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Defence & Aerospace

Two UK companies to merge to form world’s first integrated zero-carbon aircraft maker

By: Rebecca Campbell 24th April 2023 Two relatively small but highly regarded UK aerospace companies, local/sub-regional airliner manufacturer Britten-Norman and aircraft design, production and maintenance company Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS), have announced that they are to merge and create the world’s first... →

Zero-carbon aerospace, liquid hydrogen production companies team up

By: Rebecca Campbell 17th April 2023 Zero-carbon emissions aircraft powertrain developer ZeroAvia on Monday announced a partnership with liquid hydrogen technology company Absolut Hydrogen. The two companies will cooperate on examining liquified hydrogen production, storage and refuelling at airports. ZeroAvia is an Anglo-US company... →

Photo by ZeroAvia
ZeroAvia’s modified Dornier D 228 takes off on its first flight with a hybrid-electric powertrain, in January

Boeing releases delivery data for the first quarter

By: Rebecca Campbell 12th April 2023 Giant US aerospace and defence group Boeing on Tuesday reported its aircraft and spacecraft delivery numbers during the first quarter of this year. The report included both commercial and military systems, and both fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. It cautioned that the information on its... →

Photo by Boeing
A Boeing 737 MAX 10

Plastics recycler teams up with military unit to recycle waste

By: Rebecca Campbell 11th April 2023 Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics recycling company Petco South Africa, which is a Producer Responsibility Organisation created by the country’s plastics industry as a self-regulating initiative to recycle PET plastics, has partnered with the South African Military Health Services (SAMHS)... →

Nasa research project seeks to enable drones to serve as firefighters

By: Rebecca Campbell 11th April 2023 The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) is currently running a project to use uncrewed aerial vehicles, popularly called drones, to improve both the coordination of forest and grassland firefighting operations and the direct suppression of such fires. Although the project is... →

Nasa Ames Research Centre research associate Yasmin Arbab testing a prototype firefighting drone “pilot’s kit” (the drone is not visible; in the background, a crewed helicopter carries out a firefighting training exercise)

Photo by Nasa/Ames Research Centre
Nasa Ames Research Centre research associate Yasmin Arbab testing a prototype firefighting drone “pilot’s kit” (the drone is not visible; in the background, a crewed helicopter carries out a firefighting training exercise)

Chinese naval surveillance ship docks in South African port

By: Bloomberg 5th April 2023 A Chinese surveillance ship that can track rocket and spacecraft launches was docked at the eastern port of Durban this week, less than two months after South Africa drew the ire of Western nations by holding naval exercises with China and Russia. The presence of the Yuan Wang 5, which is now... →

South African aeroplane company credits Brics with helping it win export orders

By: Rebecca Campbell 5th April 2023 South African light sports aircraft manufacturer Bat Hawk Aircraft has credited South Africa’s membership of the Brics group as helping it win a major export order. Brics is the acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The company is based in Nelspruit in Mpumalanga province.... →

Photo by Bat Hawk Aircraft
Company MD Terry Pappas with a Bat Hawk aircraft

Further engagement required to resolve concerns around Denel

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 17th March 2023 The Joint Standing Committee on Defence has called on State-owned Denel to meet with the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) command to thrash out concerns raised about the ability of the defence arms manufacturer to effectively support the sovereign and strategic capabilities of the... →

Rolls-Royce has appointed a new senior executive to oversee its African operations

By: Rebecca Campbell 15th March 2023 UK-based global major propulsion and power systems group Rolls-Royce has announced that its African operations have, with immediate effect, a new head. He is 21-year company veteran John Kelly and he has been appointed the group’s President – Middle East, Türkiye and Africa (META). Starting his... →

Photo by Rolls-Royce
John Kelly

Largest fuel-cell-powered aircraft to date has made successful first flight

By: Rebecca Campbell 3rd March 2023 A new record has been set for the largest aircraft yet to be flown with a hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system. The new record was set by US company Universal Hydrogen, using a modified 40-passenger De Havilland Canada Dash 8 regional airliner. The previous record, involving a 19-seater aircraft,... →

Photo by Universal Hydrogen
Universal Hydrogen’s modified Dash 8 testbed aircraft

Parliament’s Defence Committee anxious about maintenance of SANDF equipment

By: Rebecca Campbell 3rd March 2023 Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Defence reported on Friday its concerns about the maintenance of the South African National Defence Force’s (SANDF’s) prime mission equipment (PME). In a press release, the Committee noted that it had had a meeting on Thursday with Armscor, the Department... →

Company provides solutions to combat local industry decline

By: Leah Shelene Asaram 24th February 2023 Despite the current state of the South African defence industry not being what it was two decades ago, protected mobility specialists OTT Group of companies is providing solutions to not only save the industry but to also enable longevity. The OTT Group, together with sister company OTT... →

An image of OTT’s Group LM13 armoured vehicle

3, 2, 1 ATTACK! The local defence industry has been a significant global role player, with world-leading technologies in areas such as missiles, vehicles and artillery systems

