Government officials signed a letter of offer and acceptance (LOA) through a U.S. government foreign military sale Thursday, making the country the 19th to purchase the aircraft, the company said.

• READ MORE: Embraer Signs A-29 Super Tucano Deal With Paraguay

“We are excited to welcome Greece into the F-35 enterprise,” U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General Mike Schmidt, director and program executive officer of the F-35 Joint Program Office, said in a statement. “The F-35 will provide exceptional capability to the Hellenic Air Force, build interoperability between our allies, and strengthen the combat effectiveness for all of NATO.”

• READ MORE: Last Known Battle of Britain Pilot Turns 105

The Hellenic Air Force also operates F-16s and C-130s, as well as S-70 B and MH-60R helicopters, according to Lockheed Martin. Earlier this year, Greece also signed an LOA worth nearly $2 billion for the purchase of 35 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters.

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United Launch Alliance (ULA) on Friday will attempt the 16th and final launch of its Delta IV Heavy rocket, one of the world’s most powerful—and expensive—commercially produced launch vehicles. The launch was initially scheduled for Thursday afternoon but was scrubbed a few minutes before takeoff.

The mission represents ULA’s 160th overall and the 45th and final flight for the Delta family of rockets as the manufacturer transitions to its Vulcan Centaur. Vulcan made its maiden voyage in January, carrying a Peregrine lunar lander for commercial customer Astrobotic.

“The Delta legacy will live on through Vulcan,” said Gary Wentz, vice president of government and commercial programs for ULA. “We also take this moment to celebrate the thousands of men and women who made the Delta program such a success over the decades. We carry their lessons and wisdom with us into the future.”

ULA is a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing. It produces the Delta and Atlas families of rockets, primarily for U.S. government use. Delta IV Heavy is the third-highest capacity launch vehicle in operation, behind NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) and SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy.

The Mission

Friday’s mission, NROL-70, is on behalf of the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), which develops and operates spy satellites to collect intelligence and support disaster relief and humanitarian efforts. NROL-70 is ULA’s 35th mission for the NRO and 99th for U.S. national security.

The mission’s payload is classified. But it is possibly intended to give the U.S. more eyes and ears in the stars, which could be used to listen into communications or radio transmissions, for example. Delta IV Heavy is the only rocket in the world that meets all of the requirements to perform the mission, according to ULA.

“The NROL-70 mission will strengthen the NRO’s ability to provide a wide range of timely intelligence information to national decision makers, warfighters, and intelligence analysts to protect the nation’s vital interests and support humanitarian efforts worldwide,” ULA said on its website.

The 235-foot-tall spacecraft will lift off from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral as early as 1:37 p.m. EDT Friday. On ascent, the rocket looks as if it is catching fire, but this is by design, as hydrogen gas used to cool it down before takeoff ignites and burns off. The process is mitigated by a staggered engine ignition, which reduces the amount of hydrogen burned.

First stage separation is expected to occur about five minutes into the mission, followed by the ignition of the main engine and jettisoning of the payload fairing. The spacecraft’s route and final destination are classified.

The Machine

Over six decades, Delta rockets have launched 388 times. About two-thirds of those launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, the base for Friday’s mission. Delta IV rockets have successfully launched 44 times, carrying payloads on behalf of the NRO, NASA, Air Force, and Space Force.

Delta IV comes in three configurations: Medium+, with either two or four solid rocket motors, and Heavy. Each vehicle consists of a common booster core, upper stage, and payload fairing.

Delta IV Heavy features three common booster core tanks, which power a RS-68A engine system built by Aerojet Rocketdyne. RS-68A is the largest hydrogen-burning engine in existence, according to ULA. The engines burn cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, each delivering about 700,000 pounds of thrust at sea level.

Atop the booster is a Delta Cryogenic Second Stage (DCSS), or upper stage, which is also fueled by cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. It is powered by a single RL10C-2-1 engine, also produced by Aerojet Rocketdyne, that produces nearly 25,000 pounds of thrust. The DCSS avionics system provides guidance and flight control for the booster.

Encapsulating the spacecraft is a payload fairing: a three-piece shell designed to shield cargo from the launch and ascent. The payload fairing can be installed off pad, improving safety and minimizing the use of launch facilities.

The History

Incredibly, the Delta family of systems has been in use since 1960. Initiated by NASA in the late 1950s, the program is derived from the Thor intermediate-range ballistic missile, which was later modified into a space launch vehicle.

