MRO's Archives - Page 67 of 134 - Aviation, Inflight and Aero Connectivity Consultants

Proposed New Counter-UAS Authorities Will Fall To New Congress, DHS Official Says

Legislation to expand existing but limited counter-UAS authorities for the Departments of Homeland Security and Justice will have to await action by the next Congress. The Biden administration is working to ensure that current authorities don’t expire this month. (Photo: Liteye Systems)

Legislation to expand existing but limited counter-UAS (uncrewed aircraft systems) authorities for the Departments of Homeland Security and Justice will have to await action by the next Congress, and the Biden administration is working to ensure that current authorities don’t expire this month, a senior DHS official said on Wednesday.

The administration is hoping that the current counter-UAS authorities will be included in any remaining bills Congress is considering before the congressional term expires. Those authorities would have expired at the end of September but were kept alive by a continuing spending resolution that ends this Friday, although congressional appropriators are expected to extend the resolution another week to give time for budget negotiators to finalize fiscal year 2023 federal appropriations bills.

“We are pressing very hard, working very hard with Congress just to ensure that our existing authorities don’t lapse,” Rob Silvers, under secretary for strategy, policy, and plans, said at an aviation security conference. “And so, it’s a really urgent priority for us right now on Capitol Hill to make sure that we don’t even lose what we have and run into a situation where we can’t take down drones that are flying across the border. Where we can’t sufficiently protect our national leaders from drone-based threats. Where we can’t even action our limited authorities to protect airports in the aviation system. That would really be a potentially catastrophic set of outcomes.”

Rob Silvers, Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy, and Plans, Department of Homeland Security (Photo: DHS)

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in August approved the Safeguarding the Homeland from the Threats Posed by Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act (S. 4687). That bipartisan bill would reauthorize the current counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) authorities but also go further by expanding them to state and local law enforcement agencies, tribal and territorial governments, and covered critical infrastructure entities to detect, track, identify and defeat potential threats from small drones.

The bill would also allow the Transportation Security Administration to protect transportation infrastructure from drone threats, including to detect, track, identify, monitor and mitigate.

Based on progress in the Senate, Silvers told the American Association of Airport Executives audience that “we haven’t broken through in the House, but I am optimistic we will” because Congress “will come to understand how substantial these threats are and that you really need substantial authorities and capabilities to manage them effectively subject to important safeguards around privacy and civil rights and civil liberties.”

Asked about a potential DHS qualified products list for counter-UAS equipment that could be used by airports to contend with drones in their airspace, Silvers replied that if DHS goes down this path it will “be done very carefully” and include significant stakeholder input, including with entities that have already invested in these capabilities.

“Certainly, our strategy will not be overly prescriptive, functional requirements or specifications,” he said. “It’s going to be performance-based with a focus on cybersecurity, ensuring adequate cybersecurity performance. Supply chain security. Impact on the national airspace. So that we will give sufficient flexibility on how to meet those performance standards, but in a way that’s practical for industry.”

This article was first published by Defense Daily, a sister publication to Avionics International; it has been edited. View the original version here >>

The post Proposed New Counter-UAS Authorities Will Fall To New Congress, DHS Official Says appeared first on Avionics International.

—————
Boost Internet Speed–
Free Business Hosting–
Free Email Account–
Dropcatch–
Free Secure Email–
Secure Email–
Cheap VOIP Calls–
Free Hosting–
Boost Inflight Wifi–
Premium Domains–
Free Domains

Zipline Partners With Government of Rwanda for Autonomous Drone Delivery Services

Zipline is partnering with the Government of Rwanda to add new drone delivery sites throughout the country. (All photos provided by Zipline)

Zipline shared today that it is partnering with the Government of Rwanda to add new drone delivery sites throughout the country. The Government of Rwanda plans to complete close to 2 million deliveries via drone and to fly more than 200 million kilometers (over 124 million miles) in Rwanda by the year 2029.

Zipline’s drones are autonomous and are powered by rechargeable electric batteries. They utilize an onboard acoustic-based detect-and-avoid system to enable safe autonomous flights. Each mile of a Zipline drone flight creates roughly 30 times less CO2 emissions than the average electric vehicle, the company estimates.

Zipline already operates at a national scale in Ghana and Rwanda, performing deliveries of medications, medical supplies, and other items to thousands of health facilities. Zipline has distribution centers in Muhanga and Kayonza. The company is responsible for delivering 75% of Rwanda’s blood supply outside of Kigali.

