Category: Global Politics (Page 19 of 132)

Rolls-Royce unveils micro reactor space model for moon exploration

December 1, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

The UK Space Conference was the ideal place for Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC (London: RR) to reveal the Micro-Reactor model, which generated cross-industry interest that included a visit from European Space Agency Astronaut Major Tim Peake. The Rolls-Royce Novel Nuclear team were delighted to talk Tim through the model and the applications of our technology in Space.

In March 2023, Rolls-Royce secured funding of £2.9m from UK Space Agency, backing our research into how nuclear power could be used to support a future Moon base for astronauts. The technologies presented at the UK Space Conference are the culmination of this year’s research.

Scientists and engineers at Rolls-Royce, alongside strategic partners, have been working on several work packages under the UK Space Agency funded programme, to further strengthen its knowledge of these complex systems. The work packages have specifically focused on three key features of the Micro-Reactor; the fuel used to generate heat, the method of heat transfer and technology to convert that heat into electricity.

All space missions depend on a power source and, as a self-contained and power-dense solution, a Micro-Reactor can provide power for the habitation and exploration of a planetary surface, or power and propulsion for spacecraft. Continuous power and efficient propulsion can also provide satellites with more flexible movement to protect and defend key orbits.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including expected delivery dates. Such statements are based on current expectations and projections about our future results, prospects and opportunities and are not guarantees of future performance. Such statements will not be updated unless required by law. Actual results and performance may differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including those discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Porter Airlines orders 25 Embraer E195-E2 aircraft

December 1, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Sao Jose Dos Campos, Brazil, 29th November 2023 – Porter Airlines has exercised purchase rights to place a firm order for 25 Embraer SA ADR (NYSE: ERJ) E195-E2 passenger jets, adding to their 50 existing firm orders. Porter will use the new aircraft to extend its award-winning service to destinations throughout North America. The deal, valued at US$2.1bn at list price, will be added to the Q4 backlog, and brings Porter’s orders with Embraer to 75 firm, with 25 purchase rights remaining.

Porter, the North American launch customer for Embraer’s E195-E2, has already taken delivery of 24 E195-E2’s, and recently announced new destinations including Las Vegas, Miami, San Francisco, and Los Angeles; with destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean also planned. The aircraft are currently deployed from Eastern Canada, with a focus on Toronto Pearson International Airport and Ottawa. Halifax and Montreal are also seeing new services with the E195-E2. Porter has chosen to configure the 146-seat aircraft in a comfortable 132-seat all-economy configuration, with a variety of seat pitches on offer for their guests: 36, 34, and 30 inches.

About Embraer

A global aerospace company headquartered in Brazil, Embraer has businesses in Commercial and Executive aviation, Defense & Security and Agricultural Aviation. The company designs, develops, manufactures and markets aircraft and systems, providing Services & Support to customers after-sales.

Forward-Looking Statements

German Navy NH90 Sea Tiger performs maiden flight

November 30, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Donauworth, Bavaria, Germany – The first Airbus Group SE (Paris: AIR) NH90 Sea Tiger took off on-schedule for its maiden flight in Donauworth, Germany. The German Bundeswehr ordered 31 NH90 Sea Tiger multi-role frigate helicopters for the German Navy’s shipborne operations in 2020.

Airbus Helicopters is now entering a qualification phase that will focus on flight testing the helicopter and new systems to be installed on board the NH90 Sea Tiger. Deliveries are scheduled to begin at the end of 2025.

The helicopters will replace the German Navy’s ageing Mk88A Sea Lynx fleet which entered into service in 1981. The Bundeswehr already operates 18 NH90 Sea Lion naval transport helicopters which were delivered on schedule between 2019 and 2023.

The Sea Tiger is the latest version of the proven NH90 NFH (Naval Version). It has been specifically designed to match the needs of the German Navy for a state of the art anti-submarine warfare helicopter. Novelties include a new Electro-Optical System and improved Electronic Support Measures (ESM). On top, the Sea Tiger is equipped with a dipping sonar, sonobuoys, and weapons (torpedoes and missiles). The shipborne Sea Tigers’ missions include, in addition to reconnaissance and transport, engaging targets above and below the surface.

