Sponsored By Oxley Developments
www.oxleygroup.com
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20 Nov 25. Quickparts, a leader in on-demand manufacturing, today reinforced its commitment to “Limitless Manufacturing” with the completion of a significant US$2.5m investment in new equipment and facility upgrades at its Seattle, WA headquarters. The improvements formally establish the site as an Aerospace & Defence Centre of Excellence, strengthening the company’s long-standing expertise in high-fidelity casting patterns and advanced stereolithography (SLA). At the same time, Quickparts is officially launching its Quick Mould solution — announced last month in EMEA — across North America, delivering production-quality moulded parts in as little as five days. Together, these initiatives align under one objective: accelerating global manufacturing with precision, speed, and reliability.
“For more than three decades, we’ve been driving and redefining global manufacturing — delivering continuous innovation across on-demand services,” said Avi Reichental, CEO of Quickparts. “As we continue to build upon our rich history and proven track record of innovation to help companies rapidly address their most complex manufacturing challenges, today’s announcements reflect this ongoing vision and commitment to our customers.”
Seattle Expansion: US Hub for Precision Investment Casting Patterns and Advanced SLA
With this latest investment, Quickparts has expanded its QuickCast® investment casting patterns and nextgeneration SLA capacity in the Americas. This enables higher throughput, increased repeatability, and even greater fidelity for precision investment casting patterns used in drone, satellite, propulsion, aviation, and defence systems. The expansion builds on Quickparts’ 35-year legacy of delivering advanced manufacturing solutions globally, including decades of producing high-fidelity casting patterns. The enhanced operation strengthens the company’s ability to support aerospace and defence programmes where consistency, dimensional accuracy, and repeatability are mission-critical.
Global Expansion of Quick Mould: Production-Quality Parts in as Little as Five Days
Coinciding with the Seattle expansion, Quickparts is introducing Quick Mould to customers across North America, following its strong uptake in Europe. Quick Mould delivers production-quality injection-moulded parts in as few as five days, enabling engineers to compress design cycles, validate materials earlier, and respond quickly to programme changes — all supported by Quickparts’ engineering teams and expert DFM guidance. Quick Mould uses rapidly machined aluminium tooling and engineering-grade thermoplastics to move customers from design to functional, production-grade parts at unprecedented speed. This process has already delivered measurable customer results, including: 1-day design-change cycle using PA66 GF50 4-day turnaround for high-stress automotive components A luxury vehicle button redesigned, tooled, and moulded in four days These achievements demonstrate Quickparts’ commitment to helping manufacturers reduce development time and maintain momentum, even under demanding schedules.
“The addition of enhanced SLA capabilities and the Seattle expansion represent significant steps in strengthening our global manufacturing footprint,” said Peter Jacobsen, EMEA President at Quickparts.
“Seeing the strong momentum of Quick Mould across Europe, I’m especially excited that our multinational customers will now have access to this transformative technology.”
Quick Mould is now available to customers across North America and Europe.
20 Nov 25. Two-year flight delay for DARPA X-plane that steers with air bursts. An experimental DARPA plane that would steer using bursts of air is expected to have its first flight in late 2027, more than two years later than originally planned, after the program was paused and restructured. The unmanned X-65, being built by Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences as part of a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency program, is designed to test a concept called “active flow control” to steer an aircraft. This plane will not have mechanical flaps and rudders in its wings or tail to control its pitch, roll and yaw, as a conventional aircraft does. Instead, it is meant to use small air bursts to create a speed bump that alters how the air flows over the plane’s wings, which causes it to shift. The air bursts themselves do not push the wings, as do a spacecraft’s thrusters. DARPA hopes the technology demonstrated with this program, called Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors, or CRANE, will allow aircraft designers to rethink how they build planes and design maneuvering systems. This system is intended to be more energy efficient, improve aerodynamics, and reduce the weight and mechanical complexity of aircraft. DARPA announced in January 2023 that it had awarded a $42m contract to Aurora Flight Sciences to start detailed design of an aircraft using active flow control technology. Aurora is a Boeing subsidiary, located in Manassas, Virgina, that specializes in developing advanced innovative designs for aircraft and uncrewed systems. The program passed a critical design review in late 2023 and moved on to its third phase, in which Aurora received another contract to start building a full-scale experimental prototype to test the technology. In January 2024, Aurora and DARPA announced that fabrication on the demonstrator was already under way at Aurora’s facilities in West Virginia and Mississippi, and was expected to start flight tests in summer of this year. It would have a 30-foot wingspan, weigh 7,000 pounds, and could fly at speeds up to Mach 0.7, or more than 500 miles per hour, they said. DARPA said the plane was expected to be rolled out of the factory for testing early this year. Aurora expects to finish building the fuselage for the X-65 aircraft in January 2026. More integration work will follow, and Aurora expects to start ground testing on the aircraft in late 2026 or early 2027. (Aurora Flight Sciences) The program hit troubles, though. The costs to produce the prototype aircraft for test flights ended up being higher than expected, a DARPA spokesperson told Defense News, so earlier this year, DARPA chose to “strategically pause” the X-65’s development and reevaluate the program, the spokesperson said.