The company has also established a distribution center in Kannapolis, North Carolina, and conducts deliveries of special medications via drone for two healthcare organizations in the state.

Within the new partnership agreement, the Government of Rwanda expects to add new sites in rural and urban locations for drone delivery and subsequently triple delivery volumes in the country. Rwanda also plans to open up Zipline’s logistics and delivery system for use by other government entities.

Distribution center in Rwanda

Clare Akamanzi, Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Development Board, commented on the agreement with Zipline, saying, “We will be incorporating Zipline into many aspects of our national operations from providing a reliable healthcare supply chain, to addressing malnutrition, to creating an unforgettable eco-tourism experience. Rwanda is an innovation hub and we’re thrilled to be the first country in the world to launch a national drone delivery service.”

“Instant logistics has saved thousands of lives and is solving some of the world’s most important problems—hunger and malnutrition, road congestion and environmental pollution, and lack of access to healthcare,” remarked Daniel Marfo, Senior Vice President and Head of Zipline’s Africa business and operations.

“Zipline currently operates on three continents and completes an instant delivery on behalf of businesses and governments every two minutes.”

In July 2022, Zipline shared news of a partnership with MultiCare Health System to launch commercial drone delivery operations in Tacoma, Washington. They expect to start operations in 2024. The company also has plans to deliver specialty pharmaceuticals to patients in or near Salt Lake City in partnership with Intermountain Healthcare.

The drone delivery company announced that the Federal Aviation Administration awarded it a Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate in June. This certificate allows Zipline to perform the longest-range on-demand commercial drone deliveries in the U.S.

The post Zipline Partners With Government of Rwanda for Autonomous Drone Delivery Services appeared first on Avionics International.

WeSky Launches Lightweight 60W In-Seat Power System

WeSky announced the launch of “recharge,” a lightweight in-seat power system that enables passengers onboard commercial aircraft to charge their portable electronic devices. (Photo: WeSky)

WeSky, an avionics company based in Lithuania, announced the launch of a new lightweight in-seat power system this week. The WeSky 60W USB power supply solution is called “recharge” and it can reduce fuel consumption—as well as lower carbon emissions—for commercial airlines. Passengers can use it to charge their portable electronic devices while onboard the aircraft.

According to the company, Recharge is 70% lighter on average than the equipment on the market today. The system also has a faster delivery lead-time despite supply chain issues. The Recharge solution reduces the annual carbon footprint of a standard fleet of single-aisle Boeing or Airbus aircraft by more than 800 metric tons (about 882 U.S. tons).

Vytis Petrusevicius, CEO and founder of WeSky, explained, “This new recharge solution will reduce an Airbus 321 carbon footprint by 16 tonnes/year, compared to other products offered by industry leaders. This means a commercial carrier with a fleet of 50 can save 250 tonnes of fuel consumption per year.”

Leslie C. Bethel, WeSky co-founder and board member, also commented on the launch of Recharge. She remarked that it will reduce the need for passengers to travel with extra battery packs—”a further benefit for aircraft efficiency and safety.”

The above photo demonstrates the compact size of the recharge Seat Power Box in comparison to a standard iPhone. (Photo: WeSky)

According to WeSky, “The airframe side wiring is installed only in the front section of the passenger cabin, thus reducing aircraft modification efforts for retrofit installations.”

Offering in-seat power has become more common, even for low-cost airlines. Birgir Jónsson, the CEO of Iceland’s new airline, PLAY, commented in an interview with Avionics earlier this year that they offer in-seat device charging for most of their aircraft. They do not plan to include in-flight WiFi, but PLAY does enable passengers to charge their personal devices onboard.

Southwest Airlines announced a $2 billion investment for its Boeing 737 fleet in May, which included upgrades to the in-flight connectivity (IFC) network from Anuvu. In addition to the IFC updates, beginning in 2023, Southwest plans to install the latest-generation USB A and USB C power ports onboard all 737 MAX aircraft.

The post WeSky Launches Lightweight 60W In-Seat Power System appeared first on Avionics International.

