Technology

 Lockheed Martin  successfully conducted the first-ever launch yesterday of the  Long Range Anti-Ship Missile  (LRASM) surface-launch variant from a topside canister.The flight test, at White Sands Missile Range,  New Mexico , proved the missile's ability to conduct an angled launch from the newly designed topside canister, replicating a ship-launched environment. During the test, the LRASM, its Mk-114 booster and booster adapter ejected cleanly from the topside launcher using the same launch control and launch sequencer software currently employed by the Mk-41 Vertical Launch System (VLS). "This successful flight test demonstrates Lockheed Martin's readiness to answer the U.S. Navy's call for lethal, longer range anti-surface warfare capabilities as part of the 'Distributed Lethality' concept," said  Scott Callaway , Subsonic Cruise Missile director at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "This test also validates the flexibility and ve

 Lockheed Martin has delivered the first  High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS)  launcher in which both the chassis and launcher components were manufactured at its facility in  Camden, Arkansas . In the past, the HIMARS five-ton chassis were Government Furnished Equipment to Lockheed Martin. Lockheed Martin is under a U.S. Department of Defense Foreign Military Sales contract to produce 12 new HIMARS launchers for an international customer. Delivery of all launchers under the contract will be completed by the end of calendar year 2017. "This delivery represents a significant milestone for Lockheed Martin in that we are now producing the HIMARS five-ton trucks from the ground up in  Camden ," said  Scott Greene , vice president of Precision Fires for Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "Our award-winning  Camden  facility continues to produce world-class vehicles, and this latest HIMARS vehicle coming off the line is indisputable proof of that

Europe’s pollution monitoring satellite Sentinel-5 Precursor is ready to leave Airbus’ Stevenage site for launch on a Rokot rocket from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia.Sentinel-5 Precursor is part of the global monitoring programme "Copernicus", a joint European Commission–ESA undertaking which aims to acquire continuous and accurate Earth observation data and provide services to improve the management of the environment, understand and mitigate the effects of climate change and ensure civil security. Sentinel-5 Precursor will provide essential atmospheric chemistry data to the Copernicus programme before the Sentinel-5 instrument becomes operational in 2021 on the MetOp Second Generation satellite. Airbus was prime for Sentinel-5 Precursor, with three sites involved in development and manufacturing of the satellites and its components: Stevenage (UK - prime), Toulouse (France) and Friedrichshafen (Germany). Colin Paynter, Managing Director of Airbus Defence and Space

Emirates’ iconic A380 aircraft will make a one-off landing at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), Katunayake, on Monday 14th August as the global airline joins local authorities in the celebration of the airport’s resurfaced runway.  The special flight, operating as EK654 from Dubai, will be the first A380 aircraft to disembark passengers in Sri Lanka after completing a commercial service. The one-off A380 aircraft will arrive at 16:10 hours and be on ground for more than six hours before it returns to Dubai as flight EK655 departing at 22:10 hours, enabling airport executives, VIPs, trade partners and media to enjoy a guided static tour of the double-decker aircraft. “Colombo has welcomed us from the day Emirates commenced daily flights from Dubai in 1986, just a year after the airline launched its operations.  We are honoured to work alongside the city, airport, and the Sri Lankan Civil Aviation authorities, to bring our flagship A380 to this vibrant destination.

Refurbishing a shuttle-era cargo container used to transfer cargo to the International Space Station, Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is prototyping a deep space habitat for NASA at  Kennedy Space Center . This prototype will integrate evolving technologies to keep astronauts safe while onboard and operate the spacecraft autonomously when unoccupied. Under a public-private partnership, NASA  recently awarded  Lockheed Martin a Phase II contract for the Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP) habitat study contract. As part of Phase II, the team will continue to refine the design concept developed in Phase I and work with NASA to identify key system requirements for the  Deep Space Gateway . Included in this work, the team will build a full-scale habitat prototype in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's  Kennedy Space Center  and a next-generation deep space avionics integration lab near Johnson Space Center. "It is easy to take thing