Forward-Looking Statements

Canada selects Boeing P-8A Poseidon for its multi-mission aircraft role

November 30, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Arlington, Virginia, November 30, 2023, PRNewswire – The Government of Canada has signed a Foreign Military Sales Letter of Offer and Acceptance for up to 16 Boeing (NYSE: BA) P-8A Poseidon aircraft, as part of the Canadian Multi-Mission Aircraft (CMMA) project. Canada joins eight defense partners, including all of the FIVE EYES allies, the intelligence alliance that also includes the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, and becomes the fifth NATO nation to have selected the P-8 as its multi-mission aircraft. First delivery is expected in 2026.

The P-8 is the only proven, in-service and in-production solution that meets all CMMA requirements, including range, speed, endurance and payload capacity. This decision will benefit hundreds of Canadian companies, and bring decades of prosperity to Canada through platform sustainment delivered by our Canadian industry partners.

The P-8 acquisition will generate benefits of nearly 3,000 jobs and $358 millionannually in economic output to Canada, according to a 2023 independent study by Ottawa-based Doyletech Corporation.

Team Poseidon forms the cornerstone of Boeing’s P-8 Canadian industry partnership, consisting of CAE, GE Aviation Canada, IMP Aerospace & Defence, KF Aerospace, Honeywell Aerospace Canada, Raytheon Canada, and StandardAero. The team builds on the existing 81 Canadian suppliers to the P-8 platform and to more than 550 Boeing suppliers across all provinces contributing to the company’s annual ~CAD $4 billion in economic benefit to Canada, supporting more than 14,000 Canadian jobs.

Forward-Looking Statements

Lithuanian State Border Guard Service orders three Airbus H145 helicopters

November 29, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Madrid, Spain -Airbus Group SE (Paris: AIR) Helicopters and the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service have announced a contract for three five-bladed H145 multi-mission helicopters at the 2023 European Rotors trade show, expanding the service’s fleet. These three additional H145’s bring the total number of Airbus helicopters in service with the Lithuanian government to eleven, further strengthening Airbus Helicopters’ position in this mission segment. The helicopters will be operated for a wide range of missions including search and rescue, disaster relief and medevac, border patrol, firefighting, transport of donor organs, and operational deployment of the Lithuanian Special Forces.

The new version of Airbus’ best-selling H145 adds a new, innovative five-bladed rotor to the multi-mission H145, increasing the useful load of the helicopter by 150 kg. The simplicity of the new bearingless main rotor design will also ease maintenance operations, further improving the benchmark serviceability and reliability of the H145, while improving ride comfort for both passengers and crew.

In total, there are more than 1,650 H145 family helicopters in service, logging a total of more than 7.5 million flight hours. Powered by two Safran Arriel 2E engines, the H145 is equipped with full authority digital engine control (FADEC) and the Helionix digital avionics suite. It includes a high performance 4-axis autopilot, increasing safety and reducing pilot workload. Its particularly low acoustic footprint makes the H145 the quietest helicopter in its class, while its CO2 emissions are the lowest amongst its competitors.

Forward-Looking Statements

Boeing awarded $2.3 billion for additional U.S. Air Force KC-46A tankers

November 29, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Everett, Washington, November 29, 2023―Boeing (NYSE: BA) will build an additional 15 KC-46A Pegasus tankers under a Lot 10 contract awarded by the U.S. Air Force valued at $2.3 billion. One hundred fifty-three KC-46A multi-mission aerial refuelers are now on contract globally, providing advanced capability advantages for the joint force and allies.

From aerial refueling, cargo and passenger transportation, aeromedical evacuation support, and data connectivity at the tactical edge, the KC-46A Pegasus has already been called a game changer for its ability to transmit and exchange data, enabling rapid air mobility, global reach and Agile Combat Employment.