“DARPA programs are high-risk by nature,” the spokesperson said. “As with this program, Aurora had to address technical and supply chain challenges, resulting in added development time.”
During that pause, DARPA said, it restructured the program into a partnership with Aurora, in which the company became a “co-investor” in the X-65. That new arrangement was finalized in August.
“Aurora’s investment in the X-65, through this program’s restructuring, ensures DARPA’s CRANE objectives are met,” Christopher Kent, DARPA’s CRANE program manager, said in a statement.
“Demonstrating active flow control in flight opens new design and production possibilities for both military and commercial aircraft,” he said.
The new partnership structure “gets costs back to an affordable rate for the government,” the spokesperson said.
“After we’ve proven the DARPA-hard technical challenge of successfully demonstrating [active flow control technology] for stability and control in-flight via the X-65, Aurora will take over the platform for future test and development.”
But the program is now more than two years behind schedule for reaching its first flight. In a release posted online Thursday morning, Aurora said construction of the plane’s fuselage is on track to be finished in January.
Aurora spokesperson Carmen Smith told Defense News more integration work will need to be done on the X-65 after the fuselage is built, and ground testing is expected to start late next year or in early 2027, with flight tests following in late 2027. Smith confirmed technical and supply chain challenges were a factor in the program delays, as well as the inherent riskiness involved in working on a DARPA project. Smith also said negotiations with DARPA on the co-investment strategy delayed work on the X-65. Aurora would not say how much it will spend on the X-65, but Smith said the company and DARPA are investing sufficiently to finish building the prototype, conduct integrated ground testing, and conduct the first flight test. Fiscal 2026 Defense Department budget documents show DARPA spent $38.3m on CRANE in fiscal 2024, and another $23.9m in fiscal 2025, with another $4m in spending for 2026. In Thursday’s release, Aurora said the X-65, which it is building in Bridgeport, West Virginia, will have 14 “effectors” across its flying surfaces to produce the needed air bursts.
“We’re excited to continue our longstanding partnership with DARPA to complete the build of the X-65 aircraft and demonstrate the capabilities of active flow control in flight,” Larry Wirsing, Aurora’s vice president of aircraft development, said in the release.
“The X-65 platform will be an enduring flight test asset, and we’re confident that future aircraft designs and research missions will be able to leverage the underlying technologies and flight test data.” (Source: Defense News)
20 Nov 25. Technology Innovation Institute (TII), the applied research entity of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), has signed a Collaboration Agreement with global technology leader Thales in order to accelerate the development and deployment of new technologies in the areas of quantum, autonomous systems and directed energy. The agreement, signed at the Dubai Airshow, establishes a long-term framework for joint R&D that drives innovation and real-world applications. Technology Innovation Institute and Thales Partner to Advance Research in Quantum, Autonomy, and Directed Energy ©Flat Earth This partnership exemplifies the UAE’s commitment to building sovereign R&D capabilities, while supporting the country’s growing role as a catalyst for global technology collaboration. Working with the Paris-headquartered multinational organisation Thales presents an opportunity to strengthen the UAE–France cooperation in advanced science and technology. The collaboration underscores TII’s role as a global hub for frontier R&D and Thales’ commitment to advancing applied science through partnership. The agreement focuses on several advanced technology areas where both parts have complementary expertise: * Quantum Sensing: Development of ultra-precise sensing technologies (gravimetry, magnetometry, and navigation) using quantum physics principles,
* Advanced Autonomous Systems: Cross-domain robotics and autonomous mobility (air, land, sea, and space), focusing on swarm coordination, adaptive autonomy, AI-driven mission execution and advanced Command and Control Systems,
* Advanced Laser and Power Generation Technologies: Joint R&D on high-energy laser systems, advanced beam control, and compact, scalable power sources for future power beaming and defence applications. Dr. Najwa Aaraj, CEO of TII, said: “We are on a mission to accelerate R&D in frontier technologies and spark global collaboration by uniting with bold organisations that turn breakthrough ideas into real-world impact. In partnership with Thales, we have brought together two global leaders in applied research, as we are driven by a shared ambition to push the boundaries of science and shape the next wave of technological progress and value creation.” The focus of the collaboration is to accelerate the transition from research to deployment and serving clients’ operational needs. By convening leading researchers from both organisations, the time to market for next generation technologies will be brought forward, increasing the potential for enhanced workflows and further industry breakthroughs. Dr. Chaouki Kasmi, Chief Innovation Officer at TII said: “At TII, we see innovation as a bridge between scientific discovery and societal progress. By joining forces with Thales, we are strengthening that