The U.S. Air Force is for the first time employing its C-17 transport--traditionally used for transcontinental missions--in a widespread fashion for short-haul missions in the Middle East, a new trend that could help save the production line from termination. A major issue now being reviewed in the new Mobility Capabilities Study 2006, a follow-on to the earlier MCS that was completed last year, is how to shape the future fleet of intratheater cargo aircraft. Among the options are a mix of C-130s, Joint Cargo Aircraft and C-17s.
A French court has acquitted five individuals in the 1992 crash of an Air Inter A320 near Sainte-Odile, in which 87 people died. The court dismissed negligence charges, but found Airbus and Air France--which bought Air Inter--liable for pain and suffering.
The performance of India's Defense Research & Development Organization (DRDO) was reviewed recently by the government. The leaked results of a government report were critical, finding that the DRDO's claims often are exaggerated and that some development projects are well beyond its capabilities. A military commanders' conference in New Delhi also concluded that the DRDO must get its act together instead of delivering too little, too late. Of 39 projects, only four are said to be progressing and at least 16 are behind schedule.
Saab has begun flight trials of the multinational IRIS-T imaging infrared air-to-air missile on its Gripen fighter aircraft. Sweden's defense ministry gave the go-ahead in late 2005 for the country to become a partner in the IRIS-T program, which is to continue through 2009. Initial flight testing of the missile on the Gripen involves examining the weapon interface, with the missile carried on wing-tip stations. Deliveries of production standard rounds of the IRIS-T have already begun to the German air force.
Large systems integrators tend to get most of the ink in Aviation Week & Space Technology, and for good reason. They are to aerospace and defense what oceans are to weather: the force that drives developments that eventually affect just about everybody. But the "gorillas" wouldn't be able to accomplish their mission if lower-tier suppliers didn't perform theirs.
To train sailors to find quiet, battery-driven submarines, the Navy wants to set up a new sonar exercise range. The range, a 500-sq.-mi. patch off the coast of North Carolina, happens to coincide with a migration route for whales; it was also the site of a previous sonar exercise, in January of 2005, after which 36 whales of three different species stranded on the beaches and died. Whether or not the sonar caused the stranding, said a report by the National Marine Fisheries Service, "is not and likely will not" ever be known.
Northrop Grumman has agreed to buy signals intelligence company Essex Corp. for $580 million ($24 a share). The all-cash deal, expected to close in early 2007, would be the military giant's largest acquisition since it purchased TRW Corp. four years ago for $7.8 billion. Essex supplies signals and imagery processing systems to the National Security Agency and other intelligence and defense agencies. Three classified programs account for about 60% of its revenues, which are forecast to be $330-350 million next year.
DEPARTMENTS Letters 6-7 Who's Where 8 Industry Outlook 14 Airline Outlook 15 In Orbit 17 News Breaks 18-22 Washington Outlook 23 A European Perspective 43 Close Up 47 Classified ........................................55 Aerospace Calendar 56 Contact Us 57
Michael Mecham (San Francisco), Robert Wall (Toulouse)
FedEx Corp.'s decision to drop its order for 10 Airbus A380s Freighters in favor of 777s from Boeing is a blow to the European manufacturer's drive to match the Americans' market penetration in both passenger and cargo services for large, long-haul aircraft. Freighters are an Airbus soft spot, but not its only one. For instance, the EADS board still has not given the go-ahead for Airbus to launch the A350XWB to rival Boeing's 787, although a decision is promised soon.
A final assembly line that Airbus and local partners plan to set up at Tianjin, China, would replicate both the processes and the products of its Hamburg plant. The Chinese line's A319 and A320 aircraft should be indistinguishable from those built in Germany and France, the company said at Air Show China Oct. 31.
Malin Bjorkmo, who is head of the governmental holdings division of the Swedish Ministry of Industry, is now the Swedish government representative on the SAS Scandinavian Airlines Nominating Committee. He succeeds Jonas Iversen. For Denmark, Peter Brixen of the finance ministry has succeeded Jacob Heinsen. Other committee members are: Reier Soberg of the Norwegian trade and industry ministry, Mathias Pedersen of the Wallenbergs Foundation, Henrik Michael Normann for Danske Bank and Jarl Ulvin of Odin Forvaltning.
