoff weight no ply base, and there’s more room for we’ll go figure it out. But right now, the team is trying.” there,” she says. “That really helps me realize the power of ware to take designs and working greater than 150,000 lb. and a maxi- new entrants to actually speed up “If you’re asking me if we’re going to land on the Moon my being first [and what] that means to them. knowledge to the next level. mum cruise speed up to Mach 1.8, the what they’re doing,” Scholl says. c in 2024, I’m going to tell you, yes, we can do it,” adds “I think when we can see ourselves in the people that are “For example, the design tools that standards—known as Supersonic Bridenstine. “We know it’s hard. We know that there’s out there, it makes us realize we can do it,” Lueders adds. we utilize for the XB-1 are the same Level 1 (SSL1)—do not cover the larger Check 6 Aviation Week editors discuss bound to be challenges . . . but it is absolutely possible.” “That’s very, very important for not only girls out there, but tools we’re planning on utilizing for the and faster Overture. However, Boom Boom’s project and have their questions Efforts by three previous administrations to move for all groups of people.” c Overture. For critical parts of the air- expects to work with the FAA using answered by CEO Blake Scholl: NASA’s human spaceflight activities beyond low Earth craft, such as the inlet, it will be great the SSL1 standards as a starting point AviationWeek.com/podcast orbit have failed to gain traction among lawmakers. —With Mark Carreau in Houston

58 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 59 SPACE

New Agreement Enables Use of U.S. ted to conducting the UK’s first vertical satellite launch through its UK Launchers From British Spaceports Spaceflight Program. “This agreement was necessary for any company look- UK-U.S. PACT SOLVES CONFLICT WITH TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER RULES ing to bring U.S. rocket technology to > the United Kingdom,” says company > FIRST UK VERTICAL SATELLITE LAUNCH EXPECTED IN EARLY 2020s spokesman Chip Eschenfelder. Christopher Ford, U.S. assistant Tony Osborne London secretary of state for international security and nonproliferation, says: ondon and Washington have technology is not transferred . . . [and “This TSA sets a strong missile non- signed off on security arrange- to make] sure it is handled in an appro- proliferation standard for how respon- Lments that will pave the way priate manner,” Kuh adds. sible nations should protect sensitive for U.S. cubesat and small-satellite The agreement is not without prec- technology in the conduct of satellite launchers to be lofted into low Earth edent. The U.S. and New Zealand also and rocket launches.” orbit from UK spaceports. have a TSA in place that has allowed Before launches begin, the TSA Two years in the making, the Tech- U.S. launcher company Rocket Lab needs to be ratified by the British Par- nology Safeguards Agreement (TSA), to conduct launches from its North liament. It also must approve the UK’s signed in Washington on June 17, per- Island Mahia Peninsula launch site. new Spaceflight Regulations, which are mits U.S. companies to operate from “There are implications for how expected to move to public consulta- UK spaceports and eases the export of people operate on the ground. There tion this summer. The regulations will space launch technology between the will be security checks in place and build on the UK’s regulatory frame- two countries. both countries have an understand- work for aviation and will confirm how licenses will be granted for spaceports, launch vehicle operators, and for the The TSA, allowing U.S. launchers to be lofted from provision of range and control services. the UK, will benefit Lockheed Martin. While U.S. companies may undertake the first launches from the UK, several British satellite launch companies such as Orbex and Skyrora are waiting in the wings to join them. Canada-based launch company C6 Launch Systems Inc. has said it wants to use the planned Shetland Space Centre, a vertical launch site planned for Saxa Vord in the Shetland Islands. The company tells Aviation Week that it does not expect any export restrictions for its launch vehicle, although the UK/U.S. TSA will help with the export of the engines. The UK is seen as an attractive launch location for access to polar LOCKHEED MARTIN and sun-synchronous orbits. Much of While it is not unusual for one coun- ing how things will be managed,” he the focus is on Space Hub Sutherland, try to want to launch satellites from says. “We are also getting maximum where development is gaining pace another, transferring the launch sys- flexibility for the operators.” (AW&ST July 30-Aug. 19, 2018, p. 45). tems is wrapped in complexity—due A clear beneficiary of the TSA is Highlands and Islands Enterprise in part to counterproliferation rules Lockheed Martin, which secured £31 (HIE), the regional development such as the Missile Technology Con- million ($39 million) in funding from the agency leading the project, submit- trol Regime (MTCR), to which the UK UK Space Agency in July 2018 to set ted plans for the construction of the and U.S. are both signatories. up launch operations from Space Hub vertical launch site in February. If the “Space launch vehicles are technical- Sutherland in northern Scotland with application is approved, construction ly indistinguishable from weapon de- U.S.-developed launchers. Company could begin later this year, says HIE, livery systems, so transferring a space officials had previously suggested they enabling launches as early as 2022. launch vehicle from one country to an- could use the Electron launcher, lean- Britain wants to be able to launch other is caught by the MTCR,” Andrew ing on a partnership with Rocket Lab. satellites as part of its strategy to grow Kuh, head of international spaceflight The agreements also smooth the the country’s domestic space industry policy at the UK Space Agency, tells way for Virgin Orbit, which received and capture 10% of the global commer- Aviation Week. Kuh has been closely funding to support horizontal launch cial space market by 2030, equivalent involved in the negotiations. operations from Cornwall Airport to around £40 billion. c “The TSA sets out how the U.S. and Newquay in England. UK will work together to ensure that Lockheed Martin says it is commit- —With Jen DiMascio in Washington

