Denmark’s leading aerospace and defense company, Terma, anticipates a bigger share of the U.S. space systems market as a result of a recent change in Danish defense offset regulations. The change, approved by the Danish enterprise and construction authority in February, means that space-related contracts now qualify as direct offsets for defense procurements made by the Scandinavian country.
Frances Fiorino (Washington), Michael Mecham (San Francisco)
Southwest Airlines finds itself dead center in a finger-pointing match between the FAA and a congressional investigation of the agency’s safety oversight. But the question is, in the end, will the airline’s reputation as a safe, fun-loving, reliable carrier remain unscathed? The complex events that unfolded this month threaten to undermine passenger confidence not only in a carrier that has had just one fatal accident causing a single death in its 37-year history, but in the U.S. air transportation system, the safest in the world.
The Aerospace States Assn. (ASA), with the help of industry and academia, is mounting a fresh offensive in the perennial effort to streamline U.S. export control policies. At a meeting here last week, a dozen lieutenant governors heard the heads of major trade organizations, leading universities and media describe the negative impact that current export controls have had on various segments of the aerospace/defense industry.
EADS Military Aircraft has started static tests on the A400M airlifter. The objective of the tests, to be carried out at facilities in Getafe, Spain, is to prove the reliability and integrity of a full static aircraft, and in particular elements made of carbon fiber, which will make up a large part of the fuselage. Loading will be applied by means of 125 hydraulic actuators and stress measured at 6,000 locations on the aircraft.
KLM is the latest carrier to allow passengers to buy carbon offsets under its new CO2 Zero program. The airline plans to reinvest 100% of the money passengers spend on carbon offsets in Gold Standard compensation projects for renewable energy. The Gold Standard, created under the Kyoto Protocol, includes the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), which ensures that projects cut CO2 emissions and foster sustainable development.
Fuel surcharges—along with fears of recession, depression and overall economic calamity—are rising in parallel to oil prices, which have climbed above $108 per barrel. The Center for Asia Pacific Aviation forecasts no improvement this year for the U.S., which is “deep in a slowdown/recession.” The U.K. is following the same trend, although Europe is “faring somewhat better.” And the assumption that China’s economy would help maintain global economic stability was “clearly flawed,” says the analysts group.
Lufthansa is identifying possible acquisition targets in the European airline sector, as the company pushes to become the most profitable carrier in the region.
The declining dollar is eating into the performance of European aerospace contractors and sending them scurrying for new ways to deal with the exchange-rate problem. EADS—already on the prowl since last year for ways to expand its Power8 cost-cutting effort—has now launched a more near-term drive to boost earnings margins. Management and the board of directors aren’t satisfied with the projections they’ve been given for the immediate future, says EADS CEO Louis Gallois.
Exclusive pictures of the B-2 crash site at Andersen AFB, Guam, show the composite-body stealth bomber survived the Feb. 23 accident and subsequent fire largely intact. The now-enhanced images were taken by an airline passenger as he flew past the base.
Chinese airports handled 388 million passengers last year, the civil aviation administration says. That was up 16.8% over 2006, but the growth rate slowed from the previous year’s 19%. International passenger numbers grew faster than domestic ones. More than 10% of air travelers in China pass through Beijing Capital International Airport.
The U.S. Air Force says it chose the Airbus A330 because it has an advantage in fuel upload, cargo and passenger capacity over the Boeing 767 even though the A330 can operate from fewer bases. The A330 is simply a bigger airplane than the 767. Since USAF has shifted tanker preferences, the question remains why should U.S. taxpayers buy anything other than American-made?
If Boeing had built a shortened version of the 777, in which Northwest Airlines once showed interest, Boeing might have had the winner. Northwest tried to have Boeing build the shorter aircraft—dubbed the 777-100—but Boeing did not have much interest. As a result, Northwest flies the A330. The 777 would have been a better competitor to the EADS/Northrop Grumman offering instead of a warmed over 767.
George Haynes (see photo) has been appointed vice president/chief information officer of the Northrop Grumman Corp.’s Technical Services Sector , McLean, Va. He was director of operations for the Baltimore-based Electronic Systems Sector.
Sikorsky reeled in a $368.4-million U.S. Army contract for six UH-60M and 20 HH-60H Black Hawk helicopters and installation of auxiliary power kits. Delivery is to be completed in 2012.
As close relationships in aerospace go, the bond between Mitsubishi’s MRJ and Pratt & Whitney’s geared turbofan (GTF) is about as symbiotic as they get. The MRJ needs “game-changing” propulsion technology to help make a market impact, and Pratt needed a launch customer for its geared-fan engine concept.
The U.S. Air Force intends to field the first system explicitly designed to help counter anti-satellite missiles and other threats, a goal which has become more urgent since China’s satellite shootdown in 2007.
USN Rear Adms. Victor C. See, Jr., and Walter M. Skinner have been nominated for promotion to rear admiral (upper half). See is program executive officer for space systems/commander of space and naval warfare systems command space field activity/director of the communications directorate, all at the National Reconnaissance Office, Chantilly, Va. Skinner is program executive officer for tactical aircraft programs at NAS Patuxent River, Md. Navy Reserve Rear Adm. Raymond P. English has been nominated for promotion to rear admiral (upper half).
David A. Fulghum (Washington), Douglas Barrie (London)
A comparison of the Pentagon’s 2008 report on China’s military power and the direction of U.S. technology and operational development reveals both matches and mismatches. What’s not clear is whether some Chinese developments reflect gaps beginning to appear in U.S. capabilities due to asymmetric efforts on the part of Beijing. There’s also the question of whether China’s threats are being hyped to increase the report’s impact.
Congressional opposition to the selection of the Northrop Grumman/EADS entry in the U.S. Air Force aerial refueling tanker competition is expanding across party lines, state boundaries and economic fault lines.
The Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127M that will power ATR 42/72 turboprop aircraft has received type certification from Transport Canada and the European Aviation Safety Agency. It is a derivative of the PW127F and PW127E engines that power the ATR 42-500 and 72-500, respectively. A design change was made to boost performance in hot weather and high-altitude conditions encountered by many ATR customers. Increased speed was not a design criterion. The engine will first be used on -500 model ATRs, followed by the -600 now in development.
Inconceivable. For months, that’s how people described the notion of the Pentagon buying an Airbus aircraft as the future U.S. tanker. That’s clearly not the case after the Defense Dept.’s momentous decision to put its operational interests ahead of political prudence by selecting the Northrop Grumman/EADS A330-based tankers for the KC-45.
The Pentagon and Congress have to make “hard strategic and budgetary choices now” to optimize unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), according to a congressional study on military roles and missions. The report, by a House Armed Services Committee panel, recommends more joint operations and procurement as a way to make the Defense Dept. more efficient.
U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Transportation Affairs John Byerly and his counterpart across the pond, Daniel Calleja, director of the Air Transport Directorate of the European Commission of the European Union, were honored with the laureate award for their tireless work to reach an historic aviation liberalization agreement on Apr. 30, 2007.
Managers from NASA, the European Space Agency and seven national space agencies will begin formulating a new robotic International Lunar Network (ILN) that will dramatically accelerate the first multinational operations on the surface of the Moon. Representatives from Russia, South Korea, the U.K., India, Japan, Canada and Italy joined ESA and NASA at Johnson Space Center (JSC) here to kick off planning the new network, says Alan Stern, associate NASA administrator for science.
Australia will proceed with an order for 24 Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets, local media report. The order has become a political football as the new Labor government has used it to criticize the performance of the previous Liberal-National defense minister, now opposition leader, Brendan Nelson.