The global carrier has inaugurated its direct flights to Phuket, one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the world, as beginning from today. Flying to more countries and also international destinations than any other airline in the world, Turkish Airlines has started to operate four weekly flights to Phuket  as from 17th July .  The inaugural flight from Istanbul landed at 8.55am in the Phuket International Airport (HKT) and was welcomed by the customary water cannon salutes in a formal ceremony. Deputy Chairman and CEO of Turkish Airlines Mr. Bilal Eksi, commented at the launch ceremony; “Turkish Airlines is excited to be bringing more value and connectivity to its passengers through its ever expanding network. As an award-winning airline that invites people to explore the beauties of our world, it was a natural choice for us to decide on Phuket as our next destination.” Introductory round trip fares are available from Istanbul to Phuket which is the biggest isl

Emirates and flydubai today unveiled an extensive partnership which will see the two Dubai-based airlines join forces to offer customers unmatched travel options. Both airlines will continue to be managed independently, but will leverage each other’s network to scale up their operations and accelerate growth. The innovative partnership goes beyond code-sharing and includes integrated network collaboration with coordinated scheduling. The new model will give flydubai customers seamless connectivity to Emirates’ worldwide destinations spanning six continents. For Emirates’ customers, it opens up flydubai’s robust regional network.  The two airlines will also further develop their hub at Dubai International, aligning their systems and operations to ensure a seamless travel experience through the ultra-modern airport; currently the world’s busiest for international passengers.  HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Group and Chairman

DOHA, Qatar  – Qatar Airways Cargo, the cargo division of the State of Qatar’s national carrier, is pleased to announce that it has transported the country’s first two shipments of 230 Holstein cows from Europe on a Qatar Airways Cargo Boeing 777 freighter. These initial shipments are part of a 4,000-head herd that marks the launch of a completely new industry for the State of Qatar. Mr. Ulrich Ogiermann, Qatar Airways Chief Officer Cargo said, “It is with utmost pride that we were given the opportunity to offer our expertise and services to support this momentous project. We are truly a part of history, helping launch the country’s newest industry, producing dairy products to meet local demand. The cattle charters involve a great deal of skill and coordination to ensure the flight from the points of origin to Doha was smooth and safe. “With our extensive freighter fleet and state-of-the-art cargo facility at our Doha hub, we were able to meet our client Baladna Farm’s requir

Emirates has announced it will increase the frequency of flights between Dubai and Khartoum from five to seven a week starting 8 August 2017. As with Emirates’ current flights between the two cities, it will also operate a Boeing 777 on the additional services, offering customers a choice of cabins with 8 luxurious private suites in First Class, 42 lie-flat seats in Business Class and plenty of room to relax in Economy Class with 304 seats. “Emirates’ decision to commit two additional scheduled flights a week is a clear indication of customer demand for our award-winning products and services. Our expanded schedule will provide customers with greater flexibility in their travel plans and allow more options for them to connect seamlessly to other flights on Emirates’ extensive global network via our Dubai hub. These additional flights will also further support Sudan’s economy,” said Orhan Abbas, Emirates' Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations Africa. Offering a tota

Albanian Prime Minister Mr. Edi Rama and Mr. M. İlker Ayci, Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee of Turkish Airlines gathered at Turkish Airlines headquarters. Following a small briefing attended by the media members at the Atatürk Airport, Mr. Rama and Mr. M. Ayci had a one-to-one meeting. As stated in May 2017, Turkish Airlines is strategically supporting the Albanian Airlines Project. During the brief meeting with the journalists Albanian Prime Minister Mr. Edi Rama  quoted; “We highly value this strategic partnership aiming to effectively unite the huge potential Albania has to grow thorough out the aviation sector and the global know how of Turkish Airlines. It certainly is treasured that Turkish Airlines, as being the airline that flies to more countries than any other, shares this know-how and experience attained during the past era of its growth. The kick off this partnership although will be in a smaller scale, yet we do target that it will expand in due cou