60 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST SPACE

New Agreement Enables Use of U.S. ted to conducting the UK’s first ver- Building a Spaceport ‘Network’ infrastructure projects at 10 current tical satellite launch through its UK and proposed commercial spaceports, Launchers From British Spaceports Spaceflight Program. “This agreement > FAA SEEKS INDUSTRY ADVICE ON SPACEPORT DEVELOPMENT with a total estimated cost of $382 mil- was necessary for any company look- lion, according to the GSA. “Incredi- UK-U.S. PACT SOLVES CONFLICT WITH TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER RULES ing to bring U.S. rocket technology to > AIR FORCE PLANS THE TRANSITION OF FEDERAL LAUNCH RANGES bly, given the importance of space to > the United Kingdom,” says company our nation’s defense and our national > FIRST UK VERTICAL SATELLITE LAUNCH EXPECTED IN EARLY 2020s spokesman Chip Eschenfelder. Bill Carey Washington economy, there is no current federal Christopher Ford, U.S. assistant program that provides financial sup- Tony Osborne London secretary of state for international he FAA is developing a space- the Eastern and Western ranges into port for space transportation infra- security and nonproliferation, says: port infrastructure grant pro- quasi-governmental entities similar to structure in general, or for spaceports ondon and Washington have technology is not transferred . . . [and “This TSA sets a strong missile non- Tgram and at the same time seek- a civilian port authority,” said James in particular,” the report states. signed off on security arrange- to make] sure it is handled in an appro- proliferation standard for how respon- ing advice on a U.S. Air Force plan to Hatt, the committee’s FAA-designated Among possible funding chan- Lments that will pave the way priate manner,” Kuh adds. sible nations should protect sensitive commercialize the service’s Eastern federal officer. nels are: the Airport Improvement for U.S. cubesat and small-satellite The agreement is not without prec- technology in the conduct of satellite and Western space launch ranges. “The FAA seeks Comstac’s input on Program, the Space Transportation launchers to be lofted into low Earth edent. The U.S. and New Zealand also and rocket launches.” There are now 12 FAA-licensed this idea,” Hatt added. “How might a Infrastructure Matching Grants Pro- orbit from UK spaceports. have a TSA in place that has allowed Before launches begin, the TSA spaceports in the U.S. and 12 more be- National Spaceport Authority focused gram, Transportation Department Two years in the making, the Tech- U.S. launcher company Rocket Lab needs to be ratified by the British Par- ing planned, creating pressure on the exclusively on the Eastern and West- discretionary grants and a joint FAA/ nology Safeguards Agreement (TSA), to conduct launches from its North liament. It also must approve the UK’s agency to better organize and support ern ranges affect the commercial Defense Department infrastructure signed in Washington on June 17, per- Island Mahia Peninsula launch site. new Spaceflight Regulations, which are those facilities to match the growth space transportation industry? What program, each of which would need to mits U.S. companies to operate from “There are implications for how expected to move to public consulta- of commercial space activity. Into are the benefits and disadvantages of be modified, the GSA says. UK spaceports and eases the export of people operate on the ground. There tion this summer. The regulations will the mix, the Pentagon is developing this concept?” The organization suggests the space launch technology between the will be security checks in place and build on the UK’s regulatory frame- a “National Spaceport” construct to two countries. both countries have an understand- work for aviation and will confirm how integrate commercial space launches Current and Proposed U.S. Spaceports licenses will be granted for spaceports, at Cape Canaveral AFS, Florida, and Poker Flat launch vehicle operators, and for the Research Vandenberg AFB, California, respec- Range FAA-Licensed Launch Site The TSA, allowing U.S. launchers to be lofted from provision of range and control services. tively the Eastern and Western ranges. Federal Launch and Landing Site the UK, will benefit Lockheed Martin. While U.S. companies may under- Addressing a June 22 online meeting Private Launch and Landing Site Paciﬁc take the first launches from the UK, of the Commercial Space Transporta- Spaceport Complex several British satellite launch com- Alaska Colorado Air and tion Advisory Committee (Comstac), Space Port panies such as Orbex and Skyrora FAA executives said the agency is Mid-Atlantic are waiting in the wings to join them. seeking industry guidance on support- Dugway Regional Spaceport Vandenberg AFB Wallops Canada-based launch company C6 ing spaceports through infrastructure Mojave Air and Space Port Flight Facility Launch Systems Inc. has said it wants funding and accommodating the Air San Nicolas Island Edwards AFB Proposed Commercial Spaceport Oklahoma Air America to use the planned Shetland Space Force’s vision for the federal ranges. Spaceports Willcox Playa and Space Port Centre, a vertical