The Army/Navy Aerial Common Sensor intelligence aircraft continues its return from the grave. "The current status is that it's a big part of the Joint Airborne Electronic Attack study and it's an important part of the Battlespace Awareness portfolio" which is overseen by Stephen Cambone, the undersecretary of Defense for intelligence, says Navy Capt. James M. Carr, branch head for joint requirements and acquisition. Cambone has given specific directions--that the Navy has accepted--to fund ACS to 2011. The Navy is negotiating details of the funding stream.
The Navy's next-generation destroyer--bristling with advanced sensors and weapons--will feature a novel electric drive to slake its unprecedented thirst for power.
Key British Royal Air Force air transport programs are continuing to slip at the same time as the extent of pressures on surveillance and airlift platforms becomes ever more apparent. Final approval for the air force's future tanker-transport fleet is sliding into 2007, as is the go-ahead for a modification program for its Boeing Chinook Mk3 heavy-lift helicopters.
Modern armored fighting vehicles may offer superb armor protection, but the proliferation of new-generation anti-tank weapons is posing a serious threat to even the most heavily protected vehicles.
Hiring of new crewmembers and recalls of furloughed pilots at U.S. major airlines are increasing rapidly, providing evidence that the next expansion is near, according to the Internet-based career service, fltops.com. Seven airlines hired 264 pilots in October--the peak month for hiring so far this year--AirTran (45), Alaska Airlines (18), Continental (60), JetBlue (23), Southwest (20), UPS (29) and FedEx (69). Through Oct. 1, 963 pilots have been hired at major carriers in 2006.
The desire to give U.S. Army soldiers and Marines better protection from blasts and bullets is driving a technology quest to develop new vehicles that could replace many of the military's current Humvees. What those vehicles might look like, what kind of armor they will have and even how many wheels they will run on are among many questions still up in the air as the two land services work with industry to discover the "art of the possible" through a program known as the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle.
The 2006 air show season marks the U.S. Navy Blue Angels flight demonstration team's 60th anniversary. Known for dynamic, precision flight maneuvers in close proximity, the team's pilots live by an almost-mystical credo that permeates the entire Blue Angels squadron. Rocky Mountain Bureau Chief William B. Scott was invited back for a second flight with the team--this time in the four-ship Diamond formation--providing a close-up look at the Blue Angels' formula for breeding perennial excellence.
Deborah Costolo McElroy has been appointed senior vice president-government affairs for Washington-based Airports Council International-North America. She has been president of the Regional Airline Assn., also in Washington.
Roxanne S. Austin, former president and chief operating officer of DirecTV Inc., has been named to the board of directors of Los Angeles-based Teledyne Technologies Inc.
MARKET FOCUS Aerospace investors trying to make sense of election results 10 NEWS BREAKS Boeing completes its second successful liftoff at Vandenberg Complex-6 18 Aurora flies its GoldenEye 80 UAV for the first time 19 Chinese join aerospace fervor for unmanned aerial vehicles 20 AW&ST's Sparaco wins lifetime achieve- ment award from French club 20 Aircraft-carried satellite launch vehicle may be on Chinese agenda 22 Russia pushing ahead with upgrade to its MiG-31 Foxhound 22
While military officials may agree on the need, the choice of what active-defense system to deploy on their armored vehicles often comes down to time and money. The recent dispute over the U.S. decision not to field the Israeli-made Trophy system illustrates that point.
Capt. David Skilling's letter (AW&ST Oct. 30, p. 6) is a typical rant of an airline pilot who is probably 59 and facing retirement completely unprepared. There are several key points that he fails to recognize. *There is not a single airline pilot employed by a U.S. carrier who was hired when the Age 60 rule was not in effect. Those that didn't like the rule should have opted for other flying careers.
Alliant Techsystems has joined the Rocketplane Kistler team developing the K-1 two-stage-to-orbit reusable launch vehicle under NASA's Commercial Orbital Space Transportation (COTS) seed-money effort, which is also helping fund the Space X Falcon 9 development. The Utah-based company will oversee final development of the K-1, its assembly at the government-owned Michoud Assembly Facility near New Orleans, construction of an initial launch site in Woomera, Australia, and eventually launch operations.
