Australian Aviation
• Jake Nelson
Qantas has opened a Product Innovation Center in Adelaide’s central business district, consolidating product managers, digital experience designers, software engineers, and data and AI specialists. The center will develop digital travel experiences, expand the airline group’s technology capabilities, and advance applications of artificial intelligence.
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The U.S. Air Force plans to field 500 Collaborative Combat Aircraft by 2032, with Anduril’s FQ-44 Fury and General Atomics’ FQ-42 Vengeance selected for the program. Lockheed Martin is also boosting production of its Vectis, scheduled to fly in 2027, as manufacturers broaden their uncrewed combat-aircraft portfolios.
Qantas has opened a Product Innovation Center in Adelaide’s central business district, consolidating product managers, digital experience designers, software engineers, and data and AI specialists. The center will develop digital travel experiences, expand the airline group’s technology capabilities, and advance applications of artificial intelligence.
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The U.S. Navy is moving multiple uncrewed and advanced-weapon concepts toward operational use: Boeing received a $562 million contract for three MQ-25A Stingrays, Castelion secured a potential $200 million Blackbeard production order, and Textron Aviation and Merlin unveiled a pilotless SkyCourier military resupply concept.
The U.S. Air Force must develop trustworthy artificial intelligence capable of countering fast, reckless enemy AI agents operating with less oversight, experts say. The challenge highlights the need to balance speed and autonomy with controls that preserve confidence in AI-enabled military decision-making.
Textron Aviation is studying an autonomous military-cargo version of the Cessna SkyCourier that removes the conventional cockpit and creates space for a new forward-loading arrangement. The concept explores how distributed autonomy and revised fuselage access could support future unmanned logistics missions.
Satellite operators are repositioning around sovereign space strategies, integrating capabilities across multiple domains and collaborating more closely with the technology ecosystem. The shift highlights how defense requirements and artificial intelligence are reshaping satellite operators’ roles beyond traditional space-based services.
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Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said the United States has deployed space-control weapons on orbit, marking the first public disclosure by a U.S. official, according to the reports. He did not identify the systems or say whether they are kinetic or non-kinetic.
Vietjet and Thales signed agreements in Paris covering aircraft maintenance, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity during Vietnam’s state visit to France. The deals broaden the relationship between the Vietnamese airline and the European aerospace and technology group across operational support and digital capabilities.
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