Earlier this year, the Air Force awarded Boeing a Block 1 upgrade contract, adding more advanced communications capabilities to enhance the aircraft’s data connectivity and situational awareness.

To date, Boeing has delivered 76 KC-46As to the U.S. Air Force and two to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.

Forward-Looking Statements

Airbus and Norwegian Air Ambulance sign for H135 and H145 helicopters

November 29, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Madrid, Spain – The Norwegian Air Ambulance has ordered three Airbus Group SE (Paris: AIR) H135’s and two five-bladed H145’s that will be used for life-saving missions in Denmark, following a tender the operator recently won in the country. Moreover, the HEMS operator will take delivery of two new H145’s in 2024 to expand their fleet in Norway.

Today, Norwegian Air Ambulance operates all 13 HEMS bases in Norway and all 4 bases in Denmark using a 100% Helionix-equipped fleet of H135’s and H145’s. The organisation’s parent company, the Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation, was the first operator in the world to take delivery of a five-bladed H145 in 2020.

The H135 is the market leader in helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) worldwide, followed by the H145. Both helicopters are equipped with Airbus’ Helionix avionics suite, enhancing complementarity and enabling an almost seamless transition from one type to another, while its features increase safety and reduce pilot workload. Their particularly low acoustic footprint makes the H135 and the H145 the quietest helicopters in their class, while their CO2 emissions are the lowest amongst their direct competitors.

Forward-Looking Statements

Air France-KLM and Etihad Airways announce frequent flyer partnership

November 27, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Air France-KLM Group SA (Paris: AIRF) and Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, today announced a new partnership between their respective loyalty programs following the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two airline Groups in September 2023.

As part of this new partnership, members of Flying Blue, Air France and KLM’s loyalty program, and members of Etihad Guest, the loyalty program of Etihad Airways, will now be able to earn and redeem Miles on either loyalty programme when flying on Air France, KLM or Etihad. Reciprocal benefits for elite members will be announced soon.

Following the MoU signed earlier this year, Air France-KLM and Etihad Airways customers now have the opportunity to connect, and therefore to earn and redeem miles, to more than 60 new routes covering destinations worldwide.

The partnership will go live today, on the heels of Air France’s inaugural flight from Paris Charles-de-Gaulle to Abu Dhabi International Airport this past October 29th.

Flying Blue Miles can be redeemed to enjoy a vast range of benefits from flights, worldwide hotel stays, car rentals, or products from the Flying Blue Store. Etihad Guest Miles can be spent on flights, worldwide hotel stays and vacations, or products from the Etihad Guest Reward Shop.

Air France currently operates daily flights between Paris – Charles de Gaulle and Abu Dhabi International Airport while Etihad currently operates daily flights to both Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam Schiphol from Abu Dhabi International Airport.

Forward-Looking Statements

SBB announces its 2024 timetable so tourist can travel areas more directly

November 27, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

The new timetable brings additional connections where demand is growing the most. Popular tourist destinations such as Valais and Graubünden will be even better connected. There are also further targeted improvements. A lot will also be done in 2024 to maintain and expand the rail network; Accordingly, there are many construction sites across the entire network. SBB does everything it can to ensure that travelers can rely on reliable connections.

National and international passenger transport: More direct connections, additional stops in tourist regions and new seasonal offers

The most important innovations in national long-distance transport:

