A three-way tussle is emerging for South Africa’s Saab Gripen reconnaissance pod requirement. One bidder has also made a significantly revised offer in the run-up to a decision. Initial contenders for the air force requirement were Rafael’s Reccelite, Saab’s Modular Reconnaissance Pod System II and Thales (Vinten) with the Digital Joint Reconnaissance Pod.
Raytheon is changing its design for an AIM-120 derivative weapon that is expected to intercept ballistic missiles in their boost phase. The Network-Centric Airborne Defense Element (NCADE) is a derivative of the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile. Raytheon officials originally hoped to couple the solid-rocket-fueled first stage of the Amraam with a liquid-propelled second stage. “It has big promise . . . but it wasn’t quite as mature as we wanted it to be,” says Michael Booen, Raytheon’s vice president of advanced missile defense systems.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), elaborating on its policy to slow airline capacity growth, is telling carriers to retire old aircraft and has extended its ban on startups by two years to 2012. CAAC will not direct airlines to delay deliveries but is urging them to do so, to cancel aircraft due to arrive next year and to return leased aircraft.
BAE Systems Harrier GR9/9A aircraft are now being flown in Afghanistan fitted with Raytheon Paveway IV dual-mode precision-guided bombs. The weapon has been formally accepted into service, though more than a year later than intended. Integration of the GPS/laser-guided weapon is also being expedited on the Royal Air Force’s Tornado GR4s, which will replace the Harriers deployed at Kandahar early in 2009. Problems during weapon testing in the U.S., mainly with the fuze, resulted in the need for rectification and additional testing.
Indonesian carrier Kartika Airlines has signed an agreement to buy 15 Sukhoi Superjet 100 transports and holds options for another 15 or more. The deal makes the airline the first Southeast Asian customer for the program. List price for the order is $448 million. Sukhoi officials plan to complete certification in Russia next year, and Aeroflot is scheduled to receive its first airplane before 2010. Kartika is on track to take delivery in 2011, and plans to operate the aircraft on domestic and international routes. Sukhoi says it has firm orders for 98 airplanes.
Liftoff of France’s Helios 2B infrared/optical imaging spacecraft, expected in the spring, has been deferred until the fall due to problems with the Ariane 5G’s Vulcain I main stage engine, according to French defense ministry officials. Safran executives say the Vulcain I problem—microcracks detected in the walls of the combustion chamber, built by Astrium—has been repaired, the chamber requalified, and engine assembly is now underway.
Think blue suede shoes and red velvet; “The King’s” aerial chariot is for sale. Elvis Presley’s 1962 JetStar, which apparently has spent decades since the singer’s death in 1977 baking in the New Mexico desert, is being put up for bid at Kruse International’s 35th Annual Las Vegas Collector Car Auction Dec. 19-20. Although absent its four Pratt & Whitney JT12 engines, the aircraft is largely unchanged from the Presley days, and notable for its red velvet upholstery, gold-plated fixtures and period instrumentation.
The debate over the need for stealth aircraft is getting a boost from confirmation that Iran has inked a sales agreement to buy the advanced SA-20 air defense missile while Syria is buying the SA-22 (see p. 22). At the same time, Anthony Cordesman and Abdullah Toukan at the Center for Strategic and International Studies have produced an analysis of Israeli and Syrian air and surface-to-air missile strength. Israeli technology finessed Syrian air defenses to bomb a nuclear site recently, but the balance could change, the analysts say.
The credit crisis is having a dire effect on airports in the U.S., which have seen the bond markets they rely upon to raise money for long-term capital improvement projects frozen since the summer. Despite maintaining high ratings from debt rating agencies, airports are deferring bond issuances or are being forced into less optimal, but more creative, debt instruments to raise cash.
Inadequate attention to air-to-ground data links and airspace fragmentation could stymie efforts to streamline the flow of international air traffic, just as projects to unify European and North American airspaces are starting to gel.
In a sign that business aviation is pursuing a leadership role in the FAA’s NextGen air traffic system upgrade, NetJets is implementing a broad agreement with the agency to participate in flight demonstrations. Business jet manufacturers, including such leaders as Gulfstream and Dassault Aviation, are often on the forefront of the latest avionics developments. Now NetJets says it will outfit some of its aircraft with the avionics required for specific test objectives and then share the data with the FAA.
The Israel Airports Authority (IAA) has approved a proposal to make Ben Gurion International Airport more environmentally friendly. Airport management has spent more than $100 million on noise abatement and monitoring, controlling bird strikes and treating waste water, and plans to spend $1 billion on runway, taxiway and terminal infrastructure in the next five years. The proposal targets greenhouse gas emissions, water and noise pollution, recycling and energy conservation.
David A. Fulghum (Washington ), Douglas Barrie (London)
Irrespective of Kremlin denials, Iran is buying the Russian-built SA-20 strategic-range air defense system, say senior U.S. government officials. Deployment of the system—a threat previously thought to be only a bargaining tool—would mark a capability leap in the Middle East and considerably improve Iran’s ability to defend its nuclear facilities. Western officials are concerned that Tehran is pursuing nuclear weapons.
