editorial director Anthony L. Velocci, Jr. editor-in-chief Sharon Weinberger managing editor Pat Toensmeier assistant managing editor Michael Stearns contributing editors Douglas Barrie Peter A. Buxbaum David Eshel Ann Finkbeiner B.C. Kessner Ron Laurenzo Catherine MacRae Hockmuth Andy Nativi Rich Tuttle
The FAA has been modeling the possible effects of thunderstorms on flight delays, and has discovered something quite alarming. By 2014, with projected traffic growth of 27%, there could be 29 days of delays exceeding the worst single day of delay in 2004. It's not that thunderstorm activity is expected to get worse; it's just that the disruptive effects will be magnified with increased traffic levels.
The U.S. plans to send a delegation to Beijing next month for the first of several rounds of bilateral talks with China in the hope of eventually negotiating an open-skies deal. The first round of talks on Apr. 19-20 is not expected to yield a breakthrough agreement, but will "set the framework" for future meetings, says John Byerly, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of State for transportation. He says the U.S.
Airbus has concluded a preliminary agreement with the Polish foundation of major applied research organizations to work together on research and technology projects. Airbus already subcontracts components such as doors, fire protection and floor grids to Swidnik, Okecie and other companies in Poland. Together with parent company EADS, the European airframer expects to have spent $140 million on purchases and investment outlays in Poland from 1998-2008.
Bell Helicopter Textron's new Repair and Overhaul Center in Roanoke, Tex., has completed work on its first military helicopter component assignment. The 82,000-sq.-ft. facility is designed for maintenance and overhaul of rotor hubs, transmissions, gearboxes and rotor blades. The center also coordinates second-tier supplier repairs for Bell's U.S. military rotorcraft platforms.
EADS describes its new simulation center in New Port, Wales, as a virtual battlefield on which military and law enforcement can practice decision-making and quick response to crises. Opened in February, NetCOS is designed to be Europe's most advanced simulation and modeling facility. The center also plans to compete for security contracts for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2012 games in London. NetCOS links Germany, France and the U.K., and plans are underway to add North America.
FEATURES too many bots 14 The Pentagon's buying lots of robots. Question is: Can they work together? In Israel, cooperation is blooming (p. 16).on sale soon 20 Italy and Russia develop a mid-size attack sub that's effective, affordable and available for export. firing frenzy 29 U.S. Navy's search for advanced munitions to support Marine amphibious operations is running into problems. Italy, however, has its own approach (p. 32). missile gap 34 Israel looks to upgrade its ballistic missile capabilities in response to evolving threats from hostile neighbors.
With all the controversy surrounding Boeing 767 tanker lease, it should be a no- brainer when it comes to selecting the next tanker for the U.S. Air Force. You can see the generals tiptoeing around the issue because of the "Buy America" campaign. But even putting all the Boeing issues aside, you can see that Airbus has the better product with the KC-30 when it comes to getting the job done. It was obvious to the Australian Defense Ministry, which has a significantly smaller budget than does the U.S., so maybe we should follow their lead.
The FAA intends to enact a third extension, this time through Oct. 28, of its August 2004 order limiting flight operations at Chicago O'Hare International Airport. The restrictions, based on arrival limits negotiated by the FAA with U.S. and Canadian airlines serving O'Hare, would expire Apr. 1 without an extension. The agency is preparing a permanent regime of capacity limits for O'Hare and says it expects to issue it "shortly," but not in time to govern summer 2006 airline schedules.
Space Exploration Technologies was attempting to make its first launch of the Falcon 1 rocket late last week, in a Mar. 21-29 launch period in the local western Pacific Ocean time zone. SpaceX didn't try on the first three available days as it was analyzing results of a brief static test firing on Mar. 19 at the tiny Omelek Island launch site in the Kwajalein Atoll, which is 17 hr. ahead of Eastern Standard Time. The Mar. 24 opportunity was dropped as the company examined the results of a second static firing made on Mar. 22. That 3-sec.
Alitalia appears to be gaining the upper hand in its struggle to acquire bankrupt low-fare carrier Volare airlines, despite a stiff challenge from AirOne. Italian industry minister Claudio Scajola declared last week that Alitalia had won a competitive offer for Volare. The decision overturned an initial ruling in favor of AirOne, which had bid 29 million euros ($35 million) for the no-frills airline. Alitalia offered 38 million euros for the carrier, which employs 700 people.
A team led by Lockheed Martin, which has aggressively been expanding its information technology work, recently nabbed the FBI's $305-million, six-year Sentinel contract. Much like the Defense Dept., the FBI intends to link its disparate information systems into one that could be accessed by analysts and agents worldwide. Team members include Accenture, Anteon, CACI and Computer Sciences Corp.
sharon weinberger, editor-in-chief of Defense Technology International, interviewed Roger Lough, Australia's chief defense scientist, for this issue's On the Record. Her book, Imaginary Weapons, about the Pentagon and fringe science, is slated for publication in June. peter buxbaum, a long-time defense and homeland security reporter based in Washington, wrote the cover story on the Pentagon's "battle of the bots." His last article for DTI, on the meltdown in the Pentagon's next-generation radios, was a prescient look at overly ambitious military technology.
