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The Safran-led SAGE 2 14 open-rotor tests were run in Istres, France, in 2017.

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DEPARTMENTS 6 | Feedback 13 | Airline Intel 7 | Who’s Where 64 | Marketplace 8- 9 | First Take 65 | Contact Us 10 | Up Front 65 | Aerospace 11 | Going Concerns Calendar 12 | Inside Business Aviation

FEATURES DEFENSE SPACE 24 | DARPA-funded study proposes 46 | Chinese multishot Moon landing 14 | Shaping Up hypersonic production facility plan relies on a new rocket Safran and GE Avio propose an open-rotor flight demonstration 30 | U.S. Army flexes new land-based 55 | NASA asteroid sampler nails for Europe’s Clean Aviation anti-ship capabilities touch-and-go maneuver

42 | Ready to Roc 32 | Team Tempest seeks path to U.S. ELECTION PREVIEW Stratolaunch upgrades carrier approval for technology 58 | How presidential candidates may aircraft and prepares to offer 34 Airbus Spain pursues new manage stagnant defense budget hypersonic test capability in 2022 | advanced jet trainer concept 60 | Aerospace-seasoned candidates 48 | ISS Turns 20 35 Japan moves ahead with electro- challenge two powerful senators The 15-nation program marks | magnetic warfare aircraft 20 years of continuous human ASK THE EDITORS presence in low Earth orbit CARGO 61 | How much time will new Boeing 737 MAX pilot training take? 56 | 2020 Laureates Awards 36 | Cargo conversion specialists see strong demand despite COVID-19 Aviation Week presented the Grand MARKETPLACE Laureates and Lifetime Achievement AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT 62 | Startups embrace additive manu- awards and honored U.S. military 38 | Europe presses ahead with facturing for speed to market cadets in a virtual event modernizing air traffic management VIEWPOINT 40 | The FAA envisions integrated 66 | Certification standards for human COMMERCIAL AVIATION but distinct airspace layers pilots also could be applied to AI 17 | Boeing’s rare forecast reductions underscore the pandemic’s reach ON THE COVER 19 | Airlines face winter capacity cuts as demand remains depressed The world is close to celebrating the 20th anniversary of continuous human presence in space on the International Space Station, which has hosted 64 crews, including NASA astronauts Bob Behnken PROPULSION and Chris Cassidy, members of Expedition 63, who are pictured on a spacewalk in July to install 20 | VoltAero Cassio offers “a la carte” hardware and upgrade the station. Our coverage, led by Space Editor Irene Klotz, begins on page 48. hybrid-electric propulsion NASA photo by Doug Hurley. BUSINESS Aviation Week publishes a digital edition every week. Read it at AviationWeek.com/AWST 22 | Private equity pushes into aerospace and defense DIGITAL EXTRAS Access exclusive online features from articles accompanied by this icon.

AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 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 Go beyond the Phone: +1 (202) 517-1100 news of the day 605 Third Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10158 Phone: +1 (212) 204-4200 with Aviation Week Bureau Chiefs Auckland Intelligence Network’s Adrian [email protected] Market Briefi ngs. Cape Canaveral Irene Klotz [email protected] Chicago Lee Ann Shay [email protected] Frankfurt • Stay ahead of the Jens Flottau [email protected] market Houston Mark Carreau [email protected] • Identify new London opportunities Tony Osborne [email protected] Los Angeles • Drive revenue Guy Norris [email protected] Lyon Thierry Dubois [email protected] Moscow Maxim Pyadushkin [email protected] Learn more: Paris aviationweek.com/ Helen Massy-Beresford [email protected] Washington marketbriefi ngs Jen DiMascio [email protected] Wichita Molly McMillin [email protected]

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‘WHERE WE’VE BEEN, WHERE WE’RE GOING’ ‘A DOUBLE WHAMMY’ As an ex-pat Brit who Space Editor Irene Klotz did a has much enjoyed living great job on the recent webinar in the U.S. since retire- “NASA Administrators Panel: ment from the Royal Air Where We’ve Been, Where Force in 1985, how sad We’re Going” with Dan Gol- and disappointed I was din, Sean O’Keefe and Charles to read Antoine Gelain’s Bolden. Dan, Sean and Charlie commentary about Rolls- were great, and I so enjoyed Royce in my latest copy of their stories. I served in the AW&ST (Oct. 12-25, p. 10). Mission Operations Directorate Rolls represented the at Johnson Space Center for 35 gold standard in British years, under all of them. engineering for me until This kind of thing makes me I read this article. enjoy my subscription to Aviation My logbooks count Week all the more!

AW&ST over 3,000 hr. in Can- berras, Buccaneers and Access the webinar series at: AviationWeek.com/webinar James Clement, San Francisco Tornados, all two-seat, twin engine jets pow- THE HYDROGEN DILEMMA green hydrogen needs of the airlines, ered by highly reliable Rolls-Royce It is encouraging to see that Airbus is about 100 such plants across the globe engines (the Tornado with a little serious about hydrogen as a fuel for would be needed. Similarly, the big- help from our pre-Brexit friends). the future (Sept. 28-Oct. 11, p. 16). This gest wind farms today are around the Particularly in the Buccaneer, often- comes on top of other, smaller compa- 1.5-gigawatt capacity; it might take up times many hundreds of miles from nies already actually flying demonstra- to 200 such wind farms to produce the the closest shore (indeed sometimes tors using hydrogen in one way or an- required amount of green hydrogen. thousands, during my time with 809 other. The big advantage of hydrogen The need for 9 kg of clean drinking- Naval Air Sqdn.), how glad we were is that it burns cleanly, and the exhaust quality water for every kilogram of to have those magnificent Spey en- is something you can drink rather than green hydrogen is another issue not gines keeping us aloft. something that will kill you. discussed here but which should not The last few paragraphs of Gelain’s But to be environmentally green, be overlooked. If sea water has to be article identify two major causes for the hydrogen has to be generated desalinated before it can be used, it Rolls-Royce’s present predicament: using sustainable electricity such as will have a substantial negative effect a preference for profit over product from solar, wind and hydro. Today on the process. performance (no respect for customer 95% of hydrogen is generated from These examples show the scale of the satisfaction) coupled with senior lead- fossil fuels and is very far from being problem, bearing in mind this is just ership cronyism instead of merit (the environmentally green. for short-haul aircraft and that there Old Boy network). Recipes for disas- In 2019, before the COVID-19 crisis will be other industries competing ter. Or, as I’ve learned to say here, “A struck, the global airline fleet used with the airline industry for green double whammy”! 300 billion kg (660 billion lb.) of jet hydrogen—such as the fertilizer, power, I offer a simple, vital solution to fuel. Of this, about 25%, or 75 billion kg, ground and sea transportation, and prevent the impending Rolls-Royce was used for short-haul sectors (up food production sectors. disaster before it’s too late: Clear out to 1,000 nm), which is where green The numbers are huge, and they can the dead wood and recruit the very best hydrogen is most likely to be used, be tweaked by changing the assump- person from a worldwide candidacy to initially at least. Because hydrogen tions. But they are accurate enough take over the lead. Only the best will do. has four times the energy content per to illustrate the scale of the problem. kilogram of jet fuel, theoretically that Solar and wind farms are getting bigger Tim Price, Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania jet fuel could be replaced by about and more efficient, and more are being 25 billion kg of hydrogen. built. But is this enough? The elephant So where is all this green hydrogen in the room that nobody seems to see is: CORRECTION going to come from? The obvious Where is all this green hydrogen going The excerpt in “The Supply Chain answer is electrolysis; but not so well- to come from in the time frames envis- After COVID-19” (Oct. 12-25, p. 74) known is that it takes about 48 kWh aged by the airline industry? should have read: “There will be to produce 1 kg of hydrogen. Scaling more Tier 2s, fewer Tier 3s and this up, the electrical energy needed Robin Stanier, Torrens, Australia slimmer Tier 1s and 4s.” to provide 25 billion kg of green hydro- gen annually is 1,200,000 gigawatt-hr. Currently, the world’s biggest solar Address letters to the Editor-in-Chief, Aviation Week & Space Technology, farms are rated at around 5 gigawatts, 2121 K Street, NW, Suite 210, Washington, DC, 20037 or send via email to: which would produce about 12,775 [email protected] Letters may be edited for length and clarity; gigawatt/hr. annually. To fully meet the a verifiable address and daytime telephone number are required.

6 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST FEEDBACK WHO’S WHERE

‘WHERE WE’VE BEEN, WHERE WE’RE GOING’ ‘A DOUBLE WHAMMY’ As an ex-pat Brit who Tom Jones has been officer. Jordan held the same post at the founder and CEO of Astroscale. Space Editor Irene Klotz did a has much enjoyed living promoted to Northrop Oseberg oil-and-gas data analytics and Optical wireless communications great job on the recent webinar in the U.S. since retire- Grumman corporate at Acorn Growth, where he was also support company BridgeComm has “NASA Administrators Panel: ment from the Royal Air vice president and vice president of finance. promoted Ethan Becker to director Where We’ve Been, Where Force in 1985, how sad president of Aeronau- Drone avionics of engineering from senior research We’re Going” with Dan Gol- and disappointed I was tics Systems effective developer Iris Auto­ and development engineer. Becker din, Sean O’Keefe and Charles to read Antoine Gelain’s Jan. 1, 2021. He was mation has appointed had worked at United Launch Alliance Bolden. Dan, Sean and Charlie commentary about Rolls- sector vice president and general man- Jon Damush as CEO. and Siemens. were great, and I so enjoyed Royce in my latest copy of ager of the Airborne Sensors & Net- Damush was Boeing Mott MacDonald their stories. I served in the AW&ST (Oct. 12-25, p. 10). works division that produces C4ISR NeXt senior direc- has hired Joanne Mission Operations Directorate Rolls represented the systems. Jones succeeds Janis Pamil- tor of new business McCall as transport at Johnson Space Center for 35 gold standard in British jans, who will retire in February 2021. ventures and before sector leader for years, under all of them. engineering for me until Urban Aeronautics has promoted that Insitu chief growth officer. He suc- Canada. She brings This kind of thing makes me I read this article. Rafi Yoeli to president from CEO and ceeds co-founder Alexander Harmsen, a quarter-century of enjoy my subscription to Aviation My logbooks count Nimrod Golan-Yanay to CEO from vice who has been promoted to chairman of infrastructure man- Week all the more!

AW&ST over 3,000 hr. in Can- president of business development the board. agement, design and delivery across berras, Buccaneers and for producing manned vertical-take- RBC Bearings has promoted Canadian, U.S. and international Access the webinar series at: AviationWeek.com/webinar James Clement, San Francisco Tornados, all two-seat, off-and-landing (VTOL) vehicles for Daniel A. Bergeron to vice president transportation sectors. twin engine jets pow- air taxi and air rescue roles and un- and chief operating officer from vice Former UK Minister for Science THE HYDROGEN DILEMMA green hydrogen needs of the airlines, ered by highly reliable Rolls-Royce manned VTOL vehicles for military president and chief financial officer. and Universities David Willetts is It is encouraging to see that Airbus is about 100 such plants across the globe engines (the Tornado with a little and civil uses. Robert M. Sullivan, former corporate joining Skyrora as senior consultant serious about hydrogen as a fuel for would be needed. Similarly, the big- help from our pre-Brexit friends). Toray Advanced Composites has controller, succeeds him. John J. Feeney to help foster development of the UK the future (Sept. 28-Oct. 11, p. 16). This gest wind farms today are around the Particularly in the Buccaneer, often- appointed Toshiyuki Kondo as CEO. has been named vice president, general space industry at an international level comes on top of other, smaller compa- 1.5-gigawatt capacity; it might take up times many hundreds of miles from He succeeds Keisuke Ishii, who was counsel and secretary. and build UK orbital launch capability. nies already actually flying demonstra- to 200 such wind farms to produce the the closest shore (indeed sometimes interim CEO since July 2018, when The Civic Air Transport Association Woolpert, an industrial architecture tors using hydrogen in one way or an- required amount of green hydrogen. thousands, during my time with 809 Toray Industries purchased TenCate’s has named Philip Butterworth-Hayes and engineering con- other. The big advantage of hydrogen The need for 9 kg of clean drinking- Naval Air Sqdn.), how glad we were advanced composites division. Ishii will director of strategy and communica- sultancy, has hired is that it burns cleanly, and the exhaust quality water for every kilogram of to have those magnificent Spey en- transition to assistant tions. He is editor of Unmanned Air- Jill Geboy as strategic is something you can drink rather than green hydrogen is another issue not gines keeping us aloft. general manager of the space and Urban Air Mobility News. consultant and project something that will kill you. discussed here but which should not The last few paragraphs of Gelain’s Torayca division. Jaunt Air Mobility has promoted manager. Geboy has But to be environmentally green, be overlooked. If sea water has to be article identify two major causes for Boeing has appoint- Martin Peryea to CEO from chief tech- worked for numerous the hydrogen has to be generated desalinated before it can be used, it Rolls-Royce’s present predicament: ed Marc Allen chief nology officer of the company, which aviation, health care using sustainable electricity such as will have a substantial negative effect a preference for profit over product strategy officer and is vying for a berth in and federal clients from solar, wind and hydro. Today on the process. performance (no respect for customer senior vice president the eVTOL mobility on the West Coast for most of the 95% of hydrogen is generated from These examples show the scale of the satisfaction) coupled with senior lead- of strategy and corpo- markets. past decade. fossil fuels and is very far from being problem, bearing in mind this is just ership cronyism instead of merit (the rate development, and Glenn Bradley has environmentally green. for short-haul aircraft and that there Old Boy network). Recipes for disas- named Chris Raymond been promoted to HONORS & ELECTIONS In 2019, before the COVID-19 crisis will be other industries competing ter. Or, as I’ve learned to say here, “A chief sustainability UK Civil Aviation Au­ Recipients of the National Aeronautic struck, the global airline fleet used with the airline industry for green double whammy”! officer, a new position. thority head of flight Association’s 2020 Wesley L. McDonald 300 billion kg (660 billion lb.) of jet hydrogen—such as the fertilizer, power, I offer a simple, vital solution to Allen was president of operations from flight Distinguished Statesman and States­ fuel. Of this, about 25%, or 75 billion kg, ground and sea transportation, and prevent the impending Rolls-Royce Embraer Partnership operations manager. Bradley amassed woman of Aviation Award are: U.S. Air was used for short-haul sectors (up food production sectors. disaster before it’s too late: Clear out and Group Operations more than 9,000 flight hours while a Force Brig. Gen. (ret.) John Allen, for to 1,000 nm), which is where green The numbers are huge, and they can the dead wood and recruit the very best and before that presi- GB Airways pilot and flew the iconic mutifaceted leadership and improving hydrogen is most likely to be used, be tweaked by changing the assump- person from a worldwide candidacy to dent of Boeing Capital Corp. Raymond Tornado during service in the Royal aviation safety; Capt. Julie Clark, for initially at least. Because hydrogen tions. But they are accurate enough take over the lead. Only the best will do. had led integration efforts for the po- Air Force. aerobatic airshow flying and blazing has four times the energy content per to illustrate the scale of the problem. tential strategic partnership between Launch Technical Workforce Solutions a trail for women in aviation; Einar kilogram of jet fuel, theoretically that Solar and wind farms are getting bigger Tim Price, Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania Boeing and Embraer and before that has hired Michael Lorenzini as pres- Enevoldson, for researching and ex- jet fuel could be replaced by about and more efficient, and more are being was vice president and general manag- ident of services and chief strategic ploring the stratosphere in a glider; 25 billion kg of hydrogen. built. But is this enough? The elephant er of Boeing autonomous systems. officer; he had worked at United Air- David Franson, for 40 years of service So where is all this green hydrogen in the room that nobody seems to see is: CORRECTION Serge Pons has been promoted to lines and Gogo. Mike Reporto has been in advancing aviation; U.S. Air Force going to come from? The obvious Where is all this green hydrogen going The excerpt in “The Supply Chain executive vice president and general named president of staffing. Col. (ret.) Dr. Kathryn Hughes, for pi- answer is electrolysis; but not so well- to come from in the time frames envis- After COVID-19” (Oct. 12-25, p. 74) manager of Safran’s Electrical and Nobu Okada has been elected a vice oneering accomplishments in aviation known is that it takes about 48 kWh aged by the airline industry? should have read: “There will be Power Interconnection Systems president of the International Astronau­ and aerospace medicine; and Michael to produce 1 kg of hydrogen. Scaling more Tier 2s, fewer Tier 3s and Eurasia; he was president of Safran’s tical Federation, whose aerospace mem- Quiello, for devotion as a military avia- this up, the electrical energy needed Robin Stanier, Torrens, Australia slimmer Tier 1s and 4s.” ventilation systems subsidiary. He bers represent 71 countries. Okada is tor and industry leader. c to provide 25 billion kg of green hydro- succeeds Sebastien Jaulerry, who gen annually is 1,200,000 gigawatt-hr. has been named Safran Helicopter To submit information for the Who’s Where column, send Word or attached text files Currently, the world’s biggest solar Address letters to the Editor-in-Chief, Aviation Week & Space Technology, Engines executive vice president of (no PDFs) and photos to: [email protected] For additional information on companies farms are rated at around 5 gigawatts, 2121 K Street, NW, Suite 210, Washington, DC, 20037 or send via email to: support and services. and individuals listed in this column, please refer to the Aviation Week Intelligence Network which would produce about 12,775 [email protected] Letters may be edited for length and clarity; Skydweller Aero has hired at AviationWeek.com/awin For information on ordering, telephone gigawatt/hr. annually. To fully meet the a verifiable address and daytime telephone number are required. Dale F. Jordan, Jr., as chief financial U.S.: +1 (866) 857-0148 or +1 (515) 237-3682 outside the U.S.

6 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 7 FIRST

TAKE Satellite operators Inmarsat and Hughes taliation for illegal Boeing subsidies. For the latest, go to Network Systems have announced a AVIATIONWEEK.COM strategic collaboration to provide in- DEFENSE flight connectivity for commercial air- Boeing has won a $30 million contract lines in North America. to demonstrate Spear, an F/A-18E/F- launched solid-fuel ramjet supersonic COMMERCIAL AVIATION Lessor GE Capital Aviation Services and missile technology demonstrator, for Daily passenger throughput at U.S. air- investment management firm PIMCO the U.S. Navy in late 2022. ports reached 1 million people on Oct. are partnering on a $3 billion aircraft 18 for the first time since mid-March, investment platform focused initially Sweden’s Saab has taken a 1.1 billion marking a symbolic turning point in on narrowbodies. krona ($130 million) charge for the im- the airline industry’s recovery from the pact on production of the Gripen combat COVID-19 pandemic. Switzerland’s RUAG International is sell- aircraft due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ing production of the 19-seat Dornier With plans to bring a zero-emissions 228 twin-turboprop regional aircraft to Turkey and Ukraine have signed agree- airliner to market by 2035, Airbus has General Atomics’ European business. ments to strengthen long-term industri- formed a joint company with German al cooperation on warships, unmanned automotive fuel-cell supplier Elring- Delta Air Lines will defer $5 billion in aircraft and turbine engines. Klinger to develop technology for planned deliveries through 2022, reach- hydrogen- fueled aircraft. ing an agreement with Airbus to delay Airbus Spain is proposing development the arrival of 77 new airliners. of a single-engine transonic jet trainer AirAsia X is liquidating its Indonesian to support pilots who will go on to fly the unit and has written down its 49% hold- The European Union has been cleared by European Future Combat Air System ing in Thai AirAsia X as the long-haul the World Trade Organization to ap - (page 34). low-cost carrier struggles to pay for air- ply almost $4 billion worth of punitive craft leases across its operations. tariffs on imports from the U.S. in re - TECHNOLOGY UK startup Stratospheric Platforms and Northrop Grumman’s Scaled Compos- VIEW FROM WASHINGTON ites are developing a hydrogen-fuel- cell- powered high-altitude, long- endurance UAV for cellular connectivity to re - The FAA’s Commercial Space Boost mote areas. The FAA has pared down its launch and reentry licensing reg- ulations, a move that is expected to fuel growth in the nation’s Market accelerator EmbraerX has spun off Eve Urban Air Mobility Solutions commercial space industry. as an independent company to develop Heralded as a “historic milestone,” the Streamlined Launch electric air taxis, air traffic manage - and Reentry Licensing Requirements (SLR2) final rule consol- ment and support services. idates and revises four regulatory sections into a new Part 450 The Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 Defiant co- rule that allows commercial space operators to acquire a single axial rigid-rotor compound helicopter license to conduct multiple launches from multiple sites. The demonstrator has reached 211 kt. in lev- el flight and 232 kt. in a descent. rule is performance-based; it requires that launch and reentry vehicles comply with performance standards instead of specific, General Atomics Electromagnetic Sys- FAA-prescribed conditions. tems and Boeing have teamed to com- pete for high-energy laser weapon pro- “The goal is to simplify the licensing process and allow novel grams in the 100-250-kW class. operations and reduced costs, and position both the industry and the FAA for the rapid increase in the number of launches that are SPACE After a 10-month hiatus, Blue Origin on coming, all without compromising safety,” says Wayne Monteith, Oct. 13 resumed flight testing of its New FAA associate administrator for commercial space transportation. Shepard suborbital space transporta- This year, the FAA expects to license around 35 space vehicle tion system with the seventh flight of the reusable booster and capsule. launches and reentries, increasing to 56 such operations in 2021. That tempo is expected to grow to 100 flights per year. NASA and the European Space Agency The final rule enters into force 90 days after its Oct. 15 publica- have contracted with Nanoracks to use the private company’s Bishop airlock, to tion in the Federal Register. Existing launch licenses can be used be delivered to the International Space for up to five years after the rule’s effective date. Station in November.

8 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST FIRST Sustainable Fuels Key to Reduced Emissions 2,500 TAKE Satellite operators Inmarsat and Hughes taliation for illegal Boeing subsidies. The robotic arm of NASA’s Osiris-Rex Technology Operations and Offsetting Sustainable For the latest, go to Network Systems have announced a Infrastructure Aviation Fuel probe briefly touched the surface of AVIATIONWEEK.COM strategic collaboration to provide in- DEFENSE 2,000 asteroid Bennu on Oct. 20, aiming to flight connectivity for commercial air- Boeing has won a $30 million contract Pushing Technology Aspirational and collect a few pounds of pebbles and soil lines in North America. to demonstrate Spear, an F/A-18E/F- and Operations Aggressive Technology for return to Earth (page 55). launched solid-fuel ramjet supersonic 1,500 COMMERCIAL AVIATION Lessor GE Capital Aviation Services and missile technology demonstrator, for OBITUARIES Daily passenger throughput at U.S. air- investment management firm PIMCO the U.S. Navy in late 2022. Alan Boyd, the first U.S. transportation ports reached 1 million people on Oct. are partnering on a $3 billion aircraft 1,000 secretary, died Oct. 18, aged 98. Boyd 18 for the first time since mid-March, investment platform focused initially Sweden’s Saab has taken a 1.1 billion helped bring together more than 30 marking a symbolic turning point in on narrowbodies. krona ($130 million) charge for the im- federal agencies to CHRIS ZIMMER Emissions (millions of tons) the airline industry’s recovery from the pact on production of the Gripen combat 2 500 create the Transpor- Industry 2050 Goal Industry 2050 Goal COVID-19 pandemic. Switzerland’s RUAG International is sell- aircraft due to the COVID-19 pandemic. CO tation Department in ing production of the 19-seat Dornier 1966 and, during his 0 With plans to bring a zero-emissions 228 twin-turboprop regional aircraft to Turkey and Ukraine have signed agree- 2035 2040 2045 2050 2055 2060 2035 2040 2045 2050 2055 2060 two years as secretary, airliner to market by 2035, Airbus has General Atomics’ European business. ments to strengthen long-term industri- Source: Air Transport Action Group led creation of the Air- formed a joint company with German al cooperation on warships, unmanned port and Airway Trust automotive fuel-cell supplier Elring- Delta Air Lines will defer $5 billion in aircraft and turbine engines. Even with ambitious (left) and aggressive (right) scenarios for deployment of aircraft Fund to finance aviation Klinger to develop technology for planned deliveries through 2022, reach- electrification, hybridization and hydrogen propulsion, low-carbon sustainable aviation programs. A former Army pilot who flew hydrogen- fueled aircraft. ing an agreement with Airbus to delay Airbus Spain is proposing development fuels will play a major role in enabling aviation to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060, C-47s during the D-Day invasion, Boyd the arrival of 77 new airliners. of a single-engine transonic jet trainer says the Air Transport Action Group’s new “Waypoint 2050” report. was chairman of Airbus North America AirAsia X is liquidating its Indonesian to support pilots who will go on to fly the in 1982-92. He received an Aviation Week unit and has written down its 49% hold- The European Union has been cleared by European Future Combat Air System Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009. ing in Thai AirAsia X as the long-haul the World Trade Organization to ap - (page 34). With the arrival of 60 more Starlink sat- Sweden plans to establish a small-satel- low-cost carrier struggles to pay for air- ply almost $4 billion worth of punitive ellites on orbit on Oct. 18 and another lite launch capability at its Esrange Space Key Dismukes, noted expert in human craft leases across its operations. tariffs on imports from the U.S. in re - TECHNOLOGY 60 due for launch shortly, SpaceX plans Center, joining a growing list of European error in aviation, died of cancer on Oct. 14. UK startup Stratospheric Platforms and public trials of its high-speed internet countries with launch ambitions. A retired former chief scientist for hu- Northrop Grumman’s Scaled Compos- service before year-end. man factors at NASA Ames Research VIEW FROM WASHINGTON ites are developing a hydrogen-fuel- cell- Seven nations interested in collaborat- Center and a passionate glider pilot, powered high-altitude, long- endurance India’s space agency expects to re - ing with the U.S. on lunar exploration Dismukes in 2013 received the Flight UAV for cellular connectivity to re - sume launches in November. It has not have signed the Artemis Accords, which Safety Foundation’s Laura Taber Bar- The FAA’s Commercial Space Boost mote areas. staged a space mission in 2020 because establishes principles for cooperative bour Air Safety Award for advancing The FAA has pared down its launch and reentry licensing reg- of COVID-19. space projects (page 48). aviation safety. c ulations, a move that is expected to fuel growth in the nation’s Market accelerator EmbraerX has spun off Eve Urban Air Mobility Solutions commercial space industry. as an independent company to develop Heralded as a “historic milestone,” the Streamlined Launch electric air taxis, air traffic manage - 30 YEARS AGO IN AVIATION WEEK and Reentry Licensing Requirements (SLR2) final rule consol- ment and support services. The cover of our Oct. 22, 1990, issue The fuel efficiency of the twin-engine, featured a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 taking long-range 777 helped drive the four-engine idates and revises four regulatory sections into a new Part 450 co- The Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 Defiant off from Yuma International Airport in Arizona A340 and MD-11 trijet out of the market. In rule that allows commercial space operators to acquire a single axial rigid-rotor compound helicopter during a 5.8-hr. test flight by AW&ST’s David doing so, the 777 ultimately contributed to license to conduct multiple launches from multiple sites. The demonstrator has reached 211 kt. in lev- el flight and 232 kt. in a descent. Hughes. Appearing just nine months after the downfall of McDonnell Douglas, which rule is performance-based; it requires that launch and reentry the trijet’s first flight, the issue included his merged with Boeing only six years later. vehicles comply with performance standards instead of specific, General Atomics Electromagnetic Sys- 10-page pilot report that lauded the new air- When finally paired exclusively with General FAA-prescribed conditions. tems and Boeing have teamed to com- craft’s advanced automation. Coincidentally, Electric’s GE90-115, the 777-300ER would pete for high-energy laser weapon pro- “The goal is to simplify the licensing process and allow novel that same issue also reported on a block- go on to dominate the widebody, long-haul grams in the 100-250-kW class. market for almost two decades. operations and reduced costs, and position both the industry and buster development: Boeing’s launch of the 777 family with a landmark $11 billion order Thirty years later, Boeing is at another the FAA for the rapid increase in the number of launches that are SPACE After a 10-month hiatus, Blue Origin on from United Airlines. strategic turning point. Consumed by crises coming, all without compromising safety,” says Wayne Monteith, Oct. 13 resumed flight testing of its New The issue encapsulated seismic changes external and internal, the company is again FAA associate administrator for commercial space transportation. Shepard suborbital space transporta- underway in the industry. Launched in 1986, looking to a derivative of the 777—the new This year, the FAA expects to license around 35 space vehicle tion system with the seventh flight of the MD-11 was a DC-10 derivative targeted at 777X stretch with bigger GE9X engines—to the reusable booster and capsule. launches and reentries, increasing to 56 such operations in 2021. the yawning gap between Boeing’s 767 and retain pole position in the long-haul market. 747. Airbus, too, was in the hunt, with the A330 But facing aggressive competition from Air- That tempo is expected to grow to 100 flights per year. NASA and the European Space Agency and A340—both of which were launched in bus, it must also somehow steady the ship as The final rule enters into force 90 days after its Oct. 15 publica- have contracted with Nanoracks to use the private company’s Bishop airlock, to 1987. But it was the 777 that would eventual- Subscribers can access every it transfers 787 production to South Carolina tion in the Federal Register. Existing launch licenses can be used be delivered to the International Space ly reign supreme and go on to become one of issue of Aviation Week back to and—looking beyond the 737 MAX—begin its for up to five years after the rule’s effective date. Station in November. Boeing’s most successful products. 1916 at: archive.aviationweek.com search for a new-generation narrowbody. c

8 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 9 COMMENTARY UP FRONT P. BARRY BUTLER

A SILVER LINING GLINTS ON THE also increasing noise levels, or spin slower and be less horizon for the aviation industry. In the efficient but quieter. The technology now being commer- commercial lull of the pandemic, inves- cialized by VerdeGo Aero would automatically adjust the tors and entrepreneurs are fixing their pitch of rotating propeller blades while also adjusting eyes on the future to seize opportunities to push aero- motor torque to maintain constant thrust. This approach space technology forward. As industry leaders have makes it possible to reduce noise or increase efficiency, pointed out in Aviation Week panels, defense and com- while maintaining substantially constant thrust, altitude mercial space innovators are still hiring, and air mobil- and airspeed. Using the new technology, electric air- ity enterprises have attracted private equity investors. craft could be designed to operate most efficiently once We also see smaller companies aggressively hiring to they are at cruising altitude, where noise abatement establish themselves as midtier providers. may be less of a concern, then switch over to a lower- In addition to pro- noise mode as they de- ducing the workforce of scend over urban areas. tomorrow, a university’s Opening Doors Another entrepreneur, contribution to our in- Reamonn Soto, a U.S. Ma- dustry’s recovery is to Co-located research parks boost rine Corps veteran, was provide an environment innovation and entrepreneurs wrapping up his master’s where academia, indus- degree when he had a big try and entrepreneurship idea that could save gas can create mutual bene- turbine operators millions fit that translates into of dollars annually. To new products, services build his business, Sen- and solutions. Smaller, SENSATEK PROPULSION TECHNOLOGY satek Propulsion Tech- streamlined companies nology, Soto took advan- have the advantage of tage of incubator space at agility. When they can Embry-Riddle’s Research reinforce their capacity Park, which has forged for speed and adaptation partnerships with private by tapping the resources industry as well as local, of partnerships, every- state and federal policy- one can potentially win: makers and agencies. students, entrepreneurs, Reamonn Soto (right), Azryana Soto (second from left) The Sensatek business researchers and custom- and part of the Sensatek team. model—licensing patent- ers/consumers/end users. ed wireless sensor tech- Successful business clusters in places like Boston, nology to increase the operational reliability and perfor- Silicon Valley and Austin, Texas, all have entrepre- mance of jet engines and high-temperature process flow neurial-focused universities nearby. applications—proved appealing to an array of investors. At many universities, resident entrepreneurs provide Soto’s funding from all sources now stands at more than an invaluable learning lab for students planning start- $4.5 million. His innovation, based on entrepreneurial ups as well as those who will apply their creative think- out-of-the-box thinking, created high-paying new jobs. ing and business savvy to “skunk works” at aviation and Universities rely on industry support to help entre- aerospace giants. A co-located research park can be a preneurs like Soto achieve liftoff. For example, Launch proving ground for possibilities, allowing the next wave Your Venture incentivizes Florida university students of leaders to gain experience beyond solving technical to refine their best startup ideas for changing the fu- challenges—learning to maneuver the demands of fi- ture of aviation, aerospace and engineering. Another nancing, managing intellectual property, reviews and competition, the TREP Expo, puts would-be aerospace approvals, marketing and establishing a supply chain. entrepreneurs on a ladder to success and greater sup- One such innovator, VerdeGo Aero, recently moved port. In 2017, Soto qualified in the TREP Expo to com- to build market share and increase name recognition pete in Launch Your Venture, which he won, garnering in a rapidly emerging aviation sector. Company CEO a much-needed $10,000 for his business. Eric Bartsch and Executive Chairman Erik Lindbergh Businesses like Sensatek and VerdeGo Aero —en- teamed up with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University couraged by strong industry partnerships—also help to develop and commercialize patent-pending technol- add value to graduates as they enter the workforce. ogy designed to mitigate electric aircraft noise. Just as engineering is applied science, entrepreneur- Although electric aircraft promise reduced carbon ship is applied talent, fusing technology and business emissions, fossil fuel use and operating costs, the propel- to put ideas at our service. c lers or rotors can be relatively noisy. Traditionally, elec- tric aircraft rotors can spin faster to gain efficiency while P. Barry Butler is president of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

10 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST COMMENTARY COMMENTARY UP FRONT GOING CONCERNS P. BARRY BUTLER MICHAEL BRUNO

A SILVER LINING GLINTS ON THE also increasing noise levels, or spin slower and be less WESTERN AIRLINES ARE BEGGING Proponents of reshoring industry to the U.S.—or horizon for the aviation industry. In the efficient but quieter. The technology now being commer- for more government aid, the Interna- “nearshoring” to Canada or Mexico—are certainly commercial lull of the pandemic, inves- cialized by VerdeGo Aero would automatically adjust the tional Air Transport Association does not touting potential opportunity. “The logical thing is to fill tors and entrepreneurs are fixing their pitch of rotating propeller blades while also adjusting expect the industry to see positive cash longer-term and COVID-revealed supply chain gaps,” eyes on the future to seize opportunities to push aero- motor torque to maintain constant thrust. This approach flow before 2022, and credit agency analysts forecast Reshoring Initiative President Harry Moser told an space technology forward. As industry leaders have makes it possible to reduce noise or increase efficiency, depressed aerospace and defense business activity for Aerospace and Defense Forum audience on Oct. 6. pointed out in Aviation Week panels, defense and com- while maintaining substantially constant thrust, altitude up to another 1.5 years. Others agree that conditions are ripe for reshoring, mercial space innovators are still hiring, and air mobil- and airspeed. Using the new technology, electric air- Meanwhile, data continues to portray China as the not least because automation and advanced technolo- ity enterprises have attracted private equity investors. craft could be designed to operate most efficiently once lone bright spot in the aviation world. By August, Chi- gies that replace humans can offset North American We also see smaller companies aggressively hiring to they are at cruising altitude, where noise abatement nese domestic flights had recovered to about 90% of costs. Also, A&D has been deemed a critical part of establish themselves as midtier providers. may be less of a concern, then switch over to a lower- 2019 levels. “China has been effectively controlling U.S. infrastructure. And Chinese unit labor costs have In addition to pro- noise mode as they de- the spread of COVID-19, limiting cases to less than risen fivefold in recent decades. This summer, site- ducing the workforce of scend over urban areas. 100 a day. Combined with a large domestic market, selection consultant Duff & Phelps identified A&D as a tomorrow, a university’s Opening Doors Another entrepreneur, the recovery in commercial aviation is expected to top candidate for moving to America (see chart). contribution to our in- Reamonn Soto, a U.S. Ma- outpace the rest of the world,” Jefferies analysts Sheila But siting decisions are complex, and supply chain dustry’s recovery is to Co-located research parks boost rine Corps veteran, was Kahyaoglu and Greg Konrad noted in late September. moves are even more so. Not only is commercial avi- provide an environment innovation and entrepreneurs wrapping up his master’s ation looking strongest in China now and in where academia, indus- degree when he had a big the near future, but it could accelerate a long- try and entrepreneurship idea that could save gas expected toppling of the U.S. as the world’s can create mutual bene- turbine operators millions leading aviation market, possibly as soon as fit that translates into of dollars annually. To 2025. Increasingly, Beijing officials talk about new products, services build his business, Sen- relying on domestic supply instead of imports. and solutions. Smaller, SENSATEK PROPULSION TECHNOLOGY satek Propulsion Tech- streamlined companies nology, Soto took advan- have the advantage of tage of incubator space at Get In or Out? agility. When they can Embry-Riddle’s Research reinforce their capacity Park, which has forged China’s aviation recovery compared for speed and adaptation partnerships with private with the depression everywhere by tapping the resources industry as well as local, else sets up a dilemma of partnerships, every- state and federal policy- one can potentially win: makers and agencies. Indeed, the “Sleeping Giant” could boast a fu- students, entrepreneurs, Reamonn Soto (right), Azryana Soto (second from left) The Sensatek business ture estimated aviation market value of more researchers and custom- and part of the Sensatek team. model—licensing patent- than $1 trillion, according to Yi Zhang, general ers/consumers/end users. ed wireless sensor tech- manager of OCO Global China. Successful business clusters in places like Boston, nology to increase the operational reliability and perfor- That catches suppliers’ attention. Zhang Silicon Valley and Austin, Texas, all have entrepre- mance of jet engines and high-temperature process flow spoke in June to a well-attended webinar neurial-focused universities nearby. applications—proved appealing to an array of investors. Source: Duff & Phelps hosted by Washington state economic develop- At many universities, resident entrepreneurs provide Soto’s funding from all sources now stands at more than “Right now, really, the two areas of traffic that are close ment officials about aerospace opportunities in China, an invaluable learning lab for students planning start- $4.5 million. His innovation, based on entrepreneurial to normal are domestic China and the roughly 2,000 and that was a month before Boeing revealed it was ups as well as those who will apply their creative think- out-of-the-box thinking, created high-paying new jobs. all-cargo aircraft out there today,” echoes AeroDynamic even thinking about scrapping 787 production in Puget ing and business savvy to “skunk works” at aviation and Universities rely on industry support to help entre- Advisory Managing Director Kevin Michaels. Otherwise, Sound, Washington. aerospace giants. A co-located research park can be a preneurs like Soto achieve liftoff. For example, Launch “it’s a bloodbath, and we’re all aware of that,” he told an Now China’s opportunities beckon brighter with no proving ground for possibilities, allowing the next wave Your Venture incentivizes Florida university students Aviation Week SpeedNews conference in September. snapback in Western air traffic. of leaders to gain experience beyond solving technical to refine their best startup ideas for changing the fu- For aerospace and defense (A&D) suppliers, the di- Still, in his Sept. 24 report titled “Caveat Venditor,” challenges—learning to maneuver the demands of fi- ture of aviation, aerospace and engineering. Another chotomy sets up a critical decision: Should suppliers or “seller beware,” Vertical Research Partners analyst nancing, managing intellectual property, reviews and competition, the TREP Expo, puts would-be aerospace and servicers run toward China—or run away? Rob Stallard cautions Western A&D companies against approvals, marketing and establishing a supply chain. entrepreneurs on a ladder to success and greater sup- It is easy to understand why they are debating the rushing toward China. “We see the Chinese government One such innovator, VerdeGo Aero, recently moved port. In 2017, Soto qualified in the TREP Expo to com- question. Long before COVID-19 gutted commercial leveraging its position of relative post-COVID strength to build market share and increase name recognition pete in Launch Your Venture, which he won, garnering air traffic and kick-started what is expected to be the in coming years, and no doubt aerospace will see some in a rapidly emerging aviation sector. Company CEO a much-needed $10,000 for his business. greatest makeover of aircraft manufacturing and the of the fallout,” Stallard says. “As the biggest show in Eric Bartsch and Executive Chairman Erik Lindbergh Businesses like Sensatek and VerdeGo Aero —en- maintenance, repair and overhaul industries since town, we would expect to see more quid pro quo in Chi- teamed up with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University couraged by strong industry partnerships—also help the dawn of the jet age, there were already good rea- na’s relationship with what is still very much a Western to develop and commercialize patent-pending technol- add value to graduates as they enter the workforce. sons to debate being in China. Topping the list was aerospace industry. Price, supply chain and technology ogy designed to mitigate electric aircraft noise. Just as engineering is applied science, entrepreneur- the Trump administration’s trade war with the transfer could be on the table, as could politics. Although electric aircraft promise reduced carbon ship is applied talent, fusing technology and business world’s second-largest economy. Ongoing questions “Aviation could conceivably suffer collateral damage as emissions, fossil fuel use and operating costs, the propel- to put ideas at our service. c lingered about intellectual property rights and the part of a broader trade war,” Stallard writes. “So while in- lers or rotors can be relatively noisy. Traditionally, elec- specter of inadvertently creating future competitors vestors will probably see good news in a Chinese-led aero tric aircraft rotors can spin faster to gain efficiency while P. Barry Butler is president of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. in Avic, Comac and other Chinese companies. recovery, we would be looking for any strings attached.” c

10 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 11 COMMENTARY INSIDE BUSINESS AVIATION WILLIAM GARVEY

GO AHEAD, BLAME JIMMY DOOLITTLE. However, avgas fueled air-cooled, piston aircraft en- After all, it was his idea, his crusade and now, gines that powered lightplanes then, which needed the his fault. But know this: It helped the Allies TEL-boosted octane to keep from overheating and fail- win World War II, which put an end to global ing. And that dependency has become a serious concern. conflict for 75 years. And counting. Now the questions: Absent the auto market, TEL production declined Was it his surprise bombing of Japan four months dramatically. Today, according to the General Avi- after the Pearl Harbor attack? No, that boosted U.S. ation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), there morale and rattled the Japanese. But that wasn’t it. is but a single manufacturer that still produces the Was it his directing the U.S. Army’s Eighth Air Force compound. Industry’s reliance on a sole-source sup- to pound Nazi Germany into submission? No, but that plier is especially worrisome since its market exit helped end the war in Europe. would ground the fleet. Was it his earlier experience in air racing? Well, that Why would any company abandon a monopoly? along with his Ph.D. in aeronautics and background as First, the market is tiny, maybe 230,000 aircraft a military aviator were certainly factors. world wide, and a considerable percentage of those sit on the ground most of the time consuming nothing. Accordingly, avgas production has declined by roughly 50% in the past 30 years. Second, there’s that letter “L.” Lead in the atmo- sphere is harmful to humans. Today, the only trans- Get the Lead Out No success yet in pursuit of lead-free avgas

portation segment emitting it is lightplane aviation burning 100-octane low-lead (100LL) avgas. Environ- mentalists are well aware and want to see those emit- ters choked and possibly TEL’s manufacture halted.

