The Airbus A330 MRTT becomes world’s first tanker certified for automatic air-to-air refuelling operations

The Airbus A330 MRTT has become the world’s first tanker to be certified for automatic air-to-air refuelling (A3R) boom operations in daylight following a successful campaign in collaboration with the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF).

Airbus

This capability, certified by the Spanish National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA),  is part of the new SMART MRTT developed by Airbus.

According to the press release by Airbus, the A3R system requires no additional equipment on the receiver aircraft and is intended to reduce air refuelling operator (ARO) workload, improve safety and optimise the rate of air-to-air refuelling (AAR) transfer in operational conditions to enable air superiority.

The certification of the A3R capability is the result of a successful journey that started in 2018 with the world’s first automated contact with a boom system in a joint operation with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Since then, we’ve achieved more aeronautical “world firsts” thanks to the support of our customers, especially with the key participation of our partner the RSAF, a launch customer and the first operator to benefit from this game-changing capability. The A330 MRTT continues to increase its technological advantage with superior air refuelling capabilities,” said Jean-Brice Dumont, Head of Military Air Systems at Airbus Defence and SpaceAirbus

The collaboration between Airbus and the RSAF for the development of the SMART MRTT featured the use of an RSAF A330 MRT for the development, flight test campaign and certification of the A3R.

Additionally, enhanced maintenance capabilities have been developed, allowing faster resolution of ground tasks, while providing the means for maximising the efficient use of spare parts.

Apparently, this is not the end of it all for the evolution of the A330 MRTT. Airbus, through its subsidiary Airbus UpNext, has launched Auto’Mate, a demonstrator that will develop, adapt, mature, integrate and evaluate technologies enabling Autonomous Assets Air-to-Air Refuelling (A4R) and Autonomous Formation Flight (AF2) operations. Auto’Mate will focus on automating the receiver aircraft’s tasks, which requires a set of new technologies that are the pillars of the UpNext Auto’Mate demonstrator.

 Auto´Mate is the first UpNext demonstrator to be launched, developed and concluded in Spain.

The set of technologies developed in the Airbus Auto’Mate demonstrator will enable a disruptive step forward in the autonomy level of current Air-to-Air Refuelling (AAR) operations and will be tested in flight during 2023 with a final end-to-end demonstration in mid-2024, using in both cases an A310 as the Tanker Refuelling Flight Test Bed and DT-25 Target Drones as receiver aircraft.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXMdg1fdMQ4

Additionally, these technologies would also focus on reducing crew fatigue and training costs, improving safety and efficiency, and pioneering Unmanned Air-to-Air Refuelling operations (including Unmanned-to-Unmanned AAR operations), a highly demanded capability for future defence scenarios.

SOURCE

COVER: Airbus

A passenger on an IndiGo Patna-Delhi flight 6E-2126 on Thursday, July 21 claimed that there was a bomb on board, which later turned out to be a hoax, sources said.

The flight, which was scheduled to depart at 8:20 PM, had to be grounded following the hoax threat. All the passengers were safely evacuated. The plane was searched and nothing was found, a source said.

IndiGo aircraft halted at Patna airport after a hoax bomb call

A bomb squad and police personnel checked the aircraft and declared it safe. The man's bag was also checked and no bomb was found.

The passenger who spread the hoax was detained by the local authorities. The plane is expected to leave for Delhi with passengers on Friday morning, sources said.IndiGo did not respond to PTI's request for a statement on the matter.

ALSO READ - Go First aircraft halted in Srinagar after hoax bomb call

In April, Go First aircraft halted in Srinagar after hoax bomb call

In April, a Go First plane, which was scheduled to go to Delhi, has been halted in Srinagar and is being searched following a telephone call warning about a bomb inside the aircraft, officials said.

ALSO READ - Former airport employee busted for making a hoax bomb threat at Bengaluru Airport

Earlier in Mat, Panic prevailed at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, after an anonymous caller rang the Bengaluru city police helpline (112) around 3:50 AM and informed that a bag carrying explosives had been placed on the airport premises.

An Air India Boeing 787 aircraft with flight number AI 934 from Dubai to Cochin had to be diverted to Mumbai due to cabin pressurisation loss, adding to the growing number of flights that had to be diverted due to technical snags.

The aircraft was cruising at 37,000 feet when the issue occurred and saw oxygen masks being deployed with some of the passengers suffering nosebleeds. The pilots immediately contacted the integrated operations control centre (IOCC) of the airline as well as the air traffic controller.

Following the depressurisation, the pilots descended the aircraft to 10,000 feet. The plane was allowed to divert to the nearest airport, which in this case was the one in Mumbai and it landed safely.

