AERALIS Head of Sales programme David John Townsend, gave a lecture to the Manchester branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society last week, delivering an update on the AERALIS programme and its vision for the future of fast jet flight training.

The audience, including aerospace engineering undergraduates from both Manchester and Salford Universities, were given insights to AERALIS’s unique open systems avionics architecture, ground-breaking end-to-end digital engineering, Smart Integrated Digital Enterprise (AERSIDE), and the Phoenix engineering demonstrator.

David explained how each of these is a necessary and significant achievement in the programme to deliver the AERALIS modular air system – a single aircraft platform that can be reconfigured to support a wide range of air force training and operational support roles, from Basic Training to Light Attack, including crewed and uncrewed configurations. With a unified supply chain and digital integration, AERALIS will offer increased availability, adaptability and, crucially, affordability for UK and NATO air forces.

David explained how each of these is a necessary and significant achievement in the programme to deliver the AERALIS modular air system – a single aircraft platform that can be reconfigured to support a wide range of air force training and operational support roles, from Basic Training to Light Attack, including crewed and uncrewed configurations. With a unified supply chain and digital integration, AERALIS will offer increased availability, adaptability and, crucially, affordability for UK and NATO air forces.

David commented:

“It was a pleasure to deliver this lecture, and to such an invested audience. The key message I wanted to convey was that, in practical terms, building an aircraft is only one part of the journey. It’ll be the digital enterprise that unlocks the flexibility and capability, optimises certification, maximises operational value – and delivers more 5th-Gen ready crews to air forces. And that’s where AERALIS has already made real progress and continues to deliver. I’m very grateful to the RAeS for their invitation and hospitality.”

AERALIS are committed to supporting the next generation of aerospace and air force talent in the UK, deepening students’ understanding, inspiring young minds and facilitating discussions around digital engineering in aerospace.

Find out more about how AERALIS are redefining the future of air force fleets here

Photo: David Townsend, Head of Sales Programme, AERALIS giving his lecture at the Manchester Royal Aeronautical Society.