AVFUEL Were they to prevail, the fleet would be permanently chocked and essentially worthless. Combined, that knowledge raised an alarm while he So getting lead out of avgas is a goal shared by the U.S. was touring Germany’s aircraft and engine facilities Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Congress, FAA as a private citizen in the 1930s. Upon returning home, and the lightplane industry. To help, federal legislators he became an advocate within the Shell Oil Co., where allocated $5.4 million to the aviation agency to set stan- he was an executive, for developing a high-octane dards and evaluate unleaded replacement fuels through aviation gasoline. Doing so would help boost the per- a government-industry Piston Aviation Fuels Initiative formance of that era’s aircraft. Convinced a war was (PAFI). The FAA has been doing that for six years, but coming, Doolittle had his country’s fighters, bombers it has yet to identify an acceptable replacement. and transports in mind. Walter Desrosier, vice president of engineering and After much urging by Doolittle, Shell leadership maintenance at GAMA, a PAFI participant, explains agreed to invest. TEL-infused aviation gasoline (avgas) that the effort has produced high-octane unleaded fuels. was the result. For those, like me, not steeped in the However, the initiative’s goal is to find a “drop-in” science of chemistry, TEL is tetraethyl lead, a fuel fuel requiring no alterations throughout the entire fuel additive that somehow increases octane level and thus chain—from its refinement to its in-engine combus- engine performance. tion. And so far, every fuel tested has failed in some TEL-boosted avgas helped Hurricanes and Spitfires way—corrupting filters, fittings, piping, generating prevail in the Battle of Britain and continued to help excessive heat, toxicity, emissions and so on. Allied aircraft triumph in the air war that followed. Desrosier is among those who believe a solution will German warplanes were fueled by synthetic gasoline, be found, but others are not so optimistic. whose energy properties were inferior. Meanwhile, the FAA has exhausted the initial PAFI Post-1945, the additive boosted performance of the funding, and one of the original pair of new fuel pro- Buicks, Fords and Plymouths that carried their drivers viders selected for testing has given up the quest. Still, through the booming peacetime economy. However, the other company has continued to experiment in its over time, advanced auto engine technology—specifi- search for a lead-free fix. That company? Shell Oil. cally, better liquid cooling and electronic ignition sys- I think Gen. Doolittle would salute. c tems—combined with environmental concerns resulted in the removal of TEL from motor gasoline. William Garvey is Editor-in-Chief of Business & Commercial Aviation

12 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST COMMENTARY COMMENTARY INSIDE BUSINESS AVIATION AIRLINE INTEL WILLIAM GARVEY JENS FLOTTAU

GO AHEAD, BLAME JIMMY DOOLITTLE. However, avgas fueled air-cooled, piston aircraft en- WHEN THE NEW BERLIN AIRPORT parency and consistency. The various companies knew After all, it was his idea, his crusade and now, gines that powered lightplanes then, which needed the was originally planned to open in the little or nothing about what the others were doing, the his fault. But know this: It helped the Allies TEL-boosted octane to keep from overheating and fail- spring of 2012, the world of aviation standards they were following or what assumptions they win World War II, which put an end to global ing. And that dependency has become a serious concern. looked quite different, even discounting were making. Integrated planning fell apart, and over- conflict for 75 years. And counting. Now the questions: Absent the auto market, TEL production declined the coronavirus pandemic. sight by the airport was lacking. Oversight by the airport’s Was it his surprise bombing of Japan four months dramatically. Today, according to the General Avi- Air Berlin had just joined the Oneworld alliance and owners—Berlin, the state of Brandenburg and the federal after the Pearl Harbor attack? No, that boosted U.S. ation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), there celebrated the occasion in a large tent on the airport government—was also insufficient. morale and rattled the Japanese. But that wasn’t it. is but a single manufacturer that still produces the apron. It announced its plans to turn Berlin into a sub- Sure enough, a few weeks before the 2011 opening date, Was it his directing the U.S. Army’s Eighth Air Force compound. Industry’s reliance on a sole-source sup- stantial European hub, complemented by a growing rumors emerged about serious flaws in the fire suppres- to pound Nazi Germany into submission? No, but that plier is especially worrisome since its market exit number of long-haul routes and betting on the support sion system: Air ventilation planning was deficient, and helped end the war in Europe. would ground the fleet. of its new partner carriers. The opening date of the air- fireproof doors were not working, to name but a few of Was it his earlier experience in air racing? Well, that Why would any company abandon a monopoly? port had already shift- the problems. To make along with his Ph.D. in aeronautics and background as First, the market is tiny, maybe 230,000 aircraft ed by a few months matters worse, regional a military aviator were certainly factors. world wide, and a considerable percentage of those sit from late 2011. The BER Nightmare Ends authorities tasked with on the ground most of the time consuming nothing. Almost nine years regulatory oversight Accordingly, avgas production has declined by roughly later, Air Berlin is his- Berlin Brandenburg Airport prepares to were overwhelmed, un- 50% in the past 30 years. tory, along with any open after nine-year delay accustomed to check- Second, there’s that letter “L.” Lead in the atmo- plans for its hub. But ing sites as big as a sphere is harmful to humans. Today, the only trans- Berlin Brandenburg new airport. Airport (BER) is final- Over time, the extent ly ready to open. On of the defects became Get the Lead Out Oct. 31, EasyJet will clear, as the opening fly an aircraft from the date shifted again and No success yet in pursuit of lead-free avgas old airport Berlin-Tegel again. At some point it (TXL) to the new facil- might have been easier portation segment emitting it is lightplane aviation ity south of Germany’s to tear down the main burning 100-octane low-lead (100LL) avgas. Environ- capital, while Lufthan- terminal and start over mentalists are well aware and want to see those emit- sa will have dispatched from scratch than to ters choked and possibly TEL’s manufacture halted. one of its aircraft from remedy tens of thou-

AVFUEL Were they to prevail, the fleet would be permanently Munich to BER around sands of mistakes. Po- chocked and essentially worthless. 30 min. earlier. litically, that was not Combined, that knowledge raised an alarm while he So getting lead out of avgas is a goal shared by the U.S. The idea is to have GUENTER WICKER/FLUGHAFEN BERLIN BRANDENBURG GMBH doable, however. was touring Germany’s aircraft and engine facilities Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Congress, FAA both aircraft make the first two official landings simul- With all regulatory approvals in hand and process as a private citizen in the 1930s. Upon returning home, and the lightplane industry. To help, federal legislators taneously on the two parallel runways, showcasing testing completed, Berlin will finally have a new -air he became an advocate within the Shell Oil Co., where allocated $5.4 million to the aviation agency to set stan- Berlin and the country’s two biggest airlines. All flights port by the end of October. It is of course ironic that he was an executive, for developing a high-octane dards and evaluate unleaded replacement fuels through will be transitioned from Tegel to BER the following right now no one really needs an airport. A fraction of aviation gasoline. Doing so would help boost the per- a government-industry Piston Aviation Fuels Initiative week. Air France was the first airline to land an air- the old Tegel airport would suffice for the time being. formance of that era’s aircraft. Convinced a war was (PAFI). The FAA has been doing that for six years, but craft, a Lockheed Super Constellation, at Tegel on Jan. The industry hopes this will only be a short-term coming, Doolittle had his country’s fighters, bombers it has yet to identify an acceptable replacement. 2, 1960. It will be also be the last to leave, on Nov. 8 at 3 phenomenon, but some fundamentals have changed. and transports in mind. Walter Desrosier, vice president of engineering and p.m. local time, bound for Paris. Before COVID-19, the new airport looked too small. After much urging by Doolittle, Shell leadership maintenance at GAMA, a PAFI participant, explains The nine-year delay in opening BER has been Terminal 1 (the main building) has space for 27 mil- agreed to invest. TEL-infused aviation gasoline (avgas) that the effort has produced high-octane unleaded fuels. deeply embarrassing for German engineering and in- lion passengers; low-cost facility Terminal 2 can han- was the result. For those, like me, not steeped in the However, the initiative’s goal is to find a “drop-in” frastructure planning, as an endless cycle of studies, dle another 6 million; combined with the old, adjacent science of chemistry, TEL is tetraethyl lead, a fuel fuel requiring no alterations throughout the entire fuel parliamentary investigations and disputes has shown. Schoenefeld Airport, capacity exceeds 40 million. In additive that somehow increases octane level and thus chain—from its refinement to its in-engine combus- That new airports are not ready on time is a common 2019, Berlin’s airports handled 36 million passengers. engine performance. tion. And so far, every fuel tested has failed in some enough occurrence, and a one- or two-year delay is Now traffic is down 70%, and capacity constraints are TEL-boosted avgas helped Hurricanes and Spitfires way—corrupting filters, fittings, piping, generating practically normal. But nine years? not an issue for the foreseeable future. prevail in the Battle of Britain and continued to help excessive heat, toxicity, emissions and so on. There are a myriad of reasons for the catastrophe, The new airport is facing other challenges, too. Allied aircraft triumph in the air war that followed. Desrosier is among those who believe a solution will some particularly devastating. Construction began in Munich and Frankfurt continue to dominate hub traf- German warplanes were fueled by synthetic gasoline, be found, but others are not so optimistic. late 2006. But less than a year later the airport decided fic. Unlike in 2012, there is no airline willing to make whose energy properties were inferior. Meanwhile, the FAA has exhausted the initial PAFI to drop the original consortium that was to build the BER its hub. EasyJet was the largest airline in Berlin Post-1945, the additive boosted performance of the funding, and one of the original pair of new fuel pro- main terminal, instead distributing the work in seven before COVID-19, buoyed by strong inbound tourist Buicks, Fords and Plymouths that carried their drivers viders selected for testing has given up the quest. Still, lots. Airport operator Berlin Airports also assumed demand, but the extent and pace of rebuilding traffic through the booming peacetime economy. However, the other company has continued to experiment in its oversight of the massive project rather than delegating remains uncertain. And low-cost travel is expected to over time, advanced auto engine technology—specifi- search for a lead-free fix. That company? Shell Oil. it to companies specializing in infrastructure develop- recover faster than legacy business travel, meaning cally, better liquid cooling and electronic ignition sys- I think Gen. Doolittle would salute. c ment. Clearly, knowing how to run an airport does not Berlin Brandenburg’s legacy-type facilities and costs tems—combined with environmental concerns resulted carry over into building one. will be even more misplaced than they were nine in the removal of TEL from motor gasoline. William Garvey is Editor-in-Chief of Business & Commercial Aviation Construction continued, but with a huge lack of trans- years ago. c

12 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 13 PROPULSION > ‘A la carte’ hybrid-electric propulsion p. 20 SHAPING UP > SAFRAN AND GE AVIO AERO LEAD BID TO FLY AN OPEN-ROTOR ENGINE > EUROPE’S CLEAN AVIATION PROGRAM WILL FOCUS ON SUSTAINABILITY

Guy Norris Los Angeles ith sustainability front and center on the aerospace 2021-27 and will feed technology into new civil aviation projects later this industry agenda, plans are fi rming up on both sides decade and into the 2030s. of the Atlantic for a new wave of ambitious large- Projects under Clean Aviation are scale technology demonstrators to pave the way for expected to target disruptive tech- W nologies for hybrid-electric region- ultra e cient next-generation commercial airliners. al aircraft, ultraefficient short- and medium-range airliners and hydro- Ranging from advanced propulsion X-plane projects in the U.S. Clean Avi- gen-powered transport. All will sup- and airframe concepts to new sys- ation, which is expected to succeed port the longer-term goals of the pro- tems, structures and fuels, the main Europe’s long-running Clean Sky pro- posed European Green Deal, which demonstrators will form part of the gram, supports the European Union’s calls for zero net greenhouse gas emis- proposed Clean Aviation initiative in broader Horizon Europe research sions by 2050. Europe and the next round of NASA and innovation framework eŽ ort for In the U. S., the upcoming demon-

NASA Prepares for Next All will depend on funding, and NASA has entered fi scal 2021 with the U.S. government operating under a con- Generation of Single-Aisles tinuing resolution. This keeps funding at 2020 levels and prevents the start of new programs, but Pearce’s com- Graham Warwick Washington ments make clear where NASA wants to go as funding NASA HAS BEGUN PLANNING FOR A FLIGHT DEMONSTRATION does become available. of the Transonic Truss-Braced Wing ultraeffi cient airliner NASA is already developing the request for proposals for confi guration. The experimental aircraft would be one of a the Electrifi ed Power Train Flight Demonstration project, suite of demonstration projects to mature key technologies with costs planned to be shared with industry. “We’ve had for a next-generation subsonic commercial transport by the several risk-reduction contracts that will support getting to mid-2020s. fl ight with a megawatt electric power train demonstration,” “We have a preformulation planning team looking at the Pearce said. potential for [a fi scal 2022] start for a Transonic Truss-Braced “Based on the resources and schedule we have, we should Wing [TTBW] fl ight demonstration,” Bob Pearce, NASA as- be able to get to fl ight in the fi scal 2023-24 time frame, at least sociate administrator for aeronautics, told an Oct. 14 virtual for the fi rst demonstration, and then looking hopefully to have meeting of the National Academies’ Aerospace and Space a second demonstration in the fi scal 2024-25 time frame and Engineering Board. to fi nish that up by fi scal 2026,” he added. The other planned demonstration projects in support of The compact high-power-density core project is now in development of ultraeffi cient subsonic airliners cover electrifi ed formulation, aiming for a fi scal 2022 start. The goal is a ground propulsion, small cores for turbofan engines and high-rate demonstration, in partnership with industry, of the key tech- composites manufacturing. nologies, materials and component advances required to “NASA, in partnership with industry and universities, has been develop smaller cores enabling higher-bypass- ratio working for the last 10-15 years on what are the right technologies turbofans. to enable the next generation of transports,” Pearce said. “We’ve The electrifi ed power train and small core demonstrations got it down to a handful of what we think are game-changing are “pretty synergistic,” Pearce said. “Because what we’re technologies that could be available for this next generation. looking at relative to electric propulsion is a mild parallel hy- And for them to be available that means we need to get these brid system that would supplement the turbine power in key to [technology readiness level (TRL)] 6 in the mid-2020s.” phases of fl ight.”

1 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST PROPULSION > ‘A la carte’ hybrid-electric propulsion p. 20

Puller open rotors, as in this Avio Aero concept, Open rotors, also known as unduct- will present di erent airframe integration ed fans or propfans, were initially developed in the U.S. in the 1970s and SHAPING UP challenges to pusher designs. 1980s amid concerns over rising fuel costs. Although two concepts—GE’s > SAFRAN AND GE AVIO AERO LEAD BID TO FLY AN OPEN-ROTOR ENGINE GE36 and the Pratt & Whitney/Alli- son 578 DX—were fl ight-tested, both EUROPE’S CLEAN AVIATION PROGRAM were shelved by the early 1990s after > oil prices fell. Although development WILL FOCUS ON SUSTAINABILITY of propfans continued in Russia, it

CLIN THRM/AWT was not until greenhouse gas emis- Guy Norris Los Angeles sions became a legislative factor in the 2000s that Western interest in ith sustainability front and center on the aerospace 2021-27 and will feed technology into strator e orts form part of NASA’s up- Aviation demonstrators have until the concept was revived. new civil aviation projects later this dated Strategic Implementation Plan the end of November to submit pro- In the U.S. NASA, GE and the FAA industry agenda, plans are fi rming up on both sides decade and into the 2030s. for aeronautics and include four main posals, Safran Aircraft Engines collaborated between 2009 and 2012 of the Atlantic for a new wave of ambitious large- Projects under Clean Aviation are projects aimed at maturing technol- and GE Aviation-owned Avio Aero on wind tunnel tests of an open rotor scale technology demonstrators to pave the way for expected to target disruptive tech- ogies for a next-generation subsonic have revealed plans to fl ight-test an with blades developed using modern W nologies for hybrid-electric region- airliner for service entry in the 2030s. open-rotor engine, with the aim of computer-based design methods. The ultra e cient next-generation commercial airliners. al aircraft, ultraefficient short- and Headlined by a fl ight demonstration reducing fuel burn up to 20% from tests showed up to a 3% improvement medium-range airliners and hydro- of the Transonic Truss-Braced Wing current turbofans. The initiative, if in net efficiency relative to the best Ranging from advanced propulsion X-plane projects in the U.S. Clean Avi- gen-powered transport. All will sup- confi guration, they will also include approved, will build on the Safran-led 1980s design, while nominally achiev- and airframe concepts to new sys- ation, which is expected to succeed port the longer-term goals of the pro- electrified propulsion, small high- Counter-Rotating Open Rotor (CROR) ing a 15-17-EPNdB noise margin to tems, structures and fuels, the main Europe’s long-running Clean Sky pro- posed European Green Deal, which density cores for turbofan engines and project conducted under Clean Sky’s Chapter 4 limits. demonstrators will form part of the gram, supports the European Union’s calls for zero net greenhouse gas emis- high-rate composites manufacturing €200 million ($240 million) SAGE 2 Around the same time, two open- proposed Clean Aviation initiative in broader Horizon Europe research sions by 2050. (see sidebar below). (Sustainable and Green Engines) pro- rotor concepts were evaluated in Europe and the next round of NASA and innovation framework eŽ ort for In the U. S., the upcoming demon- Although teams bidding for Clean gram that ended in 2017. Europe under the SAGE e ort, with

NASA Prepares for Next All will depend on funding, and NASA has entered fi scal Mounting a motor/generator on the engine shaft would 2021 with the U.S. government operating under a con- allow the turbine to be augmented electrically on takeoff and Generation of Single-Aisles tinuing resolution. This keeps funding at 2020 levels and climb, when power demand is highest, and reduce design prevents the start of new programs, but Pearce’s com- requirements on the turbofan, which could then be made Graham Warwick Washington ments make clear where NASA wants to go as funding more fuel-effi cient in the cruise. NASA HAS BEGUN PLANNING FOR A FLIGHT DEMONSTRATION does become available. Also now in formulation is the Hi-Rate Composites Aircraft Thanks to the lower induced drag of the 170-ft.-span wing, of the Transonic Truss-Braced Wing ultraeffi cient airliner NASA is already developing the request for proposals for Manufacturing project, a follow-on to NASA’s completed which has an aspect ratio twice that of the 737-800, Boeing confi guration. The experimental aircraft would be one of a the Electrifi ed Power Train Flight Demonstration project, Advanced Composites Project. “One of the characteristics estimates the TTBW will have a 9% fuel-burn advantage over suite of demonstration projects to mature key technologies with costs planned to be shared with industry. “We’ve had of the single-aisle market is the need to produce a relatively an equivalent-technology conventional cantilever-wing airliner for a next-generation subsonic commercial transport by the several risk-reduction contracts that will support getting to large number per month, up to potentially 100 aircraft. With on ranges up to 3,500 nm. mid-2020s. fl ight with a megawatt electric power train demonstration,” largely composite aircraft, we have not proven the ability to “We’ve got some additional tests coming up this year,” “We have a preformulation planning team looking at the Pearce said. do that,” said Pearce. Pearce said. These include transonic buffet testing of the potential for [a fi scal 2022] start for a Transonic Truss-Braced “Based on the resources and schedule we have, we should The TTBW fl ight demonstration would be the culmina- TTBW in the 11-ft. tunnel at NASA Ames Research Center Wing [TTBW] fl ight demonstration,” Bob Pearce, NASA as- be able to get to fl ight in the fi scal 2023-24 time frame, at least tion of work begun in 2010 when Boeing revived the truss- and additional low-speed testing in the 14 X 22-ft. tunnel at sociate administrator for aeronautics, told an Oct. 14 virtual for the fi rst demonstration, and then looking hopefully to have braced wing concept and applied it to an advanced tran- NASA Langley Research Center. meeting of the National Academies’ Aerospace and Space a second demonstration in the fi scal 2024-25 time frame and sonic airliner. NASA has conducted a series of wind tunnel “We’ve already had one entry in the 14 X 22 [tunnel], and Engineering Board. to fi nish that up by fi scal 2026,” he added. tests of the confi guration since 2013, exploring its low- and we’re going back in to do some additional high-lift stability The other planned demonstration projects in support of The compact high-power-density core project is now in high- speed behavior. and control testing,” he said. “So we will have bounded development of ultraeffi cient subsonic airliners cover electrifi ed formulation, aiming for a fi scal 2022 start. The goal is a ground the [fl ight] envelope pretty well and be ready to take that The TTBW objective airliner concept (below) propulsion, small cores for turbofan engines and high-rate demonstration, in partnership with industry, of the key tech- to demonstration.” and possible  ight demonstrator composites manufacturing. nologies, materials and component advances required to NASA wants to bring U.S. industry and academia together con guration (above right). “NASA, in partnership with industry and universities, has been develop smaller cores enabling higher-bypass- ratio around these four demonstration projects in support working for the last 10-15 years on what are the right technologies turbofans. of developing a new generation of ultraeffi cient to enable the next generation of transports,” Pearce said. “We’ve The electrifi ed power train and small core demonstrations aircraft. “The notion of this whole thing is to look got it down to a handful of what we think are game-changing are “pretty synergistic,” Pearce said. “Because what we’re at how we create a national partnership that is technologies that could be available for this next generation. looking at relative to electric propulsion is a mild parallel hy- wrapped around this, since all the pieces come And for them to be available that means we need to get these brid system that would supplement the turbine power in key together looking at how to get these technologies to [technology readiness level (TRL)] 6 in the mid-2020s.” phases of fl ight.” BEING CNCET to TRL 6 by the mid-’20s,” said Pearce. c

1 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 1 PROPULSION

a Rolls-Royce-led team evaluating a direct-drive propulsor system while The Safran-led SAGE 2 a Safran-led group developed the open-rotor tests were run in geared pusher CROR. The Rolls Istres, France, in 2017. project was later rescoped to focus on lean-burn combustion, while Safran developed a CROR ground demon- strator using its M88 military engine as a gas generator. Unlike the CROR program, which aimed primarily to demonstrate the improved propulsive efficiency of the open rotor, the proposed next phase will also boost the thermodynamic efficiency of the core engine. In rec- ognition of the drive toward electri- cal power extraction, both for aircraft systems and to augment propulsion, the engine will also be adapted for hybrid-electric systems. SAFRAN The original CROR team, which technology “baskets.” Steinmetz is a blades—unlike the pusher-config- included Avio, GKN Aerospace and consulting engineer in the company’s ured CROR, GE38 and Pratt/Allison Leonardo, have remained enthusiastic Advanced Systems and Preliminary/ 578 DX—such a concept might enable supporters of the open- rotor concept New Engine Design unit. flight testing on some existing air- since the completion of the program. “The first basket of technology is craft testbeds without the need for Safran maintains that open rotors are improved, or what we call entitlement, major modification. “so far the only known architecture propulsive efficiency. That entitle- Plans to flight-test the CROR on an with a double-digit fuel-burn reduc- ment, or best level of propulsive effi- Airbus A340 were shelved in 2017 due tion potential while still matching ciency, is achieved by utilizing an open to concerns over airframe strength- future community noise standards.” fan system. Recent breakthroughs in ening and weight gain around the After more than 70 hr. of ground the areas of acoustics and engine inte- tail to counter potential blade sep - runs from May to December 2017 on gration have convinced us that now’s aration events. “We’ve talked about a test stand in Istres, France, Safran the right time to finish up this tech- a flying testbed and a demonstrator, said the demonstrator validated key nology maturation and have it ready and we use that word ‘demonstration’ technologies and answers to the chal- for the marketplace,” said Steinmetz. very intentionally. We understand at lenges of overall system integration The second basket is improved ther- GE Aviation that, at the end of the and “confirmed the great potential of mal efficiency from higher operating day, you’ve got to prove it in flight,” this architecture.” temperatures and pressures, while the said Steinmetz. Although demonstrating that the third is better system-level efficiency. Safran studied at least two pull- pusher-configured CROR was com- “One example is a hybrid-electric sys- er open-rotor configurations before pliant with existing Chapter 14 certi- tem,” he said. settling on the pusher CROR for rea- fication noise standards, Safran has “GE is working in three building- sons of easier mechanical feasibility acknowledged further work will be block areas to make this hybrid-elec- and could revisit the earlier designs required to make the concept less tric a reality,” he added. “The first for the new demonstrator. The stud- noisy. “That work would be done at building block is developing light- ies included a puller version of the the propeller, engine and aircraft lev- er-weight and more compact gener- CROR with the propeller sets driven el,” Safran says. ators and motors. A second building by a low-pressure (LP) transmission Another area of potential concern, block is demonstrating very high system. In this configuration, the LP engine dynamic behavior and the power extraction from gas turbine shaft passed through the gas genera- potential transmission of vibration technology. It’s likely that at least the tor and drove the props via a differen- into the airframe and cabin, was mit- initial embodiments of hybrid-electric tial power gearbox. igated by careful balancing of the test will require power from gas turbines. However, a more likely option could engine’s 13.1- and 12.5-ft.-dia. rotor sets And finally, we’re investing in facilities be the second puller configuration, to and the use of soft engine mounts. that allow us to model the very com- be studied, in which a second blade row The new technology demonstrator plex environment for an integrated made up of active variable-pitch stators plan was outlined for the first time hybrid-electric system, in terms of its acts as flow recovery vanes. The design during an International Civil Avia- aircraft-engine environment, so that increases overall fan pressure ratio tion Organization virtual seminar it can enter into service successfully.” while simultaneously reducing rotor in September. Speaking on behalf Although no details of the proposed loading—thus enabling a higher max- of the European-based team, GE concept will be unveiled until bids are imum flight Mach number. This con- Aviation’s Greg Steinmetz, said the submitted, it is possible that a pull- figuration incorporates a high-speed engine’s 20% fuel-burn improvement er open-rotor configuration may be power turbine and an LP-shaft-driven will be achieved by using three major considered. With forward-mounted front epicyclic gearbox. c

16 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST PROPULSION COMMERCIAL AVIATION > IATA outlook: tough winter ahead p. 19 a Rolls-Royce-led team evaluating a Boeing’s Rare Forecast Reductions Boeing now forecasts to be delivered direct-drive propulsor system while The Safran-led SAGE 2 by 2029 will be replacement aircraft, a Safran-led group developed the open-rotor tests were run in Underscore the Pandemic’s Reach which is 12% more than Boeing’s geared pusher CROR. The Rolls 2019 projection. Istres, France, in 2017. project was later rescoped to focus on > THE LATEST FORECAST EXPECTS THE WIDEBODY MARKET The effect is also expected to lean-burn combustion, while Safran TO REMAIN SOFT continue into the second decade of developed a CROR ground demon- the forecast, with a slightly lower strator using its M88 military engine > TRAFFIC NOT PROJECTED TO RETURN TO 2019 LEVELS BEFORE 2023 emphasis on replacements as air - as a gas generator. lines regroup and growth resumes Unlike the CROR program, which Sean Broderick Washington and Guy Norris Los Angeles to prepandemic levels. The forecast aimed primarily to demonstrate the predicts that 48% of the total 43,100 improved propulsive efficiency of the oeing’s latest commercial air- second this century that presented a new aircraft to be delivered by 2039 open rotor, the proposed next phase plane outlook calls for rare gloomier outlook than its predecessor; will be replacements. will also boost the thermodynamic Breductions in deliveries and the first was the 2009 forecast. That Boeing’s forecast details a changing efficiency of the core engine. In rec- total fleet size compared with its last year, at the tail end of a multiyear global global fleet mix with a greater focus on ognition of the drive toward electri- forecast, underscoring the depth of financial crisis, Boeing expected small single-aisle market growth than before cal power extraction, both for aircraft the novel coronavirus’ reach on the declines in deliveries and resulting fleet the pandemic, and a shift away from systems and to augment propulsion, airline business and, by extension, its sizes; in each case, dip was less than 1%. the trend toward narrowbody upscal- the engine will also be adapted for supply chain. The year-over-year drop in global ing that dominated much of the 2010s. hybrid-electric systems. SAFRAN The figures, released as part of revenue passenger kilometers—cur- Overall, Boeing forecasts that 32,270 The original CROR team, which technology “baskets.” Steinmetz is a blades—unlike the pusher-config- Boeing’s annual 20-year Commer- rent figures have them down about single-aisle aircraft will be delivered included Avio, GKN Aerospace and consulting engineer in the company’s ured CROR, GE38 and Pratt/Allison cial Market Outlook (CMO), paint a 75%—and little hope of a fast recov- during the next two decades, including Leonardo, have remained enthusiastic Advanced Systems and Preliminary/ 578 DX—such a concept might enable difficult picture for the airline indus- ery will prompt significant systemic 13,570 through 2029. supporters of the open- rotor concept New Engine Design unit. flight testing on some existing air- try, which the aircraft manufacturer since the completion of the program. “The first basket of technology is craft testbeds without the need for believes will not recover to prepan- Safran maintains that open rotors are improved, or what we call entitlement, major modification. demic traffic levels until at least 2023. “so far the only known architecture propulsive efficiency. That entitle- Plans to flight-test the CROR on an with a double-digit fuel-burn reduc- ment, or best level of propulsive effi- Airbus A340 were shelved in 2017 due Widebody deliveries have been tion potential while still matching ciency, is achieved by utilizing an open to concerns over airframe strength- revised sharply downward in Boeing’s future community noise standards.” fan system. Recent breakthroughs in ening and weight gain around the latest forecast compared with the After more than 70 hr. of ground the areas of acoustics and engine inte- tail to counter potential blade sep - year-ago outlook. The company sees runs from May to December 2017 on gration have convinced us that now’s aration events. “We’ve talked about increased emphasis on fleet flexi bility, a test stand in Istres, France, Safran the right time to finish up this tech- a flying testbed and a demonstrator, including smaller widebodies and said the demonstrator validated key nology maturation and have it ready and we use that word ‘demonstration’ technologies and answers to the chal- for the marketplace,” said Steinmetz. very intentionally. We understand at long-range narrowbodies, coming out lenges of overall system integration The second basket is improved ther- GE Aviation that, at the end of the of the pandemic. Despite the shift, and “confirmed the great potential of mal efficiency from higher operating day, you’ve got to prove it in flight,” the company remains upbeat on the this architecture.” temperatures and pressures, while the said Steinmetz. 777X family’s prospects. Although demonstrating that the third is better system-level efficiency. Safran studied at least two pull- pusher-configured CROR was com- “One example is a hybrid-electric sys- er open-rotor configurations before Boeing also predicts it may take as pliant with existing Chapter 14 certi- tem,” he said. settling on the pusher CROR for rea- long as five years for the airlines to fication noise standards, Safran has “GE is working in three building- sons of easier mechanical feasibility resume the industry’s long-term tra- BOEING acknowledged further work will be block areas to make this hybrid-elec- and could revisit the earlier designs jectory of 4-5% annual growth, estab- changes in the makeup of the world The 4% overall fleet decline in the required to make the concept less tric a reality,” he added. “The first for the new demonstrator. The stud- lished in the 1980s. fleet, says Darren Hulst, Boeing’s vice next 20 years, compared with the pre- noisy. “That work would be done at building block is developing light- ies included a puller version of the The demand shock forced Boeing president of commercial marketing. vious forecast, includes an 11% drop the propeller, engine and aircraft lev- er-weight and more compact gener- CROR with the propeller sets driven to make rare reductions to key parts “I don’t think anybody has given a in projected widebody deliveries. The el,” Safran says. ators and motors. A second building by a low-pressure (LP) transmission of its detailed, annual two-decade look commercial market outlook briefing widebody sector is now forecast to Another area of potential concern, block is demonstrating very high system. In this configuration, the LP ahead. Boeing’s forecast of 43,110 deliv- when passenger flights are hovering account for 7,480 deliveries, against engine dynamic behavior and the power extraction from gas turbine shaft passed through the gas genera- eries through 2039 is 2% lower than right around 50% of normal, which last year’s estimate of 8,340. potential transmission of vibration technology. It’s likely that at least the tor and drove the props via a differen- the figures outlined in its 2019 20-year is where we are today as an industry, The freighter forecast is lower, into the airframe and cabin, was mit- initial embodiments of hybrid-electric tial power gearbox. outlook. Most of the drop will come in and about 25% of normal passenger to a net gain of 930 new-production igated by careful balancing of the test will require power from gas turbines. However, a more likely option could the first half of the forecast, reflecting travel,” Hulst says. “So the industry freighters, versus more than 1,000 engine’s 13.1- and 12.5-ft.-dia. rotor sets And finally, we’re investing in facilities be the second puller configuration, to the ramifications of the current pan- clearly has been dramatically impact- in the 2019 forecast. Boeing also sees and the use of soft engine mounts. that allow us to model the very com- be studied, in which a second blade row demic. Deliveries through 2029 are ed and remains dramatically impacted another 1,500 converted freighters The new technology demonstrator plex environment for an integrated made up of active variable-pitch stators projected to be 11% lower than com- by the pandemic worldwide.” joining the fleet. plan was outlined for the first time hybrid-electric system, in terms of its acts as flow recovery vanes. The design parable 2019 forecast figures. Its total Outlining a two-phase recovery sce- The only growth sector in the fore- during an International Civil Avia- aircraft-engine environment, so that increases overall fan pressure ratio projected fleet of 48,400 commercial nario, Hulst says the early retirement cast is the regional jet market: Boeing tion Organization virtual seminar it can enter into service successfully.” while simultaneously reducing rotor passenger and freighter jets at the end of older aircraft will be a key driver now believes it will see deliveries of in September. Speaking on behalf Although no details of the proposed loading—thus enabling a higher max- of 2039 is 2,260 lower than last year’s of near-term fleet strategy. Although about 2,430 aircraft over the next two of the European-based team, GE concept will be unveiled until bids are imum flight Mach number. This con- comparable figure—a 4% reduction. more than 70% of the active fleet has decades, compared with 2,240 in last Aviation’s Greg Steinmetz, said the submitted, it is possible that a pull- figuration incorporates a high-speed Successive forecasted drops in returned from temporary storage, year’s forecast. Boeing defines region- engine’s 20% fuel-burn improvement er open-rotor configuration may be power turbine and an LP-shaft-driven Boeing’s total fleet-size deliveries are many aircraft will never come back. al aircraft as aircraft with fewer than will be achieved by using three major considered. With forward-mounted front epicyclic gearbox. c rare. The 2020 version is only the As a result, 56% of the 18,350 aircraft 90 seats.

