Israel’s raid on Syria was designed as a signal to both Syria and Iran that their unconventional weapons programs are vulnerable to attack in spite of improved, Russian-built air defenses, officials in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem say. The officials contend, however, that the new U.S. national intelligence estimate reporting that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003 essentially eliminates the U.S. as a deterrent to Iranian development of a bomb and a system to deliver it.
European Commission official Olivier Onidi makes some astute observations about the relevance of the International Civil Aviation Organization (AW&ST Nov. 5, p. 43). Onidi is misinformed, however, if he believes ICAO is not doing enough to deal with Africa’s safety crisis and strains on air traffic management systems. That is, if giving the appearance of doing something counts.
Northrop Grumman has expanded its effort to muscle into the air-refueling business. The company announced it would compete against Boeing for the U.S. Air Force’s KC-10/KDC-10 tanker program, which could involve nearly $4 billion in logistics, maintenance and repair work. Boeing is the incumbent and also is competing. A win by Northrop Grumman would take it a step closer to offering its KC-30 or even a bigger Airbus aircraft as a replacement for the KC-10.
Discussion at the Pentagon about the troubled Space-Based Infrared System (Sbirs) program is now focusing on how or whether to fix a software issue on the first satellite bound for geosynchronous orbit. Some of the code for the early missile warning satellite was improperly timed, raising concern that if an in-orbit emergency occurred, ground control could not recover command.
Pratt & Whitney is preparing to start key performance tests on the geared turbofan (GTF) demonstrator after hitting its maximum targeted thrust of 30,000 lb. The performance test phase is Pratt’s first opportunity to evaluate the true fuel-saving potential of the GTF, which is designed to maximize the operating efficiency of both high- and low-pressure spools through the use of a gear-driven fan.
One of your articles referred to a U.S. Homeland Security Dept. program to screen general aviation aircraft before they enter the U.S. (AW&ST Nov. 12, p. 58). To test the concept, the department initiated pilot programs in Shannon, Ireland, and Anchorage, Alaska. I am reminded of an incident a few years ago when a Boston-bound transatlantic airliner was forced to land in Bangor, Maine, so a passenger could be intercepted “before he could arrive in the U.S.” Last I checked, both Anchorage and Bangor were in the U.S.
The Clear registered traveler program is to launch at Denver International Airport in early January. Passengers wishing to take advantage of express security lanes may enroll at the DIA center set to open this month, the Hyatt Regency Tech Center in Denver, or at any other airport where Clear operates fast lanes.
My letter “Make Airlines Pay Real Money” (AW&ST Oct. 15, p. 9) provoked two unsupportive airline pilot responses, and a bravo. Yes, we don’t need a long-winded passenger bill of rights. Airline people must realize when their customer pays real money, they expect real transportation to be delivered safely and on time, subject to weather or government intervention.
Northrop Grumman has won a $55-million USAF contract to procure MQ-1 ASIP-1C scaled sensors for the Predator unmanned aircraft and another $19.6-million contract to provide engineering, manufacturing and development support for the Global Hawk UAV. Meanwhile, the Air Force Research Laboratory and Boeing have demonstrated that UAVs can conduct automated aerial refueling. The idea is to keep refueling those unmanned aircraft so they can continue long-endurance combat orbits for missile defense, electronic intelligence gathering and surveillance.
El Al Israel Airlines is set to strengthen its short- and long-haul operations. The carrier plans to link with American Airlines in a wide-ranging code-share agreement, giving El Al access to U.S. domestic routes out of its gateway airports in New York, Miami and Los Angeles, while American can sell tickets on many El Al flights into Tel Aviv. Meanwhile, El Al will buy four new Boeing 737-800s to boost short-haul markets.
The South Korean air force says it has a “realistic plan” to introduce fifth-generation fighters in the middle of the next decade. The strategy is included in the Defense Reform Plan 2020. The priority will be procurement in the F-15K class until neighboring countries begin acquiring fifth-generation fighters, adds Chief of Staff Kim Eun-ki. He stresses that F-XX, the program to introduce the fighters, will be pursued regardless of the outcome of KFX, the program to develop a home-grown stealth fighter.