launch site planned Pam Underwood, appointed as di- • Alabama Spaceport Tucson • Arizona Midland Cecil Spaceport for Saxa Vord in the Shetland Islands. rector of the FAA Office of Spaceports • Brownsville, Texas White Sands Kennedy Space Missile Range The company tells Aviation Week in March, said the agency is already • Camden County, Georgia Center • Guam West Texas Houston Spaceport {Cape Canaveral • Hawaii Launch Site AFS that it does not expect any export developing an “internal plan” for a Space Coast • Michigan McGregor restrictions for its launch vehicle, al- spaceport infrastructure grant pro- • Poker Flat Research Range, Alaska Test Facility Boca Chica Spaceport Florida though the UK/U.S. TSA will help with gram in advance of Congress appro- • Puerto Rico • Stennis International Airport, Mississippi Other Government Sites the export of the engines. priating funds. • Waco, Texas • Guam • Marshall Islands The UK is seen as an attractive “It’s important for us as the Office • Yuma, Arizona Source: Global Spaceport Alliance launch location for access to polar of Spaceports to make sure that we’re LOCKHEED MARTIN and sun-synchronous orbits. Much of ready and have a plan together to fa- In advance of the first Comstac phased creation of a $100 million per While it is not unusual for one coun- ing how things will be managed,” he the focus is on Space Hub Sutherland, cilitate and implement that as it is meeting under new chairwoman year Spaceport Network Improvement try to want to launch satellites from says. “We are also getting maximum where development is gaining pace funded,” Underwood said. “[I]nfra- Charity Weeden, representing space Program. Grants would be paid from a another, transferring the launch sys- flexibility for the operators.” (AW&ST July 30-Aug. 19, 2018, p. 45). structure improvements are going to debris removal company Astroscale Spaceport and Spaceway Trust Fund tems is wrapped in complexity—due A clear beneficiary of the TSA is Highlands and Islands Enterprise be needed as we go forward to main- U.S., the Global Spaceport Alliance derived from a cargo tax on satellites, in part to counterproliferation rules Lockheed Martin, which secured £31 (HIE), the regional development tain the pace of the industry.” (GSA) in June released a 44-page re- payloads and experiments, plus a such as the Missile Technology Con- million ($39 million) in funding from the agency leading the project, submit- The FAA is also working with the port describing a proposed national spaceflight participant ticket tax. trol Regime (MTCR), to which the UK UK Space Agency in July 2018 to set ted plans for the construction of the Air Force-led U.S. Space Force on the spaceport policy. The Alexandria, Virginia-based GSA and U.S. are both signatories. up launch operations from Space Hub vertical launch site in February. If the “transition” of the Eastern and West- The GSA’s National Spaceport does not favor separate treatment of “Space launch vehicles are technical- Sutherland in northern Scotland with application is approved, construction ern ranges, Underwood said. The Air Network Development Plan calls for the Eastern and Western ranges. ly indistinguishable from weapon de- U.S.-developed launchers. Company could begin later this year, says HIE, Force issued a request for information combining current and prospective “Adopting more commercial prac- livery systems, so transferring a space officials had previously suggested they enabling launches as early as 2022. in September seeking guidance on commercial spaceports with govern- tices for acquisition, scheduling and launch vehicle from one country to an- could use the Electron launcher, lean- Britain wants to be able to launch management concepts for collocated ment-owned and privately owned resource management will certainly other is caught by the MTCR,” Andrew ing on a partnership with Rocket Lab. satellites as part of its strategy to grow spaceports. launch and landing sites under the offer the opportunity for more effi- Kuh, head of international spaceflight The agreements also smooth the the country’s domestic space industry During the meeting, the agency oversight of the Office of Spaceports. cient operations. However, if this is policy at the UK Space Agency, tells way for Virgin Orbit, which received and capture 10% of the global commer- asked Comstac to provide an industry The FAA office would be responsible accomplished by creating two taxpay- Aviation Week. Kuh has been closely funding to support horizontal launch cial space market by 2030, equivalent perspective on what the end result of for regulating the network of some 40 er-supported ‘national spaceports,’ it involved in the negotiations. operations from Cornwall Airport to around £40 billion. c the transition should be. sites and distributing funding for infra- would make it very difficult for other “The TSA sets out how the U.S. and Newquay in England. “The Department of the Air Force is structure projects. spaceports to compete financially,” the UK will work together to ensure that Lockheed Martin says it is commit- —With Jen DiMascio in Washington exploring the possibility of converting There is a need for 44 spaceport report states. c