16 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 17 COMMERCIAL AVIATION

Boeing’s latest forecast assumes an widebody demand in general for years, aftermarket services as well. The average passenger traffic growth rate the rapid retirement of the largest anticipated changes led Boeing to of 4% annually. This should be high- models, notably Airbus A380s and cut 10%, or about $100 billion, from er in 2021, as 2020’s historic decline Boeing 747s, will leave a gap at the top its 20-year forecast for commercial- presents an easy year-over-year figure end of the market once traffic begins to aviation services spending. to beat. If a COVID-19 vaccine is not rebound. Mix in projected scheduled Boeing’s updated services outlook, developed and widely distributed in retirements of 777-300ERs later this released alongside its CMO, projects a the next year or so, however, growth decade—the highly successful model $9.04 trillion market through 2039 for could stagnate because traveler con- entered service in 1998—and the new- its broadly defined services segment. fidence would remain low. But that est 777s should be on solid ground. The figure is down from September would be temporary, Boeing believes. “I don’t see a meaningful change in 2019’s projection of a $9.1 trillion mar- Post- pandemic, a return to the previ- demand for the 777X in the long term,” ket through 2038. ous pace of growth is envisioned, sim- Hulst says. Paralleling the CMO’s delivery and ilar to the aftermath of recent global Planned production rates align with fleet growth path, most of the reduc- slumps, including 9/11 and the Great Boeing’s near-term outlook, a Jefferies tion in services demand will come in Recession of 2007-09. analysis suggests. Boeing’s forecast of the next 10 years, as airlines look to “Commercial aviation is facing his- 3,060 widebody deliveries through stabilize their operations with a small- toric challenges this year,” Hulst says. 2029 translates to 25.5 per month. er, younger fleet in the wake of the his- “Yet history has also proven air travel Current Airbus and Boeing passen- toric drop in traffic demand. to be resilient time and again. The cur- ger model rates total 15 per month— Among the main factors that will rent disruption will inform airline fleet six 787s, two 777s, two A330s and five slow spending on services is the over- The Pandemic’s Reach Reductions in Boeing’s 2020 Commercial Market 20-Year Outlook Fleet Composition Deliveries in Next 20 Years 2019 Forecast 2020 Forecast 2019 Forecast 2020 Forecast 2018 Fleet 2038 Fleet Forecast 2019 Fleet 2039 Fleet Forecast REGIONAL JET 2,240 2,430 2,710 2,500 2,710 2,650 SINGLE-AISLE 32,420 32,270 16,630 35,200 16,520 33,850 WIDEBODY 8,340 7,480 4,520 9,560 4,660 8,640 FREIGHTER 1,040 930 1,970 3,400 2,010 3,260 TOTAL 44,040 43,110 25,830 50,660 25,900 48,400 Note: Regional jets are defined as having fewer than 90 seats. Source: Boeing strategies long into the future, as air- A350s, including some 777 freighters. all reduction in projected fleet growth, lines focus on building versatile fleets, Before the pandemic, comparable rates which has been exacerbated by rising networks and business model innova- totaled 34 per month, “pointing to a retirements. Boeing’s projection that tions that deliver the most capability long recovery to peak,” Jeffries says. 48% of new deliveries will replace air- and greatest efficiency at the lowest Boeing’s narrowbody outlook for the craft instead of adding to a growing risk for sustainable growth.” next decade is 13,570 deliveries, or 113 fleet stands in sharp contrast to last The updated CMO has annual glob- per month. Current production plans decade’s actual figure of 35%, the com- al economic growth averaging 2.5%, assume about 32 MAXs per month, pany says. down from 2.7% in the 2019 forecast. translating to 75 aircraft per month, During periods of growth and little Boeing now sees airline traffic averag- Jefferies says. market disruption, airlines collectively ing 4% growth per year, down from the The Boeing forecast assumes the remove 2-3% of the global fleet annu- 4.6% envisioned last year. current slack demand for new air- ally for retirement in order to bring Boeing’s forecast focuses on the link craft will tighten soon. Based on in new, more efficient aircraft. Using between traffic demand and deliver- official production rate and delivery Boeing’s numbers for the current fleet, ies within general aircraft categories. numbers, Jefferies estimates that that translates to 500-750 aircraft per Because the public data Boeing releas- 2020 build rates have produced about year in the near term. es does not get into model-by-model 260 excess aircraft, not counting 737 When the demand environment gets breakdowns, Hulst offered little color MAXs being built and stored while the challenging, this removal rate can dou- on most Boeing-specific topics, such model remains grounded. ble, while new aircraft orders usually as the company’s outlook on delivery “Production rates have largely been slow down. timing of the 470 737 MAXs it has in chosen for stability, rather than per- “Our view is that we’ll see something storage or the grounded model’s gen- fectly matching demand, so we would very similar” to a doubling of the fleet eral demand outlook once it returns expect these aircraft in inventory to retirement percentage, Hulst says. “It to service. be worked off as demand recovers,” may be even more pronounced in the Hulst offered an upbeat assessment Jefferies says. near term because of the impact to of the company’s 777X, however. While A slower-growing fleet reset with the industry and [the industry’s] sig- acknowledging the pandemic will hurt a wave of retirements will cut into nificance on a global basis.” c

18 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST COMMERCIAL AVIATION

Boeing’s latest forecast assumes an widebody demand in general for years, aftermarket services as well. The nately, this year’s disastrous spring average passenger traffic growth rate the rapid retirement of the largest anticipated changes led Boeing to Tough Winter Ahead and summer provided no cushion.” of 4% annually. This should be high- models, notably Airbus A380s and cut 10%, or about $100 billion, from UK budget carrier EasyJet warned er in 2021, as 2020’s historic decline Boeing 747s, will leave a gap at the top its 20-year forecast for commercial- for Airlines on Oct. 8 that it will su‹ er its fi rst- ever presents an easy year-over-year figure end of the market once traffic begins to aviation services spending. full-year loss of up to £834 million to beat. If a COVID-19 vaccine is not rebound. Mix in projected scheduled Boeing’s updated services outlook, Burning Cash ($1.09 billion). Due to travel restric- developed and widely distributed in retirements of 777-300ERs later this released alongside its CMO, projects a tions, the airline has set out plans to the next year or so, however, growth decade—the highly successful model $9.04 trillion market through 2039 for fl y only about a quarter of its prepan- could stagnate because traveler con- entered service in 1998—and the new- its broadly defined services segment. fidence would remain low. But that est 777s should be on solid ground. The figure is down from September EasyJet is set to su er its  rst-ever would be temporary, Boeing believes. “I don’t see a meaningful change in 2019’s projection of a $9.1 trillion mar- full-year loss. Post- pandemic, a return to the previ- demand for the 777X in the long term,” ket through 2038. ous pace of growth is envisioned, sim- Hulst says. Paralleling the CMO’s delivery and demic planned capacity in October, ilar to the aftermath of recent global Planned production rates align with fleet growth path, most of the reduc- > EASYJET EXPECTS TO FLY 25% November and December. slumps, including 9/11 and the Great Boeing’s near-term outlook, a Jefferies tion in services demand will come in OF NORMAL CAPACITY IN OCTOBER-DECEMBER EasyJet’s cash burn rate was better Recession of 2007-09. analysis suggests. Boeing’s forecast of the next 10 years, as airlines look to than expected during the quarter to “Commercial aviation is facing his- 3,060 widebody deliveries through stabilize their operations with a small- > IATA FORECASTS $77 BILLION CASH BURN IN SECOND HALF OF 2020 the end of September, thanks to its toric challenges this year,” Hulst says. 2029 translates to 25.5 per month. er, younger fleet in the wake of the his- “prudent and conservative” approach “Yet history has also proven air travel Current Airbus and Boeing passen- toric drop in traffic demand. II E EO OEIGE IGE to capacity, the airline said. Helen Massy-Beresford Paris to be resilient time and again. The cur- ger model rates total 15 per month— Among the main factors that will For the full year, passenger numbers rent disruption will inform airline fleet six 787s, two 777s, two A330s and five slow spending on services is the over- ith cash reserves running But airlines hamstrung by a patch- dropped 50%, to 48 million. Meanwhile, out fast, tra c levels declin- work of individual restrictions, say the capacity stood at 38% of previously The Pandemic’s Reach Wing and more capacity cuts move does not go nearly far enough. planned levels in the three months Reductions in Boeing’s 2020 Commercial Market 20-Year Outlook on the horizon, the outlook for airlines UBS analyst Jarrod Castle wrote from July through September. looks increasingly pessimistic as they in an Oct. 7 research note that as “Flying peaked in August and then Fleet Composition Deliveries in Next 20 Years gear up for a di cult winter season. of Sept. 21, 67% of intra-European tapered signifi cantly during Septem- 2019 Forecast 2020 Forecast The International Air Transport routes were subject to travel restric- ber, when customer demand was ma- 2019 Forecast 2020 Forecast 2018 Fleet 2038 Fleet Forecast 2019 Fleet 2039 Fleet Forecast Association (IATA) warned on Oct. 6 tions. This fi gure was down just 4 per- terially a‹ ected by changes in govern- REGIONAL JET 2,240 2,430 2,710 2,500 2,710 2,650 that airlines worldwide would burn centage points from the 71% seen in ment travel guidance and quarantine through $77 billion in cash in the sec- June, when many European countries rules,” EasyJet said. “Customers are SINGLE-AISLE 32,420 32,270 16,630 35,200 16,520 33,850 ond half of 2020—almost $13 billion were still in lockdown. booking at a very late stage, and visi- WIDEBODY 8,340 7,480 4,520 9,560 4,660 8,640 per month, or $300,000 per minute— “With the onset of the winter sea- bility remains limited.” FREIGHTER 1,040 930 1,970 3,400 2,010 3,260 and that the slow recovery in air travel son, we see a tougher trading envi- The number of flights operating TOTAL 44,040 43,110 25,830 50,660 25,900 48,400 will compel the industry to continue ronment, although the benefi ts from grew to 30,849 in August from 13,992 its cash burn at an average rate of restructuring should start to gather in July but dropped to 21,692 in Sep- Note: Regional jets are defined as having fewer than 90 seats. Source: Boeing $5-6 billion per month in 2021. pace,” Castle wrote. “We think, given tember. The ebb and fl ow of EasyJet’s strategies long into the future, as air- A350s, including some 777 freighters. all reduction in projected fleet growth, IATA does not expect the industry the levels of travel restrictions and tra c mirrors a broader trend in Eu- lines focus on building versatile fleets, Before the pandemic, comparable rates which has been exacerbated by rising to turn cash positive again until 2022. unlikely material return of the busi- ropean air transport, as uncertainty networks and business model innova- totaled 34 per month, “pointing to a retirements. Boeing’s projection that Against this grim backdrop, the ness traveler, airlines will continue to about the evolution of COVID-19 and tions that deliver the most capability long recovery to peak,” Jeffries says. 48% of new deliveries will replace air- airline industry has been lobbying reduce fourth-quarter capacity.” travel restrictions has put o‹ travelers and greatest efficiency at the lowest Boeing’s narrowbody outlook for the craft instead of adding to a growing hard for weeks for a coordinated sys- IATA has also called for more since a summer peak. risk for sustainable growth.” next decade is 13,570 deliveries, or 113 fleet stands in sharp contrast to last tem of widespread COVID-19 testing government aid for struggling air- Eurocontrol said on Oct. 12 that The updated CMO has annual glob- per month. Current production plans decade’s actual figure of 35%, the com- to replace the current fragmented lines, now that the initial coronavi- fl ights in its network during the week al economic growth averaging 2.5%, assume about 32 MAXs per month, pany says. and frequently changing travel re- rus pandemic support provided by ended Oct. 11 numbered fewer than down from 2.7% in the 2019 forecast. translating to 75 aircraft per month, During periods of growth and little strictions that are hampering their many countries—totaling $160 billion 100,000 for the fi rst time since mid-July. Boeing now sees airline traffic averag- Jefferies says. market disruption, airlines collectively recovery e‹ orts. worldwide— is beginning to dwindle Traffic saw a 3.8% week-on-week ing 4% growth per year, down from the The Boeing forecast assumes the remove 2-3% of the global fleet annu- Some signs indicate that govern- and the industry is facing a longer downtick to 99,271 total flights, or 4.6% envisioned last year. current slack demand for new air- ally for retirement in order to bring ments are responding to the calls for crisis than many expected at the 14, 182 on average per day, Eurocontrol Boeing’s forecast focuses on the link craft will tighten soon. Based on in new, more efficient aircraft. Using more coordination. In the UK, the start of the year. said. That fi gure represented 44.1% of between traffic demand and deliver- official production rate and delivery Boeing’s numbers for the current fleet, formation of a government task force “The crisis is deeper and longer 2019 levels, the organization added. ies within general aircraft categories. numbers, Jefferies estimates that that translates to 500-750 aircraft per to look into alternatives to quaran- than any of us could have imagined. Amid warnings about the industry’s Because the public data Boeing releas- 2020 build rates have produced about year in the near term. tine measures received a cautious And the initial support programs are cash situation, EasyJet said its own es does not get into model-by-model 260 excess aircraft, not counting 737 When the demand environment gets welcome from the industry. And a running out,” IATA Director General total cash burn for the fourth quarter breakdowns, Hulst offered little color MAXs being built and stored while the challenging, this removal rate can dou- European-wide harmonized “traffic and CEO Alexandre de Juniac said. is expected to be less than £700 mil- on most Boeing-specific topics, such model remains grounded. ble, while new aircraft orders usually light” system put forward by the Euro- “Today, we must ring the alarm bell lion, compared with £774 million in as the company’s outlook on delivery “Production rates have largely been slow down. pean Commission has been approved again. If these support programs are the third quarter. timing of the 470 737 MAXs it has in chosen for stability, rather than per- “Our view is that we’ll see something by member states: The idea is that a not replaced or extended, the con- “Along with other airlines, EasyJet storage or the grounded model’s gen- fectly matching demand, so we would very similar” to a doubling of the fleet simple map based on regional infec- sequences for an already hobbled now has to look to summer 2021 for at eral demand outlook once it returns expect these aircraft in inventory to retirement percentage, Hulst says. “It tion data analyzed by the European industry will be dire. least a partial recovery in demand,” to service. be worked off as demand recovers,” may be even more pronounced in the Center for Disease Prevention and “Historically, cash generated during Bernstein analyst Daniel Roeska Hulst offered an upbeat assessment Jefferies says. near term because of the impact to Control (ECDC) will provide some the peak summer season helps to sup- wrote in a research note. “Absent of the company’s 777X, however. While A slower-growing fleet reset with the industry and [the industry’s] sig- much-needed clarity and predictabil- port airlines through the leaner winter this, the industry will face an exis- acknowledging the pandemic will hurt a wave of retirements will cut into nificance on a global basis.” c ity for would-be travelers. months,” de Juniac added. “Unfortu- tential threat.” c

18 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 1 Better Hi-RES POSSIBLE TK

PROPULSION

VoltAero Cassio Offers ‘A La Carte’ two 45-kW Safran electric motors on the wing driving three-blade tractor Hybrid-Electric Propulsion propellers, and a VoltAero-developed hybrid power module in the aft fuselage > THREE-MEMBER FAMILY AIMED AT REGIONAL FLYING driving a five-blade pusher propeller. The “barrel” power module compris- > AIRPORT OPERATOR, NETWORK APP ALREADY ON BOARD es three 60-kW Emrax electric motors and a 400-hp (300-kW) combustion Graham Warwick Washington engine supplied by Solution F and based on a Nissan V6 racing engine. oving a step closer to its dream incrementally, the Cassio 2 is a new, The motors and engine all drive the of developing a clean-sheet aerodynamically efficient design opti- propeller shaft via belts, and each can Mfamily of hybrid-electric air- mized around a power train that offers be disconnected independently if there craft for general and regional aviation, pilot-selectable “a la carte” operation: is a failure. France’s VoltAero has flown the 800-hp pure electric, mild hybrid or heavy The wing motors are powered by power train intended for the largest hybrid. lithium-ion battery packs installed 10-seat member of the series. “You can run like a series hybrid, in the wingboxes outboard of the tail The startup plans to stage a 2,300- you can run like a parallel hybrid, and booms, and fuel for the thermal engine km (1,240-nm) “Tour de France” with you can have a disconnection—so pure is housed in the inboard wing tanks. VOLTAERO PHOTOS

VoltAero’s Cassio 1 testbed has been fitted with the 800-hp hybrid-electric propulsion system planned for the production Cassio 2.

its Cassio 1 propulsion testbed on thermal or pure electric,” CEO Jean The hybrid-module motors are pow- Oct. 26-31, visiting 11 midsize regional Botti says, adding that the system ered by three battery packs in the nose airports to demonstrate the travel con- operates at 500 volts. of the Cassio 1, replacing the Cessna’s venience, reduced operating costs and After competing 50 hr. of flight forward engine. lower noise promised by its production testing with earlier iterations of the VoltAero developed the air-cooled Cassio 2 family. power train, the Cassio 1 began flying battery system in-house using com- Whereas the Cassio 1 is a modified with the most powerful version on mercially available cells. Total battery Cessna 337 Skymaster being used to Oct. 11 at Royan-Medis Aerodrome in capacity is 60 kWh, and system-level develop and test the propulsion system France. The testbed is now fitted with energy density is close to 190 Wh/kg,

20 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST Better Hi-RES POSSIBLE TK

PROPULSION

VoltAero Cassio Offers ‘A La Carte’ two 45-kW Safran electric motors on says former Airbus Chief Technical the wing driving three-blade tractor Officer Botti. “On short legs, we can fly VoltAero conducted the first flight with a 800-hp Hybrid-Electric Propulsion propellers, and a VoltAero-developed pure electric with the range extender hybrid-electric propulsion system on Oct. 21. hybrid power module in the aft fuselage for safety,” he adds. > THREE-MEMBER FAMILY AIMED AT REGIONAL FLYING driving a five-blade pusher propeller. The Cassio 1’s cockpit has been The “barrel” power module compris- retrofitted with Garmin avionics and > AIRPORT OPERATOR, NETWORK APP ALREADY ON BOARD es three 60-kW Emrax electric motors displays, plus new information screens and a 400-hp (300-kW) combustion supplied by MGL Avionics for the Graham Warwick Washington engine supplied by Solution F and hybrid power train. The cabin has been based on a Nissan V6 racing engine. modified to accommodate the propul- oving a step closer to its dream incrementally, the Cassio 2 is a new, The motors and engine all drive the sion system electronics as well as two of developing a clean-sheet aerodynamically efficient design opti- propeller shaft via belts, and each can pilots and a flight engineer. Levers on Mfamily of hybrid-electric air- mized around a power train that offers be disconnected independently if there the cockpit ceiling allow the pilot to craft for general and regional aviation, pilot-selectable “a la carte” operation: is a failure. disconnect individual motors. France’s VoltAero has flown the 800-hp pure electric, mild hybrid or heavy The wing motors are powered by All three members of the planned power train intended for the largest hybrid. lithium-ion battery packs installed Cassio 2 production family—the four- 10-seat member of the series. “You can run like a series hybrid, in the wingboxes outboard of the tail seat Cassio 330, six-seat Cassio 480 The startup plans to stage a 2,300- you can run like a parallel hybrid, and booms, and fuel for the thermal engine and 10-seat Cassio 600—offer the same km (1,240-nm) “Tour de France” with you can have a disconnection—so pure is housed in the inboard wing tanks. basic performance: 200-kt. cruise

VOLTAERO PHOTOS speed, 1,290-km (700-nm) maximum range and a takeoff and landing dis- tance less than 1,800 ft. The propulsion-system operating mode depends on range: pure-electric flight over distances up to 200 km, with the thermal engine as a backup for safety; mild hybrid over 200- 600 km, Cassio 480 comprises the three 60-kW air services, including training schools with minimum recharging in flight; motors coupled to two 150-kW ther- and maintenance centers at these and heavy hybrid beyond 600 km, with mal range extenders, all driving the smaller airports. more inflight recharging. single pusher propeller, although Volt- “That’s where we’re going to do the VoltAero plans to certify the family Aero plans to switch to Solution F’s ‘Tour de France,’ at their airports,” under European Union Aviation Safety high-power-density 300-kW combus- Botti says. “[With Edeis], we have Agency CS-23 regulations, beginning tion engine if it is certified, he says. been thinking about how to better use with the Cassio 330. The COVID-19 The Cassio 600 has a 300-kW midsize airports to develop regional pandemic has delayed the program motor-generator coupled to a range air transportation. In France, Air by 3-4 months, but the startup is aim- extender with 300 kW of electric and France has been asked not to develop ing for certification of the four-seater 300 kW of thermal power. The 10-seat- any more flights under 2.5 hr., so that by the end of 2022, to be followed at er may have wing-mounted propellers, creates an opportunity for us because six-month intervals by approval of the as on the Cassio 1, but Botti says the sometimes the train, even if it’s the six- and 10-seaters, Botti says. pusher propeller is being designed to TGV high-speed rail, does not serve The four-seater has a 330-kW power absorb all 600 kW and avoid the need some city-to-city routes well.” train and a design maximum takeoff for wing props. The second partnership is with U.S. weight (MTOW) of less than 2,000 kg Having raised the money to complete startup KinectAir, which is develop- (4,400 lb.); the six-seater, 480 kW of the first phase of Cassio development— ing an on-demand flight network built power and an MTOW of less than 2,500 propulsion system testing—Volt Aero around an Uber-like smartphone book- kg. The 10-seater has a 600-kW power in May was selected to receive both ing app. “I want to integrate this into train and is expected to weigh in at less grant funding and equity financing my cockpit,” Botti says. than 2,700 kg, he says. from the EU’s European Innovation “That means, not only is the pilot VoltAero’s Cassio 1 testbed has been fitted The drivetrain in the initial Cassio Council Accelerator. The startup is going to type in where he wants to go, with the 800-hp hybrid-electric propulsion 330 comprises a power module with one of 64 companies chosen from 2,500 who he’s going to pick up and so forth,” system planned for the production Cassio 2. three 60-kW Safran electric motors applications to receive a total of €307 he says. “But at the same time, the soft- plus a 150-kW certified biofuel-com- million ($361 million) in funding and ware is going to tell him, this is the patible aircraft piston engine as the the only aeronautical project among route you have to take, these are the range extender. the 38 of those chosen to share €182.6 modes you have to run in: 30% electric, its Cassio 1 propulsion testbed on thermal or pure electric,” CEO Jean The hybrid-module motors are pow- The startup calculates the four- million in equity investments. 50% hybrid at 50:50—it depends on Oct. 26-31, visiting 11 midsize regional Botti says, adding that the system ered by three battery packs in the nose seater will have an average 35% lower As it looks toward operation of the the distance, altitude and everything. airports to demonstrate the travel con- operates at 500 volts. of the Cassio 1, replacing the Cessna’s cost of ownership than the compet- Cassio 2, VoltAero has formed two We want to make the cockpit of the venience, reduced operating costs and After competing 50 hr. of flight forward engine. ing Cirrus SR22 and 20% lower emis- key partnerships. One is with French Cassio smart.” lower noise promised by its production testing with earlier iterations of the VoltAero developed the air-cooled sions in full-hybrid mode. Noise will be infrastructure company Edeis, which When it enters the market, VoltAero Cassio 2 family. power train, the Cassio 1 began flying battery system in-house using com- reduced by 8 dBA because the propel- operates 20 of the country’s regional plans to offer operators not only the Whereas the Cassio 1 is a modified with the most powerful version on mercially available cells. Total battery ler is stopped during taxiing, and only airports. The two companies plan to aircraft but also access to infrastruc- Cessna 337 Skymaster being used to Oct. 11 at Royan-Medis Aerodrome in capacity is 60 kWh, and system-level electric propulsion is used for takeoff. work together to develop an ecosystem ture with Edeis and the “Uber in the develop and test the propulsion system France. The testbed is now fitted with energy density is close to 190 Wh/kg, The power train for the six-seat for short- and medium-haul regional air” app with KinectAir, Botti says. c

20 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 21 BUSINESS

robotics and other digital technology adoption, PE owners Private Property are expected to alter the slow-changing A&D industrial base. But PE may not be satisfied with just the midtier and > AFTER A SPRINGTIME PAUSE, PRIVATE EQUITY below: Speculation over PE involvement with OEMs and INVESTORS RETURN WITH A VENGEANCE Tier 1 providers—whether on individual programs such as > THE PUSH INTO A&D COULD HERALD SEVERAL a new midmarket aircraft or new aero engines—remains a CHANGES FOR INDUSTRY staple of industry water-cooler talk. “They’re probably going to move more from a sector par- Michael Bruno Washington ticipant to a strategic partner,” says Alex Krutz, managing director of consultancy Patriot Industrial Partners. “They he stark reality of losing two years’ worth of com- typically haven’t been viewed by the OEMs, or Boeing for mercial aircraft production over the next half-decade that matter, as partners, and I think that with their liquidity Tcontinues to weigh on industry as it becomes clear and financial capabilities, we’re going to start to see them there will be no snapback to prepandemic air traffic levels. move into design.” Shares of publicly traded aerospace and defense (A&D) “We’re being contacted on a consistent basis by investors companies worldwide lag their stock market indices by 26% looking for resiliency in A&D investments, and military for year to date, Vertical Research Partners said Oct. 16. The now looks like the place getting the most attention,” says laggardly public performance shows how few outsiders— Paul Weisbrich, managing director of the investment bank- except for people who love to fly—want to be involved with ing group at D.A. Davidson. Foreign military sales, which the industry right now. saw a record government-approved $83.5 billion value in Few, that is, except for a growing cadre of private equity (PE) investors. “There are a lot of private equity players that are very Highly Acquisitive A&D Buyers interested in what is going on and see an opportunity to buy Top Private Equity Buyers into the aerospace supply chain,” Scott Thompson, PwC’s A&D Acquisitions U.S. aerospace and defense leader, tells Aviation Week. Company “There’s a ton of interest. I’ve got quite a few reach-outs Since 2017 from PE saying, ‘Hey, if you can help us identify companies AE Industrial Partners 26 looking for capital, we are eager investors.’” ACP 21 Thompson is far from alone; headhunters, lawyers, ac- quisition deal-makers, investment bankers and industry The Carlyle Group 16 advisors all report noticeable jumps in PE interest in A&D The Jordan Co. 9 as the pandemic and its economic fallout rolls through Acorn Growth Cos. 7 industry. “Private equity group percentages have been in- creasing over the years, and I suspect they will continue Veritas Capital 7 increasing,” says Stephen Perry, managing director at Janes Enlightenment Capital 7 Capital Partners. Some recent deals punctuate the observation. In late Sep- J.F. Lehman & Co. 7 tember, Blackstone Group’s Draken International bought 13 Warburg Pincus 6 aviation service businesses of Cobham Group, which Advent KKR 6 International had taken private just last year and now is breaking up. In another deal unveiled in late September, Liberty Hall Capital Partners 6 Delta Tucker’s DynCorp International, a provider of military Audax Group 5 logistics and aviation services to federal agencies, will be Platinum Equity 5 acquired by Amentum Holdings in a deal expected to close by year-end. Tinicum 5 AE Industrial Partners is one of the leading PE groups ac- Odyssey Investment Partners 5 tive in A&D over the last 3-4 years. AE partner Kirk Konert says now that industry has entered a down cycle, his firm Top Strategic Buyers sees an opportunity to look at companies with more limited Heico 14 competition in the middle-market space. Mercury Systems 8 “This is an industry that we have a lot of passion for, pas- sion for the longevity of the sector,” Konert says. The long- L3 Technologies 8 term business case remains intact, and veteran A&D PE Ametek 7 investors such as AE have tried to stay disciplined with the prices they pay for acquisitions. “I don’t think we’re going General Dynamics 7 to get better deals—we’re going to continue to pay the same Transdigm Group Inc. 6 prices we were paying—but maybe have more opportunities Boeing 5 and more assets” to consider, he said in late July. Many observers predict private equity’s growing pres- Other* 4 ence in A&D could bring many changes to the industrial *CAE, Cubic, Elbit Systems, Hexcel, Qinetiq, Accenture, BAE Systems, base. From consolidation of the supply chain to moving ParkOhio, FLIR, TT Electronics, Astronics, Saab production to new locations to accelerating automation, Sources: Janes Capital Partners and Robinson+Cole

22 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST BUSINESS robotics and other digital technology adoption, PE owners fiscal 2020, is one trend to ride. But he says buyers need There are also challenges with how cost curves have to Private Property are expected to alter the slow-changing A&D industrial to be discriminating within defense investments and focus change as work volumes drop so much for so long, bringing base. But PE may not be satisfied with just the midtier and on 2022-23, for instance, looking beyond 2021 for which the concurrent pressure on suppliers’ working capital accounts. > AFTER A SPRINGTIME PAUSE, PRIVATE EQUITY below: Speculation over PE involvement with OEMs and defense budget is already set. “We’re in the second inning of a nine-inning ballgame,” INVESTORS RETURN WITH A VENGEANCE Tier 1 providers—whether on individual programs such as Others concur. “I do really continue to see opportunity,” Perkins says. “The supply chain is in an every-man-for-him- > THE PUSH INTO A&D COULD HERALD SEVERAL a new midmarket aircraft or new aero engines—remains a says Chris Celtruda, managing principal of Destiny Equity self situation because the OEMs are exhausted.” CHANGES FOR INDUSTRY staple of industry water-cooler talk. Partners. He cites Pentagon mandates around hypersonics, Glende echoes Perkins and notes how OEM and upper- “They’re probably going to move more from a sector par- unmanned aircraft, microelectronics and space driving long- tier supply chain squeezes of recent years, including should- Michael Bruno Washington ticipant to a strategic partner,” says Alex Krutz, managing term value in related assets, as well as for modernization cost contracting, were predicated on production volumes director of consultancy Patriot Industrial Partners. “They and sustainment of aging but critical military systems such increasing. “There’s a whole set of assumptions behind he stark reality of losing two years’ worth of com- typically haven’t been viewed by the OEMs, or Boeing for as aircraft. Privatization of pilot training is another oppor- those programs that all arrows pointing north, and they mercial aircraft production over the next half-decade that matter, as partners, and I think that with their liquidity tunity as the armed services consider outsourcing the task point north with a rapid acceleration,” he says. “They are Tcontinues to weigh on industry as it becomes clear and financial capabilities, we’re going to start to see them for cost savings and readiness reasons. no longer true.” there will be no snapback to prepandemic air traffic levels. move into design.” But while the military field is attractive, seasoned inves- With Airbus seen as generally better positioned than Shares of publicly traded aerospace and defense (A&D) “We’re being contacted on a consistent basis by investors tors note the need for diversification across A&D and avoid- Boeing, insiders acknowledge the attractiveness of boosting companies worldwide lag their stock market indices by 26% looking for resiliency in A&D investments, and military for ance of getting caught up in one niche that has performed business with the European OEM. Weisbrich predicts more year to date, Vertical Research Partners said Oct. 16. The now looks like the place getting the most attention,” says well over the last six months. “This cycle is a reminder of cross-fertilization of suppliers to Airbus and Boeing within laggardly public performance shows how few outsiders— Paul Weisbrich, managing director of the investment bank- why platform and market diversity has always been a cor- five years. But Perkins thinks U.S. PE investors may have except for people who love to fly—want to be involved with ing group at D.A. Davidson. Foreign military sales, which nerstone of investing in aerospace and defense,” said Paul to become more active in Europe if they want to play into the industry right now. saw a record government-approved $83.5 billion value in Teske, a co-founder and partner at ATL Partners, at an A&D Airbus’ supply chain because protectionist economic policies Few, that is, except for a growing cadre of private equity Forum event on PE investing in October. “The growth of may make transatlantic trade harder, and others concur. (PE) investors. commercial in the last five years has made some people “It’s going to be more challenging to be a part of that sup- “There are a lot of private equity players that are very Highly Acquisitive A&D Buyers forget about that.” ply chain unless you’re physically on the ground in Europe, interested in what is going on and see an opportunity to buy Top Private Equity Buyers Weisbrich also recommends space-related opportunities, with a management team in Europe that can help drive that into the aerospace supply chain,” Scott Thompson, PwC’s including supply chain. “That’s really the hot topic zone for growth and take advantage” of Airbus’ A220 and A321XLR, A&D Acquisitions U.S. aerospace and defense leader, tells Aviation Week. Company us today: space,” he says. But again, Celtruda and Teske urge Glende says. “There’s a ton of interest. I’ve got quite a few reach-outs Since 2017 discrimination. Celtruda says space is a tale of two cities: PEs fall within a category of merger and acquisition from PE saying, ‘Hey, if you can help us identify companies AE Industrial Partners 26 the commercial side of space, while it receives lots of news (M&A) deal-makers known as financial sponsors. The oth- looking for capital, we are eager investors.’” ACP 21 coverage, is driven by billionaires, and the business models er side, “strategics,” are A&D companies, although since Thompson is far from alone; headhunters, lawyers, ac- remain to be proven. But government-based work in launch, late last year their deals predominantly have been dives- quisition deal-makers, investment bankers and industry The Carlyle Group 16 low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites, clandestine intercept and titures—e.g., OEMs, primes and “Super Tier 1s” shedding advisors all report noticeable jumps in PE interest in A&D The Jordan Co. 9 other projects shows genuine opportunity. noncore businesses. as the pandemic and its economic fallout rolls through Teske noted that among three space sectors—military, After an unprecedented pause in March-May due to the Acorn Growth Cos. 7 industry. “Private equity group percentages have been in- civil government and commercial—defense looks the best COVID-19 outbreak, deal-makers report a return to record creasing over the years, and I suspect they will continue Veritas Capital 7 long term. Others agree. activity and eye even more opportunities, especially if Dem- increasing,” says Stephen Perry, managing director at Janes Enlightenment Capital 7 “Today we see a combination of the two, and really it’s a ocrat Joe Biden wins the White House and pursues certain Capital Partners. question of the sustainability of one over the other,” agrees tax increases, spurring a stampede to get in before they Some recent deals punctuate the observation. In late Sep- J.F. Lehman & Co. 7 Tracy Glende, CEO of Valence Surface Technologies. His take effect. tember, Blackstone Group’s Draken International bought 13 Warburg Pincus 6 company does commercial launch vehicle work for SpaceX, “We’ve probably never seen such an abundance of deals,” aviation service businesses of Cobham Group, which Advent KKR 6 Blue Origin and others, but it is satellites for government says Craig Chason, leader of law firm Pillsbury’s Northern International had taken private just last year and now is use that he believes will be higher-margin, more sophisticat- Virginia office corporate practice. breaking up. In another deal unveiled in late September, Liberty Hall Capital Partners 6 ed and sustainable work. “A lot of these small LEO satellites “The floodgates really opened in September,” agrees Delta Tucker’s DynCorp International, a provider of military Audax Group 5 have cheaper components. We’ve already seen OneWeb go Jean Stack, managing director in Baird’s Global Invest- logistics and aviation services to federal agencies, will be bust,” he notes. “Yes, you can provide internet service to ment Banking group and co-head of its government and Platinum Equity 5 acquired by Amentum Holdings in a deal expected to close Central Africa, but who’s going to pay for it?” defense practice. by year-end. Tinicum 5 In commercial aviation, many observers advocate more of Pillsbury hosted a webinar series on M&A in aerospace in AE Industrial Partners is one of the leading PE groups ac- Odyssey Investment Partners 5 a wait-and-see approach. Several participants at the A&D October where Chason, Stack and other deal-makers talked tive in A&D over the last 3-4 years. AE partner Kirk Konert Forum event said they expect commercial aviation activity about how “weird” 2020 has been, with a near-freezing of ac- says now that industry has entered a down cycle, his firm Top Strategic Buyers to truly bottom out between now and February. “You are not tivity in the spring followed by today’s rush. But even as PE sees an opportunity to look at companies with more limited Heico 14 going to get rewarded for going too early in a cycle if things investors held off at the time—to deal with the pandemic cri- competition in the middle-market space. are still declining,” said Teske. “We have a lot of debate [as sis within their own portfolio companies—strategic buyers Mercury Systems 8 “This is an industry that we have a lot of passion for, pas- to] where the dust will settle first, aftermarket or OEMs.” still were hunting for targets, they say. Both sponsors and sion for the longevity of the sector,” Konert says. The long- L3 Technologies 8 Bryan Perkins, founder and CEO of Novaria Group, sus- strategics are positioning for 2-3 years out, and the current term business case remains intact, and veteran A&D PE Ametek 7 pects there are leading indicators of business activity of Goldilocks atmosphere both reaffirms the sector’s resilience investors such as AE have tried to stay disciplined with the which commercial aircraft and engine OEMs are aware but while also providing a unique opportunity. prices they pay for acquisitions. “I don’t think we’re going General Dynamics 7 that are not as visible to suppliers. The list begins with the Looking ahead, many deal-makers see activity reaching to get better deals—we’re going to continue to pay the same Transdigm Group Inc. 6 amount of backed-up inventory in commercial aerospace new heights. “I expect the next 12 months to be an extreme- prices we were paying—but maybe have more opportunities Boeing 5 and its consequences. ly busy time for this sector,” says Bob Kipps, founder of and more assets” to consider, he said in late July. “I think OEMs are struggling to understand what a sup- KippsDeSanto & Co., an A&D and government services Many observers predict private equity’s growing pres- Other* 4 plier sitting on two years’ worth of inventory in their own advisory firm. ence in A&D could bring many changes to the industrial *CAE, Cubic, Elbit Systems, Hexcel, Qinetiq, Accenture, BAE Systems, business, coupled with maybe three years of inventory at Stack says the transformation within the sectors will be base. From consolidation of the supply chain to moving ParkOhio, FLIR, TT Electronics, Astronics, Saab the OEM, is going to be faced with and how that is going to “awe-inspiring,” including divestitures and new owner en- production to new locations to accelerating automation, Sources: Janes Capital Partners and Robinson+Cole impact the supply chain in total,” Perkins says. trants. “Nothing is off the table,” she says. c

22 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 23 A VIRTUAL EVENT NOVEMBER 11, 2020 1:00 PM EST / 10:00 AM PST

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ADMA_2020_Virtual_7_5x10_5_Brochure_Digital.indd 4 10/18/2020 9:02:29 PM DEFENSE > New U.S. Army anti-ship capabilities p. 30 Tempest technology advances p. 32 Airbus Spain jet trainer concept p. 34 Japan’s electromagnetic warfare aircraft p. 35

DARPA-Funded Study Proposes Vision founded by a former DARPA manager, the answer would be to seek a dramatic for Hypersonic Production Facility split from the conventional model for producing advanced weapons. To HPAF SHIFTS START-UP COSTS TO NONFEDERAL SOURCES start, the study proposes a new level > of participation by state and local gov- > FACILITIES, MACHINES COULD BE REFRESHED EVERY THREE YEARS ernments in defense production. “A number of regions have talked Steve Trimble Washington about local and state support for hav- ing the [hypersonic production] facil- future factory called the Hy- tember proposes a new business ity located there,” Mick Maher, chief personic Production Accel- model for producing scramjet-pow- technology officer for ASTRO, says in Aerator Facility—for building ered missiles, but defense officials say an interview. potentially thousands of scramjet it could be applied to a wide range of The published summary of the propulsion systems for hypersonic advanced weapons. ASTRO study identifies nine po - cruise missiles—may not need the U.S. “This effort was intended to inform tential sites for the HPAF: Seattle; Defense Department or the defense us as we develop the concepts for [pro- Long Beach, California; San Antonio; industry to pay the up-front costs for ducing] affordable systems in large Wichita; College Station, Texas; West facilities and equipment. numbers where high-temperature Lafayette, Indiana; Huntsville, Ala- With no or few capitalized invest- materials and advanced thermal-man- bama; Daytona, Florida; and Hamp- ments demanding a lengthy return on agement techniques will drive designs ton, Virginia. The locations share a common trait: local access to existing hypersonic infrastructure. ASTRO “If you look at all of those places, there’s probably a wind tunnel nearby or an OEM,” Maher says. The ASTRO study recommends that the Defense Department hold a competition in which the potential cities would offer bids of financial support to offset the up-front cost of establishing the HPAF. As part of each proposal, the competitive bidding could include offers to finance the cap- ital infrastructure costs for the facility, The HPAF facility would use dedicated bays for separate supply chains to protect production machines and tooling. intellectual property and defense security as well as common areas to leverage By their nature, scramjet propul- other machines for metrology, inspection, subtractive manufacturing, welding, sion systems make ideal candidates for additive manufacturing. Such pro- and other pre- and post-processing needs. cesses can “grow” a part made of high- investment, the additive manufacturing that have unique production require- temperature materials, along with in- machines needed to produce the high- ments,” a Pentagon spokesman says. tricately designed internal passages to temperature materials required for For example, the carbon-carbon ma- enable active cooling systems. scramjet propulsion could be refreshed terial applied to rocket-boosted hyper- Thomas Bussing, former vice pres- or replaced in three-year cycles. sonic glide vehicles also could benefit ident of advanced missile systems The entire supply chain—from the from the same approach, according to for Raytheon, confirmed that addi- feedstock suppliers for the electron- the study’s authors. tive manufacturing will play a key beam welders to the prime contrac- The ASTRO study seeks to answer role in the production of the compa- tors—could be co-located within the questions that have hung over the ny’s scramjet design. “You could not Hypersonic Production Accelerator Pentagon’s three-year-old rush to play build [scramjets] using conventional Facility (HPAF). The vertically inte- catch-up with advances by Russia and methods the way cooling systems are grated process would be capable of China in hypersonic weapons: Who structured,” Bussing said in a June producing, testing and qualifying mate- would pay the up-front costs to build an 2019 interview. “Also, the larger seg- rials for new designs in almost half the infrastructure of production and test ments—the inlets and bypass ducts— time and for about one-fourth the cost facilities necessary to support U.S. all of those things are basically done of a traditional distributed supply chain. weapon production? And would that via additive manufacturing.” That vision for mass production of infrastructure accommodate the rapid Additive manufacturing makes the scramjet-powered vehicles has emerged pace of change in the nascent hyper- new generation of scramjet designs from a two-year DARPA-funded study sonic field, allowing quickly obsolete possible to build but creates certain by the Applied Science & Technology manufacturing processes and tools to be financial pressures. Research Organization (ASTRO). affordably replaced with state-of-the-art The ASTRO study proposes an An unclassified summary of the equipment in cycles of a few years? HPAF financed largely by nonfeder- study published by ASTRO in Sep - According to ASTRO, a consultancy al sources, such as local and region-

24 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST DEFENSE > New U.S. Army anti-ship capabilities p. 30 Tempest technology advances p. 32 Airbus Spain jet trainer concept p. 34 Japan’s electromagnetic warfare aircraft p. 35