The inaugural Delta launch in 1960 was unsuccessful. But it paved the way for Delta rockets to launch the world’s first Telstar and Intelsat communications satellites, birthing the phrase, “Live, via satellite!” The launch vehicles also carried NASA’s Pioneer and Explorer scientific spacecraft and delivered the first weather observatory, the Tiros and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES), to space, revolutionizing weather forecasting.

Over the years, ULA updated Delta rockets to make them larger, more advanced, and more durable. The company installed larger first stage tanks, strap-on solid rocket boosters, and advanced electronics and guidance systems, increased the rocket’s propellant capacity, upgraded the main engine, and developed upper stage and satellite payload systems.

The earliest Delta models stood about 90 feet tall, with a mass of 112,000 pounds. Today, Delta IV Heavy towers 235 feet high and weighs 1.6 million pounds at launch. Liftoff thrust, meanwhile, has skyrocketed from 150,000 pounds in 1960 to 2.1 million pounds.

Later Delta models would help usher in the GPS era by sending constellations of navigation satellites into orbit. Delta II launched four dozen satellites over two decades, and Delta IV launched seven.

Delta II—which made its final flight in 2018—completed eight NASA missions to Mars, including the delivery of the Spirit and Opportunity rovers, over the course of 155 flights. It also flew missions to Mercury and visited asteroids, moons, and comets within the solar system.

Delta II has launched probes that “touched the sun,” uncovered exoplanets deep in the Milky Way, and scanned large swaths of the universe using infrared vision. In 2014, it launched the first orbital test flight of NASA’s Orion capsule, which will ferry astronauts around the moon and back during the Artemis II mission in 2025.

By 2002, Boeing had developed Delta IV for the Space Force’s Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program. That year, the rocket made its debut flight carrying a Eutelsat 33B, its only commercial payload to date. It delivered its first Air Force payload the following year. In 2007, ULA launched the first operational Delta IV Heavy, sending a Space Force Defense Support Program (DSP) satellite into orbit.

The Legacy

Fifteen flights later, Delta IV Heavy is set to become the final Delta rocket to be retired. In addition, ULA has 17 remaining launches for Atlas V, the country’s longest-serving active rocket. Atlas V is cheaper to launch than its counterpart, but it uses Russian-made rather than American-made engines.

Once Delta IV and Atlas V are off the manifest, ULA will transition all launches to Vulcan, which is less expensive than both predecessors. Like previous ULA launch systems, Vulcan is expendable. It was designed primarily for the National Security Space Launch program, as well as for commercial launches such as January’s mission. Customers include Amazon’s Project Kuiper, which placed an order for 38 launches.

ULA will need to compete with the likes of SpaceX, which in 2023 launched more satellites than any other company. SpaceX in 2010 debuted its reusable Falcon 9 launch vehicle, which undercut Delta IV’s price tag. Delta IV, Falcon 9, and SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy, introduced in 2018, are all under contract with the Pentagon to launch expensive military satellites in the coming years.

In addition, SpaceX has an agreement with the Space Force to take over the vacant Space Launch Complex 6 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, which hosted Delta IV launches until 2022. The company may further look to acquire room at Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral, where ULA will launch Friday barring any hiccups.

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The ferry cell of aircraft left Lockheed Martin’s facility in Greenville, South Carolina, on Wednesday, and are among the 19-21 jets produced at the facility that the company anticipates delivering this year.

The 4.5 generation fighters are equipped with APG-83 AESA radar, advanced avionics, and  modernized cockpit. The aircraft also feature advancements, such as conformal fuel tanks, offering extended flight range, and automatic ground collision avoidance system.

• READ MORE: Bulgarian F-16 Block 70 Production Nears Completion

“With the introduction of the F-16 Block 70, we are witnessing a significant leap in fighter capabilities,”  said OJ Sanchez, vice president and general manager of the Integrated Fighter Group at Lockheed Martin. “The integration of this proven platform will allow the Royal Bahraini Air Force to safeguard its skies effectively and partner with allies worldwide.” 

• READ MORE: Royal Norwegian Air Force Receives Upgraded Super Hercules

Lockheed Martin has produced five F-16 Block 70 aircraft, dubbed the Fighting Falcon, for the Royal Bahraini Air Force, with 11 more in various stages of testing and production. The initial aircraft are at Edwards Air Force Base, California, where they are undergoing flight testing, Lockheed Martin said. 

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The Lockheed Martin-owned firm on Tuesday unveiled its plan to build, test, and fly a fully autonomous, hybrid-electric VTOL demonstrator called HEX, which it said will be the first in a series of large, self-flying VTOL models.

Sikorsky said the HEX program is its first attempt to integrate hybrid-electric propulsion systems and advanced autonomy onto a VTOL design. The aircraft is intended to save fuel and improve performance for both commercial and military applications.

