Helicopters

As a modernized version it will bring earlier models to the T2 standard. The Mi-26 is operated by a crew of five but the improvements introduced by the BREO-26 avionics suite enables most missions to reduce the to crew to 2-3 persons.

The V-280 Valor has achieved first flight yesterday, at Bell Helicopter facility at Amarillo, Texas. The V-280 Valor is Bell's variant evaluated by the US Army Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator initiative.

Airbus' EAGLE vision system began flight testing on ab H225 helicopter flying testbed. The system improves situational awareness and reduces the pilot’s workload by automating and securing approaches, take-off, and landing. Photo: Airbus

The Marine Corps examined an innovative autonomous flying capability that enables troops to safely and reliably control helicopters from the ground, even in difficult weather conditions. The demonstration flight took place this week at the Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., as the Office of Naval Research (ONR) announced the successful conclusion of the Autonomous Aerial Cargo/Utility System (AACUS) program.

At the Army-2017 exhibition near Moscow, the Russian arms industries are promotiong the latest weapons and systems tested in combat in Syria. Unlike similar events in the west, the Russian weapons are demonstrated in daily live firing demonstrations throughout the week long event.

A high-energy laser mounted on an Apache AH-64 attack helicopter acquired and hit an unmanned target during a recent firing test at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The test was conducted by Raytheon and the U.S. Army Apache Program Management Office, in collaboration with U.S. Special Operations Command.

Aurora Flight Sciences will integrate the Tactical Autonomous Aerial Logistics System (TALOS) on a UH-1H helicopter for capability demonstration to the US Navy and Marine Corps, flight demonstrations of the unmanned, autonomous Huey are planned in 2017-2018.

United Nations peacekeepers in Africa are expanding the use of drones to improve force protection and better secure the civilian communities in conflict areas. The UN is expected to select a supplier for a larger MALE drone to succeed the Falco UAVs operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo since 2013. Such drones will soon launch operations from two bases in Mali, in support of UN operations in the Sahara.

The Russian Navy is activating the Mi-14 in the submarine hunting mission after the helicopter was decommissioned from this role in 1996. Back then the helicopter was tasked with depth charges and massive nuclear weapons used in anti-submarine warfare. On its new mission, the helicopter will receive lighter, conventional armed Zalon-2 guided anti-submarine weapons.

The Marine Corps' new heavyweight lifter CH-53K King Stallion completed an external lift of a 13 tons (27,000 pounds) payload at Sikorsky’s Development Flight Test Center in West Palm Beach June 17. The first two aircraft have already verified the King Stallion’s capabilities well in excess of the predecessor CH-53E.

Unveiled yesterday at Eurosatory 2016 by Israel based Bird Aerosystems, SPREOS combines a radar based verification sensor and an active laser effector to form a directional, infrared countermeasure (DIRCM) system. Mounted on the same optical path, the laser 'fires׳ right through the center of the radar panel, enabling significant cost saving in maintaining separate aiming devices.

Airbus will need to work hard if military sales are ever to recover the growing scandal over the Norwegian crash.

Twenty-eight Israeli companies will present a wide range of advanced technologies – many of them operational – including sophisticated sensors and systems protecting borders and sensitive facilities, robotic and automotive logistics, electro-optics for artillery and infantry, airborne satellite communications, fire control solutions, tactical medical equipment, and more. See Defense-Update video coverage of Defexpo.

Israel has delivered 16 retired U.S.-supplied Cobra helicopter gunships to Jordan to help the Hashemite kingdom deal with the threat of Islamic State (ISIS) which currently control large areas along its borders with Syria and Iraq. The transfer provided at no cost was kept in secret since last year but was recently leaked by an unnamed U.S. official and published by Reuters.