DARPA-Funded Study Proposes Vision founded by a former DARPA manager, al governments or public-private fresh-reset cycle assumed in the study turing path, and you’re back and forth the answer would be to seek a dramatic partnerships between governments is set at three-year intervals, although across the country several times be- for Hypersonic Production Facility split from the conventional model for and academia. Maher says the industry is still debat- tween heat treatments and machining producing advanced weapons. To Those entities would own the HPAF, ing the ideal time period. places,” Maher says. “There’s a tremen- HPAF SHIFTS START-UP COSTS TO NONFEDERAL SOURCES start, the study proposes a new level then lease access to the facility and the “If you change it too fast, you never dous amount of time just lost in queue.” > of participation by state and local gov- machines to the Defense Department qualify the process, so you never get to The HPAF also would be sized to > FACILITIES, MACHINES COULD BE REFRESHED EVERY THREE YEARS ernments in defense production. to support production for a program of use it,” Maher says. “If you go too slow, support multiple prime contractors “A number of regions have talked record. The Pentagon would then turn you don’t get to take the advantage of working on different vehicles. Steve Trimble Washington about local and state support for hav- over the machines and the facility to what’s out there. So three years is some- In August, the Air Force selected ing the [hypersonic production] facil- the supply chain to build the scramjets. what controversial. It came down to Boeing, Lockheed and Raytheon to future factory called the Hy- tember proposes a new business ity located there,” Mick Maher, chief “We’re saying the government what we thought made the most sense.” compete for the Future Hypersonic Pro- personic Production Accel- model for producing scramjet-pow- technology officer for ASTRO, says in doesn’t even need to get into the own- When the Pentagon moves to estab- gram, a planned follow-on to DARPA’s Aerator Facility—for building ered missiles, but defense officials say an interview. ership piece,” Maher says. “It can pro- lish a new base or production site, the Hypersonic Air-Breathing Weapon potentially thousands of scramjet it could be applied to a wide range of The published summary of the vide the money to set the facility up and location decision often reflects political Concept. Lockheed and Raytheon are

propulsion systems for hypersonic advanced weapons. ASTRO study identifies nine po - get it running. And then we can even MIKE CASSIDY/U.S. AIR FORCE cruise missiles—may not need the U.S. “This effort was intended to inform tential sites for the HPAF: Seattle; provide project money on top of that.” Defense Department or the defense us as we develop the concepts for [pro- Long Beach, California; San Antonio; The concept bears faint echoes of industry to pay the up-front costs for ducing] affordable systems in large Wichita; College Station, Texas; West an early description in late 2018 of the facilities and equipment. numbers where high-temperature Lafayette, Indiana; Huntsville, Ala- Pentagon’s vision for future hyperson- With no or few capitalized invest- materials and advanced thermal-man- bama; Daytona, Florida; and Hamp- ic production by Patrick Shanahan, ments demanding a lengthy return on agement techniques will drive designs ton, Virginia. The locations share a who was then the deputy defense sec- common trait: local access to existing retary spearheading a review of indus- hypersonic infrastructure. trial base policy. In remarks at a Na- ASTRO “If you look at all of those places, tional Defense Industrial Association there’s probably a wind tunnel nearby event on hypersonic manufacturing, or an OEM,” Maher says. Shanahan, a former Boeing executive, The ASTRO study recommends was keen to shift the cost burden of that the Defense Department hold manufacturing infrastructure from a competition in which the potential industry to government. cities would offer bids of financial “I’d love to build the right facil- support to offset the up-front cost of ities and then turn the keys over to establishing the HPAF. As part of each someone to manage,” Shanahan said proposal, the competitive bidding in 2018. could include offers to finance the cap- The ASTRO study builds on that ap- ital infrastructure costs for the facility, proach but suggests using local and re- The HPAF facility would use dedicated bays for separate supply chains to protect production machines and tooling. gional governments to supplement or intellectual property and defense security as well as common areas to leverage By their nature, scramjet propul- assume the Pentagon’s up-front costs other machines for metrology, inspection, subtractive manufacturing, welding, sion systems make ideal candidates to build a hypersonic manufacturing for additive manufacturing. Such pro- infrastructure within a few years. and other pre- and post-processing needs. A new production system is envisioned for the next generation of scramjets cesses can “grow” a part made of high- The goal of using that approach is rather than the small, fragmented industrial base that built experimental investment, the additive manufacturing that have unique production require- temperature materials, along with in- twofold. After nearly four decades of systems such as the Boeing X-51. machines needed to produce the high- ments,” a Pentagon spokesman says. tricately designed internal passages to start-stop cycles in hypersonic tech- temperature materials required for For example, the carbon-carbon ma- enable active cooling systems. nology development, businesses would considerations as much as operational participating in the latter; the first flight scramjet propulsion could be refreshed terial applied to rocket-boosted hyper- Thomas Bussing, former vice pres- not have to convince skeptical boards needs. Those same political interests tests of each company’s design are or replaced in three-year cycles. sonic glide vehicles also could benefit ident of advanced missile systems to spend heavily on up-front produc- also usually drive defense contractors scheduled for later this year. The Air The entire supply chain—from the from the same approach, according to for Raytheon, confirmed that addi- tion equipment. The same burden upon to disperse the supply chain to as many Force has not defined an acquisition feedstock suppliers for the electron- the study’s authors. tive manufacturing will play a key the Pentagon’s budget also would be re- congressional districts as feasible. strategy for the operational prototyp- beam welders to the prime contrac- The ASTRO study seeks to answer role in the production of the compa- lieved. In addition, the industry and the The ASTRO study seeks basically ing program, but it may not lead to a tors—could be co-located within the questions that have hung over the ny’s scramjet design. “You could not military would not be disincentivized the opposite for the HPAF. The entire traditional winner-takes-all contract Hypersonic Production Accelerator Pentagon’s three-year-old rush to play build [scramjets] using conventional to invest in new additive machines and supply chain for design, test and man- award. Senior Pentagon officials have Facility (HPAF). The vertically inte- catch-up with advances by Russia and methods the way cooling systems are processes as they become available. ufacturing would be co-located inside previously said they would prefer to grated process would be capable of China in hypersonic weapons: Who structured,” Bussing said in a June “If you buy equipment, that locks you the facility. Each tier of the supply chain maintain competition beyond develop- producing, testing and qualifying mate- would pay the up-front costs to build an 2019 interview. “Also, the larger seg- into that time frame [to earn a return would be on-site, including the material ment, with multiple designs compet- rials for new designs in almost half the infrastructure of production and test ments—the inlets and bypass ducts— on investment],” Maher says. “Leasing feedstock supplier, factory equipment ing for annual production orders. time and for about one-fourth the cost facilities necessary to support U.S. all of those things are basically done it allows you to be much more flexible.” supplier, Tier 1 suppliers, contract man- To facilitate long-term competition, of a traditional distributed supply chain. weapon production? And would that via additive manufacturing.” The ASTRO study anticipates a ufacturer, lead system integrator and the HPAF would be designed with up That vision for mass production of infrastructure accommodate the rapid Additive manufacturing makes the regular cycle of manufacturing up- the Air Force program manager. to four bays, allowing for three OEMs scramjet-powered vehicles has emerged pace of change in the nascent hyper- new generation of scramjet designs dates. The OEMs could “refresh” the The concept for the vertically inte- and their supply chains to occupy one from a two-year DARPA-funded study sonic field, allowing quickly obsolete possible to build but creates certain additive machines to adapt to new grated campus emerged from a work- area each. The fourth bay would be set by the Applied Science & Technology manufacturing processes and tools to be financial pressures. technology. Alternatively, if a new shop of more than 100 industry rep- aside as a demonstration site, where Research Organization (ASTRO). affordably replaced with state-of-the-art The ASTRO study proposes an manufacturing process emerges, the resentatives summoned by ASTRO in new production technologies could be An unclassified summary of the equipment in cycles of a few years? HPAF financed largely by nonfeder- HPAF could be “reset” with different November 2019. showcased and used for experiments, study published by ASTRO in Sep - According to ASTRO, a consultancy al sources, such as local and region- production tooling altogether. The re- “You look at a traditional manufac- Maher says. c

24 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 25 AVIATION WEE 2020 PROGRAM ECELLENCE AWARDS SUPPLEMENT

00 00 RRM LL M LL R R SPECIAL LL L MM M M L R PROJECTS Sean Broderick Washington and Guy Norris Los Angeles ashington C Lockeed Matin Oion Ascent Aot TwoLanc Aot Sstem Roe McNamaa, Diecto, Oion Lanc Aot Sstem hile recognizing excellence in program execution is the most visible outcome of Aviation Week’s annual Program e Launch Abort Excellence Awards, the foundation of the initiative is a System (LAS) team desire by program executives to share lessons learned and manufactured, de- W livered, tested and best practices. Since 2004 the goal of the initiative has been to improve the veri ed the system performance of all programs and thus assure the health of the aerospace in a flawless test and defense industry overall. flight proving its ability to success- e push in 2004 to create the initia- Working together, NASA, Aviation Roger McNamara fully rescue the tive coincided with the 2003-04 Presi- Week, industry leaders, representatives crew capsule and dent’s Commission on Moon, Mars and from Sandia National Lab and from astronauts in an abort situation during Beyond. Led by then-Hewlett Packard academia created the foundation of ascent. Hardware was delivered on an CEO Carly Fiorina, the commission de- the Aviation Week Program Excellence accelerated timeline, delivering seven livered its results to the George initiative. months in advance of the contract date W. Bush administration and launching six months in advance of in early 2004, finding the baseline date. that the top issue to e successful integration of the LAS renewing a commit- with the boost vehicle became the basis ment to space explora- for future Orion vehicle- integration tion had one foundational processes, both for the development need−program performance and production programs. e strong within NASA and the space in- technical background and collaborative dustry had to improve and achieve approach of the LAS team ensured excellence. efficient resolution of schedule and critical technical issues during final assembly, resulting in 100% mission success of the AA-2  ight test. is test, The 2020 Aviation Week Program to design, model and test highly com- combined with subsystem quali cation Excellence Awards winnowed down plex aerospace systems. and the Pad Abort-1 flight test, has the thousands of industry programs and Program Excellence Awards are made successfully produced a LAS that is now projects to 23 programs that submitted in seven categories: Special Projects, certi ed to  y on the Artemis missions applications and agreed to share their Supply Chain Design and Develop- with astronauts on board. lessons learned and best practices with ment, Supply Chain Production, Supply the industry. This year’s entries were Chain Sustainment, Original Equipment broad-ranging, from component pro- Manufacturer (OEM) System Design duction using additive manufacturing and Development, OEM Production to the long-term value delivered by a and OEM Sustainment. This year, for 40-year-old spacesuit. the first time, there was no finalist or Among the most common factors winner in one category—Supply Chain were two items indicative of the cur- Production. rent era and its evolving priorities—re- More than 200 people participated liance on data and its analysis to drive in the evaluation process, providing a improvement, and the use of digital professional development opportunity design/build/sustain environments to for the judges as they scored the entries reduce the time required to develop across four dimensions: value creation, and  eld new products and capabilities. managing complexity, organizational Lockheed Martin completes the test for the Program teams developing new prod- leadership and excellence, and use of Orion Ascent Abort Two-Launch Abort Sys- ucts used Agile so ware development leading-edge metrics to drive improve- tem as part of the preparations for crewed processes not just for so ware but also ment. fl ight. Photo Credit: NASA

AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK 2020 PROGRAM EXCELLENCE AWARDS SUPPLEMENT

PROGRAM EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS 2020 Agile development practices yield innovation, time savings

SUPPLY CHAIN DESIGN SUPPLY CHAIN OEM SYSTEM DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT SUSTAINMENT AND DEVELOPMENT > Honeywell Aerospace > Collins Aerospace Extravehicular > Lockheed Martin Space Micro Power Unit Mobility Unit for NASA Fence > Laurel Huffman, > Greg Stonesifer, Program > Robert Condren, Senior Program Manager Director, EVA Space Operations Senior Program Manager

This year’s winner Collins Aerospace From this strong in the Supply Chain has maintained this field of candidates, Design and Devel- critical equipment the winner is the opment category is for use by astro- Space Fence from Honeywell Aero- nauts as they Lockheed Martin. space’s Micro Pow- venture into the This team took er Unit develop- vacuum of space on the seriously ment team. This for more than 200 complex task of Laurel Huffman team developed a Greg Stonesifer space walks, flaw- Robert Condren developing new new certified hard- lessly, over the past technology but also ware product using agile methods to 40 years. The program includes the building the infrastructure on the accomplish FAA certification in half the maintenance, refurbishment, hardware ground and then putting the system into time compared to the norm. development, logistics and mission operation— for an all-new radar capa- expertise for the EMU flight and train- bility for the newly formed U.S. Space ing hardware, and the team has extend- Force. This truly is a program of excel- ed the anticipated 10-year life of the lence as exhibited by numerous lessons spacesuit to 40 years, saving NASA and learned and best practices that have taxpayers more than $56 million over been spread across not only Lockheed the last three years alone as well as Martin but also the industry, as part collecting data and experience that are of this year’s Lessons Learned/Best critical in informing spacesuit develop- Practices Report. ment for the future.

Honeywell Aerospace’s Micro Power Unit team used agile methods to reduce certification cycle time by half. Photo Credit: Honeywell Aerospace Protecting the U.S. from space-based threats involves more than interceptors. Lockheed Martin’s Space Fence program involved Two-week sprints allowed the beam direction and other technologies, but team to design and quickly resolve also the building of structures and infrastruc- issues, including the financial and ture for what amounts to a city in the Mar- scope impacts of their changes. Team shall Islands. Photo Credit: Lockheed Martin members started from a baseline that questioned traditional methods and instead looked to drive speed to market As indicated by the customer at with a certificated level of quality. The Collins Aerospace Extravehicular Space Command, “Space Fence is Mobility Unit has recorded more revolutionizing the way we view than 200 space walks and has set the space” — indicating that this team also stage for a new generation of space mastered the technology of focusing suits as astronauts return to the Moon. literally thousands of beams to further Photo Credit: NASA America’s efforts in space.

AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 S2 AVIATION WEEK 2020 PROGRAM EXCELLENCE AWARDS SUPPLEMENT

OEM PRODUCTION OEM SUSTAINMENT > Raytheon Missiles and > General Atomics Aeronautical Defense Standard Missile-3 1B Systems Gray Eagle UAS 2020 PROGRAM EXCELLENCE Production Sustainment > Sharon A. Walk, Program > TJ Nagle, Program Director FINALISTS Director

In 2019, the Stan- With more than SPECIAL dard Missile-3 100,000 Gray PROJECTS (SM-3) Block 1B Eagle flight hours > Get to Gold Program to Production Team operated annually, Eliminate Quality Escapes delivered 56 mis- GA-ASI’s Perfor- • Jason Casebolt, Program siles to the Missile mance Based Lo- Director Defense Agency, gistics program is • Aerospace Composites the highest number tasked with maxi- Sharon A. Walk TJ Nagle Malaysia, a Boeing Joint ever delivered in a mizing the UAS’s Venture single year in the operational readi- history of the program, overcoming ness to ensure mission success when and > Integrated Digital Shipbuilding technical and supplier challenges. where it is needed. From January 2017 The team recognized the need to to December 2019, General Atomics led • Tim Sweitzer, Director Digital improve across the board, from how it initiatives and techniques that improved Shipbuilding partnered with suppliers to the overall its mission-capable rate by 15 percent- • Huntington Ingalls – culture and philosophy used on the age points, from 82% to 97%. Newport News Shipbuilding factory floor, a new state-of-the-art facility in Huntsville, Alabama. The > Additive Manufacturing Missile Defense Agency recognized the for Space performance by this team, making the • Bill Massaro, Director of first-ever multi-year contract award in Advanced Manufacturing the history of the agency. • Moog Inc., Space and Among the team’s accomplishments Defense Group are: • Accelerated deliveries by as much > Ground-Based Detect and as 50% Avoid (GBDAA) – The SkyVision • Cycle time reduced by half Project • Reduced test equipment downtime • Jack McAuley, Director Program • Helped key suppliers increase their Management yield The Gray Eagle Sustainment program team • Raytheon Technologies • Implemented lean manufacturing from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems • And developed a stronger partner- developed a proprietary logistics tracking ship with the MDA customer, Navy system and used modeling to deliver technical representatives, and the readiness beyond the standards set by SUPPLY CHAIN DESIGN Defense Contract Management its customer, the U.S. Army. Photo Credit: Agency General Atomics Aeronautical Systems AND DEVELOPMENT > Litening L3.1 Software Enhancements • Cliff Pearce, Program Manager Evaluators noted, in particular, that • Northrop Grumman this team provided best practices and lessons learned in the areas of Organi- > Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle zational and Leadership Excellence for (EKV) FTG-11 Flight Test the use of processes and motivation, • Roy Donelson, Senior Program resulting in: Director • Constant focus on potential and • Raytheon Technologies emerging issues • Sensitivity analysis applied to reduce costs • A proprietary logistics tracking system to track the 105,000- ft.2 Raytheon’s Standard Missile-3 1B program warehouse, and made record deliveries, worked with • Procurement modeling and suppliers to increase yield and reduced simulation to deliver results beyond cycle time by half. Photo Credit: Raytheon the Army’s operational readiness Missiles & Defense standards.

S3 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK 2020 PROGRAM EXCELLENCE AWARDS SUPPLEMENT

2020 PROGRAM EXCELLENCE 2020 PROGRAM EXCELLENCE EVALUATION TEAM FINALISTS

SUPPLY CHAIN SUSTAINMENT > F-35 Display Management Computer/Helmet Sustainment (DMC/H) • John Murphy, Director Sustainment & Support • Ken Brooks, Program Director • Amy Bobo, Program Manager • Elbit Systems of America

> 131-9 Block II Engine Development Program • Rasa Fuller, Director Development Programs • Honeywell Aerospace 2020 PROGRAM EXCELLENCE EVALUATION TEAM MEMBERS OEM SYSTEM DESIGN Robert Ciesla Ann Rickle AND DEVELOPMENT Vice President Enterprise Director Program Excellence, > Lower Tier Air and Missile Program Management, The Northrop Grumman Corp. Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) Boeing Co. • William Patterson, Director II Brian Rowe Program Management David R. Gulla Vice President Program • Raytheon Technologies Vice President Program Management, Honeywell Management Excellence, Aerospace Raytheon Technologies Chris Seat OEM SYSTEM PRODUCTION Mark Husband Senior Vice President Program > Common Infrared Professor of Acquisition Management, General Atomics Countermeasures (CIRCM) Management/Defense Systems Aeronautical Systems Management College, Defense • Anthony Obering, Program Acquisition University Manager James Steffan Director Program Management • Northrop Grumman Kelly Kay and Contracts, Moog Space & Data Scientist, Elbit Systems of Defense Systems America OEM SYSTEM Wendy VanWickle Erica Leonard Executive Vice President, SUSTAINMENT Director Program Operations, Parsons > Fixed-Wing Sniper Advanced Lockheed Martin Corp. Targeting Pod • Kenen Nelson, Fixed-Wing Mike Anderson Program Director Senior Director Engineering, • Valerie Potthoff, Sniper Collins Aerospace Advanced Targeting Pod Program Director • Bill Spangenberg, Sniper THE SUPPLEMENT IS SPONSORED BY: Advanced Targeting Pod Program Manager • Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control

AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 S4 DEFENSE

U.S. Army Flexes New Land-Based Anti-Ship Capabilities

> PROJECT CONVERGENCE 2021 TO INCLUDE ANTI-SHIP TEST

> PRECISION STRIKE MISSILE TO An artist’s rendering of a Precision Strike RECEIVE ANTI-SHIP ROLE IN 2025 Missile o ers a preview of a new weapon entering service in  scal 2023. An advanced seeker with a maritime targeting capability has entered  ight testing for delivery two years later. U.S. ARMY Steve Trimble and Lee Hudson Washington

inding ever new and efficient lution into Project Convergence 2021,” extend the range of the Army’s missiles ways to sink enemy ships is Ra erty said during the Association of to 500 km. A follow-on Increment 2 Fusually assigned to the U.S. the U.S. Army’s virtual annual meet- version of PrSM is scheduled to enter Navy and, to a lesser extent, the Air ing on Oct. 15. service in fi scal 2025, featuring a new Force—but not anymore. The Army operates a small, modest maritime seeker now in fl ight testing Though still focused on its primary fl eet of watercraft, including logistics- by the Army Research Laboratory. role of maneuvering against land support vessels and Runnymede- “As we begin to develop the PrSM forces and shooting down air and class large landing craft, but service [Increment 2] with the cross-domain missile threats, the Army is quietly officials have been content to re- capability against maritime and emit- developing an arsenal of long-range spond to attacks from enemy ships ting [integrated air defense system] maritime strike options. at sea with the Navy’s surface com- targets, obviously we’ll be partnering As the Army carves out an o en- batants and carrier-based fighter with the Navy on that,” Ra erty says. sive role in the Pentagon’s prepara- squadrons. Last year, the Air Force Targeting ships using land-based tions for a mainly naval and air war also revived a maritime strike role by artillery systems is not unique to the with China, service o€ cials now seek activating the Lockheed Martin Army. The U.S. Marine Corps plans to develop a capacity for targeting AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship to introduce the Raytheon-Kongs- and coordinating strikes on maritime Missile on the B-1B fl eet. berg Naval Strike Missile, fi ring the targets with helicopter gunships in But the Army’s position has changed. ground-based anti-ship cruise missile the near term and with long-range The AH-64E Capability Version 6, from a remotely operated Joint Light ballistic missiles by 2025. which Boeing started developing in Tactical Vehicle. The Project Convergence 2020 2018, includes a modernized radar fre- To strike a moving target at ranges event in September focused the Army quency interferometer. The receiver beyond the horizon, the Army needs on learning how to solve the command- can identify maritime radars, allow- more than an innovative new seeker. and-control challenge for a slew of new ing the AH-64E to target watercraft A targeting complex linking over-the- land-attack capabilities scheduled to at long range for the fi rst time. horizon sensors with the Atacms and enter service by fi scal 2023. The follow- Meanwhile, the Defense Depart- PrSM batteries is necessary. More- on event next year will expand to in- ment’s Strategic Capabilities Office over, the Army will need to adapt clude experiments with the Army’s started working in 2016 to integrate command-and-control procedures to command-and-control tasks in the an existing seeker for targeting ships an unfamiliar maritime domain. unfamiliar maritime domain. into the Army Tactical Missile System The annual Project Convergence “I think we have a long way to go in (Atacms), which is currently the Ar- events offer a laboratory for the terms of partnering with the Navy for my’s longest-range surface-to-surface Army to prepare the targeting and some of the maritime targeting [capa- missile at 300 km (162 nm). Beginning command-and-control complex before bilities],” says Brig. Gen. John Ra erty, in fiscal 2023, the Lockheed Martin new weapons enter service. With the the Army’s cross-functional team leader Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) is Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon, a for Long-Range Precision Fires. scheduled to begin replacing the medium-range ballistic missile and “And I think that’ll be a natural evo- Atacms. The Increment 1 version will PrSM also set to enter service in the

AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST DEFENSE

U.S. Army Flexes New Land-Based next three years, the Army is seeking In a way, the Army is seeking to Small, the head of Naval Information to adapt quickly. achieve in the maritime domain a net- Warfare Systems Command, to lead Anti-Ship Capabilities In September, the Army used the worked sensor and command-and- the e¡ ort known as Project Overmatch. fi rst prototype of the Tactical Intelli- control system that the Navy intro- Small must provide a strategy, no gence Targeting Access Node ground duced to its fl eet nearly two decades later than early December, that out- > PROJECT CONVERGENCE 2021 TO station. An artifi cial intelligence (AI) ago. To improve the fl eet air-defense lines how the Navy will develop the INCLUDE ANTI-SHIP TEST program named Prometheus sifted mission substantially, the Navy’s Coop- networks, infrastructure, data archi- through intelligence information to erative Engagement Capability (CEC) tecture, tools and analytics to support > PRECISION STRIKE MISSILE TO An artist’s rendering of a Precision Strike identify targets. Another AI algorithm generally develops a common, shared the operational force. This includes RECEIVE ANTI-SHIP ROLE IN 2025 Missile o ers a preview of a new weapon called SHOT matched those targets to database of tracks from the multiple linking hundreds of ships, submarines, particular weapons with the appro- airborne, surface and subsurface sen- unmanned systems and aircraft. entering service in  scal 2023. An advanced priate range and destructive power. sors available to a carrier battle group. “Beyond recapitalizing our under- seeker with a maritime targeting An underlying fi re-control network, But the Navy also is building on the sea nuclear deterrent, there is no capability has entered  ight testing for called the Advanced Field Artillery CEC standard. In 2016, a Lockheed higher developmental priority in the delivery two years later. Data System, provided SHOT with the F-35B demonstrated the ability to de- U.S. Navy,” Gilday wrote in an Oct. 1 location and magazine status of each velop a target track of an over-the- memo that revealed the existence of friendly weapon system. A process horizon enemy warship. The track Project Overmatch. Aviation Week that would otherwise take minutes or information was sent via the CEC to a obtained a copy of the document. “I even hours dwindled—in an experi- launcher for a Raytheon SM-6. Al- am confi dent that closing this risk is mental setting—to a few seconds. though primarily an air- and missile- dependent on enhancing Distribut- The fi rst Project Convergence event defense interceptor, in this case the ed Maritime Operations through a in September focused on the Army’s SM-6 demonstrated an anti-ship role. teamed manned -unmanned force that traditional mission against targets on A follow-on development SM-6 Block exploits artifi cial intelligence and ma- U.S. ARMY Steve Trimble and Lee Hudson Washington land. The next event will seek to rep- 1B is expected to optimize the weapon chine learning.” licate that streamlined targeting pro- system as a long-range anti- ship ballis- While Small is tasked with creat- cess against ships possibly hundreds tic missile with hypersonic speed. ing the “connective tissue,” Gilday inding ever new and efficient lution into Project Convergence 2021,” extend the range of the Army’s missiles of miles away. These experiments are More recently, the Navy has been has directed Vice Adm. James Kilby, ways to sink enemy ships is Ra erty said during the Association of to 500 km. A follow-on Increment 2 intended to help the Army familiarize quietly experimenting with its own deputy chief of naval operations for Fusually assigned to the U.S. the U.S. Army’s virtual annual meet- version of PrSM is scheduled to enter itself with new tools in the command- series of Project Convergence-like warfi ghting requirements and capa- Navy and, to a lesser extent, the Air ing on Oct. 15. service in fi scal 2025, featuring a new and-control loop, such as automated experiments. Known as the Navy bilities (N9), to accelerate develop-

Force—but not anymore. The Army operates a small, modest maritime seeker now in fl ight testing U.S. ARMY Though still focused on its primary fl eet of watercraft, including logistics- by the Army Research Laboratory. The Army conducted the  rst experiment of a land-based anti-ship role of maneuvering against land support vessels and Runnymede- “As we begin to develop the PrSM missile during a 2018 international maritime exercise at the Paci c forces and shooting down air and class large landing craft, but service [Increment 2] with the cross-domain missile threats, the Army is quietly officials have been content to re- capability against maritime and emit- Missile Range in Hawaii. The Raytheon-Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile developing an arsenal of long-range spond to attacks from enemy ships ting [integrated air defense system] struck a decommissioned ship 63 mi. north of Kauai. maritime strike options. at sea with the Navy’s surface com- targets, obviously we’ll be partnering As the Army carves out an o en- batants and carrier-based fighter with the Navy on that,” Ra erty says. sive role in the Pentagon’s prepara- squadrons. Last year, the Air Force Targeting ships using land-based tions for a mainly naval and air war also revived a maritime strike role by artillery systems is not unique to the with China, service o€ cials now seek activating the Lockheed Martin Army. The U.S. Marine Corps plans to develop a capacity for targeting AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship to introduce the Raytheon-Kongs- and coordinating strikes on maritime Missile on the B-1B fl eet. berg Naval Strike Missile, fi ring the targets with helicopter gunships in But the Army’s position has changed. ground-based anti-ship cruise missile the near term and with long-range The AH-64E Capability Version 6, from a remotely operated Joint Light ballistic missiles by 2025. which Boeing started developing in Tactical Vehicle. The Project Convergence 2020 2018, includes a modernized radar fre- To strike a moving target at ranges event in September focused the Army quency interferometer. The receiver beyond the horizon, the Army needs on learning how to solve the command- can identify maritime radars, allow- more than an innovative new seeker. target-recognition systems and tar- Tactical Grid experiments, the Navy ment of unmanned capabilities and and-control challenge for a slew of new ing the AH-64E to target watercraft A targeting complex linking over-the- geting assignments. The event also and Marine Corps organized a se- long-range fires, Gilday wrote in a land-attack capabilities scheduled to at long range for the fi rst time. horizon sensors with the Atacms and helps the Army dramatically adapt, ries of demonstrations in fi scal 2019, separate Oct. 1 memo outlining the enter service by fi scal 2023. The follow- Meanwhile, the Defense Depart- PrSM batteries is necessary. More- in a few years, institutional practices according to the latest budget justi- details of Project Overmatch. on event next year will expand to in- ment’s Strategic Capabilities Office over, the Army will need to adapt that have endured for decades. fi cation documents. Building on the Kilby’s assessment must include clude experiments with the Army’s started working in 2016 to integrate command-and-control procedures to If a bureaucracy is to change, it common operating picture provided a metric for the Navy to measure command-and-control tasks in the an existing seeker for targeting ships an unfamiliar maritime domain. must “understand the need, and we by the CEC, the Navy Tactical Grid progress and a strategy that appro- unfamiliar maritime domain. into the Army Tactical Missile System The annual Project Convergence have to create the use case in order is possibly experimenting with simi- priately funds each component. His “I think we have a long way to go in (Atacms), which is currently the Ar- events offer a laboratory for the for [that] bureaucracy to change,” lar automation and machine-learning initial plan is also due to Gilday in terms of partnering with the Navy for my’s longest-range surface-to-surface Army to prepare the targeting and says Gen. Mike Murray, the head of algorithms to streamline and amplify early December. some of the maritime targeting [capa- missile at 300 km (162 nm). Beginning command-and-control complex before the Army Futures Command. “I think the targeting cycle markedly. “Drive coherence to our plans with bilities],” says Brig. Gen. John Ra erty, in fiscal 2023, the Lockheed Martin new weapons enter service. With the in Project Convergence, what we’re A new initiative is now replacing the a long-term, sustainable [and] a¡ ord- the Army’s cross-functional team leader Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) is Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon, a able to demonstrate to the senior Navy Tactical Grid experiments. Chief able view that extends far beyond the for Long-Range Precision Fires. scheduled to begin replacing the medium-range ballistic missile and leaders in the Army will further help of Naval Operations Adm. Michael [Future Years Defense Program],” “And I think that’ll be a natural evo- Atacms. The Increment 1 version will PrSM also set to enter service in the drive that change.” Gilday tapped Rear Adm. Douglas Gilday instructs. c

AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 DEFENSE

Team Tempest Seeks Path to boxes as it aims to retain the skills and capabilities to develop future Approval for Technology combat aircraft and a range of addi- tive capabilities to support them, in- THE PROGRAM COULD GENERATE £25 BILLION FOR THE UK ECONOMY cluding advanced weapons, sensors > and unmanned systems. > BAE SYSTEMS HAS BEGUN WORK ON REPRESENTATIVE Findings from an independent re- TEMPEST FRONT FUSELAGE view of the program by auditors PwC suggest Tempest could inject Tony Osborne London £25 billion into the UK economy during the first 30 years and secure dvanced multifunction arrays try members of the Team Tempest 20,000 jobs in 2026-50. that can be distributed around consortium—BAE Systems, Leonar- Those figures apply to the period Athe fuselage of future combat do, MBDA and Rolls-Royce—lifted of program development, production, aircraft are envisioned for the UK’s the lid on some of the technology- entry into service and early support Tempest Future Combat Air System. maturation activities funded by the but do not include export opportuni- Development of Leonardo’s Mul- UK Defense Ministry’s £2 billion ($2.6 ties, research and development in- tifunction Radio Frequency Sys- billion) Future Combat Air System vestment or the value of the program beyond 2050. Work on combat aircraft has pro- vided a boost to UK prosperity. The UK’s 15% share in the Lockheed Mar- tin F-35 program is expected to net £35 billion over the life of the pro - RAY TROLL/BAE SYSTEMS TROLL/BAE RAY gram, while its share in Typhoon has brought in another £28.2 billion.

BAE’s factory of the future has begun producing a representative front fuselage based on the public Tempest design. “The combat air sector has con- tributed on average 80% of defense exports, so it has been a very success- ful sector. . . . We intend to keep it that way,” says Michael Christie, director of the future combat air systems acquisi- tion program for BAE Systems. tem (MFRFS) would likely comple- Technology Initiative (FCAS TI). FCAS TI work has already gen- ment—or could even replace—the These maturation activities will erated nearly 2,000 jobs, which will traditional fire control radar in the help support the business case for an increase to 2,500 during the next 12 nose of the fighter. Multiple high-power acquisition program to be submitted months and now involves about 600 arrays are capable of performing pas- in December. companies nationwide. sive tasks, such as electronic support But that is not the only hurdle. The Development of the MFRFS could measures, and active tasks, such as initiative’s supporters will also need enable a different approach to the electronic attack as well as detection to fight for its place in the govern- Tempest platform’s design. It would and imaging. The system would lean ment’s upcoming Integrated Review also appear to be scalable to the ca- on the company’s experience in devel- of the nation’s future foreign policy pability or budget of the customer. oping active, electronically scanned and defense posture. Leonardo says the system will produce arrays for the Eurofighter and Saab The review, due to be published in gigabytes of data, requiring significant Gripen and distributed search radars, November, is expected to call on the processing power and potentially arti- such as its Osprey sensor. Defense Ministry to lean more heavily ficial intelligence to help the pilot make The radar and electronic warfare on the UK’s industrial capacity, both the best use of that data. Flight trials of functions would be integrated into to ensure supply security and to in- the sensor system are planned for 2023 one system capable of collecting vest in new technology. Such initia- using a Boeing 757 testbed platform to and making use of data from other tives would also support the British be provided by 2Excel Aviation. platforms instead of being siloed into government’s so-called leveling up Leonardo has already identified separate systems. agenda to create more jobs in regions challenges with cooling associated with Details of the MFRFS sensor, such as Northern England (AW&ST the onboard systems and sensors and subsystems of which Leonardo is Sept. 28-Oct. 11, p. 51). is working with Rolls-Royce on a ther- testing at its Edinburgh, Scotland, The Team Tempest consortium mal management system that will take facility, emerged as the main indus- hopes the initiative can tick all those heat generated from them and pass it

32 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST DEFENSE LEONARDO UK Team Tempest Seeks Path to boxes as it aims to retain the skills Leonardo’s Multifunction Radio and capabilities to develop future Frequency System would integrate Approval for Technology combat aircraft and a range of addi- tive capabilities to support them, in- radar, electronic warfare and elec- tronic support systems, scooping up THE PROGRAM COULD GENERATE £25 BILLION FOR THE UK ECONOMY cluding advanced weapons, sensors > and unmanned systems. and processing electromagnetic > BAE SYSTEMS HAS BEGUN WORK ON REPRESENTATIVE Findings from an independent re- data about the battlespace. TEMPEST FRONT FUSELAGE view of the program by auditors PwC suggest Tempest could inject through to the engine, using it as a heat Tony Osborne London £25 billion into the UK economy sink, recycling the waste thermal en- during the first 30 years and secure ergy and removing the need for over- dvanced multifunction arrays try members of the Team Tempest 20,000 jobs in 2026-50. board venting, which could increase that can be distributed around consortium—BAE Systems, Leonar- Those figures apply to the period the platform’s infrared signature. Athe fuselage of future combat do, MBDA and Rolls-Royce—lifted of program development, production, Additionally, Rolls-Royce is explor- aircraft are envisioned for the UK’s the lid on some of the technology- entry into service and early support ing the use of additive manufacturing Tempest Future Combat Air System. maturation activities funded by the but do not include export opportuni- to enhance the combustion system of Development of Leonardo’s Mul- UK Defense Ministry’s £2 billion ($2.6 ties, research and development in- a future fighter engine, allowing it to tifunction Radio Frequency Sys- billion) Future Combat Air System vestment or the value of the program operate at a higher temperature and beyond 2050. increasing the powerplant’s efficiency. Work on combat aircraft has pro- “This gives them choice to design One area of study is to monitor the which has proposed legislation to fund vided a boost to UK prosperity. The into the combat air system,” says pilot with psycho-physiological sys- support of the UK FCAS efforts, fol- UK’s 15% share in the Lockheed Mar- Phillip Townley, director of future tems to detect when a pilot is being lowing agreements the two countries tin F-35 program is expected to net programs at Rolls-Royce. “You can overloaded with tasks, then lessening signed in July 2019. £35 billion over the life of the pro - go for greater range, greater time on that workload through the virtual The legislation, part of a buildup of RAY TROLL/BAE SYSTEMS TROLL/BAE RAY gram, while its share in Typhoon has station, or you can have a smaller de- assistant. BAE has also pressed its the Nordic country’s defense posture, brought in another £28.2 billion. sign of your vehicle.” Warton, England, factory of the fu- still requires parliamentary approval, BAE Systems, having advanced the ture facility into operation to build a with a vote planned in December. The BAE’s factory of the future has development of an augmented-reality representative front fuselage section Swedish efforts would initially sup- begun producing a representative cockpit, is now exploring a virtual based on the current public Tempest port the development of upgrades for front fuselage based on the public assistant or co-pilot that will be able design. The process will use additive the Gripen before a future system is Tempest design. to take over elements of the pilot’s re- manufacturing, robotics and its cobot- considered. The business case will in- sponsibilities. How the assistant will ics systems, in which employees work form whether the program can move “The combat air sector has con- be presented is yet to be determined, hand in hand with robots ( AW&ST into its next phase, with the aim of tributed on average 80% of defense either through an avatar or via a so- Aug. 17-30, p. 31). delivering a full business case submis- exports, so it has been a very success- cial media-like information feed. But it Tempest’s business case—to be sion in 2025 and then leading to full- ful sector. . . . We intend to keep it that could perform a variety of functions, examined by the Defense Ministry’s scale development. The UK hopes to way,” says Michael Christie, director of including piloting the aircraft or con- financial committee—will likely be put the platform into service in 2035, the future combat air systems acquisi- trolling the additive capabilities. buoyed by support from Sweden, replacing the Eurofighter. c tion program for BAE Systems. tem (MFRFS) would likely comple- Technology Initiative (FCAS TI). FCAS TI work has already gen- ment—or could even replace—the These maturation activities will erated nearly 2,000 jobs, which will traditional fire control radar in the help support the business case for an increase to 2,500 during the next 12 nose of the fighter. Multiple high-power acquisition program to be submitted months and now involves about 600 arrays are capable of performing pas- in December. companies nationwide. sive tasks, such as electronic support But that is not the only hurdle. The Development of the MFRFS could measures, and active tasks, such as initiative’s supporters will also need enable a different approach to the electronic attack as well as detection to fight for its place in the govern- Tempest platform’s design. It would and imaging. The system would lean ment’s upcoming Integrated Review also appear to be scalable to the ca- on the company’s experience in devel- of the nation’s future foreign policy pability or budget of the customer. oping active, electronically scanned and defense posture. Leonardo says the system will produce arrays for the Eurofighter and Saab The review, due to be published in gigabytes of data, requiring significant Gripen and distributed search radars, November, is expected to call on the processing power and potentially arti- such as its Osprey sensor. Defense Ministry to lean more heavily ficial intelligence to help the pilot make The radar and electronic warfare on the UK’s industrial capacity, both the best use of that data. Flight trials of functions would be integrated into to ensure supply security and to in- the sensor system are planned for 2023 one system capable of collecting vest in new technology. Such initia- using a Boeing 757 testbed platform to and making use of data from other tives would also support the British be provided by 2Excel Aviation. platforms instead of being siloed into government’s so-called leveling up Leonardo has already identified separate systems. agenda to create more jobs in regions challenges with cooling associated with Details of the MFRFS sensor, such as Northern England (AW&ST the onboard systems and sensors and subsystems of which Leonardo is Sept. 28-Oct. 11, p. 51). is working with Rolls-Royce on a ther- testing at its Edinburgh, Scotland, The Team Tempest consortium mal management system that will take facility, emerged as the main indus- hopes the initiative can tick all those heat generated from them and pass it

32 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 33 DEFENSE

Airbus Spain Pursues new tankers and maritime patrol aircraft, the Spanish gov- ernment has agreed to fund studies for the AFJT (AW&ST Jet Trainer Concept Aug. 17-30, p. 32). “Taking into account the return on investment for the > THE AFJT IS BEING PROPOSED TO REPLACE SPAIN’S money that Spain would put into this program and the mon- SF-5 FLEET IN 2027-28 ey that is coming back, we think it is more cost-effective than going out to the market,” says Abel Nin, head of the > THE PLATFORM COULD USE EUROJET’S EJ200 AFJT program at Airbus. ENGINE OR SAFRAN’S M88 Airbus says the program would return a large part of the investment in the aircraft back into the Spanish economy Tony Osborne London through taxes and fiscal contributions. The company adds that the AFJT’s development would help maintain skills and irbus in Spain has proposed a new advanced jet capabilities needed to support development of the Future trainer that it hopes will be the European answer Combat Air System (FCAS), in which Spain has an equal Ato the Boeing-Saab T-7 Red Hawk. share with France and Germany. Madrid’s support for the Although the company designed its Airbus Future Jet AFJT has yet to be budgeted, but Airbus believes it can meet Trainer (AFJT) around Spanish requirements, it believes the Spanish Air Force’s target of replacing the SF-5 by 2028. the AFJT could also meet an expected need for Europe’s The company plans to fly an AFJT prototype around 2025 air forces, which continue to be largely reliant on platforms and begin deliveries in 2027. developed and built in the 1960s and 1970s—including the “This funding needs to be put into black and white,” Nin BAE Systems Hawk and Dassault Alpha Jet—and on the says. “We have people working with the government to es- Northrop T-38 Talon while training in the U.S. tablish what will be the next steps. . . . We are preparing Airbus has been quietly developing the AFJT for three everything in advance to be ready for development.” years. The original concepts looked at how to replace Spain’s Spanish requirements are for about 50 aircraft, says fleet of CASA C-101 Aviojets with an aircraft similar in per- Raul Tena Martin, Airbus sales director for combat air - craft in Spain. But the potential is “far The AFJT features a configuration similar beyond Spain,” he notes, with a market to the KAI T-50 and the for 500-800 aircraft. France continues to use the Alpha Jet, while Finland is flying Boeing-Saab T-7 Red Hawk. early-model Hawks. Germany owns its own fleet of T-38 Talons based in the U.S. but has yet to decide whether to replace them with the T-7. Along with the advanced training mission, the aircraft, Nin says, could also perform as a red- air aggressor and even in the AIRBUS CONCEPT light attack role, with engi- neers leaving a space in the nose for the fitment of a radar. formance to the Hawk. But when Madrid opted to replace the Airbus sees the AFJT forming part of a wider training Aviojets with the Pilatus PC-21 turboprop last year, the focus system that also includes training devices; support for live, shifted to replacing Spain’s fleet of Northrop SF-5 Freedom virtual and constructive training; and the ability to down- Fighters, currently used for lead-in fighter training. load advanced training from frontline types currently in The result is a clean-sheet, transonic-capable, single- Spanish service such as the Eurofighter Typhoon and the engine design similar in configuration and size to both the McDonnell Douglas EF-18 Hornet. The aircraft could some- T-7 and the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) T-50 Golden day prepare crews for flying the FCAS, too. Eagle. Taking into consideration the AFJT’s maximum take- “We are trying to be cost-conscious by thinking holisti- off weight of about 7 metric tons, the development team is cally,” Nin says. “If you can create a well-connected aircraft, looking at either the Eurofighter’s Eurojet EJ200 engine or then you can also do more operations in the flight simulator.” the Dassault Rafale’s Safran M88 as potential powerplants. Development of the AFJT would lean heavily on the Span- Both would retain their afterburner modules. ish supply chain: Compania Espanola de Sistemas Aero- The proposals easily could be written off as yet another nauticos S.A. (CESA) could provide the landing gear and jet trainer in an already crowded market. After all, along actuators, GMV would develop the flight control systems with the T-7, Turkish Aerospace Industries is developing its and software, Indra would supply the ground-based simula- own T-50 look-alike in the form of the Hurjet, and Leonardo tors, and Technobit would develop the communications and in Italy is advancing its M-345 and M-346 platforms. There cockpit interface. Engine support could be provided through also are questions about whether such platforms are really ITP Aero if the EJ200 is selected, since the company is a needed as synthetic technologies advance. member of the Eurojet consortium that developed it. But the AFJT has already received Madrid’s backing. The Airbus envisions the use of a fly-by-wire flight control proposals are part of an agreement the government signed system as well as a wide-area display in the cockpit that with Airbus at the end of July to maintain and, ultimately, could be adapted to show the cockpit layouts of other types strengthen the company’s presence. Along with purchasing to support training. c