The manufacturer first hinted at a VTOL design in December 2022, announcing plans to design the HEX prototype in March. But Tuesday’s announcement revealed the aircraft will feature a unique tilt-wing architecture.

Tiltrotor or tilt-propeller designs are common in the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi space. They involve the repositioning of those components during the transition between vertical and forward flight. Tilt-wings, by contrast, rotate the entire wing vertically during takeoff to minimize their interference on thrust.

Sikorsky also confirmed that HEX represents the inception of a family of next-generation VTOL aircraft, which was only mentioned as a possibility in March. The designs will include both rotorcraft and winged models, the company said.

The aircraft will feature different degrees of electrification, but each will be powered by the company’s Matrix autonomy system for “optionally piloted flight.” Matrix enables an aircraft to be flown by two, one, or zero pilots.

“Autonomy and electrification will bring transformational change to flight safety and operational efficiency of large VTOL aircraft,” said Paul Lemmo, president of Sikorsky. “Our HEX demonstrator program will provide valuable insights as we look to a future family of aircraft built to the scale and preferred configurations relevant to commercial and military customers.”

Sikorsky is exploring the potential for such aircraft to perform utility missions for the U.S. military or fly passengers between cities. Other manufacturers exploring eVTOL designs for air taxi services, recreational flight, or potential military use include Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, and Pivotal.

According to Sikorsky’s website, HEX will be safer to fly and more efficient, cost effective, and sustainable to operate than conventional rotorcraft or fixed-wing designs. It said the aircraft will be capable of traveling 500 nm at high speed, lowering maintenance costs and limiting mechanical systems to reduce complexity.

Sikorsky Innovations—the company’s prototyping arm leading the HEX program—is working with partner GE Aerospace, the aircraft engine supplier subsidiary of General Electric, to finalize the design for a hybrid-electric power systems testbed aircraft, with a 600-kilowatt motor.

The testbed is the “first step,” according to the manufacturer and will be used to evaluate hover performance of the subsequent HEX demonstrator. The demonstrator will have a maximum gross weight of 9,900 pounds and a 1.2-megawatt-class turbogenerator, instead of the 1-megawatt generator proposed in March. Sikorsky in March also said that GE Aerospace would provide a CT7 turboshaft engine, though Tuesday’s announcement made no mention of it.

Over the next two to five years, the testbed and HEX demonstrator are expected to provide Sikorsky with insights into its future class of VTOL aircraft for regional and intercity travel.

“Within Sikorsky’s electric pillar, we are designing electric motors, power electronics and our own vehicle management hardware and actuation,” said Igor Cherepinsky, director of Sikorsky Innovations. “HEX will integrate these components, showcasing the growing maturity of our Matrix autonomy suite and the potential for maintenance-free systems. Seeing the results will lead us to more efficient overall designs.”

Sikorsky Innovations has developed three experimental helicopter prototypes featuring a coaxial design, with a rear propulsor in place of a tail rotor: the X2 demonstrator, S-97 Raider, and SB-1 Defiant. These models fly twice as fast as a single main rotor helicopter, with improved maneuverability and handling at low speeds, the manufacturer said.

Sikorsky has also worked with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to demonstrate military resupply and casualty evacuation. The missions were completed using an optionally piloted UH-60A Black Hawk retrofitted with Matrix and a full-authority, fly-by-wire flight control system.

VTOL technology is a decidedly new addition to the mix, by Sikorsky’s own admission. But the manufacturer’s long history of producing rotorcraft may help it merge VTOL with its existing airframes and autonomous capabilities.

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The cargo aircraft—one of RNoAF’s four C-130J-30s to be retrofitted with the Block 8.1 software and hardware expansion upgrades—was ferried from Lockheed Martin’s facility in Greenville, South Carolina, to Gardermoen Air Station, Norway (ENGM), where the service’s fleet of Super Hercules aircraft are based.

Between 2008 and 2012, RNoAF received a fleet of five Super Hercules airlifters, but one was later lost in a crash.

• READ MORE: Georgia ANG Takes Delivery of First C-130J-30 Super Hercules 

According to Lockheed Martin, the upgraded version of the stretch variant of the C-130J, which boasts an additional 15 feet of cargo space, will increase RNoAF’s interoperability in the Nordic region. The aircraft is capable of supporting personnel and equipment transport, cold weather operations, aeromedical airlift, and special operations.

The Block 8.1 upgrades include  a new flight management system that complies with CNS/ATM mandates and features vertical navigation with coupled auto throttle, civil GPS, ground power modes, updated Identification Friend or Foe (IFF), CNS/ATM data link, and enhanced intercommunication, , approach, and landing systems.

