2Excel Aviation is preparing to transform a former civil-operated Boeing 757-200 into a flying laboratory for combat air technology after it was contracted by Leonardo to proceed with the next stage of the Tempest Flight Test Aircraft (FTA) programme.
The recently awarded contract was announced by Leonardo on September 15, during the second day of the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) conference in London. The Tempest FTA will allow scientists and engineers to conduct in-flight testing of futuristic sensors and communications for the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) that is currently being developed by the UK and its international partners – Italy, Japan and Sweden. The system is scheduled to enter operational service in 2035.
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