Jay A. Shiba (see photos) has been named vice president-supply chain management for the Northrop Grumman Corp. ’s Baltimore-based Electronic Systems Sector (ESS). He was business manager of the surface combatant business area for Northrop Grumman’s Shipbuilding Sector. Michael E. Hinkey has been promoted to vice president-engineering and manufacturing for ESS’s Eastern Region campuses from director of multirole electronically scanned array radar programs. Patricia A. Newby has been appointed vice president-weapons and sensors for ESS’s Land Forces Div.
U.S. Air Force (ret.) Gen. Bruce Carlson’s combat training as an OV-10 forward air controller and F-4 fighter pilot might come in handy if he is chosen to head the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). He’ll need to get used to heavy flak leading the NRO, which has come under scrutiny for cost overruns and delays in delivering critical intelligence satellites. Industry and government sources say Carlson is the top candidate for the job.
The European Space Agency has agreed to extend operation of the Envisat Earth Observation (EO) mission until 2013 to provide vital radar, optical and ocean altimetry data before new sensors currently in development reach orbit (see page 145). Launched in 2002 and equipped with 10 EO sensors, Envisat supplies near-real-time atmospheric, land, sea and ice data to support routine monitoring of sea ice, oil slicks, fishing and other parameters as well as long-term climate research.
Hawker Beechcraft Co. (HBC) plans to ramp up production deliveries of its super-midsize Hawker 4000 later this year, now that the airplane has weathered a particularly thorny, prolonged development and certification program.
In keeping with the general British government upheaval in early June, the senior appointees at the Defense Ministry also have seen a makeover. Bob Ainsworth has been promoted to top defense minister from minister for the armed forces, following the resignation of John Hutton. Paul Drayson, a former procurement minister, is now minister of state for strategic defense acquisition reform. Quentin Davies will continue as minister for defense equipment and support. Bill Rammell succeeds Ainsworth.
Roni Potasman has been appointed executive vice president-research and development of Israel-based Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. He succeeds Avi Ginzburg, who is leaving the company. Potasman has been head of Rafael’s Intelligence and Network-Centric Warfare Systems Sector.
Danny Martinez has become vice president/general manager of AAR Aircraft Services at Indianapolis International Airport. He was vice president-line maintenance for American Airlines. He succeds Stan Mayer, who is now general manager of the AAR facility at Oklahoma City.
The U.S. Air Force’s Arnold Engineering and Development Center (AEDC) is testing a full-scale, four-blade rotor system for the Sikorsky UH-60. The evaluations, conducted in the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex (Nafec) operated by AEDC at Moffett Field, Calif., centered on an individual blade control (IBC) system designed to reduce noise and vibration of the main rotor. In addition, the tests demonstrated the IBC technology’s ability to provide inflight tuning and reconfiguration, says Tom Norman, project engineer at NASA Ames Research Center.
Strange as it might seem, a fifth-generation light-fighter program could just be one long-term outcome of a Brazilian or Indian combat aircraft decision, should the Gripen NG emerge as the victor. If either nation opts for the Saab platform, Gripen International is dangling the potential to codevelop a low-observable combat aircraft as part of a strategic alliance. Industry executives cast the project in terms of breaking the “cartel” of U.S. and European nations that continue to dominate the fighter export market.
The issue of exporting sophisticated technology—like satellites—came up during the confirmation hearing of President Barack Obama’s choice to be the administration’s chief arms control negotiator. Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.) told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that export control lists need to be constantly updated, removing less crucial technologies to make room for newer ones that would pose a security risk if sold overseas.
“Air power is like poker. A second-best hand is like none at all—it will cost you dough and win you nothing.” — Gen. George Kenney, Commander of Allied Air Forces in the Southwest Pacific, 1942-45
Historians may debate what marked the birth of the aerospace industry—but chances are that many would point to the Exposition Internationale de Locomotion Aerienne, which opened its doors on Sept. 25, 1909—less than six years after the Wright brothers made history at Kitty Hawk, N.C.
Ad hoc task forces inside the Defense Dept.’s leadership realm have proven to be effective tools for forcing the military bureaucracy to address pressing near-term acquisition needs, top civilian and military defense officials say. But such task forces should not go on indefinitely themselves. Gates said the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) task force would disappear, and Mullen said such groups should have sunset deadlines.