bridge, advancing technologies that not only define new frontiers in quantum, autonomy, and photonics, but also deliver solutions that shape a safer, smarter, and more sustainable world.” Abdelhafid Mordi, Vice President of Thales in UAE and Iraq, and CEO of Thales Emarat Technologies said: “Thales’s partnership with the Technology Innovation Institute builds on shared strengths in quantum, autonomy, and photonics. These are areas critical to the next generation of secure and intelligent systems. Together, we are translating scientific excellence into applied innovation that supports the UAE’s vision for a future-ready, knowledge-based, sovereign economy.” The signing of the agreement at Dubai Airshow 2025 highlights the industry’s heritage in global innovation and strategic cooperation. With the UAE’s vision for advanced technology leadership, this partnership will help the country make significant strides forward. ABOUT TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION INSTITUTE (TII)?? The Technology Innovation Institute (TII) is the dedicated applied research pillar of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC). TII is a pioneering global research and development center that focuses on applied research and new-age technology capabilities. The Institute has 9 dedicated research centers in advanced materials, autonomous robotics, cryptography, AI and digital science, directed energy, quantum, secure systems, propulsion and space, and renewable and sustainable energy. By working with exceptional talent, universities, research institutions, and industry partners from all over the world, TII connects an intellectual community and contributes to building an R&D ecosystem that reinforces the status of Abu Dhabi and the UAE as a global hub for innovation.???????? Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies for the Defence, Aerospace, and Cyber & Digital sectors. Its portfolio of innovative products and services addresses several major challenges: sovereignty, security, sustainability and inclusion. The Group invests more than €4 bn per year in Research & Development in key areas, particularly for critical environments, such as Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum and cloud technologies. Thales has more than 83,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2024, the Group generated sales of €20.6 bn. 19 Nov 25. US War Department Narrows Technology Development Focus to Half Dozen Areas. Directed energy, hypersonics and artificial intelligence are among the six technology focus areas for the War Department meant to ensure America’s warfighters will quickly have what’s needed to fight and win on the battlefield.
“Our adversaries are moving fast, but we will move faster,” said Emil Michael, undersecretary of war for research and engineering. “The warfighter is not asking for results tomorrow; they need them today. These six critical technology areas are not just priorities; they are imperatives. The American warfighter will wield the most advanced technology to maximize lethality.”
Among those technology areas are applied AI, biomanufacturing, contested logistics technology, quantum battlefield information dominance, scaled directed energy, and scaled hypersonics.
President Donald J. Trump’s Winning the Race: America’s AI Action Plan, released July 23, 2025, directs the War Department to aggressively adopt AI to maintain global military preeminence, and to ensure the use of AI is both secure and reliable.
“When adopted rapidly, AI will fundamentally transform the department from the enterprise level to intelligence synthesis and to warfighting,” Michael said.
Biomanufacturing uses specially designed genetically modified living organisms, such as bacteria, to manufacture needed materials.
” harnesses living systems to produce capabilities at scale,” Michael said. ” will accelerate the development and deployment of biomanufacturing solutions to support critical missions of the department.”
With biomanufacturing, he said, the department can expect development of bio-based alternatives for critical chemicals, minerals and energetics for use in warfighting systems.
With a focus on directed energy, Michael said, the department will enable the rapid scaling of high-energy lasers and high-power microwave systems with widely accessible, low-cost-per-shot response options. And with scaled hypersonics, the department will focus on scaling production, lowering costs and widely fielding hypersonic weapons to the force.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the new, more narrowly defined technology focus areas will give America and its warfighters a battlefield advantage and secure the future of American technological dominance.
“Our nation’s military has always been the tip of the spear,” Hegseth said. “Undersecretary Emil Michael’s six critical technology areas will ensure that our warriors never enter a fair fight and have the best systems in their hands for maximum lethality. The War Department is committed to remaining the most deadly fighting force on planet Earth.” (Source: U.S. DoD)
17 Nov 25. Stratasys Ltd. (NASDAQ: SSYS) announced today that it is strengthening its additive manufacturing (AM) industry leadership position as the go-to choice for manufacturers by investing in and establishing a key business collaboration with industrial metal 3D printing company, Tritone Technologies. The agreement brings cutting-edge, industrial scale, production-grade metal and ceramic technology to Stratasys’s offering, advancing the company?s position as a comprehensive, end-to-end provider of a broad range of AM solutions.