60 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 61 ASK THE EDITORS What Is Projected Aircraft Mechanic Supply and Demand in the Near Term?

We know that going into the results also shed light on a potential more interest for younger generations COVID-19 crisis, we were facing a industry concern: 28% of respondents and more job opportunities, so he ex- major shortage of licensed aircraft believed new hires in the industry pects there to be robust hiring in the mechanics. How do you see supply would look elsewhere for employment. wake of COVID-19. and demand playing out over the There is certainly unease in avia- While restrictions on gatherings next 12-36 months? tion about potential workers accept- during the pandemic have also hin- ing employment in other industries, dered some STEM initiatives, schools MRO Reporter Lindsay Bjerregaard particularly if aviation is perceived to and organizations continue to focus answers: Despite a downturn in avia- be a less stable sector after the pan- on creating interest in aviation tech- tion, demand for skilled technical per- demic. “That airframe and powerplant nical careers with younger genera- sonnel will remain high as we move [A&P] ticket is a valued commodity in tions. The recently launched industry into recovery mode, particularly because there was such a huge shortage before the COVID-19 crisis. A major driver of this demand is an aging workforce. In Europe, Airbus has projected that aviation’s technical workforce will be badly affected by increasing retirements of baby boomers, and in the U.S., 30% of aviation mechanics are 60 years or older, according to the Aviation Technician Education Council (ATEC). Industry officials tell Aviation Week privately that the coronavirus crisis has accelerated the wave of retire - ments. Eric Jones, department chair of Aviation Maintenance Sciences at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Universi- ty, sees a similar trend at airlines. And Shonu Bamrah, director of the British School of Aviation, notes that voluntary retirements by older workers are creating open positions, despite some companies imposing hiring freezes. In the near-term, the pandemic will temporarily reduce the pool of quali- LAKE AREA TECHNICAL INSTITUTE fied graduates needed for the future other industries because [other com- nonprofit Choose Aerospace is using workforce. “There is actually going panies] know what kind of training pandemic-driven advances in online to be a little bit of a shortage right you received in school,” notes Jack training as an opportunity to promote now because of the lower number of O’Callaghan, American Airlines’ tech- aerospace career opportunities. graduates this year due to COVID-19, nical crew chief at Chicago O’Hare “One of the things we have been and a lot of the schools in the ATEC International Airport points out. doing well is promoting technical group feel that they’re going to pro- “Disneyland hires A&P mechanics education for the last couple of years duce about 20% fewer graduates this because [they’ve] got a background in as a very important career pathway,” year,” says James Hall, dean of Avi- pneumatics, hydraulics and electrics.” Hall says. “I think you’re going to see ation Technologies at Wichita State However, Bamrah and Hall say that will continue even more so once University Campus of Applied Scienc- interest in aviation technical train- the group restrictions are lifted.” c es and Technology (WSU Tech). ing remains high—and has even An audience poll during the Avia- increased at the British School of tion Week Network’s “Aircraft Main- Aviation during the pandemic lock- The Aviation Week Network invites tenance Training During COVID-19” down. Jones says the aviation indus- readers to submit questions to our web inar found that 43% of respon- try’s diversification into areas such editors. Answers are published online dents expected the impact of the as commercial space, electric verti- at AviationWeek.com. To access our pandemic on training and graduation cal-takeoff-and-landing vehicles and answer archive or post a new question, to delay eligible 2020 hires. The poll unmanned aerial systems is providing go to: AviationWeek.com/asktheeditors

62 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST POINT/ COUNTERPOINT ASK THE EDITORS What Is Projected Aircraft Mechanic Continued from page 66