Airbus Leads Large-Scale Manned-Unmanned Teaming Flight Demo

Europe’s first large-scale multi-domain flight demo, led by Airbus, included two fighter jets, a helicopter, and five drones. (Photo: Airbus)

Two fighter jets, a helicopter, and five drones participated in a large-scale flight demonstration of manned-unmanned teaming. Experts from Airbus led the multi-domain demonstration in partnership with the Bundeswehr, the Finnish Defence Forces, MBDA Germany, Patria, the startup HAT.tec, and Robonic—provider of drone launch systems. The demo is part of a project intended to pave the way for the Future Combat Air System—a European combat system of systems being developed by Airbus as well as Dassault Aviation and Indra Sistemas.

Jean-Brice Dumont, Head of Military Air Systems at Airbus, remarked in the company’s announcement that they demonstrated “manned-unmanned teaming capabilities and functionalities with up to ten connected assets work in a real-life inspired scenario and under near operational conditions.”

The five unmanned aircraft systems, also referred to as remote carriers, were modified Airbus Do-DT25 drones. The team equipped two of the drones with MBDA’s Electronic Support Measures (ESM) sensors. These sensors were used to detect the positions of ground air missiles included in the scenario. The other three remote carriers used Electro Optical cameras to visually confirm the position of the air defenses.

Patria, a networking data link provider, ensured that all assets in the flight demo were connected. The crew onboard the helicopter, an Airbus H145M, teamed up with one of the drones with an Electro Optical camera, to assist in the mission.

Airbus just signed an initial contract with German procurement agency BAAINBw, and Phase III of the Future Combat Air System Manned-Unmanned-Teaming Demonstrator project will begin soon. The project is designed to develop combat aircraft and remote carriers to enable operations in the 2030s and to mature existing capabilities for teaming.

The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) will feature remote carriers operating as a team with the New Generation Fighter and the Eurofighter. According to Airbus’s announcement, these drones will “provide better protection for pilots while enhancing the operational envelope and the ability to act in risky situations.”

In 2018, when Airbus and Dassault were in the earliest stages of planning for FCAS, Dirk Hoke—the Airbus Defense and Space CEO at the time—remarked, “Today’s systems and future systems need to be working hand-in-hand in real-time connectivity and connection and communication that needs to include artificial intelligence to steer swarms of drones and connect the different platforms on information. There is a huge change in the warfare of the future.”

A video of the multi-domain flight demo can be viewed along with the Airbus announcement here.

The Bundeswehr, Airbus, the German Aerospace Center DLR, SFL, and Geradts performed the first successful launch and operation of a remote carrier flight test demonstrator from a flying A400M UAV Launcher, Airbus shared this week. The A400M military transport aircraft will be able to bring as many as 50 remote carriers to an area of operation and launch the vehicles.

The post Airbus Leads Large-Scale Manned-Unmanned Teaming Flight Demo appeared first on Avionics International.

Raytheon Targets F135 Engine Core Upgrade for 24 F-35 Squadrons by 2030

A formation of Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) F-35A Lighting II’s conduct a flyover during the Misawa Air Fest at Misawa Air Base, Japan, on Sept. 11 (U.S. Air Force Photo)

Raytheon Technologies [RTX] said that it is able to outfit 24 F-35 squadrons with an Engine Core Upgrade (ECU) for the company’s Pratt & Whitney F135 engine by 2030—seven squadrons in 2029 and 17 in 2030—compared to just two F-35 squadrons that could receive a new engine under the Adaptive Engine Transition Program (AETP) in 2030.

The ECU and Raytheon’s proposed Emergency Power and Cooling System (EPACS), which is to achieve Technology Readiness Level 6 next year, are to provide a seven percent increase in performance range and thrust for the Lockheed Martin [LMT] F-35 fighter, more than twice the cooling of the F135 to accomodate new weapons in F-35 Block 4, and a more than $40 billion savings in life cycle costs.

DoD’s upcoming fiscal 2024 budget may lay out the future engine path for the F-35—whether that be the Pratt & Whitney proposed F135 ECU or a new power plant, such as General Electric‘s [GE] proposed XA100 Tri-Variant Adaptive (TVA) engine (Defense Daily, Oct. 11).

Raytheon suggested that DoD could not accelerate AETP development and fielding.

“As to why we can’t do XA faster, it has to do with the fact that the ECU is a core upgrade, meaning 70 percent of the material likely will stay common,” Jen Latka, Pratt & Whitney’s vice president for F135 programs, told reporters in a virtual briefing/question and answer session on Dec. 13. “There’s no touching the [engine] fan. We’re not touching the back end of the engine. It [ECU] is limited in scope to the core. We are limiting the technologies that we bring in to what is absolutely necessary.”

