We are pleased to present the first issue of Defense Technology International, providing in-depth coverage of the global defense industry. Produced in collaboration with Aviation Week & Space Technology, DTI delivers timely reporting on issues affecting policies and procurement, with content geared
LOT Polish Airlines has agreed to buy up to 14 Boeing 787s powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 1000s. The $910- million order is firm for seven 787-8s, with options for two more 787s and purchase rights on another five. Deliveries are to commence in 2008.
The German center for aerospace research (DLR) has demonstrated high-bandwidth laser communications over a range of up to 60 km. (37 mi.). Late last month, a laser communications terminal was lifted to 22 km. using a high-altitude balloon. The communications device was able to transmit information at a rate of up to 1.25 gigabits per second with nearly flawless connectivity, says DLR.
Senior Editor David Hughes (left) flew on a Hurricane Katrina search-and-rescue mission with U.S. Coast Guard pilot Lt. Eric Carter (center) and copilot Lt. Doug Doll on a Sikorsky HH-60 Jayhawk like this one on Sept. 6. The crew included swimmer Erick Lieb and mechanic Kevin Musorofiti. The 8-hr. mission from Mobile, Ala., started with a medical evacuation to a regional hospital from a makeshift heliport in the parking lot of a Kmart store in Mississippi.
Early German parliamentary elections in September threaten to delay several major international defense projects. Long-term budget cuts, moreover, could further undermine participation by Berlin in multinational defense collaboration.
SpaceX will develop and market a heavy-lift version of its Falcon booster line to compete against or exceed the Lockheed Martin Atlas V and Boeing Delta IV Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle capability. The company says it already has sold one of the new boosters to the U.S. government for flight test. The Falcon 9 will cluster nine Merlin engines for about 900,000 lb. of liftoff thrust to place 21,000 lb. in low Earth orbit. A much larger version of the Falcon 9 is to loft 55,000-lb. payloads from Cape Canaveral or other sites.
The European Commission has issued guidelines under which airlines can receive startup aid to fly routes into regional airports. The measure is part of policy to encourage regional airport development. Aid can cover up to 30-50% of the additional costs an airline incurs in starting up a new service, including marketing, according to the EC. The aid must be limited to no more than 3-5 years for regions deemed disadvantaged, and an airline would be required to continue operating from the airports once the aid ends.
A. Anton Frederickson has been appointed president/chief operating officer of the Reston, Va.-based Titan Group of L-3 Communications. He was senior vice president of the Titan Corp. before its acquisition by L-3.
In the late 1990s, I was the first Lockheed Martin Aerial Common Sensor program manager. Based on the known requirements, the initial LM choice for an ACS platform was the Hawker Horizon, a decision made after a thorough evaluation (AW&ST Aug. 22/29, p. 32).
USMC Brig. Gen. (ret.) Guy VanderLinden (see photo) has been appointed vice president-business development of Indianapolis-based Rolls-Royce Defense North America. Bob Carney has been named director of marketing and strategy. He was the CH-53X capture manager. John Shade has become director of business captures. He was program manager for product lifecycle management. Ron Riffel has been appointed director of regional executives.
It has come to this: AirTran Airways said it holds fixed-price and collar agreements designed to assure that it will be able to buy more than 95% of its forecasted aviation fuel consumption during the fourth quarter of 2005 at a price no higher than the equivalent of about $67 per barrel of oil. These contracts currently cover 72% of estimated consumption. Airlines have shunned deals at this price level in the past, estimating that they would provide little or no benefit.
FEATURES armor's new look 14 New designs improve coverage and reduce casualties. The latest includes a body suit that takes its cue from the Middle Ages. marines eyeing space 21 Visionaries tout a space vehicle for troop deployment that can land in trouble spots within two hours. million-rounds-a-minute gun 25 Electronic weapon with the highest rate of fire in the world seeks a buyer.
Investors who want to own a piece of information technology powerhouse SAIC (Science Applications International Corp.) won't need to get a job there anymore. The employee-owned company has filed plans for an initial public offering of stock in early 2006.