34 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST DEFENSE

Airbus Spain Pursues new tankers and maritime patrol aircraft, the Spanish gov- Japan Moves Ahead With ernment has agreed to fund studies for the AFJT (AW&ST Jet Trainer Concept Aug. 17-30, p. 32). Electromagnetic Warfare Aircraft “Taking into account the return on investment for the > THE AFJT IS BEING PROPOSED TO REPLACE SPAIN’S money that Spain would put into this program and the mon- > THE FIRST RC-2 IS WITH A TACTICS-DEVELOPMENT UNIT SF-5 FLEET IN 2027-28 ey that is coming back, we think it is more cost-effective than going out to the market,” says Abel Nin, head of the > REPLACEMENTS FOR C-1 JAMMERS AND EP-3s ARE ALSO WANTED > THE PLATFORM COULD USE EUROJET’S EJ200 AFJT program at Airbus. ENGINE OR SAFRAN’S M88 Airbus says the program would return a large part of the Bradley Perrett Sydney investment in the aircraft back into the Spanish economy Tony Osborne London through taxes and fiscal contributions. The company adds imultaneous progress in three that the AFJT’s development would help maintain skills and Japanese electromagnetic war- irbus in Spain has proposed a new advanced jet capabilities needed to support development of the Future Sfare aircraft programs does not trainer that it hopes will be the European answer Combat Air System (FCAS), in which Spain has an equal look like a coincidence. They are mov- The RC-2 is festooned Ato the Boeing-Saab T-7 Red Hawk. share with France and Germany. Madrid’s support for the ing together now that the navy and air Although the company designed its Airbus Future Jet AFJT has yet to be budgeted, but Airbus believes it can meet force finally have access to two new with antenna fairings. Trainer (AFJT) around Spanish requirements, it believes the Spanish Air Force’s target of replacing the SF-5 by 2028. types as replacements for models dat- the AFJT could also meet an expected need for Europe’s The company plans to fly an AFJT prototype around 2025 ing from the 1970s or earlier. air forces, which continue to be largely reliant on platforms and begin deliveries in 2027. The most advanced of the three pro- developed and built in the 1960s and 1970s—including the “This funding needs to be put into black and white,” Nin grams has produced a signals intelli- JAPAN AIR SELF-DEFENSE FORCE BAE Systems Hawk and Dassault Alpha Jet—and on the says. “We have people working with the government to es- gence (sigint) version of a Kawasaki Northrop T-38 Talon while training in the U.S. tablish what will be the next steps. . . . We are preparing Heavy Industries (KHI) C-2 airlifter. Airbus has been quietly developing the AFJT for three everything in advance to be ready for development.” Meanwhile, the defense ministry is years. The original concepts looked at how to replace Spain’s Spanish requirements are for about 50 aircraft, says asking for money to develop a standoff because the defense ministry has The difference in size is also ex - fleet of CASA C-101 Aviojets with an aircraft similar in per- Raul Tena Martin, Airbus sales director for combat air - jammer, based on the C-2, and sigint asked for ¥7.1 billion ($67 million) pressed by the maximum takeoff craft in Spain. But the potential is “far equipment for what will almost cer- for the acquisition of RC-2 electronic weights: 120 metric tons for the C-2 The AFJT features a configuration similar beyond Spain,” he notes, with a market tainly be the other type to be employed intelligence equipment in its budget and 24.5 metric tons for the YS-11. to the KAI T-50 and the for 500-800 aircraft. France continues to electromagnetically, the KHI P-1 mar- request for the fiscal year beginning That makes the C-2 unusually large use the Alpha Jet, while Finland is flying itime patroller. April 2021. There is no request for for a modern sigint aircraft—but Boeing-Saab T-7 Red Hawk. early-model Hawks. Germany owns its own KHI developed the P-1 and C-2 in building another RC-2, however. quite comparable to the 133.6-metric- fleet of T-38 Talons based in the U.S. but parallel programs, and they share A total of four may be planned, ton Boeing RC-135 Rivet Joint of the has yet to decide whether to replace them major structural elements. Deliveries since that is the number of YS-11EB U.S. Air Force. with the T-7. of the P-2 began in 2013, and the C-2 in electronic intelligence aircraft in air For the standoff jammer based on Along with the advanced training 2017. With both models in service in force service. The Japanese armed the C-2, the ministry is requesting mission, the aircraft, Nin says, their original roles late last decade, the forces have a strong tendency to main- ¥15.3 billion in development funding could also perform as a red- ministry moved to acquire their electro- tain numbers when replacing small for the year beginning April 2021. This air aggressor and even in the magnetic warfare versions—though it groups of aircraft. will also replace a much smaller air- AIRBUS CONCEPT light attack role, with engi- has sought information on alternatives. The new sigint aircraft, with the craft, one based on the 39-metric-ton neers leaving a space in the nose The first sigint C-2, designated an tail number 202, was the second C-2 KHI C-1 airlifter. The C-2 is replacing for the fitment of a radar. RC-2 and converted from an airlifter prototype. the C-1 in the airlift role. formance to the Hawk. But when Madrid opted to replace the Airbus sees the AFJT forming part of a wider training prototype, moved to a tactics develop- This program began long before a The P-1—smaller, higher-flying and Aviojets with the Pilatus PC-21 turboprop last year, the focus system that also includes training devices; support for live, ment unit on Oct. 1, bringing its new C-2 was available for conversion, already configured for workstations— shifted to replacing Spain’s fleet of Northrop SF-5 Freedom virtual and constructive training; and the ability to down- but undisclosed capabilities closer to maybe even before the C-2 type was may seem to be a more obvious basis Fighters, currently used for lead-in fighter training. load advanced training from frontline types currently in operation. The jet will operate from chosen to carry the new system. for sigint or jamming aircraft than The result is a clean-sheet, transonic-capable, single- Spanish service such as the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Iruma Air Base near Tokyo. Equipment development ran from the C-2, but it is a navy type. The air engine design similar in configuration and size to both the McDonnell Douglas EF-18 Hornet. The aircraft could some- It is probably not yet fully operation- fiscal 2004 to 2012, the ministry has force operates C-2s. T-7 and the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) T-50 Golden day prepare crews for flying the FCAS, too. al, since the Japan Air Self- Defense previously said. Aircraft 202 was That is also one reason to expect Eagle. Taking into consideration the AFJT’s maximum take- “We are trying to be cost-conscious by thinking holisti- Force, announcing the handover, said modified from fiscal 2013 to 2017. the navy to choose the P-1 as the re- off weight of about 7 metric tons, the development team is cally,” Nin says. “If you can create a well-connected aircraft, the receiving unit is the Air Tactics Whatever the performance of the placement for four Lockheed Martin looking at either the Eurofighter’s Eurojet EJ200 engine or then you can also do more operations in the flight simulator.” Development Wing, which will test electronic systems on the RC-2, a step- EP-3 sigint aircraft. The ministry the Dassault Rafale’s Safran M88 as potential powerplants. Development of the AFJT would lean heavily on the Span- the aircraft and train on it. The RC-2 up in performance is obvious from its is requesting ¥5 billion to develop Both would retain their afterburner modules. ish supply chain: Compania Espanola de Sistemas Aero- has already been subject to two years ability to fly higher and accommodate equipment for a new naval sigint air- The proposals easily could be written off as yet another nauticos S.A. (CESA) could provide the landing gear and of testing, or evaluation, following its more equipment and workstations. craft. The ministry has previously jet trainer in an already crowded market. After all, along actuators, GMV would develop the flight control systems delivery by KHI to the air force’s Air The C-2 has a service ceiling of 12,200 investigated replacing five OP-3C op- with the T-7, Turkish Aerospace Industries is developing its and software, Indra would supply the ground-based simula- Development and Test Wing in 2018. m (40,000 ft.), and the YS-11 turbo - tical observation aircraft; again, the own T-50 look-alike in the form of the Hurjet, and Leonardo tors, and Technobit would develop the communications and The aircraft features new “radio- prop airliner, on which the YS-11EB P-1 would be the obvious candidate. in Italy is advancing its M-345 and M-346 platforms. There cockpit interface. Engine support could be provided through wave measuring” equipment devel- is based, 6,100 m. In both cases, drag The defense ministry has ordered also are questions about whether such platforms are really ITP Aero if the EJ200 is selected, since the company is a oped by Toshiba, the defense ministry from radomes would reduce heights 15 C-2 airlifters since 2011, not count- needed as synthetic technologies advance. member of the Eurojet consortium that developed it. told the Jiji news agency. As is usual somewhat. Greater height improves ing the two prototypes. A total pur- But the AFJT has already received Madrid’s backing. The Airbus envisions the use of a fly-by-wire flight control in signals intelligence, no details were radio-frequency signal reception. chase of 22 is planned, according to proposals are part of an agreement the government signed system as well as a wide-area display in the cockpit that provided. Eight antenna fairings ap- Whereas the YS-11 has a fuselage the Asahi newspaper. Orders for P-1s with Airbus at the end of July to maintain and, ultimately, could be adapted to show the cockpit layouts of other types pear on the RC-2 (see illustration). sized for two-plus-two seating, the have reached 36, against a require - strengthen the company’s presence. Along with purchasing to support training. c More RC-2s are evidently planned, C-2’s is 4 m wide internally. ment for 65. c

34 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 35 CARGO

Cargo Conversion Specialists See Doellefeld says the company is see- ing an uptick with orders from exist- Strong Demand Despite COVID-19 ing customers as well as interest from emerging customers. > GROWING E-COMMERCE IS DRIVING AIR CARGO DEMAND The manufacturer is opening ad- ditional passenger-to-freighter con- > AIR CARGO CAPACITY SQUEEZE IS SET TO UNDERPIN DEMAND version lines at Gameco in China for FOR NEW FREIGHTERS AND CONVERSIONS the 737-800BCF and at ST Aerospace Services Co. for the 767-300BCF. “Those are [maintenance, repair and overhaul sites where] we have conversion production at today, but we are opening up additional capacity

Boeing still forecasts strong demand for freighter conversions, the coronavirus crisis notwithstanding. for the growing demand we’re seeing across our passenger-to-freighter of- ferings,” Doellefeld says. In September, Boeing secured an- other two 737-800 freighter conver- sions for an undisclosed customer, taking its total to 134 orders and com- mitments for the type. It has 51 orders and commitments for the 767. OEIN Helen Massy-Beresford Paris “Both pre-COVID activity late last year and more recent orders and he COVID-19 pandemic has versions over 20 years. In its latest commitments this year were fac- turned the air transport indus- update at the beginning of October, it tored into those decisions as well as Ttry on its head. Travel restric- scaled those numbers back — although the longer-term outlook,” Doellefeld tions are hampering recovery e orts it is still predicting a need for 930 pro- says, referring to the additional ca- on the passenger side, while demand duction freighters and 1,500 passen- pacity moves in China and Singapore. is outstripping supply in the cargo ger-to-freighter conversions during “We have confi dence that growth will sector. In this context, strong inter- the 2020-39 period. remain strong over a long-term of est in converting passenger aircraft “Despite recent challenges, air car- forecasted operation. to freighters is set to continue. go is forecasted to grow at an average “We do expect demand for dedicat- Amid major upheaval for all oper- annual compound rate of 4% in the ed freighters to continue to grow,” he ators, air cargo is faring better than next 20 years, led by the robust mar- adds. “And it’s really being driven by the passenger category: In August, kets in East Asia and acceleration of increasing demand and expansions of according to fi gures from the Inter- e-commerce,” the manufacturer said. express cargo markets and further de- national Air Transport Association “Acceleration of passenger-airplane velopments in e-commerce, as well as (IATA), global cargo demand was retirements as a result of the pandem- the inherent demand of cargo itself.” down 12.6% compared with a year ic will provide additional feedstock According to the Aviation Week earlier, a slight improvement on the opportunities for freighter conver- Network Fleet Discovery database, 14.4% drop recorded in July. sions. The freighter fl eet will increase by Sept. 15, 221 passenger aircraft had The real problem for cargo opera- by more than half: from 2,010 airplanes been converted to freighters since the tors is a lack of capacity. Global capacity in 2019 to 3,260 by 2039, representing beginning of 2018. measured in available cargo ton-kilo- 62% fl eet growth over 20 years.” In Europe, the Airbus passen- meters was down 29.4% in August, and Michael Doellefeld, vice president ger-to-freighter conversion specialist the 67% drop in belly capacity for inter- of commercial services programs at EFW says demand for the A320/A321 national operations was only partially Boeing Global Services, says demand passenger-to-freighter conversion is o set by a 28.1% increase in dedicated for freighter conversions is still strong. “very strong” with conversion capaci- freighter capacity , according to IATA. “Even during COVID, we continue to ty booked out until the second quarter Daily widebody freighter utilization see strong demand for both our 737- of 2022. was close to 11 hr. per day, the highest 800 converted freighter as well as the The company obtained FAA val- levels since tracking of those fi gures widebody 767-300 converted freight- idation for the type back in Feb- began in 2012. er,” he notes. “That demand has not ruary, based on existing approval In its 2019 commercial market fore- subsided during COVID, and in fact we from the European Union Aviation cast, published pre-COVID-19, Boeing are taking steps even now to open up Safety Agency. had predicted demand for 1,040 new some new conversion lines to react to “As part of the regular plan, we will widebody deliveries and 1,780 con- that growing customer demand.” ramp up our production and have

3 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST CARGO

Cargo Conversion Specialists See Doellefeld says the company is see- started to qualify more and more con- addition, the corona crisis kicked a demic, cargo aircraft have become ing an uptick with orders from exist- version lines to satisfy this demand,” huge portion of belly hold capacity the lifeblood of the Chinese economy,” Strong Demand Despite COVID-19 ing customers as well as interest from says Thomas Centner, EFW’s sales out of the market, and today freighter IAI says. emerging customers. director of aircraft conversions. aircraft are much more in demand.” In addition to affecting day-to-day > GROWING E-COMMERCE IS DRIVING AIR CARGO DEMAND The manufacturer is opening ad- EFW—based in Dresden, Germa- Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) air cargo operations and demand for ditional passenger-to-freighter con- ny—is focusing on ramping up its A321 points to Chinese demand for freight- freighter aircraft, the COVID-19 crisis > AIR CARGO CAPACITY SQUEEZE IS SET TO UNDERPIN DEMAND version lines at Gameco in China for and A330 passenger-to-freighter pro- ers to fulfill the growing appetite for shows signs of creating a shift toward FOR NEW FREIGHTERS AND CONVERSIONS the 737-800BCF and at ST Aerospace duction capacity. Its secondary goal younger aircraft on average entering Services Co. for the 767-300BCF. is to start A320 passenger-to-freight- conversion programs, given the his- “Those are [maintenance, repair er prototype installations, a plan “The corona crisis kicked torically large numbers of parked and overhaul sites where] we have that was pushed back slightly in a huge portion of belly passenger aircraft around the world, conversion production at today, but favor of escalating the A321 passen- Centner believes. we are opening up additional capacity ger-to-freighter activity more quickly hold capacity out of the “Lessors and combination carriers than originally planned, Centner says. market, and today have started to rethink their strate- Boeing still forecasts strong demand According to Fleet Discovery data, freighter aircraft are much gies, and many will return to invest for freighter conversions, the EFW has converted two A330-300s more in demand” in conversions to balance their busi- coronavirus crisis notwithstanding. so far this year. nesses better,” Centner says. “Lower EFW also attributes some of that residual aircraft values make pas- for the growing demand we’re seeing demand growth to the growing e-com- e-commerce. It delivered its first senger-to-freighter conversion even across our passenger-to-freighter of- merce segment. While the COVID-19 Boeing 737-700 passenger-to-freight- more attractive as a sound invest - ferings,” Doellefeld says. pandemic has hit economies hard, er conversion to Tianjin Cargo Air- ment opportunity.” In September, Boeing secured an- with repercussions on spending pow- lines in early October. The conversion Centner adds: “I’m convinced that other two 737-800 freighter conver- er, on the flip side, lockdowns have took place at its Tianjin maintenance one of the lessons learned from this sions for an undisclosed customer, also shifted retail behavior patterns site through a partnership with the crisis will be that operating freighters taking its total to 134 orders and com- toward increased online purchasing. Haite Groupe. “With the rise of is essential for global logistics chains mitments for the type. It has 51 orders “COVID-19 has quickly accelerat- e-commerce and the resulting higher as well as essential for revenue balanc- and commitments for the 767. ed online retail, and express demand demand for cargo aircraft, together ing of airlines and asset management OEIN c Helen Massy-Beresford Paris “Both pre-COVID activity late last grew in parallel,” Centner says. “In with the effects of the COVID-19 pan- of lessors and investors.” year and more recent orders and he COVID-19 pandemic has versions over 20 years. In its latest commitments this year were fac- turned the air transport indus- update at the beginning of October, it tored into those decisions as well as Ttry on its head. Travel restric- scaled those numbers back — although the longer-term outlook,” Doellefeld tions are hampering recovery e orts it is still predicting a need for 930 pro- says, referring to the additional ca- on the passenger side, while demand duction freighters and 1,500 passen- pacity moves in China and Singapore. COMING SOON is outstripping supply in the cargo ger-to-freighter conversions during “We have confi dence that growth will sector. In this context, strong inter- the 2020-39 period. remain strong over a long-term of est in converting passenger aircraft “Despite recent challenges, air car- forecasted operation. to freighters is set to continue. go is forecasted to grow at an average “We do expect demand for dedicat- annual compound rate of 4% in the ed freighters to continue to grow,” he Air Transport 3 W Amid major upheaval for all oper- 1 E 9– EK ators, air cargo is faring better than next 20 years, led by the robust mar- adds. “And it’s really being driven by V 2 O : N e L N the passenger category: In August, kets in East Asia and acceleration of increasing demand and expansions of : iv ea O 1 L d V express cargo markets and further de- A e according to fi gures from the Inter- e-commerce,” the manufacturer said. Month K P r 1 2020 6 E s A h – national Air Transport Association “Acceleration of passenger-airplane velopments in e-commerce, as well as E C ip 2 W 0 (IATA), global cargo demand was retirements as a result of the pandem- the inherent demand of cargo itself.” F Digital Content Program o down 12.6% compared with a year ic will provide additional feedstock According to the Aviation Week r November 9 - December 4 u earlier, a slight improvement on the opportunities for freighter conver- Network Fleet Discovery database, m 14.4% drop recorded in July. sions. The freighter fl eet will increase by Sept. 15, 221 passenger aircraft had The real problem for cargo opera- by more than half: from 2,010 airplanes been converted to freighters since the • Webinars tors is a lack of capacity. Global capacity in 2019 to 3,260 by 2039, representing beginning of 2018. • Data & Intelligence W e measured in available cargo ton-kilo- 62% fl eet growth over 20 years.” In Europe, the Airbus passen- E 7 g • Event Coverage R E ger-to-freighter conversion specialist 2 a meters was down 29.4% in August, and Michael Doellefeld, vice president o K – r u 3 e 4 v the 67% drop in belly capacity for inter- of commercial services programs at EFW says demand for the A320/A321 • In-depth Journalism t : 2 e N V o national operations was only partially Boeing Global Services, says demand passenger-to-freighter conversion is s O O C • Marketplace R V N t o set by a 28.1% increase in dedicated for freighter conversions is still strong. “very strong” with conversion capaci- e 3 3: n c 0 ve freighter capacity , according to IATA. “Even during COVID, we continue to ty booked out until the second quarter o –D EK E nn EC WE Daily widebody freighter utilization see strong demand for both our 737- of 2022. ec 4 GM VIEW THE AGENDA AND ted A A was close to 11 hr. per day, the highest 800 converted freighter as well as the The company obtained FAA val- IAT levels since tracking of those fi gures widebody 767-300 converted freight- idation for the type back in Feb- FOLLOW ALONG ALL MONTH: began in 2012. er,” he notes. “That demand has not ruary, based on existing approval In its 2019 commercial market fore- subsided during COVID, and in fact we from the European Union Aviation www.aviationweek.com/AT2020 cast, published pre-COVID-19, Boeing are taking steps even now to open up Safety Agency. had predicted demand for 1,040 new some new conversion lines to react to “As part of the regular plan, we will widebody deliveries and 1,780 con- that growing customer demand.” ramp up our production and have

3 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 37 AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT > FAA’s integrated air layer vision p. 40

The greening of aviation is taking Europe Presses Ahead With priority. “If people resume flying, they will be more careful about their envi- Modernizing Air Traffic Management ronmental footprint,” Warinsko says. When the coronavirus crisis started, > INVESTMENT PLANS REMAIN STABLE DESPITE PANDEMIC CRISIS the SESAR Deployment Manager was completing a revision of the Pilot Com- > ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS TAKES PRIORITY OVER mon Project, its regulatory frame - AIRSPACE CAPACITY work. “We took the chance to fine-tune the final phase of the revision. We em- Thierry Dubois Lyon phasized the goal of greener air trans- port,” Warinsko says. In addition, more he renovation of European air projects, worth €2.9 billion ($3.4 bil- time was provided for project imple- traffic management is progress- lion). To keep up the momentum, faster mentation, to keep programs in line Ting steadily—but with shifted distribution of the European Commis- with funding capacities. priorities. The promoters of the Sin- sion’s €1.3 billion financial support is Making commercial aviation more gle European Sky Air Traffic Manage- being discussed. After that, the next environmentally friendly also has ment Research project, supported by phase of the “Connecting Europe Fa- been a growing concern recently at air navigation service providers, have cility” funding instrument will fill out France’s air navigation service pro- managed to maintain budgets despite new budgets for 2021-27. vider, the Air Navigation Services Di- the COVID-19 crisis. The goal is to maintain stakeholder rectorate (DSNA). “Long-term plans are still there; motivation. “We operate in a regulated One of the first consequences of a positive mindset has survived the environment; European law requires the pandemic was the urgent need for crisis to keep the ball rolling,” says from stakeholders that they make a business continuity and recovery plans, Nicolas Warinsko, general manager certain level of investment by a certain says Philippe Barnola, the DSNA’s dep- of the Single European Sky Research date,” Warinsko says. “But the best uty director for strategic planning. Air (SESAR) Deployment Manager or- way to incentivize them is to demon- traffic control towers and en route ganization, which is in charge of im- strate their investment will bring end centers still needed to be staffed, even plementing air traffic management users and themselves benefits.” with slower traffic, and the crisis also (ATM) improvement plans. To that end, the SESAR Deployment entailed health and safety measures. When the crisis hit, 144 projects Manager has created a performance Cash flow was another important under SESAR’s deployment frame- database showing the rewards from consideration. Airlines were allowed work—such as streamlining approach completed projects, quantifying the to suspend navigation service fee pay- trajectories at a given major hub air- results and accompanying forecasts. ments. The DSNA had to request par- port—had been put in place. That num- Airspace capacity will be needed liamentary approval to raise a loan. ber then stopped increasing. “Late in again at some point. But increasing But critical system maintenance must August, we restarted counting—the to- capacity will not be an issue for the be secured, Barnola points out. Nev- tal of 151 projects completed as of Sept. next 2-3 years, predicts Warinsko. Until ertheless, the priority of creating 30 was a good signal,” Warinsko says. 2023-24, depending on estimates, air greener aviation has been reinforced, SESAR includes 343 deployment traffic will be nowhere near 2019 levels. he says: “There is a strong expecta-

38 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT > FAA’s integrated air layer vision p. 40

New equipment in control centers sists full data link capability is needed should help implement concepts such by the summer of 2021. The difference as data link and free-route airspace. of opinion is real but small and seems to be resolving, a common situation in EU projects the past few years. Two other key technologies that As for ADS-B, 80% of the target can improve ATM at the Europe-wide fleet is now equipped. “Airlines were level are data link (the transmission of reluctant to invest because they were data instead of voice communications uncertain about the ground segment,” between the crew and controllers) Warinsko says. Just as with data link, and automatic dependent surveil- he believes the SESAR Deployment lance-broadcast (ADS-B), where air- Manager has successfully put the craft broadcast their position. process back on track. Data link, which connects aircraft to Warinsko’s team has also discovered the ground, is a crucial piece of the full a wider issue. A number of air navi- SESAR concept. “The use of data link gation service providers continue to is growing,” Warinsko says. He credits invest in older technologies, typically his organization as having played a mode-S radars. Such expenses may major role in accelerating data link be detrimental to ADS-B expansion. system deployment since 2017, when But ADS-B brings more benefits than the program was “in a bad shape.” a mode-S radar network, at a lower THALES However, neither the air nor the cost and with a greater population of ground segments have reached full aircraft served, Warinsko contends. The greening of aviation is taking tion that the recovery should be green.” implementation. Some 75% of the tar- If older ground equipment has to be Europe Presses Ahead With priority. “If people resume flying, they In the DSNA’s jurisdiction, free- get fleet has been equipped with data maintained for particular users such will be more careful about their envi- route airspace, a concept under which link systems, although the deadline as the military or light aviation, the Modernizing Air Traffic Management ronmental footprint,” Warinsko says. flight crews choose their preferred was February 2020, Warinsko says. question of whether they should pay When the coronavirus crisis started, routes in a relaxed framework, was The target fleet excludes aircraft that for it is relevant, he says. > INVESTMENT PLANS REMAIN STABLE DESPITE PANDEMIC CRISIS the SESAR Deployment Manager was to be first deployed at the Brest en fly below the affected airspace as well A positive effect of the slow traffic completing a revision of the Pilot Com- route control center in 2022. “We are as those being phased out. due to the pandemic is that it frees up > ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS TAKES PRIORITY OVER mon Project, its regulatory frame - trying to bring this forward to 2021 to On the ground, at air traffic control time for controller training. The DSNA AIRSPACE CAPACITY work. “We took the chance to fine-tune meet the demand for environmental centers, the data link implementation has cleverly seized the opportunity for the final phase of the revision. We em- performance,” Barnola says. deadline was February 2018. Some SESAR and national-level projects, Thierry Dubois Lyon phasized the goal of greener air trans- Most of the DSNA’s moderniza- countries, such as France, are lagging. says Michel Coz Elleouet, a board port,” Warinsko says. In addition, more tion plan takes place within SESAR’s That country poses a double problem member at French air traffic controller he renovation of European air projects, worth €2.9 billion ($3.4 bil- time was provided for project imple- framework, he notes. because of its relatively large size and union SNCTA. “4-Flight and PBN-to- traffic management is progress- lion). To keep up the momentum, faster mentation, to keep programs in line Moving in the same direction as geographical position. ILS each require 10 days of instruction Ting steadily—but with shifted distribution of the European Commis- with funding capacities. free routes, toward more streamlined Of the five information regions cov- per controller,” he says. priorities. The promoters of the Sin- sion’s €1.3 billion financial support is Making commercial aviation more traffic, is the “PBN-to-ILS” project. ering France, three are not providing The DSNA seems to be avoiding gle European Sky Air Traffic Manage- being discussed. After that, the next environmentally friendly also has Already in use—with further enhance- full data link service, Warinsko says. the recruitment mistakes it made ment Research project, supported by phase of the “Connecting Europe Fa- been a growing concern recently at ments planned—at Paris Charles de The delay is a consequence of the slow in the late 2000s, when it cut hiring air navigation service providers, have cility” funding instrument will fill out France’s air navigation service pro- Gaulle (CDG) Airport, it takes advan- implementation of the 4-Flight infor- plans. At the time, a downturn trans- managed to maintain budgets despite new budgets for 2021-27. vider, the Air Navigation Services Di- tage of satellite guidance, also known mation system for en route control lated into a need for fewer air traffic the COVID-19 crisis. The goal is to maintain stakeholder rectorate (DSNA). as performance-based navigation centers, because data link is embed- controllers over the coming years, “Long-term plans are still there; motivation. “We operate in a regulated One of the first consequences of (PBN), in lieu of the less accurate radar ded in that system, he notes. and the DSNA accordingly reduced a positive mindset has survived the environment; European law requires the pandemic was the urgent need for vectoring. The aircraft relies on satel- Supplied by Thales to the DSNA, its training capacities. crisis to keep the ball rolling,” says from stakeholders that they make a business continuity and recovery plans, lite-aided positioning until it catches 4-Flight is described as a new-gen- That approach proved shortsighted. Nicolas Warinsko, general manager certain level of investment by a certain says Philippe Barnola, the DSNA’s dep- the instrument landing system’s (ILS) eration stripless control system for “In 2016-18, we found ourselves with of the Single European Sky Research date,” Warinsko says. “But the best uty director for strategic planning. Air guidance to the runway. high-density airspace. It is said to incor- a dearth of controllers,” Coz Elleouet (SESAR) Deployment Manager or- way to incentivize them is to demon- traffic control towers and en route As a result, continuous descent ap- porate advanced flight data processing, says. France’s ATM capacity could not ganization, which is in charge of im- strate their investment will bring end centers still needed to be staffed, even proaches should become the norm at an augmented user interface and an keep up with air traffic growth, caus- plementing air traffic management users and themselves benefits.” with slower traffic, and the crisis also CDG by 2023. Live trials, involving real advanced simulation environment. ing flight delays and therefore carrier (ATM) improvement plans. To that end, the SESAR Deployment entailed health and safety measures. traffic, will begin early next year, Bar- Barnola contends that 4-Flight and passenger exasperation. When the crisis hit, 144 projects Manager has created a performance Cash flow was another important nola says. PBN-to-ILS enables simulta- and data link are independent but ac- This time, the DSNA is betting on under SESAR’s deployment frame- database showing the rewards from consideration. Airlines were allowed neous approaches on a pair of runways, knowledges the delay. Data link will be traffic recovery and is well aware it will work—such as streamlining approach completed projects, quantifying the to suspend navigation service fee pay- even if they are close to each other, deployed in the remaining three cen- have to offer enough capacity to air- trajectories at a given major hub air- results and accompanying forecasts. ments. The DSNA had to request par- which is the case at CDG. “Thanks to ters next year, as per a catch-up plan lines, Coz Elleouet says. Hiring plans for port—had been put in place. That num- Airspace capacity will be needed liamentary approval to raise a loan. the greater accuracy of flightpaths, you agreed on in 2018 with the European 2020 have not been changed, so an an- ber then stopped increasing. “Late in again at some point. But increasing But critical system maintenance must no longer have to maintain a 1,000-ft. Commission, he says. nual budget to start a five-year training August, we restarted counting—the to- capacity will not be an issue for the be secured, Barnola points out. Nev- vertical separation,” Barnola stresses. Warinsko was happy to see the program for 100 controllers is pivotal. tal of 151 projects completed as of Sept. next 2-3 years, predicts Warinsko. Until ertheless, the priority of creating Continuous descent approaches DSNA’s positive reaction to that plan. The investment is all the more im- 30 was a good signal,” Warinsko says. 2023-24, depending on estimates, air greener aviation has been reinforced, have a reduced noise footprint and also He says the SESAR Deployment Man- portant as a wave of retirements is to SESAR includes 343 deployment traffic will be nowhere near 2019 levels. he says: “There is a strong expecta- result in lower aircraft fuel burn. ager is supporting the DSNA but in- begin in 2028, Coz Elleouet says. c

38 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 39 AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

FAA Envisions Interwoven, altitude, providers of services for UAM (PSU) will engage with larger manned, and eventually unmanned, aircraft fly- Distinct Airspace Layers ing in defined corridors between airports, vertiports and short runways. > UAM OPERATIONAL ASSUMPTIONS DESCRIBED Given that a cohort of drone-software platform, ATM and telecommunications companies has emerged to support the > THIRD-PARTY COMPANIES WILL PROVIDE SERVICES development of UTM, the older of the two constructs, the question arises: Could a USS also be a PSU, and vice versa? Bill Carey Washington “Yes,” FAA Chief Scientist Steve Bradford said at a recent conference. “But we named them differently because we he traffic management constructs forming around believe that the information requirements and the perfor- small drones and future urban air mobility vehicles mance may vary between operations below 400 ft. and oper- Tare coming into clearer focus, but they reside at ations in corridors or UAM/AAM airspace.” slightly different stages of development that point to dis- The FAA released the first version of a UAM concept tinct but interwoven layers of airspace. of operations (conops) document in June. Bradford briefed In the ever-growing lexicon of aviation acronyms, con- viewers on the notional architecture during the Association structs for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), UAS traffic of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International’s Xponential management (UTM) and urban air mobility (UAM)—which conference, held virtually in early October. is now commonly wrapped into the broader definition of Similar to UTM, UAM will be a “community-based,” fed- advanced air mobility (AAM)—share common attributes. erated system populated by vehicle operators and PSUs,

This artist’s rendering depicts an Advanced Air Mobility airspace environment, with drone traffic below. NASA

Both rely on the digitalization of processes and platforms, with the FAA providing regulatory oversight. Unlike UTM, data sharing and automated flight planning and execution. passenger- and cargo-carrying UAM/AAM vehicles will stay Both constructs are federated systems involving multiple within airspace corridors; these initially will build on cus- actors. The traditional arbiters of air traffic management tomary general aviation and helicopter routes. (ATM)—air navigation service providers (ANSP) that are Based on industry projections, Bradford assumes a either owned by a government, shared by a government 10-year transition period that begins with UAM vehicles or act on its behalf—will likely delegate to third-party, cor- controlled by pilots, who remain capable of communicating porate technology providers the responsibility for deliv- with traditional air traffic control (ATC) while flying within ering flight planning services and authorizations to pilots corridors, and evolves to autonomous vehicles. and operators. “There will have to be demand-capacity balancing The assumed line of demarcation between UTM and applied where necessary,” he said. “We would expect that UAM/AAM is 400 ft. above ground level (AGL). Below that to be a product of community-based rules, which we will altitude, UAS service suppliers (USS) will interact with approve. But for this to work, the FAA can’t be directly drone operators to provide flight planning, airspace autho- involved operationally.” rization, traffic deconfliction and other services. Above that Access to UAM corridors will be based on the aircraft

40 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

FAA Envisions Interwoven, altitude, providers of services for UAM (PSU) will engage meeting performance requirements that may change based details of implementation that we need to start put- with larger manned, and eventually unmanned, aircraft fly- on the tempo of operations and demand for the airspace. ting in place.” Distinct Airspace Layers ing in defined corridors between airports, vertiports and Operators will stay safely separated through “shared flight A common theme that unites UTM and UAM is that the short runways. intent for strategic deconfliction, shared situational aware- FAA does not want to be directly involved in managing flights. > UAM OPERATIONAL ASSUMPTIONS DESCRIBED Given that a cohort of drone-software platform, ATM and ness” and consensus procedures, Bradford noted. “We in the United States do expect a federated approach telecommunications companies has emerged to support the “We reserve the right to increase individual aircraft where the ANSP will not be providing the majority of the > THIRD-PARTY COMPANIES WILL PROVIDE SERVICES development of UTM, the older of the two constructs, the operational performance requirements in order to opti- services directly to the aircraft owner-operator,” said question arises: Could a USS also be a PSU, and vice versa? mize the capacity utilization of the airspace structure,” he Merkle. “We want to govern as little as possible, to encour- Bill Carey Washington “Yes,” FAA Chief Scientist Steve Bradford said at a recent said. “If the demand goes up, we may require only those age as much innovation as we can while maintaining aviation conference. “But we named them differently because we vehicles that can meet a certain level of navigation perfor- safety and airspace security.” c he traffic management constructs forming around believe that the information requirements and the perfor- mance or intent-sharing to be able small drones and future urban air mobility vehicles mance may vary between operations below 400 ft. and oper- to fly in those corridors at a certain Tare coming into clearer focus, but they reside at ations in corridors or UAM/AAM airspace.” time of day. It’s not equitable to have slightly different stages of development that point to dis- The FAA released the first version of a UAM concept the lowest-common-denominator United States Postal Service Statement of O nership, Management, and Circulation (Requester Publications Only) tinct but interwoven layers of airspace. of operations (conops) document in June. Bradford briefed vehicle taking up a lot of airspace 1. Publication Title: Aviation Week & Space Technology In the ever-growing lexicon of aviation acronyms, con- viewers on the notional architecture during the Association and moving very slowly in a place 2. Publication Number: 0005-2145 3. Filing Date: 10/5/20 structs for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), UAS traffic of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International’s Xponential of high demand.” 4. ssue of Frequency: Bi-Weekly management (UTM) and urban air mobility (UAM)—which conference, held virtually in early October. Bradford added: “If UAM opera- 5. Number of ssues Published Annually: 25 6. Annual Subscription Price: $129 is now commonly wrapped into the broader definition of Similar to UTM, UAM will be a “community-based,” fed- tions reach a peak where the com- 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication (Not Printer): nforma Media nc., 22701 W 68th Terrace, Ste Contact Person: Eileen Zelenka 100, Shawnee, Johnson County, KS, 66226-3583 Telephone: 216-931-9194 advanced air mobility (AAM)—share common attributes. erated system populated by vehicle operators and PSUs, munity-based demand/capacity 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher (Not Printer): nforma Media nc.,605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158 balancing no longer works, then we 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor - Publisher: Gregory Hamilton, nforma Media nc nc., 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY always reserve the right to get back 10158; Editor: Joseph Anselmo, nforma Media, nc., 2121 K Street, Washington, DC 20037; Managing Editor: Jen DiMascio, nforma Media, nc., 2121 K Street, Washington, DC This artist’s rendering depicts an Advanced Air Mobility into the picture. That’s a promise, 20037 airspace environment, with drone traffic below. Owner - Full name and complete mailing address: nforma Media nc., 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158; nforma Operating Holdings (owns 100% of the stock of nforma not a threat.” 10. Media nc.), 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158 Participation in the UAM corri- dors will be voluntary, but departing 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages or Other Securities: None from them will subject operators to 12. Tax Status (For completion by nonprofit organizations authorized to mail at nonprofit rates) (Check one) The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for federal income tax purposes: N/A the requirements of the ATC sys- 13. Publication Title: Aviation Week & Space Technology Average No. Copies tem, said Bradford. “The difference 14. ssue Date for Circulation Data: 9/28/20 Each ssue During No. Copies of Single ssue Published 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation Preceding 12 Months Nearest to Filing Date between continuous access and a. Total Number of Copies (Net press run) 49,526 45,274 on-demand access is [that] for those b. Legitimate Paid and/or Requested Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail) (1) Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541. (nclude direct written request from 36,859 34,692 vehicles operating within the UAM recipient, telemarketing and nternet requests from recipient, paid subscriptions including nominal rate subscriptions, construct, within the corridors, we employer requests, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies.) don’t need to have constant [posi- (2) n-County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541. (nclude direct written request from recipient, 0 0 telemarketing and nternet requests from recipient, paid subscriptions including nominal rate subscriptions, employer tion] updates because we are not requests, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies.)

providing services,” he said. “We will (3) Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid or Requested Distribution 4,047 4,585 need information if you depart the Outside USPS® (4) Requested Copies Distributed by Other Mail Classes Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail®) 28 21 corridor and go into ATC.” c. Total Paid and/or Requested Distribution (Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3), and (4)) 40,934 39,298 PSUs will be able to obtain flight d. Nonrequested Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail) (1) Outside County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541 (include Sample copies, Requests Over 3 years old, 1,588 1,468 information on drones operating Requests induced by a Premium, Bulk Sales and Requests including Association Requests, Names obtained from below the corridors by connecting Business Directories, Lists, and other sources) to the USS network and vice versa. (2) n-County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541 (include Sample copies, Requests Over 3 years old, 0 0 Requests induced by a Premium, Bulk Sales and Requests including Association Requests, Names obtained from The FAA released the first ver- Business Directories Lists and other sources) (3) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Through the USPS by Other Classes of Mail (e.g. First-Class Mail, Nonrequestor 0 0 sion of a UTM conops document Copies mailed in excess of 10% Limit mailed at Standard Mail® or Package Services Rates) in 2018, followed by a 2.0 version (4) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail (nclude Pickup Stands, Trade Shows, Showrooms and Other 4,520 2,837

NASA this March. During a World ATM Sources)

Congress virtual panel discussion e. Total Nonrequested Distribution (Sum of 15d (1), (2), (3), and (4)) 6,108 4,305 Oct. 13, Jay Merkle, executive direc- f. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and 15e) 47,042 43,603 Both rely on the digitalization of processes and platforms, with the FAA providing regulatory oversight. Unlike UTM, tor of the FAA’s UAS integration g. Copies not Distributed 2,484 1,671 h. Total (Sum of 15f and g) 49,526 45,274 data sharing and automated flight planning and execution. passenger- and cargo-carrying UAM/AAM vehicles will stay office, described the agency’s next i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (15c divided by 15f times 100) 87.02% 90.13% Both constructs are federated systems involving multiple within airspace corridors; these initially will build on cus- planned steps to implement the 16 Electronic Copy Circulation actors. The traditional arbiters of air traffic management tomary general aviation and helicopter routes. low-altitude construct. a. Requested and Paid Electronic Copies 39,429 22,105 (ATM)—air navigation service providers (ANSP) that are Based on industry projections, Bradford assumes a The UTM effort is focused now on b. Total Requested and Paid Print Copies (Line 15c)+ Requested/Paid Electronic Copies (Line 16a) 80,363 61,403 c. Total Requested Copy Distribution Distribution(Line 15f) + Requested/Paid Electronic Copies 86,471 65,708 either owned by a government, shared by a government 10-year transition period that begins with UAM vehicles introducing flights beyond visual line (Line 16a) or act on its behalf—will likely delegate to third-party, cor- controlled by pilots, who remain capable of communicating of sight of a drone operator, below d. Percent Paid an/dor Requested Circulaltion (Both Print & Electronic Copies) 92.94% 93.45% porate technology providers the responsibility for deliv- with traditional air traffic control (ATC) while flying within 400 ft. AGL, said Merkle. Airspace (16b diveded by 16c x 100) X certify that 50% of all my distribution copies (electronic and print) are legitimate requests or paid copies: ering flight planning services and authorizations to pilots corridors, and evolves to autonomous vehicles. designers will also flesh out the role 17. Publication of Statement of Ownership for a Requester Publication is required and will be printed in the: and operators. “There will have to be demand-capacity balancing of public-safety operators in the con- issue of this publication. Oct-20 The assumed line of demarcation between UTM and applied where necessary,” he said. “We would expect that struct and the need to protect sensi- 18 Date UAM/AAM is 400 ft. above ground level (AGL). Below that to be a product of community-based rules, which we will tive military and homeland security Abi Ahrens 10/5/20 altitude, UAS service suppliers (USS) will interact with approve. But for this to work, the FAA can’t be directly facilities from unauthorized drones. certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties). drone operators to provide flight planning, airspace autho- involved operationally.” “We’re closing the concept time,” rization, traffic deconfliction and other services. Above that Access to UAM corridors will be based on the aircraft he said. “We’re moving toward the PS Form 3526-R, July 2014