Supply and Demand in the Near Term? for Ukraine’s efforts, providing it with useful reconnais- China and others and involved upward of 120,000 troops. sance footage at the same time. Also of concern, the U.S. director of national intelligence Since Open Skies photos are not classified and are noted recently: “For years, Russia has used the Open shared among treaty parties, they can be used publicly, Skies Treaty to collect intelligence on civilian infrastruc- We know that going into the results also shed light on a potential more interest for younger generations unlike classified spy satellite pictures. Open Skies data ture and other sensitive sites in America, posing an un- COVID-19 crisis, we were facing a industry concern: 28% of respondents and more job opportunities, so he ex- collected over thousands of square miles of Ukrainian and acceptable risk to our national security.” Exiting the OST major shortage of licensed aircraft believed new hires in the industry pects there to be robust hiring in the Russian territory allowed the U.S. to call out Russia for its will put a stop to this. mechanics. How do you see supply would look elsewhere for employment. wake of COVID-19. destabilizing actions in eastern Ukraine and provide the The latest OST provocation is Russia’s decision to des- and demand playing out over the There is certainly unease in avia- While restrictions on gatherings world community with photos as proof. It is a lot harder ignate an airfield in illegally annexed Crimea for Open next 12-36 months? tion about potential workers accept- during the pandemic have also hin- for Russia to criticize as fake the photos of military move- Skies purposes. Its intention? To propagandize—through ing employment in other industries, dered some STEM initiatives, schools ments when it agreed in a treaty to the method of collec- the treaty—that the Crimean Peninsula is a part of Russia MRO Reporter Lindsay Bjerregaard particularly if aviation is perceived to and organizations continue to focus tion and preservation. rather than Ukraine. answers: Despite a downturn in avia- be a less stable sector after the pan- on creating interest in aviation tech- Maintaining the treaty has not been without challenges. Cost is also an issue. The U.S. Air Force’s two Open Skies tion, demand for skilled technical per- demic. “That airframe and powerplant nical careers with younger genera- I was one of many senior U.S. officials who confronted Rus- OC-135 aircraft are old and need to be replaced. In addition sonnel will remain high as we move [A&P] ticket is a valued commodity in tions. The recently launched industry to the annual operating costs, replacing the OC-135 with into recovery mode, particularly be- GIVING UP ON THE TREATY REPRESENTS newer airframes could cost some $200 million. cause there was such a huge shortage Plus, it is also fair to assert that the photographic im- before the COVID-19 crisis. A SIGNIFICANT LOSS TO THE U.S., DISADVANTAGES agery taken on OST missions, while releasable to all OST A major driver of this demand is member states, has been superseded by high-tech satel- an aging workforce. In Europe, Airbus OUR FRIENDS AND HELPS OUR ADVERSARIES. lite systems that provide potentially better information has projected that aviation’s techni- more quickly. cal workforce will be badly affected To its credit, despite clear-cut Russian violations, the by increasing retirements of baby sia about its illegal limitation on flights over Kaliningrad Trump administration undertook a months-long, inter- boomers, and in the U.S., 30% of avi- and near the Georgian border. But those grievances, while agency review of the costs and benefits of continuing in ation mechanics are 60 years or older, real, are not worth the consequences of ditching the treaty. the OST. The administration also consulted closely with according to the Aviation Technician Russia is a giant country and has many useful observation OST allies and partners before making its final decision. Education Council (ATEC). targets, especially during military exercises. Giving up the It of course has made its concerns known to the Russian Industry officials tell Aviation Week ability to observe 99% of its territory because of a problem side over time, which chose to remain in breach of the privately that the coronavirus crisis with less than 1% is foolish. And we have made good use of treaty protocols despite protests. has accelerated the wave of retire - this access, conducting missions over Russia three times In the end, the Trump administration judged that Rus- ments. Eric Jones, department chair as often as Russian aircraft overfly the U.S. sia is willfully breaking, even abusing, the OST. The open- of Aviation Maintenance Sciences at But the real insanity, from my perspective, is the con- ness, transparency, cooperation and trust that uphold Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Universi- tinued self-inflicted erosion of U.S. world leadership accel- military confidence- and security-building