The threats to and vulnerabilities of U.S. cyberoperations are rolling over military planning like a tidal wave. Fundamental weaknesses in the technology indicate massive damage can be inflicted on the U.S. through the cybersphere—and there is no way to stop it.
Paul G. Pastorek has been appointed chief counsel and corporate secretary of EADS North America, Arlington, Va. Pastorek was associated with the law firm Adams and Reese for 27 years as a partner, litigator and corporate attorney.
A labor-management drama is playing out in Boeing's Puget Sound airplane factories this spring, even though negotiations between the company and District Lodge 751 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) on a new contract are not set to get underway until August.
Already struggling to fill the pipeline of engineering talent needed to sustain and grow its business into the future, the escalating demand for cybersecurity professionals is both a challenge and an opportunity for the aerospace and defense industry. The opportunity is in hiring individuals with skills that equip them to become the next generation of industry leaders. The challenge is in competing with every other industry sector and the government for the limited pool of talent.
Bradford R. Rich has been named president of St. George, Utah-based SkyWest. Michael J. Kraupp was named chief financial officer and treasurer, and Eric J. Woodward is the new chief accounting officer.
Mario Diaz, general manager of Landmark Aviation's San Antonio facility, has been named the company's Manager of the Year. Diaz was selected because he increased his location's revenue, improved customer service and built strong relationships with the San Antonio airport.
Reader Roger Horrell wonders why Ford-class aircraft carriers are not fitted with stabilizers (AW&ST May 9, p. 8). Stabilizers control roll, not pitch. To my knowledge the only oceangoing vessels controllable in pitch are submarines. Crawford, Colo.
Who would have guessed that buying shares of Delta Air Lines would be the equivalent to shorting Exxon-Mobil? An unusual correlation has emerged in the stock market this year: When the price of oil rises, the share prices of airlines fall, and when the price of oil falls, airline share prices rise.
A ruling by a World Trade Organization appeals body contains good news for both Boeing and Airbus in the long-standing battle between the U.S. and European Union over large commercial aircraft subsidies. As has become standard in the multi-step process, both sides declared victory after the ruling, although there are no clear winners. The appeal was to DS316, the case the U.S. brought against Airbus ahead of the counterclaim, DS353, for which the appeals process is still ongoing.
Justin von Hagel has been named director of Aerospace Parts Programs for Sedro-Woolley, Wash.-based Janicki Industries. He was director of engineering at Triumph Composite Systems.
The German government has unveiled its armed forces restructuring plan. Troop strength is to be cut to 185,000 from 220,000. The air force will undergo restructuring into two commands, one for support and another for deployable forces. The navy will be organized into two deployment flotillas, a naval aviation command and training and support elements.
It appears House and Senate conferees have reached a compromise on the FAA reauthorization bill to keep the Essential Air Service (EAS) program, possibly by cutting $30 million from the $200 million per year in federal subsidies by knocking out cities that are within 90 mi. of a decent-sized airport. That's what Chuck Howell, president of the largest subsidized carrier, Great Lakes Airlines, is hearing. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says the Obama administration and several congressional conferees are solidly behind EAS.
Philip Lear has joined the sales department of intelligence technology company Envitia, Horsham, England. He held a business development position at Commerce Decisions, which became Qinetiq Commerce Decisions.
With much attention on Russia's efforts to revive its combat aircraft fortunes, the country also is more quietly making inroads in reviving its military transport aircraft activities. Russia's United Aircraft Corp. (UAC) is completing assembly of the first prototypes of the new Ilyushin Il-76MD-90A military transport, also known as Il-476 or Item 476. The first flight prototype and the aircraft to be used for static testing are being built at the Ulyanovsk-based Aviastar-SP facility, a UAC subsidiary.
General Electric says a newly-defined performance improvement package (PIP) will bring the Boeing 747-8 engine to within 1% of fuel-burn targets, but acknowledges additional upgrades will be needed to close the final gap with a follow-on upgrade package.
EADS and Boeing are poised to start booking record revenue from their commercial aircraft businesses, but their underlying aggressive production plans are not without risk. After curtailing output in 2009 because of the global economic slowdown, both Airbus and Boeing have been moving rapidly to ramp up and set production targets that exceed pre-crisis plans. Output of both single-aisle and widebody airplanes is increasing rapidly and the two largest aircraft makers are on track to deliver more than 1,200 aircraft in 2013 and 1,400 in 2014.
Madhu Unnikrishnan (Waltham, Mass. ), Anthony L. Velocci, Jr. (Waltham, Mass.)
William H. Swanson has spent nearly his entire career at Raytheon, starting as a mechanical engineer in 1972. He was appointed chief executive in 2003 and chairman in 2004. During his tenure, Raytheon has expanded its footprint globally, with a full quarter of its sales abroad. In an interview at Raytheon's headquarters in Waltham, Mass., with Aviation Week & Space Technology Editor-in-Chief Anthony L.
The photograph that accompanied the Washington Outlook column May 16 (p. 21) actually depicted Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), while it should have shown Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.).
Bill Meehan has been appointed to succeed Wake Smith as CEO of Pemco World Air Services, Tampa, Fla. Meehan was senior vice president of airports services at Continental Airlines and had been president and chief operating officer of Continental Micronesia.
The oil price uncertainty and its effect on airline managers and industry in general as a result of the political upheaval in the Middle East reminds me of articles that I have read in Aviation Week & Space Technology and similar reports in other weekly news magazines during the winter. These articles addressed the use of coal-derived jet fuel being used to refuel jetliners at Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. A 40-60 mixture of the coal-derived jet fuel blended with regular JP-8 was used.
Tobin Shackleford (see photo) is the new director of Cincinnati-based Field Aviation subsidiary Special Mission. He was director of special mission sales at Raisbeck Engineering.
Andrew Watterson (see photo) is the new vice president of planning and revenue management and ticket pricing at Hawaiian Airlines. He was a partner in Dallas in the aviation, aerospace and defense practice of consulting firm Oliver Wyman.
Forget the engine, how about an alternate fighter? Shocked by a potential $1 trillion price tag to sustain the JSF over its life span, senators have started asking the Pentagon whether it has an alternative to the next-generation fighter. John McCain (R-Ariz.) says contractor Lockheed Martin should begin to absorb some of the program's cost overruns after its “abysmal job” of managing the contract.
Unmanned aircraft are moving closer to the fight, teaming with manned helicopters and ground troops in a major demonstration planned by the U.S. Army and providing close air support in a program launched by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Both the Army Manned Unmanned Systems Integration Concept (Music) and Darpa's Precision Close Air Support (PCAS) project focus on demonstrating architectures enabling information to be shared between manned/unmanned aircraft so targets can be rapidly engaged.
