A Canadian government contract for a technology demonstrator intended to verify the ability of microsatellites to monitor navigation and identification signals from ships in Canadian waters should propel Com Dev into the growing ranks of companies developing multimission microsat buses.
After two botched Air Force attempts to procure a fleet of KC-135 replacement tankers, the Pentagon’s civilian leadership is stepping in (see p. 74). Acquisition czar John Young is overseeing the corrective actions needed after the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found numerous problems with how the Air Force conducted the competition between a Northrop Grumman/EADS team’s A330 design and a Boeing 767 variant.
NASA intends to buy as many as 27 J-2X engines, plus materials for 10 more, from Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR) to power its planned Ares I and Ares V upper stages, according to an agency announcement of the sole-source procurement. PWR already is under contract to develop and test the cryogenic rocket engine, which is derived from the Rocketdyne J-2 upper stage engine for NASA’s Saturn V, and to fabricate seven development and two certification engines.
EU emission allowance (EUA) prices in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme gained further ground in the second half of June, setting a fresh two-year high on June 30 in the wake of new record highs on crude oil which drove other energy commodity prices higher. EUAs for December 2008 delivery on the over-the-counter market climbed to €28.65 ($45) per metric ton of CO2 equivalent on June 30, their highest closing price since Apr. 25, 2006.
Russia is resuming flight tests of Kamov Ka-52 dual-seat version of Ka-50 coaxial-rotor attack helicopter, a program which has been frozen since the mid-1990s. Though the air force selected Mil Mi‑28N Havoc as its basic attack helicopter to eventually replace the Mi-24 Hind, a limited batch of Ka-50/52s was ordered by other law-enforcement state services. This included the Federal Security Service, which oversees border protection. The Arseniev plant in the Far East plans to roll out the first serial Ka-52 by year-end.
Brazil and France have signed a protocol to build EC725 Super Cougar transport helicopters at Eurocopter’s local subsidiary, Helibras, with deliveries to the Brazilian armed forces to begin in 2010. Numbers have not been stated, but Brazil’s defense ministers have said 50 helicopters are needed to replace AS322 Super Pumas and AS532 Cougars operated by the air force, army and navy. Helibras is also expected to build the EC225 civil version for Brazil’s offshore oil market. Expanding the plant will require a $300-400-million investment.
Paul P. Bollinger, Jr. (see photo) has been sworn in as deputy assistant U.S. Army secretary for privatization and partnerships. He was special assistant to the assistant Air Force secretary for installations, environment and logistics, and has been president of the Air Traffic Control Assn.
China has allowed its airlines to raise passenger fuel surcharges by 33-50%. The surcharge on domestic flights longer than 800 km. (500 mi.) will rise to 150 yuan ($22) from 100.
The U.K. Defense Ministry and BAE Systems are discussing development of a large long-endurance reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle, known as Mantis, but the program also reflects debate within the ministry over its strategic UAV acquisition approach.
Italian space agency ASI says the low dollar valuation is making a Boeing offer to launch the fourth CosmoSkyMed satellite on a Delta II nearly impossible to beat, despite strong efforts by European launch provider Arianespace to meet ASI requirements, including accelerating introduction of its new Soyuz launch pad in Kourou, French Guiana, to accommodate a 2009 launch.
Robbin L. Higby (see photo) has become vice president-sales and marketing for the Avidyne Corp. , Lincoln, Mass. He was head of channel sales for EqualLogic Inc.
Jeffrey Shane, who was U.S. Transportation undersecretary for policy, has rejoined the Washington office of law firm Hogan & Hartson as a partner in its aviation and surface transportation practice group.
The Royal Air Force formally declared the Eurofighter Typhoon operational in the air-to-ground role on July 1. The capability is based on an austere upgrade to some of its Tranche 1 aircraft covering the integration of the Rafael Litening III targeting pod and Raytheon Paveway laser-guided bombs.
Development of radio frequency and laser weapons is a priority, according to RAF Air Chief Marshal Glenn Torpy, chief of air staff. The U.K. has carried out laser and high-power microwave (HPM) weapons research since at least the 1980s, with a HPM payload for a cruise missile one of the near-term applications.
In response to Robert Crandall’s Viewpoint, “Bring Back Airline Regulation” (AW&ST June 16, p. 62), have we forgotten that it was Alfred Kahn who proposed the deregulation of air travel? The introduction of new airlines and low-cost carriers has caused a roller coaster within the industry. However, the advent of competition is what made air travel tangible for the common person. Subjecting this industry to the free market economy and reducing its oligopolistic nature produced reasonable fares.
Thomas L. Fagan has become executive vice president for business development, government affairs and international marketing for New York-based Stellar Services Inc. He was principal business development executive of Robbins-Gioia.
Nobody wants to be thought of as incompetent, least of all a military organization. But this is the unhappy situation in which the U.S. Air Force finds itself following a series of blunders, some deeply rooted in its heritage. Sadly, much of the ridicule is deserved.
All companies have high expectations of how they will perform as a business—and predictably high opinions of how well they’re serving their customers and shareholders.
The title of Alan Stern’s Viewpoint, “Making NASA Relevant Again” (AW&ST June 23, p. 78), was interesting but the discussion was not clear. I think he was suggesting that because NASA conducted magnificent research one or two generations ago, he and his colleagues should get more research funds.
In “Bad Side of Engineering” (AW&ST June 9, p. 10), a correspondent cites the failure of system engineering, writing: “Systems engineers draw viewgraphs and write specifications in fields of which they have little or no knowledge, often freely acknowledging this lack.” Your correspondent is right.
American Airlines plans to lay off up to 900 flight attendants on Aug. 31, part of wider job cuts the carrier has already signaled. The carrier sent letters to its attendants advising them of its plans, although the final total may change. American said it hopes to achieve much of its job cut target through attrition and voluntary packages. American said in May it would have to furlough many employees to match the substantial capacity cuts it is planning this fall.
Fuel costs and environmental concerns are combining to increase the pressure to approve as wide a range of alternative jet fuels as feasible as quickly as possible. Standards setters will meet this month to advance a dual-track approach that should see 50% blends of Fischer-Tropsch (FT)-derived synthetic paraffinic kerosene (SPK) approved by year-end and 50% blends of hydrogenated fats and oils (HFO)-derived SPK by 2010.
The U.S. Transportation Dept. Inspector General is asking the FAA to reconsider adopting two recommendations that emerged June 30 from the IG’s ongoing audit of the agency’s safety oversight of airlines. The FAA agreed with all recommendations except two—which the IG called “fundamental” to improving oversight of airlines: to periodically rotate supervisory inspectors to ensure reliable and objective air carrier oversight, and establish an independent organization to investigate safety issues identified by the FAA.