Air India B787 Dubai-Cochin flight diverted to Mumbai due to cabin pressurisation loss

“The captain reported the pressurisation loss to the Air India Integrated Operations Control Centre, and diverted the flight to Mumbai,” a DGCA official said. There were 247 passengers and 11 crew members on board.

The flight had landed safely at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj international airport. As per the information by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), senior officers of O/o DAS WR are assigned the task to carry out a preliminary investigation.

Jet aircraft fly at high altitudes with a pressurized fuselage that maintains pressure and temperature levels inside the aircraft at levels physiologically fit for humans.

The aircraft was cruising at 37,000 feet when the issue occurred and saw oxygen masks being deployed with some of the passengers suffering nosebleeds.

While most jets have cabin air pressure equivalent to that experienced at an altitude of 8000 ft, the Dreamliner with its composite fuselage can maintain a lower cabin pressure of about 6,000 ft.

The alternate aircraft arranged for passengers of the Dubai-Kochi Air India flight that got diverted to Mumbai a day ago due to a loss of cabin pressure landed at the Cochin International Airport here early on Friday, July 22 morning.

An alternate aircraft AI 1681 BOM-COK from Mumbai landed at 0433 hours today with 180 passengers. The rest of the passengers will arrive on an Air India flight at 0730 hrs.

An alternate aircraft AI 1681 BOM-COK from Mumbai landed at 0433 hours today with 180 passengers.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered a probe into the incident that took place on July 21 when an Air India flight from Dubai to Kochi was diverted to Mumbai due to a loss of cabin pressure after which an alternate aircraft was arranged to carry passengers from Mumbai to Kochi.

A senior DGCA official informed that the captain of Air India Boeing Fleet Aircraft of Flight No. AI- 934 from Dubai - Cochin, reported to IOCC (Integrated Operations Control Centre) regarding pressurization loss in the aircraft. The flight was diverted to Mumbai and it landed safely.

Two senior officers of DAS WR are assigned the task to carry out a preliminary investigation. He added that an inquiry has been ordered.

A captain of Air India Boeing Fleet Aircraft of Flight No. AI- 934 from Dubai - Cochin, reported to IOCC (Integrated Operations Control Centre) regarding pressurization loss in the aircraft.

ALSO READ - Go First A320’s windshield breaks midair; flight diverted to Jaipur

In an incident of technical malfunction, the windshield of a Go First flight between Delhi and Guwahati cracked mid-air due to bad weather on Wednesday, July 20. The aircraft was diverted to Jaipur and landed safely.

Earlier this month, DGCA said that 30 such incidents take place daily, but these occurrences hardly have any safety implications. "On average, about 30 incidents do take place, including go-around, missed approaches, diversion, medical emergencies, weather, technical and bird hits," the top DGCA told ANI.

"Most of them have no safety implications. On the contrary, they are a sine qua non of a robust safety management system," he added.

In an incident of technical malfunction, the windshield of a Go First flight between Delhi and Guwahati cracked mid-air due to bad weather on July 20.

In similar incidents, another two Go First flights were diverted due to engine snags. The DGCA has said that the matter is being investigated and the aircraft are being grounded. The DGCA added that the flights will take off once they get clearance from the authority.

Earlier on July 17, an Air India Express aircraft while operating from Calicut to Dubai was diverted to Muscat after a burning smell was observed from one of the vents in the forward galley of the flight.

Meanwhile, after frequent engineering-related glitches were reported in several airlines, the DGCA conducted several spot checks and advised that all aircraft at base and transit stations shall be released by certifying staff holding a licence with appropriate authorization by their organization.

After frequent engineering-related glitches were reported in several airlines, the DGCA conducted several spot checks

ALSO READ - DGCA finds insufficient aircraft engineers during spot checks amid rising technical snags

The spot checks carried out by DGCA teams have indicated the improper identification of the cause of a reported defect, increasing trend of minimum equipment list (MEL) releases and non-availability of required certifying staff to cater to multiple scheduled arrivals/ departures in a short interval.

ALSO READ - DGCA asks airlines to depute aircraft engineers at all airports

The move comes after several instances were reported in the country where flights were diverted citing safety or functioning issues.

According to open sources, Lockheed Martin, the largest US maker, had announced the launch of a new F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter production line in Greenville, South Carolina.

While the fighters created at the same time have been decommissioned and have ceased, the US has recently continued to grow the plant that produces this fighter line, making the F-16 the most successful 4th generation fighter of the US.

F-16 Fighting Falcon | MOTORIZADO

One of the most popular and combat-tested ever to fly is the F-16 Fighting Falcon. F-16s currently used by militaries worldwide have flown more than 400,000 combat missions and accumulated 19 hours of flight time. A total of 25 militaries still use F-16s in their air services, and about 3,000 Fighting Falcons are in use.

