They tracked targets in the desert, practiced battening down the hatches for storms and reviewed every switch, button and computer system. Now, after a six-week-long “test-drive” in the Utah wilderness, U.S. Army soldiers are ready to take full control of Raytheon's enormous JLENS airships. Next stop: Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, where the twin-radar system will begin a long-term trial watching over Washington, D.C.
Thales Alenia Space announced the official kickoff of its Stratobus R&D project, which aims to launch a demonstrator in 2018, followed by the first qualification and certification flights in 2020.