The past years have seen an unprecedented rise in the volume of data streams that circle the globe. Terrestrial communications infrastructure is quickly expanding worldwide to meet the ever-growing demand. However, terrestrial fibre-based networks depend on intrinsically point-to-point implementation of suitable infrastructure – often involving expensive earthworks and construction – and thus neglecting less populated/developed areas almost completely. Laser based satellite communication has the potential to help bridge this digital gap for a variety of applications such as television broadcasting, internet and phone services, virtual private networks over satellite and the like.

The Airbus C295 Flight Test Bed 2 (FTB2) has successfully performed its maiden flight from the Final Assembly Line in Seville. The aircraft now starts a flight campaign with the aim of testing the new semi-morphing wing, the new affordable flight control system, as well as a SatCom antenna embedded within the aircraft’s fuselage.

Intercepting drugs, arresting drug traffickers and boarding speedboats: it sounds like the script for a Netflix series, but it is simply the daily life of the crew of the Spanish Customs Surveillance Service’s three Dauphin AS365 N3 helicopters. They tell us all about it.