measures can- ty, sees a similar trend at airlines. And erated by an exit from Open Skies. Our NATO Allies rely not happen unless both sides abide by them. Shonu Bamrah, director of the British on their own Open Skies aircraft to understand what In addition, as a general principle, there must be con- School of Aviation, notes that volun- Russia is up to, especially because they have more-limited sequences for noncompliance with a treaty. Continuing to tary retirements by older workers are satellite capabilities. In response to Trump’s announce- ignore OST violations could encourage additional Russian creating open positions, despite some ment, 11 allied and partner countries issued a statement bad behavior in arms control—and potentially elsewhere. companies imposing hiring freezes. regretting the decision and affirming their support for Moreover, Moscow’s violations of the OST only add to In the near-term, the pandemic will the agreement. Abandoning a treaty that we developed, deep-seated concerns about Russian belligerence in temporarily reduce the pool of quali- LAKE AREA TECHNICAL INSTITUTE negotiated and persuaded our allies to join leaves them Europe, including violations of and participation in other fied graduates needed for the future other industries because [other com- nonprofit Choose Aerospace is using in the lurch. It also further diminishes our ability to lead international security treaties. workforce. “There is actually going panies] know what kind of training pandemic-driven advances in online the democratic world and produce outcomes favorable It is important not to forget Russia’s material breach to be a little bit of a shortage right you received in school,” notes Jack training as an opportunity to promote to us. If the treaty completely falls apart following a U.S. of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, its now because of the lower number of O’Callaghan, American Airlines’ tech- aerospace career opportunities. withdrawal, Russia will have the perfect talking point to suspension of participation in the Conventional Armed graduates this year due to COVID-19, nical crew chief at Chicago O’Hare “One of the things we have been persuade other nations that we are an unreliable partner. Forces in Europe Treaty and its defiance of the Chemical and a lot of the schools in the ATEC International Airport points out. doing well is promoting technical Russia will also have greater freedom to make trouble in Weapons Convention. group feel that they’re going to pro- “Disneyland hires A&P mechanics education for the last couple of years areas we care about. The Trump administration is open to remaining in duce about 20% fewer graduates this because [they’ve] got a background in as a very important career pathway,” The U.S. is a powerful country, not because of its weap- the treaty if Russia comes back into compliance. “But,” year,” says James Hall, dean of Avi- pneumatics, hydraulics and electrics.” Hall says. “I think you’re going to see ons but because its ideas have been attractive to people Trump said, “Russia didn’t adhere to the treaty, so un- ation Technologies at Wichita State However, Bamrah and Hall say that will continue even more so once around the world, helping to build friendships and alli- til they adhere, we will pull out. But there’s a very good University Campus of Applied Scienc- interest in aviation technical train- the group restrictions are lifted.” c ances that make it stronger, more prosperous and safer. chance we’ll make a new agreement or do something to es and Technology (WSU Tech). ing remains high—and has even Abandoning this leadership role, together with the arms put that agreement back together.” An audience poll during the Avia- increased at the British School of control agreements that have kept Americans safe since The White House is well within its rights to initiate a tion Week Network’s “Aircraft Main- Aviation during the pandemic lock- The Aviation Week Network invites the Cold War, truly is insane. c withdrawal from the OST—and that decision is complete- tenance Training During COVID-19” down. Jones says the aviation indus- readers to submit questions to our ly justified by the Kremlin’s longstanding and unending web inar found that 43% of respon- try’s diversification into areas such editors. Answers are published online Greg Delawie, a retired foreign service officer and former ambas- violations of the spirit and letter of this treaty. c dents expected the impact of the as commercial space, electric verti- at AviationWeek.com. To access our sador to Kosovo, was deputy assistant secretary of state for arms pandemic on training and graduation cal-takeoff-and-landing vehicles and answer archive or post a new question, control and was responsible for the Open Skies Treaty from 2012 Peter Brookes is a Heritage Foundation senior fellow and a former to delay eligible 2020 hires. The poll unmanned aerial systems is providing go to: AviationWeek.com/asktheeditors to 2015. deputy assistant secretary of defense.