40 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 41 SPACE > China focuses on new Moon rocket p. 46 ISS turns 20 p. 48 NASA samples Bennu p. 55 READY TO ROC > STRATOLAUNCH AIMS TO RESTART FLIGHT TESTS IN EARLY 2021 > MODULAR HYPERSONIC PAYLOAD PYLON DEVELOPMENT IS UNDERWAY

Guy Norris Los Angeles

espite its enormous size, the six-engine Stratolaunch the pace and cadence to get through carrier aircraft has remained largely hidden from sight our flight testing, leading to operation- al missions in the first quarter of 2022.” since its debut flight in April 2019. But that’s about Envelope expansion will continue to change as its Mojave, California-based developers from where it left off in 2019, when D the aircraft reached a speed of 165 kt. prepare to roll the behemoth back into the open in readiness and a maximum altitude of 17,000 ft. for an intense flight test and operational clearance campaign over the course of its 2.5-hr. first flight targeting service entry in 2022. over the Mojave Desert. “We’ll go through a typical flight-test approach Distinguished by its twin fuselages for our missions, but the aircraft is in terms of expanding altitudes and and enormous 385-ft. wingspan, the something that will be used for our speed and continue to add in more carrier aircraft—nicknamed the Roc— country’s national needs.” complexity,” Krevor says. is being developed as a rapid response, The accelerating test effort marks For the moment Stratolaunch re- cost-effective launch platform for test- a major rebound for Stratolaunch, mains coy about some aspects of the ing hypersonic vehicles and missile which only last year was facing an expected limits of the flight envelope, systems. Originally designed as a uncertain future in the months fol- particularly the operational altitudes mothership for air-launching space- lowing the death in October 2018 of for launching payloads. However, given launch vehicles, the project’s pivot in the project’s original co-founder, bil- the aircraft’s maximum payload limit 2018 toward a high-speed test role has lionaire philanthropist Paul Allen. of around 545,000 lb. and the perfor- put the Roc in the right place at the Reinvigorated following its acquisi- mance of its six Pratt & Whitney right time for the emerging revolution tion by Cerberus Capital Manage - PW4056 engines, the operational ceil- in hypersonics. ment in late 2019, the company is on ing for most missions is widely expected “We really do think of the carrier track to restart the flight-test cam- to be in the 30,000-35,000-ft.-altitude aircraft as a national asset, and we’ve paign early next year. range. “We can’t provide the exact had a wide variety of interest in it, “The goal is to get back into the air release altitudes due to the propri- whether it’s government or commer- in the first quarter of 2021 with our etary nature of our customers. But we cial customers, because we can pro- initial set of flight tests,” Krevor says, can say the carrier aircraft can reach vide a capability that really is unique,” speaking exclusively to Aviation Week altitudes and fly generally just like a says Stratolaunch Chief Operating about the test plan and ongoing modi- [Boeing] 747-400, as we are using the Officer Zachary Krevor. “No one can fications to the Roc prior to resuming same engines,” Krevor says. match the combination of payload, flights. “Then we’ll analyze the data Early test flights will also include volume and overall performance of and make some refinements based on gear retraction. “On our first flight, this carrier aircraft. Not only are we what we learned from the flight tests. the gear was pinned [fixed in extended going to be using the carrier aircraft Then we’ll just continue to increase position],” Krevor says. The aircraft

42 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST SPACE > China focuses on new Moon rocket p. 46 ISS turns 20 p. 48 NASA samples Bennu p. 55

composite pressure bulkhead sepa- izontal stabilizers on the twin tail rates the cockpit from the remainder units. The wing trailing edge supports of the vehicle, which is unpressurized. 14 electrically signaled, hydraulically The forward section of the opposite actuated split flaps that also pivot READY TO ROC fuselage, which will not be occupied, down to act as air brakes. Like the en- will house systems related to the test gines and landing gear, the hydraulic > STRATOLAUNCH AIMS TO RESTART payload. As these include the op- system and actuators, along with the FLIGHT TESTS IN EARLY 2021 tion for both solid- and liquid-fueled electrical system, avionics, pilot con- rocket-boosted vehicles, they will trols and fl ight deck, are also from the include cryogenic, compressed air, donor 747s. Stratolaunch says around > MODULAR HYPERSONIC PAYLOAD avionics and other systems. Storage 250,000 lb. of the aircraft’s full-up PYLON DEVELOPMENT IS UNDERWAY space for up to 2,500 lb. of mission- take o˜ weight of 1.3 million lb. consists Stratolaunch aims to restart specifi c support equipment is avail- of 747 components.  ight tests in early 2021. able in each fuselage. “One thing that’s really important “We’re also making a fair amount about our design philosophy is to of modifi cations to the fl ight control make sure that we are applying the system,” Schultz says. “Obviously, the appropriate margins to our vehicle. fl ight controls were fi ne for fi rst fl ight, In terms of the flight controls, we but we’re doing a lot of fi ne-tuning for found that those margins were actu- fl ight control ‘feel’ and for crew dis- ally pretty conservative, and in those plays that will set us up for the oper- large handling maneuvers we were ational airplane. During the fl ight, we able to maneuver the aircraft a little learned it handled signifi cantly better bit better than our conservative ap- in a couple aspects than we thought proach,” Krevor says. and close to where we thought it was “Right now, it’s a conventionally Guy Norris Los Angeles going to handle in other aspects.” boosted system, but those are some Although declining to offer more of the upgrades that we’re working SAAN S specifics, Schultz says: “We have through,” he adds. “It’s really all about espite its enormous size, the six-engine Stratolaunch the pace and cadence to get through has 28 wheels, all of which are recy- done a lot of simulator work and really getting ready for the operational mis- carrier aircraft has remained largely hidden from sight our flight testing, leading to operation- cled from a pair of 747-400s cannibal- paid a lot of attention to large -aircraft sion such that we can get a little more al missions in the first quarter of 2022.” ized for the construction of the Roc. handling qualities. And one of the fac- precision and be ready to release hy- since its debut flight in April 2019. But that’s about Envelope expansion will continue The bulk of these are arranged longi- tors was how the airplane feels to the personic vehicles for their fl ight test. to change as its Mojave, California-based developers from where it left off in 2019, when tudinally in three main landing gear pilots. So in a couple of the axes, we It’s really important to our custom- D the aircraft reached a speed of 165 kt. bays built into the mid section of each found that the feel was better than ers that we’re hitting their conditions prepare to roll the behemoth back into the open in readiness and a maximum altitude of 17,000 ft. of the aircraft’s 238-ft.-long fuselage expected in flight. It’s just another with some pretty tight tolerances. for an intense flight test and operational clearance campaign over the course of its 2.5-hr. first flight booms. Each boom has three sets of reason why we really valued [doing] “You’ll see us out again in the future targeting service entry in 2022. over the Mojave Desert. “We’ll go four-wheel 747 main-body gear assem- that fl ight test.” for some fuel system testing,” Schultz through a typical flight-test approach blies and a two-wheel 747 nose gear, Flight controls consist of 12 cable- adds. “We’ve made a laundry list of Distinguished by its twin fuselages for our missions, but the aircraft is in terms of expanding altitudes and for a total of 14 wheels per fuselage. driven ailerons powered by 747 hy- fuel system upgrades. The system ac- and enormous 385-ft. wingspan, the something that will be used for our speed and continue to add in more Other changes for the upcoming draulic actuators, plus split rudders tually worked really well on the fi rst carrier aircraft—nicknamed the Roc— country’s national needs.” complexity,” Krevor says. flight-test campaign are principally and conventionally configured hor- fl ight, but we’re making a few updates is being developed as a rapid response, The accelerating test effort marks For the moment Stratolaunch re- minor changes to areas such as the cost-effective launch platform for test- a major rebound for Stratolaunch, mains coy about some aspects of the cabin pressurization, flight control ing hypersonic vehicles and missile which only last year was facing an expected limits of the flight envelope, and fuel systems, says Stratolaunch systems. Originally designed as a uncertain future in the months fol- particularly the operational altitudes Chief Engineer Scott Schultz. “We mothership for air-launching space- lowing the death in October 2018 of for launching payloads. However, given fl ew with an unpressurized cabin for launch vehicles, the project’s pivot in the project’s original co-founder, bil- the aircraft’s maximum payload limit the first flight and had the crew on 2018 toward a high-speed test role has lionaire philanthropist Paul Allen. of around 545,000 lb. and the perfor- oxygen as a mitigation for safety. We put the Roc in the right place at the Reinvigorated following its acquisi- mance of its six Pratt & Whitney didn’t have the pressurization system right time for the emerging revolution tion by Cerberus Capital Manage - PW4056 engines, the operational ceil- ready at the time, so recently we have in hypersonics. ment in late 2019, the company is on ing for most missions is widely expected had the aircraft outside for cabin pres- “We really do think of the carrier track to restart the flight-test cam- to be in the 30,000-35,000-ft.-altitude sure tests,” he says. “That’s a step to aircraft as a national asset, and we’ve paign early next year. range. “We can’t provide the exact get it into its fi nal long-term confi gu- had a wide variety of interest in it, “The goal is to get back into the air release altitudes due to the propri- ration for mission operations.” whether it’s government or commer- in the first quarter of 2021 with our etary nature of our customers. But we Although the forward section of cial customers, because we can pro- initial set of flight tests,” Krevor says, can say the carrier aircraft can reach both fuselages will be pressurized, vide a capability that really is unique,” speaking exclusively to Aviation Week altitudes and fly generally just like a only the right boom contains the crew, says Stratolaunch Chief Operating about the test plan and ongoing modi- [Boeing] 747-400, as we are using the which occupy a cockpit with places Officer Zachary Krevor. “No one can fications to the Roc prior to resuming same engines,” Krevor says. for two pilots and a fl ight engineer. A match the combination of payload, flights. “Then we’ll analyze the data Early test flights will also include volume and overall performance of and make some refinements based on gear retraction. “On our first flight, An orange ball on the 747-derived  ight this carrier aircraft. Not only are we what we learned from the flight tests. the gear was pinned [fixed in extended deck aids quick visual situational going to be using the carrier aircraft Then we’ll just continue to increase position],” Krevor says. The aircraft awareness for the ground control room.

42 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 4 SPACE

to let, us get into missions a little bit testbed in April. Derived from the Krevor says the Roc may be op - better.” The composite wing incorpo- Hyper-A concept unveiled two years erationally more flexible than first rates six main and two auxiliary fuel ago, the Talon-A is a fully reusable, thought. “We see already that, based tanks, with each of the main tanks lo- autonomous, liquid-rocket-powered on the first flight and how the vehicle cated in the inboard section adjacent vehicle targeted at flight speeds up performed, we’ll be able to remove to an engine. The auxiliary tanks are to Mach 6. Measuring 28 ft. in length some of the constraints,” he says. “We housed in the outer section of the in- with an 11.3-ft.-span delta wing, the want to make sure that this aircraft board wing where the load-carrying Talon-A is configured with a single can turn around and complete the structure meets the fuselage. vertical tail fin and will have a launch operational missions quickly. So we’re “One of the major things that we’re weight of around 6,000 lb. The vehi- trying to be able to turn around mis- also working on right now is the pylon cle will be capable of recovering for sions and complete missions at least on adapter to hold our launch vehicles,” an autonomous horizontal landing as a weekly basis, and certainly we want Schultz says. “The team is relishing well as taking off horizontally under to fly the aircraft on a daily basis.” getting into some detail design of a its own power. Could some of this high tempo new clean-sheet pylon design for hy- A follow-on Talon-Z version is also be linked to supporting the U.S. Air personic vehicle missions.” The mod- in design; it will target faster test con- Force’s planned hypersonic weapons ular pylon is designed to mount up to ditions up to Mach 10. Weighing up to flight-test campaign, based at nearby the primary hardpoints in the main 65,000 lb., the larger vehicle will offer Edwards AFB? “We don’t want to nec- center section, which is made up of four longer-duration flights that could see essarily try to encroach on any of the continuous primary composite spars the vehicle boost to 500,000 ft. altitude great capabilities of [the Air Force] B-52, but we want to augment it be- cause we see the same thing. The De- A modular payload pylon now fense Department’s budget, specifically in development supports up for hypersonic flight testing, is going STRATOLAUNCH to three test vehicles. out tremendously,” Krevor says. “So we just want Stratolaunch to be seen as a national asset, as we do, and for it to augment the B-52 as that schedule starts to become constrained.” The Pentagon plans to conduct 40 flight tests over the next four years on sev- eral prototypes of hypersonic missiles now in development. Stratolaunch has also responded to the Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) recent request for information on a proposed Mayhem demonstrator vehicle for a hypersonic, air-breathing supported by four secondary spars. and cover ranges up to about 800 nm. propulsion system. “It’s a universal-mount wing, if you Both vehicles will carry both internal “We think we can provide a lot of in- will. So that means this significant and external payloads. Talon-A, for teresting capability to AFRL, and we structure in the carrier center wing which Stratolaunch has contracted actually think it’s right up our alley,” enables you to bolt pylons on and off,” engineering company Draper for Krevor says. “The AFRL has asked for Schultz says. “You can roll the aircraft flight software, will support bolt-on a vehicle at about the Talon-A’s size and into the hangar and spend a few days propulsion or flow-path experiments has asked to bring aboard air-breath- to swap a pylon onto a completely dif- as well fin-like structures for bound- ing capability, which fits perfectly un- ferent vehicle with different shapes and ary layer transition experiments. Be- der the belly of our vehicle. We look features and go fly a different mission yond the Talon testbeds, Strato - forward to working with the AFRL to with fairly quick turnaround.” launch ultimately aims to develop its try to provide them a solution that we The pylon will connect to the wing longer- term Black Ice spaceplane think aligns with our path already. at five primary titanium attachment project, which could provide an air- “We are trying to get to market points: two each forward and aft, and launched reusable space shuttle- like quickly with our operational product, a fifth centrally located to handle lat- capability to orbit. which involves both the Talon and eral loads. The flexible pylon design Flight testing will be based largely the carrier aircraft,” Krevor says. enables testing of either Strato - in the R2508 restricted airspace “So we’ve been trying to optimize launch’s purpose-developed Talon-A block around Mojave, Edwards AFB the schedules of the carrier aircraft hypersonic testbed or flight systems— and the nearby Naval Air Weapons and the Talon and when those will be both hypersonic or nonhypersonic— Station China Lake range. Buildup ready together in concert.” Although provided by other suppliers. work will include captive-carriage he acknowledges that the COVID-19 Up to three Talon-A vehicles can flights of simulated vehicles, plus re- pandemic has caused delays, he adds: be carried on one flight with the cur- lease of payloads in the hangar to test “I wouldn’t say it has upset our overall rent pylon design, says Stratolaunch, launch mechanisms as well as air schedule, which is getting an opera- which announced new details of the drops of inert loads. tional product to market in 2022.” c

44 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST SPACE MILITARY AVIATION to let, us get into missions a little bit testbed in April. Derived from the Krevor says the Roc may be op - LOGISTICS & MAINTENANCE better.” The composite wing incorpo- Hyper-A concept unveiled two years erationally more flexible than first rates six main and two auxiliary fuel ago, the Talon-A is a fully reusable, thought. “We see already that, based SYMPOSIUM (MALMS) tanks, with each of the main tanks lo- autonomous, liquid-rocket-powered on the first flight and how the vehicle cated in the inboard section adjacent vehicle targeted at flight speeds up performed, we’ll be able to remove to an engine. The auxiliary tanks are to Mach 6. Measuring 28 ft. in length some of the constraints,” he says. “We November 17-18, 2020 housed in the outer section of the in- with an 11.3-ft.-span delta wing, the want to make sure that this aircraft board wing where the load-carrying Talon-A is configured with a single can turn around and complete the structure meets the fuselage. vertical tail fin and will have a launch operational missions quickly. So we’re “One of the major things that we’re weight of around 6,000 lb. The vehi- trying to be able to turn around mis- Exchange Ideas, Share Best Practices and Network also working on right now is the pylon cle will be capable of recovering for sions and complete missions at least on adapter to hold our launch vehicles,” an autonomous horizontal landing as a weekly basis, and certainly we want with Military and Industry Sustainment Leaders Schultz says. “The team is relishing well as taking off horizontally under to fly the aircraft on a daily basis.” getting into some detail design of a its own power. Could some of this high tempo new clean-sheet pylon design for hy- A follow-on Talon-Z version is also be linked to supporting the U.S. Air A dynamic virtual forum for personic vehicle missions.” The mod- in design; it will target faster test con- Force’s planned hypersonic weapons members of the U.S. military and ular pylon is designed to mount up to ditions up to Mach 10. Weighing up to flight-test campaign, based at nearby the primary hardpoints in the main 65,000 lb., the larger vehicle will offer Edwards AFB? “We don’t want to nec- commercial aerospace industry to center section, which is made up of four longer-duration flights that could see essarily try to encroach on any of the discuss process improvements and continuous primary composite spars the vehicle boost to 500,000 ft. altitude great capabilities of [the Air Force] operational readiness concerns B-52, but we want to augment it be- cause we see the same thing. The De- regarding aircraft maintenance, A modular payload pylon now fense Department’s budget, specifically logistics, and sustainment operations. in development supports up for hypersonic flight testing, is going STRATOLAUNCH to three test vehicles. out tremendously,” Krevor says. “So we just want Stratolaunch to be seen as a national asset, as we do, and for it to augment the B-52 as that schedule 2020 Speakers Include: starts to become constrained.” The Pentagon plans to conduct 40 flight Mark Angelo Dennis Rear Adm. tests over the next four years on sev- VP C-17 Services, D’Angelo Shane eral prototypes of hypersonic missiles Boeing Global Executive Gahagan now in development. Services Director, Air Force PEO, Tactical Stratolaunch has also responded to Sustainment Aircraft the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Center, Tinker AFB Programs, (AFRL) recent request for information U.S. Navy on a proposed Mayhem demonstrator vehicle for a hypersonic, air-breathing Brig Gen Brig Gen Bruce Litchfi eld propulsion system. supported by four secondary spars. and cover ranges up to about 800 nm. Jennifer Linda Hurry “It’s a universal-mount wing, if you Both vehicles will carry both internal “We think we can provide a lot of in- VP & GM will. So that means this significant and external payloads. Talon-A, for teresting capability to AFRL, and we Hammerstedt Director of Logistics, Sustainment Operations, structure in the carrier center wing which Stratolaunch has contracted actually think it’s right up our alley,” Commander, DCS/Logistics, Lockheed Martin enables you to bolt pylons on and off,” engineering company Draper for Krevor says. “The AFRL has asked for Warner Robins Engineering & Force Protection Aeronautics Schultz says. “You can roll the aircraft flight software, will support bolt-on a vehicle at about the Talon-A’s size and Air Logistics USAF Company into the hangar and spend a few days propulsion or flow-path experiments has asked to bring aboard air-breath- Complex, USAF to swap a pylon onto a completely dif- as well fin-like structures for bound- ing capability, which fits perfectly un- ferent vehicle with different shapes and ary layer transition experiments. Be- der the belly of our vehicle. We look Steven COL Joseph Brig Gen David features and go fly a different mission yond the Talon testbeds, Strato - forward to working with the AFRL to Morani Parker Sanford with fairly quick turnaround.” launch ultimately aims to develop its try to provide them a solution that we Principal Deputy Commander, U.S. Air Force, The pylon will connect to the wing longer- term Black Ice spaceplane think aligns with our path already. Assistant Corpus Christi Commander, Defense at five primary titanium attachment project, which could provide an air- “We are trying to get to market Secretary of Army Depot, Supply Center points: two each forward and aft, and launched reusable space shuttle- like quickly with our operational product, Defense for U.S. Army Richmond and a fifth centrally located to handle lat- capability to orbit. which involves both the Talon and Logistics Defense Logistics eral loads. The flexible pylon design Flight testing will be based largely the carrier aircraft,” Krevor says. Agency Aviation enables testing of either Strato - in the R2508 restricted airspace “So we’ve been trying to optimize the schedules of the carrier aircraft launch’s purpose-developed Talon-A block around Mojave, Edwards AFB Attendance is FREE for active-duty and reserve members of the United States hypersonic testbed or flight systems— and the nearby Naval Air Weapons and the Talon and when those will be Armed Forces from all branches and Department of Defense civilian employees. both hypersonic or nonhypersonic— Station China Lake range. Buildup ready together in concert.” Although #MALMS | provided by other suppliers. work will include captive-carriage he acknowledges that the COVID-19 Learn more and register at malms-virtual.aviationweek.com Up to three Talon-A vehicles can flights of simulated vehicles, plus re- pandemic has caused delays, he adds: be carried on one flight with the cur- lease of payloads in the hangar to test “I wouldn’t say it has upset our overall Lead Sponsors Sponsors Industry Exhibitors rent pylon design, says Stratolaunch, launch mechanisms as well as air schedule, which is getting an opera- Supporter which announced new details of the drops of inert loads. tional product to market in 2022.” c

44 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST SPACE

Chinese Moonshot Proposal lander, a space station in lunar orbit and a manned mobile laboratory on the Moon’s surface.” Relies on New Rocket Zhou’s remarks, made at the China Space Conference in Fuzhou on Sept. 18, were carried by the government’s China News Service. > SCHEME INCLUDES A SPACE STATION AND He divided the technological objectives into these cat- MOBILE LABORATORY egories: landing, traveling between the Earth and the Moon, living on the Moon, and exploration integrating > NGMLV ADVANTAGES INCLUDE RELIABILITY people and machines. The program also aims to build a AND SAFETY lunar science station and to carry out continuous investi- gations and experiments in exploring the development and Bradley Perrett Sydney utilization of resources. An intention to use several launches to set up a landing hina is developing a multishot plan for a manned is implied by Zhou’s reference to docking in lunar orbit and, Moon landing that would feature docking in lunar decisively, by the limited capability of the NGMLV. Corbit and a low-risk launcher based on current The launcher first appeared at Airshow China in Zhuhai in technology. The rocket, previously revealed as a concept 2018 in the form of a large model displayed by its intended but now confirmed as the focus of a contemplated mission developer and manufacturer, state space contractor Casc. The plan, would have half the launch capability of the full-scale concept was obviously serious but, like many others, could Moon rocket that the country also is working on. have soon been dropped, replaced by a new idea. Instead, it A vague description of the mission plan in state media is now a key part of a published mission configuration. implies that a landing will require flights by several launch- Zhou told the China Space Conference that the NGMLV’s ers of the new type, provisionally called the New-Gener- liftoff weight would be 2,000 metric tons and the height ation Manned Launch Vehicle (NGMLV). The spacecraft 90 m (300 ft.). It could be launched from the Wenchang base and other equipment they hurl toward the Moon would join on Hainan, he added. There is no mention of recovering and up in orbit there. Not spelled out is the role of the bigger reusing the core first stage and the boosters. rocket, the Long March 9, which would be comparable to He also confirmed details that Casc officials gave to Avia- the Apollo program’s Saturn V. tion Week at the 2018 show: a modular design using 5-m-dia. elements and an ability to throw 25 metric tons to translu- nar injection (TLI) or 70 metric tons to a low-altitude, low- inclination Earth orbit (LEO) (AW&ST Nov. 12-25, 2018, p. 20). That capability is not enough for a single-shot Moon landing, as demonstrated by the specifications for the Saturn V: The Apollo launcher eventually could push 49 BRADLEY PERRETT/AW&ST metric tons to TLI. The Long March 9, as outlined in 2018, will be similarly capable, hurling 50 tons to TLI. Zhou said the new launcher will A 63%-scale test be able to carry a manned space - specimen of the craft and a lander—though China capsule of China’s News Service did not quote him new manned saying the rocket could carry both spacecraft. at the same time. A new Chinese manned space - craft will have a mass of 20 metric tons when fitted with a large service model for lunar missions, Chinese media have reported. In addition, the Chinese manned-lunar plan includes a space station in lunar orbit and the lander. Details about them are lacking, but the two-person lander of the Apollo program had a loaded weight of around 15 metric tons. All that totals too much for just one NGMLV. Furthermore, China may be planning a larger lander than Apollo’s. A Chinese lander engine described at a conference in 2017 had a maximum thrust of 80 kN (18,000 lb.), com- Although Chinese engineers have for years been studying pared with the 45 kN available to the Apollo lander, imply- and accumulating technology for a manned mission to the ing greater mass. This year, sources said China had ap - Moon, the government has not yet authorized the program. proached engineers in Ukraine for help in developing an And there is no confirmation that the multishot mission 80-kN lander engine (AW&ST March 9-22, p. 36). For com- configuration is the one that will be finally recommended. parison, the abortive NASA Altair lander was to have had “During studies, China has proposed a lunar-orbit dock- an 83-kN engine and a 37-metric-ton mass on descent. ing mode that would be based on the NGMLV,” Zhou Yanfei, But the big Chinese engine may be needed only to land deputy chief designer of the manned space program, said the laboratory—and for moving it about the lunar surface, at a conference. “The studies of this flight mode include since Zhou said it will be mobile. Astronauts could use a the NGMLV, a new-generation manned spacecraft, a lunar simpler craft for traveling between the laboratory and the

46 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST SPACE

Chinese Moonshot Proposal lander, a space station in lunar orbit and a manned mobile space station. Also at the 2017 conference, Casc’s space- laboratory on the Moon’s surface.” Neeneration anned craft subsidiary, Cast, showed a concept for a 5-metric- Relies on New Rocket Zhou’s remarks, made at the China Space Conference NeenerationLanch ehicle anned ton lander that would be unsuitable for habitation but in Fuzhou on Sept. 18, were carried by the government’s Lanch ehicle would be reusable; in e ect, it was a simple shuttle, its China News Service. passengers wearing space-walk gear during the ride. > SCHEME INCLUDES A SPACE STATION AND He divided the technological objectives into these cat- Notably, the mass of that little lander plus the new Chinese MOBILE LABORATORY egories: landing, traveling between the Earth and the spacecraft would be just right for the NGMLV. Moon, living on the Moon, and exploration integrating Still, a second NGMLV launch would be needed for > NGMLV ADVANTAGES INCLUDE RELIABILITY people and machines. The program also aims to build a the space station. If its design is based on the mod- AND SAFETY lunar science station and to carry out continuous investi- ules to be assembled for China’s planned space station gations and experiments in exploring the development and for LEO, its weight would approximately match the Bradley Perrett Sydney utilization of resources. anned spacecrat NGMLV’s TLI capability. An intention to use several launches to set up a landing withanned service spacecrat module This leaves the question of what the Long March 9 hina is developing a multishot plan for a manned is implied by Zhou’s reference to docking in lunar orbit and, with service module would be used for. A likely answer is that it would be Moon landing that would feature docking in lunar decisively, by the limited capability of the NGMLV. needed to deploy the surface laboratory if that element Corbit and a low-risk launcher based on current The launcher first appeared at Airshow China in Zhuhai in of the program has a mass exceeding 25 metric tons— technology. The rocket, previously revealed as a concept 2018 in the form of a large model displayed by its intended as indeed the lander-engine research suggests. Third tae but now confirmed as the focus of a contemplated mission developer and manufacturer, state space contractor Casc. The Plans for this 4,000-metric-ton monster rocket have ThirdLiquid Hydrogen, tae Liquid Oxygen plan, would have half the launch capability of the full-scale concept was obviously serious but, like many others, could LiquidOne or Hydrogen, two -metric-ton Liquid OxygenYF-Ds not been dropped. Eminent Chinese rocket designer Moon rocket that the country also is working on. have soon been dropped, replaced by a new idea. Instead, it One or two -metric-ton YF-Ds Long Lehao mentioned at the same September confer- A vague description of the mission plan in state media is now a key part of a published mission configuration. ence that it would be developed. Its fi rst fl ight, subject implies that a landing will require flights by several launch- Zhou told the China Space Conference that the NGMLV’s to approval for full-scale development, has been sched- ers of the new type, provisionally called the New-Gener- liftoff weight would be 2,000 metric tons and the height uled for around 2030. ation Manned Launch Vehicle (NGMLV). The spacecraft 90 m (300 ft.). It could be launched from the Wenchang base In 2017, Casc outlined a multishot scheme for a more and other equipment they hurl toward the Moon would join on Hainan, he added. There is no mention of recovering and modest lunar mission. The fi rst two launches would be up in orbit there. Not spelled out is the role of the bigger reusing the core first stage and the boosters. econd tae performed by an unidentifi ed rocket type, bigger than rocket, the Long March 9, which would be comparable to He also confirmed details that Casc officials gave to Avia- econdKerosene, Liquidtae Oxygen any that China then had or now has; one would send a the Apollo program’s Saturn V. tion Week at the 2018 show: a modular design using 5-m-dia. Kerosene,Two -metric-ton Liquid Oxygen YF-s conventionally large lander straight to lunar orbit, and elements and an ability to throw 25 metric tons to translu- Two -metric-ton YF-s the other would place its upper stage with unexpended nar injection (TLI) or 70 metric tons to a low-altitude, low- fuel in Earth orbit. A Long March 7 would be used for inclination Earth orbit (LEO) (AW&ST Nov. 12-25, 2018, p. 20). the third shot, lifting a manned spacecraft to dock in That capability is not enough for a single-shot Moon LEO with the unexhausted upper stage, which would landing, as demonstrated by the specifications for the push it to the Moon. This scheme did not include a Saturn V: The Apollo launcher eventually could push 49 space station or surface laboratory. BRADLEY PERRETT/AW&ST metric tons to TLI. The Long March 9, as outlined in 2018, As for the NGMLV, Zhou emphasized the reliability will be similarly capable, hurling 50 tons to TLI. and safety o ered by its use of established technology. Its Zhou said the new launcher will design amalgamates features from the Long March 5, 6 A 63%-scale test be able to carry a manned space - and 7, a family of launchers that China began putting into specimen of the craft and a lander—though China service in 2015. Established technology and a modular capsule of China’s News Service did not quote him design should also make the NGMLV more economical new manned saying the rocket could carry both than the Long March 9 and probably available earlier. spacecraft. at the same time. The diameter of the NGMLV’s three core stages and A new Chinese manned space - Core First tae two side-mounted boosters is 5 m, which is the dimension craft will have a mass of 20 metric tons when fitted with andCore oosters First tae of the core of the Long March 5. So fabrication equipment a large service model for lunar missions, Chinese media andKerosene, oosters Liquid Oxygen for that earlier rocket could be used. As described in 2018, have reported. In addition, the Chinese manned-lunar plan Kerosene,Seven -metric-ton Liquid Oxygen YF-s each the NGMLV’s fi rst stage and boosters would be powered includes a space station in lunar orbit and the lander. Details Seven -metric-ton YF-s each by YF-100 kerosene-burning engines; thrust at liftoff about them are lacking, but the two-person lander of the would be 2,520 metric tons (see graphic). The YF-100 is Apollo program had a loaded weight of around 15 metric used for lifto by the Long March 5, 6 and 7. The NGMLV’s tons. All that totals too much for just one NGMLV. second stage would use the same engine model, and the Furthermore, China may be planning a larger lander than third would mount engines of the hydrogen-burning Apollo’s. A Chinese lander engine described at a conference YF-75 type, which also is used by the Long March 5. in 2017 had a maximum thrust of 80 kN (18,000 lb.), com- Use of kerosene in the second stage of the NGMLV Although Chinese engineers have for years been studying pared with the 45 kN available to the Apollo lander, imply- varies from the formula of the Saturn V and, according and accumulating technology for a manned mission to the ing greater mass. This year, sources said China had ap - to a 2017 presentation, the Long March 9. The second Moon, the government has not yet authorized the program. proached engineers in Ukraine for help in developing an and third stages of those unidentifi ed rocket types burn And there is no confirmation that the multishot mission 80-kN lander engine (AW&ST March 9-22, p. 36). For com- hydrogen, which o ers high energy per unit of mass. configuration is the one that will be finally recommended. parison, the abortive NASA Altair lander was to have had The NGMLV is in the class of the SpaceX Falcon “During studies, China has proposed a lunar-orbit dock- an 83-kN engine and a 37-metric-ton mass on descent. Heavy, a reusable, all-kerosene launcher with only two ing mode that would be based on the NGMLV,” Zhou Yanfei, But the big Chinese engine may be needed only to land stages plus boosters that can hurl 64 metric tons to LEO deputy chief designer of the manned space program, said the laboratory—and for moving it about the lunar surface, BRADLEY PERRETT AD L TR/AW&ST in fully expendable mode. c at a conference. “The studies of this flight mode include since Zhou said it will be mobile. Astronauts could use a the NGMLV, a new-generation manned spacecraft, a lunar simpler craft for traveling between the laboratory and the —With Anatoly Zak in New York

46 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 4 SPACE ISS TURNS 20 It began with technical and opera- > BUSINESSES ARE TESTING LEO WATERS tional standards, allowing hardware that had never been in contact on I S S I S THE MODEL FOR FUTURE JOINT MISSIONS Earth to connect and function to- > gether upon reaching low Earth or- bit (LEO). NASA is now looking to Irene Klotz Cape Canaveral extend those standards for programs and partnerships beyond LEO under the Artemis program, which aims to t is not just the length of time that humans have been continu- return astronauts to the Moon as a ously living and working in space that is impressive, though 20 precursor to human missions to Mars years is a milestone in and of itself, but also how the 15 nations (AW&ST Nov. 12-25, 2018, p. 30) . “In the early days of ISS design and Iin the International Space Station program have maintained a assembly, everyone was just incredibly partnership that thrives despite national and international strife. nervous,” recalls John Mulholland, who

Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Kibo The International Space Station

JEM Logistics Module Quest Airlock Pressurized Mating Adapter 2 JEM Exposed Facility Node 1 Unity Pressurized Mating Node 2 Adapter 3 Canadian Mobile Servicing System Harmony

Express Logistics Carriers U.S. Laboratory Destiny

Integrated Truss (Port)

Permanent Multipurpose Logistics Module

Russian Functional Cargo Block Zarya Node 3 Tranquility The Soyuz MS-08 crew Bigelow Expandable Activity Module captured this parting shot of the International Space Cupola (not pictured) Station on Oct. 4, 2018. Russian Docking Compartment 1 Pirs ASA/RSSS (not pictured)

4 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST SPACE

now serves as ISS program manager Delays building the third compo- The ISS Through for lead contractor Boeing. “One of the nent, Russia’s Zvezda service mod- the Years biggest risks was: ‘Are we going to be ule, which was needed for early crew able to assemble all of these [modules] habitation, put construction of the On Nov. 2, NASA and its 14 international on orbit and have everything work the outpost on hold for two years. Zvezda partners mark 20 years of continuous ISS TURNS 20 fi rst time successfully? ’ (Russian for “star”) fi nally reached or- human presence aboard the International “The space shuttle program had bit on July 12, 2000, and docked with Space Station (ISS). Here are some of the It began with technical and opera- put a lot of plans in place to be able to Zarya on July 25, kicking oƒ a decade key milestones along the way. > BUSINESSES ARE TESTING LEO WATERS tional standards, allowing hardware return a module and then fl y it back. of assembly and outfi tting missions by PRESDET REAA DAT that had never been in contact on We never had to do that,” he adds. the U.S. and Russia. I S S I S THE MODEL FOR FUTURE JOINT MISSIONS Earth to connect and function to- “Looking back, [the ISS] was just an The fi rst crew, Expedition 1—NASA > gether upon reaching low Earth or- incredible engineering achievement, astronaut William Shepherd and Rus- bit (LEO). NASA is now looking to probably the most incredible engineer- sian cosmonauts Sergei Krikalev and Irene Klotz Cape Canaveral extend those standards for programs ing achievement of our lifetime.” Yuri Gidzenko—lifted off aboard a and partnerships beyond LEO under The station’s base block, a Russian- Russian Soyuz rocket on Oct. 31, 2000, the Artemis program, which aims to built, U.S.-owned propellant module and reached the fledgling station t is not just the length of time that humans have been continu- return astronauts to the Moon as a named Zarya—Russian for “dawn”— two days later. The orbital outpost, ously living and working in space that is impressive, though 20 precursor to human missions to Mars was launched into orbit on Nov. 20, now about the size of a six-bedroom 1984 Jan. 24 | President Ronald Reagan an- years is a milestone in and of itself, but also how the 15 nations (AW&ST Nov. 12-25, 2018, p. 30) . 1998. The fi rst of what would become house, has been permanently staƒ ed nounces midway through his third State of the “In the early days of ISS design and 37 U.S. space shuttle assembly mis- by rotating crews of astronauts and Union Address: “America has always been great- in the International Space Station program have maintained a assembly, everyone was just incredibly sions followed in December to attach cosmonauts ever since. I est when we dared to be great. . . . Tonight, I am di- partnership that thrives despite national and international strife. nervous,” recalls John Mulholland, who connecting Node 1, Unity. “The demonstration that nations recting NASA to develop a permanently manned can come together and pull oƒ some- thing magnifi cent and sustain it for 20 space station and to do it within a decade.” He Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Kibo The International Space Station years is probably the most signifi cant directs NASA to invite other countries to partici- achievement of the International Space pate, giving birth to Space Station Freedom. JEM Logistics Module Quest Airlock Pressurized Mating Station,” NASA Administrator Jim ASA Adapter 2 European Columbus Orbital Facility Bridenstine tells Aviation Week. “It is Node 1 Unity defi nitely a marvel of technology, but JEM Exposed Facility Pressurized Mating Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer I think it’s also a marvel of diplomatic Node 2 Adapter 3 power, not just for the United States Canadian Mobile Servicing System Harmony but for all of the partners that are in- volved in it. It really shows that when we all collaborate we can do things that Express Logistics Carriers have sustainability and durability.” U.S. Laboratory Destiny After a 10-year hiatus, the U.S. and 1986 Jan. 28 | Space Shuttle Challenger Russia are again preparing to add breaks apart 73 sec. after lifto„ on STS-51L, the modules to the ISS, though the U.S. fa- program’s 25th mission, claiming the lives of cilities will be owned and operated not seven astronauts. The Š eet is grounded for 2.5 by NASA but by private companies. years, delaying Reagan’s goal of completing the Nanoracks, which broke into the LEO station by 1994. services business by integrating exper- iments and launching cubesats from 1989 July 20 | On the 20th anniversary of the the ISS, is preparing for the November launch of its Bishop Airlock, which will Apollo 11 Moon landing, President George H.W. become the fi rst U.S. commercial mod- Bush unveils the Space Exploration Initiative, call- ule permanently attached to the sta- ing on the U.S. to return to the Moon and even- Integrated Truss (Starboard) tion. (The Bigelow Aerospace-owned tually send explorers to Mars. The plan extends Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, support for Space Station Freedom, but debate continues over its design, mission and cost. Integrated Truss (Port) Pressurized Mating Adapter 1 known as BEAM, joined the ISS in 2016 as a technology demonstration, ASA not a commercially operated facility.) 1991 Dec. 25 | The Soviet Russian Mini Research Module 1 Rassvet Permanent Multipurpose Logistics Module Bishop is to be followed in 2024 by a Union collapses. Russia in- module owned by Axiom Space, which herits the Soviet space pro- Russian Functional Cargo Block Zarya intends to parlay a $140 million con- gram and seeks civil space Node 3 Tranquility tract with NASA for docking rights partners for its programs, The Soyuz MS-08 crew at the Harmony Node 2 forward port including the Mir space Russian Mini Research Module 2 Piosk into a privately owned (and eventually Bigelow Expandable Activity Module captured this parting shot station, whose nine-year as- free-flying) commercially operated sembly began in early 1986. of the International Space Russian Service Module Zvezda platform in LEO. The U.S. and Russia kick o„ a new alliance with a Station on Oct. 4, 2018. Cupola (not pictured) Meanwhile, Russia’s Roscosmos series of astronaut-cosmonaut exchanges. First Russian Docking Compartment 1 Pirs State Corp. for Space Activities is pre- step: Figure out how to dock a space shuttle at Mir. ASA/RSSS (not pictured) paring for a May 2021 launch of the