Last Man Standing: F-16s Outlast Any Other Fighter Created Introduced at the Same Time

The United States Air Force flies more F-16s than any other type as part of its fighter fleet. The F-16's durability can be attributed to both its dependability and combat prowess as well as to its impressive cost-effectiveness, with the Falcon coming in at a significantly lower price compared to its larger fourth-generation, the F-15.

F-15 Eagle Vs F-16 Fighting Falcon | Representative | Military Watch Magazine

Due to its successful track record, the F-16 has continued operating despite the development of a more advanced fifth-generation stealth fighter. The F-16 is currently undergoing upgrades that will allow it to continue to be competitive in the air for years to come to guarantee that this is still the case. The newest generation of F-16s, known as the F-16V or "Viper," is incorporating several technologies that will further improve the F-16s combat capabilities, moving beyond the C/D variants of the aircraft to become the standard in many air forces around the world.

Su-35 | Wikimedia Commons

The F-16V also referred to as the F-16E/F Block 70/72, is the model that is currently being used. The F-16V warplanes can compete with the top-tier Russian heavyweight fighter Su-35 thanks to their AN/APG-83 AESA active phased array, Sniper ATP package, and AIM-9X missiles.

Eyes of the Tiger: F-16 AESA Radar

Active phased array radar is often only seen on fifth-generation aircraft due to its and high cost. The US chose to reduce them to the 4th and 5th generation fighters, indicating that they will stick around to support the 5th generation fighters for a slightly extended period.

AESA Radar | Representative | Saab

The active phased array radar undoubtedly provides the fighter with a new edge, and many experts think that the F-16V may compete in some ways with the Russian Su-35, which only has a semi-active phased array radar.

The F-16V can acquire the air-to-air and air-to-ground combat skills of fifth-generation fighters thanks to the APG-83 fire control radar system. The engine on the F-16V has also been modified for higher performance while being more fuel-efficient, in addition to the extensively modernized avionics. The integrated fuel tank on the back of the F-16V allows it to have a substantially longer combat range than earlier models.

Price is Right: Why F-16 is the Darling of the Beholder and Death Sentence for the Enemy

The super jet Mig-25 Foxbat was initially intended to be fought by the F-15. But it turned out that the Mig-25 was entirely different from what the Pentagon had first believed. Thus, the original goal and motivation behind the F-15 vanished. The F-15 was being redefined by the Pentagon and forced into uses that its price did not support. The engines were detuned of the F-15 were detuned to extend its lifespan. This is the rationale behind the creation of the F-16.

Mig-25 Foxbat | Representative | The National Interest

Each F-15 variant outperforms the F-16 in its respective role on a technical level. At 1.5 times the price, the F-15c is a competent fighter and slightly superior to an F-16 in a fight. Even though it costs five times as much, the F-15E is a superior strike aircraft to an F-16. But you get the idea. The specialized F-15s can carry out some missions that the F-16 cannot. The F-16 is a low-cost, incredibly adaptable aircraft.

The F-16 is affordable and competent across the board. For the same money as one F-22, the Pentagon could purchase seven F-16s. Each F-16 costs $18.8 million, and an operational flight hour costs $7,000 per aircraft. The price of a single F-22 is $150 million, and a flight hour of use costs $64,000. A PMP, or Periodic Maintenance Procedure, is required for the F-22 every month.

F-16s have successfully completed nine sorties a day. Only capable of one sortie every three days, the F-22 is also extremely expensive to operate. In a war lasting more than a day, the F-22 is only occasionally usable, and in a conflict lasting more than a month, it is entirely useless.

F-22 Raptor | Representative | The Digital Picture

The F-16's introduction, in my memory, left everyone in awe. It was incredibly effective at everything and was cheap, adaptable, stealthy, and stealthy. The performance of some much more expensive planes was matched or even surpassed it in some areas. It was, in my opinion, the first fly-by-wire jet that the United States had on hand.

COVER: Source

Set to begin production in 2024, the aviation company Boom Supersonic has unveiled updates to highly anticipated ultra fast "Overture" at the Farnborough International Airshow on July 19.

International Flight Network

After almost seven years in development, the supersonic airliner, which is expected to go from Seattle to Tokyo in less than 5 hours, is now one step closer to reality.

Already designed to cross the speed of sound, Boom has now decreased the Overture's passenger capacity, increased its number of engines and reconfigured the fuselage and gull wings in order to create a more efficient and "quiet" aircraft.