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64 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 65 POINT/ COUNTERPOINT Should the U.S. Exit the Open Skies Treaty? U.S. AIR FORCE

NO A Withdrawal Hurts Friends, YES Russia’s Cheating Helps Adversaries Has Made It Moot

By Greg Delawie By Peter Brookes

n a move former CIA Director Michael Hayden called espite objections both in the U.S. and abroad, “insane,” President Donald Trump decided on May 21 to the decision by the administration of President Iwithdraw from a little-known arms control agreement DDonald Trump to withdraw from the 1992 Trea- called the Open Skies Treaty. This agreement, negotiated ty on Open Skies (OST) is fully justified for a number of in the early 1990s between NATO and Warsaw Pact coun- rock-solid reasons. tries and brought into force in 2002, provides for coopera- For the past decade, Russia has been deliberately vio- tive aerial-monitoring flights over 34 member states. lating the 34-nation confidence- and security-building The U.S. and its allies primarily use the treaty to over- treaty, which allows unarmed aerial observation flights fly and photograph military installations and exercises in over member states’ territory in the interest of military Russia. Giving up on the treaty represents a significant transparency. loss to the U.S., disadvantages our friends and helps our Using onboard cameras, OST missions—if conducted adversaries. as the treaty envisions—potentially provide early warn- These flights are not about espionage; there are Russian ing of military aggression, observe ongoing exercises and treaty experts on a U.S. aircraft when it is photographing even possibly help verify arms control and other agree- their country, just as there are American experts on the ments. But that is not happening due to Moscow’s failure Russian aircraft when it is over the U.S. There are also to comply. strict limits on the resolution of the aircraft’s cameras The list of Russian violations is unfortunately significant. and other sensors—they can do no better than “tell a tank In 2010, Moscow started preventing OST observation flights from a truck”—and the specialists are there to make sure from approaching to within 10 km (6.2 mi.) of Russia’s bor- the limits are not violated. Instead, the Open Skies Treaty der with the Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkha- is about monitoring, signaling and influencing. zia. While South Ossetia and Abkhazia are within the bor- Believe it or not, using aircraft in the satellite age has ders of Georgia, Moscow considers these Russian- occupied some advantages. For example, the U.S. has to provide areas to be “independent” states and, therefore, not party to only 24-hr. notice of the flight route for reconnaissance the OST. As such, OST missions cannot observe them un- missions over Russia. This means the U.S. can take pic- der the treaty. Or so goes the Russian argument. tures of exercises and other interesting events that have Then there is the Kremlin’s restriction on OST flights been planned to avoid observation by spy satellites—since to 500 km in length over the highly militarized Russian Russia knows where the satellites are and when they will exclave of Kaliningrad, located between NATO members come into view, and it can use this information to hide Lithuania and Poland on the Baltic Sea. That transgression things from observation. goes back to 2014. When Ukraine, defending itself from Russian-supported In addition, last September, Moscow denied a request military action in its east, asked for U.S. Open Skies flights, for a U.S.-Canada OST flight over the Russian Tsentr-2019 numerous missions were conducted to signal U.S. support strategic-level exercises. The military drills included

