“Capital follows confidence” as defence courts private money
Outside investment and the direction in which venture money flows may reveal what defence will buy years before formal programmes begin.
Cobham targets pilot hypoxia risk
Cobham has partnered with Orbital Research to integrate gas sensing technology into its suite of military oxygen systems in order to mitigate pilot hypoxia risk, Cobham announced on 15 September.
The next-generation life support systems will monitor the physiological state of a pilot while measuring various variables in the aircraft oxygen system. If a problem is detected, the system will perform corrective action to ensure that the physiological state of the pilot remains uncompromised.
Cobham will retrofit the gas sensing technology into its existing life support equipment under license agreement with Orbital Research.
Stuart Buckley, senior director, business development and sales, Cobham, said: ‘Hypoxia can go unrecognised until it’s too late to recover from a loss of control of the aircraft. This licensing agreement lays the groundwork for Cobham to develop a fully integrated life support system that will be able to predict and prevent hypoxic like symptoms before they occur.’
Tim Sopko, vice president, general manager, Cobham Mission Systems, said: ‘This agreement is further evidence of Cobham’s strategy to invest in next generation life support systems, with gas/hypoxia sensing identified as a key technology needed to satisfy our customer’s needs.’
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