Gold Medal, a leading UK travel company, has heralded Abu Dhabi as one of its most popular destinations for this summer following a surge in demand from British holidaymakers visiting the United Arab Emirates (UAE).  As a travel consolidator, offering a variety of online travel services and products including airfares, hotel reservations and car rental to travel agents, Gold Medal , has reported a remarkable 294 per cent rise on the previous year in forward 2017 summer holiday bookings from the UK to the UAE capital. Etihad Airways operates five weekly flights from Edinburgh, and flies twice daily from Manchester and three daily Airbus A380 flights from London Heathrow, to Abu Dhabi. James Harrison, Etihad Airways General Manager UK, said: “We are very pleased that Abu Dhabi is proving so popular with British travellers. The tourist appeal of the city goes from strength to strength, as this strong data shows, and increasing numbers of visitors are being drawn by its appeal

Cathay Dragon today announced an expansion of its codeshare agreement with Shenzhen Airlines that will see the airline add three new destinations to its network in Mainland China. In the strengthened agreement, Cathay Dragon’s “KA” code will be placed on Shenzhen Airlines’ flights between Hong Kong and Yantai, Jinan and Harbin, while Shenzhen Airlines’ “ZH” code will be placed on Cathay Dragon’s services between Hong Kong and Nanjing and Xi’an. Cathay Dragon customers travelling on Shenzhen Airlines codeshare flights will enjoy the convenience of checked-through baggage service to their final destination. Tickets for the new codeshare services are now open for sale for travel commencing 11 July 2017. The airlines’ existing agreement, which has seen Cathay Dragon codeshare on Shenzhen Airlines flights between Hong Kong and Jinjiang, has been in place since January 2015. With the addition of Yantai, Jinan and Harbin, Cathay Dragon’s network in Mainland China will increase to 2

DOHA, Qatar –  In honour of the tenth anniversary of serving the U.S., and as part of Qatar Airways’ commitment to the local communities in which the airline serves, Qatar Airways is distributing 10,000 books to New York City children. The books are part of the ‘Qatar Airways Summer Reading Program’ with First Book, a nonprofit social enterprise that provides new, high-quality books and resources to children in need. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “Qatar Airways is pleased to partner with First Book, and to support children and families in New York through the ‘Qatar Airways Summer Reading Project.’ We value our shared vision with First Book in encouraging bright futures for communities in need, specifically supporting their children. “As a global airline, we recognise that it is our responsibility as a global corporate citizen to assist the communities in which we serve. In providing the necessary educational resources to childre

Emirates today announced the grand opening of its 41st dedicated lounge located at Boston Logan International Airport. The lounge, which marked a soft opening in April 2017, is now open to Emirates First Class and Business Class customers as well as Platinum and Gold members of Skywards, the airline’s frequent flyer program.   As part of its ongoing commitment to Boston, the Emirates Lounge at Boston Logan International Airport represents a USD6.7 million investment to provide premium customers with a seamless and enjoyable journey from start to finish. The Emirates Lounge is a dedicated space for passengers to relax, unwind, catch up on work and enjoy award-winning service and cuisine. From the moment they step out the door, passengers in Boston will enjoy a premium offering at every point in their journey beginning and ending with Emirates’ complimentary Chauffeur-drive, a comfortable lounge experience and award-winning in-flight products and services. The interior design and