Rolls-Royce reports improved results for 2022

By: Rebecca Campbell 23rd February 2023 UK-based global major power and propulsion systems group Rolls-Royce released its results for 2022 on Thursday. It reported that last year it had recorded improvements in its orders, revenue, profit and cash flow. It also reduced its net debt. The group reported underlying revenues for last year... →

Photo by Rolls-Royce
A Rolls-Royce Trent-XWB engine (on the wing of an Airbus A350 airliner)

Sanral, Transnet, Denel among SOEs to receive fiscal support in 2023/24

By: Marleny Arnoldi 22nd February 2023 As State-owned entities (SOEs) continue to rely on government bailouts and dominate the guarantee portfolio of the fiscus, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has announced conditional in-year allocations to various SOEs in the National Budget speech delivered on February 22. These include... →

United Airlines, partners launch fund to stimulate sustainable aviation fuel development

By: Rebecca Campbell 22nd February 2023 Major US carrier United Airlines (United) has announced the establishment, jointly with a number of corporate partners, of a “first-of-its-kind” fund, worth more than $100-million, to support the development of sustainable aviation. Entitled the United Airlines Ventures Sustainable Flight Fund,... →

Paramount Group unveils new logo at IDEX

By: Donna Slater 21st February 2023 Aerospace and defence company Paramount Group has introduced what it says is an evolution of its brand by redeveloping its logo, which was unveiled at the International Defence Expo, which is being held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Founded in... →

an image of Paramount Groups stand at IDEX

Paramount Groups stand with its new logo at the International Defence Expo 2023.

South African electronics company participating in global major defence show

By: Rebecca Campbell 20th February 2023 South African electronics company Etion Create, which recently became a Reunert group company, is highlighting its new brand identity along with its defence products at the International Defence Exhibition & Conference (IDEX) in the United Arab Emirates. IDEX is the biggest such event in the... →

Photo by Etion Create
The new Etion Create brand logo

Embraer reports increased year-on-year commercial and business jet deliveries in 2022

By: Rebecca Campbell 20th February 2023 The world’s number three manufacturer of commercial jets, Brazil-based Embraer, has reported that it delivered 159 commercial and business jets last year. This represented a 12.7% increase over the figure for 2021. Of the 2022 deliveries, 80 were handed over to customers during the fourth... →

Photo by Airlink
An Embraer E190 of South African airline Airlink

Boeing ramps up its acquisition of sustainable aviation fuels

By: Rebecca Campbell 17th February 2023 Giant US aerospace and defence giant Boeing has announced that it is to increases its sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) purchases by more than 100% this year, in comparison with last year. The SAF, which will total 21.2-million litres, will be a SAF/conventional jet fuel blend produced by the... →

The preliminaries for the relocation of the SA Navy’s KwaZulu-Natal base are going well

By: Rebecca Campbell 17th February 2023 South Africa’s national port infrastructure and marine services agency, Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), has given the assurance that the preliminaries for the project to establish a new base for the South African Navy (SA Navy) at Richards Bay are progressing well. In return for the new... →

The Port of Richards Bay

Defence export council seeking opportunities in the Middle East

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 14th February 2023 Membership organisation the South African Aerospace Maritime Defence Export Council CEO Sandile Ndlovu will embark on a mission to seek export opportunities in the Middle East for the South African manufacturing companies operating in the aerospace, maritime and defence industries. Ndlovu will be... →

Sandile Ndlovu

Artificial intelligence successfully flies an experimental version of a tactical fighter jet

By: Rebecca Campbell 14th February 2023 US major aerospace and defence group Lockheed Martin announced, from the world-renowned Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) in the US State of California on Tuesday, that the VISTA X-62A research and development (R&D) aircraft had recently been flown by an artificial intelligence (AI) “agent” for more... →

University of Nottingham clean aviation projects receive £10m in funding

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 6th February 2023 Several projects led by the University of Nottingham’s Institute of Aerospace Technology (IAT) have received £10-million to fund research into the future of net-zero aviation. HECATE, NEWBORN and HERA are all part of the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking, the European Union’s research and... →

Boeing delivers last ever 747 Jumbo jet

By: Rebecca Campbell 1st February 2023 On Tuesday, US aerospace giant Boeing delivered the last-ever 747, marking the end of the production of one of the most important types in commercial aviation history. The first-ever wide-body airliner, it revolutionised the economics of air travel, changing the sector forever. The 747 made its... →

Photo by Boeing
The last-ever 747 produced: Atlas Air’s 747-8F, registration N863GT

French Navy frigate will visit Durban this week

By: Rebecca Campbell 30th January 2023 The French Embassy in Pretoria announced on Monday that the French Navy’s patrol frigate Nivôse was to enter Durban on Tuesday, for a four-day visit to South Africa’s largest port. The ship would depart on Saturday. The visit served to highlight the bilateral maritime cooperation between the two... →

