Source: Airbus Automatic aircraft taxiing and new pilot assistance features to be tested in innovative electric truck Airbus UpNext, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Airbus, has started testing new technologies to support automatic taxiing and enhance pilot assistance onboard an innovative electric truck. The three-year research project, called Optimate, will combine a wide range of cutting-edge technologies including advanced automation, computer vision, data fusion and machine learning to improve aircraft navigation systems, the human-machine interface and overall flight safety. “We are delighted to unveil another innovative demonstrator that reflects our unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of aviation. Our ambition is to use the best technologies to make our aircraft even more aware of their operating conditions, analysing it in as [...]

Source: Airbus The Spanish Ministry of Defence has ordered 16 Airbus C295 aircraft in Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) configuration and Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA) configuration. The contract amounts to €1.695 billion. These new aircraft will enable the Spanish Air and Space Force and the Spanish Navy to strengthen the national anti-submarine warfare capability as well as increase and enhance its surveillance, reconnaissance and search & rescue units. “The aircraft will be fully designed and manufactured in Spain, fostering the national industrial defence footprint and sovereignty” said Mike Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space. “In particular, the Maritime Patrol version is the most complex C295 mission configuration to date. A major development project that will bring together the latest technologies [...]