Boeing captured a $258-million long-term logistics contract for support of 44 U.S. Marine Corps T/AV-8B Harrier aircraft, while Lockheed Martin weighed in with a $133-million deal for P-3C sustainment. Boeing received a $51.8-million contract add-on through foreign military sales to Canada for a C-17 sustainment partnership program. Canadian Forces C-17s will become part of a worldwide fleet for which Boeing will provide mainten-ance, upgrades and sustainment.
Patrick Forrey, President (National Air Traffic Controllers Assn. , Washington, D.C. )
Regarding your editorial "Turning Up the Heat Isn't Shedding Any Light" (AW&ST May 28, p. 78), so long as you are keeping a count of our press releases, controllers issued 12 in the few months prior to the start of contract talks with the FAA in 2005 and 71 in the last two years of then-FAA Administrator Jane Garvey's term--when we enjoyed a high level of collaboration with the FAA and productive labor relations.
Alcoa has entered the merger and acquisition market in a big way to help assure that it will have an adequate supply of raw materials to continue to meet rising demand in various markets including aerospace. But Alcan or other companies could make a counter bid to buy Alcoa, so the issue is far from settled.
China Southern Airlines has become the first Chinese carrier to be ranked among the world's 10 biggest. The airline was the ninth biggest in the world last year, according to IATA. And it will experience growth this year, too. The company, which is already No. 1 in China, says it will carry 60 million passengers this year, 22% more than last year. Competitor China Eastern remains in talks with Singapore Airlines and Singaporean state investment fund Temasek, which are interested in securing a strategic stake in that carrier, China's third-largest.
John S. Carr, Immediate Past President (National Air Traffic Controllers Assn. , Avon, Ohio)
In "Turning Up the Heat Isn't Shedding Any Light," you say the National Air Traffic Controllers Assn.'s (Natca) campaign is troubling because it "raises questions among travelers about the safety of the ATC system." That's like saying the problem at Abu Ghraib was that someone had a camera!
The Fleet Reserve Assn. has launched an online survey to elicit input from active duty and Reserve personnel in the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard assessing their familiarity with the legislative process. The results will be shared with senior enlisted advisers and other military leaders in the hopes of creating a cogent approach to government agencies and lawmakers regarding service-related issues. See http://www.fra.org/onwatch
Brian Reid has become vice president-aircraft certification, engineering and interior design and Ken Farsi director of aircraft certification at Landmark Aviation's Associated Air Center at Dallas Love Field.
You ran a photo of an Airbus A380 flying over the Washington Monument, in the U.S.'s most restricted airspace, where no civil aircraft have been allowed to fly since 9/11 (AW&ST May 21, p. 59). Since 9/11, only military aircraft, supposedly protecting "assets," have been allowed to fly over the nation's capital.
Alexander Weis has been named chief executive of the Brussels-based European Defense Agency, effective Oct. 1. He will succeed Nick Witney. Weis has been deputy national armaments director in the German Defense Ministry. Carlo Magrassi and Adam Sowa have been appointed deputy chief executives, effective Jan. 1. Magrassi will oversee strategy and Sowa agency operations. Magrassi has been the EDA's armaments director, while Sowa has been deputy national armaments director in the Polish Defense Ministry.
Kenneth Krieg, U.S. undersecretary of Defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, announced his resignation June 6. Krieg's resignation, which has long been expected, becomes effective July 20 or on the confirmation of his successor, whichever comes first, the Defense Dept. said. Pentagon officials say "he leaves the department to concentrate on his family." But Krieg has expressed unhappiness in the position for a while. The growing cost of the conflict in Iraq repeatedly has derailed modernization and transformation plans.
J. Edward Fox has been named assistant Homeland Security secretary for public affairs. He was assistant administrator for legislative and public affairs at the U.S. Agency for International Development.
The NTSB and FAA are seeking the cause of a June 4 crash of a Cessna Citation II (N550BP) into Lake Michigan shortly after its departure from Milwaukee General Mitchell Airport. The air ambulance, owned by Toy Air and leased by the University of Michigan Health System, was en route to an airport near Detroit to deliver organs for transplant. About 5 min. after departure, the pilot declared an emergency and requested a return to the airport.