“The supply base that we currently have is the supply base that will manufacture ECU,” she said. “They’re already up and established, and there won’t be massive changes…On the other hand, when you look at how historically how long it takes to ramp a brand-new center line engine, let alone one that has never flown before so we’ll have a tremendous amount of learning and we’ll need a very robust flight test program, given it’s only engine on this aircraft, that’s gonna take a lot of time. The test program will take a lot of time, and then standing up the supply chain and the supply base and ramping them to full rate is going to take years.”

Regarding the F135 and the Pratt & Whitney F119 engine for the U.S. Air Force F-22 fighter by Lockheed Martin, “we didn’t get to [a build] rate [of] 150 every year overnight,” Latka said. “It took many years. It [AETP] is a completely new engine with completely new parts to manufacture.”

Raytheon also said that AETP is “significantly heavier” than the 3,750 pound dry weight F135, but declined to disclose how much heavier and referred that question to the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO). Defense Daily will add any response from the F-35 JPO.

The ECU was formerly known as the Engine Enhancement Program but the F-35 JPO changed the name recently.

Pratt & Whitney recently received a more than $115 million contract for ECU work through May next year (Defense Daily, Dec. 5).

Technology Refresh 3 (TR3)–spurred by the L3Harris [LHX] integrated core processor–is the computer backbone for Block 4, which is to have 88 unique features and to integrate 16 new weapons on the F-35. The F-35 program has said that the fighter will need a new or significantly upgraded engine with improved electrical power and cooling capacity to accommodate the 53 new capabilities slated for F-35 Block 4.

In October, 48 representatives urged DoD to invest in next generation, adaptive propulsion for fighters in a letter co-sponsored by Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio).

In all, 13 of 16 Ohio representatives signed the letter.

General Electric’s GE Aviation subsidiary has its headquarters in Evendale, Ohio outside of Cincinnati.

GE has said that it began working with the F-35 JPO in the fall of last year on evaluating whether GE could alter the proposed XA100 for the U.S. Air Force’s AETP to fit on the U.S. Marine Corps F-35B.

Since 2016, the Air Force has funded the AETP.

The F-35 program has said that while the XA100 TVA is based on the F-35A’s F135 engine, the TVA would require an independent development program.

This article was first published by Defense Daily, a sister publication to Avionics International; it has been edited.

The post Raytheon Targets F135 Engine Core Upgrade for 24 F-35 Squadrons by 2030 appeared first on Avionics International.

Eve and Volatus Partner On A Vertiport Automation Solution

Eve has signed an agreement to supply a vertiport automation solution for urban air mobility in collaboration with Volatus Infrastructure. (Photo: Eve)

Eve Air Mobility and Volatus Infrastructure have signed a Letter of Intent to supply a vertiport automation solution in support of traffic management for electric vertical take-off and landing, or eVTOL, aircraft. Volatus has designed infrastructure for eVTOLs, including a charging station, and its vertiports will incorporate Eve’s urban air traffic management software solution to make eVTOL operations more efficient. The software will be agnostic to enable integration of all users of the airspace.

Grant Fisk, co-founder of Volatus Infrastructure, remarked in the announcement by Eve that the solution will also increase safety and reliability. “It’s vitally important to get these systems up and running so that when the FAA approves the first eVTOL vehicle, we are ready to serve them,” he commented.

Andre Stein, Eve’s co-CEO, explained that the new software solution for urban air traffic management “will be specifically designed to support and maximize the capacity and efficiency of vertiports versus modifying existing software that was designed for other purposes.”

Eve, which is backed by Embraer, has developed a concept for an eVTOL aircraft tailored to the urban environment. Eve’s team has partnered with both Blade Air Mobility and FlyBlade India to conduct helicopter flights in order to further develop its understanding of urban air mobility. Eve conducted a simulation in downtown Chicago using Blade’s helicopters in September, during which it transported passengers around the city to understand the ecosystem requirements for eVTOLs.

The eVTOL designed by Eve features a conventional wing and tail. A full-sized mock-up of the vehicle’s cabin was first unveiled earlier this year. Eve is also collaborating with Halo Aviation, which will be its launch customer for the urban air mobility traffic management software solution.

