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STARTS AFTER PAGE 34 Boeing’s 787 Aircraft Production Building a Hydrogen Quality Misses Is It Still Too High? Infrastructure ™ RICH MEDIA EXCLUSIVE $14.95 SEPTEMBER 14-27, 2020 BEYOND THE MQ-9 Digital Edition Copyright Notice The content contained in this digital edition (“Digital Material”), as well as its selection and arrangement, is owned by Informa. and its affiliated companies, licensors, and suppliers, and is protected by their respective copyright, trademark and other proprietary rights. 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Number 18 By Article: AviationWeek.com/awst By Issue: AviationWeek.com/awst_current Download and Read O ine: AviationWeek.com/download DEPARTMENTS 5 | Feedback 16 | The Launchpad 6 | Who’s Where 6 4 | Marketplace NOAA’s GOES-East satellite 8-9 | First Take 65 | Contact Us 60 captured this image of a hurricane 10 | Up Front 65 | Aerospace o the coast of Florida. 12 | Going Concerns Calendar 14 | Leading Edge FEATURES COMMERCIAL AVIATION UNMANNED AVIATION 22 | New 787 problems spotlight 34 | Reliable Robotics reveals auton- 18 | Reality Bites Boeing’s quality issues omous Caravan for cargo Most observers agree aircraft manufacturers are too optimistic 24 | Border openings and uniformity TECHNOLOGY about demand for new aircraft crucial to airline recovery, CEOs say 36 | U.S. Air Force contract launches new supersonic jet company 26 | European airlines warn of barriers 40 | Adaptive Aims to recovery SUSTAINABILITY U.S. defense propulsion research 38 Startup tackles barrier to takes on new and di erent | DEFENSE decarbonizing with hydrogen challenges including a ordable 28 | The UK plans a bespoke AESA and attritable engines for missiles radar for Typhoon retrofi t DEFENSE and UAVs 57 | Reforging of U.S. Air Force pilot 29 | Finnish needs prompt Saab air- training hits new complications 50 | Hunter-Killer II launched decoy development Northrop Grumman and ASK THE EDITORS Lockheed Martin unveil details of 30 | Russia reveals unmanned Grom 63 | Questions about destabilizing of their MQ-9 replacement projects loyal wingman concept hypersonic weapons and stealth SPACE VIEWPOINT 58 | Brain Drain 32 | Vega and Electron return to 66 | Many companies miss the chance As industry ranks are decimated, service with new o erings to leapfrog the status quo OEMs and top-tier companies already are worried about losing too many talented workers ON THE COVER 60 | What’s Next for NOAA To target the looming threat of mobile missile launchers in Russia and China, Northrop Grumman The U.S. agency expands is developing an SG-2 next-generation hunter-killer UAS that could swarm behind enemy lines or partnerships, adding new neutralize electronic threats. Defense Editor Steve Trimble’s report on this and Lockheed Martin’s weather-monitoring tech concept for an MQ-9 replacement begins on page 50. Northrop Grumman concept image. and moving to cloud-based Aviation Week publishes a digital edition every week. Read it at AviationWeek.com/AWST data services DIGITAL EXTRAS Access exclusive online features from articles accompanied by this icon. AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/SEPTEMBER 14-27, 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 Associate Managing Editor Andrea Hollowell Art Director Lisa Caputo Artists Thomas De Pierro, Rosa Pineda, Colin Throm Copy Editors Jack Freifelder, Arturo Mora, Natalia Pelayo, Andy Savoie Production Editors Audra Avizienis, Theresa Petruso Contributing Photographer Joseph Pries Director, Digital Content Strategy Rupa Haria Content Marketing Manager Rija Tariq Data & Analytics Director, Forecasts and Aerospace Insights Brian Kough 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] OUR CAPABILITIES AIRCRAFT LEGACY THE LIFE OF YOUR EXPANDING EXTENDING Chicago Lee Ann Shay [email protected] 5 World Class Frankfurt Manufacturing and Jens Flottau [email protected] MRO Facilities Houston Mark Carreau [email protected] London The Leading Global Tony Osborne [email protected] Provider of OEM Los Angeles Pedigree Parts Guy Norris [email protected] Lyon Trusted to Keep Thierry Dubois [email protected] Your Fleets Flying Moscow for Over 45 Years Maxim Pyadushkin [email protected] Paris Helen Massy-Beresford [email protected] 818-678-6555 Washington Jen DiMascio [email protected] [email protected] Wichita Molly McMillin [email protected] President, Aviation Week Network Gregory Hamilton Managing Director, Intelligence & Data Services Anne McMahon 4 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/SEPTEMBER 14-27, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST FEEDBACK Editor-In-Chief Joseph C. Anselmo [email protected] FIDDLING WHILE ROME BURNS ‘INFINITE WING’ Executive Editors My July viewpoint (July 13-26, p. 74) about the systemic On behalf of my husband, Roger Read, a long-time subscrib- Jen DiMascio (Defense and Space) [email protected] mismanagement of GPS and how perennial GPS managers er to your magazine who died Dec. 24, 2019, I would like to Jens Flottau (Commercial Aviation) [email protected] wield enough power to resist accountability points out that thank your editorial team for the very excellent tool Aviation Graham Warwick (Technology) [email protected] this has caused GPS to fall behind the Chinese and Euro- Week provided him. In his retirement years—after a long Editors Lindsay Bjerregaard, Sean Broderick, Michael Bruno, Bill Carey, Thierry Dubois, pean systems while remaining vulnerable to adversary career in aerial survey and aerial photography and as a William Garvey, Ben Goldstein, Lee Hudson, Irene