The aircraft is now designed for manufacturability and for maintenance. The tail-mounted engine in the old design would have been difficult to reach and maintain. Everything we've been saying for the last few years about fuel efficiency about the airplanes remains trueBoom founder and CEO Blake Scholl told Fast Company on Tuesday

Blake Scholl | World Biz Magazine

According to BOOM, the aircraft will now feature four smaller wing mounted engines, which will decrease the operational costs and allow it to fly quieter. Additionally, these engines will enable the Overture to soar at Mach 1.7 or about 1,300 miles per hour over water-faster than the speed of sound.

Key features:

Four-engine design: Overture will be powered by four powerful, wing-mounted engines that enable the airliner to cruise at Mach 1.7 over water and just under Mach 1 over land. Additionally, the four-engine design reduces noise while also decreasing costs for airline operators.

Executive Traveller

Quieter operation:  On take-off, Overture will use the world’s first automated noise reduction system. The airliner will fly without afterburners, meeting the same strict regulatory noise levels as the latest subsonic airplanes.

Representative | Aerospace Testing International

Contoured fuselage: Boom has applied the "principle of area-ruling" design technique to minimize drag and maximize fuel efficiency at supersonic speeds. Therefore, the Overture’s fuselage now has a larger diameter toward the front of the aircraft and a smaller diameter toward the rear.

Drivespark

Net zero carbon: Sustainability is woven into all aspects of Overture, from design and production to flight and end-of-life recycling.

Most of the Overture will be built using carbon fiber composites hence the aircraft will be lighter and therefore more fuel efficient.

Specs

PCMag

Cruise speedMach 1.7 supersonic, Mach 0.94 subsonicRange4,250nm with full payloadPassengers65–80Flight controls4x redundant digital fly-by-wire on 2 LRUsPowerplant4x medium-bypass 100% SAF-compatible turbofanAirport Community noiseICAO Chapter 14 / FAA Stage 5BOOM Supersonic

Aviation has not seen a giant leap in decades. Overture is revolutionary in its design, and it will fundamentally change how we think about distance. With more than 600 routes across the globe, Overture will make the world dramatically more accessible for tens of millions of passengerssaid Boom Founder and CEO Blake Scholl

Boom Supersonic

Boom Supersonic also announced a landmark partnering agreement with Northrop Grumman to develop special mission variants for the U.S. Government and its allies at the Farnborough International Airshow.

SOURCE(s)

COVER: iTech Post

A Go First flight, heading from Delhi to Guwahati, was diverted to Jaipur after the A320neo plane's windshield cracked mid-air.

The incident took place when flight G8 151, that took off from the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport at 12:40 PM, was flying over Rajasthan. An official at the IGI airport said that though the pilots wanted to return to Delhi, they had to fly to Jaipur due to heavy rain and bad weather in the national capital.

Go First A320's windshield breaks midair; flight diverted to Jaipur. (This image is for representative purposes only)

This is the third incident of a technical glitch on a Go First aircraft in two days. A DGCA official said that the flight was diverted to Jaipur as the weather in Delhi was not appropriate. In a statement, Go First acknowledged that a windshield crack in the Delhi-Guwahati flight.

"The Pilot in Command was a very well-experienced pilot and a qualified TRI and handled the issue quite diligently and with maturity and due to the weather in Delhi he took a precautionary measure and diverted the aircraft to Jaipur. The passengers are being accommodated on the alternate aircraft from Jaipur to Guwahati and due care is being taken for their comfort and convenience."Go First

Earlier, on Tuesday, July 19, Go First's two Mumbai-Leh and Srinagar-Delhi flights faced technical glitches and both planes were grounded by the aviation regulator.

Go First A320 aircraft VT-WGA flight from Mumbai to Leh was diverted to Delhi due to Engine No.2 EIU (Engine Interface Unit) fault.

Meanwhile, another flight, Go Air A320 aircraft VT-WJG flight G8-6202, from Srinagar to Delhi was diverted to Srinagar due to Engine no. 2 EGT overlimit. Officials said that the DGCA was investigating the incidents and both the planes involved in engine snag incidents.

Earlier July 19, Go First's two Mumbai-Leh and Srinagar-Delhi flights faced technical glitches and both planes were grounded by the aviation regulator.

Scores of flights have been diverted owing to multiple technical snags in Indian carriers' aircraft during the last couple of days. Sources said that Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Monday, July 18 told each airline to take all necessary steps that are needed to ramp up safety oversight.

The DGCA has now mandated that all flights need to be released by certified staff having an AME Category B1/B2 license and is currently investigating all incidents of technical malfunction.

ALSO READ - Recent emergency landings led to Scindia’s high-level meeting with senior DGCA officials

ALSO READ - Spicejet aircraft returns to Mumbai due to cracked windshield