FlightWave Drone. FlightWave Aerospace Systems, a California-based startup, has introduced the Edge, a small, tri-copter, fixed-wing unmanned aircraft that takes off vertically like a helicopter and flies horizontally like a plane. FlightWave says the aircraft has an endurance of more than two hours and is rugged enough to fly in rain or strong wind. The company offers interchangeable camera and mapping payloads and uses an open-source platform to allow users to easily integrate new sensors. The company is discussing its product with potential military customers. ‘We are in negotiations to better understand what requirements are needed,” chief marketing officer Edmund Cronin tells 
Defense Daily. “The military agencies all have slightly different needs.” The U.S. Coast Guard is also seen as a possible customer. Other potential missions include crop and wildlife management, public safety and resource-extraction monitoring. The Edge is scheduled to make its public debut Sept. 6 to 8 at the Interdrone conference in Las Vegas.
TDRS-M Launch. NASA’s last Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-M) lifted off Aug. 18 on a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. TDRS-M was placed into orbit after separating from the launch vehicle, NASA said. The Boeing-built satellite will undergo tests before being entering service early next year to support space-to-ground communication for low Earth orbit operations.
SLS Launch. NASA has not yet determined when in 2019 the first flight of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion crew capsule will occur, according to an agency spokeswoman. NASA announced in May that Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) would be delayed from November 2018 to sometime in 2019 due to production glitches. “NASA is currently executing its normal process to determine an official revised launch date for EM-1,” the spokeswoman says. “The agency is reviewing the production schedules, taking into account anticipated funding, projected delivery of the European Service Module [for Orion], first-time production issues, and the impact of the tornado that directly affected the Michoud Assembly Facility in Louisiana in February.”
SECDEF In Jordan. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis begins his first trip abroad in that post with a five-day trip to the Middle East and Europe intended to reaffirm the U.S. commitment to strategic partnerships, according to the Pentagon. Mattis travels first to Jordan on Aug. 21 to meet with King Abdullah II and Chairman of the Jordanian Joint Chiefs of Staff Lt. Gen. Mahmoud Freihat. “The secretary will express U.S. appreciation for Jordanian efforts to combat [the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria], and re-affirm U.S. commitment to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Jordan in facing regional and global challenges,” Pentagon officials say.
… Then Turkey. On Aug. 23, Mattis travels to Turkey to meet with Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli, Foreign Affairs Minister Mevlut Çavusoğlu and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The defense secretary will emphasize the steadfast U.S. commitment to Turkey as a NATO ally and strategic partner, “seek to collaborate on efforts to advance regional stability, and look for ways to help Turkey address its legitimate security concerns — including the fight against the [Kurdistan Workers’ Party],” defense officials say.
… And Ukraine. Mattis concludes his trip Aug. 24 with a visit to Kiev, Ukraine, where he will meet with Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak and President Petro Poroshenko. “During these engagements, the secretary will reassure our Ukrainian partners that the U.S. remains firmly committed to the goal of restoring Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as strengthening the strategic defense partnership between our two countries,” defense officials say.
Ground Robots. Endeavor Robotics received an order for 32 Small Unmanned Ground Vehicles (SUGV) equipped with the company’s uPoint Multi-Robot Control System. To date more than 1,000 SUGV robots have been fielded worldwide to domestic and international defense, law enforcement, and industrial customers. “The delivery of 32 SUGVs equipped with our uPoint Multi-Robot Control System advances the entire install base in terms of interoperability across the family of Endeavor Robotics’ systems,” says Chief Executive Sean Bielat. The uPoint Multi-Robot Control System consists of an Android-based, rugged tablet controller and Persistent Systems, LLC, MPU5 Radio network. The Endeavor Robotics SUGV has been in service across the United States Armed Forces since 2009, providing dismounted operations with a back-packable, easily deployable, rugged robt weighing under 20 pounds.
Proton Milestone. A Proton M carrying a Russian defense spacecraft blasted off from the Russian Space Agency’s Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan Aug. 17, marking the 100th launch for the heavy-lift rocket, according to International Launch Services. The rocket was built at Khrunichev Space Center near Moscow. The Proton M has been in use since 2001.
Virginia Subs. The Naval Sea Systems Command awarded General Dynamics a $115 million modification to a previously awarded contract for additional lead-yard services, development studies and design efforts related to Virginia-class submarines. The services will maintain, update and support the Virginia-class design and related drawings and data for each Virginia-class submarine, including technology insertion throughout its construction and post-shakedown availability period. The modification also provides development studies and design efforts related to the Virginia-class submarine design and design improvements, preliminary and detail component and system design, integration of system engineering, design engineering, test engineering, logistics engineering and production engineering. Work is expected to be finished by Oct. 2017.
F-35 Logistics. The Naval Air Systems Command awarded Lockheed Martin a $24 million modification to an earlier contract for recurring logistics services of F-35s in support of the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, non-Department of Defense participants, and foreign military sales customers. The support includes material for depot stand-up and activation, canopy systems, and avionics subsystems. The work will occur in Fort Worth, Texas, with an expected completion date by Aug. 2019.
Formidable Shield. The U.S. Navy Sixth Fleet/U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa says it will lead the Formidable Shield 2017 exercise at the U.K. Ministry of Defence’s Hebrides Range on the Western Isles of Scotland from Sept. 24 to Oct. 18. Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO will conduct the exercise on behalf of the Sixth Fleet. The exercise seeks to improve allied interoperability in a live-fire integrated air and missile defense environment using NATO command and control structures. Scheduled participants will include the U.S., UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain.
MITRE Appointments. The non-profit MITRE Corp. Has appointed five of its senior leaders to new roles. Mark Maybury is now vice president of the company’s Intelligence Portfolio, shifting from the chief security officer role. John Kreger, previously in charge of the company’s federally funded research and development center that supports the Department of Homeland Security, now is vice president of Public Sector Programs. Eileen Boettcher is vice president for Joint & Services Programs, moving over from director of its Law Enforcement and Domestic Security division. Kerry Buckley, previously technical director of the Law Enforcement and Domestic Security division, now is vice president for Intelligence Programs. Douglas Robbins will serve as vice president for Air Force Programs following service as the director of Strategic Development for its Bedford campus.