“We have a strong team in FlyBIS working together with Eve’s outstanding workforce and second-to-none resources to develop and implement this project in the most financially efficient and sustainable way,” said FlyBIS Co-Founder and CEO Gustavo Zanettini (Photo: Eve)

The eVTOL developer revealed the signing of another Letter of Intent last week. FlyBIS Aviation Limited, a startup based in Brazil, will collaborate with Eve to develop eVTOL operations in South America. FlyBIS also plans to purchase up to 40 aircraft from Eve.

According to Eve’s Stein, the southern region of Brazil “has several high-traffic tourist areas that will benefit from eVTOL operations, reinforcing our commitment to fostering the urban air mobility market in different regions around the world.”

The post Eve and Volatus Partner On A Vertiport Automation Solution appeared first on Avionics International.

SpaceX Launches its First Mission for OneWeb

SpaceX launches 40 OneWeb satellites on Dec. 8. (Screenshot via SpaceX/Twitter)

SpaceX performed its first mission for OneWeb on Thursday, sending 40 satellites to Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) on a Falcon 9 rocket. The mission was notable in two ways—it was SpaceX’s first launch for Starlink broadband competitor OneWeb, and OneWeb’s second mission since resuming its launch campaign after Russia’s war in Ukraine stymied its Soyuz missions from Kazakhstan.

The Falcon 9 rocket took off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 5:27 p.m. ET on Dec. 8. Stage separation occurred 2 minutes and 20 seconds into the mission, and the satellites were deployed in a series of three deployments that took place 58 minutes, about 1 hour and 14 minutes, and 1 hour and 29 minutes into the mission. OneWeb confirmed signal acquisition on all satellites post-launch.

Following stage separation, the Falcon 9 first stage landed on Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

This launch brings OneWeb’s constellation to 502 satellites, almost 80% of its first-generation constellation, putting the company on track to deliver global coverage in 2023.

OneWeb said this launch allows the company to expand service and initiate additional connectivity solutions soon for partners across the U.S., Europe and much of the Middle East and Asia—all points north of the 35th parallel. It will also enable coverage between the South Pole and the 35th parallel south, for Southern Australia, South Africa and parts of South America.

Neil Masterson, OneWeb CEO, commented: “This launch is an immensely gratifying way to close out 2022, bringing OneWeb another step closer to activating our space-based connectivity globally and reflecting the shared ambition and collective goodwill that is driving the satellite communications industry. We are thankful for the support of other leaders in the space industry allowing us to quickly restart our launch campaign and we are delighted to work with SpaceX today for our first-ever launch from Florida, the home where our satellites are manufactured.”

This was OneWeb’s 15th mission overall. The company’s launch campaign was caught up in geopolitical tensions with Russia’s war in Ukraine, as OneWeb was launching with Arianespace on Soyuz rockets from Kazakhstan. In March, Russian space agency Roscosmos placed intense demands on OneWeb, launcher Arianespace, and the United Kingdom government, stopping the launches.

In the aftermath, OneWeb, which had previously only launched with Arianespace, signed a flurry of launch agreements with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), SpaceX, and Relativity to secure launch capacity for its growing constellation. OneWeb returned to flight with an ISRO mission in late October.

SpaceX and OneWeb are competitors, as SpaceX operates the Starlink LEO broadband constellation and has launched more than 3,500 satellites for the constellation. While OneWeb does not sell direct-to-consumer like Starlink does, both constellations are targeting government, enterprise and mobility markets like aviation.

Yet SpaceX seems open to launch business from competitors. In 2021, SpaceX COO Gwynne Shotwell talked about the dynamic of launching competitors in an interview with Via Satellite, arguing that she sees launch and Starlink as two very separate businesses. “To not leverage what I think is the best launch capability on the planet right now, at our low prices—seems to me like companies are shooting themselves in the foot,” she said, addressing potential competitors that choose not to launch with SpaceX.

Even an Amazon executive raised the possibility of Project Kuiper launches with SpaceX. In October, Dave Limp, senior vice president of Devices and Services at Amazon, said the Falcon 9 rocket is on the “low end of capacity” needed for Kuiper launches, but Falcon Heavy and Starship are “very viable candidates.”

This article was first published by Via Satellite, a sister publication to Avionics International. Click here to view the original version.

The post SpaceX Launches its First Mission for OneWeb appeared first on Avionics International.