The transaction aims to further reduce barriers to AM adoption by eliminating complexity in choice and vendors that, at times, presents challenges for customers. Tritone’s metal and ceramic offering is geared toward serial production and aligns with the Stratasys strategy to address this greater trend in the industry toward manufacturing at scale.
“Manufacturers that trust Stratasys as their AM partner including in government, defense, and aerospace frequently ask us to complement our polymer offering with a reliable, industrial-grade metal solution,” said Dr. Yoav Zeif, Chief Executive Officer of Stratasys. “After a long search, we found Tritone to offer a unique combination of part quality, cost-efficiency, with a sustainable business model built around consumables and services. This agreement significantly expands our total addressable market.”
Participation in the most recent investment round, which includes Discount Capital and Fortissimo Capital, provides Stratasys with an initial minority ownership stake along with a path, at Stratasys? option, to increase its equity stake and potential future ownership. In addition, a phased commercial agreement has been structured to foster close collaboration between the companies, with a focus on supporting Tritone’s reseller network and leveraging sales and marketing synergies.
“We believe that the partnership between the two companies and the strong synergy at its corewill accelerate their growth and deliver meaningful value to the market. Stratasys’ extensive experience and global leadership, combined with Tritone’s unique technological capabilities, create an exceptional opportunity for us as investors,” said Hanoch Papoushado, Chief Investment Officer at Discount Capital.
Tritone offers proprietary metal solutions to customers worldwide that enable industrial throughput of accurate end-use parts suitable for a wide range of industries such as tooling, medical devices, defense, general industrial, and fashion. The company was established in 2017 by industry veterans including CEO Ofer Ben Zur, previous founder of Kornit Digital, a world leader in textile digital printing.
At the core of Tritone’s offering is its MoldJet® technology, a breakthrough metal and ceramic additive manufacturing process that complements Stratasys? polymer jetting expertise. MoldJet is the only powder-free AM technology that enables a high throughput production of metal and ceramic parts at industrial scale and speed that overcomes previous challenges. It is designed for producing complex geometric parts, with high density and industry standard mechanical properties. MoldJet allows a quick and easy changeover between different metal alloys and ceramics which reduces downtime and enables maximum productivity. Parts of different geometries and applications can be manufactured in the same batch.
For more information about Tritone, visit https://tritoneam.com/. For more information about Stratasys, visit https://www.stratasys.com/.
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Oxley Group Ltd
Oxley offer a range of Military Marine NVG friendly LED lighting that includes navigation lights and controls, flight deck landing lights and interior compartment lighting. Our lighting products are used by Navies around the world including our own Royal Navy on UK Aircraft Carriers, Canadian Frigates, Swedish Submarines, Australian Surface vessels and Submarines, on board French Naval Carriers and in Naval Gun Turrets.
https://oxleydevelopments.cmail20.com/t/t-l-cdhkulk-yujhutkljd-r/
The technology is extremely energy efficient and built robustly, with proven long life. The lighting is NVG friendly, dimmable and programmable to allow for operations with aircraft pilots using military night vision goggles. They offer superior design giving high reliability for the most demanding environments with high sealing and the ability to meet the most stringent EMC standards.
https://oxleydevelopments.cmail20.com/t/t-l-cdhkulk-yujhutkljd-y/
Oxley are proud to say that we are working in partnership with SeaKing to enable a control panel to be offered with our LED Navigation Lighting. All of Oxley navigation lights have been specifically developed for vessels over 50 metres.
Contact Marcus Goad on 07850 917 263 for more information or to arrange samples.
Oxley specialises in the design and manufacture of advanced electronic and electro-optic components and systems for air, land and sea applications within the military sector. Established in 1942, Oxley has manufacturing facilities in the UK and USA and enjoys representation worldwide. The company’s products include night vision and LED lighting, data capture systems and electronic components. Oxley has pioneered the development of night vision compatible lighting. It offers a total package incorporating optical filters, equipment modification, cockpit and external lighting along with fleet wide upgrade services including engineering, installation, support, maintenance and training. The company?s long experience of manufacturing night vision lighting and LED indicators, coupled with advances in LED technology, has enabled it to develop LED solutions to replace incandescent and fluorescent lighting in existing applications as well as becoming the lighting option of choice in new applications such as portable military hospitals, UAV control stations and communication shelters.
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