• READ MORE: NATO Conducts ‘Find, Fix, Track, Target’ Exercise Over Poland

“Norway’s C-130J-30 fleet is a national asset with tremendous regional reach and impact, supporting critical missions with NATO, European Union, and global Super Hercules partners,” said Danya Trent, vice president of international programs for the air mobility and maritime missions at Lockheed Martin. “As security demands increase, the Royal Norwegian Air Force C-130J-30 fleet must always be prepared to support any mission requirement. The Block 8.1 upgrade ensures Norway’s Super Hercules fleet is mission-ready at any given time, delivering unprecedented reach, protection, and connection.”

• READ MORE: Philippine Air Force to Buy 3 C-130J-30 Airlifters

More than 540 C-130J Super Hercules airlifters have been delivered to operators across 22 countries, Lockheed Martin said.

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The signed a letter of offer and acceptance (LOA) for the latest advanced Block 4 configuration aircraft is worth about $6.6 billion and represents the largest purchase made by the Czech military, ABC News reported.

• READ MORE: Czech Republic Sets Eyes on Embraer C-390 for Military Transport

The purchase, which will make the Czech Republic Air Force the 18th to operate the fighter jet, also includes personnel training, as well as service and logistical support, Lockheed Martin said.

“We are pleased the government of Czech Republic is now officially a part of the F-35 Lightning II program of record,” U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General Mike Schmidt, program executive officer, F-35 Joint Program Office, said in a statement. “This partnership with the Czech Ministry of Defense will deliver and sustain the F-35 aircraft for decades, while providing the Czech Air Force with unmatched interoperability and ensuring it has the capability to counter current and future threats.”

• READ MORE: US Approves Sales of F-16s to Turkey, F-35s to Greece

The first Czech F-35s are expected to be delivered to the Czech Republic Air Force in 2031, Lockheed Martin said.

The post Czech Republic Signs Deal to Buy 24 F-35s appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The stretch variant of the C-130J boasts an additional 15 feet of cargo space. The delivery is the first of eight of the aircraft ordered intended to support the strategic and tactical airlift mission of the ANG, which has one of the most active C-130 fleets in the world.

• READ MORE: Philippine Air Force to Buy 3 C-130J-30 Airlifters

The delivery also marks the first of the aircraft received by the U.S. Air Force in the Block 8.1 configuration during its initial production. The configuration features a new flight management system, enhanced navigation and intercommunication systems, and updated friend-or-foe identification, and improves interoperability across the fleet, according to manufacturer Lockheed Martin.

• READ MORE: Alabama Air National Guard Unit Receives 3 F-35s

“This new aircraft also represents a major increase in capability for the men and women of Georgia’s Air National Guard, who will now count the most advanced C-130 ever built as part of its newest fleet,” U.S. Representative Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) said during a “Georgia Built, Georgia Flown” themed event Monday at Lockheed Martin’s facility in Marietta.

• READ MORE: Tenacity Helped This C-130 Pilot Earn Her Wings

More than 530 C-130J Super Hercules airlifters have been delivered to operators across 22 countries, the company said.

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The inaugural flight of the aircraft, set to replace the country’s aging fleet of MiG-29s, is expected by the end of the year.

• READ MORE: Slovak Air Force Takes Delivery of First 2 F-16 Block 70 Jets

Last week, a delegation of Bulgarian officials, which included Minister of Defense Todor Tagarev, visited Lockheed Martin’s Greenville, South Carolina, production facility to inspect production progress. 

Seven of the country’s first batch of eight F-16 Block 70 aircraft are in various stages of production at the facility.

“Bulgaria is acquiring a proven, state-of-the-art fighter aircraft system that will deliver decades of 21st century security capabilities and NATO interoperability,” OJ Sanchez, vice president and general manager of the integrated fighter group at Lockheed Martin, said in a statement.

When the aircraft roll off the line, Bulgaria will become the second European country to take delivery of the advanced fighters.

• READ MORE: DOD: Ukrainian F-16 Pilots on Track with Training in Arizona

Last week, the Slovak Air Force took delivery of the first two of its Block 70 fighters, allowing it to begin resuming air defense following the retirement of its Russian MiG-29 fighters in 2022. Slovakia has ordered 14 of the advanced fighter jets produced in the manufacturer’s Greenville facility, which currently has a backlog of 135 jets.

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The one-of-a-kind X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) aircraft is part of NASA’s Low Boom Flight Demonstration project aimed at collecting data to help shape regulations for possible future commercial supersonic flight over land 50 years after it was banned by the FAA due to the noise of the sonic boom.