Debate About 737 MAX Retrofits Continues as Deadline Approaches

“Even if Congress doesn’t force U.S. airlines to retrofit two new safety upgrades in their Boeing 737 MAX fleets, Europe’s aviation regulator intends to ensure those enhancements are mandated for carriers there,” wrote Dominic Gates for the Seattle Times. (Photo: REUTERS/Peter Cziborra)

There is perhaps no aircraft more scrutinized in modern aviation than the Boeing 737 MAX. The aircraft, which is the fourth generation of the 737 family, offers increased fuel efficiency and a better passenger experience compared to earlier versions. Improvements like this caused it to become an instant commercial success, with massive carriers like Southwest, Ryanair, United, and American ordering hundreds of the jets to replace older aircraft in their fleets.

However, following two tragic crashes in both Indonesia (LionAir) and Ethiopia (Ethiopian Airlines), the 737 MAX was grounded for over two years as regulators discovered fundamental flaws in the aircraft. These flaws mainly surrounded the angle-of-attack sensor, an aircraft part that measures the angle between oncoming air and the wing.

Following the correction of these flaws and a $200 million settlement from Boeing, regulatory bodies across the world have since re-certified the MAX. This has led to carriers across the world, including Ethiopian, to put the 737 MAX back into commercial service. However, recent legislation has sparked another debate surrounding the aircraft model.

The controversy is centered around the Aircraft Certification, Safety and Accountability Act of 2020. This legislation requires any aircraft certified after the year of 2022 to have an improved crew-alerting system that complies with more recent safety standards. Because the Boeing 737 MAX 7 and 10 will not be certified by the year’s end, some believe that the deadline should be extended to allow these MAX variants to be certified without a newer crew-alerting system.

Some legislatures believe the deadline should be extended, but with a caveat: U.S. airlines currently operating the 737 MAX would have to make two additional retrofits to the aircraft to further ensure the safety of the aircraft. The first retrofit seeks to address the original problem with the MAX further by adding a measure that would cross-check the two existing angle-of-attack sensors through various technologies on the aircraft. The second retrofit would install a switch in the cockpit that would allow the pilot to disable the “stick shaker”—a feature that shakes the yoke of the aircraft to warn pilots of a stall. This feature was believed to have distracted the pilots in the crashes that originally grounded the MAX.

Congress is not alone in contemplating requiring the retrofits. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has indicated that it is planning on requiring these safety upgrades on all aircraft, because it was a condition in the plan to re-certify the already-flying 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9. It seems that Boeing will be forced to retrofit at least some of its aircraft regardless of the decision from Congress regarding the proposed deadline extension.

As politicians struggle to decide whether or not Boeing should get an extension to certify the 737 MAX 7 and MAX 10, it seems clear that the 737 MAX will continue to be a heavily scrutinized aircraft. With only half of the variants flying today, the road to certifying and implementing the entire MAX family could be a turbulent one for Boeing and its customers.

The post Debate About 737 MAX Retrofits Continues as Deadline Approaches appeared first on Avionics International.

VPorts Announces Creation of First International Electric AAM Corridor

VPorts recently announced the creation of the first international electric AAM corridor between Syracuse Hancock International Airport and VPorts’ vertiport in Mirabel, Québec, Canada. The first eVTOL test flights are planned to start in 2023. (Photo: VPorts)

VPorts announced the creation of a corridor for advanced air mobility, or AAM, last week. It connects Syracuse Hancock International Airport and Mirabel, Québec, Canada. VPorts has a vertiport—essentially a heliport designed for AAM vehicles—located in Mirabel. The company claims that this is the first international electric AAM corridor.

In a recent interview with Avionics International, Dr. Fethi Chebil, President and Founder of VPorts, explained, “The corridor is an identified airspace where we will do a safety risk assessment to demonstrate to regulators that flying an eVTOL within this corridor is safe.”

“We are working with NUAIR, which already has a 50-mile corridor for drones,” he added. “We work together in building this corridor between Syracuse and Mirabel.” In addition to NUAIR, other international organizations such as Aéro Montréal, Innovitech, the Unmanned Aerial System Centre of Excellence (Alma), and operator Helijet International all signed a Memorandum of Understanding with VPorts to establish international corridors for AAM that connect the U.S. and Québec.

“We considered the obstacles between these two vertiports, the weather, and characteristics of eVTOLs for testing the corridor,” said Dr. Chebil. VPorts chose to focus initially on transportation of cargo. “We believe that the business case is there for cargo,” he shared. “The eVTOL could provide options to make the supply chain for movement of goods between two countries efficient, reliable, and sustainable.”