NASA exploration engineers are working to a September 2013 initial operating capability (IOC) for the Orion crew vehicle, defined as a full-up flight with a crew to the International Space Station for rendezvous, proximity operations, at least one docking and other orbital shakedown tests. But at current funding levels, there is only a 50-50 chance of making that date. The odds improve to two out of three if the date is March 2015.
Safran's Sagem Defense and Security unit is reported to be considering a missile alliance with MBDA. Under the arrangement, MBDA could market Sagem's AASM standoff precision weapon--which is due to enter service on French Rafale fighters at the end of the year--in export markets and help develop new spinoffs.
Speaking of the 787, Hamilton Sundstrand has delivered the first APS 5000 auxiliary power unit from its San Diego Power System facility. About 90% of the required systems are due to be "on dock" at Boeing's test facility in Seattle by the time of the Paris air show, which begins June 18, with the first shipset of equipment for the initial aircraft (ZA001) continuing to arrive at Everett. Functional service-ready tests are set for late July and through the early part of August before the final run-up to first flight.
Clarence Au-Young (see photos) has become vice president-Landing Systems Value Stream for Crane Aerospace and Electronics, Lynnwood, Wash. He was director of program management for the Landing Systems and Cabin Solutions unit. Rich Weatherford has been appointed vice president-operations for the Electronics Group. He held a similar post at Rexnord Industries Inc. Todd Newell has become the group's director of operational excellence in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. He held the same position at Crane Valves North America.
USAF Brig. Gen. (select) Stephen W. Wilson has been named deputy commander of the Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Command Region, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Winnipeg, Manitoba. He has been deputy director of intelligence and air, space and information operations for flying training at Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Randolph AFB, Tex. Wilson will be succeeded by Brig. Gen. (select) Robert P. Otto, who has been assistant deputy director for global operations for the Joint Staff at the Pentagon.
The United Arab Emirates will fit Raytheon Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAM) to six Baynunah corvettes. The contract, from Abu Dhabi Ship Building, covers seven RAM weapon systems. The $76.5-million award for the self-defense weapon includes one ground-based training system. Deliveries are set to begin in December.
What's going on with U.S. airline stocks? That's a question investors are asking as they contrast dismal share performances with the industry's best outlook in years. Aircraft are packed, fare increases are sticking, and most carriers are making money despite steep oil prices. But you wouldn't know that from the year-to-date stock declines of US Airways Group (down 39%), Alaska Air Group (31%), JetBlue Airways (27%), UAL Corp. (17%), AMR Corp. (12%), Continental Airlines (10%) and Southwest Airlines (7%).
NATO nations are growing increasingly divided over how to move forward plans to establish European missile defenses, with unease exacerbated by concern over Russia's strategic objectives.
Northrop Grumman won a $12.2-million contract add-on to continue work on the now-canceled E-10A's Battle Management Command and Control (BMC2) system that detects, classifies, characterizes and reports cruise missiles and surface targets to the joint forces through a multi-sensor command and control network. The new contract is for continuation of a pre-development program to complete risk-reduction activities in the areas of BMC2 Mission Execution and BMC2 Kill Chain, without introducing new requirements.
Senior U.S. aerospace executives and program managers will be able to offer "tangible information" about the impacts of International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) on their businesses in a survey ordered by the Space Foundation. The survey is set up to gather hard data about ITAR impacts on financial and personnel costs, schedule and other business factors, according to the Colorado Springs-based foundation. "For years we have heard anecdotal stories about the impact of ITAR on the space industry including increased costs, delays and impairing U.S.
NASA's exploration, science and aeronautics directorates will join forces to instrument the heat shield on the upcoming Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission to gather aerodynamics data for future human landings on the Red Planet. Set to launch in the fall of 2009 and arrive the following summer, the 1-metric ton MSL will be the largest payload ever landed on Mars. Ordinarily the expense involved would have prevented NASA's science directorate from placing instruments on the heat shield, says Scott Horowitz, associate administrator for exploration systems.