U.S. Army divisional and corps commanders will have their own armed UAVs to seek out and strike high-value targets, such as suspected terrorist leaders, by 2009. This comes after General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, along with its "Team Warrior" partners AAI and Sparta, was awarded a $214-million systems development and demonstration (SDD) contract to field an advanced version of the Predator UAV.
Rob Binns has become chief marketing officer, Charles Addison chief information officer and Mark McMillin general counsel and corporate secretary, all of World Air Holdings Inc. Binns was senior vice president-marketing and planning, while Addison was senior vice president-operational support. McMillin was assistant general counsel. Virginia Clark has been appointed vice president/corporate controller. She was director of accounting/controller for AirTran Airways for four years.
The first Royal Saudi Air Force Tornado strike aircraft could begin an in-country upgrade as early as 2006, with the final details of the program now being nailed down. Three Saudi Tornados are being used to test various elements of the proposed package, with the installation work being carried out by BAE Systems at its Warton site in the north of England.
With so many groups ordering hundreds of very light jets for their air taxi operations, they had better talk with the FAA first. Part 135 on-demand charter rules limit operators to four flights per week, between the same two locations. These operators need total flexibility to fly as many flights per day as there is demand. They cannot do that under FAA rules unless they become commuter operators. But you cannot operate very light jets under Part 135 either.
Satellite operators think Hurricane Katrina, like the Indian Ocean tsunami late last year, will convince more public agencies to include fixed and mobile satellite services as part of their strategic first-response capability. Inmarsat Chairman/CEO Andrew Sukawaty says the tsunami generated more than $2.5 million of business--over and above donated resources--in the first quarter, and a similar impact is expected from Katrina.
WorldSpace Europe has changed its name to Viatis. According to CEO Bill Chereau, the change is intended to give a European identity to the WorldSpace unit, which is tasked with establishing a mobile digital radio venture along the lines of XM and Sirius in the U.S. Chereau said money from a recent WorldSpace IPO and stock purchase by XM will be available to kick off the European initiative, and that the regulatory environment necessary to obtain necessary licenses "is much more favorable than before" (AW&ST Aug. 15, p. 33; Aug. 1, p. 26).
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administation forecasters reported the fourth largest solar flare on record for the past 15 years on Sept. 7 and predicted significant solar eruptions over the next two weeks. This may disrupt spacecraft operations, high-frequency communications and low-frequency navigation systems. The event on Sept. 7 caused a complete blackout of HF communications on the daylight side of Earth, including the entire U.S.
The European Commission has taken the next in a series of steps to broaden its authority on international air transport matters. It is proposing formal negotiations with Australia, Chile and India to further open air markets and boost cooperation on regulatory matters. Chile and Australia recently inked so-called horizontal agreements with the European Union, which supplant bilateral accords the two had with individual EU members. The new effort would broaden the talks to areas such as market liberalization.
6 Correspondence 8 Who's Where 10 Market Focus 13 Industry Outlook 14 Airline Outlook 15 In Orbit 16-18 World News Roundup 19 Washington Outlook 62-63 Classified 64 Contact Us 65 Aerospace Calendar
Aerospace industry profits and cash balances are at historically high levels, but they are not excessive when compared with other manufacturing industries, according to an Aerospace Industries Assn. analysis. AIA also finds that the industry's return on assets lags other sectors, outpacing only plastics, rubber and motor vehicles.
In a feat comparable to gift-wrapping a basketball without wrinkles, Spirit Aerosystems has produced a composite Section 41 forward fuselage for the 787 in a single wind. Now it has to figure out how to stuff it. Formerly Boeing's Wichita fabrication factory, Spirit Aerosystems has become Boeing's largest aerostructures supplier since being spun off to Canada's Onex Corp. in June. The factory is best known for producing the aluminum alloy fuselages for Boeing's 737, but its product list also includes Section 41 noses for 747s, 767s and 777s.
Jordan Aerospace Industries (JAI) has delivered six two-seat Sama single-engine CH2000s to the Iraqi air force under a deal to supply 16. The agreement is part of a U.S. assistance package. The aircraft will be used for surveillance, including missions designed to prevent sabotage on infrastructure. JAI will train Iraqi pilots on this advanced model.