4 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 4 SPACE

NASA Nauka multipurpose laboratory mod- ule, followed six months later by the 20 arrival of a five-port docking hub for Ye a rs the Russian segment, says Roscomos continuously Director General Dmitry Rogozin. staffed The growth spurt coincides with the resumption of ISS crew rotation mis- sions from the U.S., a service that has been unavailable since the space shut- tles were retired in 2011. Looking for hr. a safer and less expensive alternative, 2 June 23 | An effort in the U.S. House 1993 NASA shifted to fixed-price contracts Crew daily of Representatives to terminate Space Station and partnerships to deliver first cargo exercise Freedom fails, 216-215; the late Rep. John Lewis and then crews to the ISS. protocol (D-Ga.) casts the deciding vote. Despite NASA’s U.S. station resupply lines are recovery from the Challenger tragedy and oppor- currently operated by SpaceX and tunities to cooperate with Russia and other na- Northrop Grumman, with Sierra Ne- tions in the aftermath of the Cold War, congres- vada Corp.’s Dream Chaser winged sional support for the increasingly costly project spaceplane expected to join the fleet in is marginal during Bill Clinton’s presidency. 2021. SpaceX and Boeing have NASA contracts to fly crew, with the first

NASA operational Commercial Crew mis- sion, SpaceX Crew-1, now targeted for launch in November. The arrival of Crew-1, with NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover and Shannon Walker and Japan 8 Aerospace Exploration Agency astro- Maximum number naut Soichi Noguchi, will mark the of visiting vehicles beginning of five-member U.S. Oper- ating Segment staffing, which will October | Russia and NASA merge station dramatically increase the time avail- development efforts, leading to the first shut- able to conduct research, the primary tle mission to rendezvous with Mir, in February purpose of the station. 1994. Pictured aboard Mir is cosmonaut Valeri To date, the station has hosted nearly Polyakov. 3,000 investigations involving scien- tists in 108 countries from a wide range 1998 Jan. 29 | NASA gathers high-ranking of fields including pharmaceutical re- officials from 15 nations in Washington to sign search, fluid physics, chemistry, hu- agreements for the design, development, oper- man physiology, biotechnology, Earth 2.3 Million lines ation and utilization of the ISS. science, astronomy and astrophysics. 925,335 lb. of computer code “To my knowledge and to many others’ Mass Nov. 20 | Russia launches Zarya, the first ISS there is no other international activity 3 element. Russia builds the functional cargo that has been as successful as [the Toilets block, though NASA funds it. ISS] has been,” says Joel Montalbano, NASA’s ISS program manager. 231 NASA is counting on a growing NASA Spacewalks for commercial space sector so that it construction, can free up funding to push human ex- 15 maintenance, space shuttles and 4 by ploration and development into deep Partner space with the Artemis program. The upgrade Russian Proton and nations agency intends to rely on commercial- Soyuz vehicles ly provided services and platforms to

continue research and technology demonstrations in LEO, especially af- ter the ISS comes to an end. 300 The 15-nation ISS partnership, Cubesats 11 Maximum number which includes the U.S., Russia, 11 Eu- deployed Dec. 4 | NASA launches the first U.S.-manu- ropean nations, Japan and Canada, is of live-aboard factured ISS element, Unity, aboard the shuttle looking to keep the station operation- occupants Endeavour. Unity serves as the link between the al at least until 2028-30, and possibly Figures current as of Oct.Source: 22, 2020NASA, Boeing and CASIS U.S. and Russian ISS segments. longer. NASA needs the ISS or other Source: NASA, Boeing and CASIS

LEO platforms to test life support, ex- NASA

50 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST SPACE ISS by the Numbers

NASA Nauka multipurpose laboratory mod- Rotating crews of U.S., Russian, European, Japanese and 64 ercise equipment and other technolo- ule, followed six months later by the 20 Canadian astronauts and cosmonauts have been living aboard Resident gies for long-duration missions to the Ye a rs arrival of a five-port docking hub for the station for an unbroken string of 20 years as of Nov. 2, 2020. crews Moon and eventually Mars. the Russian segment, says Roscomos continuously “As we go farther away from low Director General Dmitry Rogozin. staffed Here are some more facts and figures about the orbital outpost. Earth orbit, where we don’t have a capa- The growth spurt coincides with the bility to resupply very easily—if at all— resumption of ISS crew rotation mis- Pressurized volume we have to understand the reliability sions from the U.S., a service that has ft. 75-90 kW of these systems. We have to be able to been unavailable since the space shut- ft.3 357 of power from plan for the right number of spare parts tles were retired in 2011. Looking for hr. 32,333 Length and be confident that we’re going to a safer and less expensive alternative, 2 (32,898 ft.3 with BEAM have a successful mission,” says NASA 1993 June 23 | An effort in the U.S. House NASA shifted to fixed-price contracts Crew daily 8 acting ISS director Robyn Gatens. of Representatives to terminate Space Station expanded) and partnerships to deliver first cargo exercise 3,000 Solar arrays “What we’ve learned so far with Freedom fails, 216-215; the late Rep. John Lewis protocol and then crews to the ISS. Science investigations more than 10 years of operating the (D-Ga.) casts the deciding vote. Despite NASA’s U.S. station resupply lines are [life support] system on ISS is that from more than countries recovery from the Challenger tragedy and oppor- currently operated by SpaceX and 100 we’re still learning about it,” she says. tunities to cooperate with Russia and other na- Northrop Grumman, with Sierra Ne- Other U.S. agencies besides NASA tions in the aftermath of the Cold War, congres- vada Corp.’s Dream Chaser winged 3 hr. 241 fund microgravity research aboard the sional support for the increasingly costly project spaceplane expected to join the fleet in Quickest 340 Different people visiting ISS, which also operates as a national is marginal during Bill Clinton’s presidency. 2021. SpaceX and Boeing have NASA laboratory. “There are a lot of things flight to ISS Days, longest single from 19 countries, contracts to fly crew, with the first that have been discovered or devel- mission by some returning as

NASA operational Commercial Crew mis- oped in microgravity that have done sion, SpaceX Crew-1, now targeted NASA’s Scott Kelly and many as 5 times good for people on Earth,” says Michael for launch in November. Russia’s Mikhail Kornienko Lopez-Alegria, a former NASA astro- The arrival of Crew-1, with NASA naut and ISS commander who will be astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Habitable volume training and accompanying three pay- Glover and Shannon Walker and Japan 8 ft. ing passengers to the orbital outpost Aerospace Exploration Agency astro- Maximum number 3 240 under a contract with Axiom. The naut Soichi Noguchi, will mark the of visiting vehicles 13,696 ft. Solar array flight, known as AX-1, scheduled for beginning of five-member U.S. Oper- late 2021, is among a handful of private wingspan ating Segment staffing, which will larger than a 6-bedroom house crewed orbital flights in development. October | Russia and NASA merge station dramatically increase the time avail- “We’ve been living in orbit for 20 development efforts, leading to the first shut- More than able to conduct research, the primary years now, and we’ve kind of made tle mission to rendezvous with Mir, in February purpose of the station. access to at least low Earth orbit 1994. Pictured aboard Mir is cosmonaut Valeri hr. min. To date, the station has hosted nearly 1,452 3 2,000 become—I hate to say ‘routine’ be - Polyakov. 3,000 investigations involving scien- cause space is never routine—but Total ISS Extravehicular Activity time peer-reviewed tists in 108 countries from a wide range something that is reliable and can be 1998 Jan. 29 | NASA gathers high-ranking of fields including pharmaceutical re- research papers based on counted upon,” says Lopez-Alegria. officials from 15 nations in Washington to sign search, fluid physics, chemistry, hu- science done on the ISS “That really enables a transition from agreements for the design, development, oper- man physiology, biotechnology, Earth 2.3 government to commercial entities to Million lines ation and utilization of the ISS. science, astronomy and astrophysics. 925,335 lb. More than establish an LEO economy that then of computer code “To my knowledge and to many others’ Mass supports beyond-LEO exploration. It’s Nov. 20 | Russia launches Zarya, the first ISS there is no other international activity 3 168 changing the paradigm from making element. Russia builds the functional cargo that has been as successful as [the 400 sojourns into space to actually inhab- Toilets Science facilities, block, though NASA funds it. ISS] has been,” says Joel Montalbano, Assembly missions including 23 owned suppliers to ISS iting space for the first time.” NASA’s ISS program manager. NASA is parlaying its 20 years of 231 by 11 companies prime contractor NASA is counting on a growing experience operating the ISS into NASA Spacewalks for Boeing commercial space sector so that it a new human exploration initiative construction, can free up funding to push human ex- 15 37 beyond LEO. For Artemis, commer- maintenance, space shuttles and 4 by ploration and development into deep Partner cial partners are being brought in space with the Artemis program. The upgrade Russian Proton and early, with the requirement that they nations agency intends to rely on commercial- Soyuz vehicles 350,000 finance some of the hardware devel- ly provided services and platforms to opment. In exchange, the partners Sensors monitored by on-orbit software continue research and technology retain their intellectual property and demonstrations in LEO, especially af- can sell their services to customers ter the ISS comes to an end. 300 outside of NASA. The 15-nation ISS partnership, Cubesats 11 The public-private partnership Maximum number which includes the U.S., Russia, 11 Eu- deployed 93% model, first tested with ISS cargo re- Dec. 4 | NASA launches the first U.S.-manu- ropean nations, Japan and Canada, is of live-aboard Urine recovered, recycled, 17 supply services, shifts to human factured ISS element, Unity, aboard the shuttle Modules, connecting nodes, looking to keep the station operation- occupants with goal of + 98% after spaceflight with the first crew rotation Endeavour. Unity serves as the link between the al at least until 2028-30, and possibly airlocks, with Russia’s Nauka mission scheduled to launch in No- Figures current as of Oct.Source: 22, 2020NASA, Boeing and CASIS Figures currentnext as system of Oct. 15, 2020 upgrade U.S. and Russian ISS segments. longer. NASA needs the ISS or other due to arrive in 2021 vember. “Very reliable, cost-effective Source: NASA, Boeing and CASIS

LEO platforms to test life support, ex- NASA crew transportation is the basis for

50 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 51 NASA SPACE NASA everything else,” says Kathryn Lueders, designed to be operated with or with- associate administrator for NASA’s out crews. “The way we’re going to be Human Exploration and Operations assembling and deploying our equip- Mission Directorate. ment around the Moon is not going to For Artemis, NASA intends to retain be as challenging as assembling the a traditional role transporting astro- space station, but only because we had nauts to and from lunar orbit using ex- the space station fi rst,” Lueders says. pendable Space Launch System (SLS) The challenge will be in extending heavy-lift rockets and reusable Orion ISS logistics, supply and crew trans- capsules, programs that have been in portation systems from LEO to cislu- 2000 Nov. 2 | The  rst ISS crew—NASA as- development for more than a decade. nar space, she adds. “We have to be tronaut Bill Shepherd, commander (center), and The SLS and an uncrewed Orion space- able to show that spacefl ight is rou- cosmonauts Sergei Krikalev (left) and Yuri Gid- craft are now expected to launch on a tine,” says Lueders. “And for a lunar zenko—arrive aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule. fl ight test around the Moon in Novem- mission that is very tough for us.” They return to Earth aboard the shuttle Discov- ber 2021. That would be followed by a The ISS partnership also serves as ery after a 141-day mission. Shepherd urges the crewed fl ight test in 2023, with the goal the role model for future international ISS partnership to develop onboard hand tools of landing two astronauts on the lunar cooperation in space projects. NASA and strategies that crews could use for repairs south pole before the end of 2024. took the lead in creating an agree- and maintenance rather than sending troubled The lunar landing depends on at ment, known as the Artemis Accords, hardware back to Earth. Sixteen years later, least one of NASA’s three industry which so far has been signed between Made in Space activates its Additive Manufac- partners—Blue Origin, Dynetics and the U.S. and Australia, Canada, Italy, turing Facility on the ISS for the commercial 3D SpaceX—having a system ready to Japan, Luxembourg, the United Arab production of hand tools and parts. transport crew between lunar orbit Emirates and the UK. and the surface of the Moon. NASA The document is based on the 1967 is requesting $3.2 billion for the pro- Treaty on Principles Governing the NASA gram for fi scal 2021. “If we can have Activities of States in the Explora- that done before Christmas, we’re still tion and Use of Outer Space, Including on track for a 2024 Moon landing,” the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, Bridenstine said in September. otherwise known as the Outer Space The initial lunar foray may bypass Treaty. Specifi cally, the Artemis Ac- NASA’s planned Gateway, a staging cords reiterate the commitment by the platform and technology testbed in U.S. and signatories to explore space lunar orbit that, unlike the ISS, will be for peaceful purposes, register objects NASA U.S. | SpaceX Dragon

2001 Feb. 7| The U.S. Destiny Laboratory mod- AN ANASA ule, the home for most ISS research, lifts oŽ on STS-98 aboard the shuttle Atlantis. NASA NASA

U.S. | Space Shuttles AN ANN AN ANN AN U.S. | Northrop Grumman Cygnus NASNASA NASA

| Cosmonaut Yury Usachev becomes March 19 Japan | H-II the  rst Russian to assume command of the ISS. Russia | Soyuz Russia | Progress Transfer Vehicle

5 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST But I think that given time and space constraints it will work better as a Gallery – in which case we just need brief captions.

SPACE AW&ST ARCHIVE NASA everything else,” says Kathryn Lueders, designed to be operated with or with- that are put into space, provide emer- replace failed components and to hunt associate administrator for NASA’s out crews. “The way we’re going to be gency rescue services to astronauts for a leak in a docked Soyuz spacecraft. Human Exploration and Operations assembling and deploying our equip- and openly distribute scientific infor- “If you think about all of the things Mission Directorate. ment around the Moon is not going to mation, among other practices. that have to happen to keep our crew For Artemis, NASA intends to retain be as challenging as assembling the “What we’re trying to do is estab- onboard and healthy and to maintain a traditional role transporting astro- space station, but only because we had lish norms of behavior that every the systems—when anomalies occur, nauts to and from lunar orbit using ex- the space station fi rst,” Lueders says. nation can agree to so that we can fly the right spare parts, plan the pendable Space Launch System (SLS) The challenge will be in extending avoid any kind of misperception or EVAs [extravehicular activity/space- heavy-lift rockets and reusable Orion ISS logistics, supply and crew trans- anything that could result in conflict,” walks] and fix whatever happened— capsules, programs that have been in portation systems from LEO to cislu- Bridenstine says. all the while conducting all of this 2000 Nov. 2 | The  rst ISS crew—NASA as- development for more than a decade. nar space, she adds. “We have to be Jointly operating the ISS over the research, that by itself is an amazing tronaut Bill Shepherd, commander (center), and The SLS and an uncrewed Orion space- able to show that spacefl ight is rou- last 20 years has not been without achievement,” Gatens says. cosmonauts Sergei Krikalev (left) and Yuri Gid- craft are now expected to launch on a tine,” says Lueders. “And for a lunar problems. The 2003 Columbia acci- Recent upgrades to lithium-ion zenko—arrive aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule. fl ight test around the Moon in Novem- mission that is very tough for us.” dent ultimately led to the U.S. decision batteries and planned replacement 2003 Feb. 1 | Seven astronauts on the STS-107 They return to Earth aboard the shuttle Discov- ber 2021. That would be followed by a The ISS partnership also serves as to retire the space shuttles, putting the of the solar arrays could keep the sta- space shuttle mission perish when the orbiter ery after a 141-day mission. Shepherd urges the crewed fl ight test in 2023, with the goal the role model for future international responsibility of staffing the station tion operational for another decade. Columbia breaks apart during descent back to ISS partnership to develop onboard hand tools of landing two astronauts on the lunar cooperation in space projects. NASA solely on Russia. That arrangement “We keep evolving this platform and Earth, following a 16-day orbital science mission and strategies that crews could use for repairs south pole before the end of 2024. took the lead in creating an agree- continued despite the political and expanding what we can do with it,” intended to enhance ISS-style research plans. and maintenance rather than sending troubled The lunar landing depends on at ment, known as the Artemis Accords, economic fallout stemming from Rus- Gatens says. “We’re celebrating this The tragedy renews a discussion about the space hardware back to Earth. Sixteen years later, least one of NASA’s three industry which so far has been signed between sia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2014. anniversary and what we’ve accom- shuttle’s future and disrupts ISS assembly.

Made in Space activates its Additive Manufac- partners—Blue Origin, Dynetics and the U.S. and Australia, Canada, Italy, Five cargo ships—three Russian, plished so far, but we’re on the cusp NASA turing Facility on the ISS for the commercial 3D SpaceX—having a system ready to Japan, Luxembourg, the United Arab one SpaceX and one Northrop—were of huge payoffs from this platform.” production of hand tools and parts. transport crew between lunar orbit Emirates and the UK. lost between 2011-16, complicating NASA’s Phil McAlister, director of and the surface of the Moon. NASA The document is based on the 1967 resupply efforts. In particular, the commercial spaceflight development, is requesting $3.2 billion for the pro- Treaty on Principles Governing the SpaceX Falcon 9 accident in June 2015 adds: “We have had a generation of hu- NASA gram for fi scal 2021. “If we can have Activities of States in the Explora- claimed a docking adapter needed for manity that has essentially lived their that done before Christmas, we’re still tion and Use of Outer Space, Including upcoming U.S. crewed capsules. entire lives with people in space con- on track for a 2024 Moon landing,” the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, In October 2018, a Soyuz capsule tinuously. It probably does not feel pro- Bridenstine said in September. otherwise known as the Outer Space carrying two members of the ISS Ex- foundly different day-to-day for most The initial lunar foray may bypass Treaty. Specifi cally, the Artemis Ac- pedition 57 crew made an emergency people. But I think we will look back NASA’s planned Gateway, a staging cords reiterate the commitment by the landing after a failed launch, the first on this time and see that this was an Oct. 12 | NASA astronaut Peggy Whit- platform and technology testbed in U.S. and signatories to explore space Soyuz launch abort in 35 years. There inflection point in human history and 2007 lunar orbit that, unlike the ISS, will be for peaceful purposes, register objects have been emergency spacewalks to in our exploration of the cosmos.” c son, a biochemist, becomes the first woman to serve as commander of the ISS. NASA NASA U.S. | SpaceX Dragon Here is a look at the ISS transportation fleet Visiting Vehicles past, present and future. KEN ULBRICH/NASA 2001 Feb. 7| The U.S. Destiny Laboratory mod- AN ANASA U.S. | SpaceX Crew Dragon U.S. | Sierra Nevada Dream Chaser ule, the home for most ISS research, lifts oŽ on STS-98 aboard the shuttle Atlantis. NASA NASA Oct. 23 | The shuttle Discovery launches with a crew of seven on STS-120, perhaps one of the BILL INGALLS/NASA most dramatic of the ISS assembly missions. After delivering and installing the U.S. segment | Harmony module, the STS-120 crew, commanded U.S. Space Shuttles U.S. | Boeing CST-100 Starliner by Pamela Melroy, turns to the relocation of AN ANN AN ANN AN

NASA NASA the station’s initial solar truss module. The first U.S. | Northrop Grumman Cygnus solar array module, initially designated Z-1, was installed in a vertical configuration. As the crew transfers the module, now designated P-6, to the NASNASA NASA far port side of the ISS, the lengthy fabric solar array is retracted. A tear in the solar blanket ap- pears as it is redeployed. Discovery astronauts Scott Parazynski, an emergency room physician and mountaineer, and Douglas Wheelock, a U.S. March 19 | Cosmonaut Yury Usachev becomes Army test pilot, conduct a 7-hr. 19-min. space- Japan | H-II the  rst Russian to assume command of the ISS. walk on Nov. 3 to repair the tear. Russia | Soyuz Russia | Progress Transfer Vehicle Europe | Automated Transfer Vehicle

5 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 53 SPACE

2011 May 16 | The Dozens of science investigations involving Kelly shuttle Endeavour and his Earth-based twin brother, Mark Kelly, also launches on STS- a NASA astronaut, study changes that the human 134, a 16-day mis- The ISS Opens body undergoes down to the genetic level in the sion with six astro- for Business absence of gravity. nauts, to deliver and FRED DEATON/NASA

NASA install the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) on the ISS solar In addition to research and technology power truss. Led by the U.S. Department of En- demonstrations for national agencies involved ergy with partnerships from institutions in 16 in the International Space Station program, countries, the AMS was developed to seek out the orbital complex also hosts commercially antimatter and dark matter and assess their developed and operated hardware. Here are influence on the evolution of the universe. some commercial facilities currently aboard and due to launch to the station this year. July 21 | NASA’s 30-year space shuttle program Techshot 2019 March 26 | Vice President Mike Pence, BioFabrication Facility (BFF) comes to a close, as Atlantis chair of the White House National Space Council, Advanced Space Experiment Processor (ADSEP) and its STS-135 crew of four, directs NASA to return to the surface of the Moon BILL INGALLS/NASA Multi-use Variable-Gravity Platform (MVP) commanded by Chris Fergu- with astronauts in 2024, four years sooner than Bone-Densitometer (Bone-D) son, touch down at NASA’s previously planned. The strategy calls on NASA to Kennedy Space Center after Bioserve transition oversight of low-Earth-orbit activities a mission to deliver the Raf- Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus such as those on the ISS to the commercial sector.

faello multipurpose module, (CGBA) SPACEX spare parts and crew sup- Space Automated Bioproduct Lab (SABL) plies to the ISS. In all, 37 shuttle missions par- Bioserve microscope ticipate in the assembly and resupply of the ISS Space Tango and crew exchanges. NASA now becomes depen- TangoLabs dent on Russia for ISS crew launches. Nanoracks Nanoracks Cubesat Sat Deployer (NRCSD) 2012 May 25 | Nanoracks External Platform (NREP) NASA A SpaceX Dragon NanoLab capsule becomes Kaber the first commer- Microplate reader cial spacecraft to NR Bishop Airlock (scheduled to launch reach the ISS, a in November) demonstration of HNu Photonics commercially provided ISS cargo resupply ser- Mobile Space Lab vices. A second supply line, operated by Orbital 2020 May 30-Aug. 2 | SpaceX carries out Sciences (since acquired by Northrop Grum- Made In Space a NASA Commercial Crew Program flight-test man) begins flying in September 2013. The Additive Manufacturing Facility (AMF) certification requirement by launching its Crew Recycler fleet is due to expand again in 2021 with Sierra Dragon with NASA astronauts Robert Behnken Nevada Corp.’s Dream Chaser spaceplane. Alpha Space and Douglas Hurley to the ISS for a 64-day mis- Materials on ISS Experiment-Flight Facility sion. The launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space (MISSE-FF) Center is the first for U.S. astronauts from the NASA Teledyne Brown Engineering U.S. since the shuttle fleet was retired in July 2011. The milestone sets the stage for regularly Multi-User System for Earth Sensing (MUSES) DLR Earth Sensing Imaging Spectrometer scheduled commercial crew launches to the ISS, (DESIS-30) a 10-year objective intended to end NASA’s reli- ance on Russia for ISS crew launches. SpaceX’s Craig Crew 1 launch with four U.S. and Japanese astro- Cyclops nauts is set for November. c Sierra Nevada Corp. Small Mass Measurement Device —By Mark Carreau, Jen DiMascio and Irene Klotz Space Technology and Advanced 2016 March 1 | NASA astronaut Scott Kelly Research Systems (STaARS) Digital Extras See a more complete ISS and cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko return to Earth STaARS-1 Platform timeline: AviationWeek.com/ISS-Timeline from the ISS aboard the Soyuz TMA-18M capsule Airbus Take a virtual tour of the ISS and look back in remote Kazakhstan, concluding a 340-day Bartolomeo external payload platform at AW&ST coverage of its development: mission, the longest ever for a U.S. astronaut. AviationWeek.com/ISS-Tour Note: List does not include Bigelow Aerospace’s BEAM module, which is a tech demo.

54 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST SPACE

2011 May 16 | The Dozens of science investigations involving Kelly NASA Asteroid Sampler Nails control system to depart orbit was shuttle Endeavour and his Earth-based twin brother, Mark Kelly, also received at 2 p.m. EDT, all in response launches on STS- a NASA astronaut, study changes that the human Touch-and-Go Maneuver to a command sequence uploaded to 134, a 16-day mis- The ISS Opens body undergoes down to the genetic level in the the spacecraft earlier. Due to Bennu’s sion with six astro- for Business absence of gravity. FIRST U.S. ASTEROID SAMPLE MISSION surprisingly boulder-strewn surface,

FRED DEATON/NASA > nauts, to deliver and Osiris-Rex progressed cautiously, at OSIRIS-REX DUE BACK ON SEPT. 24, 2023 about the speed of a tortoise, using NASA install the Alpha > Natural Feature Tracking to help Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) on the ISS solar In addition to research and technology guide its descent and motion—a power truss. Led by the U.S. Department of En- demonstrations for national agencies involved Mark Carreau Houston spacecraft first. ergy with partnerships from institutions in 16 in the International Space Station program, lying autonomously more than reconnaissance of Bennu, which is The probe’s lengthy survey of Bennu countries, the AMS was developed to seek out the orbital complex also hosts commercially 200 million mi. from Earth, shaped like a spinning top, followed so enabled ground teams to collect imag- antimatter and dark matter and assess their developed and operated hardware. Here are NASA’s Osiris-Rex spacecraft scientists could assess chemical and ery and compile a catalog of surface influence on the evolution of the universe. some commercial facilities currently aboard F made a delicate and brief descent to physical properties of the 4.6 billion- boulder and crater hazards. The imag- and due to launch to the station this year. the rocky surface of the small asteroid year-old object and select a promising, es were then uploaded for Osiris-Rex July 21 | NASA’s 30-year Bennu, aiming to collect a few pounds safe site for sample collection. to use as it descended and maneuvered space shuttle program Techshot 2019 March 26 | Vice President Mike Pence, BioFabrication Facility (BFF) of pebbles and soil for return to Earth, The 1,640-ft.-wide asteroid is be- to a landing, enabling the spacecraft to comes to a close, as Atlantis chair of the White House National Space Council, Advanced Space Experiment Processor (ADSEP) the first such sample-return mission lieved to be carbon-rich rocky debris compare its path in real time against and its STS-135 crew of four, directs NASA to return to the surface of the Moon BILL INGALLS/NASA Multi-use Variable-Gravity Platform (MVP) for the U.S. the library of surface hazards so it commanded by Chris Fergu- with astronauts in 2024, four years sooner than Bone-Densitometer (Bone-D) The 4.5-hr. touch-and-go maneuver could safely maneuver or, if neces- son, touch down at NASA’s previously planned. The strategy calls on NASA to went as planned, though how much sary, abort the landing. The probe Kennedy Space Center after Bioserve transition oversight of low-Earth-orbit activities material was collected would not be arrived at Bennu equipped to make a mission to deliver the Raf- Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus such as those on the ISS to the commercial sector. known for several days. The goal was up to three attempts to land and faello multipurpose module, (CGBA) SPACEX to have the spacecraft’s 11-ft.-long sam- gather sample materials. spare parts and crew sup- Space Automated Bioproduct Lab (SABL) pling arm sweep up between 0.13 and Samples from Bennu are not the plies to the ISS. In all, 37 shuttle missions par- Bioserve microscope 4.4 lb. (60 grams-2.2 kg) of nickel-sized only asteroid materials heading ticipate in the assembly and resupply of the ISS Space Tango pebbles and soil from a landing spot back to Earth. The Japan Aero - and crew exchanges. NASA now becomes depen- TangoLabs named Nightingale near the asteroid’s space Exploration Agency (JAXA) north pole. Hayabusa2 mission, which touched dent on Russia for ISS crew launches. Nanoracks Once ground teams confirm the sam- down twice on the asteroid Ryugu Nanoracks Cubesat Sat Deployer (NRCSD) ple was collected, the Origins, Spectral NASA GODDARD/UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 2012 May 25 | Nanoracks External Platform (NREP) NASA Interpretation, Resource Identification, A SpaceX Dragon NanoLab Security, Regolith Explorer, commonly capsule becomes Kaber known as Osiris-Rex, will be cleared to the first commer- Microplate reader depart Bennu in March and fly back to cial spacecraft to NR Bishop Airlock (scheduled to launch Earth 2.5 years later. reach the ISS, a in November) A mosaic of Asteroid Bennu from 12 On Sept. 24, 2023, Osiris-Rex, built demonstration of images taken by NASA’s Osiris-Rex HNu Photonics by Lockheed Martin, is to release its spacecraft at a distance of 15 mi. commercially provided ISS cargo resupply ser- Mobile Space Lab sample-return capsule for a parachute- 2020 May 30-Aug. 2 | SpaceX carries out vices. A second supply line, operated by Orbital assisted descent to the U.S. Army’s from a suspected collision between Made In Space a NASA Commercial Crew Program flight-test Sciences (since acquired by Northrop Grum- Test and Training Range in Utah. two planetary bodies. Bennu may man) begins flying in September 2013. The Additive Manufacturing Facility (AMF) certification requirement by launching its Crew Recycler Data relayed by the probe showed share chemistry similar to carbona- fleet is due to expand again in 2021 with Sierra Dragon with NASA astronauts Robert Behnken a successful encounter at 6:08 p.m. ceous meteorites that fall to Earth. Nevada Corp.’s Dream Chaser spaceplane. Alpha Space and Douglas Hurley to the ISS for a 64-day mis- EDT on Oct. 20, spurring cheers and Samples from Bennu will be studied Materials on ISS Experiment-Flight Facility sion. The launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space elbow bumps among the mask-clad for their chirality, or the asymmetry (MISSE-FF) Center is the first for U.S. astronauts from the flight control team at Lockheed’s of amino acids believed to be present

NASA A close-up view of the sample selection U.S. since the shuttle fleet was retired in July Teledyne Brown Engineering Littleton, Colorado, mission support in the asteroid. site, called Nightingale. 2011. The milestone sets the stage for regularly Multi-User System for Earth Sensing (MUSES) facility. “Everything went just exact- “We know that amino acids are pres- DLR Earth Sensing Imaging Spectrometer scheduled commercial crew launches to the ISS, ly perfect,” says University of Arizona ent in carbonaceous meteorites. . . . We in 2019, is expected to drop off its sam- (DESIS-30) a 10-year objective intended to end NASA’s reli- planetary scientist Dante Lauretta, know [amino acids] are essential to life ple-collection canister for recovery on ance on Russia for ISS crew launches. SpaceX’s Osiris-Rex principal investigator. “I on Earth,” says Goddard Space Flight Dec. 6 in Woomera, Australia. Craig Crew 1 launch with four U.S. and Japanese astro- can’t believe we have pulled this off.” Center researcher Jamie Elsila. “We NASA and JAXA have agreed to Cyclops nauts is set for November. c The aim of the mission, which cost are trying to look at that connection exchange asteroid sample materi- Sierra Nevada Corp. NASA about $1 billion, is to analyze [between] which amino acids may be als, though an estimated 75% of the Small Mass Measurement Device —By Mark Carreau, Jen DiMascio and Irene Klotz the samples to learn more about the found on Bennu, which amino acids Osiris-Rex bounty is to be preserved role asteroids played in the delivery were present in the Solar System, for future analysis as asteroid sciences Space Technology and Advanced of water and organics—the building how they might have been distributed and laboratory technologies advance. 2016 March 1 | NASA astronaut Scott Kelly Research Systems (STaARS) Digital Extras See a more complete ISS blocks of life—to Earth and the rest of to the early Earth and how that might JAXA accomplished the world’s first and cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko return to Earth STaARS-1 Platform timeline: AviationWeek.com/ISS-Timeline the inner Solar System’s rocky planets. have helped life on Earth.” asteroid sample return in 2010 with its from the ISS aboard the Soyuz TMA-18M capsule Airbus Take a virtual tour of the ISS and look back Osiris-Rex launched on Sept. 8, Osiris-Rex began its sample-acqui- challenging Hayabusa mission to the in remote Kazakhstan, concluding a 340-day Bartolomeo external payload platform at AW&ST coverage of its development: 2016, aboard a United Launch Alliance sition campaign by departing its shal- asteroid Itokawa. c mission, the longest ever for a U.S. astronaut. AviationWeek.com/ISS-Tour Note: List does not include Bigelow Aerospace’s BEAM Atlas V rocket and reached the low orbit around Bennu. Confirmation module, which is a tech demo. asteroid on Dec. 3, 2018. A lengthy that the probe had fired its attitude —With Irene Klotz at Cape Canaveral

54 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 55 LAUREATES 2020

AVIATION WEEK’S 63RD ANNUAL AIRUS LAUREATE AWARDS Commercial Seven months after the sudden onset of the COVID-19 Aviation crisis forced Aviation Week to postpone the 2020 Grand Laureate Laureate Awards, editors honored more than two Airbus A321LR/XLR dozen winners from around the globe in a virtual event Airbus’ launch of the long-range ver- sions of the A321neo has been highly on Oct. 19. Winners of this year’s Grand Laureates— successful. The XLR in particular the best of the best in Business Aviation, Commercial will enable airlines to fl y transatlan- tic routes using an e cient narrow- Aviation, Defense and Space—were announced and body aircraft, reducing trip costs interviewed during the online presentation. This was and opening thinner direct routes that have been outside of the scope the 63rd presentation of the Aviation Week Laureates, of widebodies. As aviation recovers which have recognized outstanding accomplishments from the COVID-19 pandemic, small- er long-haul aircraft are forecast to be in aviation, space and defense since 1957. in high demand. While the A321LR is already in service, the XLR is planned to enter service in 2023. It has collect- ed more than 450 fi rm orders, accord- ing to Airbus.

Laureates David Neeleman (Leadership), Adel Ali (Airline Strategy), Aireon (Air Tra c Management), Rolls-Royce (Propulsion), Boeing ecoDemonstrator (Sustainability) and Donecle (MRO).

ERAER Defense Grand Laureate Embraer C-390 Millennium Embraer delivered the fi rst C-390 to the Brazilian Air Force in 2019. The tanker/ transport is the largest and most sophisticated aircraft yet developed by Embraer and the most ambitious defense development program in South American his- tory. The Millennium can move troops and cargo, conduct medical evacuations, participate in humanitarian missions and fi refi ghting roles and refuel helicopters and fi ghter aircraft for combat—with a platform that boasts low life-cycle costs.

Laureates Bell V-280 Valor (Platforms), Northrop Grumman F-35 Center Fuselage Produc- tion (Manufacturing), BAE Systems Typhoon Total Availability Enterprise (MRO), Air Force Research Laboratory Medium-Scale Critical Components Scramjet Pro- gram (Propulsion), Kratos XQ-58 Valkyrie (Technology & Innovation) and Missile

Defense Agency/Boeing Ground- Based Midcourse Defense FTG-11 (Weapons). UNIVERSITY OF SURREY

5 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST LAUREATES 2020 Lifetime Achievement

Philip J. Klass Award UNITED TENOOGIES OR Robert Leduc AVIATION WEEK’S 63RD ANNUAL Business Aviation Veteran aerospace leader AIRUS Robert Leduc came out Grand Laureate of retirement for a third Garmin Autoland time to return to Pratt & LAUREATE AWARDS Garmin’s Emergency Autoland is the ultimate co-pilot for desper- Whitney as president and Commercial ate times. When activated with the push of a red button by anyone used his leadership skills Seven months after the sudden onset of the COVID-19 on board, the system takes control of the aircraft, evaluates winds, to shake up the corpo- Aviation weather and fuel reserves, selects a suitable divert fi eld and fl ies rate team and guide the crisis forced Aviation Week to postpone the 2020 there while alerting air traˆ c control of its activation and intent. Grand Laureate PW1000G geared turbo- Laureate Awards, editors honored more than two Upon approaching the selected airport, it descends, lowers fl aps and fan engine through a challenging service intro- Airbus A321LR/XLR landing gear, slows and touches down on the best runway available duction and production ramp-up, setting it on a dozen winners from around the globe in a virtual event Airbus’ launch of the long-range ver- and then brakes to a stop. It is an aviation safety superlative. path to success. He also oversaw the buildup of on Oct. 19. Winners of this year’s Grand Laureates— sions of the A321neo has been highly the F135 fi ghter engine. L educ retired, again, at successful. The XLR in particular the end of 2019. the best of the best in Business Aviation, Commercial will enable airlines to fl y transatlan- tic routes using an e cient narrow- Aviation, Defense and Space—were announced and body aircraft, reducing trip costs Cadets interviewed during the online presentation. This was and opening thinner direct routes Each year, Aviation Week recognizes that have been outside of the scope an outstanding cadet from each of the the 63rd presentation of the Aviation Week Laureates, of widebodies. As aviation recovers four U.S. military service academies. which have recognized outstanding accomplishments from the COVID-19 pandemic, small- This year’s honorees are: er long-haul aircraft are forecast to be in aviation, space and defense since 1957. in high demand. While the A321LR is already in service, the XLR is planned to enter service in 2023. It has collect- ed more than 450 fi rm orders, accord- ing to Airbus.

Laureates David Neeleman (Leadership), Adel GARIN Ali (Airline Strategy), Aireon (Air Laureates Tra c Management), Rolls-Royce Gulfstream G500/G600 (Platforms), Pratt & Whitney PT6E Series (Propulsion), Boeing ecoDemonstrator (Propulsion), Rega Swiss Air-Rescue (Operations), Robotic Skies (Sustainability) and Donecle (MRO). (MRO) and Wing Aviation (Technology & Innovation). Cadet Capt. Cadet 1st Class Matthew R. Arnold Jacob P. Cheeseman U.S. Military Academy U.S. Coast Guard Academy

Space Grand Laureate ERAER Remove Debris Mission Defense In a groundbreaking series of on-orbit tests amid concern over growing collision risks, the European Commission-funded Grand Laureate RemoveDebris mission demonstrated a series of active debris- Embraer C-390 Millennium removal technologies designed to clean up low Earth orbit. Embraer delivered the fi rst C-390 to the Brazilian Air Force in 2019. The tanker/ Deployed from the International Space Station, the Remove Debris transport is the largest and most sophisticated aircraft yet developed by Embraer satellite tested vision-based navigation, net capture, harpoon cap- Midshipm an 1st Class Cadet 1st Class and the most ambitious defense development program in South American his- ture and drag-sail deorbiting. Patrick N. Simons Albert Q. Thieu tory. The Millennium can move troops and cargo, conduct medical evacuations, U.S. Naval Academy U.S. Air Force Academy participate in humanitarian missions and fi refi ghting roles and refuel helicopters Laureates and fi ghter aircraft for combat—with a platform that boasts low life-cycle costs. Spacefl ight Industries (Launch Services), Chang’e 4 Moon Landing (Space Science), Mars Cube One Mission (Platforms), HawkEye Watch the 2020 Laureate Awards Laureates 360 (Operations), Reaction Engines (Propulsion) and OneWeb and an interview with Robert Leduc: Bell V-280 Valor (Platforms), Northrop Grumman F-35 Center Fuselage Produc- Satellites (Supplier Innovation). tion (Manufacturing), BAE Systems Typhoon Total Availability Enterprise (MRO), Aviation Week also recognizes 20 outstanding Air Force Research Laboratory Medium-Scale Critical Components Scramjet Pro- students pursuing careers in aerospace. gram (Propulsion), Kratos XQ-58 Valkyrie (Technology & Innovation) and Missile Read profi les of this year’s 20 Twenties at: Defense Agency/Boeing Ground- Based Midcourse Defense FTG-11 (Weapons). UNIVERSITY OF SURREY

5 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 5 U.S. ELECTION PREVIEW > Congressional races to watch p. 60

the deficit make it even more likely that the $740 billion-a- TOUGH CHOICES year allotment for defense will be less of a priority beyond 2021. Differences are probable in terms of how each candidate would spend those dollars. FATE OF THE U.S. F-35 BUY REMAINS UNCERTAIN > Here is a guide to the defense priorities laid out by the > JOINT ALL-DOMAIN COMMAND AND CONTROL candidates to date. A Trump Pentagon is likely to continue its IS HERE TO STAY focus on Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2), nuclear modernization, the rebalancing of U.S. troops around Lee Hudson Washington the globe and equipping the Navy for a war against China. NO MATTER WHO IS SITTING IN THE OVAL OFFICE JAN. 21, While a Biden Defense Department also appears likely to whether it is Donald Trump or Joe Biden, the overall Penta- prioritize JADC2, its approach to nuclear modernization may gon budget drafted by the White House will probably look differ. Biden’s campaign also draws a sharp contrast with its about the same. approach to NATO and other international alliances and is Already analysts are predicting a leveling off in defense receiving advice about combat aircraft that could alter the spending in the near term. But massive coronavirus relief current plan to buy Lockheed Martin F-35s rather than more efforts and a return to a discussion of the national debt and Northrop Grumman B-21 bombers.

tools and analytics required to link hundreds of aircraft, ships, submarines and unmanned systems.

