Anduril UK and GKN Aerospace collaborate on British Army ACP bid
The pair will submit their demonstrator concept for Project Nyx, a development project for the British Army’s Land Autonomous Collaborative Platform.
Hungarian government and Embraer representatives attended a ceremony marking the start of production of the first KC-390 for Hungary. (Photo: Embraer)
Embraer on 11 November announced that structural assembly work is underway in Brazil of the first in a pair of KC-390 Millennium multi-mission transport aircraft for Hungary, following the conclusion of a critical design review.
The manufacturer noted in a statement: ‘In the coming weeks, parts will be assembled to generate the structural panels and frames for the main components of the fuselage and semi-wings. The first aircraft is scheduled to be delivered in 2024.’
Hungary ordered two KC-390s plus associated services in November 2020 for an undisclosed price, although Shephard Defence Insight calculates a unit price of $85 million for the aircraft.
The fully NATO-compatible KC-390s will not only use a probe and drogue system to refuel Hungarian Air Force JAS 39 Gripen multirole fighter aircraft, but they will also be capable of performing medevac or humanitarian missions with an onboard intensive care unit.
Additional mission types identified by Embraer include troop transport, precision cargo airdrop and paratroop operations.
Brazil (28 aircraft) and Portugal (five) are the only other confirmed customers for the KC-390 to date.
The pair will submit their demonstrator concept for Project Nyx, a development project for the British Army’s Land Autonomous Collaborative Platform.
The Picatinny Common Lethality Integration Kit is designed to overcome the issue of unique integration methods between lethal payloads and drones as well as avoiding problematic acquisition conditions created by vendor lock.
The investment includes new contracts for six MQ-28A Ghost Bat aircraft, as well as provisional funds to invest in the development of a Block 3 prototype.
Italy could field the JASSM-ER for its combat aircraft including the F-35, while Denmark has been approved for AMRAAM and an Integrated Battle Command system procurement.
The newly unveiled collaborative combat aircraft looks to strike a balance between capability and cost-effectiveness, according to the company.
Following the completion of successful ground tests, one more exercise remains before flight testing can begin.