DBSA highlights successful progress of PPP refurbishing 1 Military Hospital

By: Rebecca Campbell 26th January 2023 The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) has highlighted the potential of strategic public-private partnerships (PPP) to ensure the proper management and maintenance of State-owned healthcare facilities, and indeed other key public infrastructure, in the future. The financial institution... →

Boeing announces mixed results for 2022

By: Rebecca Campbell 26th January 2023 US giant aerospace and defence group Boeing has released its results for 2022. While revenues were up 7%, year-on-year (y/y), to $66.608-billion (from $62.286-billion), other indicators deteriorated, y/y. Net loss went from $4.29-billion in 2021 to $5.053-billion in 2022, and the loss from... →

Photo by Boeing
A Boeing 737 MAX-10 airliner

Airbus Helicopters claims 52% of the global civil and ‘parapublic’ helicopter market in 2022

By: Rebecca Campbell 25th January 2023 Airbus Helicopters, a subsidiary of the Europe-based global major Airbus aerospace and defence group, announced on Wednesday that it had won gross orders totalling 374 helicopters last year, with net orders coming to 362. Deliveries during 2022 totalled 344 helicopters, up from the 338 delivered... →

Photo by Airbus Helicopters
An H160 of All Nippon Helicopters

Largest hydrogen-electric test-bed aircraft to date makes successful first flight

By: Rebecca Campbell 20th January 2023 Zero-emissions aviation company ZeroAvia conducted, on Thursday afternoon, the first test flight of the biggest aircraft to date powered by a hydrogen-electric engine. The aircraft was a Dornier Do 228 19-seater passenger aircraft, modified into a test bed, with one of its two turboprop engines... →

Photo by ZeroAvia
The hydrogen-electric Do 228 takes off on its first test flight

NASA awards Boeing contract to make and test-fly full-size airliner technology demonstrator

By: Rebecca Campbell 19th January 2023 The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) on Wednesday awarded US major aerospace group Boeing a commercial aviation technology development contract, under which the manufacturer will build a full-scale demonstrator aircraft to test and evaluate technologies to reduce fuel... →

Photo by Nasa
Nasa administrator Bill Nelson holds a model of the SFD TTBW test aircraft

Chinese company completes its first cargo conversion of an Airbus A321 airliner

By: Rebecca Campbell 18th January 2023 Chinese major maintenance, repair and overhaul organisation (MRO) HAECO Xiamen announced on Tuesday that it had completed its first conversion of an Airbus A321-200 airliner into a freighter aircraft (making the aircraft an A321-200PCF). It had executed the conversion in partnership with US... →

Photo by HAECO Xiamen
HAECO Xiamen’s first A321-200PCF is rolled out, following its conversion

Airbus, Dutch technology group partner on developing laser communications

By: Rebecca Campbell 12th January 2023 Europe-based global major aerospace and defence group Airbus has entered into a partnership with Dutch high-technology industrial company VDL Group to develop and produce a laser communication terminal for aircraft. Designated UltraAir, the terminal would be based on development work jointly... →

Boeing reports its airliner and freighter deliveries and orders during 2022

By: Rebecca Campbell 12th January 2023 Giant US aerospace group Boeing has reported its totals for commercial aircraft deliveries and orders during last year. Total deliveries last year came to 480, including 44 freighter versions of the company’s airliner families. “We worked hard in 2022 to stabilise 737 production, resume 787... →

Airbus increased airliner deliveries by 8% last year, in comparison with 2021

By: Rebecca Campbell 12th January 2023 Europe-based global major aerospace group Airbus has released its commercial aircraft deliveries and order totals for last year. Deliveries totalled 661 airliners to 84 customers. (This total excludes two A350-900 widebody airliners recorded in December 2021 as having been sold to Russian carrier... →

New space weather centre to provide real-time solar storm forecasts

By: Rebecca Campbell 16th December 2022 For the South African National Space Agency’s (SANSA’s) Hermanus facility, 2022 has been the year of space weather – in August, its new Space Weather Centre (SWC) began operations, although its formal launch took place in November. (Hermanus is a coastal town in the Western Cape province, some... →

International JV chosen to develop control technologies for next-generation aeroengine

By: Rebecca Campbell 15th December 2022 International joint venture (JV) FADEC Alliance has been chosen to design and develop the electronic control system for the CFM International RISE demonstrator engine programme. FADEC Alliance is a JV between US-based global major aeroengine company GE Aerospace and FADEC International. RISE is... →

Half of newly announced Maatla orders completed, deliveries under way

By: Donna Slater 14th December 2022 Paramount Land Systems, a subsidiary of aerospace and defence group Paramount, reports that 50% of the newly announced Maatla 4x4 light-protected vehicle (LPV) contracts have already been completed with deliveries underway to customer countries. The new multirole Maatla – meaning power in... →

Paramount Land Systems' Maatla light protected vehicle

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