The first live firing of MBDA’s Brimstone air-to-surface missile from a Eurofighter Typhoon has been successfully completed as part of ongoing development work to significantly upgrade the capability of the aircraft. The trial is part of work to integrate the Phase 3 Enhancement (P3E) package for Typhoon, which will also deliver further sensor and mission system upgrades. The P3E package forms part of Project Centurion – the programme to ensure a smooth transition of Tornado GR4 capabilities on to Typhoon for the Royal Air Force. The UK’s IPA (Instrumented Production Aircraft) 6 Typhoon conducted the firing with support from the UK Ministry of Defence, MBDA, QinetiQ, Eurofighter GmbH and the Eurofighter Partner Companies – Airbus and Leonardo. It was designed to test the separation of the low-collateral, high-precision Brimstone weapon when it is released. In total, nine firings will take place to expand the launch and range capabilities. The initial firing follows completion

Safran today announces equity investment in Cailabs, through Safran Corporate Ventures, its corporate venture subsidiary dedicated to investments in innovative technology companies. A spinoff from the Kastler Brossel Laboratory, providing innovative photonics solutions to harness the full potential of optical fibers Founded in 2013, Cailabs is a spinoff from the Kastler Brossel Laboratory (a joint research unit between the Ecole Normale Supérieure, Pierre et Marie Curie University and French national scientific research agency CNRS), specialized in quantum physics and optics. Cailabs has developed a patented disruptive technology, called Multi Plane Light Conversion, based on the manipulation of light,. The company designs and sells photonic products, including components, modules and subassemblies for the telecommunications and industrial laser markets. Cailabs has already developed two main applications: spatial multiplexing for telecommunication networks (very-high-sp

The Defense Security Service (DSS) recognized Lockheed Martin sites in Chelmsford, Massachusetts; Marietta, Georgia; Orlando, Florida; and Palmdale, California, with the 2017 James S. Cogswell Outstanding Industrial Security Achievement Award. The award is one of the most prestigious honors bestowed on industry contractors that are cleared to protect U.S. Department of Defense information. Out of approximately 13,000 cleared facilities considered for this award annually, 36 received the Cogswell honor. The criteria for the Cogswell Award focus on principles of security excellence and providing leadership to other cleared facilities in setting high standards for security. “We’re honored to have been recognized for the work our security professionals do in establishing and maintaining a program that goes beyond requirements,” said Bob Trono, Lockheed Martin’s vice president and chief security officer. “Safeguarding our people, property, information and systems is critical

Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) received a  $471 million contract from the U.S. Army for Lot 12 production of Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) rockets. The contract calls for the production of  GMLRS Alternative Warhead  rockets,  GMLRS Unitary rockets , Reduced-Range Practice Rockets (RRPRs) and integrated logistics support for the U.S. Army and Foreign Military Sales. Work will be performed at the Lockheed Martin facilities in  Camden, Arkansas , and  Dallas . All production deliveries are anticipated to be completed by the summer of 2019. GMLRS is an all-weather rocket designed for fast deployment that delivers precision strike beyond the reach of most conventional weapons. The new GMLRS Alternative Warhead was the first munition developed to service area targets without the effects of unexploded ordinance, complying with DoD cluster munitions policy. GMLRS Unitary rockets greatly exceed the required combat reliability rate and have established a reputation for

Crowds of customers started gathering overnight at Taipei 101 for the grand opening of Apple’s first store in Taiwan on Saturday. The curved, sliding glass doors opened at 11 a.m. as employees welcomed customers to come together, explore the store and get hands-on with Apple’s latest products.

Textron Inc.  (NYSE:TXT) today announced that Lisa Atherton has been named president & CEO of Textron Systems. She succeeds  Ellen Lord , who will be nominated by President  Donald J. Trump  as Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics within the  Department of Defense . Atherton most recently served as executive vice president of Military Business at  Bell Helicopter where she provided strategic direction, overall management and performance for all government programs and business development efforts. She has also held several other leadership positions within Military Programs since joining  Bell Helicopter  in 2012, including vice president of Global Military Business Development, V-22 program manager and director of Military Programs. Atherton began her career with  Textron  in 2007 as the vice president of Area Attack at Textron Defense Systems, an operating unit of Textron Systems. Prior to joining  Textron , Atherton was an officer in the  U