NUCLEAR MODERNIZATION Under a Trump presidency, the U.S. would continue mod- ernizing its nuclear arsenal. Nuclear modernization is an extremely large bill for the Pentagon, estimated to cost $1 trillion over the next 30 years. The Defense Department has plans to update each leg of the nuclear triad to include the Columbia-class ballistic

MASTER SGT. MICHEL SAURET/U.S. ARMY RESERVE MICHEL SAURET/U.S. ARMY RESERVE MASTER SGT. missile submarine, B-21 Raider, Ground-Based Strategic De- terrent and the Long-Range Standoff cruise missile. It will continue to upgrade the B61-12 nuclear GPS-guided bomb and is developing a low-yield W76 warhead. President Trump, pictured at his inauguration with then- In September, the Air Force awarded Northrop Grumman Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, would push JADC2 a $13.3 billion contract to replace the intercontinental bal- and nuclear modernization, urge Europe to spend more on listic missile (ICBM) system, known as the Ground-Based defense and reset the Navy to meet the Chinese challenge. Strategic Deterrent. The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Cen- ter estimates it will take 8.5 years to design, qualify, test, evaluate and nuclear-certify the land-based replacement TRUMP in the nuclear triad. JADC2 Both candidates remain committed to connecting the joint U.S. TROOP REBALANCING force on the future battlefield, a concept the military calls Trump is relocating an F-16 unit from Spangdahlem Air JADC2. The Army and Air Force signed a two-year agree- Base in Germany to Italy, as part of a larger strategy shift ment to collaborate on capabilities for JADC2, with a focus that removes 11,900 U.S. troops from Germany. According on defining mutual standards for data sharing. to the president, this is happening because Berlin has not Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley paid its “NATO fees,” meaning the country has not allocated has assigned various lines of investigation to the services 2% of its GDP for defense. supporting JADC2 development. For example, the Navy “They’re way off, and they’ve been off for years, and they is assessing global and joint fires, the Army is studying have no intention of paying it, and the United States has logistics under attack, and the Air Force is developing an been taken advantage of,” Trump said in July. He contends Internet of Things. Germany owes billions of dollars to NATO and that this is The Air Force and Army are currently conducting exper- the reason for withdrawing U.S. troops. “We’re reducing the iments and demonstrations that support integration and force because they’re not paying their bills. It’s very simple,” JADC2 development. The Navy and Marine Corps organized Trump said. He added that the U.S. may rethink the with- a series of demonstrations in fiscal 2019 called the Navy Tac- drawal from Germany “if they start paying their bills.” tical Grid experiment that focused on building a common Reinforcing Trump’s point, Defense Secretary Mark operating picture provided by the Cooperative Engagement Esper emphasized that Germany is the wealthiest country Capability. A new initiative, Project Overmatch, is replacing in Europe and should pay more for its defense and at least the Navy Tactical Grid effort. Project Overmatch focuses on meet the 2% standard. developing the networks, infrastructure, data architecture, “The president’s directive in June accelerated that,

58 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST U.S. ELECTION PREVIEW > Congressional races to watch p. 60 SENIOR AIRMAN DAMON KASBERG/U.S. AIR FORCE the deficit make it even more likely that the $740 billion-a- and we are excited about where we’re going and what it year allotment for defense will be less of a priority beyond will mean in terms of our ability to enhance returns and TOUGH CHOICES strengthen our alliance in the process,” Esper said. 2021. Differences are probable in terms of how each candidate Pentagon officials say moving the 480th Fighter Sqdn. would spend those dollars. FATE OF THE U.S. F-35 BUY REMAINS UNCERTAIN closer to the Black Sea allows the unit to better conduct > Here is a guide to the defense priorities laid out by the rotational deployments in NATO’s southeastern flank. The > JOINT ALL-DOMAIN COMMAND AND CONTROL candidates to date. A Trump Pentagon is likely to continue its plan also calls for the 2,500 airmen based at Royal Air Force IS HERE TO STAY Mildenhall in England to remain there. The group, charged focus on Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2), with special operations aerial refueling, was previously nuclear modernization, the rebalancing of U.S. troops around slated to move to Germany. Lee Hudson Washington the globe and equipping the Navy for a war against China. Another recent announcement altering military posture in- NO MATTER WHO IS SITTING IN THE OVAL OFFICE JAN. 21, While a Biden Defense Department also appears likely to volved the return of 6,400 troops to the U.S. and another 5,600 service members leaving Germany for other NATO countries. whether it is Donald Trump or Joe Biden, the overall Penta- prioritize JADC2, its approach to nuclear modernization may U.S. European Command headquarters and its special opera- Former Vice President Joe Biden, pictured on a 2014 visit gon budget drafted by the White House will probably look differ. Biden’s campaign also draws a sharp contrast with its tions component, U.S. Special Operations Command Europe, to Bucharest, would differ from Trump on his approaches about the same. approach to NATO and other international alliances and is are moving to Mons, Belgium, from Stuttgart, Germany. There to nuclear modernization and the NATO alliance, among Already analysts are predicting a leveling off in defense receiving advice about combat aircraft that could alter the is a separate plan to move U.S. Africa Command headquar- ters, which is also in Stuttgart, to an undetermined location. other issues. spending in the near term. But massive coronavirus relief current plan to buy Lockheed Martin F-35s rather than more efforts and a return to a discussion of the national debt and Northrop Grumman B-21 bombers. NAVY FORCE STRUCTURE CHANGES nuclear warhead on submarines or nuclear-armed cruise One month before the election, Esper announced a radical weapons because it expands the range of usage scenarios, plan that would alter the Navy to better compete with China. which may increase the risk of miscalculation, she writes in tools and analytics required to link hundreds of aircraft, The changes include growing the surface-ship fleet, making Foreign Affairs, echoing the remarks of Rep. Adam Smith ships, submarines and unmanned systems. changes to naval aviation and increasing the shipbuilding (D-Wash.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. construction budget annually by 13% ($2 billion). Clinton reinforces this point by advocating that the U.S. NUCLEAR MODERNIZATION The Trump administration is open to sacrificing a sacred instill a “newer and fewer” approach to nuclear moderniza- Under a Trump presidency, the U.S. would continue mod- cow, the Navy’s aircraft carrier requirement. By law, the tion by reducing the ICBM program, as opposed to Trump’s ernizing its nuclear arsenal. Nuclear modernization is an Navy must have 11 operational aircraft carriers, but Esper approach of modernizing the nuclear arsenal. extremely large bill for the Pentagon, estimated to cost $1 is comfortable with as few as eight. He envisions adding trillion over the next 30 years. six light carriers to the shipbuilding plan to support the BOMBERS OVER FIGHTERS The Defense Department has plans to update each leg traditional carriers in a war. Another stark difference on what equipment a Trump or of the nuclear triad to include the Columbia-class ballistic The new plan, Battle Force 2045, calls for unmanned Biden administration would buy revolves around the pur-

MASTER SGT. MICHEL SAURET/U.S. ARMY RESERVE MICHEL SAURET/U.S. ARMY RESERVE MASTER SGT. missile submarine, B-21 Raider, Ground-Based Strategic De- ship-based aircraft of all types: early warning, electronic chase of Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighters. terrent and the Long-Range Standoff cruise missile. It will attack, fighters and refuelers. The Navy is currently devel- Like many military experts, Clinton contends in the Foreign continue to upgrade the B61-12 nuclear GPS-guided bomb oping the Boeing MQ-25 Stingray unmanned carrier-based Affairsessay that the next major war will make it difficult for and is developing a low-yield W76 warhead. refueling tanker to ease the burden on the Boeing F/A- aircraft carriers and other surface ships to get close to po- President Trump, pictured at his inauguration with then- In September, the Air Force awarded Northrop Grumman 18E/F Super Hornet fleet. tential targets because of anti-ship missiles. But her conclu- Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, would push JADC2 a $13.3 billion contract to replace the intercontinental bal- “While this was not analyzed in detail in the study, we sion is that the U.S. would thus not need as many F-35s and and nuclear modernization, urge Europe to spend more on listic missile (ICBM) system, known as the Ground-Based will continue to assess the proper mix and range needed to instead should invest in purchasing the Northrop Grumman defense and reset the Navy to meet the Chinese challenge. Strategic Deterrent. The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Cen- overcome tomorrow’s threats,” Esper says. B-21 Raider, a bomber designed to foil advanced air defenses. ter estimates it will take 8.5 years to design, qualify, test, If Biden takes that advice, it would be a marked departure evaluate and nuclear-certify the land-based replacement from what Trump and his predecessors have proposed. TRUMP in the nuclear triad. BIDEN JADC2 JADC2 NATO AND ALLIANCES Both candidates remain committed to connecting the joint U.S. TROOP REBALANCING A Biden Pentagon is likely to support the work the military is Biden has said he would renew commitment to U.S. alli- force on the future battlefield, a concept the military calls Trump is relocating an F-16 unit from Spangdahlem Air currently conducting on JADC2. However, a Democratic ad- ances, a sharp contrast with the Trump administration. JADC2. The Army and Air Force signed a two-year agree- Base in Germany to Italy, as part of a larger strategy shift ministration would approach Congress differently by looping Trump ruffled European feathers when he likened NATO ment to collaborate on capabilities for JADC2, with a focus that removes 11,900 U.S. troops from Germany. According them in early, according to Michele Flournoy, undersecretary nations’ defense spending to paying a fee. on defining mutual standards for data sharing. to the president, this is happening because Berlin has not of defense for policy during the Obama administration and a Biden vows to bring a less transactional approach to di- Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley paid its “NATO fees,” meaning the country has not allocated top contender for defense secretary under Biden. She applauds plomacy with European and other world leaders and sees has assigned various lines of investigation to the services 2% of its GDP for defense. the services’ conceptual work but does not believe the Defense that as a way to counter Russian influence. supporting JADC2 development. For example, the Navy “They’re way off, and they’ve been off for years, and they Department is doing enough to get buy-in from Congress to “Russia seeks to undermine our democracy and our part- is assessing global and joint fires, the Army is studying have no intention of paying it, and the United States has support the multiyear investment that will be required. ners in Europe, including the members of the NATO alli- logistics under attack, and the Air Force is developing an been taken advantage of,” Trump said in July. He contends ance,” Biden said in a response to questions posed by the Internet of Things. Germany owes billions of dollars to NATO and that this is NUCLEAR MODERNIZATION Military Officers Association of America (MOAA). MOAA The Air Force and Army are currently conducting exper- the reason for withdrawing U.S. troops. “We’re reducing the Under a Biden administration, the U.S. nuclear posture is asked each candidate what they consider the greatest threat iments and demonstrations that support integration and force because they’re not paying their bills. It’s very simple,” likely to change. If selected for the top defense post, Flour- to U.S. interests abroad, how they would alter military pres- JADC2 development. The Navy and Marine Corps organized Trump said. He added that the U.S. may rethink the with- noy would direct the next Nuclear Posture Review to as- ence, and if the U.S. military is overcommitted or undercom- a series of demonstrations in fiscal 2019 called the Navy Tac- drawal from Germany “if they start paying their bills.” sess if there are more cost-effective approaches than the mitted to missions and security concerns in other countries. tical Grid experiment that focused on building a common Reinforcing Trump’s point, Defense Secretary Mark current path of spending $1 trillion over the next 30 years. Biden pledged to listen to military leadership, civilian se- operating picture provided by the Cooperative Engagement Esper emphasized that Germany is the wealthiest country In interviews, Flournoy has been skeptical about whether curity experts and U.S. allies before making decisions on Capability. A new initiative, Project Overmatch, is replacing in Europe and should pay more for its defense and at least development of a new nuclear warhead is necessary. where and how to adjust our overseas presence. the Navy Tactical Grid effort. Project Overmatch focuses on meet the 2% standard. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a close friend of “China poses the greatest strategic challenge to the United developing the networks, infrastructure, data architecture, “The president’s directive in June accelerated that, Flournoy’s, agrees that the U.S. should not deploy a low-yield States and our allies in Asia and Europe,” Biden said. c

58 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 59 U.S. ELECTION PREVIEW U.S. Congressional Races To Watch

Democrats Amy McGrath and Kim Mangone are challenging two of the most powerful Republicans in Congress, Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (Kentucky) and House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (California), respectively. McGrath, a former U.S. Marine Corps pilot, and Mangone, an Air Force mechanic turned systems engineer, have extensive experience in aerospace. Pentagon Editor Lee Hudson spoke to McGrath and Mangone in the run-up to the election, and their comments provide a look at how two Democrats with a background in aviation might shape future policy if they win.

Amy McGrath The Kentucky Challenger Kim Mangone The Long Shot KIM MANGONE FOR CONGRESS A retired U.S. Marine Corps lieu- AMY MCGRATH FOR KENTUCKY A former U.S. Air Force C-130 aircraft tenant colonel and former F/A-18C/D mechanic, flight engineer and retired pilot, Amy McGrath is nearing the Northrop Grumman project systems end of her next battle—a fight for Sen- engineer who worked on the B-2 bomb- ate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s er, Kim Mangone, is vying for House seat to represent the state of Ken- Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s tucky in Congress. The Democratic congressional seat. Her campaign Party has poured $82 million into her raised $1 million, while McCarthy campaign, nearly $30 million more brought in $23 million. The race is than her opponent. Still, The Cook not close, as McCarthy’s seat is one of Political Report rates this race as a 153 “Solid Republican” contests in the “likely Republican” win for the in- House of Representatives, according cumbent, McConnell. Amy McGrath to The Cook Political Report. Kim Mangone

Where is defense funding needed? Where is defense funding needed? Defense is really important, but so are I will always be pro-defense, but we all these other things—like diplomacy. have to look at budgets to see what For part of my career, I was the Marine makes sense [and] what programs are Corps liaison to the State Department needed. But you have to do an evalu- for two years in the Pentagon. Retired ation. My systems engineering back- Marine Corps Gen. Jim Mattis said it ground has taught me to conduct eval- best: If we don’t fund the State Depart- uations, see where we need to bump ment, “I need to buy more bullets.” And Mitch McConnell up, see what we need to pull back and Kevin McCarthy I don’t think there’s enough members then go forward. of Congress that get that. There are plenty of generals out there that do, but a lot of these generals don’t turn around How should the U.S. alter its nuclear defense posture? and run for office. Not only do we have to talk about helicop- We need to go back to where we’re reducing the threat of a ter gunships, [but] we also have to talk about [the] national nuclear war but must [still] show a strong defense because stockpile of swabs [and] the biological engagement program. countries like North Korea and Iran do not like us. I want to see us get back into an agreement with Iran. I think we How should the U.S. alter its nuclear defense posture? should have stayed in that and never gotten out of it. I want It’s always good to reassess what we need. I think we can to see a strong relationship with NATO because they are have fewer ICBMs; we could go from 400 to, say, 300 and allies, and we need to strengthen that relationship. still save money in several ways, such as smaller operating costs due to a reduced force structure. We would have extra Should aerospace and defense firms get COVID-19 relief? missiles that could be freed up to play the role of test mis- No, they should not. I am still in touch with people in that siles. As far as the [nuclear] triad: There’s real value in industry, and aerospace is better off than most because the having long-range bombers, there’s certainly value in having defense industry is considered essential. Employees haven’t your ballistic missile submarine force, [but] I’m not a fan of lost their jobs, and no one was laid off. If it gets to the point getting rid of the ICBM leg of the triad. where the defense industry is laying off workers, then yes, the employees themselves need help from Congress—but Should aerospace and defense firms get COVID-19 relief? not the large corporations. The U.S. needs to focus on help- I really want to focus on making sure that we help employ- ing small businesses. A way to create jobs in my district ees instead of the large corporations. If we’re going to do is through training. We have many solar and wind farms, any additional bailout in the aerospace industry, I think it’s and our residents were not trained to work in that line of going to have to have restrictions like no stock buybacks. work, which forced those companies to bring people from Let’s not keep lining the pockets of the CEOs. out of state for those jobs. c

60 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST U.S. ELECTION PREVIEW ASK THE U.S. Congressional Races To Watch airspeed condition accomplished by EDITORS How Much Time Will the either pilot acting as PF. Note that items 2 and 3 can be done Democrats Amy McGrath and Kim Mangone are challenging two of the most powerful Republicans in New Boeing 737 MAX Pilot on either a 737NG or a 737 MAX sim- Congress, Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (Kentucky) and House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin ulator, as the scenarios apply to each Training Take? type and are not affected by Boeing’s McCarthy (California), respectively. McGrath, a former U.S. Marine Corps pilot, and Mangone, an Air Force changes to the MAX. The full draft mechanic turned systems engineer, have extensive experience in aerospace. Pentagon Editor Lee Hudson Aviation Week Air Transport & Safety reviewing seven non-normal check- FSB report, plus instructions on how spoke to McGrath and Mangone in the run-up to the election, and their comments provide a look at how Editor Sean Broderick responds: The lists that have changed. to comment, is available until Nov. 2: short answer: About 5 hr., including Next up is mandatory simulator faa.gov/aircraft/draft_docs/fsb/ two Democrats with a background in aviation might shape future policy if they win. 2 hr. in the simulator. sessions. Actual device time is ex - Simulator availability will be the The details: New minimum training pected to take about 2 hr. But an pacesetter for airlines. Southwest requirements for 737 MAX pilots have added briefing and a 3-hr. block for Airlines expects to take at least not been finalized. But it is a safe bet the simulator portion are a safe bet. two months to train its 9,800 pilots. Amy McGrath The Kentucky Challenger Kim Mangone The Long Shot KIM MANGONE FOR CONGRESS A retired U.S. Marine Corps lieu- AMY MCGRATH FOR KENTUCKY A former U.S. Air Force C-130 aircraft FAA Administrator Steve Dickson tenant colonel and former F/A-18C/D mechanic, flight engineer and retired completed new proposed 737 MAX pilot, Amy McGrath is nearing the Northrop Grumman project systems ground and simulator training end of her next battle—a fight for Sen- engineer who worked on the B-2 bomb- before piloting a demonstration ate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s er, Kim Mangone, is vying for House flight on Sept. 30. seat to represent the state of Ken- Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s tucky in Congress. The Democratic congressional seat. Her campaign Party has poured $82 million into her raised $1 million, while McCarthy campaign, nearly $30 million more brought in $23 million. The race is than her opponent. Still, The Cook not close, as McCarthy’s seat is one of Political Report rates this race as a 153 “Solid Republican” contests in the “likely Republican” win for the in- House of Representatives, according cumbent, McConnell. Amy McGrath to The Cook Political Report. Kim Mangone

Where is defense funding needed? Where is defense funding needed? Defense is really important, but so are I will always be pro-defense, but we all these other things—like diplomacy. have to look at budgets to see what For part of my career, I was the Marine makes sense [and] what programs are Corps liaison to the State Department needed. But you have to do an evalu- for two years in the Pentagon. Retired ation. My systems engineering back- Marine Corps Gen. Jim Mattis said it ground has taught me to conduct eval- best: If we don’t fund the State Depart- uations, see where we need to bump ment, “I need to buy more bullets.” And Mitch McConnell up, see what we need to pull back and Kevin McCarthy I don’t think there’s enough members then go forward. of Congress that get that. There are plenty of generals out there that do, but a lot of these generals don’t turn around How should the U.S. alter its nuclear defense posture?

and run for office. Not only do we have to talk about helicop- We need to go back to where we’re reducing the threat of a MIKE SIEGEL-POOL/GETTY IMAGES ter gunships, [but] we also have to talk about [the] national nuclear war but must [still] show a strong defense because stockpile of swabs [and] the biological engagement program. countries like North Korea and Iran do not like us. I want that what FAA Administrator Steve The draft FSB report spells out the American Airlines—which does not to see us get back into an agreement with Iran. I think we Dickson went through to prepare for minimum that must be done in the want to have every one of its pilots How should the U.S. alter its nuclear defense posture? should have stayed in that and never gotten out of it. I want his Sept. 30 demo flight—and what is simulator. Airlines can add more sce- qualified on the MAX, unlike all-737 It’s always good to reassess what we need. I think we can to see a strong relationship with NATO because they are outlined in a Flight Standardization narios, of course, but these—straight operator Southwest—has sched- have fewer ICBMs; we could go from 400 to, say, 300 and allies, and we need to strengthen that relationship. Board (FSB) draft report out for pub- from the draft—are the five scenarios uled about three months to train still save money in several ways, such as smaller operating lic comment through Nov. 2—is pretty the FAA is proposing: 4,200 pilots. costs due to a reduced force structure. We would have extra Should aerospace and defense firms get COVID-19 relief? close to what will be approved. ■ Demonstration of MCAS activation Pilots also need to work the ses- missiles that could be freed up to play the role of test mis- No, they should not. I am still in touch with people in that The training will be split into two for each pilot sions into their schedules, of course, siles. As far as the [nuclear] triad: There’s real value in industry, and aerospace is better off than most because the parts. The “ground” training—think ■ A runaway stabilizer condition that which should be an easier task now having long-range bombers, there’s certainly value in having defense industry is considered essential. Employees haven’t computer-based distance learning requires the pilots to use manual sta- that COVID-19 has lightened sched- your ballistic missile submarine force, [but] I’m not a fan of lost their jobs, and no one was laid off. If it gets to the point that can be done on a tablet—will bilizer trim ules considerably. c getting rid of the ICBM leg of the triad. where the defense industry is laying off workers, then yes, take 90-120 min. It will be broken ■ Use of manual stabilizer trim during the employees themselves need help from Congress—but into modules that cover key issues, approach, go-around and level-off Should aerospace and defense firms get COVID-19 relief? not the large corporations. The U.S. needs to focus on help- including the MAX’s Maneuvering phases of flight The Aviation Week Network invites I really want to focus on making sure that we help employ- ing small businesses. A way to create jobs in my district Characteristics Augmentation Sys- ■ A cross-FCC trim monitor activa- readers to submit questions to our ees instead of the large corporations. If we’re going to do is through training. We have many solar and wind farms, tem (MCAS) flight-control law, other tion demonstration accomplished by editors. Answers are published online any additional bailout in the aerospace industry, I think it’s and our residents were not trained to work in that line of flight-control computer (FCC) up - either pilot acting as pilot flying (PF) at AviationWeek.com. To access our going to have to have restrictions like no stock buybacks. work, which forced those companies to bring people from dates and several non-normal proce- ■ Erroneous high-angle-of-attack alert answer archive or post a new question, Let’s not keep lining the pockets of the CEOs. out of state for those jobs. c dures. There is a heavy emphasis on on takeoff that leads to an unreliable go to: AviationWeek.com/asktheeditors

60 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 61 PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Buller says. “You not only can do a better product, but you Start: Print can develop and iterate it much faster and spend much less resources getting your product to market more quickly,” he adds. “You will not need tooling to start producing that prod- Startups embrace additive uct, and you can transition from development to production manufacturing for speed to market smoothly without first having to prove the tools.” The second driver toward the use of additive manufactur- Graham Warwick Washington ing is business agility, he says. “Often in aviation, the lead time on parts is measured in quarters—two, three, some- isruptive startups are not only taking aerospace in times four quarters,” Buller tells Aviation Week. “Additive new directions, they are also changing how the sec- can reduce lead time to a similar number of weeks. You Dtor develops and manufactures products. In search go from quarters to weeks. That’s more than an order of of speed to market, these companies are embracing additive magnitude improvement in speed.” manufacturing with an enthusiasm that contrasts with the And that has a big impact on inventories. “A lot of companies cautious approach of established industry. pride themselves on having a backlog of years or sometimes

ariable bleed valve NACA ducts engine and fuselage Printed for Speed four total parts manifolds 1 total parts

Velo3D helped Boom produce 21 titanium flight components for the XB-1 supersonic demonstrator.

utboard eits part of variable bleed valve system

Center Environmental control bleed louvers system ehaust two parts Structural duct one part components two parts

Source: Velo3D

From rocket engines to complete vehicles, space startups decades,” he says. “That’s not a good thing for anyone. Because are using 3D printing to dramatically lower the cost of access- when you go into a depression, like we are now, you suddenly ing and exploiting Earth orbit. Aviation newcomers from Boom get to where the inventories are years of inventories.” Supersonic to Joby Aviation are following suit, using additive Additive tools enable a more agile and responsive busi- not only for prototyping but also in gearing up for production. ness and supply chain. But for startups, agility is not the Boom has used polymer and metal 3D printing in building its driver, Buller says. “It may be important, but it will be im- XB-1 supersonic demonstrator, which was rolled out on Oct. 7. portant in the future. Right now, a startup lives and dies But Joby has gone further and is planning to use metal additive by being able to get a better product to market quicker, manufacturing for volume production of certified safety-critical leapfrogging the competition and losing less cash. That’s parts for its electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing air taxi. by far the most important thing.” “If you look at companies that make products and ask Boom’s adoption of additive manufacturing in building the yourself: ‘Why would these companies consider additive XB-1 largely follows an established path for aerospace, using manufacturing, not for prototyping but for actual production polymer 3D printing to produce tooling and prototype parts of end-use parts?’ There are really two drivers,” says Benny for physical fit checks. But 3D-printed parts, both polymer and Buller, CEO of metal 3D-printing startup Velo3D. metal, will be on Boom’s demonstrator when it flies in 2021. “The first is the driver of new product innovation through According to Stratasys, which worked with Boom on the the ability to create more optimal geometries than you could manufacturing of polymer parts and tools, XB-1 Director of without additive,” he says. “This is complexity you can do Production Mike Jagemann had previous experience with with additive that you couldn’t do before—the consolidation of 3D printing and immediately brought in two printers to help parts and design of geometries that were not possible before with prototyping. He later brought in an industrial-scale and that allow for better performance in multiple dimensions: machine to produce tooling and parts. weight, efficiency, size, reliability and sometimes cost.” Use of printed parts to check fit and alignment saves en- There is an extra innovation advantage with additive, gineering time. “With 3D printing, we’ve been able to obtain

62 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST VELO3D PRODUCTS AND SERVICES VELO3D

Buller says. “You not only can do a better product, but you parts very quickly and determine very inventive that are at an early, Start: Print can develop and iterate it much faster and spend much less that they’re either going to work or pre-funding stage, so they cannot pay,” resources getting your product to market more quickly,” he that we need to make changes,” Jage- Buller says. “Those we advise on how adds. “You will not need tooling to start producing that prod- mann says. “Rather than spend 8 hr. to make a better product and give Startups embrace additive uct, and you can transition from development to production in [computer-aided design] trying to them a loan of print hours that they manufacturing for speed to market smoothly without first having to prove the tools.” check space constraints, the engineer will pay back after they get funding.” The second driver toward the use of additive manufactur- can continue working on other things. This could promote greater use of ad- Graham Warwick Washington ing is business agility, he says. “Often in aviation, the lead When the part is printed, they can ditive by startups in the long term. time on parts is measured in quarters—two, three, some- check the fit.” Established industry has been isruptive startups are not only taking aerospace in times four quarters,” Buller tells Aviation Week. “Additive The biggest savings, on cost and cautious and deliberate in embrac- new directions, they are also changing how the sec- can reduce lead time to a similar number of weeks. You time, came from printing custom drill ing 3D printing because the focus is Dtor develops and manufactures products. In search go from quarters to weeks. That’s more than an order of blocks to locate the fastener holes on on producing certified safety-critical of speed to market, these companies are embracing additive magnitude improvement in speed.” the XB-1’s airframe. Initially, Boom parts. This is a challenge with addi- manufacturing with an enthusiasm that contrasts with the And that has a big impact on inventories. “A lot of companies used tools that positioned one hole at a tive because both the material and cautious approach of established industry. pride themselves on having a backlog of years or sometimes time. This was taking too long, Strata- component are produced at the same sys says, so Boom switched to 3D-print- time, making process qualification ed drill blocks with multiple holes. By critical to part certification. ariable bleed valve allowing them to position 20 or more “Joby Additive is essentially a NACA ducts engine and fuselage holes at a time, the additively produced supplier within Joby and was formed Printed for Speed four total parts manifolds 1 total parts drill blocks proved to be “a huge man- Variable bleed valve manifolds are com- in late 2017,” says Sean McCluskey, ufacturing timesaver,” Jagemann says. plex, high-temperature titanium parts additive manufacturing lead at Joby. Velo3D helped Boom produce 21 titanium Boom also used polymer 3D print- 3D-printed for the XB-1. “We are the first organization in history to attempt certification of flight components for the XB-1 supersonic ing to produce hydraulic line clamps that will fly on the XB-1. The positioning of such clamps multiple safety-critical structural additive titanium com- demonstrator. often needs to be adjusted during assembly. Additive al- ponents with the FAA.” lowed the parts to be left to the end of the design process Joby is looking beyond prototyping, at high-rate manu- because they could be printed quickly in-house. “That facturing. “We have a 100% in-house capability for metal shortens the supply chain on certain components that are additive,” McCluskey adds. “We’re committed to creating a a good fit for 3D printing,” Jagemann says. data- driven platform for manufacturing certified components utboard eits Meanwhile, Velo3D has worked with Boom to produce by embracing innovation, communication and accountability. part of variable 21 titanium flight components for the XB-1 using Velo3D’s “Everyone who has attempted it knows certification is bleed valve system laser powder bed fusion system. The company’s software hard. It takes a long time, and the level of clarity and quality and hardware were used to produce cooling-air inlet ducts, required is very high.” Center Environmental control bleed louvers center-engine bleed louvers, variable bleed valve manifolds Certifying safety-critical components requires a secure system ehaust and exits as well as the environmental control system ex- digital workflow that is traceable from the finished part all the two parts Structural duct one part components haust duct and two structural components. way back to the raw ore. Today, that process involves multiple two parts Many of the parts are related to channeling air—some at steps that must be tightly controlled to enable certification. temperatures exceeding 500F—and have complex vanes, Industry leader Dassault Systemes and startup Joby have Source: Velo3D ducts and louvers. The lightweight parts are characterized been working together and have developed a workflow that by tall, thin walls with high aspect ratios. These designs are connects the former’s 3D experience product development From rocket engines to complete vehicles, space startups decades,” he says. “That’s not a good thing for anyone. Because inherently difficult to manufacture using traditional pro- software platform, via an immutable file type, directly to are using 3D printing to dramatically lower the cost of access- when you go into a depression, like we are now, you suddenly cesses such as welding and casting, “or even most existing the latter’s build-execution tool, which in turn controls the ing and exploiting Earth orbit. Aviation newcomers from Boom get to where the inventories are years of inventories.” 3D-printing technologies,” Velo3D says. printer hardware directly. Supersonic to Joby Aviation are following suit, using additive Additive tools enable a more agile and responsive busi- In addition to Boom, Velo3D has worked with several “We’ve built a back end for our machines that can exe- not only for prototyping but also in gearing up for production. ness and supply chain. But for startups, agility is not the space startups. “Basically every rocket engine that has been cute these file types directly on the machines to produce Boom has used polymer and metal 3D printing in building its driver, Buller says. “It may be important, but it will be im- designed in the last decade has been designed with additive components and then a cloud-based service that links all XB-1 supersonic demonstrator, which was rolled out on Oct. 7. portant in the future. Right now, a startup lives and dies manufacture in mind,” Buller says. “The way we work with the machines together . . . to maintain that traceability we But Joby has gone further and is planning to use metal additive by being able to get a better product to market quicker, startup customers is [to] provide them free advice on how need for each part back to its raw ore,” he says. manufacturing for volume production of certified safety-critical leapfrogging the competition and losing less cash. That’s they can optimize their design, taking advantage of what we Joby is looking well ahead as it prepares for 3D printing parts for its electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing air taxi. by far the most important thing.” can do in terms of manufacturability.” in rate production. “If we’re going to spend all of this time, “If you look at companies that make products and ask Boom’s adoption of additive manufacturing in building the The parts are then produced by contract manufactur- energy and money to build this system, we must also add ca- yourself: ‘Why would these companies consider additive XB-1 largely follows an established path for aerospace, using ers—partners that have bought Velo3D’s machines. “The pability for the future so we don’t have to redo it every couple manufacturing, not for prototyping but for actual production polymer 3D printing to produce tooling and prototype parts startups are using these contract manufacturers to make of years when the technology gets better,” McCluskey says. of end-use parts?’ There are really two drivers,” says Benny for physical fit checks. But 3D-printed parts, both polymer and their parts,” Buller says. “We do not have any business ar- “This next-generation data structure has to allow for ca- Buller, CEO of metal 3D-printing startup Velo3D. metal, will be on Boom’s demonstrator when it flies in 2021. rangements with these startups. This is no cash transfer. pability far greater than what we have today. Today, there’s “The first is the driver of new product innovation through According to Stratasys, which worked with Boom on the We are just partners in crime,” he quips. a set toolbox of hardware components that are used in al- the ability to create more optimal geometries than you could manufacturing of polymer parts and tools, XB-1 Director of “The work we have done with Boom has been similar, in most all laser powder bed fusion machines. But that box will without additive,” he says. “This is complexity you can do Production Mike Jagemann had previous experience with the sense that our contract manufacturers made the parts expand substantially over the next few years,” he says. “We with additive that you couldn’t do before—the consolidation of 3D printing and immediately brought in two printers to help for them,” he adds. “We help them with technical advice on can handle an architecture that is completely different from parts and design of geometries that were not possible before with prototyping. He later brought in an industrial-scale how to make the most of their designs, to reduce the weight, what we have today as long as the fundamentals of additive and that allow for better performance in multiple dimensions: machine to produce tooling and parts. to improve the cooling; but we were not paid for that.” remain the same,” McCluskey adds. c weight, efficiency, size, reliability and sometimes cost.” Use of printed parts to check fit and alignment saves en- Velo3D has other ways to work with potential disruptive There is an extra innovation advantage with additive, gineering time. “With 3D printing, we’ve been able to obtain newcomers. “There are some startups we have identified as Go to Marketplace.AviationWeek.com for more information.

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Putting AI to the Test By Mark Roboff

rtificial Intelligence (AI) is heralded as the next unlike traditional software code that can be read and logi- great technological revolution to transform avia- cally understood, the inner workings of a neural network Ation. Already it is changing how we service aircraft are an undecipherable mystery. by powering predictive maintenance solutions, and one day While R&D efforts are underway to make neural net- AI will transform flying itself. For instance, AI is seen as works explainable, and while others are trying to find a critical to enabling new types of aircraft such as drones and new explainable approach to AI that proves just as pow- autonomous air taxis, and it is likewise essential to man- erful as neural networks, a consensus is forming that aging a fast-evolving and increasingly complex airspace. perhaps a better option is to devise a new approach to However, AI is far from guiding aircraft today, and no certification that works with neural networks as they are.

one is about to step on board an autonomously piloted ADASTRA/GETTY IMAGES airliner. While automation has indeed been a function of airplane systems for decades, AI—which, unlike automa- tion, allows for machine decision-making at a high level— has not yet crossed from the realm of the IT data center into the aircraft or air traffic control system (ATC). That is about to change. The technology to fly an airplane autonomously with AI (considered a flagship use case for the technology) or to manage the airspace is robust. The issue is not technolog- ical maturation but one of certification. In our regulated environment, how do we demonstrate that an AI system performing a safety-critical task is safe and can be trusted? In June of last year, leaders from the aerospace engineer- ing community gathered to answer this critical question with the creation of a new standards effort focused on AI cer-

Fortunately, we already have a useful model to work with: the certification of the human pilot. “HOW DO WE DETERMINE THAT When we bring a human pilot on a check ride, we do not wire diodes to the pilot’s head in an attempt to read THE DATA GATHERED TO TRAIN the neurons firing in their brain. We would not even know what to make of that information. Yet if we certified pilots AN AI SYSTEM IS SUITABLY like we certify avionics systems, studying the neurons is what we would be required to do. Since we do not have any physiochemical way to judge that a pilot can safely fly an REPRESENTATIVE OF airplane, we devise tools like the check ride, flight school or ground-school curriculum, which we then leverage to THE REAL WORLD?” assign trust that the pilot can safely fly an airplane. This analogy makes for a useful road map for a sup - posed certification of AI. Determining what constitutes a tification. Born out of this work is a new joint international qualified ground school is similar to a critical question the committee, SAE G-34/Eurocae WG-114. This committee— committee is working on: How do we determine that the which now comprises more than 500 engineers, scientists data gathered to train an AI system is suitably represen- and research fellows from across the aviation ecosystem— tative of the real world? Likewise, determining what con- is working to create a strong and well-supported means of stitutes a robust check ride is similar to another question: compliance for AI certification by the autumn of 2022. This What are the requirements of the simulators and testing is in line with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s procedures used to verify AI performance? AI road map, released in January of this year, which calls While no one is going to rewrite the industry’s approach for the first AI component to be certified by 2025. to certification overnight, by tackling these critical ques- The committee’s research of existing aerospace engi- tions, SAE-G34/Eurocae-WG114 is building a foundation neering standards concludes that there is no clear path- that will finally bring AI to aircraft and ATC systems. The way to certify AI through an existing means of compliance committee’s first publication—a gap analysis of existing when using the critical AI subdomain known as machine standards and statement of concerns for the development learning with neural networks. (Machine learning with of AI certification—will be released this autumn. c neural networks is widely viewed as the best way to build advanced AI-powered systems, up to and including auton- Mark Roboff is the general manager for aerospace transfor - omous flight systems.) The central issue is related to the mation at DXC Technology and chairman of the SAE-G34 AI concept of AI “explainability,” which refers to the fact that, in Aviation Committee.

66 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST VIEWPOINT DISCOVER ANALYZE PLAN Putting AI to the Test FORECAST By Mark Roboff rtificial Intelligence (AI) is heralded as the next unlike traditional software code that can be read and logi- great technological revolution to transform avia- cally understood, the inner workings of a neural network Ation. Already it is changing how we service aircraft are an undecipherable mystery. 2021 Military Fleet & MRO by powering predictive maintenance solutions, and one day While R&D efforts are underway to make neural net- AI will transform flying itself. For instance, AI is seen as works explainable, and while others are trying to find a Forecast Ð critical to enabling new types of aircraft such as drones and new explainable approach to AI that proves just as pow- Just Released! autonomous air taxis, and it is likewise essential to man- erful as neural networks, a consensus is forming that aging a fast-evolving and increasingly complex airspace. perhaps a better option is to devise a new approach to However, AI is far from guiding aircraft today, and no certification that works with neural networks as they are.

one is about to step on board an autonomously piloted ADASTRA/GETTY IMAGES airliner. While automation has indeed been a function of airplane systems for decades, AI—which, unlike automa- tion, allows for machine decision-making at a high level— has not yet crossed from the realm of the IT data center into the aircraft or air traffic control system (ATC). That is about to change. The technology to fly an airplane autonomously with AI (considered a flagship use case for the technology) or to manage the airspace is robust. The issue is not technolog- ical maturation but one of certification. In our regulated Predictive Intelligence environment, how do we demonstrate that an AI system performing a safety-critical task is safe and can be trusted? In June of last year, leaders from the aerospace engineer- ing community gathered to answer this critical question with to Drive Results the creation of a new standards effort focused on AI cer-

Fortunately, we already have a useful model to work with: the certification of the human pilot. “HOW DO WE DETERMINE THAT When we bring a human pilot on a check ride, we do not wire diodes to the pilot’s head in an attempt to read THE DATA GATHERED TO TRAIN the neurons firing in their brain. We would not even know With Aviation Week Network’s Fleet & MRO Forecast, gain a what to make of that information. Yet if we certified pilots AN AI SYSTEM IS SUITABLY like we certify avionics systems, studying the neurons is 10-year outlook to minimize risk and maximize revenue. what we would be required to do. Since we do not have any physiochemical way to judge that a pilot can safely fly an • Fleets, trends, and projections REPRESENTATIVE OF airplane, we devise tools like the check ride, flight school or ground-school curriculum, which we then leverage to • Predictive view of market share THE REAL WORLD?” assign trust that the pilot can safely fly an airplane. This analogy makes for a useful road map for a sup - • MRO future demand posed certification of AI. Determining what constitutes a tification. Born out of this work is a new joint international qualified ground school is similar to a critical question the committee, SAE G-34/Eurocae WG-114. This committee— committee is working on: How do we determine that the which now comprises more than 500 engineers, scientists data gathered to train an AI system is suitably represen- Take your business to the and research fellows from across the aviation ecosystem— tative of the real world? Likewise, determining what con- next level. is working to create a strong and well-supported means of stitutes a robust check ride is similar to another question: compliance for AI certification by the autumn of 2022. This What are the requirements of the simulators and testing is in line with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s procedures used to verify AI performance? AI road map, released in January of this year, which calls While no one is going to rewrite the industry’s approach For more information, visit for the first AI component to be certified by 2025. to certification overnight, by tackling these critical ques- aviationweek.com/forecasts The committee’s research of existing aerospace engi- tions, SAE-G34/Eurocae-WG114 is building a foundation neering standards concludes that there is no clear path- that will finally bring AI to aircraft and ATC systems. The or call Anne McMahon at +1 646 291 6353 way to certify AI through an existing means of compliance committee’s first publication—a gap analysis of existing Available for: or Thom Clayton +44 (0) 20 7017 6106 when using the critical AI subdomain known as machine standards and statement of concerns for the development learning with neural networks. (Machine learning with of AI certification—will be released this autumn. c COMMERCIAL neural networks is widely viewed as the best way to build MILITARY advanced AI-powered systems, up to and including auton- Mark Roboff is the general manager for aerospace transfor - omous flight systems.) The central issue is related to the mation at DXC Technology and chairman of the SAE-G34 AI BUSINESS concept of AI “explainability,” which refers to the fact that, in Aviation Committee. HELICOPTER

66 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 8, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST THERE IS NO COMPARISON. NO EQUAL. THERE IS ONLY ONE. THE COMMERCIAL JET ENGINE IN A LEAGUE OF ITS OWN.

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