It’s expected to fly 1.4 times the speed of sound, or around 925 mph, according to NASA.

• READ MORE: NASA Ready to Roll Out Experimental X-59

“This is the big reveal,” said Catherine Bahm, the manager of NASA’s Low Boom Flight Demonstrator project who is overseeing the development and build of the X-59. “The rollout is a huge milestone toward achieving the overarching goal of the Quesst mission to quiet the sonic boom.”

Bob Pearce, associate administrator of NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, recalled one of America’s test flight heroes during the ceremony.

“This journey actually began in 1947, when the era of supersonic flight started right here in the California high desert with test pilot Chuck Yeager in the X-1,” said Pearce. “It soon became apparent that the sonic boom’s sharp thunderous sound heard when the airplane flies overhead at supersonic speed was going to be a problem.”

Engineering Sound Through Shape

The X-59 is designed to lessen the perceived sound of a sonic boom to that of a gentle thump, and it does that through a specialized aircraft shape.

“What’s most obvious right away is the long, distinct nose which comprises almost a third of that 99.7-foot length,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy. “This design is really critical in dispersing shockwaves” and preventing the shocks from merging together and creating the boom.

The cockpit sits almost halfway down the length of the aircraft, and there’s no forward-facing window, which would have increased noise, Melroy said.

“It’s a huge challenge—limited visibility in the cockpit,” Melroy said. “The team developed the external vision system, which is really a marvel of high-resolution cameras feeding an ultra-high-resolution monitor. Beyond its immediate applications in the X-59, the external vision system has the potential to influence future aircraft designs, where the absence of that forward-facing window may prove advantageous for engineering reasons. It’s creating capabilities that we haven’

NASA will collect data on how communities perceive the sound of the X-59 flights, which will then be used to inform the agency’s recommendations for an acceptable noise-level standard for commercial supersonic flights and possibly repeal the current ban of supersonic flight over land.

• READ MORE: NASA X-59 Cleared for Final Assembly

“The unveiling of NASA’s X-59 supersonic aircraft is a major milestone in aviation history that has the potential to transform our industry,” said Dave Schreck, vice president and general manager of military avionics and helicopters at Collins Aerospace, which provided the primary avionics system on the aircraft.

The X-59 is expected to take its first flight later in 2024.

“The Quesst team will conduct several of the aircraft’s flight tests at Skunk Works before transferring it to NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards [Air Force Base], California, which will serve as its base of operations,” NASA said.

Watch: Time-Lapse Video of the X-59

This time-lapse video shows the manufacturing of the X-59 aircraft from May 2019 to June 2021 when the merger of its main sections—the wing, tail assembly, and fuselage—was completed.

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The delivery puts the country’s air defenses “back in business” following its retirement of Russian MiG-29 fighters in 2022, Forbes reported.

• READ MORE: European F-16 Training Center Opens in Romania

“The delivery of the first two F-16 Block 70 jets to Slovakia signifies a crucial starting point in bolstering the country’s defense capabilities,” OJ Sanchez, vice president and general manager of the integrated fighter group at Lockheed Martin, said in a statement. “The integration of this proven platform will allow the Slovak Air Force to effectively safeguard its borders and partner with allies across Europe, NATO, and the world.”

Slovakia has ordered a total of 14 of the advanced fighter jets made in the manufacturer’s Greenville, South Carolina, production facility. The Lockheed Martin facility has a backlog of 135 jets, a number it said is set to grow after Bulgaria signed a letter of offer and acceptance for eight F-16s.

• READ MORE: Norway to Send F-16s to Denmark for Ukrainian Pilot Training

“Once the agreement is finalized, the backlog will increase by eight,” Lockheed Martin said.  

While awaiting delivery of the F-16s, Slovakia’s neighboring countries have stepped up to help preserve NATO airspace integrity. Last October, NATO said that an air policing arrangement among allies was in place to ensure coverage and protection of Slovakia’s airspace.

“Since September 2022, Poland and Czech Republic have pledged fighter aircraft launched out of their respective home bases able to react at a moment’s notice should the integrity of Slovak airspace be at risk,” NATO said. “Germany, since early September 2023, is keeping two mission-ready Eurofighters at Neuburg available for air policing scrambles over Slovakia and training sorties with other allies.”

Said Major General Róbert Tóth, commander of the Slovak Air Forces, in October: “It is great to have friends and to count on them. As we are in the process of upgrading our fighter and interceptor capability, we are grateful to our allies who support us by making their jets available to fly air policing missions.”

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