Ryanair Chief Financial Officer Howard Millar says the carrier plans to reduce the value of its stake in Aer Lingus in the “not-too-distant future.” Ryanair, which has attempted a hostile takeover bid of its rival, purchased a 29% stake in Aer Lingus at €2.50 ($3.66) per share, but the value is now below €2. Aer Lingus stockholders and the European Commission moved to block the takeover bid; Ryanair is appealing.
French aerospace contractor Thales expects a new integrated cockpit testing lab to help it meet commercial aircraft makers’ demands for larger, more complete work packages and a reduced roster of suppliers.
NASA’s plans to reuse human-rated hardware wherever possible as it builds the spacecraft that will take explorers back to the Moon is perhaps best illustrated in the decision to use the J2 engine.
Boeing and Alenia Aeronautica are strengthening the foundation of their long-standing cooperation with a large expansion in research and development efforts. A set of newly signed memoranda of understanding will see the two aerospace companies increasingly working together in long-lead research in the aerostructures and materials fields. The endeavor covers military and commercial work.
A request for proposals for the reborn Joint Common Missile program, now the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile, is expected next month. The earlier effort to replace Maverick, Longbow and Hellfire missiles was awarded to Lockheed Martin, but terminated in the midst of budget cuts.
After a flurry of denials by Eurocopter and the Indian army, New Delhi confirms it has terminated a $600-million AS550 Fennec helicopter deal for 197 rotorcraft, but declined to confirm whether the cancellation was motivated by irregularities. Eurocopter was in final price negotiations for the deal, after the earlier elimination of Bell Helicopter, and a contract had been expected to be signed this month.
Dirk Meier has become vice president-procurement for Zurich-based SR Technics . He was manager of engineering and maintenance manager for TUI Airline Management.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) says he doesn’t want to keep funding the civil government with yet another continuing resolution (CR). Only the Fiscal Year 2008 defense appropriation has been signed into law and there isn’t enough time to pass the remaining 11 bills separately before Congress goes home for the year. The current CR, which expires Dec. 14, is starving many programs, such as NASA’s exploration initiative.
The year-over-year rate of cargo traffic growth in October slipped from September’s 5% rate to 3.6%, an indication that economic volatility is having an impact on international airfreight demand, the International Air Transport Assn. reports. Passenger traffic increased 7.7%, down from the 8.2% annual growth rate recorded in September.
Astronauts Robert Satcher (right) and Richard Arnold help engineers work out human-factors issues in a low-fidelity mockup of NASA’s planned Orion crew exploration vehicle at Johnson Space Center. Wearing space shuttle ascent and entry suits, mockup crews practice emergency egress and use notional seats and Styrofoam props to evaluate different layouts for the 5-meter-dia. capsule cabin. The U.S. space agency is moving into detailed design of Orion and its Ares I launch vehicle after a major weight scrub this fall (see p. 52). NASA photo.
The European Aviation Safety Agency has certified a digital head-up display (HUD) with liquid crystal technology on the Airbus A318 and A318 Elite (business jet). Airbus plans to certify the HUD on the entire A320 family as well as on the A330/340, though the first certification will be for a single HUD. The A380 will have the option of a single or dual HUD that will initially provide trajectory-related symbols in the pilot’s field of view to improve situational awareness during approach and landing.
Grand China Air, the business that is to carry forward Hainan Airlines’ challenge to China’s “big three,” has begun operations. It will bring together a group of formerly independent carriers: Hainan, Xinhua, Chang’an and Shanxi. Hainan Airlines Chairman Chen Feng predicts Grand China will be a world-leading airline and a globally known brand within five years. Hainan, the major shareholder, is headquartered on Hainan Island and is already the fourth-largest airline in mainland China.
Conventional wisdom holds that the sinking U.S. dollar is bad news for aerospace exporters in Europe and Canada, which sell their products in dollars but pay their workers in local currencies. Conversely, the greenback’s slide bolsters the competitiveness of U.S. exporters by making their products cheaper abroad. But in an increasingly global aerospace economy, things often aren’t that simple (see related story, p. 40).
The French government is looking at raising expenditures at the outset of its next three-year defense spending plan in the hope that later savings will allow the country to meet a short-term budget peak without raising overall spending targets.