VPorts also plans to deploy an operational control center to assist with eVTOL operations. This includes flight plans and integrating weather data in addition to information about the airspace configuration. The control center will then be able to provide clearance or instructions, Dr. Chebil explained.

“We are assessing different options for corridors between these two vertiports and considering data about the airspace configuration,” he commented. “We have an idea of what this corridor will look like. The next step is to work with the team to do a safety risk assessment, because then we can go to the FAA, Transport Canada, and eventually NAV Canada to start doing flight testing under their supervision.”

NUAIR CEO Ken Stewart also commented on the announcement, saying, “The development of this international AAM corridor between Syracuse, NY, and Montreal will help lay the foundation for regional air mobility operations for underutilized airports, assisting with cargo deliveries and strengthening United States supply chains.

“VPorts is thrilled to be leading the development of this first and only AAM integrator world centre. Our presence in Dubai is aligned with our strategy and ambition to build and operate 1,500 vertiports around the world by 2045.” – Dr. Chebil (Photo: VPorts)

VPorts made another big announcement this week, sharing news of a historic partnership to establish an advanced air mobility integrator center in Dubai. VPorts is partnering with the UAE

General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and the Mohammed bin Rashid Aerospace Hub (MBRAH) on this project. The center will require an initial investment of $40 million over three years and will begin construction in 2023. Operations and flight testing could begin as early as 2024.

The post VPorts Announces Creation of First International Electric AAM Corridor appeared first on Avionics International.

Recent Drone Cybersecurity Developments Could Lead to Fewer Attacks in 2023

Cyber attacks are predicted to increase in 2023, with drones being a primary target. Here are the proven drone cybersecurity measures available to state and private actors. (Photo: DJI)

As companies and state governments establish their 2023 priorities, cybercrime should be a top concern, especially in the drone space. Cybercrime has increased dramatically over the past decade with no sign of slowing down in 2023. Drones are a key target for these attacks, but recent drone cybersecurity developments could help protect the information they store.

If cybercrime was a country, it would have the third largest economy after China and the U.S., according to forecasts from Cybercrime Magazine. That same forecast predicted that cybercrime will cost the world $8 trillion next year.

Drones are predicted to be a significant target of these attacks for two reasons: they are often used to collect valuable information, and drones often lack the security that other aircraft have.

At the federal level, drones are used to collect critical defense information, such as the location of enemy groups and the terrain and weather across the globe. States and local governments use drones for environmental and disaster management, infrastructure updates, and other critical urban planning tasks. Any data from drones used by the federal or state governments, as well as geographical data from drones owned by private companies, could be a valuable target for cyberattackers.

Not only is this collected information valuable, drones often don’t have the same security measures as computers or manned aircraft which collect similar information. This is due to the unprecedented complexity and interconnectivity of drone systems.

“In the near future, we’ll essentially have a network of flying computers in the sky, and just like the computers we use today, drones can be hacked if not secured properly,” said Amir Husain, the CEO of SkyGrid, in a recent press statement. “In this emerging environment, traditional anti-malware technology won’t be adequate to detect these never-before-seen attacks.”

Luckily, companies like SkyGrid are exploring new ways to protect drones against cybersecurity attacks. The use of artificial intelligence has helped SkyGrid and other companies detect, prevent, and combat cyberattacks against drones.

Buying drones that are made within Europe or America can also lower the chances of a cyberattack. Some companies based in China, like DJI (which owns between 75 and 80% of the international market), keep their information on servers in China which can easily be accessed by state actors.

Due to concerns over what information is accessible by the Chinese state, the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee passed a law to ban the federal use of Chinese-made drones in 2019. The Department of Homeland Security continues to endorse this law and even recommends limiting the use of all foreign-made drones.

With that being said, there are some independent auditors who have recently tested DJI’s cybersecurity measures and offer a different perspective. The independent German company who audited DJI’s drones determined that they met the American and European standards for use by private individuals and companies.

As the contrast between the recommendations from the independent auditors and the Department of Homeland Security shows, drone cybersecurity is a rapidly evolving field and there aren’t yet established cybersecurity practices. Choosing drones from reputable manufacturers and utilizing AI technologies like SkyGrid can help protect drones against cybersecurity threats, though further research and recommendations are needed.

The post Recent Drone Cybersecurity Developments Could Lead to Fewer Attacks in 2023 appeared first on Avionics International.

Category Archives: MRO’s