The Eumetsat Council has failed to agree on funding for the follow-on U.S.-European Jason-3 ocean altimetry meeting, pushing a decision on the €255-million spacecraft well into 2009 and threatening continuity with Jason-2, launched in June. Eumetsat said it would convene early next year to discuss how it can contribute €46 million in baseline funding plus a portion of a €46-million budget shortfall the agency is being asked to share with the European Commission and European Space Agency for the mission.
Michael Chertoff, outgoing secretary of the Homeland Security Dept., has some advice for his incoming successor, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, involving general aviation, among other things. “Every time you put a security measure in place, you’re goring somebody’s ox,” he told a Dec. 3 gathering hosted by The Christian Science Monitor.
Three Chinese citizens are charged by U.S. authorities with falsifying export documents for shipments from a Boston electronics company to China. Zhen Zhou Wu, also known as Alex Wu, general manager and founder of Chitron Electronics Inc., was arrested Dec. 8 with two employees—Yufeng Wei and Bo Li. Wu, who also is charged with falsifying tax returns, was detained in Chicago. Li was in custody pending a judge’s decision, and Wei was released under electronic monitoring. Officials say Chitron avoided U.S.
Icelandair is selling 14% of its holding in Travel Service to the Unimek Group and Roman Vik, which previously held 20% in the Czech airline. Icelandair purchased the 80% stake from Unimek Group and Roman Vik last year and made Travel Service part of the Icelandair Group in the second quarter. The Czech business “has grown rapidly, its results have been very strong and its worth in our books has grown from the time of purchase,” says Icelandair.
Speaking at the same event last week, Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) had harsh words about Pentagon acquisition strategy. A House Armed Services member and retired vice admiral, Sestak has been mentioned as possible Navy secretary in the Obama administration. During 2006-08, Sestak says, the Pentagon’s various development programs had more than 30 breaches of the Nunn-McCurdy cost triggers, but there’s been little attempt at reform.
John P. Duggan (see photos) has been promoted to assistant general manager of the Chantilly, Va.-based Systems Engineering and Ground Div. of The Aerospace Corp. from principal director supporting systems engineering and integration efforts for national security space programs. Bruce Chudoba, Stephanie B. Danahy and Robert C. Elliott have been appointed principal directors. Thomas H. Kibalo has been named a principal engineer in the Ground Acquisition Directorate in the Columbia, Md., office. He was promoted from systems director of the Mission Applications Dept. David B.
Russia and India will sign a deal soon, covering the latter’s participation in Moscow’s fifth-generation fighter program, says Sukhoi general director Mikhail Pogosyan. Sukhoi’s T-50 prototype is being developed to meet the Russian air force’s PAK FA requirement. A first flight is expected next year. Pogosyan last week accompanied Russian defense minister Anatoly Serdyukov to China. Discussions likely included the potential sale of the Su-33 naval variant of the Su-27 Flanker, as well as Chinese interest in the Su-35 modernization of the Flanker.
Swedish charter operator Novair will conduct Required Navigation Performance approaches next year as RNP gains a foothold in Europe as part of a drive for greater air traffic efficiency. The project—called MINT (minimum CO2 in the terminal management area)—is being sponsored by the Sesar (Single European Sky ATM Research) Joint Undertaking organization and will be led by Avtech of Stockholm. Novair will conduct 10 flights into Stockholm Arlanda Airport with three Airbus A321-200s.
Mike Bender, who is corporate director for National Security and Commercial Space Programs at Alliant Techsystems Inc., has been elected chairman of the Washington-based U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Space Enterprise Council . Darcie Durham Brooks, who is associate director for Government Relations at the Orbital Sciences Corp., was elected vice chairman.
Delta does not need to place any new aircraft orders to take advantage of its expanded post-merger network and has no immediate plans to replace its 114 MD-88s in spite of their relatively low fuel efficiency, executives said at Delta’s Investor Day conference Dec. 9. The airline said it saves more in ownership costs per aircraft per year on the MD-88 ($3.5 million) than it loses in fuel efficiency ($1.1 million) when compared with Boeing 737-800s that could replace them. Delta remained coy about its 787 orders, which it inherited when it acquired Northwest Airlines.
An International Launch Services Proton Breeze M rocket has launched Ciel 2, the first dedicated spacecraft to be operated by Canadian startup Ciel Satellite Most of the capacity on the 5.6-metric-ton Thales Alenia Space-built satellite is intended to meet demand in Canada and the U.S. for high-definition TV and other video services.
The Brazilian air force has ordered 12 Mi-35M Hind attack helicopters from Russia’s Rosoboronexport, with deliveries to begin in 2009. Brazil rejected the Eurocopter Tiger as being too expensive and shortlisted the AgustaWestland AW129 and Mi-35M. A key factor in selecting the Russian helicopter was Brazil’s requirement for short-term delivery of a fully capable combat helicopter.