Since the last timetable change in December 2022, two trains have been running directly from Geneva via Zurich to Chur and vice versa on weekends. Due to high demand, two additional direct trains will be introduced on this line. There are now four attractive direct connections in each direction spread throughout the day on weekends.
From Christmas to Easter, Ascension Day, Pentecost and June to October, a direct train connects Zurich (from 7:38 a.m.) with Brig (at 9:38 a.m.) in just 2 hours on Saturdays and in the opposite direction on Sundays (Brig from 4:18 p.m. – Zurich HB 6:32 p.m.). ). The train also stops in Frutigen and takes skiers, hikers and bikers to the Bernese Oberland and the Upper Valais without having to change on Saturday morning and back again on Sunday evening. This will create a half-hourly service during peak times on the Thun-Brig or Brig-Spiez/Thun route.
From January 13th to March 3rd, 2024, there will be two fast and direct connections from Zurich HB (departures at 8:27 a.m. and 9:40 a.m.) to Einsiedeln (arrivals at 9:19 a.m. and 10:24 a.m.) on weekend mornings and back again in the afternoon (departures at 3:32 p.m. and 4:38 p.m.). Clock). This RegioExpress takes cross-country skiers and sun-seekers from Zwinglistadt to the home of the Black Madonna without having to change trains.
From Tuesday to Sunday, commuters and other travelers can get directly to Bern (at 6:24 a.m.) and Basel (at 7:32 a.m.) earlier than before thanks to the IC6 with departure from Brig at 5:16 a.m.; in the evening the last IC6 runs from Basel (from 10:28 p.m.) via Bern (from 11:37 p.m.) to Brig (at 12:41 a.m.) now an hour later than before. Due to maintenance in the Lötschberg Base Tunnel, the last train on Sunday evening or the first on Monday morning continues to run as IC61 from/to Basel via Bern to/from Interlaken (instead of Brig).
The IC3 between Zurich and Chur runs every half hour on weekends all year round.
For night owls, a new express connection runs on Friday and Saturday nights from Olten (from 12:40 a.m.) to Biel/Bienne (at 1:26 a.m.), with stops in Oensingen, Solothurn, and Grenchen Süd.
The original plan was to introduce full half-hourly service through the Gotthard Base Tunnel with this timetable change. Since operations are restricted following the derailment of a freight train on August 10, 2023, the introduction of the half-hourly service will be delayed until the base tunnel can be used normally again. As of the timetable change, 31 fast passenger trains will run through the Gotthard Base Tunnel between Friday and Sunday evenings.

The most important innovations in international passenger transport:

International trips are also popular, for example to the Bavarian capital. In the future, an additional train will run daily in each direction between Zurich and Munich, meaning travelers will have a continuous two-hour service.
Since November 24, 2023, 13 direct IC connections have been running between Zurich and Stuttgart, with no change in Singen.

The most important innovations in rolling stock:

On the RegioExpress between Olten and Lucerne, SBB is expanding the seating capacity by using double-decker trains.
Due to the implementation of the Disability Equality Act (BehiG), there will be a change in the use of rolling stock on some long-distance routes.

Pratt & Whitney receives contract for TF33 engines powering B-52 and E-3 aircraft

November 16, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

East Hartford, Connecticut, November, 2023, PRNewswire – Pratt & Whitney, an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business, was awarded a long-term TF33 engine sustainment contract valued up to $870 million by the Defense Logistics Agency. The TF33 engine provides power to a wide range of aircraft, including the Boeing (NYSE: BA) B-52 Stratofortress and E-3 Sentry.

This agreement is a culmination of the Defense Logistics Agency’s decades-long partnership with the 448^thSupply Chain Management Wing, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., and Pratt & Whitney to establish a holistic sustainment solution. This first-of-its-kind approach will reduce obsolescence, supporting the U.S. Air Force’s wartime readiness today and into the foreseeable future.

Under this contract, Pratt & Whitney will provide comprehensive engine sustainment services for a global fleet of nearly 1,000 engines over a six-year period, with an option of extending for another four years. Services under this contract include maintenance, spare parts, program management, field service, repairs and engineering support.

Sustainment work will run through April 2034 at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, additional U.S. Air Force locations, and Pratt & Whitney’s Southern Logistics Center located in Atlanta, Georgia.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including expected delivery dates. Such statements are based on current expectations and projections about our future results, prospects and opportunities and are not guarantees of future performance. Such statements will not be updated unless required by law. Actual results and performance may differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including those discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

National and international passenger transport: More direct connections, additional stops in tourist regions and new seasonal offers

Archives