Continued on page 63 66 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST POINT/ COUNTERPOINT Should the U.S. Exit the Open Skies Treaty? U.S. AIR FORCE

NO A Withdrawal Hurts Friends, YES Russia’s Cheating Helps Adversaries Has Made It Moot

By Greg Delawie By Peter Brookes n a move former CIA Director Michael Hayden called espite objections both in the U.S. and abroad, “insane,” President Donald Trump decided on May 21 to the decision by the administration of President Iwithdraw from a little-known arms control agreement DDonald Trump to withdraw from the 1992 Trea- called the Open Skies Treaty. This agreement, negotiated ty on Open Skies (OST) is fully justified for a number of in the early 1990s between NATO and Warsaw Pact coun- rock-solid reasons. tries and brought into force in 2002, provides for coopera- For the past decade, Russia has been deliberately vio- tive aerial-monitoring flights over 34 member states. lating the 34-nation confidence- and security-building The U.S. and its allies primarily use the treaty to over- treaty, which allows unarmed aerial observation flights fly and photograph military installations and exercises in over member states’ territory in the interest of military Russia. Giving up on the treaty represents a significant transparency. loss to the U.S., disadvantages our friends and helps our Using onboard cameras, OST missions—if conducted adversaries. as the treaty envisions—potentially provide early warn- These flights are not about espionage; there are Russian ing of military aggression, observe ongoing exercises and treaty experts on a U.S. aircraft when it is photographing even possibly help verify arms control and other agree- their country, just as there are American experts on the ments. But that is not happening due to Moscow’s failure Russian aircraft when it is over the U.S. There are also to comply. strict limits on the resolution of the aircraft’s cameras The list of Russian violations is unfortunately significant. and other sensors—they can do no better than “tell a tank In 2010, Moscow started preventing OST observation flights from a truck”—and the specialists are there to make sure from approaching to within 10 km (6.2 mi.) of Russia’s bor- the limits are not violated. Instead, the Open Skies Treaty der with the Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkha- is about monitoring, signaling and influencing. zia. While South Ossetia and Abkhazia are within the bor- Believe it or not, using aircraft in the satellite age has ders of Georgia, Moscow considers these Russian- occupied some advantages. For example, the U.S. has to provide areas to be “independent” states and, therefore, not party to only 24-hr. notice of the flight route for reconnaissance the OST. As such, OST missions cannot observe them un- missions over Russia. This means the U.S. can take pic- der the treaty. Or so goes the Russian argument. tures of exercises and other interesting events that have Then there is the Kremlin’s restriction on OST flights been planned to avoid observation by spy satellites—since to 500 km in length over the highly militarized Russian Russia knows where the satellites are and when they will exclave of Kaliningrad, located between NATO members come into view, and it can use this information to hide Lithuania and Poland on the Baltic Sea. That transgression things from observation. goes back to 2014. When Ukraine, defending itself from Russian-supported In addition, last September, Moscow denied a request military action in its east, asked for U.S. Open Skies flights, for a U.S.-Canada OST flight over the Russian Tsentr-2019 numerous missions were conducted to signal U.S. support strategic-level exercises. The military drills included

Continued on page 63 66 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JUNE 29-JULY 12, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST Constantly evolving technology, for a constantly evolving world.

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