Eric J. Zahler has been named chairman of the U.S.-based Universal Space Network , which is a division of the Swedish Space Corp. He is managing director/cofounder of the Sagamore Capital Group and former president/chief operating officer of Loral Space & Communications Inc. Other new directors are: USAF Lt. Gen. (ret.) Michael A. Hamel, who is senior vice president-strategy and development of the Orbital Sciences Corp. and former commander of the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center; and James W. Cuminale, chief legal officer of the Nielsen Co.
USAF Col. (ret.) Michael R. Gallagher (Hillsboro, Ore.)
Once again, U.S. Air Force requirements for a new aircraft appear excessive and premature. After upgrading the T-38s with glass cockpits as well as improved ejection seats and engines, USAF has decided it needs a new trainer to prepare pilots for the F-22 and F-35.
Steve Kelley (see photo) has been named corporate communications manager for StandardAero , Tempe, Ariz. He held a similar position with Raytheon Missile Systems.
GE Aviation and NASA will begin wind-tunnel evaluations of counterrotating fan-blade systems for an open-rotor engine at the agency’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland this summer. GE is investigating open rotors as part of its LEAP advanced engine development program for a Boeing 737/Airbus A320 replacement. The tests will use a component rig to evaluate subscale fan systems. Both the number of fan blades and gear systems to change the pitch angle of the blades are under study.
Japan’s Kaguya lunar orbiter smashed into the Moon’s surface as planned June 11, concluding a 21-month mission that began with launch on an H-IIA rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center on Sept. 14, 2007.
China Eastern’s takeover of its hometown rival will lift the ailing carrier to the top rank of the Chinese industry, making the company a match for rivals China Southern and Air China in size, if not efficiency. After absorbing Shanghai Airlines, China Eastern will be about equal to Air China as the country’s second-largest airline in terms of passenger traffic and about equal to China Southern as the largest in terms of fleet size.
USAF Brig. Gen. Craig S. Olson has been appointed chief of the Office of Security Cooperation of the Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq in Baghdad. He has been vice commander of the Aeronautical Systems Center of Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. Brig. Gen. Jonathan D. George has been named director of strategic capabilities policy for the National Security Council in Washington. He has been principal assistant deputy administrator for military application/deputy administrator for defense programs at the U.S.
The issue of exporting sophisticated technology—like satellites—came up during the confirmation hearing of President Barack Obama’s choice to be the administration’s chief arms control negotiator. Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.) told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that export control lists need to be constantly updated, removing less crucial technologies to make room for newer ones that would pose a security risk if sold overseas.
Researchers modeling the wet chemistry on Mars may have found a link between those strange blobs on the legs of the Mars Phoenix lander and the ravines and gullies imaged from orbit above the Red Planet. Scientists believe the blobs, which changed shape and size with fluctuations in temperature that didn’t rise above -5F, could have been water kicked up by the lander’s descent jets and kept liquid by heavy concentrations of dissolved salts (AW&ST Mar. 30, p. 14).
Steven A. Edwards (see photo) has been appointed product development manager for Aerospace Optics Inc. of Fort Worth. He was a systems engineering manager and a technical program manager for EFW Inc.
June 23-24Technology Training Corp.’s Unmanned Aircraft System Payloads Conference: “Needs, Capabilities & Opportunities.” Also, June 25-26—Defense Export Controls Conference. Both at Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites, Alexandria, Va. Call +1 (310) 563-1223 or see www.ttcus.com June 24-26University of Westminster Aviation Seminar “Regional and Low-Cost Air Transport: Opportunities and Challenges.” London. See www.westminster.ac.uk/transport
I was surprised and disappointed in the Steve Kolski/AirTran position on the pending FAA reauthorization bill, warning against requiring drug and alcohol testing of workers at repair stations outside the U.S. as well as unannounced inspections (AW&ST May 18, p. 21). Having been a CEO of a U.S. maintenance, repair and overhaul company, I can confirm that our management team and workers welcomed FAA inspections and strongly supported the adherence to a drug and alcohol testing program. Passengers would expect any non-U.S.