Wilmington, Ohio-based ABX Air is pinning revenue improvement hopes on the delivery this year of five passenger-to-freighter converted Boeing 767s that are not connected to its line-haul service for DHL Express. The diversified air cargo carrier is seeking revenue enhancements after it reported Mar. 17 decreased earnings for the fourth quarter and for the year. Officials attributed the decline to failing to achieve revenue incentives under the hub and line-haul agreement with DHL, and it caused ABX Air's stock on Nasdaq to drop 1.22 points, or 15%, to $6.79 a share.
Jim Hnat, who has been general counsel, also will be senior vice president of JetBlue Airways. He was vice president/general counsel/assistant secretary. Joanna Geraghty has been appointed vice president/associate general counsel. She was director of litigation and regulatory counsel. John Harvey has been named senior vice president/corporate finance/treasurer and Rob Land senior vice president-government affairs/associate general counsel.
During the past decade, Israel has invested several billion dollars in a multilayered anti-ballistic defense system known as Homa, the Hebrew word for barrier. But, with the proliferation of new short-range tactical missiles and rockets, defense officials are plotting a strategy that includes adapting the Arrow anti-missile system and looking at new technologies for an array of threats.
France is on track to field land- and carrier-based strike versions of the new-generation Rafale fighter, although deployment of a full naval capability is likely to stretch out until the end of the decade.
Titanium is the ninth-most-abundant material on Earth. It is also one of the hardest and costliest to refine and process into the super metal used by the defense and aerospace industries. The reason is that most titanium raw material is made by the Kroll batch process, a repetitive energy- and labor-intensive method that hasn't changed much in the 60 years since it was first commercialized.
One million flying hours--and counting--have been logged by C-17 Globemaster III airlifters. That's the equivalent of one of the advanced cargo jets flying every minute of every day continuously for more than 114 years, according to Boeing, who supplied the math. An evacuation mission transporting injured U.S. troops from Iraq to Germany helped the aircraft reach the million-hour mark on Mar. 20. USAF selected that particular C-17 and its crew comprising active duty USAF, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and Royal Air Force members to represent the entire fleet.
NASA engineers are digging in on the details of human exploration missions to the Moon and Mars, figuring out how to modify 40-year-old launch facilities in Florida for another 40 years of service, and simulating lunar reentry trajectories that will bring the planned Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) to the same landing site in the Western U.S. every time.
The Italian air force is proceeding with a plan to upgrade its fleet of HH-3F and AB212 helicopters for combat search and rescue missions. All HH-3Fs of the 15th Wing, which is based at Rome-Ciampino airport, are to be brought to the new standard that was developed by AgustaWestland. The upgrade features a night vision-compatible cockpit equipped with head-up displays, a new radio communication system with satcom capability and an upgraded self-protection suite with laser and radar warning receivers, and integrated chaff and flare dispensers.
The German navy this month is fielding the F124 Hessen, its third Sachsen-class frigate, as the service enters a critical phase of restructuring. Several new major equipment projects are moving forward, including the fielding of two U212A submarines. (Two boats are already in service.) The first four K130 Braunschweig-class corvettes are in production, and will be fielded next year. Navy chief Vice Adm. Lutz Feldt notes that securing parliamentary funding for major modernization efforts, such as the maritime version of the NH90 helicopter, is a priority this year.
Gone With the Wind? The concessions battle between Delta Air Lines pilots and management is heating up. The chief of the negotiating committee for the Delta unit of the Air Line Pilots Assn. told a U.S. Bankruptcy Court arbitration panel in New York last week that the union was unlikely to ratify an agreement, even if negotiators reach consensus. The airline is demanding $300 million more in contract concessions from its pilots. It also filed a Section 1113 motion that would reject the pilots' contract and enable Delta to impose its demands.
NASA says it received a "strong response" to its request for information on possible public/private venture-capital schemes to spur new technology for space exploration. Now the agency hopes to pick a partner by the end of April. Derived from Administrator Michael Griffin's experience as president and CEO of In-Q-Tel, a CIA entity set up to find new technology for the nation's spooks, the Red Planet Capital Fund already has an $11-million public-fund stake (AW&ST Feb. 20, p. 39).
A full-scale pole model of Northrop Grumman's X-47B joint unmanned combat air system (J-UCAS) candidate inherits a number of design features, systems and technologies from the B-2 Spirit bomber. The J-UCAS, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and even Boeing's 777 airliner are only a few of many programs that have benefited from innovations traceable to B-2 development (see p. 56). Although the bomber program's acknowledged "firsts" range from all-composite skins to flush-mounted air data ports and active flight controls, many B-2-related advancements remain classified.
