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Aviation Today • John Persinos

Next‑Gen Pilot Headsets Go Digital as Thales Fields TopOwl for NH90 Crews

Innovations showcased at CES and in research labs signal a step‑change for pilot headsets — devices are becoming smaller, more connected and sensor‑rich — while Thales is fielding its TopOwl digital display helmet for NH90 crews to boost situational awareness, safety and mission efficiency.

2026-01-22T14:51:07.881577-08:00

Aviation Today

USMC awards Northrop Grumman $232M MUX TACAIR CCA contract; Kratos XQ‑58A Valkyrie to be missionized

2026-01-22T14:12:38.986201-08:00

Aviation Today

DIU solicits airborne magnetic-mapping prototypes to enable GPS‑denied precision navigation

2026-01-22T14:17:10.025544-08:00

Aviation Today

USAF opts for non‑HMD Degraded Visual Environment System on HH‑60W to cut costs

2026-01-22T14:12:39.572189-08:00

News Timeline

Aviation Today

Next‑Gen Pilot Headsets Go Digital as Thales Fields TopOwl for NH90 Crews Innovations showcased at CES and in research labs signal a step‑change for pilot headsets — devices are becoming smaller, more connected and sensor‑rich — while Thales is fielding its TopOwl digital display helmet for NH90 crews to boost situational awareness, safety and mission efficiency.

2026-01-22T14:51:07.881577-08:00

Next‑Gen Pilot Headsets Go Digital as Thales Fields TopOwl for NH90 Crews

Aviation Today

DIU solicits airborne magnetic-mapping prototypes to enable GPS‑denied precision navigation The Defense Innovation Unit last week issued a solicitation for prototype airborne platforms to collect magnetic-field data and generate magnetic maps as an alternative, 'unjammable' source of precision positioning for operations in GPS‑denied environments. The requirement targets airborne collection concepts to support maritime and land navigation.

2026-01-22T14:17:10.025544-08:00

DIU solicits airborne magnetic-mapping prototypes to enable GPS‑denied precision navigation

Aviation Today

USAF opts for non‑HMD Degraded Visual Environment System on HH‑60W to cut costs The U.S. Air Force will procure a Degraded Visual Environment System (DVES) for the Lockheed Martin Sikorsky HH‑60W Jolly Green II without a helmet‑mounted display (HMD), a cost‑driven choice that abandons HMD integration for the platform’s DVES capability in the near term.

2026-01-22T14:12:39.572189-08:00

USAF opts for non‑HMD Degraded Visual Environment System on HH‑60W to cut costs

Aviation Today

USMC awards Northrop Grumman $232M MUX TACAIR CCA contract; Kratos XQ‑58A Valkyrie to be missionized The U.S. Marine Corps has awarded Northrop Grumman a $232 million contract under the MUX TACAIR Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) effort to develop a missionized variant of Kratos’ XQ‑58A Valkyrie. Kratos’ Valkyrie will serve as the starting airframe for the service’s uncrewed combat-aircraft work.

2026-01-22T14:12:38.986201-08:00

USMC awards Northrop Grumman $232M MUX TACAIR CCA contract; Kratos XQ‑58A Valkyrie to be missionized

Air Data News

Angola defence minister visits Portugal KC-390 base as procurement talks advance Angola's Minister of National Defense, General João Ernesto dos Santos, visited Portugal's Air Base No. 11 in Beja in January to tour the Embraer KC-390 presence and advance procurement discussions. The trip signals ongoing bilateral engagement on Angolan airlift capability and a potential KC-390 acquisition.

2026-01-22T05:33:02.690357-08:00

Angola defence minister visits Portugal KC-390 base as procurement talks advance

AeroTime

France deploys two Rafales to Sweden for cold‑weather agile-operations trials France has deployed two Rafale fighters to Uppsala, Sweden, to test agile operations. The jets operated with a small support team to validate operating and sustainment procedures in cold‑weather conditions, exercising dispersed basing and minimal‑footprint logistics in a Nordic environment.

2026-01-22T03:02:15.517428-08:00

France deploys two Rafales to Sweden for cold‑weather agile-operations trials

SpaceWatch Global

Safran flies Blacknaute INS aboard U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk Safran Federal Systems completed a successful flight demonstration of its Blacknaute inertial navigation system aboard a U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk, proving the INS on a rotary‑wing military platform. The sortie provides flight‑test validation of Blacknaute and supports Safran's ongoing development and qualification efforts.

2026-01-22T01:38:41.030663-08:00

Safran flies Blacknaute INS aboard U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk

FlightGlobal

UAE MoD awards EDGE/Anavia 168 HT-100 & HT-750 uncrewed helicopters On 22 January EDGE Group’s Swiss unit Anavia was awarded UAE Ministry of Defence contracts to deliver 168 uncrewed helicopters — 76 HT‑100 and 92 HT‑750 — in what EDGE described as a “globally significant” two‑contract agreement for supply and related systems/services.

2026-01-22T00:35:29.797211-08:00

UAE MoD awards EDGE/Anavia 168 HT-100 & HT-750 uncrewed helicopters

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Military Aircraft Procurement News

Next‑Gen Pilot Headsets Go Digital as Thales Fields TopOwl for NH90 Crews

USMC awards Northrop Grumman $232M MUX TACAIR CCA contract; Kratos XQ‑58A Valkyrie to be missionized

DIU solicits airborne magnetic-mapping prototypes to enable GPS‑denied precision navigation

USAF opts for non‑HMD Degraded Visual Environment System on HH‑60W to cut costs

News Timeline